Midwives On Call: Her Baby Surprise

‘First of all, take a deep breath and try to calm down. I’ll have to examine you to know the answer to that, but you’re not necessarily having a miscarriage. Sometimes women do have some spotting and it’s fine.’

‘But what if I am miscarrying?’ There were tears in Chrissie’s voice. ‘I don’t want to lose it.’

Ally felt her heart squeeze for this brave young woman. ‘How heavy is the bleeding?’ Wrong question. To every pregnant mother it would be a flood.

‘Not lots. Nothing like my period or anything.’

Got that wrong, then, didn’t I? ‘I’ll come and see you this morning. Try to relax until I get there. This could just be due to hormonal changes or an irritation to your cervix after sex.’ Had Chrissie been seeing the boy who’d had a part in this pregnancy? There’d still been no mention of the father and she was reluctant to ask. It wasn’t any of her business, unless Chrissie was under undue pressure from him about the pregnancy and so far that didn’t seem to be the case.

‘Really?’ Chrissie’s indrawn breath was audible on the phone. Girls of this age didn’t usually like talking about their sexual relations to the midwife. It was embarrassing. ‘But that didn’t happen before when I wasn’t pregnant.’

‘Your body is changing all the time now, and especially your cervix.’ It sounded like they might have the cause of the spotting, but she needed to make absolutely sure. Ally got up and stretched, her body aware of last night’s lovemaking with Flynn. Easing the kinks out of her neck and back, she used one hand to pull on a thick jersey and trackpants before making her way to the kettle for a revitalising coffee. ‘Have you told your mum what’s happening?’

‘Yes. She said to ring you or Dr Reynolds.’

And I got the vote. Warmth surged through her. ‘If I’m at all worried after the exam, you’ll still need to see Dr Reynolds. He might want you to have an ultrasound. But first things first. I’ll be at your house soon. Is that all right?’ She wouldn’t mention the blood tests she’d need samples for. Chrissie might’ve sailed through the last lot without a flinch, but she didn’t need to be stressed over today’s until the last minute.

‘Thank you, Ally. That’s cool. I’m sorry to spoil your day off.’

‘Hey, you haven’t. This is what being a midwife’s about. You wait until junior is ready to come out. He or she won’t care what day of the week it is, or even if it’s day or night.’

‘I’m going to find out if it’s a boy or girl. I want time to think of a name and to get some nice things for it. I feel weird, calling the baby “it”. Like I don’t care or something.’

Talking about the scan was more positive than worrying she might be losing the baby. Ally sighed with relief. ‘Catch you shortly.’

Four hours later Ally parked outside Flynn’s house and rubbed her eyes. She was unusually tired. Her head felt weighed down—with what, she had no idea. Maybe the slower pace of the island did this to people. She’d noticed not everyone hurried from place to place, or with whatever they were doing. Certainly not the checkout operator at the supermarket, where she’d just been to stock up on a few essentials. The girl had been too busy talking to her pal she’d previously served to get on with the next load of groceries stacked on her conveyor belt.

Tap-tap on her window. Flynn opened her door. ‘Hey, you coming in or going to sit out here for the rest of the day? Adam could run errands for you, bring you a coffee or a sandwich.’

‘That sounds tempting.’ The heaviness lifted a little and she swung out of the car. ‘How’s things in your house this morning?’

He ignored her question. ‘You look exhausted. All that sexercise catching up with you?’ He suddenly appeared genuinely concerned. ‘You’re not coming down with anything, are you?’

‘Relax, I’m good. Just tired. I’ve spent most of this morning with Matilda Livingstone, trying to calm her down and make her understand that her pregnancy is going well, that she doesn’t need to worry about eclampsia at this early stage, if at all.’

‘Her mother’s been bleating in her ear again, I take it?’

‘Unfortunately, yes. Such a different outlook from Angela and Chrissie. I had an hour with Chrissie, as well. She had some mild spotting this morning, but hopefully I’ve allayed her concerns. We talked a lot about the trimesters and what’s ahead for her and the baby. I’m amazed at how much detail she wanted to know.’

‘Could be her way of keeping on top of the overwhelming fact that she’s pregnant and still at school and hoping to go to university.’

