Christmas with Her Ex(46)

Harry looked at his wife. ‘Is that okay with you, Con?’

She nodded. ‘I am very tired.’

‘Let’s get this sorted, then.’ Connor glanced at his watch. The train wasn’t due into Victoria for another two hours.

If Connie went into labour he’d have to arrange for someone else to meet Winsome. He’d set that up just in case. In the back of his mind he still had all his balls in the air. He knew where Kelsie was heading tonight and he still had time to talk to her before she left.

Back in the Pullman carriages, rattling towards London, Kelsie and Winsome had passed the towers and keeps of the English countryside during the meal, leaving behind the manors and ploughed paddocks of the country towns.

Passengers were dozing in their seats, replete or even having over-indulged, and the waiters had begun clearing the tables as they began to pass through more suburban areas.

Soon they would arrive at Victoria and Winsome had settled back in her seat with her eyes closed.

Kelsie was wondering if Connor had arrived in time to be there for his client’s birth. She knew how scared fertility-challenged parents could become. She’d had a recent client of her own who’d had IVF and had been an absolute mess prior to labour.

Shelby had had so many pre-conception visits, so much intense screening and medication to achieve conception, and then such a tense time dreading a miscarriage until the first three months had passed, that when her IVF clinic had sent her back to her old hospital as a now low-risk patient, she hadn’t been used to being left to progress naturally.

Kelsie had coached Shelby and her husband in the prenatal classes, a weekend course, and the improvement in Shelby’s self-confidence and positive birth outlook had been miraculous. She wondered if they had such classes in the UK and suddenly it was something she wanted to talk to Connor about.

Anyway, she didn’t need to go there. She’d be flying back to Australia very soon. Shelby and her husband had had a gorgeous birth not long before Kelsie had come away. When she got home she looked forward to visiting that little family.

Home. Her comfy flat. Her friends. It was ridiculous to think she wouldn’t settle back into it all easily just because she’d met up with an old boyfriend. One who might even be keen for her to stay around.

Who was she kidding? Not just met.

Slept with.

Actually, they hadn’t slept. They’d made incredible, amazing, mind-blowing love. She’d glimpsed a world she hadn’t really believed existed before.

Seen that Connor held a part of her that nobody else would ever touch. And then they’d bickered their way back to being strangers. How had that happened?

You couldn’t just forget that sort of encounter. But that was what she’d have to do or risk driving herself mad.

She looked across at Connor’s grandmother, and noticed Winsome rub her chest and frown as her eyes flicked open. In fact, she did look a little pale and not at all happy.

‘Are you all right?’ Kelsie asked softly.

‘I might just have a wee nap. Wake me when we get there.’

Kelsie narrowed her eyes and studied Winsome as she closed her eyes. The older lady’s cheeks were white and the tiny frown on her forehead made the soft wrinkles there pucker more than usual.

‘Are you in pain?’ Kelsie didn’t know whether to bother her or not.

Pale blue eyes fluttered open again, accompanied by a rueful smile as she rubbed her chest. ‘I’m a bit sore in the chest. Probably from overeating but it’s starting to bother me. I thought a wee nap might help.’

‘Have you had it before?’ Kelsie stood up and leaned over the older lady’s chair. ‘Let me check your pulse.’ She took Winsome’s wrist in her fingers and felt for the pulse under the soft skin. There it was. Bounding along a little faster than she would have expected.

‘Sometimes I get reflux.’ She glanced around at the quiet carriage and grimaced with embarrassment.

Kelsie regarded her shrewdly. ‘And does this feel like that?’

Winsome began to look extremely miserable. ‘It’s getting worse.’ Big eyes looked mournfully at Kelsie. ‘My husband died of a sudden heart attack, you know. I can’t help thinking of that, even though I’m sure it’s not anything like that. I just wish Connor hadn’t left.’

Kelsie squeezed Winsome’s hand. ‘We’re almost at Victoria and we’ll get you to a doctor.’

Winsome bit her lip to stop the quiver. ‘I want Connor.’

Kelsie’s heart squeezed. ‘I know. You’ll be fine. I’ll stay with you until we find him again.’

One large tear rolled down Winsome’s cheek and Kelsie clasped her hand. ‘I’ll find Connor for you.’