Drover's Dining room….
Alex walks back into the room with a puzzled look on his face.
"You ok?" Stevie asks.
"Yeah…. um…. Dave and Kate won't be joining us for cards, they're discussing an important issue." Alex tells the others.
Stevie gives him an understanding nod and he wonders what she knows.
…
"Jodi and Matt won't be joining us either." Tess offers grinning.
"Why where are we going to be?" Matt questions.
'Upstairs catching up on the last few months." Jodi answers.
"No you'll be down at the cottage until the baby arrives. Moira is staying in the main house so you can have some privacy." Tess answers.
"Really?" Jodi gushes. "I can have him all to myself?"
Nick laughs and explains." Yeah he's all yours Jodi. Tess, Moira and I have spruced up the cottage and the fridge and pantry are both full so we'll see you when the food runs out."
…..
Jodi looks shocked and asks. "So you knew he was coming and didn't tell me?"
"I came out to tell you this morning but you'd already left for Gungellan. I decided not to tell you because I knew you'd be anxious." Nick answers.
She looks annoyed until Matt offers. "He's right Jodi you would have been stressing all day waiting for me and that wouldn't have been good for you or the bub."
She smiles at him.
….
"Do you want to play cards for a little while?" He asks her.
"I want to spend time with you and if you want to play cards then that's what I'll do." Jodi replies.
He smiles and looking around the room at their friends faces asks. "Can we take a rain check on the cards guys?"
'Yeah, Of course and no worries." Are the replies he recieves.
"You've been here half an hour longer than I would have been." Alex jokes.
…..
With the torch Tess handed them Matt leads his wife down to the cottage.
As he opens the door and flicks the light Jodi exclaims "Oh my goodness Matt this is beautiful."
The cottage has flowers in vases throughout the room and streamers and balloons decorate it as well.
"Welcome home Matt." Jodi reads aloud from the sign leaning against the wall.
"Boy they've really gone all out haven't they! I've never had a welcome home like this before." He states.
"You haven't got my welcome home yet." Jodi chuckles.
Pulling her close he kisses her and says . " That's all I've thought about for months."
With her lips close to his she asks. " Do tell?"
He laughs.
...
Kate's Room...The shearer's quarters..
"That's unfair Kate and you know it!" Dave growls.
"Is it? Think about what you're saying Dave. Your manager was a Christian with Christian values and your promotion hinged on you being married. Would you have asked me if he wasn't?" She snaps back at him.
He stands looking at her.
" No you wouldn't. We'd have still been just boyfriend and girlfriend."Kate accuses.
...
"We were happy Kate and everything was going along beautifully. I'm sure I would have gotten around to it. Once we married I was really happy with how things were, I love you and I still want you in my life. Your the one that wasn't happy! Why?"Dave questions.
She looks at him .
Her eyes fill with tears ." I wanted the fairy tale Dave , I'm Italian I wanted the big church wedding and all my family and our friends around us. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life not a registry office in a foreign country and your assistants standing beside us. It's not how I dreamed it would be."
...
He looks sad when he replies." It should have been the happiest day of your life because you were marrying me Kate the rest is just cosmetic."
"I was happy." She sniffs.
" What changed ? Why wouldn't you tell anyone ? All of our friends here why didn't you at least tell them?"He asks.
" You always left me at home and I was so lonely. I thought the marriage would fail and I was too embarrassed to tell them why we got married." She answers.
"We got married because I love you! What's so embarrassing about that? Why didn't you tell me you were lonely? I didn't know that, you never said anything."He answers softly.
...
"I'm sorry." She offers her tears running freely.
" I am too. We can still have a wedding if you want one Kate. Whatever it takes to get you back I'll do." He says as he steps forward.
As he holds up his arms she rushes into them and sobs.
His arms tighten around her and he kisses her head." Is that a yes I'll marry you again?"
She shakes her head and says ." I can't have a white wedding now."
...
With his hand gently cradling her chin he lifts her face to his." Of course you can. I'll pay for whatever wedding you want Kate we'll start again."
