Life Support: Escape to the Country (29 page)

He gathered her into his arms and held her for a long time.

“I always thought – Ruby – Nicola—” he stammered.

“Shh,” she breathed. “The past doesn’t matter. We have the future.”

He placed a hand against her still-flat stomach. “When?”

“Early September.”

The sun disappeared, leaving the landscape bathed in a dusky, dusty blue. For a while they sat, side by side, holding hands. As Tom’s finger stroked her hand, her throat constricted with love for him. When he sought her lips again and placed a gentle hand on her belly, his kiss was full of the promises of the future. A future filled with children and love.

Some days I sit back and pinch myself. It’s been a whirlwind ride and I can’t believe how far I’ve travelled since having my first book,
Intensive Care,
published in January 2015.

To everyone at Momentum, thank you for once again believing in me and being such a dream team to work with. This publishing process has been such a joy because of you. Haylee, Joel, Patrick and Ashley, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Julia, it has been a delight working with you again on the editing of this book and I look forward to one more turn when I give you the final book in the series,
Critical Condition
– Liam’s story – in the next few months.

I wouldn’t be able to write without the incredible ongoing backing of my kids, Jeremy, Chloe, Zach and Toby. Thank you for reading my books and even selling copies to your friends! I love you all more than you probably know. Keep dreaming big dreams because I know you will achieve whatever you set your hearts on.

Like my other books, this one has been helped along and improved by some amazing beta readers and critique partners, namely Andrea Grigg, who is a constant supporter. Andrea, thank you for pushing me to make every sentence shine. I can’t wait until I get to do the same for your next book. Narelle Atkins, thanks for your valuable expertise, friendship and ongoing Facebook conversations. Justine Lewis, thanks for offering advice and suggestions – especially on all things law-related. Marg Wigg, thank you for being a cheerleader and picking up those pesky grammatical errors in the very early drafts.

For my nursing colleagues in ICU, thank you for buying my books and reading them – your support means more to me than you’ll ever know. Now please stop trying to guess which characters are based on people we work with! I promise I won’t put you in my next book without asking you first.

To all my readers, thank you. I never dreamed I’d have people wanting more of my stories. You make every single word a joy to write.

Finally, thank you, Tim. You are the most important person in my life. You have sacrificed so much for me over the years and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you for supporting me now on this writing journey. I keep wondering when our lives will slow down and resume at a more normal pace, but somehow I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. Anyway, what’s ‘normal’? I love you.

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
nickiedwards.com.au
.

One heartbroken woman. One bitter cop. One community to save them.

After the tragic death of her husband, single mum Isabelle Cassidy is bereft and broke. When she hears about The Peppercorn Project – a scheme that offers affordable rent in the tiny but vibrant town of Stony Creek – Issie sees it as her family's best chance at a fresh start.

Newly single police officer Matt Robertson moved to Stony Creek to lick his wounds after a bitter divorce. Wanting only peace and quiet, Matt is against the Project, seeing it as a threat to the peace he's found in the country town – until he meets Issie. Despite himself, Matt is drawn to the widow and feels inexplicably protective of her fragile family.

Just when Issie begins to imagine a future with Matt, an accident proves how far she has to go before she can move beyond her grief. But the citizens of Stony Creek won't rest until they see these two broken souls find a new beginning, together.

Can Issie move beyond the pain of her past and entrust Matt with her family, and her heart?

A gorgeous rural romance for fans of Fiona McArthur, Rachael Johns and Fiona McCallum.

For more information, please visit 
momentumbooks.com.au/books/the-peppercorn-project
.

Intensive Care: Escape to the Country
Emergency Response: Escape to the Country
Operation White Christmas:
An Escape to the Country Novella