A Country Christmas Read online

  “Couldn’t wait?”

  “No.” She hoped that Max doing this job now would free him up for Christmas. Then they could spend the time to really get to know each other.

  “You know, Zoe, if it’s not working out with him you can come back here. We will support you,” said Leanne, her forehead wrinkled with genuine concern.

  Her mom’s comment made her uneasy. She loved Max. She wanted it to work out. This was part of being in a relationship with a farmer, and she was independent. Yet, the emotion burned through her. Here she was about to juggle both sides of the family meeting up without him, and she couldn’t help but resent him a little.

  “I’d be happy for you to come back, too,” spoke her dad.

  “It’s good to know you’re both here for me.” She wasn’t about to open up and tell them her doubts or say that everything was fine. Things weren’t bad. They weren’t even at a point where she thought about returning to Adelaide because she couldn’t tolerate living on a farm. But would she continue to meet the challenges of the isolation while pregnant, and not knowing many people where she was now living. For now, the big question was whether or not it would stay like that.

  “Consider it an option, a sort of safety net,” said her mom.

  “Thanks.” Zoe was sure her mom would be excited to see her grandchild as much as possible. And both her parents were doing what they considered was their duty of looking out for her.

  “You must be Leanne and Robert,” Helen said as she walked up to the table. She smiled broadly and put out her hand to her mom. She’d changed into a light summer dress, gray hair brushed, and Kate followed behind, wearing jeans and a loose summery transparent shirt.

  “Oh, we’re practically family, a hug is in order.” Leanne got up and embraced Helen warmly.

  “And you must be Kate.” Leanne gave an equally welcoming hug to Kate, who looked a little uncomfortable with the familiarity on display.

  “Good to meet you both.” Robert held out his hand, but Helen taking the cue from Leanne, stepped around the table and hugged him. Zoe tried not to cringe, she’d never hugged Helen or Kate, they just didn’t come across as the type to greet each other like that, which was fine with her.

  “We’re family, right?” Helen grinned. “So glad to finally meet you both.”

  “What about some bubbles?” asked Leanne.

  “Great idea,” said Kate. “Settle my nerves after driving in the city.”

  “That bad?” asked Leanne.

  “Yep.”

  “Well, Robert can drop us off in the city and we can go shopping, and when we’re ready he’ll come pick us up.”

  “I will?”

  Leanne patted her husband on the arm. “Yes, you will, and we will all be so grateful.”

  Robert rolled his eyes. “I need Max here, I’m feeling outnumbered.”

  “That reminds me…” started Leanne.

  Zoe felt a flip in her belly, one that was fully of foreboding. What the hell was her mom about to say?

  “I just don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just say it as it is.” She took a deep breath. “We are concerned that Max isn’t there for Zoe.”

  Her father nodded in agreement.

  Zoe’s eyes widened, a sinking feeling rose from inside, and she looked between Helen and Leanne, the two women previously so friendly, now eying each other off as if they were about to charge each other.

  “Where is a waiter?” asked Zoe, turning around while trying to diffuse the situation.

  The waiter caught her eye and came over.

  Zoe could feel the tension increasing at the table.

  “Some bubbles, please.” She couldn’t drink alcohol, but she hoped that the champagne might change the vibe that was now consuming the table.

  “My son is looking after Zoe just fine.” Helen’s words clipped sharply in the air.

  “Where is he then?” shot back Leanne.

  Bloody hell, Mom, don’t hold back. Zoe took a deep breath. They were going to need more than bubbles right now to settle this situation.

  “Working on the farm. Making sure there’s a future for his child.”

  “Surely, he could have taken one day off. Come down and meet us. All of us. Together. You know, this is just as important for his future, too.”

  Oh God. Zoe’s mind went into overdrive trying to come up with a way to stop this argument.

  “Sometimes that is just not possible,” Helen replied defensively.

