Chapter 28
Twenty-eight
Kenzie woke up slowly, smiling softly at the familiar feel of Poppy tucked snugly in behind her, until it occurred to her that Poppy didn’t normally fit around her entire back.
Her eyes shot open in alarm, and she glanced down and noticed the large hand draped over her hip and long arm attached. Not. Poppy’s.
The night before came racing back, and a tingling sensation reverberated throughout her body at the memory, until another thought intruded rudely: Ewan was still in her bed.
She sat up, casting his arm off her and waking him up in the process.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, looking ready to leap into action and wrestle a tiger as he scanned the room with blurry eyes.
‘You’re still here. You need to go.’
He visibly relaxed when he realised there was no need to fight anything and ran a hand through his tousled hair before using both hands to rub his face. ‘It’s okay. No one will even know I’m here.’
‘They will if they see you sneaking out of my room!’
He glanced at the watch on his wrist before giving a small grunt. ‘Nope. They’ll already be up and about.’
‘Seriously?’ she asked, grabbing hold of his wrist and turning it to read the time. ‘I can’t believe this. I have never slept in this much in my entire life,’ she muttered. ‘Your mother is going to think I can’t take care of my own child.’
‘No, she won’t. She knows what it’s like to be a busy mother and needing rest.’
‘I don’t have time to rest.’
‘Clearly.’ He grinned.
‘Usually,’ she snapped. ‘And I don’t know why you’re so calm. We’ve been sleeping together underneath your parents’ roof. They know we met years ago and then again just recently … what will they think of me once they realise we’ve been …’ Her despair faltered slightly.
‘Having sex?’ he supplied helpfully. ‘Like two normal adults?’
‘I don’t feel comfortable with everyone knowing our business,’ she said tightly.
‘Okay,’ he said putting his hands out in a non-threatening gesture. ‘I’m sorry. If you want to keep this thing a secret, we can do that … although, I have to warn you, nothing stays a secret around this place for long.’
‘It’s not a secret,’ she said haughtily. ‘I just don’t think it’s anyone else’s business.’
A smile twitched his lips. ‘Yeah, that’s not how things work around here either.’
‘What if it confuses Poppy?’
He looked at her silently, as though considering her words and nodded slowly. ‘Okay. Maybe you’re right. We can keep things quiet, if that’s what you want.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, relieved. She hadn’t had time to process any of it yet and had no desire to have everyone making assumptions about what this was when even she had no idea. ‘You’re welcome. Now, get back over here,’ he said.
‘Are you crazy? You have to go. Now. Before anyone comes looking for you.’
He gave an exaggerated sigh before reluctantly standing up.
‘It was worth a try,’ he said with a grin, gathering his clothes from the floor and pulling them on.
When he left her room, she breathed a sigh of relief, gathering her own clothing and practising a face that didn’t give away the fact she and the father of her child had just spent the night doing unmentionable things in his parents’ house.
She didn’t even have to ask this morning as she walked into the kitchen later, Peggy just handed her a coffee and she smiled her thanks. She avoided Ewan’s gaze as she took a seat across from him and smiled at Vera, before kissing the top of Poppy’s head.
‘Morning, Kenzie. Did you sleep well?’ Vera asked.
Kenzie’s gaze shot to Vera’s face guiltily. Why? What have you heard? ‘I did. Thank you.’
‘What are your plans for today?’ she asked.
‘Actually, I was wondering if there was somewhere I could set up for a Zoom call? I’ve had to change a few of my appointments to teleconferences since I’m out of the office,’ she explained.
‘Certainly, you can use Callum’s den, or there’s the library,’ she said. ‘No one will bother you in there.’
‘I’ll only need it for a little while. It shouldn’t take too long.’
‘Can I stay and help with chores?’ Poppy asked, looking up at her mother hopefully.
‘Chores? Who are you and what have you done with my Poppy?’ Normally, she had to use blackmail to get this child to pack up her toys.
‘I’d love to have Poppy,’ Vera said instantly. ‘We’ve just been discussing what we have to do today.’
‘We’re feeding the chooks,’ she announced. ‘My nan lets me help her feed her chooks.’
‘So, you must be an expert at it then?’ Vera replied.
‘Yep. I like chooks. I don’t like naughty roosters, though, the ones that chase you.’
‘Oh no,’ Vera said, shaking her head. ‘Me either. We don’t have any naughty roosters here.’
