Page 55 of Come Fly With Me

“I would if I could lift my leg that high.” Isobel turned to Agnes. “Kick him for me, Aggie.”

“Stop,” Callum ordered. “I know this isn’t what you’d planned, but if it makes you feel any better, I bought tickets for the seats you originally wanted, so you can come back once the baby’s here. You get to see the show twice, damn it.”

Agnes narrowed her eyes at him. “And are you going to pay for another trip down from Scotland so we can use those tickets?”

Callum frowned at Agnes, who frowned right back. She was definitely the scariest of the sisters. Donna was the sweetest. Mairi, the craziest. And Isobel was all about the love. But Agnes? She was the woman you called if you wanted help to bury a body.

When he didn’t answer, Isobel elbowed him in the gut.

“Aye,” he said. “I’ll pay whatever it takes. Now, can we sit down? The whole audience is watching us.” Not that he gave a damn, but he hoped it would get the sisters moving.

“Of course, they’re watching,” Agnes said. “That’s why people pay to sit in a private box. The name’s a misnomer. There’s no privacy. You sit here to be seen.”

“Come on.” Isobel reached for a chair. “Let’s get this arranged so we can see as much as possible.” She pointed at him. “Not you. You get the worst view.”

Callum was all kinds of fine with that. In fact, he’d be happier if he’d brought some earplugs along too. “Let me.” He took the chair from her and placed it where she pointed, watching her rub her back while he did so. “You okay?”

“No. I’m four hundred years pregnant with the world’s largest baby, and the night out I’ve been looking forward to for months has been ruined by my caveman husband.”

“Apart from that,” he said, “are you okay? No pain?”

“No more than usual.” She nibbled her full bottom lip. “Although my back aches. I think it might be because of the shoes.”

Callum fought the urge to say, ‘You think?’

“Here, sit down, and I’ll take them off for you. You don’t need them until the show’s finished anyway.” He crouched in front of her and removed her shoes, taking the time to massage her, no doubt, aching feet. The look of pure bliss on her face made his heart soften. “I’m not trying to ruin your night,” he confessed in a tone low enough for only her to hear. “I want you to have a good time. But I need you and the baby to be safe while you do it.”

Isobel sighed. “I know.” She reached out to cup his cheek. “I still love you even though you’re a total pain in my backside.”

“I’ll relax once the baby’s here,” he promised. Although he was pretty sure that promise was more like wishful thinking.

Isobel leaned forward, clasped his face in her hands and smiled. “No, you won’t.” And then she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

“Get a room,” Mairi said. “Oh, wait. We have a room.” She glared at Callum.

“This makes me feel sorry for the royal family,” Donna said. “All those shows they sit through, and they can’t even see most of them.”

“Yeah,” Agnes drawled. “Those poor deprived darlings.”

“Shh,” Isobel hissed, “it’s starting.”

In the softly lit orchestra pit, the music swelled as the house lights faded. The sisters leaned on the edge of the balcony, their eyes wide as they took in every detail. As the curtains twitched, a cheer went up. And then ABBA’s music began to play, and for the first time that evening, Callum deeply regretted tagging along.

* * *

It happened during ‘Dancing Queen’.

The women had pushed their seats back and were trying to dance on the tiny floor space. Callum sat wedged into the corner, keeping his eye on Isobel while trying not to get trampled by the rest of them. One second, they were singing at the top of their lungs, waving their arms and grinning at each other, and the next, Isobel was grasping her swollen belly as her wide eyes shot to him.

“Isobel?” He pushed away from the wall to reach for her.

“The baby’s coming,” she whispered.

For a split second that stretched into an eternity, Callum heard the blood rushing through his veins, and he lost the ability to breathe.

“Callum?” Isobel’s hand tightened around his wrist.

And just like that, time started again. “Let’s go.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, while his other hand dug out his phone to dial the emergency number.