  “And when is it then? Will he manage to be there for the birth? Or will farm work get in the way again? I don’t like my daughter being unsupported.”

  “We are supporting her,” snapped Helen. A dark expression shadowed her usually carefree face.

  “How? Zoe never mentions that she’s seen you when we talk over the phone.”

  “We’re here now, meeting you, and we’re going shopping. I want to give her and Max space, they have a lot of adjustments to make.”

  “It’s all right, Mom,” interrupted Zoe, finally finding her voice. An idea sparked in her mind. “You can meet us all over Christmas. Come to the farm for a few days. Then you can see Max, and if he’s really supporting me or not.”

  “Harrumph.” Her mom sat back on the chair. “I think we might just take you up on the offer and see for ourselves. I did think that he’s a nice enough boy, but seeing my daughter here, without him, looking tired and emotional, I now have my doubts.”

  “I don’t look that bad, do I, Mom?” Zoe hoped her mom was putting on the drama. She was feeling tired, but it had more to do with this argument, and that she’d just invited her parents to Greenfields for Christmas without consulting Max than anything else.

  I hope he won’t mind.

  “Sorry, Zoe, I’m just worried for you. You’re on the farm so far away from medical help. Maybe you should come back here sooner before the baby is born. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  “Mom, I think you need to have a hobby.”

  “Zoe, please don’t speak to me like that.”

  “Let’s just have lunch, get to know each other, not lay any unnecessary blame.”

  Helen sighed heavily. “I think—”

  Zoe held up her hand. “I don’t need this kind of stress, and right now you are all stressing me out.”

  “Sorry, Zoe,” said her mom quickly. “But—”

  “No.” Zoe cut her mom off from saying any more. “This is what will happen now. We will have lunch, talk politely, and I suggest we plan the Christmas meal together. You don’t want me to cook it after all, which has nothing to do with me being pregnant and everything to do with my lousy cooking. You’ve both accepted this unexpected pregnancy, and now we have to find ways to get along with each other’s differences.” Zoe inhaled to try and catch her breath.

  The baby flipped in her belly. Glad you agree with me.

  She glared between Helen and her mom, both women clenched their jaws, as if really stopping themselves from saying what they wanted to.

  “Do you agree or not? If not, then I’m leaving.” It was a snap decision, but she meant it wholeheartedly.

  An uncomfortable silence settled between the women.

  “Fine then.” Zoe went to stand.

  “Don’t go,” said her mom, reaching out and grabbing her hand. “I’ll agree.”

  Zoe turned to Helen, waiting for an answer. “You both have to agree. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

  “Fine! I agree, too.”

  Zoe sat back down. “Good. And don’t forget, at any time today, if there are comments flying I will leave.”

  Tension built through the back of her shoulders, and her lower back. The stress caused an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She found that if she didn’t eat something at regular intervals, she felt queasy. “Let’s order, too. I’m hungry.” She picked up the menu.

  Her mom and Helen still glared at each other, but they kept silent as they followed Zoe’s lead. Kate sat there uncomfortable, along with her dad, both see
mingly too scared to say anything.

  “Kate, you’re more than welcome to join us for Christmas, too,” said Zoe. She knew Kate was single, but she didn’t want her to think she wasn’t welcomed.

  “Thanks,” said Kate politely.

  “I would imagine, with the wonderful cooks on this table…” Zoe was referring to Helen and Leanne, “… that you probably won’t need me to bring anything.”

  Kate grinned at her comment. Slowly, the tension began to ease.

  “Helen, would you like to cook the turkey roast? And Mom, you can be in charge of the dessert. Maybe an ice cream version of Christmas pudding?”

  “I’d rather desert, you know,” said Helen quietly.

  Zoe was about to speak when her mom quickly interrupted. “And I’d rather cook the mains. Want to swap?”

  “Yes. And you don’t have to cook a traditional turkey roast if you don’t want to,” suggested Helen with a smile.

