Adopted: Outback Baby

Her hair was incredibly shiny and so much neater than he remembered. As a girl it had flowed in rumpled waves loose to her shoulders. He reached out a hand, but he didn’t touch her. ‘Are you OK?’

With her eyes closed, she nodded her head. ‘Just tired and sad.’

A moment later, her eyes opened and she turned her head slowly, carefully, almost as if her neck were stiff, and looked up at him. Her blue eyes were lovely—even lovelier than he’d remembered. Looking into them, he felt punch-drunk.

‘I really need to go home now,’ she said.

Her weakness launched him into gallantry. The questions consuming him would have to wait. ‘Of course.’

This time, when he reached down, he touched her sleeve at the elbow. ‘Let me drive you.’

Pink stole into her cheeks. ‘That’s not necessary.’

‘Did you bring your car?’

‘No,’ she admitted reluctantly. ‘I came by taxi.’

‘Then there’s no argument.’ His hand closed around her arm and he watched the colour in her cheeks spread. ‘Come on.’

To his surprise, she didn’t pull away from him, but rose obediently. Everything felt unreal as they walked together out of the chapel into sunshine and fresh air. The mourners had disappeared and the late model Mercedes he’d hired stood alone in the car park.

From a distance of ten paces, Jacob unlocked it. Its lights blinked and Nell gave a little mew of surprise.

‘Nice car.’

‘It’s only hired.’ He walked to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her, watching every elegant movement as she ducked her head and sat, drawing her slim legs neatly inside. Grimly, he closed her door, walked around the car and got in beside her, wishing he could feel calm.

Keep your mind on the traffic. Forget that it’s Nell. And don’t think about the past. No sense in dragging her into an argument now.

‘Where to?’ Jacob asked, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. ‘Would you like to go somewhere for coffee?’

Nell shook her head. ‘I just need to get home, please.’

‘That’s in Toorak, right?’

‘No.’ She quickly donned oversized dark glasses that hid her expressive eyes. ‘I don’t live there now. I’m in Williamstown.’

Jacob frowned as he started the car and joined the steady stream of traffic. Williamstown was an attractive bayside suburb, but it didn’t really make sense that Nell and her barrister husband had moved there. Why would they leave their exclusive address at Toorak, the Melbourne suburb synonymous with opulence and gracious living?

While he was musing over this she asked, ‘Where do you live these days?’

‘I’m based up in Queensland. Near Roma.’

‘That should be good cattle country.’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘You’ve done well.’

Unsure if this was a statement or a question, Jacob didn’t respond and he drove for some time in uncomfortable silence. Nell sat very straight and still with her hands in her lap, while he kept his gaze strictly ahead.

As they reached the Westgate Bridge arching high over the Yarra River, she asked, ‘Did you know about the baby—about Tegan’s baby? Before today?’

Jacob turned to her sharply. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I had no idea. Did you?’

She nodded. ‘Jean contacted me the day after the accident. She seemed to be struggling with it all and I went over to see if I could help. I saw Sam then. He’s very cute.’

‘I only found out about Tegan six weeks ago.’ It was difficult to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

‘So Tegan did write to you?’

‘Yes. Quite a long and chatty letter.’

‘It must have been a shock.’

He cracked a bitter smile. ‘That’s something of an understatement. It took me almost a week to recover before I sent my reply.’ He paused. ‘And then, two days ago, there was another letter from Jean.’

‘About Tegan’s accident.’

‘And details of the funeral arrangements.’

‘A much worse shock.’

‘Terrible.’ After a bit, he said, ‘Tegan didn’t mention that she was pregnant.’

‘But I’m so glad she wrote.’

Jacob frowned. ‘You sound as if you were involved somehow.’

Nell dropped her gaze to her handbag—genuine crocodile skin, if he wasn’t mistaken. ‘Not really.’

‘Not really? What does that mean?’

She played with the handle of the handbag, running the tip of her forefinger over the stitching. ‘Tegan wrote to me and told me she wanted to make contact with you. I told her what I knew, which wasn’t much more than your name and your age. She did the rest. You know how clever young people are on the Internet these days.’

‘But she’d already had contact with you?’

‘Yes.’

‘How? Through an adoption agency?’

‘Yes.’

Jacob’s hand clenched around the wheel. ‘That doesn’t make sense. Why couldn’t the agency give her my name too?’

When Nell didn’t answer, he lost patience. ‘Why the hell did my daughter have to go to you to find out my name?’

‘Jacob, be careful!’