A Family Worth Waiting For: The Midwife's Miracle Baby

‘Wow,’ she whispered, raising her hand to push his fringe back off his forehead.

Campbell laughed, a deep hearty noise. Claire joined him. It was easier to laugh than to try and wrap her head around what had just transpired.

Gradually their mirth subsided, leaving them staring into each other’s eyes again.

‘Campbell, I …’ Claire groped for the right words to express her wonder.

‘Shh,’ he ordered quietly, placing his fingers against her ravaged mouth. ‘Don’t say anything.’

Claire felt a tingle in her lips beneath his fingers and was suddenly aware of her nakedness. The air cooling her skin was the merest of caresses.

Campbell noticed the change in her eyes immediately. The glaze cleared, to be replaced by the flame of rekindled desire. His pulse, which had only just settled, picked up again. His breathing became shallower.

Her lips pressed together, laying a gentle kiss against his fingers. Such a sweet, almost innocent thing for her to do, especially given what had just happened. But his reaction to it was swift and definitely not innocent. His erection, still the same one from the deck, raged against the confines of his zipper, almost bursting free.

‘I think you’re a bit overdressed, Dr Deane,’ she whispered, and Campbell groaned as she vaulted up and straddled him all in one smooth movement.

If he’d thought she’d looked magnificent before, nothing prepared him for this view. Gloriously naked, sitting astride him, her breasts jutting, nipples dark, still engorged from his earlier attentions.

She pressed her hips down onto his denim-clad erection, smiling knowingly. She rubbed herself against him as she threw her head back, revelling in her power.

She leaned closer to him so her mouth was mere millimetres from his, her breasts touching the rough fabric of his shirt. She rubbed them slowly against the material, kissing his mouth simultaneously.

He felt her low moan against his lips as it escaped hers. She lifted her mouth and grinned wickedly at him. He smiled back, wondering what was going on inside her head to give her that smug look. She shifted slightly, presenting a breast to his mouth, just out of reach. Campbell licked his lips, his throat suddenly as dry as the Sahara.

Campbell groaned as Claire slowly, bit by bit, lowered herself into his mouth. He sucked greedily the second he felt her puckered flesh nudge his lips. He missed her sharp intake of breath as his moan of satisfaction rumbled through his head.

She tasted so good it was suddenly too much for Campbell. He grasped her hips and ground them against his erection. He heard her cry out as she continued his action, writhing against him. It felt incredible. Her breast in his mouth and her pelvis rocking into his. He dug his fingers into her buttocks, encouraging her to continue.

‘We really must do something about these clothes,’ she murmured, as she tugged at the hem of his shirt, yanked it up over his head and flung it across the room, where it joined her camisole.

Campbell found her proximity too hard to ignore as his hands caressed her back and his lips sought the elegant length of her neck. He wanted to taste every inch of her.

‘Nuh-uh,’ she admonished, wagging her finger at him as she pushed him backwards gently. He reached for her again and she slapped his hand away playfully. Campbell thought he was going to lose his mind. He had to touch her.

‘Claire,’ he groaned. Campbell wasn’t at all sure he could last the distance. He felt ready to erupt at any second.

She opened her eyes and grinned that wicked grin.

‘Temptress,’ he accused. His voice trembled with desire.

She laughed and pushed herself off him, hushing his complaint. ‘Still too many clothes,’ she said, and reached for his zipper.

Campbell hastily lifted his hips off the bed, and as she divested him first of the denim and then his cotton underwear. He suppressed the urge to groan out loud as his erection finally sprang free of its cloth prison.

Campbell sat up and tried to drag Claire closer.

‘Nuh-uh.’ She shook her head and then knelt in front of him, kissing him full and deep and long on the lips. Campbell felt the blood rush through his veins as the heat from the kiss burned a hole in his stomach lining.

‘Claire,’ he said urgently, pulling her off him to look into her eyes. It was almost his undoing, seeing them drunk with passion, her mouth swollen and moist from kissing him. They stared at each other, their harsh breathing the only noise in the room.

He kissed her again roughly, plundering her mouth. ‘I want it to be perfect the first time. I want to be inside you. I want to feel you around me.’

