Midwives On-Call at Christmas

Mothers, midwives and mistletoe—lives changing for ever at Christmas!

Welcome to Cambridge Royal Hospital—and to the exceptional midwives who make up its special Maternity Unit!

They deliver tiny bundles of joy on a daily basis, but Christmas really is a time for miracles—as midwives Bonnie, Hope, Jessica and Isabel are about to find out.

Amidst the drama and emotion of babies arriving at all hours of the day and night, these midwives still find time for some sizzling romance under the mistletoe!

This holiday season, don’t miss the festive, heartwarming spin-off to the dazzling

Midwives On-Call continuity from Mills & Boon Medical Romance:

A Touch of Christmas Magic by Scarlet Wilson

Her Christmas Baby Bump by Robin Gianna

Playboy Doc’s Mistletoe Kiss by Tina Beckett

Her Doctor’s Christmas Proposal by Louisa George

Dear Reader,

I was really delighted to be asked to take part in the Midwives On-Call at Christmas series—as you might have guessed by now, I like nothing better than writing Christmas books!

It seemed fitting that my heroine was from Scotland, and I loved the thought of her putting her past behind her and trying to build a new and exciting future for her and her daughter.

Jacob was a whole different matter … The first thing I did was visualise his house and how empty it looked without any love or significant others in it. It was so easy to imagine how gorgeous it might look for Christmas, and a whole part of the story is built around this idea.

Wishing you all a wonderful time—whatever your celebrations at this time of year. I will be frantically wrapping presents, trying to buy Christmas food and hoping I haven’t forgotten anything!

Please feel free to contact me at my website: scarlet-wilson.com.

Best wishes,

Scarlet

SCARLET WILSON wrote her first story aged eight and has never stopped. Her family have fond memories of Shirley and the Magic Purse, with its army of mice all with names beginning with the letter ‘M’. An avid reader, Scarlet started with every Enid Blyton book, moved on to the Chalet School series and many years later found Mills & Boon. She trained and worked as a nurse and health visitor, and currently works in public health. For her, finding Mills & Boon Medical Romances was a match made in heaven. She is delighted to find herself among the authors she has read for many years. Scarlet lives on the West Coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons.

A Touch of Christmas Magic

Scarlet Wilson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to my fabulous fellow authors Louisa George, Tina Beckett and Robin Gianna.

It’s been a pleasure working with you, ladies!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EPILOGUE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

THE LITTLE FACE stared back out of the window as Freya gave her a nervous wave from the new school. Bonnie sucked in a breath and kept the smile plastered to her face, waving back as merrily as she could. Please be okay.

Her thick winter coat was stifling her already. Even at this time of year, Cambridge was unexpectedly warmer than Scotland. She could feel an uncomfortable trickle of sweat run down her spine. The teacher came to the window and, glancing at Bonnie, ushered Freya away. Freya’s red curls had already started to escape from the carefully styled pleat. By the time she came home later her hair would be back to its usual fluffy head style. She could almost hear the teacher’s thoughts in her head: over-anxious parent.

She wasn’t. Not really. But travelling down from Scotland yesterday with their worldly goods stuffed into four suitcases was hardly ideal. The motel they’d ended up staying in was even less pleasant. The smell of damp and mildew in the room had set off alarm bells that it might cause a flare-up of Freya’s asthma. With Christmas not too far away, she desperately needed to sort out somewhere more suitable to stay. And the combination of everything, plus dropping Freya at a brand-new school this morning, had left her feeling rattled.

The director of midwifery at Cambridge Royal Maternity Unit had been quite insistent on her start date. No compromise. The ward sister had just taken early maternity leave due to some unexpected problems. They needed an experienced member of staff as soon as possible. And she hadn’t felt in a position to argue—despite the fact they’d had nowhere to stay. The job in Cambridge was her way out of Scotland. And, boy, did she need out.

Working at such a prestigious hospital was appealing. Everyone knew about the two-hundred-year-old hospital and one night, midway between tears and frustration, she’d applied. When they’d emailed back the next day to arrange a telephone interview she’d been surprised. And when they’d told her the next day she had the job she’d been stunned. Things had moved at a rapid pace ever since. References, occupational health forms and a formal offer telling her they wanted her to start straight away.

Thankfully, she’d had a sympathetic community manager in Scotland who knew about her circumstances and had done a little jigging to allow her to take annual leave and special leave to let her only work two weeks’ notice. The last two weeks had passed in a complete blur.

