Midwives On-Call At Christmas. Tina Beckett

fall on her head, followed by finding some out-of-date drugs in one of the cupboards was making her organisational skills go into overload. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight with the ‘to do’ lists she currently had stored in her head.

      ‘Just thought I should check how you are.’

      She picked her way back through the untidy contents of the store cupboard. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Is that the time already? The childminder will wonder where I am.’

      She let out a groan. ‘Darn it. I haven’t found us somewhere else to stay.’

      ‘What do you mean? You don’t know where you are staying?’

      Bonnie sucked in a deep breath. ‘That’s the thing about agreeing to start at short notice. I haven’t managed to find somewhere to rent. I haven’t even had a chance to view anywhere. The motel I booked is awful. We got in last night and it’s damp and I’m pretty sure there are signs of mildew. It’s going to play havoc with Freya’s asthma. I need to find somewhere else as soon as I can. I had a quick look online last night and most places aren’t available for rent until after Christmas. I’ve obviously come at the wrong time of year.’ She kept shaking her head. She sighed and leaned against the doorjamb. ‘I need to find somewhere quick. I just assumed that I’d be able to find somewhere without any problem. It is a city, after all.’

      Accommodation wasn’t something Jacob had even considered for their new start. As a mother she wouldn’t have the option of staying in the hospital flats. They were only designed for singles.

      He shook his head. ‘Cambridge isn’t like most cities. We don’t have a huge turnover except when the university year starts. Most students find accommodation and stay in it for four full years.’

      She shrugged. ‘I’ll just need to try a bit harder, I guess. More importantly I’ll need to get a car. Relying on public transport is a bit of a nightmare. The sooner I get home to Freya, the better.’

      He spoke before he thought. ‘I’ll give you a lift home.’

      She blinked. The shock on her face was apparent. Had he really been that unfriendly to her earlier?

      ‘You don’t have to do that.’

      ‘I know. But I will. You’ve had a bit of a baptism of fire today. I know you want to get home to Freya and the buses will be busy this time of day.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s only five minutes out of my way. We’ll go in ten minutes.’

      The phone rang further along the ward and Hope Sanders, one of the other midwives, stuck her head out of one of the rooms. ‘Jacob? Can you come and take this call?’

      He didn’t even give her a chance to respond before he walked swiftly along the corridor. He was impressed. Bonnie was doing a good job. He hadn’t even given a thought to where she might be staying. If she was worried about that—would she be able to focus on her work?

      Hope handed him the phone. ‘It’s Sean Anderson. He wants to know if you can help in Theatre tomorrow.’

      The call only took a few minutes. Jacob liked Sean, the new Australian obstetrician, and he was happy to scrub in on a complicated case. Hope waited for him to finish the call, her arms folded across her chest, leaning on the door.

      ‘What?’ he asked as he replaced the receiver.

      ‘How are you?’ she asked steadily.

      He felt himself flinch. Hope was one of the few people he classed as a friend. She knew exactly what kind of year he’d had. ‘I’m fine.’

      She nodded slowly. There was no way he’d get away with that kind of answer with Hope. ‘When do you get your test results?’

      He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He hated being put on the spot. ‘A few weeks.’

      ‘And you’re feeling well? Anything I can do?’

      He shook his head and picked up some paperwork from his desk. ‘I’m fine, Hope. There’s no need to fuss.’

      She gave him a tight smile. Hope was never bothered by his short answers or occasionally sharp tongue. She just ignored it and asked the questions she wanted to ask.

      ‘Did you reconsider my suggestion?’

      ‘What one?’ Hope made lots of suggestions. He should socialise more. He should do less hours at work. He should eat better. He should be more pleasant at work.

      She raised her eyebrows. ‘About renting out one of your rooms?’ Oh. That one. Her latest suggestion was a bid to encapsulate all her suggestions: it would force him to socialise, he might work less if he had someone to go home to, someone who could cook, maybe.

      ‘Haven’t had a chance.’ He walked from behind the desk and gave her a cheeky wink. ‘Been too busy at work.’

      ‘Jacob...’ Her voice tailed after him but he was already halfway down the corridor. Hope was about to go into interrogator mode. He could sense it. It was time to make a sharp exit.

      Bonnie was just finishing at the desk and he welcomed the distraction. If Hope saw him talking to another woman she was bound to leave him alone.

      ‘Good first day?’ he asked.

      * * *

      Bonnie blinked. ‘It’s not over yet. Come with me a second.’

      She took another quick glance over her shoulder at the bustling labour suite. Her bustling labour suite. She hadn’t even started to make her mark here. They walked down the corridor together.

      So many things needed organising to make the place run more efficiently. Once she had things running the way she liked and she knew the staff a little better she’d start to delegate some tasks. All of the staff she’d met today seemed fine. No one had even mentioned what they’d overheard this morning, but she was sure—by the time she came on shift tomorrow—all members of staff would know about it. That was the thing about hospitals. Nothing was kept secret for long.

      She’d met seven midwives, two doctors and one other consultant who all seemed good at their jobs. The ancillary staff seemed great too. CRMU’s reputation appeared to be well founded. All the labour suite needed was its wheels oiled a little to help it run more smoothly.

      She smiled. First day. After a bumpy start with Freya, and with Jacob, things appeared to be looking up. Good staff. A temporary promotion. Three healthy babies delivered while she was on shift. And another delivered in the back of an ambulance with a mother who appeared to be on the road to recovery.

      Jacob had surprised her most with his offer of a ride home. At their first meeting he’d appeared a little detached. But at times today his mouth had betrayed him by turning up at the edges. There was a sense of humour in there somewhere. She’d just have to find a big spade to dig it out.

      She pushed open the doors at the end of the ward and walked along to one of the side rooms between her ward and the special-care nursery. Both of them looked through the window. Holly had opened her eyes and was talking to one of the specialist midwives assigned to her. Her husband sat by her side holding the baby in his arms. Another midwife from the special-care nursery was there with the incubator. It was obvious this was the first time she’d got to see her baby.

      The whole scene sent a warm glow around Bonnie’s body. Coming here was the best decision she’d ever made.

      She met Jacob’s emerald gaze. There was a gleam in his eye. He knew exactly what kind of day she’d had. She kept her face straight. ‘No. It’s not been a good day.’

      He raised his eyebrows and she broke into a beaming smile. ‘It was a great day. I think I’m going to like Cambridge Maternity.’

CHAPTER THREE

      JACOB TAPPED HIS fingers on the wheel of the car while he waited for Bonnie.