The Rancher's Adopted Family Read Online Free PDF Page B

both Amy and Seth.
    They were eating alone in the kitchen, the mysterious Ming having prepared their food and then disappeared before Amy could meet him.
    Fortunately, Bella was quite adept at filling any awkward silences that lapsed during their dinnertime conversation. In between Bella’s choruses, Amy answered Seth’s questions about her work in marketing and he elaborated on the export beef market.
    She wished she could follow up on their earlier conversation with more personal questions like how he’d felt about giving up rugby, or whether he planned to live on Cape York for ever. Or whether he looked forward to having a family one day. Most importantly, she wanted to know how he’d felt about Rachel.
    Instead, she told him about her Melbourne flat and Bella’s playgroup and the day care centre where she planned to leave Bella when she returned to work.
    Seth’s gaze met Amy’s when she told him this, and wariness crept into his eyes, as if he sensed her underlying tension.
    All of a sudden she was desperately, achingly tired and she realised she’d been tense for hours. The closer she got to telling Seth about his relationship to Bella, the more frightened she was.
    The fact was, telling Seth was one thing. Handing her precious little girl over was another matter entirely. Amy had no intention of giving her away. As Bella’s guardian, she planned to take the child back to Melbourne with her. Seth could stay in touch, certainly, but he couldn’t expect to have Bella permanently.
    Could he?
    All through the meal, there was a question in his eyes, which Amy tried to avoid. She focused on his hands as he cut a piece of toast into the shape of a sailing boat for Bella. They were very workmanlike hands—sinewy and strong and suntanned. To Amy’s intense dismay, she found herself imagining his hands on her skin and the thought caused crazy explosions deep inside.
    By the end of the meal, Bella was growing sleepy again and Amy grabbed the excuse to escape, to put her to bed.
    ‘Good idea,’ Seth agreed easily, but as Amy was about to leave he said, ‘Would you have time for a chat after Bella’s settled?’
    Time for a chat?
    Her heart jumped with sudden fright. Why did his simple question sound ominous? His blue gaze was quiet and steady, in complete contrast to her hectic pulse.
    ‘Yes, of course,’ she managed to reply. ‘It shouldn’t take too long to settle Bella.’
    ‘Half an hour?’
    ‘That’s plenty of time.’
    For once Amy was pleased that Bella knew every word of her bedtime story by heart. She only had to turnthe pages while the little girl happily pointed to the pictures and recited snippets of dialogue.
    Meanwhile, Amy’s mind raced, trying to guess why Seth wanted to chat.
    Ever since Rachel’s accident, her mind had developed the alarming habit of leaping to worst-case scenarios. She wondered if Seth wanted to talk about Rachel and Bella. Could he have guessed?
    She wasn’t ready to tell Seth the truth. She’d mentally prepared herself for a confession in the morning.
    But would there ever be a right time?
    Amy watched Bella’s innocent little face as she snuggled down beneath the crisp white sheets with her favourite toy, a fat stuffed pig.
    ‘Night, night,’ she murmured, touching her fingers to a silky curl of jet-black hair.
    Bella eyed her sternly. ‘Say bed bugs.’
    ‘Bossy boots,’ Amy chided, but she obliged. ‘Night, night, sweetheart. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.’
    Bella grinned with satisfaction and they hugged tightly. Amy kissed her warm, baby-soft skin, and tried not to think about distressing possibilities that involved handing Bella over, or nights in the future without this ritual.
    An awful panic gripped her, and suddenly she knew with blinding clarity how vitally and deeply important Bella had become to her. She simply couldn’t bear to give her up.
    Sitting on the edge of the bed, she fought tears as she stroked the child’s soft curls and watched her