Ally nodded. ‘Yes, well, that plan of becoming a lawyer is on hold for a little while, but I bet she will do her degree. Maybe not in the next couple of years, but some time. There’s a fierce determination building up in her that she’ll not let baby change her life completely, that she’s going to embrace the situation and make the most of everything.’

‘That’s fine until her friends leave the island to study and she’s at home with a crying infant. That’s the day she’ll need all the strength she can muster.’

Ally shook her head at him. ‘She’ll love her precious baby so much she’ll be fine.’

‘Spoken like someone who hasn’t had a major disappointment in her life.’

Spoken like a woman who’s had more than her fair share of those, and has learned to try and see only the best in life by not involving herself with people so they can’t hurt her.

‘That’s me—Pollyanna’s cousin.’ It shouldn’t hurt that Flynn didn’t see more to her than her cheery facade, didn’t see how forced that sometimes was, but it did. Even if she cut him some slack because it had barely been a week since they’d met and outside work they’d only had fun times, she felt a twinge of regret.

What would it be like to have someone in her life who truly knew her? Where she’d come from. Why she kept moving from one clinic to the next, one temporary house to another. She’d thought she’d won the lottery with the Bartletts. She had come so close to belonging, had been promised love and everything, even adoption, so when it hadn’t eventuated, the pain of being rejected for a cute three-year-old had underscored what she’d always known. She was unlovable. Letting people into her heart was foolish, and to have risked it to the Bartletts because they’d made promises of something she’d only ever dreamed of having had been the biggest mistake of her young life. So big she’d never contemplated it again.

Oh, they’d explained as kindly as they could how their own two children, younger than her, hadn’t wanted a big sister. Being mindful of their children’s needs made Mr and Mrs Bartlett good parents, but they should never have promised her the earth. She’d loved them with such devotion it had taken months to fully understand what had happened. They’d said she was always welcome at their home. Of course, she hadn’t visited.

As she locked the car she watched Flynn with her bags of goodies striding up the path to his front door. Why did she feel differently about Flynn? Whatever the answer, it was all the more reason to remain indifferent.

Did his confidence come from having loved and been loved so well that despite his loss he knew who he was and why he was here? He wasn’t going to share his life with her or another woman. It was so obvious in the way he looked out for Adam, in the balancing act he already had with his career and his son. She’d been aware right from the get-go that there would be no future for her here.

That’s how she liked it, remember?

As Flynn stopped to look back at her she knew an almost overwhelming desire to run up to him and throw herself into his arms. So strong was this feeling that she unlocked the car. She had to drive away, go walk the beach or take a visit to the mainland.

‘Ally? You gone to sleep on your feet?’ The concern was genuine. ‘I think you should see a doctor.’ Then he smiled that stomach-tightening smile straight at her. ‘This doctor.’

How could she refuse that invitation? There was friendship in that smile. There was mischief, as in sex, in that smile. That was more than enough. That’s all she ever wanted.

She locked the car again and headed inside.

Flynn watched Ally with Adam. She didn’t appear to be overly tired, more distracted. By what? Was she about to tell him thanks, she’d had a blast, but it was over? Already?

He wasn’t ready to hear that news. Not yet. They’d just got started. It had come as a surprise to find he wanted her so much, needed to get to know her intimately. He understood it had to be a short-term affair. Ally would leave at the end of her contract in three weeks—no doubt about that. For that he should be grateful. There wasn’t room in his life for anyone else. Adam came first, second, and took anything left over from the demands of the clinic.

Anyway, he doubted whether Ally had room for him or any man in her life. She was so intent on moving on, only touching down briefly in places chosen for her by her bosses and circumstances, doing her job with absolute dedication and then taking flight again.

‘Hey, Adam, what’ve you been doing this morning?’ The woman dominating his thoughts was talking to his boy and scratching Sheba’s ears.

‘We went to the beach to throw sticks for Sheba. I chucked them in the water. That’s why she’s all wet.’ Mischief lightened that deep shade of blue radiating out of Adam’s eyes. Here we go, another round of giggles coming up.

‘The water must’ve been freezing.’ Ally smiled softly and ruffled his hair, which Adam seemed to like. And that simple show of affection put the kibosh on the giggles as he stepped close to Ally and patted the top of Sheba’s head, too.

‘Sheba likes swimming.’ Adam looked up at Ally, hope in his eyes. ‘Are you still coming to see the penguins with us?’

