Chapter 5
It had been some crazy months. The whole trouble with Peter and the wedding that luckily didn't happen. And of course, the one night stand with Alex. Claire gently stroked her stomach with her hand. She was 6 months pregnant and her belly was getting bigger and bigger as the days passed - She smiled as she felt the baby move, she felt so lucky to be experiencing this. She had never thought of herself as a mother and the thought of having a child, had never crossed her mind, not until she got pregnant that is.
She couldn't wait for the little one to come out, she was eager to meet him or her - Claire had chosen not to know the gender of the baby, as long as it was healthy she couldn't ask for more. Wonder who you'd look like. Your dad or me - she thought to herself. But instantly she started to feel guilty towards Alex, he still didn't know the baby was his and maybe he would never know. The question whether it was right or wrong still troubled her a lot, and sometimes she thought it would be easier to come clean, about everything - but she really didn't see a point to it. Besides, Alex was seeing some girl from Fisher. Which didn't exactly made it any easier on Claire, but she was the one who had chosen to keep it a secret and now she would have to live with those consequences. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and swallowed the bit of jealousy and pain, thinking of Alex had caused in her. He is just a mate.
She tightened the halter around Eagles face and saddled up to go meet the others out in Skinny Jims. Riding was getting more and more difficult for Claire, her belly was getting in the way and she couldn't fit into the saddle anymore - And her breast, all that jumping didn't work well with breasts about to produce baby food. But she refused to let her pregnancy stop her from doing her work, she just had to work around it and sometimes it took a bit longer, but it couldn't be any other way.
"Where we at with this?" Claire asked as she dismounted Eagle and walked over to Becky and Tess.
"It's heliotropium as you expected" Becky said and brushed the dirt on her hands off. Claire sighed. Great, just great. She didn't need this.
"Helio .. what?" Tess asked.
"Heliotropium, it's a weed. It's very toxic for our cattle, if they eat anything they can suffer from liver damage and that could cost them their lives" Claire said in a firm way. "We spray?" Claire asked Becky. "I guess it's the only way around this". Yes of course, and now they would have to move all of the cattle from Skinny Jims into Little Regret - She so didn't needed this right now and rounding up cattle in this heat AND being pregnant, was without a doubt hell on earth.
"Becky you take care of the weed. I'll take Tess and Jodi with me and start getting the cattle moved. I'll send Jodi your way to help, when we are finished" Claire said and was on her way back to Eagle.
"But Claire, it's like 50 C outside today - How do you expect us to handle all this cattle in this heat" Tess asked with her arm pointing on cattle. "Look, either we move them or they die - It's really simple Tess" Claire hissed. She knew it was going to be hard work, but they simply had to do it or lose all of their stuck.
"Come on, in you get" Claire said as the last couple of cattle passed the gate into Little Regret. "Jodi, go check on Becky. See if she needs any help" Claire said and stirred Eagle towards her. "Yeah, sure" she said without any hesitation and started to make her way back to Skinny Jims.
"Are we done now? Can we please go back. I really need a bath Claire" Tess asked her sister - They had been moving cattle for the last 3 hours in a boiling sun and all Tess had thought about for the last hour, was a nice long bath, followed by a cold drink. Claire smiled at her and started to trot Eagle. "Yeah sure, but make it a fast shower - We still have some things to do around the yard and stables"
"You are kidding me right?" Tess started and made Oscar follow them. "You need to relax Claire - You are 6 months along, it can't be good for the baby with all that stress" Tess finished. Claire shook her head "I'm not stressed". Well, maybe she was a bit more stressed out over things than usually - but she really needed to keep the place in control, so everything was ready for the baby. There simply was no time to waste and if her belly kept growing in the same pace, it had been growing in this past month - it was all a matter of time, before she wouldn't be able to even get on a horse, and she would officially be to no help. "I just want everything to be perfect when the baby arrives"
"Yes of course, but it doesn't mean you have to work yourself so hard - We are all here to help" Tess said. Claire hated when Tess was right, she still didn't understand where she got all of her so called life knowledge from.
"Claire" Meg said and came running from the other side of the stables. "We have a problem". Claire looked at her, what kind of problem was she talking about? I swear to god, if something is broken or I have to move one more cow, sheep - anything, I will lose it. She took a deep breath and looked at Meg calmly. "It's Peter. He is inside waiting for you" Claire's heart sank, no that couldn't be right - She had told him not to come around anymore, she didn't want anything to do with him. She slowly turned her head towards Tess, who was just as surprised as herself. A feeling of panic started to emerge out in every single cell in her body - Everybody, besides Tess thought Peter was the father, but Peter would know he wasn't, because they hadn't slept together at all. Her eyes begged Tess for help, she didn't know what to do with herself and her huge belly would give her away as soon as Peter saw her. Shit - She thought to herself. Tess walked to her side and placed a hand on her arm, she couldn't say or do anything to make Claire calm or even fix the situation that was about to happen during the next minutes. Claire started to make her way back to the house, she kept thinking of what to say or do - mostly she was leaning to not say anything at all, let him talk. Yes, that would be a good idea. She slowly opened the door to the study, where Peter was waiting. Her heart was racing and she felt really nervous about everything - but she was filled with rage. How dare he place his feet here, after all he had put her through.