This morning had been hard. There had been tears and sniffles from Freya, a normally placid child. Bonnie held her breath. The school window remained empty; it was clear the teacher had successfully distracted her.

With a sigh of relief she glanced at her watch. Yikes. First day and she was going to be late. She hurried back to the bus stop. Getting a car was next on the ‘to do’ list. She phoned and left a message on the director of midwifery’s answerphone—hardly a good start for her first day on the job. But it couldn’t be helped. The woman knew she wasn’t arriving until last night and that her daughter was starting a new school today. She still had to hand some paperwork into HR and pick up her uniforms before she could start on the labour ward.

For once, she was in luck. The bus appeared almost immediately. Now it was daylight and she could actually see a bit of the beautiful city she’d decided to live in on almost a whim.

Well, a whim that was a result of catching her husband in bed with her best friend. She should still feel angry and hurt. But all she really felt was relief. As soon as the ink was dry on the divorce papers she’d started job hunting. She needed a fresh start and there was something so exciting about coming to a historic city like Cambridge. She watched as the Victorian-style shops and Grade II listed buildings whizzed past and allowed herself to smile a little. Cambridge was truly an atmospheric city; seeing it in daylight made her all the more excited to get a chance to see round about.

The hospital came into a view. A large, imposing building based in the heart of the bustling city. A little tremor of anticipation went down her spine. This was it. This was where she worked. As the bus drew to a halt, climbing down, she took a final glance around the city of Cambridge. Her city. Full of possibilities.

This was now home.

* * *

Jacob Layton was more than mildly irritated. He was mad—but, these days, that was nothing unusual for him.

He hated disorganisation. Hated chaos. He prided himself on the fact that his unit ran like clockwork. Any midwife or medic not up to the job at this hospital was quickly rooted out and dealt with.

It might sound harsh. But in Cambridge Royal Maternity Unit the lives of women and babies were on the line every day. He was a firm believer that all expectant mothers deserved the best possible care and it was his job to ensure they got it.

This morning, he stood at the nurses’ station with his hands on his hips as his temper bubbled just beneath the surface. There was no sign of any member of staff. None of the whiteboards were up to date—he didn’t even know which patient was in which room. Case notes were spread all over the desk with a whole variety of scribbled multicoloured sticky notes littering the normally immaculate desk.

‘Where is everyone?’ he yelled.

The frightened faces of a midwife and junior doctor appeared simultaneously from separate rooms. The midwife hurried towards him, her eyes fixed on her shoes. The junior doctor walked slowly, obviously hoping the midwife would get the brunt of Jacob’s rage this morning. He should be so lucky.

The midwife handed over a set of notes with slightly shaking hands. ‘I think this is the set of notes you wanted. I was just doing Mrs Clark’s observations. Everything seems fine.’

He snatched them from her hands and reviewed them quickly. Relief. Things were looking better for Mrs Clark. He raised his head, keeping his voice in check. ‘Good. Tell Mrs Clark I’ll be in to see her shortly.’

The midwife disappeared in a flash. The junior doctor’s legs practically did a U-turn in the corridor. He didn’t want to be left with Jacob.

‘Dr Jenkins.’

The young guy’s legs froze midstride. Jacob flung case notes onto the desk one after another. ‘Ms Bates needs her bloods done, Mrs Kelly needs her bloods repeated, where is the cardiac consult for Lucy Evans—she’s been here more than six hours—and how long ago did I ask you to arrange another ultrasound for Ms Shaw? Get it done, now!’ His voice rose as the anger he was trying to contain started to erupt. He hated incompetence. These patients were in the best maternity unit for miles. They should be receiving top-quality care.

The doctor’s face paled and he gathered up the notes in his arms. ‘Right away, Dr Layton,’ he said, practically scampering down the corridor to the nearest office.

He sighed. This place—normally his pride and joy—was becoming a disaster zone.

Ever since he’d diagnosed the ward manager with pre-eclampsia and sent her home with the instructions not to come back until she had her baby, this place had gone to pot. There were four other senior midwives. All of them excellent at clinical care—and none with an organisational bone in their body.

The director of midwifery had promised him that their new employee would be able to help with all this. But he’d just read her CV, and was struggling to see why a Scottish community midwife would be able to do anything to help a busy city labour ward.