He watched her as she considered his words for a moment.

‘OK.’

Campbell fell back on the bed, bringing her with him until she once again straddled him. He clutched her hips and surrendered to the sensation of her lithe naked body lowering itself onto him. Campbell groaned as bit by bit she swallowed his erection into her tight, moist depth.

He heard a corresponding moan and he pulled out and plunged in again just to hear it once more. She didn’t disappoint him. Each moan from her enticed him to plunge again, deeper and harder.

Campbell knew he was coming almost from the first time he entered her. He pushed it aside and held it off for as long as possible, but when he heard Claire’s escalating cries and felt her begin to contract around him, he knew he was spiralling out of control.

He gripped her thighs, his fingers digging into the tanned skin. His body tensed and then bucked and reared as his climax erupted.

Their cries rose and mingled as their separate orgasms became one.

CHAPTER FIVE

CLAIRE woke at 4.30 to the first signs of the encroaching dawn. Campbell’s hand rested, heavy and warm, on her flat stomach. She looked into his face, relaxed in slumber, his hair flopping in his eyes, and remembered how it had looked last night, animated with passion. She suppressed the urge to kiss his, oh so tempting mouth. That would probably wake him, and Claire had to get going.

Her mother would be awake in an hour and it was imperative that she be home. Claire always tried to be there first thing, to attend to her mother’s personal needs. It allowed her father, who got up twice a night to change Mary’s position, to get as much sleep as possible before he began his long day caring for his wife. It also preserved her dignity—what was left of it.

As she gazed on Campbell’s sleeping face, her heart contracted with an emotion too frightening to analyse. Thinking about her mother was just the bucket of cold water she needed to bring her back to reality. Last night had been a mistake. She should have been stronger.

It wasn’t fair to become involved with him when she knew that one day she might end up like her mother. She didn’t want Campbell to have to go through what her father was now going through—no one should have to.

And what if he didn’t want to? Shane had wasted no time in leaving after the bombshell had hit. And he had been in love with her—supposedly. She couldn’t bear being rejected like that again.

And what about Campbell’s desire to have children and his feelings about bringing children into the world when a genetic illness existed? Her decision to remain childless would deny him the baby he yearned for, and he’d made it quite plain that he wouldn’t want one with mutant genes anyway.

No. It was better this way. There were too many reasons they couldn’t be together. Claire gently removed his arm and slid out from under the sheet. She gathered her clothes in the semi-gloom and quickly put them on. Campbell didn’t stir. It took every ounce of her self-control to walk away.

* * *

Campbell knew the instant he woke up that he was alone. Somehow he wasn’t surprised. Disappointed was a better word. Being with Claire had been fantastic. Not just the sex. It was about more than that. Snuggling close as they’d drifted off to sleep had somehow seemed natural. Right. It would have been perfect to have woken up and been able to reach out and touch her. Talk to her. Tell her he loved her.

Yes, Campbell thought, rolling onto his back, he loved her. There was no sense denying it or trying to wrap it up any other way. Holding her, kissing her, making love to her last night had cemented his realisation. He had fallen for her hard. He basked in the truth.

But did she love him? Somehow he suspected that it was still too early in their relationship for Claire. So could she, or rather would she, allow herself to love him, too?

The afterglow that he’d woken with was starting to fade as the questions kept coming. How should he proceed? What he wanted to do was make a huge romantic declaration. He loved her and he wanted to share his feelings with her. Hell, he wanted to shout it to the world.

But the sensible part of him urged caution. It had been a long, hard slog getting her to agree to a date, and that had only eventuated because he’d shamelessly taken advantage of her at a weak moment. Getting her to fall in love with him was a big call.

Campbell acknowledged he was going to have to be patient. Not one of his best traits. But if that’s what it required, he was willing to give it a go. He’d woo her slowly, subtly, and before she knew it she’d be declaring her undying love. He needed a plan.

He puzzled over it for a few minutes, formulating a recipe for success. Yes, he mused, it was all about the three Ps. Patience. Persistence. Presence. The last one particularly. It would be important to see her as much as possible. Show her the time of her life, make her see what she’d been missing all these years.

