Midwives On Call At Christmas. Fiona McArthur

I think I do,’ Simon said half-jokingly, and Mia raised her brows.

      The concern was clear in her voice. ‘You sound like your father when I first met him. You do need a break. Watch out or Angus will be nagging you to move here and set up practice.’

      ‘Haven’t completed the research I want to do. A few years yet.’

      A vision of Simon with a wife and kids popped unexpectedly into Tara’s mind. Made it a bit of a shame she didn’t stay in places too long, then she realised where her thoughts were heading. That way lay disappointment. Didn’t she ever learn? She’d rather think about Maeve. ‘So has Maeve joined any parenting classes?’

      Simon shook his head and his concern was visible. ‘Wouldn’t go to classes in Sydney.’

      Tara shrugged. ‘I don’t think that’s too weird. She’s a midwife. She knows the mechanics. And sometimes women don’t want to think about labour until right at the end. Or be involved in the couples classes without a partner. I get that.’

      She could feel Mia’s eyes on them and obviously she wanted to say something. Tara waited. Mia was very cool and worth listening to.

      ‘Why don’t you ask her if she’d like to be on your caseload, Tara? I think a younger midwife would help when she’s feeling a bit lost and lonely.’

      Tara could feel her chest squeeze with the sudden shock of surprise. That was pretty big of Mia to trust a family member to her. Her eyes stung and she looked away. Nobody had ever treated her as she was treated here. Or trusted her. She just hoped she didn’t let them down. ‘You know I’d love to. But I guess it depends who she wants.’

      Simon looked at Mia too. He felt the shock and turned to look at his stepmother. He wasn’t sure what he thought about that and saw Mia nod reassuringly. Someone else looking after Maeve, not Mia? He looked at the bolshie but sincere young woman beside him. Was she experienced enough? What if something went wrong?

      Then saw the flare of empathy for his sister in Tara’s face and allowed the reluctant acceptance that Mia could be right. Maeve wanted to run the show. Wanted to listen to her body without interference, if he’d listened at all to the arguments they’d had over the last couple of weeks, and he had no doubt young Tara was holistic enough for his sister to be able to do that.

      Normally he would be right there with a woman, cheering her on, but he was having serious personal issues doing that with the sister he had felt most protective of all his life. Not that he’d actually be there, of course. But he was darned sure he’d be outside the door, pacing.

      So maybe Mia was right. It could be harder for Maeve to relax with the connection so strong between her brother and his stepmother.

      He found the words out in the air in front of him before he realised. ‘We’ll see what she says.’

      He reassured himself that if Mia didn’t have faith in Tara, she wouldn’t have suggested it. And despite the mixed feelings he was starting to have about this intriguing young woman he really did feel a natural confidence in her passion for her work.

      He’d seen it before. How Lyrebird Lake could bring out the best in all of them. Maybe he had lost that since he’d been so immersed in the high-tech, high-risk arena of obstetrics he studied now.

      He’d even seen it with his own father. From hotshot international evacuation medic to relaxed country GP.

      Maeve and Tara did have a lot in common and would get on well, the dry voice in his head agreed—all the way to dropkicking past boyfriends!

      No. It would be good. This was all going to turn out even better than he’d hoped.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      THE DINNER PARTY was a reasonable success. Maeve smiled and said the right things but still kept her distance and seemed a little flat to Simon. His stepmother was her own gorgeous self and treated both young women as if they were long-term friends of hers, and his father said very little but smiled every time his eyes rested on his wife or daughters.

      Louisa was in her element because she loved dinner parties and seeing the family together. She was always happiest when children were around.

      And young Tara, dressed in skin-tight, very stressed jeans that showed glimpses of skin beneath the ragged material moulded to her lush little body, drew his eyes like a magnet every time she walked past to the fridge on some errand for Louisa.

      His father came to stand beside him. ‘Mia says you seem to get on well with Tara.’

      ‘She’s easy to get along with.’

      Tara laughed at something Louisa whispered as she walked past again with a platter of fruit for dessert and both men sneaked a glance.

      Angus looked away first. ‘I think our Tara’s had an interesting life. She’s a tough little cookie, on the outside at least.’

      Simon glanced at his father’s face. ‘Lots of people have tough lives.’

      ‘Guess so.’ Angus took a sip of his beer. ‘What happened to Julia?’

      ‘Didn’t work out. Said I didn’t pay her enough attention. Let my work come between us.’

      ‘Did you?’

      ‘Maybe.’ Simon thought about it. ‘Definitely. Spent a lot of time apologising for leaving and heading into work. Started to enjoy work more than home and she found another guy.’

      ‘Took me a while to find Mia. It will happen to you one day and you’ll recognise it.’

      They both looked at Angus’s wife. ‘If I find a woman like Mia I’ll be very happy.’

      ‘Would you settle here?’

      ‘So this is a job interview?’

      ‘Cheeky blighter. Would you?’

      ‘Not yet. But in the future I’m not ruling it out.’

      Angus nodded then added innocently, ‘Can you do three days for me, starting Monday?’

      Simon laughed. ‘I knew this was leading somewhere. Why?’

      ‘Seeing as you’re here, and Mia’s had a big birthday last week, I thought I might take her up to Brisbane to do Christmas shopping. She loves it. Take her and the girls for a mini-holiday.’

      Simon laughed. ‘Can’t see you shopping with Christmas music in the background.’

      He grimaced. ‘It’s only a couple of days. I’m going to sit back and watch my women. Need more of that when you get to my age.’

      ‘Poor old man.’

      ‘Absolutely. So, will you?’

      Simon had done the occasional shift in the small hospital over the last few years when one of the senior partners had had to go away, and he’d enjoyed most of the small-town country feel of it. Angus knew that. ‘Sure. Why not? Andy will be point me in the right direction if needed. Haven’t done much general medicine for a few years, though.’

      ‘You’ve got a young brain. You’ll manage. And it’s almost December. Louisa wants the decorations up.’

      Simon laughed. ‘Thanks. And no doubt you’ll bring her back something new I’ll have to assemble.’

      Tara walked past again and Simon’s eyes followed. Angus bit his lip and smiled into his drink.

      The next morning Tara heard Simon go out not long after daylight. It would be pleasantly cool before the heat of the day, she thought as she pulled her sheet up, the blanket having been discarded on the floor, and she wondered drowsily where he was going.

      And then, as her fantasies drifted, wondered what he was wearing, wondered if he wore his