  “I wouldn’t know what to cook if I didn’t roast a turkey,” grinned Leanne.

  “Neither would I. But I thought I’d mention it, you know, in case you had your own family recipe you wanted to cook.”

  “Bubbles all round?” asked the waiter as he returned with a bubble of champagne.

  “Not for me,” said Zoe.

  “Or me,” said her dad.

  Zoe caught his eye and he winked.

  She smiled inwardly.

  Things might work out after all, with the family lunch and a shopping trip.

  “It great,” said her mom. “Look at your cute bump. You got to show it off now.”

  Zoe wasn’t sure. She was tired and beginning to feel a little unwell. This was the third shop that they had been in. Things weren’t so tense between Helen and Leanne now, but the strain was still there.

  Zoe forced herself to look in the change room mirror. The jeans fitted well enough, but she just wasn’t used to the stretchy band at the top to accommodate her growing a baby. The black and white top was tight, and showed off her bump. She felt a little self-conscious noticing how big her breasts were getting.

  No wonder Max can’t keep his hands off them.

  The thought helped to improve her mood. It was telling how much she missed him. It was the reassurance she needed right now for herself that she was attracted to him, and being pregnant aside, she did actually want to be with him and building a life together. It seemed her mom thought Max should be doing more. Zoe was starting to think the same, but then Helen had been so defensive. She just didn’t know enough about farm life to be able to tell if Max was using this as an excuse not to come with her or not. She hoped he wasn’t.

  “I dunno, it feels funny on my belly.” Zoe flicked the top of the jeans, the stretchy material coming up over her belly button, and not at all where jeans were meant to sit.

  “Trust me, you’ll grow into it.”

  Zoe didn’t want to think how big her belly was going to get.

  “Come on out and show us.” Helen’s legs were hurting from varicose veins and so she sat in the corridor of the change rooms with Kate keeping her company.

  Her mom held open the curtain, suggesting she went out to show them. This had been the routine for the afternoon, and Zoe was starting to tire of it. It did seem that her mom and Helen, even Kate, were having more fun at picking out the clothes than she was. Despite the tension between the older women, they weren’t saying anything to put Zoe off.

  What Zoe really wanted was to have arranged to meet up with her friends Ellie and Billie, but they told her they knew nothing about buying maternity clothes. Billie was further north near Port Augusta, doing some shearing, and Ellie was back on her farm in the southeast, and neither of them couldn’t make it today. They did, at least, promise to come to the baby shower when she had it.

  “Very nice, I like it,” said Helen as Zoe stepped out of the change room.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. You can wear it out on the farm with Max,” said Kate.

  “If he lets me go with him.”

  “Why wouldn’t he?”

  “I think he’s worried something will happen to me.”

  Kate rolled his eyes and looked at her mom. “We better talk to him.”

  “Yes, we will do just that. Don’t worry, if he ever causes you to get upset come to me, and I’ll give him a good telling off. He needs it often, you know.”

  Zoe couldn’t help smiling. “I know.”

  She glanced at her mom and noticed a change in her expression. Maybe she was coming back around toward Max.

  “I’ll buy this one for you,” said Helen.

  “No, it’s fine,” Zoe said quickly. Money was tight, but it was tighter for Helen. Zoe had been saving for a deposit on a house, but since that wasn’t going to happen, and now only doing a little work from home for her old firm, she was spending her savings.

  “I insist.”

  Zoe sensed how much joy this was giving Helen. So, she decided to let this one go. “Just this once.”

  “Pfft.” Helen grinned. She elbowed Kate. “Show her the other dress you found.”

  Zoe managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. This had also been part of the routine this afternoon. All three of them were finding maternity clothes for her to wear. Between them they had already picked out an outfit she could wear for the baby shower they were now planning for late March next year. There was a lovely dress for when she came home from hospital with the baby. They also had her get some clothes suited for breastfeeding. Zoe’s mind spun from how much she was learning about having a baby, and it was all through buying clothes. She was struggling to keep up with the information overload.

