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She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood straight and ran her fingers through her now loose hair.
She would not give in to worry and have another panic attack. Worrying about her girls achieved nothing, neither here or at home.
Reaching into her toiletries bag, Sandra ran a touch of lipstick around her lips, grabbed her puffer jacket and stepped outside.
***
Graysen grabbed Sandy’s arms with both hands when they collided as she came around the front of her tent.
‘Woops, sorry,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t watching where I was going.’
‘I was just coming to see if you’d gone to sleep. Jodie’s about to serve dinner up.’
‘I had a quick lie down and tried to make some calls while we have service. I only got through to one of my girls though.’
Graysen fell into step beside her, and shone the small torch on the ground ahead of them. ‘Did you zip your tent right up when you left it?’
‘I did. I took note of what Andrew said about critters last night. Oh my God.’
Graysen hesitated as Sandy came to a sudden stop. Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide. Voices and laughter came from the group underneath the canopy ahead, but he knew exactly why she was wide-eyed. He lifted his ever-present camera and quickly took a photo of the scene ahead.
‘I thought the sunset was beautiful, but look at that.’ Her voice held awe.
‘Yes, it’s the first of many beautiful night skies I think we’ll experience.’
Ahead of them, the group were gathered around a campfire and the firelight lit up a graceful gum tree and the golden brown of the canopy which rose in peaks like a small circus tent. But it was the stunning backdrop that had Sandra staring in wonder.
The clear sky was a deep purple and the arch of the Milky Way glowed sharp and bright in the heavens.
‘That alone has made the trip worthwhile,’ Sandra whispered and a shiver ran down Graysen’s spine as she moved closer to him. ‘It puts everything in perspective and makes everything seem so insignificant, doesn’t it? In the scheme of the universe, what’s gone before and what will come in the future doesn’t really matter. It does make you wonder why we’re here, doesn’t it? We have to appreciate the beauty in the world, and ignore the ugliness.’
Graysen’s throat closed. Sandy’s words were almost identical to what Marion had said to him the night before she passed. ‘Appreciate the beautiful things you see, embrace life and realise how precious it is.’
He took a deep breath. ‘Yes,’ he said simply unable to say more.
‘Come on you, pair, we’re all starving.’ Paul’s yell broke the mood. ‘You can go stargazing later. They’ll be there all night. And for the next eleven nights.’
‘We hope,’ Andrew said. ‘It has been known to rain in June.’
He was met with a chorus of disbelief.
Without thinking, Graysen held his hand out to Sandra and she took it. When he realised what he’d done, it was too late to let go, so he enjoyed the feel of her hand in his as they walked across to the group. Before they stepped into the light, Sandra slipped her hand out of his and moved away.
‘Right, dinnertime,’ Jodie called from the undercover area. ‘Grab a plate and come and help yourselves.’
Graysen stood back beside Clive until the women and the two younger men had filled their plates and gone to sit back down. As soon as he’d eaten, he’d excuse himself before the evening’s talk and go back to his tent. The hours since last night were the most he’d spent in company for months and he needed some space.
And he knew he was spending way too much time thinking about a woman he’d only met twenty-four hours ago.
Chapter 8
Royal Darwin Hospital
‘I should have told Mum I was in hospital.’ Ellie’s eyes filled with tears and she looked at Kane through a blurred haze.
‘And what could she have done, love? There’s no point interrupting her holiday and making her worry. The doctor said you’re going to be fine. As long as you do what he says.’
‘He did seem confident that the baby was okay, didn’t he?’