Not just lots of sex, although that’d be nice. No. It was about more than that. It was about having fun together, laughing, talking, sharing. Lovers’ stuff. And no pressure. Just always being there until she couldn’t recall what life had been like without him. Until she said those three little words.

* * *

‘Good morning, Shirley,’ Claire greeted the new mother as she entered the room.

‘Hello, Claire. Goodness, what have you been up to? You’re glowing!’

Claire blushed. She felt like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

‘You should talk.’ She grinned at her client. ‘I could see your I’ve-just-had-a-baby glow from the car park.’

Shirley laughed and Claire breathed a sigh of relief that she’d successfully turned the conversation back to Shirley.

‘Davy get you up much?’

‘A few times,’ Shirley confirmed.

‘Is he feeding well?’ Claire sat on the edge of the bed and stroked the sleeping baby’s head.

‘Seems to be. He’s attached much better than the other three ever did. Maybe I’ve finally got the hang of it.’ She laughed.

‘Where’s Graham? Didn’t he stay?’

‘No, he went home with the kids early last night. He’ll be back to pick me up around lunchtime. That should be OK, shouldn’t it?’

‘Don’t see why not.’ Claire smiled. ‘Why don’t you put him down and I’ll check how you’re doing?’

Shirley placed the sleeping baby in his clear plastic crib and lay down on the bed. Claire took her temperature, pulse and blood pressure and then gently palpated Shirley’s abdomen.

‘Tummy’s going down nicely,’ Claire confirmed. ‘How’s your loss?’

‘Still heavy,’ said Shirley, used to such personal questions.

‘Any afterpains?’

‘Initially, yes! But Graham got me a hot pack, which helped. They’re a bloody nuisance. After all you go through with labour, you’d think that’d be it but, oh, no!’

Claire smiled and agreed with Shirley. Some women, more commonly those who were on their second or subsequent babies, found these pains, caused by the contracting uterus, even worse than labour. Most found them uncomfortable, like heavy period pains, but a few even needed pain relief when they occurred.

‘Well, I’ll have whoever’s on call for Paediatrics come and check little Davy over, and then you should be able to go.’

‘What about his day-three heel prick? Will they do that at the clinic?’

‘You can, but the hospital has a community midwife service that can do that for you. I’ll call them on Monday and they’ll come out to your home and do the heel prick there. You’ll also be able to talk to them about any concerns.’

Claire left Shirley to shower and pack. She wandered into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, her mind completely preoccupied with the events of last night. She took the tea into her office and sat down at her desk, staring absently out the window.

She worried her bottom lip as snippets of their conversation and flashes of their love-making came to her unbidden. It had been a wonderful evening. Perfect in every way. Except for the fact that it should never have happened.

Goodness only knew what Campbell was thinking about it all. Would he assume there was more to come? Would he expect that? She could hardly blame him if he did. What if he thought they were now a couple?

Claire took a sip of her lukewarm tea. Had she really been staring into space that long? She put her cup down and firmly pushed her thoughts aside. She had a lot to do to organise Shirley’s and Davy’s discharge.

She made a note in her diary for Monday to organise with the community midwifery service a home visit to Shirley. Next, she paged the paediatric registrar covering for the weekend. He answered promptly and agreed to come straight away. Claire collected the paperwork together, writing her own notes and filling in the discharge form.

‘Hi, Claire.’

She’d been so preoccupied with her work she hadn’t heard the swing doors open. ‘Hi, William. I was so pleased when it was you who answered the page.’

Dr William Casey and Claire had known each other for many years. They had a good relationship, which had flourished, despite her rejection of his advances when they’d first met. He was very easygoing and had taken it in his stride.

‘Only one more year of this awful shift work and then private practice here I come.’

Claire laughed. William had wanted to be a paediatrician for ever and had been steadily working towards that goal.

‘You’re not selling out, are you?’ she mocked.

‘Claire, Claire, Claire,’ he tsked. ‘You really have problems with the establishment, don’t you?’

‘Nah. Getting too old for that now.’ She laughed.

William stood up straighter in the doorway, his eyes narrowing, speculation causing them to gleam.

‘Something’s not right,’ he mused. ‘You look … different.’