  Kate held up a dress. It was a white, baby doll style, with open red rose pattern on it. Zoe had to admit it looked beautiful. Something she would wear if she was living in the city, but not the farm.

  “I love it. But don’t you think it’s a bit fancy?”

  “For Christmas? No way. We dress up for the day,” said Kate.

  “Okay.” Zoe took the dress, but she was still hesitating. She had planned to be conservative with spending today, but these women weren’t helping. At all.

  “Try it on and see,” suggested Helen.

  Zoe slipped back into the change room, and took off the jeans and top, slipping the dress on over her head. She twirled around, looking at herself in the mirror. This was more like the clothes she was used to wearing. She loved it.

  “Let’s see,” called out her mom.

  She was relieved how well her mom was getting along with Helen and Kate now, and vice versa. She didn’t like being told what to do. But wearing this dress, somehow made her feel better, like she could bring a part of her city self to the farm and it be all right to do so. Zoe stepped out to show them.

  “You have to get it,” said Helen straight away.

  “You do,” stated her mom.

  “Yep,” Kate reassured.

  “I’ll get it, but I’m buying this one myself,” said Zoe firmly. She braced herself for an argument and wasn’t surprised when she got one.

  “No. I insist,” said Helen.

  Suddenly, Zoe felt unsteady on her feet.

  She felt the world sway to the left, then to the right.

  The voices from Helen and Leanne arguing sounded distant as she blinked a few times.

  “Are you okay?” Kate moved toward her.

  Zoe wasn’t feeling well, and she didn’t know why. She was about to lie and say she was fine, hoping that this sensation would go away, but then the room spun fast and she was falling.

  “Zoe, thank goodness,” her mom spoke softly nearby.

  Zoe eyes fluttered open. She wasn’t sure why she was on the floor in the change rooms. The fluorescent lights above hurt her eyes, and she moved her arm to cover her face. There was something soft under her head.

  “An ambulance is on its way,” said Kate.

  “What?” Zoe tried to sit up. “I don’t need an ambulance.”

  “Yo
u fainted. You’re having a ride in the ambulance whether you like it or not,” said her mom firmly.

  “You’re overreacting, Mom,” Zoe mumbled.

  The floor was uncomfortable, and she moved to sit up.

  “You should stay lying down,” said Leanne.

  “I’m fine.”

  It was a lie.

  The room swayed.

  Zoe was determined to stay sitting up, at least. She breathed in deeply in an attempt to settle the response. She didn’t want a fuss made over her.

  “I think it’s best you go to the hospital. Get a doctor to check on you and baby,” said Helen.

  “I agree,” said Leanne.

  Zoe wasn’t about to go to the hospital. There was nothing wrong. All she wanted to do was to go back to the hotel. She was certain she’d feel better after a few hours rest, and some room service.

  “Did you want something to drink?” asked Kate, handing her a bottle of water.

  Zoe nodded, taking the bottle. She took a sip, the liquid cooled and helped to settle the dizziness that was still lingering.

  Maybe I should go to the hospital?

  The thought made her queasy. She’d never been in hospital. She took another deep breath. “I’m feeling a bit better,” she lied.

  “Good,” said an ambulance officer as she came into the change room. “That’s what I like to hear.”

  Zoe looked up at her. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that you have at all.” The ambulance officer turned around. “Right, few less people here, thanks.”

  Reluctantly, Helen and Kate shuffled out of the tight space, leaving Zoe with her mom and the ambulance office.

  “She’s pregnant,” said her mom seriously.

  “Congratulations.” The officer gave a warm smile which helped to make Zoe feel more at ease. “My name is Steph.”

  “Zoe.”

  “I’m going to take your blood pressure and temperature. Have you hurt yourself from falling?”

  “She was out cold for a few seconds,” replied her mom.