Intensive Care: Escape to the Country (30 page)

Kate arrived at the church just after eight o’clock at night on Christmas Eve. The day had been incredibly hot and the forecast for Christmas Day was for even hotter weather. The threat of bushfires was high, but thankfully by the time she parked her car a cool breeze had arrived. She was glad they’d chosen a date in March for their wedding when the weather would be cooler.

Kate was working Christmas morning and then spending the rest of the day with Joel’s family in Birrangulla. She was then heading back to Sydney with Joel for a low key Boxing Day lunch with her parents. Of course she knew her mum, and there was no hope that the celebrations would be kept simple. As well as celebrating Christmas, they’d be rejoicing over Kate’s engagement. Thankfully the Kennedys didn’t have a large extended family so Kate knew the event wouldn’t get too out of control. Nathan was flying back from Western Australia for the week and she was looking forward to sitting around the pool at her parents’ house, relaxing. She couldn’t wait to see how well her brother and Joel got along.

While she was in Sydney she was also looking forward to catching up with some of her former work colleagues and friends, especially Melissa, who was desperate to meet Joel. Kate planned to use her time in Sydney to find a dress for herself and her bridesmaids. She would use local people in Birrangulla for her flowers and everything else associated with the wedding. It was still early days and she really hadn’t had time to make any plans. Plus she expected she’d be doing plenty of that with her mum once she arrived in Sydney.

The gentle wind whistled through the ancient pine trees, causing the hundreds of candles that lined the path to the door of the church to flicker in their glass containers. Someone had gone to an incredible amount of trouble and Kate took a moment to appreciate the work that had gone into the decorations. Overhead the nearly full moon glowed a blood orange color.

As Joel had promised, this Christmas was going to forever hold a special meaning in Kate’s heart. She was looking forward to celebrating with Joel and his family
–
the family that she was about to become part of. She was also excited about attending her first community carols service and so far, even just arriving at the church, she wasn’t disappointed with the event. The effect of the candles was stunning and the entrance to the church had been decorated with Christmas wreaths and red ribbons, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Kate heard the sound of an organ being played and she smiled, recognizing the tune of the familiar Christmas carol. She paused at the doors to the church and closed her eyes for a moment, tipping her head back and reflecting on the past few months and her whirlwind romance with Joel. She opened her eyes and her gaze wandered slowly from left to right. An old bell stood beside the front door and it took everything within her to resist ringing it and telling the world how happy she was.

In three short months she and Joel would be married!

As she stood on the steps of the church she knew with immediate clarity where she wanted to get married. She wanted her wedding to be held right here in the beautiful red-brick church just meters from the gate to her home. Her happy place. She could hardly wait to tell Joel. She had been so sure she wanted a garden wedding at the mansion in the Blue Mountains but now she realized she wanted to get married near her new home, and this old church was perfect.

Kate stepped across the white-tiled entrance and entered the building. She stood for a moment and looked around, surveying the beautiful picture that was unfolding in front of her. In the candlelight, the small space was almost full of people sitting shoulder to shoulder in the pews. In the darkness it was hard to make out their faces.

The timber floor sloped gradually down toward the front of the church, and a center aisle gave Kate only two choices as to which side to sit. Kate’s attention was caught by the beautiful Christmas tree that had been set up at the altar. She stood transfixed. The tree glittered with hundreds of decorations and fairy lights. It made her tree look amateurish in comparison. Stained glass windows further added to the beauty and atmosphere. Her feet echoed on the floorboards as the music continued to draw her inside. With each step she imagined how many people had walked across the same boards and sat in the dark timber pews throughout the nearly one hundred and fifty years of the church’s history.

It was a beautiful building – perfect for the Christmas Eve service, and perfect for their wedding.

If she’d realized how many people would turn out for the service she would have arrived earlier. She was thankful Joel had said he would get there early and save her a seat. She smiled and greeted people as she walked down the aisle, recognizing many of them from work. Others were familiar faces she’d seen around town. During the past year she’d met some very resilient folk – everyone from tough-as-nails old characters to those more suited to parading around in their pearls. As Belinda had told Kate at her interview, Birrangulla was full of people from all walks of life.

Pippa was there, sitting alongside one of the new young doctors at work, and Kate smiled to herself. She looked forward to watching that relationship grow in the fishbowl of the hospital environment. In front of them was Hugh Cartwright, but there was no sign of Penelope. Instead, a dignified-looking older woman was seated at his side. Kate had heard rumors that he had reconciled with his wife and she wondered if this was Sandra. Opposite them was another couple she recognized but it took her a moment to recall who they were. The air squeezed out of her lungs as she remembered. John and Heather Anderson. This would be their first Christmas without their son Pete. John looked like he’d just stepped straight off the tractor but Heather had made an effort to dress up for the occasion. She spied Mitch sitting with them alongside another older couple who Kate assumed were his parents. Perhaps Mitch would be able to help the Andersons out on the farm from time to time. She knew it was a romantic notion but, hey, she liked happy endings.

Seeing them made Kate think of Richard Jackman. She felt her throat constrict and the tears well up in her eyes as she thought of Meredith’s four children, forever left without their mother. How were they all doing? She wished she knew. It was part of the job she hated – never knowing what happened after people left the intensive care unit. She sent up a quick prayer for them all. And for all the mothers that had lost their children.

She eventually caught sight of Joel waving to get her attention and she moved toward the front of the church to where he was sitting. Joel’s parents stood up to make room for Kate to pass down the narrow gap between the pews to sit beside Joel. As she squeezed past, she was overwhelmed with a sense of love for the people that surrounded her.