But the thing that was really making him mad was the fact that she wasn’t here. He glanced at his watch again. First day on a new job—after nine-thirty—and the new start wasn’t here.

The doors at the bottom of the corridor swung open right on cue. Bonnie Reid. It had to be. Jacob knew everyone who worked here and he didn’t recognise her at all. Dressed in the blue scrubs that the labour ward midwives wore and bright pink trainers, she had her red hair coiled up on top of her head in a strange kind of knot. How on earth did she do that? That, coupled with the curves not hidden by the shapeless scrubs, reminded him of a poster he’d had on his wall as a teenager. He felt a smile form on his lips.

Was she nervous? Her hands fidgeted with her security pass and she seemed to make a conscious effort to slow her steps. What irritated him most of all was the fact she didn’t seem to notice him standing, waiting for her. Instead, she stopped at every room on the way along the corridor, nodding and introducing herself to the members of staff. She even disappeared for a second to obviously help with a patient.

Then, she appeared with a load of laundry, which she put into the laundry bags, reorganised two of the hand scrubs outside the doors and tidied the top of the cardiac-arrest trolley on her way past.

He waited until she’d almost reached him. ‘Bonnie Reid?’ His voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘Nice of you to finally join us.’

Something flickered across her face. Her skin was pale under the bright hospital lights and he could see a few tiny freckles under her make-up. She’d looked good from a distance. Up close, she was much more interesting.

She had real knockout eyes. Dark, dark blue. Not the pale blue normally associated with a redhead. But then her hair wasn’t the average red either. It was a dark deep auburn. The kind of colour normally associated with Hollywood actresses who probably had a whole team of people to get it that colour. Almost instantly he knew that Bonnie Reid’s was entirely natural. She gave him the slightest glance from those eyes. And for the first time, in a long time, he took a deep breath.

It had been a long time since a woman had ignited something in his system. Maybe it was her dark blue eyes against her pale skin? Or the look of disdain she gave him as she walked past into the treatment room and started washing her hands.

Had he just imagined it? No. Something in her eyes told him this was a woman who had lived—had experienced life. She must be in her early thirties. As she finished washing her hands he glanced at her finger—no ring. It had been a long time since he’d done that too.

She turned to face him. ‘Bonnie Reid, new midwife at Cambridge Royal Maternity Unit.’ Her eyebrows rose. ‘And you are?’

It was her tone. It rankled him right away. He’d never been a person to pull rank. ‘Jacob Layton, Head Obstetrician, CRMU.’

It was almost as if a box of chocolates or tray of cakes had appeared out of thin air at the nurses’ station. Just about every door in the corridor opened and a whole host of previously hidden staff appeared. Did they avoid him every morning?

Bonnie didn’t appear to notice. She blinked and pointed towards his scrubs. ‘You should wear an ID badge, Dr Layton. You could be absolutely anyone. I expect all staff members I work with to be clearly identified.’

She was just here. His skin prickled. Patience was not his friend. In any other set of circumstances he might have said their new staff member had an attitude problem. But he got the distinct impression that Bonnie Reid was only reacting to his initial barb.

He didn’t know whether to give her a dressing-down or to smile. ‘It’s Jacob,’ he said quietly. ‘Everyone calls me Jacob.’ Not true. Only the few people not terrified by him called him Jacob. For a second their gazes meshed. It startled him, sending a little jolt around his system.

More than a year. That was how long it had been since he’d felt a spark with someone.

She gave the slightest nod of her head and extended her hand towards his. ‘Bonnie. Everyone calls me Bonnie.’

As soon as he connected with her skin he knew he’d made a mistake. The warm feeling of her palm against his. Touch. That was what he’d missed most of all in the last year. The warmness of someone’s touch. He pulled his hand back sharply as her eyes widened at his reaction.

‘You’re late.’ It came out much snappier than he intended. Her hand was still in mid-air, suspended from their shake. She drew it back slowly and her gaze narrowed as she took a deep breath and her shoulders went back.

She met his gaze full on. ‘Yes, I’m late.’ It was clear she had no intention of giving anything else away. He couldn’t believe how much one meeting with one woman could irk him.

She was new. She was working in his unit. And, after talks with the director of midwifery, this was the person he was supposed to offer a promoted post to. If he deemed her suitable. Tardiness was not an option.

He felt his normal persona resume. The one that had held most of the staff at arm’s length for the last year. ‘Staff and patients rely on us. Lateness is not acceptable at CRMU. I expected you here at nine a.m.’