She searches his face and shaking her head says ." I can't have a white wedding Dave because I'm pregnant."
He stares at her." Pregnant?"
Nodding she explains." I'm almost eighteen weeks."
Realisation hits him.
His face loses colour.
...
"Made in Africa." He whispers.
She nods.
He searches her face.
She waits for him to walk away.
Slowly he lowers his head and kisses her with such tenderness and love she cries.
He hugs her and says." You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me Kate Manfredi and I didn't think I could love you anymore than I already do but that seals it. You're my wife and soon to be Mother of my child, my life is better than I could have ever imagined it. "
...
The main house ..The dining room...
Six sit around the table playing cards.
Despite the events of the evening they're having a fun time laughing and joking as the card game continues.
Stevie has had to feed Xander and Tess briefly left the game as Claire woke from a nightmare.
Several times they've shifted seats as they continued the game.
As Tess arrives back downstairs they shift again .
" It's like musical bloody chairs." Alex remarks as he shifts seats yet again.
...
They all look up as Dave and Kate arrive back in the room.
"Kate! What's wrong?" Tess asks.
Although it's plain that Kate has been crying she replies."Nothing's wrong Tess, in fact everything is really good."
" Anything you'd like to tell us?" Alex asks wondering about Dave's comment earlier.
" Yeah there is Big Fella. We've got a couple of things we need to tell all of you." Dave replies.
...
Alex looks at Stevie but she's smiling at Kate.
"My name is Kate Brewer and it has been for almost a year." Kate states.
"Hey?" Alex exclaims.
Stevie is already hugging Kate and then Dave and congratulating them.
Everyone is shocked but thrilled for them and also congratulate their friends.
...
Questions fly at them and for the most part they answer them.
The why's and how's are answered and when they ask about the secrecy Kate answers honestly.
"Oh Kate sometimes you need to not worry about what other people think and just be happy for yourself." Tess states.
" But it wasn't about what other people thought Tess I wanted a white wedding for me. I'd daydreamed about it as long as I can remember."Kate offers sadly.
...
"Nothing stopping you from having your white wedding Kate we can do it here for you like Stevie and Alex's wedding." Grace offers.
Kate looks up at Dave.
He smiles at her and says ." You've confessed this much you might as well come clean all together."
Looking around at all the faces of her friends she can't quite bring herself to tell them.
She glances back at Dave .
Her eyes implore him.
...
" Kate's pregnant and a white wedding wouldn't sit well with her folks now." Dave explains.
Everyone is shocked into silence.
Stevie smiles at Kate and offers a congratulatory hug.
Kate hangs onto her.
" Jesus Fred you really know how to keep a secret don't you?" Alex remarks as he lines up to congratulate her.
...
" Pregnant ! How far are you?" Grace asks.
"Eighteen weeks." Kate replies.
Nick is about to hug her and exclaims ." Eighteen weeks! Bloody hell Kate you shouldn't have been doing some of the stuff we've had you doing! You should have said something earlier."
" It's ok I had some expert advise and as of a couple of days ago I stopped riding." Kate replies.
"You knew." Alex remarks looking at Stevie.
...
Everyone looks at Stevie.
" I swore her to secrecy." Kate states.
Dave looks annoyed and asks." Why did you tell her before me?"
"Don't start Dave if it wasn't for Stevie I wouldn't have found the courage to tell you yet." Kate growls.
...
" We would have noticed eventually." Tess says.
Kate pushes her jumper tight across her slightly rounded belly and says." None of you noticed this."
" Bloody hell." Marcus exclaims.
Alex laughs and says." You definitely win the prize for best kept secret Fred."
" Yeah I do don't I ? Now I just have to find the courage to tell my family." Kate confides.
...
" It's alright Kate we'll face them together." Dave offers.
"You didn't ask my father for my hand. Strike one. We married without him giving me away. Strike two." She says.
Dave looks up at their friends and says ." Pray that it's a boy so we can name him after Kate's Dad and I'll be forgiven."
They all laugh.
...