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seven-thirty or maybe eight tonight.’

      ‘He works long hours, doesn’t he?’

      ‘Always has, but he used to try to get away offroading on weekends.’ She pointed her peeler at Georgia. ‘Though he hasn’t had the Hummer out in the bush since we moved up here.’

      Georgia knew Mrs White didn’t understand their relationship. Obviously the housekeeper was aware they slept in separate rooms and usually ate meals at different times because of Elsa’s regime. They weren’t even housemates as such because their paths rarely crossed.

      But Mrs White had seen they were happy enough and that was good as far as she was concerned, especially compared to the close shave of Tayla—an opinion she’d shared with Georgia very early on.

      For Georgia, the initial space Max had given her had been perfect, but now the distance he’d created frustrated the life out of her.

      It was like living in the snow with a big, roaring fire on the other side of the window she wasn’t even allowed to warm her hands at. His company was becoming more desirable all the time.

      If she didn’t want to fall into the trap of building her life around the flashes of company Max gave her then it was time to begin to think of a few hours of work or she would never regain her independence.

      ‘I’d like to share my evening meal with Max from now on, if that’s OK. Elsa is starting to go to sleep by seven. Perhaps I could set the table in the dining room tonight.’

      Mrs White didn’t quite clap her hands but she did beam approvingly. ‘Of course. I’m sure he’d enjoy the company.’ She smiled across at her. ‘And if Elsa wakes up, I could mind her so you won’t be interrupted during your dinner.’

      Georgia opened her mouth to demur when she realised that if she was interrupted then Max would be also, and she could see Mrs White was keen on the idea.

      ‘Thank you. That would be lovely.’

      When Max arrived home that evening, the table was set for two. Georgia had taken the trouble to dress for dinner and put make-up on for the first time in over two months.

      She felt like a schoolgirl on her first date, which was ridiculous when she considered how up close and personal she and Max had been at Elsa’s birth.

      When he first came in, Georgia felt a fluttery tingle of excitement reverberate through her, just by looking at the way he smiled at seeing her. He looked tall and handsome and his white shirt sat snugly across his shoulders and chest in a disconcertingly sexy way.

      His smile held a hint of surprise when he saw the table, but the expression was there so fleetingly she couldn’t be sure, and she hoped it was a pleasant change for him and not one of those saveme-from-the-nuisance moments.

      ‘I thought I might join you for dinner in the evenings if work permits, Max. Is that all right with you?’ Georgia heard the uncertainty in her voice and she winced. It wasn’t like she was asking to sleep with the guy.

      ‘I’d like that. We don’t seem to have seen much of each other.’ His eyes crinkled and his golden eyes warmed as his gaze drifted over her. ‘You look beautiful.’

      ‘Thank you.’ She didn’t know what else to say but some of the nervousness in her stomach subsided.

      The conversation faltered and they both looked out the window.

      Max broke into the silence. ‘Elsa seems to be settling with her colic.’

      Georgia winced. She’d felt so guilty about that. ‘It must have been very distracting for you, and I am sorry.’

      Max smiled that particularly sweet smile that always brought a lump to Georgia’s throat. ‘It has been very distracting to have a gorgeous ghost wandering around my house in the early hours of the morning. I’d grown used to her, though, and actually quite miss bumping into her in the wee small hours.’

      Georgia began to relax. ‘I’d think myself more of a gargoyle than gorgeous, but I did feel like a ghost in those early days. You were pretty wonderful with Elsa.’

      ‘Nonsense,’ Max said. ‘She liked me.’

      Georgia pretended to glare at him. ‘Excuse me. She liked me, too, but she would not stop crying sometimes.’

      He tilted his head. ‘Ah, no. There is a difference. She adores you and knows you feel her pain.’ He smiled again. ‘I’m just the shallow bloke she can go to sleep with when she’s too tired to cry. But I think she’s grown out of me now.’

      Georgia couldn’t imagine anyone growing out of Max. He was such a sweetie.

      She’d been going to edge slowly towards discussing her plans but it seemed too complicated. Suddenly she just needed to get it all out into the open.

      ‘I want to go back to work, Max. One or two days a week. Or even half-days, if I could. That way, I can come home to Elsa for feeds.’

      Max nodded but he felt like shaking his head. Violently. He looked at her and thought Georgia had grown even more stunning over the last two months. He was having a hard time keeping her out of his thoughts at work, and the idea of her on the hospital ward would complicate things enormously.

      ‘Are you sure it’s not too soon?’ he said quietly, and he passed her the lemon squash with ice she always seemed to ask for on the rare occasions they shared a drink in the evenings.

      It was hot up here, he’d noticed that, and now they wanted him to do three months past Murwillumbah near the Queensland border. They’d actually asked if his wife would be interested in a little part-time work. That would be an even smaller hospital to run into her in.

      ‘I’m bored, Max. I’m sick of living off you. I want to regain my independence. Elsa doesn’t need me twenty-four hours a day now. Mrs White would love to have her to herself for a couple of hours in the daytime.’

      Georgia paused and then said, ‘Thanks to you, I feel safe, Max. And ready to do more.’

      Max nodded. ‘You’re the one who has to decide. If you think you’re ready then I’m sure you are. I’ll ask around tomorrow.’

      He poured himself a glass of beer. ‘I’ve had an offer for three months up past Murwillumbah where the one obstetric GP has retired. The idea would be to take over his practice for a few weeks but really they’d want me to see if it is still viable as a maternity unit. It’s pretty much a midwifery-run unit and almost in Queensland. If I go, would you want to come or stay here with Mrs White?’

      ‘Is she staying here?’ Georgia looked startled and he wondered why.

      ‘She will do if you do!’ Georgia had more need of Mrs White with Elsa than he did.

      ‘I’m a big girl. You have to stop looking after me, Max.’

      ‘You’re my wife,’ he said. In truth, he did very little and would love to do more, but she valued her independence and the other thing, the one he tried not to think about but kept him awake at night, needed time.

      ‘In name only,’ she said.

      Bingo. That was the crux, Max thought, and the devil answered. ‘We could change that.’

      She laughed. ‘I’m two years older than you. That would be taking advantage of you.’

      ‘Yes, please, madam.’They both smiled but Max didn’t feel amused. She really didn’t get it. Probably never would, But now wasn’t the time to push it, even though it would be so easy to lean over and kiss those laughing lips of hers.

      Down, boy, he warned himself. ‘Seriously, Georgia. You may be older by year or two, but not in the ways of the world.’ That was what he said. What he thought was, Can’t you see I want all of you and I’m trying to stay away?

      ‘Anyway,’ he said, ‘my aunt left me an old house overlooking Byron Bay, which she bought when she went through her

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