‘That’s why I’m here. You and I can do the funny walk on the beach, see if they want to be our friends.’ She was good with him, no doubt about that.

Which set Flynn to more worrying. That look Adam had given her showed how much his boy already felt comfortable with Ally. Though, to be fair, he was comfortable with just about everybody. But was this a good idea, having Ally drop by for lunch and a drive around the island? His boy didn’t need to lose anyone else in his life. It was only recently that he’d got past that debilitating grief after Anna’s death. He must not get close to Ally. He could not.

‘Flynn, you’ve caught the sleeping-on-your-feet bug.’ Ally had crossed to his side and was nudging him none too gently in the ribs with her elbow. ‘You with us?’

He relaxed. Let the sudden fire in his belly rule his head. ‘You bet. Do you want to come back for dinner tonight?’ Afterwards we could have some more of that bedroom exercise.

‘Did you have anything else in mind for the evening? There’s a wicked glint in your baby blues.’

‘Dessert maybe.’

‘With whipped cream?’ Her tongue slid across her lips and sent heat to every corner of his body.

So this was what it was like to wake up after a long hibernation. Not slowly, but full-on wide-awake and ready to go. Making love with this woman had been like a promise come true. Exciting and beautiful. He wanted to do it again and again. Making love as against having sex? Now, there’s something to think about.

‘Can I have ice cream, too?’ Adam asked, bringing them back to earth with a thud.

‘We can get cones when we’re out this afternoon.’ How many hours before Adam was tucked up in bed fast asleep? How long until he could kiss Ally until she melted against him?

‘Flynn,’ she mock growled. ‘We have plans for this afternoon. Let’s get them under way, starting with lunch. My shout at a café or wherever you recommend near this penguin colony. The busier we are, the quicker the day will go by.’

‘Can’t argue with that.’ She was so right he had to drop a kiss on her cheek as a reward. It would’ve been too easy to move slightly and cover her mouth with his. Thank goodness common sense prevailed just in time and he stepped back to come up with, ‘I’m thinking of getting our flippers out of the cupboard in the garage so that you two human penguins can flip-flop along the beach.’

‘Can we, Dad? Ally, want to?’ Adam yelled, as he ran in the direction of the garage internal door.

Flynn waved a hand after him. ‘Go easy on that cupboard door. You know what happened last time you opened it.’

‘I’ll help him.’ Ally was already moving in the same direction, her fingers tracing the spot on her cheek he’d just kissed.

‘Good idea. Things tend to spill all over the place when he starts poking through the junk on the shelves.’ He relaxed. Adam was excited, and Ally was just being a part of that, helping make his day more fun. It wasn’t like she’d moved in or would see him every day of the week. She’d be gone soon enough, and Adam would still have all his playmates and the many adults on the island who enjoyed spoiling and looking out for him. He’d be safe. He wasn’t in danger of getting hurt.

Flynn paused. Neither was he. Despite being equally excited as his boy. Ally hadn’t said anything about calling their affair—if that’s what it was—quits yet, so he’d carry on for three more weeks and make the most of her company. It wasn’t as though he’d be broken-hearted when she went, mad, crazy attraction for her and all. He’d miss her for sure. She was the woman who’d woken him up, but that didn’t mean he had to have her in his life permanently.

CHAPTER SIX

‘WHERE’S DAD?’ ADAM bounced into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed, effectively ending any pretence of Ally sleeping.

Groaning, she rolled over to stare up at this little guy. Something warm and damp nudged her arm. Turning her head, she came eye to eye with Sheba. Another groan escaped her. So this was what it was like to wake up in a family-orientated house. Kind of cosy, though it would’ve been better if Flynn were here.

‘Why are you here?’ Adam asked, looking around as though he might find his father in the wardrobe or on the floor beside the bed.

‘Dad had to go to work so I stayed to look after you.’

‘Did someone have a crash?’ No four-year-old should look so knowledgeable about his father’s work.

‘Yes, during the night.’ The call had come through requesting Flynn’s presence as Ally had been about to walk out the door to return to the flat. They’d agreed she shouldn’t be there in the morning with him when Adam woke up. But when the call came Flynn had been quick to accept her offer to stay, so apparently he could break his own rules.

