Snowbound With The Single Dad. Laura Iding

the boobs on display.

      ‘Actually, I’ll be a bit longer than that.’ He gave a wave of his hand. ‘I’ll come and find you later.’

      Lynn shot him a look of surprise, but Callum wasn’t even looking at her any more. His attention was completely on Jessica.

      Jess’s heart gave a little flutter. She’d just recognised the sensation she’d felt a few seconds ago on Lynn’s approach. Jealousy.

      It was almost as if she’d landed in the middle of the icy-cold Clyde again, with the freezing water sweeping over her skin.

      There was something very strange about all this. Being around Callum was making her feel again, something she thought would never happen. She’d been switched off for so long that she wasn’t recognising everything straight away.

      This was dangerous territory. She would have to take baby steps.

      But all of a sudden it didn’t seem quite so scary.

      She gave Callum a little smile. ‘So, tell me more about uni.’

      She had to start somewhere and it was as good a place as any.

      ‘Daddy, I don’t feel good.’

      Callum was sleeping but the little voice jerked him straight out of the weird dream that was circulating around his brain. Jessica dressed in a clown suit. Where did these things come from?

      Yesterday had been fun. They’d spent most of the time together reminiscing. Talking about their past seemed to relax Jess. And he liked her like that.

      He also liked the fact he was spending time with someone he trusted. Someone he didn’t need to feel wary around. Somebody who wouldn’t let him down.

      But right now his paternal radar was instantly on alert. Drew was standing in the doorway, his eyes heavy with sleep and his hand rubbing his stomach. This was the second day he hadn’t felt great. The second night Callum had put his dinner untouched into the bin.

      Over the last two weeks Drew’s symptoms seemed to flare up and then die down again.

      He lifted up the corner of his duvet. ‘Come over here so I can see you.’

      Drew scuttled across the room and straight under the cover next to his dad. Callum pressed his hand to his head. He didn’t feel warm—no obvious temperature. ‘What’s wrong, big guy? Do you feel sick?’

      According to Drew’s primary teacher half the class were off with a sickness bug. Maybe some of them had even ended up in Jessica’s hospital. Rumours were circulating that it was norovirus.

      Just what he needed. He still had the accident report to complete and there had been another incident at work today that would need to be followed up.

      ‘Not sick, Daddy. Just a rumbly tummy.’

      ‘Are you hungry? Is your tummy rumbling because you didn’t eat any dinner?’ He glanced at the clock. Two a.m. ‘Do you want Dad to make you some toast?’ It wasn’t an ideal situation but if it settled Drew and got him back to sleep quickly, he could live with it.

      Drew lay back against the pillows. ‘No. Not hungry.’ He moved a little closer. ‘Just rub my tummy, Daddy, that will make it better.’

      ‘You’re sure? Do want a little drink of water?’

      Drew shook his head and closed his heavy eyes.

      Callum’s hand automatically moved into position, very gently rubbing Drew’s tummy in little circles. What could be wrong?

      He hated to overreact. He hated to be an over-anxious father. But the truth was he had very few people he could bounce things like this off.

      His friends Julie and Blair were the obvious choice but he wasn’t going to call them at this time of night.

      He glanced at the clock again. Maybe he would take Drew back to the GP in the morning. The trouble was, he hated going to the GP with a list of vague symptoms. A list of not much but maybe it could be.

      It made him feel paranoid. It made him feel as if he wasn’t coping. And that was the last thing he wanted anyone to think.

      Did single mothers feel like this too?

      Drew was the most precious thing in the world to him. He couldn’t live with himself if he brushed something off and it turned out to be serious.

      Maybe he should have asked Jessica yesterday. She was a paediatrician, she knew everything there was to know about kids.

      But he hadn’t thought about it and that made him feel a little guilty. He hadn’t even told her about Drew yet. Should he have? Theirs was a professional relationship. Nothing more, nothing less. But a tiny little part of his brain was nagging away at him, thinking that maybe it could be something else.

      He still hadn’t got to the bottom of her words. Things just didn’t work out for me.

      She’d been really careful today to keep steering the conversation back to him—or work, whenever he’d asked anything vaguely personal. She’d mentioned her mum and dad, a few old friends they’d known years ago. But nothing about herself.

      Maybe he should wait until he found out what that meant before he gave it another thought.

      He cuddled up with his little boy. Drew was his top priority right now.

      The first person he looked at in the morning and the last person he looked at at night.

      And that’s the way it would stay.

       CHAPTER SEVEN

      THE WARD WAS quiet and he’d no idea where Jessica was. The nurse had just pointed down in this general direction.

      He walked past a few windows, seeing children lying in beds with anxious parents next to them.

      His heart clenched slightly. He would hate to be in that position. Thank goodness Drew usually kept in good health. He still hadn’t got to the bottom of that stomach ache. The GP had basically fobbed him off and Callum didn’t blame him because when they’d finally got an appointment, Drew had been full of beans and jumping around the place.

      It was always the same with kids.

      The ward sister he’d met a few times was standing next to one of the doors. ‘Hi, Pauline.’

      She gave him a knowing smile. ‘Hi, there, Callum. And who might you be looking for?’

      He sighed. He’d known from the first time he’d met her that Pauline could read everyone instantly. Why even pretend it was anything else? He still hadn’t seen Jess, so this might work in his favour.

      He leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms. ‘Let’s just say I’m looking for our favourite doc.’ He lifted his eyebrows. ‘All work-related, of course.’

      Pauline nodded. ‘Of course.’ But the smile was spreading further across her face. She lowered her voice. ‘I think our mutual friend will be very pleased to see you.’

      He felt something flare inside him. That acknowledgement—no matter how brief—reassured him. Pauline and Jess were good friends. If Jess was talking to anyone it would be Pauline. It gave him a little hope. It also gave him the courage to ask the question that had been gnawing away at him.

      He hesitated for a second. ‘Pauline—about Jess.’

      She raised her eyebrows, as if he was about to say something she didn’t want to hear. She was protective of Jess and that was nice.

      ‘Jess told me that things didn’t work out for her. And I know she’s reverted to her maiden name.’ He unfolded his arms and held out his hand towards her. ‘I wonder if you could tell me what happened. I get the feeling I’m treading on difficult