Miracle In March Read online

  Miracle in March

  Juliet Madison

  www.escapepublishing.com.au

  Miracle in March

  Juliet Madison

  A new Tarrin’s Bay novel from best-selling author Juliet Madison. She took a break from real life, and found what she didn’t know she was looking for.

  Emma had plans, travel plans, going-far-away plans, but her family means everything to her, so when they needed help, she was there to deliver it. Running the family business of beachside cabins in Tarrin’s Bay might not be the same as the French Riviera, but Emma finds a certain level of peace in the beautiful setting and small town community.

  But when she finds that her ex-boyfriend, a man she left behind without explanation, staying in one of the cabins, her peace is ruined. She knows the only way to get it back is to share the secret she’s been hiding for five years, and admit to him the limitations that she now carries. But James has his own truths to share, and he’s not the man that Emma once knew.

  They are both in very different places than before, but it’s a time for renewal and second chances when their reunion brings secrets to the surface, dreams to be remembered, and the realisation that they are both in need of a little miracle.

  About the Author

  Juliet Madison is a naturopath-turned-author with a background in dance, art, internet marketing, and perfume sales (yes, she was one of those annoying people in department stores who spray you with perfume). Nowadays she prefers to indulge her propensity for multiple careers by living vicariously through her characters. She likes to put those characters into extraordinary situations and take them on a challenging journey to discover their true passion and inner strength, weaving in some laughs, tears, romance, and sometimes a touch of magic along the way.

  Living near the beach on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales, Australia, Juliet spends as much time as possible writing and coming up with new ideas, and doing her best to avoid housework.

  Juliet is a proud member and volunteer with the Romance Writers of Australia and she loves to interact online with readers and writers via Twitter (@Juliet_Madison), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulietMadisonAuthor). She can be contacted through her website at www.julietmadison.com, where readers can also download some free short stories.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Kate Cuthbert and the team at Escape Publishing/Harlequin Australia for publishing this third book in my Tarrin’s Bay series, and for your support, beautiful cover designs, passion, and enthusiasm for books. Thanks always to my editor Belinda Holmes for working with me to polish my stories and also have fun along the way.

  This writing journey would not be the same without the support and friendship of other writers, in particular Diane Curran, Alli Sinclair, and Rachael Johns who have helped with either critiques, feedback, ideas, or general moral support and encouragement. You make my writing days extra fun!

  I’d also like to give a shout-out to the members of my Tarrin’s Bay Series Readers Group on Facebook who share in my progress of writing this series and offer their enthusiasm, feedback, and loyalty to my books. Thanks also to my readers, and to reviewers and bloggers who take time to write about books and help spread the word to support authors.

  A special mention to those who work in the field of autism awareness and care, something close to my heart and an important part of this story: thanks for your dedication and passion for helping those on the spectrum and seeing them as the gifts that they are.

  Thanks always to my family and friends, especially Mum for always reading my work in the draft stage. And to my son, Jayden, for showing me that miracles can and do occur.

  To Jay, my miracle.

  Contents

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…

  Chapter 1

  Emma Brighton had been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever. At thirty-seven years old, she’d never been overseas, and while friends had gone off on grand adventures, she’d worked, saved, and dealt with life’s unexpected challenges. But now — now was the time. Her time.

  ‘Just book the thing already.’ Jen placed a cup of steaming tea on the table next to Emma’s laptop as she browsed travel websites.

  ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’ Emma slid a glance towards her dearest friend and roommate.

  ‘Well, yes. The sooner you go have an adventure, the sooner you’ll bring back souvenirs and tell me the juicy details about gorgeous foreign men you had passionate affairs with.’

  Emma removed her hands from the keyboard and tilted her head at Jen. ‘Yes to the souvenirs, no to the passionate affairs. This is my trip. I’m not looking for love, I’m looking for…’

  ‘What exactly are you looking for?’

  Emma returned her attention to the screen and scrolled down the webpage that showed pictures of Tuscan villas framed with green spreading vines and bright red flowers. ‘Nothing. I don’t have any expectations, I just want to see more of the world than my little part of Sydney. And feel…free, for a change.’

  Jen sat next to Emma and sipped her green tea, while Emma sipped her chai. ‘So, Italy first? France? What’s the plan?’ She draped her arm around her friend.

  Emma clicked on the other tab she had opened for Paris. ‘The City of Lights,’ she said with a smile and a flutter of excitement in her belly.

  ‘And the city of luurve.’ Jen wriggled seductively and Emma laughed.

  ‘I figure I’ll put my French language skills to good use first, give me some confidence before I lose it completely in Italy.’

  ‘So, teaching French to your first-graders has made you an expert, huh?’

  ‘Not really, but at least I know the basics.’

  Jen smiled. ‘All I know is something about voulez-vous coucher avec moi…’

  Emma nudged Jen. ‘That’s enough, missy! And when I get back I expect to hear all about your juicy gossip and passionate affairs with…Australian citizens.’

  ‘I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.’