‘Did you have to chop ’em?’ Poppy asked, and Ewan chuckled.
‘Chop ’em?’ Vera asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘That’s what Grandad does to Nan’s naughty ones. Chops their head off!’
‘Poppy,’ Kenzie said wearily. Seriously, this kid.
She found everything about farming fascinating, even the necessary end-of-a-life stage.
Jack had been happy to teach her where her food came from and, although Kenzie had been unsure about how much reality a four-year-old needed, she had to agree that Poppy had a strong handle on a lot of things most kids had no clue about.
‘I see. Well, that’s usually what happens to roosters who don’t behave themselves,’ Vera agreed, taking in her stride the rather blunt explanation from a child who looked far too sweet and innocent to be talking about killing roosters.
‘Can I stay with Granny Campbell and feed the chooks, Mum?’ Poppy asked.
‘We’ve been trying out what name she’d like to use for me,’ Vera said, looking a little sheepish. ‘I hope that’s okay?’
‘Of course,’ Kenzie said after only a hint of hesitation. ‘That’s fine.’
‘I already have a nan,’ Poppy pointed out to her mother logically. ‘My best friend, Ocean, she calls her nan Oma, and Berkley calls his pop Gim-Gim,’ she informed them. ‘But I think you look like a granny.’
‘Granny,’ Ewan repeated, biting back a grin.
‘If that’s what Poppy feels comfortable calling me, then that’s perfectly fine.’
‘What do Floss’s boys call you?’ Kenzie asked, curiously.
‘Nanny Campbell. They have Joe’s mother and a great-grandmother who are also Nannies, so it helps tell us apart.’
‘Granny Campbell.’ Poppy nodded decisively. ‘I think it’s a good name.’
‘Me too,’ Vera agreed.
‘After the chores, Daddy’s going to take me to show me where he used to play when he was a little boy, aren’t you, Daddy?’ Poppy said, turning her big eyes and smile towards Ewan.
Hearing the name on her daughter’s lips still somehow felt strange, while at the same time tugged at her heartstrings.
‘If that’s okay with Mum?’ he asked, looking her way.
‘Of course,’ she said, stumbling slightly over the words.
‘If you wanted to come, we could wait till after your meeting,’ he added.
‘No, no,’ she said, summoning a smile. ‘That’s fine. I have plenty of work I can do.’ This was all part of letting go of the reins, just a little, and letting Poppy and him find their way. ‘That sounds like a busy day you’ve got planned.’
‘We better get started, then,’ Vera said, standing from the table and waiting for Poppy to climb down off her chair.
‘I’ll show you where the library is, and help you set up,’ Ewan said.
‘Okay, thanks.’ Kenzie smiled gratefully. She kissed Poppy’s cheek as she came over to say goodbye before running off to follow Vera.
Ewan gave a small chuckle. ‘That is not the same woman who raised me,’ he said. ‘There was none of that gooey, sweet behaviour back then.’
Kenzie laughed. She had to agree that, at first glance, Vera didn’t come across as the patient, malleable, grandmotherly woman she was around her grandchildren.
She had a sternness about her—a definite I-don’t-suffer-fools-lightly kind of vibe—that Kenzie assumed she’d needed, with the steely Callum as her husband.
Not to mention the hard work and sacrifices it would have taken, building up a cattle station like this one.
Thinking of which, she’d been meaning to ask Ewan about his father.
‘What does your dad do all day?’ she asked, realising she never really saw him except for evening meals, when he usually sat at the head of the table and read a journal or silently ate, contributing little to the dinner-time conversation, before heading for his office or bed.
‘He’s involved in a lot of cattle organisations and farming advisory groups.
He travels a fair bit, drives to meetings out of town, and he works out of the local Primary Producers office.
Keeps him busy and out of Mum’s hair. Plus, this place is a massive undertaking, although, there’s a whole team employed nowadays to handle most of the admin and day-to-day office side of things. ’
She understood now why he’d been so impressed by her mother and Jack’s relationship—it was very different from his own parents’. She hadn’t noticed any physical contact between them at all, not even a peck on the cheek when one of them left the house.
Each to their own, she supposed, but she was glad to see Ewan didn’t seem inclined to follow in their footsteps.
She liked the small gestures he made without seeming to realise he did them—a touch of her hand, always selecting the closest seat to her, walking close whenever they were out.
Little things that made her feel special.