Jerome had picked up Flynn ten minutes later. Teens had been racing on the bridge in the wee hours of the morning after too much alcohol. Two cars had hit side on and spun, slamming into the side of the bridge, injuring four lads. Carnage, Flynn had told her when he’d phoned to explain he wouldn’t be back until early morning as he was accompanying one of the boys to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

‘He doesn’t like going to crashes. They’re yucky.’ Adam patted the bed and the next thing Ally felt the bed dipping as Sheba heaved herself up to join them.

‘Is she allowed on the bed?’ Ally shuffled sideways to avoid being squashed by half a ton of Labrador.

‘Sometimes.’

‘Right, and today’s one of those times. Why did I not see that coming?’ She chucked him under the chin. About to sit up, she stopped. Under the covers she wore only underwear. Definitely not the kind that decently covered all the girl bits. ‘Adam, do you think you could take Sheba out to the kitchen while I get up?’ Her clothes were in a tangled heap on the floor where she’d dropped them before climbing back into bed after Flynn had left.

‘Do you want Dad’s dressing gown? It’s in the wardrobe. He never uses it.’ Adam leapt off the bed, obviously unperturbed that she was there. Maybe he could explain that to his father. ‘He walks around with no clothes on when he gets up in the morning.’

Too much information. At least while Flynn wasn’t there and this little guy was. But she could picture Flynn buck naked as he strolled out to put the kettle on. Seriously sexy. ‘I’d love the dressing gown.’

Adam had just dumped the robe on the bed when they both heard the front door opening. ‘Dad’s back.’ He raced through the house, Sheba lumbering along behind him.

Making the most of the opportunity Ally slipped out of bed and into the dressing gown, tying the belt tightly around her waist. A glance in the mirror told her that as a fashion statement, an awful lot was lacking. Her face could do with a scrub, too. All that mascara had worked its way off her lashes and smudged her upper cheeks.

In the kitchen she plugged in the coffee maker and leaned her hip against the bench, waiting for the males of this house to join her.

Flynn sloped into the kitchen, with Adam hanging off his back like a monkey. Sheba brought up the rear. ‘Morning, Ally. Sleep well?’

Huh?

Then he winked and she grinned. ‘Like a lizard.’

‘Like your outfit,’ he tossed her way.

‘I’m not sure about the colour. Brown has never been my favourite shade of anything. Want a coffee?’

‘I’d kill for one, but can you give me five? I want to leap under a very hot shower.’ His face dropped and his eyes saddened. ‘It was messy out there,’ he said quietly.

She nodded, wanting to ask more but reluctant to do so in front of Adam. Instead, she reached a hand to his cheek, cupped his face. ‘Go and scrub up. I’ll have the coffee waiting.’ Cosy, cosy.

‘Ta. You’re a treasure.’ For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. His eyes locked on hers and he leaned closer. Then he must’ve remembered Adam on his back because he pulled away. ‘I won’t take long.’

He returned in jeans and a polo-neck black jersey that showed off his physique to perfection. His feet were bare, his hair a damp mess. He couldn’t have looked more sexy if he’d tried. It came naturally.

Passing over a mug of strong coffee, she picked up the container she’d found in the pantry. ‘Feel like croissants for breakfast?’

‘Croissants it is. I’ll heat them while you have a shower if you like.’ He didn’t like her lounging around in his dressing gown? Then his eyes widened and she realised he was staring at her cleavage. An exposed cleavage.

Grabbing the edges of the robe, she tugged them closed. ‘As soon as I’ve finished my coffee I’ll get cleaned up.’ Then what? Did she head home after breakfast? It would be fun to hang out with these two for a while. Talk about getting used to this cosy stuff all too quickly. Today she was simply ignoring the lessons learned and taking a chance. At what?

‘We always go for a walk on the beach after breakfast in the weekends. You coming?’ Flynn asked.

‘Love to. Were you having a late breakfast when Sheba bowled me over last Sunday?’ she asked around a smile, suddenly feeling good about herself. A chance at some normal, everyday fun that families all over the country would be doing. She wouldn’t think about how often she’d stared through the proverbial window, longing for exactly this. She wouldn’t contemplate next Sunday or the one three weeks away when she was back in Melbourne. Instead, she’d enjoy the day and keep the brakes on her emotions.

‘No, two walks in one day. Makes up for the weekdays when she gets short-changed. I don’t like dragging Adam out of bed too early. Marie walks her occasionally, but I think she’s worried about being knocked over in her pregnant state.’

