"Good to see you got your appetite back." Susan grinned at him across the table. They'd stopped at a roadside diner for lunch.

"Eating is one of the greatest joys of life."

"I'm eating for two, what's your excuse?"

"I've got catching up to do. Plus, I'm storing energy – I figure I should carry you across the threshold on one honeymoon."

"That's getting harder everyday." She stretched her back, looking down at her stomach with an irreplaceable smile on her lips.

"Only a month to go now."

"I'll be able to wear normal clothes again."

"I like you like this." He toyed with his fork, holding her eyes fondly.

"Is it the mood swings or huge breasts?"

That got him grinning again.

"See, I know you too well."

"Think what you like – I think you're very sexy."

"Nice swim?" Mark was lying on his back on the beach and perched up on his elbows to watch her drying herself with one towel then sitting beside him on another.

"Perfect." She toyed with her hair, trying to make some sense of the tangled wet mass. "Good book?"

"I haven't a clue." He put it down. "I have a confession to make – you're much more interesting."

"You were spying on me?"

He shrugged, a smile teasing her as he leant in for a kiss.

She lay down on her side beside him, one hand, covered by his, on his chest. "This is about perfect."

He nodded and moaned softly in agreement, letting his eyes shut out the mid afternoon sun, while his body basked luxuriously in her warmth.

"I'm back!" Mark let the screen door swing shut behind him and headed for the tiny kitchen.

Susan was sleeping on a sofa in the lounge, the late afternoon sun now only touching her legs. "Hi." She didn't quite wake up though she spoke aloud.

Mark poked his head around the door and only smiled when he saw her, returning to his work in the kitchen.

She had no idea how long she'd slept but it was dark when she pried herself off the sofa.

"Hey." She ran her hand up his back and let it rest on his shoulder.

He turned and kissed her, "Guess what?"

"What?" she asked sleepily.

"I caught dinner."

"What did you get?" she smiled, surprised his fishing expedition had been a success but trying to hide it so as not to offend him.

"Ye of little faith… you'll see. No peeking." He nudged her away from the oven, back into the lounge. "Here…" he handed her his book, "give me twenty minutes."

"I can think of better ways to use twenty minutes."

He stopped in the doorway and turned to face her. "This is worth the wait, I promise."

She sat down and flicked through the book. Something about foetal heart disorders. "This is optimistic." She called out.

"Kerry wanted me to read some 'twelve steps to…' blah blah blah."

Susan laughed, "I think I'm losing my touch. You used to be easier to seduce."

"I doubt it." He called back. "Just be patient."

"Okay. I'll try." She put the book down, "But I think I'll find something else to read."

"Wow." Susan rolled onto her side, not wanting to let go of him.

He grinned and kissed her again.

"If I'd known getting back to nature would have this affect on you…"

He laughed, "It could have been the trout."

"We'll have to add that to the weekly grocery bill then."

"You won't hear any complaints from me." He kissed her again, running one hand up her thigh, over her stomach to her neck, his eyes contentedly contemplating her face as his heart rate slowed. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

She shut him up with a kiss, which only broke when she gasped.

"You okay?" his eyes were etched with concern.

"Yeah." She was still wincing and he wasn't convinced.

"Contractions?"

"It'll just be Braxton hicks. See? I'm fine." She exhaled and gave him a smile – clearly for his benefit.

"Okay, but don't be a trooper – we can go back if we need to."

"Are you kidding? We can only have so many honeymoons."

"Just be careful." He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"Okay." She whispered, her eyes shutting.

"You'll get a sore back if you sleep like that."

Her eyes opened in tired frustration, "I just want to sleep. If I lie on my back someone uses my bladder as a stress ball. This way I don't have to deal with the pain until morning. And you get to be my own personal masseuse."

"Good call."

She shut her eyes again, "Yeah, doctor's hands. The rumours are true." She teased. Then another contraction hit.

He rolled onto his side to face her, trying not to be overly concerned, and took her hand.

"Damn!" she squeezed his hand, her whole body tensing.

"Susan, maybe we should go."

"No, it'll pass." She forced herself to take even breaths. "Just wait a minute."

He watched her face as the pain subsided.

"That better be it. You wore me out, I just want to sleep." She nestled closer to him in relief and hope.

"Any more and I'm taking you in. If it's nothing we can come back but I'm not taking any risks."

"No, I just want to sleep." She purred into his shoulder sleepily.

"I know." He watched her face for a few moments then let his eyes fall shut, knowing he'd could still see her with his eyes closed – her figure etched into his eyelids, carved into the nerve endings of his fingertips.

"Aaaah." She moaned through gritted teeth, "Oh man." It hit unreservedly and she clenched both fists, her face scrunched up in pain.

Mark reached over and turned on the light, his concerned eyes not leaving her face as he reached for his phone.

"I don't want to go." She forced herself to look at him.

He sighed and put the phone down. She was still in a lot of pain – she was trying to hide it but he wasn't fooled for a moment.

The contraction subsided and he helped her get dressed. She let him, albeit reluctantly, then lay back and drifted off while he packed their suitcases. He didn't want to move her until after the next one – risking a contraction hitting en route to the car. While she dozed he took their luggage to the car. She was still sleeping when he got back.

"Susan." He sat down on the bed.

She put one hand on his leg without opening her eyes. "I'm fine. Let's just go back to sleep."

It had been almost ten minutes, he wondered, maybe it was over. Unfortunately he knew all the worst-case scenarios.

"Lie down." She whispered, eyes still closed.

He flicked off the light and lay back beside her, realizing his own exhaustion.

Her sharp intake of breath woke him instantly.

As soon as it subsided her forced her out of bed, his arm firmly around her waist, as he half carried her to the car, only returning to the cabin to turn off lights and lock the door.

"This is ridiculous. It's probably Braxton hicks." She yawned as they pulled out onto the main road.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm a paranoid father-to-be."

"You're already a father Mark." She said, just to be difficult.

"You should have seen me the first time round."

She laughed, her eyes closing lazily. "Did you get my things from the bathroom?"

"Yeah, I got everything. And I can go back later if I forgot – anyway, if this is false labour we can go back tomorrow."

"Good." She yawned again.

"You might as well sleep – it's fourty minutes to the city."

"Okay," she leant her head on the seatbelt as he took her hand. "Should I warn you before I crush your hand again –wouldn't want to cause an accident?"

He laughed, "Might be a good idea."

"I'm gonna crush your --- ahhh…"

He grimaced, trying to focus on the deserted road to keep his mind off the permanent damage she was doing to his hand.