It was the first time she looked a little worried. ‘I had to take my daughter to school. We arrived late last night from Scotland. She was upset. I had to make sure she was okay.’ She glanced over her shoulder as if she expected someone else to be there. ‘I left a message for the director of midwifery—she knew my circumstances.’

Those words annoyed him. He’d seen her CV, but the director hadn’t told him anything about their new employee’s ‘circumstances’. He hated it when staff used excuses for not being able to do a shift, or being late for work.

‘We all have circumstances. We all still have to be at work for nine. Work is our priority. Patients are our priority.’

Her face flamed and her eyes sparked. ‘Patients are always my priority and I’ve already dealt with two on my way along the ward. Exactly how many have you dealt with while you’ve been standing there waiting for me to arrive? Hardly a good use of consultant time.’

She was questioning him. She was challenging him and she’d only been here five minutes. He’d love to sack her on the spot. But they desperately needed the staff right now, and if she was as competent as she was mouthy he’d be in serious trouble with the director of midwives. She was almost questioning his competence. Let them see how she was when someone questioned hers.

‘I saw from your CV that you were a community midwife in Scotland. It’s a bit of a leap coming to work in an inner city labour ward. Don’t you think that might stretch your current capabilities? Are you going to have to refresh your skills?’

It was a reasonable question. At least he felt it was. He still wasn’t entirely sure why the director thought a community midwife was a suitable replacement for their ward sister.

It took about a millisecond to realise he’d said exactly the wrong thing.

Bonnie glared at him and put her hands on her hips. ‘Please do not question my capabilities or qualifications. In the last year, I’ve dealt with a shoulder dystocia, umbilical cord prolapse, two women who failed to progress, a footling breech, a cervical lip and an intrapartum haemorrhage. Is that enough for you?’ She turned to walk away, then obviously decided she wasn’t finished. ‘And just so we’re clear—’ she held out her hands ‘—I didn’t have a fancy unit, staffed with lots of other people to help me. These were home deliveries. I was on my own, with no assistance. Still think I need to refresh my skills?’

Her pretty brow was marred by a frown and he could practically feel the heat sparking from her eyes. It was an impressive list—even for a midwife based in a busy labour ward. For a community midwife, some of those situations must have been terrifying. He had a whole new respect for his new midwife.

But Bonnie wasn’t finished. It was obvious he’d lit a fire within her and probably touched a nerve. Maybe she was nervous about starting work in a new hospital? Worse, he’d just called her qualifications into question in front of the rest of the staff. He hadn’t even considered that might not be entirely appropriate—especially when these could be the people she would be in charge of. Mentally, he was kicking himself.

‘My experience with women isn’t just in the labour suite, Dr Layton.’ Oh, boy, she was mad. It was clear, if he was patronising her, they weren’t on first-name terms. ‘I’ve spent the last ten years looking after women from the moment they’re pregnant until long after the baby is delivered. I’ve picked up on lots of factors that affect their pregnancy, both clinical and social. And as a community midwife I’ve dealt with lots of post-delivery problems for both mother and child. Looking after patients at home is a whole lot different from looking after them in a clinical setting. Isolation, post-op complications, neonatal problems, postpartum psychosis, depression, domestic abuse...’ She fixed him with her gaze. ‘The list goes on and on.’

He didn’t want to smile. He should be annoyed. This woman was practically putting him in his place. But he couldn’t help but feel he might have deserved it.

He wondered how on earth she’d ended up here. She’d already mentioned a daughter. And she clearly wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. It was absolutely none of his business. But Jacob Layton’s curiosity was definitely sparked. He liked this feisty midwife.

He spoke steadily. ‘That certainly seems like enough experience. So what made you come down to Cambridge? It’s a long way from Scotland.’

She didn’t even stop to think. Her eyes were still flashing. Bonnie Reid was on a roll. ‘That’s the thing about finding your husband in bed with your best friend—it makes you want to get as far away as possible.’

* * *

Silence.

You could have heard a proverbial pin drop. Bonnie felt the colour rush to her cheeks and she lifted her hand to her mouth. Oh, no. Why on earth would she say something like that out loud?

It was that darn man. Jacob Layton. It wasn’t bad enough that the handsomest man on the planet had watched her walking down the corridor as if he were undressing her with his eyes. Then he’d started talking to her and everything he’d said had put her back up. Now she’d lost her rag with him. Hardly the best start in a new job.