‘Have you known Marie long?’

He nodded. ‘Anna and Marie were school friends. They went their separate ways but kept in touch and Anna always talked about when they’d both be living back here with their families.’ That sadness was back, this time for himself and his family.

Great. It was hard to compete with a woman who held all the aces and wasn’t around any more to make mistakes. You’re competing now? What happened to your fixed-in-concrete motto—Have Fun and Move On? That was exactly what she was doing. Having fun. And… in three weeks she’d be moving on. So none of this mattered. Really? Really. She tried for a neutral tone even when she felt completely mixed up. ‘Marie must miss her, too.’

‘She does, especially now her first baby’s due.’

‘What would Marie have to say if she knew about us?’ Would she stick up for Anna or accept that Flynn was entitled to get on with his life? Hello? What does any of that matter? You’re out of here soon enough.

‘I have no idea.’ Flynn looked taken aback. ‘It’s nothing to do with her.’ But now that Ally had put the question out there he seemed busy trying to figure out the answer.

Am I trying to wreck this fling early? Because Flynn is sure to pull the plug now.

Placing her empty mug in the sink, she headed for the bathroom. The hot water could ease the kinks in her body, but it was unlikely to quieten the unease weaving through her enjoyment of being with Flynn. It was ingrained in her to protect her heart, but already she understood this wasn’t a fling she’d walk away from as easily as any other. What worried her was not understanding why. She already knew she was going to miss Flynn.

But she would go. That was non-negotiable.

Sheba and Adam raced ahead of them, one barking and one shouting as they kicked up sand and left huge footprints. Flynn stifled a yawn and muttered, ‘Where do they get their energy?’

‘Perhaps you should try dry dog pellets for breakfast instead of hot, butter-soaked croissants,’ a certain cheeky midwife answered from beside him.

‘You’re telling me Adam didn’t eat a croissant with a banana and half a bottle of maple syrup poured on top? That was all for show and he actually scoffed down dog food?’ Breakfast hadn’t stacked up against Anna’s ideas of healthy eating, but sometimes his boy was allowed to break the rules. Or he broke the rules and Adam enjoyed the result.

Ally’s shoulder bumped his upper arm as she slewed sideways to avoid stepping on a fish carcass that had washed up on the tide. ‘Yuk. That stinks.’

His hand found hers, their fingers interlaced, and he swung their arms between them. For a moment everything bothering him simply disappeared in this simple gesture. How much more relaxed could life get? He and Ally walking along the beach, hand in hand, watching Adam and the dog playing. Right now this was all he needed from life.

Then his phone broke the magic. ‘Hello? Flynn Reynolds speaking.’

‘This is William Foster’s sister, Maisey. He’s having chest pains again and refusing to go in the ambulance I called. Can you talk some sense into that stubborn head of his?’

‘On my way. Can you hold on a moment?’ He didn’t wait for her reply. ‘Ally, I’ve got to see a patient urgently. Can you take Adam home for me when you’ve finished your walk?’ Asking for help twice in less than twenty-four hours didn’t look like he managed very well. She’d probably be running away fast.

‘No problem. Key to the house?’

‘I’ll need it to get my car out so I’ll leave it in the letterbox.’ He waved Adam over. ‘I’ve got to see a patient. Ally’s going to stay with you, okay?’

‘Can we get an ice cream, Ally?’ Hope lightened his face.

‘No, you can’t.’ He wiped that expectancy away. ‘Not after that enormous breakfast.’ Bending down, he dropped a quick kiss on Adam’s forehead. ‘See you in a bit, mate.’

‘You haven’t said goodbye to Sheba.’

‘I’m sure she won’t mind.’ Straightening up, Flynn looked at Ally, leaned in and kissed her cheek. ‘Thanks, I owe you.’

Then he started to jog the way they’d come and got back to talking to Maisey. ‘I didn’t know William had been discharged.’

‘He wasn’t.’

So the old boy had taken it in his own hands to get out of hospital. ‘He definitely needs that talking to, but I have to say I’ve already tried on more than one occasion and he’s never been very receptive to anything I’ve said.’

‘He’s lost the will to live.’

That was it in a nutshell. ‘I’ll talk to his daughter again.’ Not that he held out any hope. She’d had no more luck than anyone else.