  Emma smiled. ‘Deal.’ They shook hands. ‘Now, this is where I’m thinking of staying in Paris, you like?’ Emma pointed to the screen and her phone rang its chirpy ringtone. ‘Oh, Mum’s calling. Guess I should take the opportunity to tell her the good news, finally.’ She pressed answer. ‘Hi, Mum.’

  ‘Em. Oh, Em!’ Panic shook her voice.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Needles of fear pricked Emma’s nerves. There was only one other time she remembered her mother sounding this way.

  ‘You need to come to Welston hospital, now. It’s your father.’ She sucked in a loud breath. ‘He’s had a stroke.’

  * * *

  In an instant Emma was on the road, heading south along the coast towards Welston, the country person’s city; small compared to others, but a major township for south coast dwellers with all the necessary amenities. And also the place where Emma had grown up, until she’d swapped the small city for a big one while her parents moved further south to Tarrin’s Bay.

  Lights flanking the hig
hway blurred and elongated as she drove, both from her speed and the tears spreading across her eyes and preparing to spill.

  Please stay alive, please stay alive…

  All she knew was that her dad was having some sort of procedure or tests to deal with a clot in the brain. It didn’t sound good, but she knew how resilient the human body could be.

  In just over an hour she was there, finding a parking spot, finding the hospital entrance, then finding out her father’s fate.

  ‘Emma!’

  ‘Mum!’

  Barbara and Emma Brighton rushed to each other and embraced.

  ‘They’re still working on him. He’s not out of the woods yet, but they think he’s got a good chance of surviving.’

  ‘Oh, thank God.’ Emma sunk into her mother’s arms. ‘Has there been any significant damage?’

  ‘They won’t know for a while, but he had numbness down his left side when the ambulance took him. His speech was…’ She gulped then sobbed a little. ‘Oh, Em, it was so scary! One minute we were talking and the next, he got his words jumbled and his face looked all strange.’ Barbara covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

  Dread sank to the pit of Emma’s stomach, but she couldn’t let it show. Her mum needed her. ‘Let’s sit here and wait for an update, Mum.’ She led her to a cold, empty row of chairs.

  ‘Oh no! I have to call Amelia and get her to handle things at the cabins. How will I, how can we…’ Her eyes darted side to side searching for answers. That was the problem with having your own business — never being able to call in sick.

  ‘She’s working tomorrow anyway, isn’t she? Why don’t we send her a text to let her know the situation and that we’ll call when we know more?’

  Barbara nodded. ‘Okay. I just don’t think I can talk to anyone else right now.’

  ‘I know. Here, I’ll do it.’ Emma took her phone from her handbag and found Amelia in the ‘contacts’, then sent her a message. She was an efficient and reliable employee, she’d be happy to help out as much as possible, though as a busy single mother with teenagers she wouldn’t want to take over the place completely. Tarrin’s Bay Beachside Cabins and Caravan Park would need an extra set of hands. Now.

  ‘Oh, Em, you have to go to work tomorrow! Do you think you could take the day off, or the week even?’

  Emma managed a feeble smile. She still hadn’t told her mum the good news that she was officially on holidays and had enough money to live on for the next year. ‘Well, Dad sure picked a convenient time to cause problems, because I don’t have to go to work tomorrow. I’m officially on leave. I have a year.’ She’d miss her students, but she’d promised to send a postcard to the school for their replacement teacher to show them. Whether or not they’d get one now she didn’t know. Unless she sent one from Tarrin’s Bay.

  ‘A year!’ Emma’s mother exclaimed. ‘How in heaven’s name did you manage that? What aren’t you telling me? Is everything alright?’ She put her hand on her daughter’s arm.

  ‘Yes, I’m fine. I’ve been saving up. I was going to tell you this week actually, but…’ No, she couldn’t tell her about the overseas trip. For now, all her mum needed to know was that her daughter was here and ready to help, here to be with Dad and support him in his recovery. She didn’t want her mother to feel guilty for Emma having to change her travel plans.

  ‘Do you think…could you possibly…’

  ‘Yes, Mum. Don’t worry. I’ll take over the running of the cabins in the meantime, and then we can reassess once we know how Dad is.’

  ‘Oh, darling.’ She rested her head on Emma’s shoulder. ‘What would we do without you?’

  Emma didn’t answer. She took that moment to take a long awaited deep breath, silently wishing that everything would be okay. How bizarre, that a couple of hours ago she was getting ready to put her travel plans in motion. But now those plans would have to be put on hold. A shame, but she couldn’t allow herself to dwell on disappointment. Family was more important, and like they’d been there for her when she’d needed them, she’d be there for them.

  They sat together in silence for a while, until squelchy footsteps approached on the shiny but scuffed hospital floor. Emma looked up into the tired eyes of the doctor as he greeted them.

  Chapter 2

  One Month Later…

  James Gallagher stepped up onto the porch of cabin number one, his son Jackson already at the door, banging on it with his palm.

  ‘Hang on, mate, gotta unlock it first.’ James put his bags on the porch then stuck the key into the lock, Jackson running on the spot on tiptoes. At least the four-year-old seemed keen to be here; James was never sure how he’d react to different environments.