"Peter?" She said as she entered the room. He was standing with the back to door and was holding a picture of Claire and Tess in his hand. "Didn't I take this of you two, a long time ago?" He asked and turned around to face her. His mouth dropped when he saw her - he didn't expect her to be pregnant, what had happened since he left?
"What are you doing here?" Claire said in a firm way and walked towards him to take the picture out of his hand. He shouldn't be touching her stuff. He followed her with his eyes, as she walked around the desk and placed herself in the chair. She looked at him like her eyes were telling him to talk. She sighed and was about to tell him to leave Drover's, if he didn't have anything to say, when he mumbled the word pregnant. "You are pregnant?" he said, almost in silence. "Yes, well .. " Claire didn't wanted to talk with him and she sure didn't felt the need to discuss her pregnancy, and definitely not with him. "How can you be pregnant?" he finally asked. He weren't in a position to demand an explanation from her.
"That is none of your business. All I want to know is why you are here, when I distinctly told you not to come here anymore" Claire's voice was firm and cold. Peter still looked confused about the fact, that his ex-fiancé was sitting in front of him, pregnant. Claire noticed his confused look, she felt like she had to explain to him, he weren't the father - but how could he even be thinking that, he damn well knew they hadn't slept together. "Come on, you can't be serious. If you just for a second thought you were the father, you can forget it. You know we didn't sleep together when you were here" the last words killed her to say, just the thought of her ever being able of sleeping with the man in front of her, made her sick. Peter looked down and his facial expressions slowly changed from confused to mad. "Is it his?" he asked, still not looking at Claire. "His?" she know he was referring to Alex.
"Have you slept with him?" he looked Claire right in the eyes, which made it run cold down her back. "Have you been sleeping with Alex?" he asked one more time. Claire didn't knew what to say, she was caught by surprise of his anger.
"Dammit Claire. You know how much I have sacrificed for you? I've lost my family, my job and everything I ever cared for - but I did it because I love you, and I would give up on everything just to be with you. You were the most important thing in my life - And now you are telling me, you are fucking pregnant with SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD?!" his fists was turning white and Claire was convinced he would hit something. But despite of her fear of making him more mad, she couldn't let him stand here and accuse her for anything.
"First of all, this baby is none of your business as I've already told you" she made her way around the desk and faced him. "Secondly - All you ever sacrificed was your own decision, not mine. So don't you dare pull that stunt on me. And if you have ever loved me, just one tiny bit - you wouldn't have put me through a living hell. You have gotten anything you have ever deserved from your action". Claire's blood was boiling, she was raging inside. Her words made Peter even angrier and suddenly he found himself out of control, and grabbed her by the arm "This is all I get after everything?" he yelled at her, just a few inches from her face. "Peter let go" she was genuinely scared of him now. He tightened his grip around her arm and shook his before letting her go with a push.
His push had enough force behind to make Claire fall to the ground. Everything around her had happened so fast, that she hadn't noticed being pushed before she landed. She covered her belly with her arm, in fear of the fall had cause any damage to the baby. Suddenly she saw Alex in the doorway, when did he get here? He looked as he was in a state of shock, or even a whole other world - it was clear for Claire that his mind was spinning out of control, she could see it in his eyes.
He had walked in just when Peter had pushed Claire to the ground. It had all happened in slow motion for him and he panicked as Claire was falling, fearing for the baby - She and the baby were fragile and he felt it was his duty to protect them both. Suddenly his mind began to trigger a lot of incoherently memories from the night, Harry had told him he wasn't his father. He remembered being in Gungellan, drinking heavily - Then he had bumped into Claire outside the pub. They had a heartfelt talk, but what more? His eyes got big as he remembered. They kissed, he looked at Claire. They did more than just kiss, they slept together. Him and Claire - does that mean Claire was pregnant with his child?
He snapped out of it when he heard a glass being shattered across the floor and Meg's voice from behind, telling him to do something. Claire! he ran to her side and supported her, so she could get up. "You ok?" he asked, he had to make sure Claire and the baby - his baby, was fine. Claire nodded her head, she was too shocked to talk - but she was fine, the baby was fine. Alex turned his focus to Peter. "You piece of shit!"