‘Different?’ she enquired, trying not to blush. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Yes, you look like you’ve just been … Oh, my God! He did it, didn’t he? He won. He wore you down. Campbell, the old dog! Well, well, well.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, William,’ Claire blustered, trying to look affronted.

‘Oh, I see. Not going to kiss and tell, huh? Don’t worry, Claire, your secret is safe with me.’

‘William,’ Claire sighed. ‘You’re the biggest gossip this hospital has ever known.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. Guess that’s bad luck for you.’ He laughed at her unimpressed face. ‘Got a baby for me?’

Claire was grateful for the change of subject and led him in to Shirley before she succumbed to the urge to throttle him.

A gossip he might be, but a more thorough doctor was hard to find. ‘Sorry to disturb you, little mate,’ he whispered to the baby as he picked him up out of his cot and unwrapped him.

Davy opened sleep-bleary eyes but didn’t look too cranky at the intrusion. Even when William flashed a torch in his eyes, checking for the red reflex of the cornea, he didn’t object. William assessed all five reflexes that newborns should have, and then flipped him on his tummy. He visually inspected, as well as physically checked, by running his finger down, Davy’s spine to make sure it was complete.

Davy did object when William performed the test for clicky hips. He howled and went a very impressive shade of red as William applied pressure through his little bent knees down into the hip joint.

‘Sorry, little mate,’ he soothed, rubbing the newborn’s tummy as he checked that both testicles were descended.

‘Good time for a feed,’ said Shirley. ‘If you’ve finished?’ she asked.

‘Sure,’ William agreed. ‘Nothing like a full stomach after such a harrowing experience, hey, little man?’ William crooned as he handed Davy to his mother.

‘Has he passed urine yet?’

‘Several times,’ Shirley confirmed.

‘Any meconium yet?’

‘Oh, yes!’ Shirley laughed. ‘I’ve saved it for you if you want to check.’ She laughed again. Having done this for the fourth time, Shirley knew that black, tarry bowel motions were best left alone.

Mercifully William didn’t stay on after he passed little Davy for discharge. He left straight away but did manage a lewd wink at Claire before he shut the door.

She escaped to her office, once again cursing under her breath. Great, it was going to be around the hospital in five minutes flat. Of that Claire had no doubt. By the time Campbell got to work on Monday it’d be so blown out of proportion they’d be practically married. So much for one night of passion. No one was going to believe that was the extent of it.

Oh, well, Claire decided, rearranging the stuff on her desk, she’d weathered years of St Jude’s gossip before. She could do it again. Once people realised that she and Campbell weren’t an item, the talk would die down and be completely snuffed out once a juicier titbit came along.

Claire heard Shirley’s family arrive and went out to greet them. Graham had brought the other three kids and they were all very excited, jostling to be the first to hold their new baby brother.

While Graham supervised the children, Claire finalised things with Shirley.

‘Now, page me if there are any problems. That’s what I’m here for—all right?’

‘Sure thing,’ Shirley agreed, as she signed the discharge papers.

‘Here’s your appointment for your six-week check,’ said Claire, handing the card to her. ‘Expect a phone call on Monday about the heel prick. I’ll see you in six weeks, but remember—’

‘I know, any problems and you’ll be the first to know. I promise.’

‘Good.’ Claire grinned as she accepted Shirley’s hug of gratitude.

She saw them out the door. It was quite a noisy goodbye and Claire was still smiling when she shut the door and started on the clean-up in Shirley’s room.

Claire was making the bed, her last chore, when she heard the swing doors open.

‘Hello. Anyone here?’

Campbell’s voice reached out and touched her, even from the other side of the wall. She groaned inwardly. She wasn’t ready to face him just yet. She hadn’t had enough time to work out what to say to him.

She knew what had to be said but hadn’t anticipated how difficult it would be to face him so soon after having seen him naked. After he’d seen her naked. How could you tell someone that one night of mind-blowing sex was it and expect them to believe you? Because that was what she had to say. There could be no more.

Claire contemplated hiding somewhere, quickly scanning the room for a good position, but discarded the idea just as quickly. How juvenile! Never put off till tomorrow what you could do today. Right? She took a deep breath and went out to him.