When Kate reached Joel’s side he kissed her on the cheek and hugged her tightly. They stood side by side holding hands as the minister began to pray.

The first song began and Kate found herself closing her eyes to absorb the gentle sound as it filled the small church. The melody was low and soothing and Kate kept her eyes closed as the sounds swirled around her, causing her to sway slightly in time with the rhythm. She looked up when a young woman began to sing and was surprised to see Emma sitting on a stool near the altar, her eyes closed. The song wasn’t one she was familiar with but it had a haunting sound that caused the hair on Kate’s arms to rise. She sang along to the lyrics of the chorus, the words printed in the small booklet Joel held for her. She found herself stirred and drawn in. As the hundreds of voices filled the small church, Kate felt like she was floating on a soft cloud of contentment.

For the next forty-five minutes Kate’s emotions soared. The effect of the Christmas story and carols as well as the love of her fiancé and the people of Birrangulla was almost more than Kate could comprehend. A rush of warmth spread through her. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, soaking in the atmosphere and warmth. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt such peace.

The service drew to a close, and Kate held her breath as Emma stood at the front of the church and began to sing again. Her voice was crystal clear and seemed to echo around the old building.
“
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.”
Kate was overwhelmed with an emotion that stunned her and all she could do was squeeze Joel’s hand. He returned the gesture, clearly as overcome as she.
“
Sleep in heavenly peace.”

The singing stopped and there was silence in the church. Kate leaned in toward Joel and he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tightly toward him as he whispered softly in her ear, sending a shiver up her spine.

“So love, do you think you could get used to this?”

Kate nodded, pressing her body up against his. “Absolutely.”

“I’m so glad you stayed.”

“Me too,” Kate whispered in return. “I love it here and am looking forward to spending the rest of my life making this place my home.”

“I told you it would just take some time.”

“I know. I’m so glad I listened to you,” Kate said.

“I’m glad you did too! You persevered and that took a lot of courage.” He indicated the people gathered in the church. “I hope you realize how much you belong here,” Joel said.

“You know what? I do.”

Joel ignored the people around him as he kissed her on the lips. “Welcome home, City Chick. I think this means you’re officially a local.”

Firstly, thank you Haylee Nash for accepting my unorthodox pitch and liking this story enough to say ‘yes’. Your email was the one that every debut writer dreams of receiving. Thank you for believing in me right from the beginning. I have loved working with you and the whole team at Momentum. All of you have made this journey so easy. Special thanks go to my wonderful editor Julia Knapman. When you wrote and told me how much you enjoyed reading this story I trusted you implicitly and am so grateful for your input. Can we play together next time?

Special thanks to romance authors Alissa Callen, Rachael Johns, Fiona Lowe and Alli Sinclair for your support, encouragement and advice. Rachael, it was you who got me into this after I read one of your books! Alissa, your willingness to answer my silly questions and share your contacts meant that my story actually got put in front of the right people. I will never forget that. Fiona Lowe your wisdom is always invaluable and I’m more than happy to keep learning from you. Alli Sinclair, I love having someone “just down the road” who answers my questions and helps get me out of plot holes!

Thank you also to the many other RWA authors I have met (some online and some in person) who have welcomed me to the romance network with open hearts and open arms.

Thanks to my author friends Meredith Resce and Fiona Leonard for encouraging me to “just start”. To my early beta readers Jan, Melissa, Sarah and Signe, thank you for cheering me on. To Gwen Caden, Christine Davies, Justine Lewis, Elisa Resce and Margaret Wigg, thank you for reading some of the very early versions of this story and not cringing, but encouraging me to keep writing. Thank you for your medical advice, for correcting my grammar, for making suggestions about my characters and storyline and for your attention to detail. Each of you have helped shaped this book in different ways and I’m truly grateful.

Thanks to my precious children: Jeremy, Chloe, Zachary and Toby. I am truly blessed beyond measure. You guys are my best creation and I love you all dearly. You make me so incredibly proud to be your Mum. I know you probably won’t read this book, but I hope you at least read these acknowledgments!

And finally, to my husband Tim. The romantic hero in my own “happy every after” adventure. I thank you for everything. You carried the load so I could study and get my nursing degree and then you continued to do so this past year when I woke up and decided to write a book. Even after twenty seven years since our first kiss, I’m still madly, deeply in love with you and wouldn’t want to do this journey without you by my side.

Nicki Edwards is a city girl with a country heart. Growing up on a small family acreage, she spent her formative years riding horses and pretending the neighbour’s farm was her own. After spending three years in a regional city in New South Wales, her love of small country towns was further developed. One day she plans to escape to the country with her husband Tim and live on land surrounded by horses, dogs, cows and sheep. Until then she lives vicariously through the lives of the characters in the rural romance novels she loves to read.

In 2006, when Nicki’s youngest child started school, she returned to university, juggling full time study, part time work and raising four small children, to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. Always a voracious reader, Nicki’s other dream was to be an author.

Nicki writes medical rural romance for Momentum and when she isn’t reading, writing or dreaming about rural life and medical emergencies, she can be found working as a Critical Care Nurse in a busy Intensive Care Unit, where many of her stories and characters are imagined.

Nicki and Tim reside in Geelong, Victoria with their four teenage/young adult children. Life is busy, fun and at times exhausting, but Nicki wouldn’t change it for anything. Visit her at
www.nickiedwards.net
.

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