wanted to nurse the baby. She couldn’t do that as effectively if they were miles apart—even if Darcy was prepared to ferry pumped milk back and forth several times a day. And even if Emma couldn’t care for Billy, she would want to stay close to him.
“Emma and Billy will stay here with me.” He spoke loudly to be heard over the sound of Billy’s crying.
“Are you sure?” Sienna said. “The antibiotics appear to have kicked in, but Emma’s not going to be much help for a few days.”
No, he wasn’t sure. In fact, he was terrified at the thought of being in sole charge of Billy. And running a pub. And organizing renovations. What if he ended up like Emma, sick in bed?
She would nurse him back to health. He knew that as surely as he knew his own name. She would do it for him.
“I can manage. Piece of cake.” Just then Billy gave a loud burp and abruptly stopped crying. Darcy felt the tension drain from his shoulders. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate. I hope I’m worthy.”
CHAPTER TEN
“ALANA’S HERE,” Darcy said from the bedroom doorway later that same afternoon. “Are you well enough for visitors?”
Emma blinked awake from a light doze. Then stared. It looked as if Darcy had Billy strapped to his chest in a baby carrier. First feeding him, now carrying him around. Was she hallucinating?
“I’m not a visitor. I’m family.” Alana, all five feet of her, ducked beneath Darcy’s arm.
Before Emma could decide if she was in her right mind, Darcy left the room.
“Hey, sweetie, how are you?” Alana waved a hand in front of her face. “Are you with me?”
Emma struggled to sit up. “Better. Still a bit weak. Was Darcy carrying Billy in a sling?”
“Yeah, wild, eh? Who would have thought he knew how.” Alana sat on the bed wearing her gym gear, a cropped sports top and Lycra three-quarter-length pants. Her feet, shod in new trainers, dangled off the side of the bed. “I would have been around before this, but your gatekeeper barred all visitors till now.”
“Darcy?”
“Who else? I can’t stay long. I’ve got to teach a pump class in twenty minutes.”
“How’s the job working out?”
“Fantastic. Janet’s back so I’m off managerial duty but I’ve graduated to teaching five classes a week. Brett’s talking about a possible sixth.”
A U2 ring tone sounded. “That’s mine.” Emma glanced around. “Where is it?”
Alana fished the phone out from behind a box of tissues on the side table, glancing at caller ID. “It’s Dave. He rang me a few minutes ago but I was driving and couldn’t take it. Why would he be calling you?”
Emma took the phone. “Hey, Dave.”
“Is Alana with you?” Dave’s normally mild-mannered voice held an edge. “I just called the gym. Tessa’s there but she’s not. And she’s not answering her phone.”
“She’s—” Emma began.
Alana frantically waved her hands in Emma’s face, mouthing, “No.”
“She’s up to something behind my back, isn’t she?” Dave said.
“I think you should talk to her—”
“I would but she’s never home. She said she wanted to go to the gym to get her figure back. I thought, great, she’ll feel better and be healthier for when she gets pregnant again. So I didn’t mind that she was spending all her time there. Now she looks amazing but she never wants to have sex. Why is that?”
“Uh, Dave, I’m not comfortable with this conversation.” Emma glared at Alana, who was pacing the floor and chewing on her thumbnail.
“She’s having an affair, isn’t she?” Dave was building up a head of steam. “She’s stashing Tessa at the gym’s child care center while she has her fling.”
“No, Dave, she’s not having an affair.”
Alana stopped pacing, eyes wide. She looked sick.
“Then where is she?” Dave roared.
“Right here.” Emma handed Alana the phone. “Talk to him.” She sank into the pillow.
“Hey, baby,” Alana said sweetly. “I just stopped in to see Emma before I went to the gym.” She paused to listen. When she spoke again, her voice hardened. “I’m not making excuses. I didn’t bring Tessa here because I didn’t want her to be exposed to Emma’s germs. No, I’m not having an affair—”
Dave’s angry tone, if not his precise words, came through the phone loud and clear. Emma shut her eyes, wishing she wasn’t privy to her sister’s marital spat.
“If you must know, I’m working at the gym,” Alana snapped. “That’s right. As a fitness instructor. I don’t care if that means I won’t get pregnant. I don’t