Heart Of Courage. Sue MacKay

in the time he’d been here. He preferred the red to yesterday’s orange.

      Sophie turned her head to stare out at the passing scenery. ‘I could go to my parents’.’

      Her lack of enthusiasm for that idea dripped off each word. Who could blame her? After her brief revelation about her childhood he certainly couldn’t. ‘They’ll welcome you?’

      ‘I guess.’ Then she straightened up in her seat and turned to face him. ‘Of course they will. It’d only be a temporary arrangement.’

      An idea was slowly creeping into his mind. An idea that needed thinking through, required looking at from all angles before he spilled it out to Sophie. He wasn’t going to blurt it out like he’d done with that marriage suggestion. Once was stupid, twice was really dumb.

      But... ‘You could stay with me. My house is big enough that we wouldn’t be tripping over each other,’ he blurted.

      Damn it, Sophie. What have you done to me? I go and say the craziest things without any consideration to the consequences when I’m around you. I’ve never acted so impulsively in my life. Not since I was eight and told Dad’s live-in girlfriend number two that I loved her and that I wanted her to stay with us for ever. That she could be my mother if she wanted.

      Again silence reigned. Sophie hadn’t answered and seemed to be intent on the passing scenery, dry and boring as it was. Might be for the best. Like his marriage offer—if she didn’t say yes to moving in with him then he didn’t have to worry about anything. Didn’t have to consider that they’d be sharing his space, which wouldn’t be straightforward given his reaction to her whenever they were together. She was easily the most tantalising woman he’d known. Even now his blood heated and they weren’t exactly cosy with each other. His groin had been aching since arriving yesterday, and that had started before he’d set eyes on her. Anticipation had a lot to answer for. Yeah, he still wanted her, needed to make love with her again. Maybe then he’d get past this annoying niggle.

      Because that’s what she was to him. A persistent itch. To think he’d invited her to stay with him.

      Sophie’s carrying my baby.

      Which gave him responsibilities, if nothing else. He’d stepped up and offered some solutions for the future, and she wasn’t barrelling him over with her acceptances. Still, he had to help her in every way possible, whether she liked it or not. There were a lot of things he could do to make life easier for her as she settled into becoming a mother. Whether he liked it or not.

      He’d spent his adult life playing the field with women, but he’d never been a brute or deliberately hurtful, and now he would not walk away from Sophie. Her point about a loveless marriage was valid, and in some ways he was thankful for her turning him down. It was all for the best. He wasn’t the kind of guy who’d be able to live like a monk for the rest of his life, and if Sophie kept him at arm’s length it could get tricky. It was doubtful that Sophie would want to stay clear of men either, but he doubted he’d be her first pick. She’d been hot for him that night in Bamiyan, had pretty much thrown herself at him. No denying he’d been ready and waiting to catch her, though. But here in Darwin she’d been a lot more circumspect around him.

      Cooper pulled up outside the barracks and hauled on the handbrake. ‘You’ve gone awfully quiet. You okay?’

      ‘You keep knocking me sideways. First marriage, now the offer of staying with you. I never expected any of that. Thank you. Please don’t think I’m ungrateful. I just happen to be a pig-headed woman who puts her independence before anything else. Except my baby, something I’m only just realising.’ She finally smiled at him.

      The warmth went straight to his heart, and any problems he might’ve thought up about sharing his home with her dissolved. ‘I wouldn’t take that away from you. I start at the hospital in a few days and won’t be around the house very much anyway.’

      Sophie shook her head at him. ‘I intend finding my own place. Your home would always be yours. I wouldn’t be able to change things or spread out all over the show as I’m exceptionally good at doing.’ There was that smile again. ‘Definitely not a tidy creature, me.’

      ‘Don’t write my suggestion off so quickly. You’ve got a few days before we fly out of here. Think about it.’ Next he’d be begging. Did he want her living with him so badly? No. But the idea of her in a poky flat in some rank suburb was equally unbearable. She’d be comfortable in his place. He’d be able to get to know her and most likely get over the things about her that were bugging him. Living under the same roof wouldn’t only show the good aspects of her character but the not-so-good ones, the things he’d struggle to put up with day in, day out. Likewise for Sophie about him.

      ‘Cooper, you’re warring with yourself, so how can I take what you say as the right thing to do? You may be trying to persuade me your way is right but you’re not sure about it. It’s there in your eyes every time you try to convince me you’ve got the perfect solution.’

      Already she could read him. He found her a smile. ‘Can you see that I don’t give up easily when it’s important to me?’

      ‘Saw that seven months ago, pal.’ She was laughing at him.

      Cooper reached to draw her into his arms and held her against his chest where she fitted perfectly. His breath hitched at the back of his throat and for a moment he couldn’t utter a word, so he just enjoyed the moment. What would she do if he kissed her? It would be a risk to find out. He didn’t want her rejecting him completely. Not when they were having a baby.

      Finally he managed, ‘Crazy woman. I’m starting to really like you.’ Liking her was okay. Anything stronger wouldn’t work, but as that was as implausible as flying to Saturn he was safe.

      ‘Now, there’s a novel idea,’ she quipped as she snuggled closer.

      He swallowed hard and lowered his chin to the top of her head, breathed deep to absorb the scent of sunscreen and flowers, and relaxed against her. Felt her breasts rising and falling softly, not hard points pressing against him like last time he’d held her. Her short breaths against his shirt, her hands on his chest, everything about her made him feel complete. She took away some of the doubts that had been niggling him since he’d first seen that baby bump. Whatever the difficulties ahead, they’d manage, would sort out how to go about raising a child between them in less-than-perfect circumstances. He wasn’t worried on that score. He also wasn’t giving up trying to convince her to move into his house. Not yet. Though he should be. Because becoming a father still didn’t sit easily with him. And having a woman on his patch permanently had him in a hot sweat of the worst kind. Yet—this was Sophie. The one woman he’d never forgotten; remembered her body as hot satin in his hands that night that had led to this situation.

      Sophie pulled back, smoothed her already smooth shirt over her breasts. Then she locked her eyes on him and drew in a deep breath. ‘I’ve got something to show you. Can you wait here?’ It must be important, going by the way she held herself.

      ‘Of course.’ Glad of the distraction, he switched the ignition off and got out to open her door. Leaning back against the car, he watched her walk slowly into the building. Exhaustion tugged her shoulders downward and made her head droop. What was so important that she had to show him tonight? His mind came up blank, so he stopped trying to work it out and waited for her to return.

      Then she was back, handing him a large envelope. ‘This is yours to keep. If you want,’ she added with uncertainty.

      Which only intrigued him more. ‘What is it?’

      ‘Take a look. I kept a copy for you.’

      He opened the tab and shook the contents out into his hand. One sheet of heavy paper. A photo. No, a scan. His mouth dried. His heart went into overdrive, sending his blood thudding around his body. His hand shook as he held the picture out to study. ‘Our baby?’ he croaked.

      Sophie stepped closer. ‘Yes. Look, there are her legs, and one arm. Isn’t that amazing?’

      He