‘Hi,’ she said quietly, coming to a halt in the doorway. She leaned against the doorframe, feeling weak from her reaction to his presence. He was in casual mode again, looking even more delicious than last night, kind of rumpled and content. Damn her weak body! Claire had to grind her shoes into the floor to stop herself running into his arms.

‘Hi, yourself.’ He smiled.

They stared greedily for the longest time. Campbell moved towards her, reaching out. She very nearly gave in to the temptation. Heaven knew, she wanted to feel his body against hers so badly she ached.

But at the last moment sanity prevailed and she backed away from him into the room. It didn’t matter how much her body ached, she had to think with her head. There were things to say.

She crossed back to the bed and picked up the sheet, busying herself. Claire could feel the intensity of his gaze fill the distance between them.

‘I missed you this morning.’ His quiet voice broke into her activity.

‘Help me with this?’ She nodded for him to get the other side.

He crossed until he was opposite her. One bed and ten years of baggage between them.

‘We need to talk.’ Claire fussed, getting the corners just right as she spoke. ‘I’m really sorry—’

‘Please, don’t say you’re sorry last night happened.’

‘No. Campbell, I don’t mean … I’m not sorry about last night. I should be. I shouldn’t have let it happen, but … it did and, no, I’m not sorry.’

‘Oh, Claire.’ Campbell sat down heavily on the halfmade bed, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. ‘Don’t do that to me.’

‘What I was going to say,’ she said, sitting down on her side, ‘was that I’m sorry but the cat is out of the bag. As far as the hospital grapevine goes anyway.’

‘Already?’ Campbell whistled. ‘How did that happen? Were they looking through the keyhole?’

‘No.’ Claire laughed. ‘William Casey came and did the discharge check on little Davy. He guessed.’

‘Guessed?’

‘Yeah, I know. Crazy, isn’t it? He reckoned I looked different and put two and two together.’

‘Well, you do have that thoroughly kissed look.’

‘I … I do?’ Claire pressed a hand to her mouth.

‘Very much.’

Claire’s eyes dilated as his hungry gaze followed the movement of her hand to her lips. She felt as if a hand had grabbed her insides and was squeezing. She heard the texture of his breathing roughen and felt hers fall into sync.

‘It doesn’t matter anyway, Claire. Let them talk. Our relationship is our business.’

Claire stood up and moved over to the window. He’d just mentioned the R-word. This was what she had feared would happen. She sensed things would get out of hand if she didn’t put a stop to his fanciful thoughts right now. One roll in the hay did not a relationship make. Right?

‘It matters to me, Campbell.’

‘Why?’

‘Because … it was just one night.’ She turned to face him. ‘We don’t have a relationship. Last night was great. But wrong. I’m sorry if us sleeping together led you to believe differently. It shouldn’t have happened and it’s not going to happen again.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘Because I’m not going to let it. I seriously don’t know what came over me last night, Campbell. But it doesn’t negate the reasons I have for not dating or getting involved. They still exist.’

‘So, what was last night, then?’

‘Last night was a serious error in judgement. A very pleasant one but … I guess I just didn’t expect to be so swept away. It’s been such a long time for me …’

‘So you used me last night?’ He stood and paced and Claire didn’t need to look at him to know he was angry.

‘No. It wasn’t like that!’

‘No? Seems to me I was a convenient body to ease years of sexual frustration.’

Claire felt wounded by Campbell’s unfair judgement of her. She had obviously hurt him, but he knew how to wound her just as effectively.

‘Look, we went on a date. I was very attracted to you—’

‘I know the feeling.’

‘I wasn’t thinking about the future. I wasn’t thinking at all. We were kissing and one thing led to another and … I was just feeling, Campbell. I wasn’t thinking. I never promised you a relationship. I never promised you a happily ever after.’

‘Well, pardon me if I assumed certain things while you were half-crazy with lust last night.’ His voice was icy.

‘Lust, Campbell. Lust. You said it.’

‘I didn’t think you were that kind of woman.’

Claire’s head snapped up as his accusation hit home.

‘What? You mean the kind who indiscriminately sleeps with someone and then dumps them the next day? I’m sorry, I forgot that was a man’s prerogative.’