  ‘Okey dokes, let’s go inside and check out our makeshift home for the next week.’ James went to push the door open but Jackson beat him to it, barging through like a one-kid stampede, a high-pitched squeal accompanying him. James opened his mouth to say, ‘Not so loud’, but shut it again. It never did any good anyway, and right now he couldn’t care less if anyone had a problem with his child’s behaviour. He wanted to get unpacked, find something to occupy Jackson for at least half an hour, and sit on the porch to admire the beachfront view. At least they’d been able to secure the cabin at the far end of the holiday park, with his sister and brother-in-law in the cabin next to his, and his parents in number three. As for the caravans behind, they weren’t that close. Luckily the cabins had been booked a year ago, or they wouldn’t have had any chance of getting this perfect location at the front.

  Jackson inspected every corner of the open-plan living room and kitchen, picking up object after object, familiarising himself with his surroundings. He noticed the television and bounced on tiptoes, flapping his hands with excitement and nervous energy, then dashed into one of the bedrooms. James followed him, making sure the place was reasonably Jackson-proof, if such a place existed. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled at his son’s excitement. This was a good sign. Once, when they’d travelled and stayed in a motel, Jackson had screamed and cried almost the whole time. Something about the place just hadn’t gelled with him. But now, he seemed enlivened by the cabin, which was good, because he was here with his family to do something very important and there was no going home until it was done.

  ‘C’mon, let’s check out your room, buddy.’ James gestured for Jackson, and he ran past his father and into the adjacent room. There was a single bed and a bunk bed. Jackson immediately leapt onto the single bed, and James laughed. Most kids would go for the top bunk. Not Jackson.

  Loud applause filled the room. Jackson had pressed a button on his Sound Machine, the handheld gadget he stored in his pocket that featured sixteen different sound effects, and formed the soundtrack to his young life. Applause was good. That meant he was satisfied with his temporary bedroom. Had he pressed the screaming or crashing glass sound, then all hell would break loose.

  James left his son to inspect the premises and went back to the porch to bring in the bags, plonking them on the queen-size bed that would be his, and only his, for the next few days.

  The clang of the screen door sounded and James dashed to the living room. ‘Jackson, hang on!’ But the boy was out the door, rushing up onto the porch of cabin number two. James followed.

  ‘You want to see our place too?’ asked Lizzie, holding the door open for her nephew. Jackson burst inside and James stood on the path in front, waiting for him to do his thing. Lizzie smiled. ‘It’s nice when he’s happy,’ she said. ‘I think he’ll like it here, and it’ll be good for you guys to have a change of scenery for a while.’

  James nodded. ‘And good for you to put your feet up while soaking up the ocean view. Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be doing that now and letting André get things unpacked?’

  Lizzie stepped onto the porch and held her large belly. ‘Guess you’re right. Damn that doctor, doesn’t she know how hard bed rest and “taking it easy” is for a woman like me?’

  James und
erstood. He didn’t know how to take it easy either; he and Lizzie had been genetically programmed with their father’s workaholic genes. But he also understood what life was like with a new baby. ‘I wouldn’t worry, another month or so and you certainly won’t be taking it easy. Enjoy it while you can, I reckon.’

  James’ sister eased into the white, wicker chair and it crackled as it stretched under her weight. ‘God, hope I don’t break this thing,’ she said with a chuckle. ‘Five minutes into our stay and I’ll have to pay for repairs!’

  An overexcited squeal came from inside.

  ‘Is the place to your satisfaction, garçon?’ Lizzie’s French husband, André, asked, though everyone knew he would not get a reply. James liked that his family talked to Jackson as though he was any other boy. Apart from his father. Martin Gallagher still tried to get words out of his grandson and got frustrated easily, so after a while he’d stopped trying.

  Applause sounded again and Jackson pulled open the door. For a moment his eyes connected with James’, but just as quickly they diverted elsewhere. ‘Let me guess, Nan and Pop’s cabin next?’ James followed Jackson to his parents’ cabin. ‘Just doing the rounds, Mum,’ he said with a brief smile when they arrived at the door.

  ‘No problem at all, my little one.’ Marie Gallagher leaned down and tried to kiss her grandson on the head, but only managed to brush lightly against his overgrown mop of brown hair as he whizzed past. The boy didn’t stop for anyone or anything. Get in his way and he could easily knock you down like a prize bull. He slammed against his pop’s leg, almost dislodging the precious item in his hands.

  James gasped. ‘Careful, Jackson.’

  ‘Hey, fella, take it easy!’ Martin Gallagher said. ‘This is very important.’ He placed the glossy wooden urn on top of one of the kitchen cupboards. Now, Nonna Bella would have a bird’s-eye view of her favourite room — the kitchen. Figuratively speaking.

  James’ Irish/Italian grandmother was supposed to be here with them. Instead, they’d be saying goodbye to her, spreading her ashes in her favourite location in Tarrin’s Bay, on the day that would have been her ninetieth birthday.