But Bonnie Reid didn’t take any prisoners. In this life, she meant to start the way she was going to continue. The part of her life where she put up with bad behaviour, indifference and rudeness was over.

Maybe it was the fact he was so good-looking that was unnerving her. If she got any closer she was sure she’d see gold flecks in those intense green eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that no man had even flickered on her radar since she’d walked away from her ex. Certainly not a brown-haired, green-eyed Hollywood-style hunk.

Her insides were cringing. She couldn’t believe what she’d just said. And it was clear from the faces around her that no one else could either.

But what made it all the more excruciating was the fact that the edges of Jacob Layton’s mouth seemed to be turning upwards.

He was laughing at her.

‘Please come with me,’ he said sharply and walked over, ushering her towards an office door with Head Obstetrician emblazoned across it, and away from the gaping mouths.

He closed the door firmly behind them and walked around his desk. ‘Take a seat.’ His voice was firm and she felt a wave of panic sweep over her.

She hadn’t even officially started—was she about to be fired? ‘I’m sorry. I’ve no idea where that came from.’

Her stomach did a little flip-flop. It didn’t matter. It really didn’t matter but she’d just made a fool of herself in front of the resident hunk and her new boss. She’d just told him that her husband had cheated on her. It was hardly a placard that she wanted to wave above her head. She might as well be holding a sign saying ‘I’m plain and boring in bed’.

The humiliation burned her cheeks. Right now she wanted to crawl into a hole.

He fixed on her with those green eyes and she felt her skin prickle under her thin scrubs. At times like this she longed for her thicker white tunic and navy trousers. But scrubs were the order of the day in most labour wards.

He pointed to the chair again. ‘Sit down.’

Her feet were shuffling nervously on the carpet and she couldn’t stop wringing her hands together. Sitting down seemed quite claustrophobic. Particularly with Jacob sitting at the other side of the desk and the door closed behind them.

‘Don’t ever speak to me like that again in front of my colleagues.’ The words were out before she could stop them. And she wasn’t finished. ‘It was unprofessional. If you want to question my clinical capabilities take it up with me privately, or take it up with the director of midwives who employed me.’ She waved her hand. ‘On second thoughts, why don’t you actually wait until you’ve worked with me, before you question my clinical capabilities?’ She stuck her hands on her hips. ‘And maybe I’ll wait until then to question yours.’

Too much. It was too much. Even she knew that. The shocked expression on his face almost made her want to open the door and run back down the corridor.

Definitely not her best start.

She took a deep breath and sat down. ‘Look—’ she started but Jacob lifted his hand.

She froze mid-sentence. This was the way she always got when she was nervous. Her mouth started running away with her, a prime example being what had happened outside.

Jacob ran his hand through his hair. It struck her as an odd act. Usually a sign of someone being tired or frustrated. Jacob Layton didn’t strike her as any of those things.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers. ‘You’re right. I shouldn’t have questioned your capabilities. But let’s start with the basics. Bonnie, I would have preferred it if you could have been here at nine this morning. It would have made our meeting a little easier. Is timing going to be an issue for you?’

She shook her head quickly, wondering if she should be offended by the question. ‘No. Not at all. This morning was a one-off.’

He gave the tiniest nod. ‘I appreciate you just arrived last night, and that you were asked to start at short notice.’ His brow furrowed a little. ‘Do you have adequate arrangements in place for your daughter?’

She straightened her shoulders. He was putting her on edge again. Dr Handsome just seemed to rub her up the wrong way. ‘I hope so. I have a friend who is a registered childminder. She’s agreed to take Freya in the mornings and after school.’

‘What about weekends and night shifts?’

Bonnie felt herself pull back a little. ‘I was told there was no requirement for night shifts—that you had permanent night shift staff here?’ The statement had turned into a question. She had the mildest feeling of panic.

A wave of recognition flickered across his face. ‘What about shift work? Will that cause you a problem?

Now he was really getting her back up. She couldn’t fathom this guy out at all. One minute he was fiercely professional, the next he looked amused by her. As for the sparks that had shot up her arm when they’d touched...

She’d already snapped at this guy once. She didn’t want to do it again. It wasn’t his fault she was tired. It wasn’t his fault that the journey from Scotland had taken much more out of her and Freya than she’d really expected. It wasn’t his fault Freya had been upset this morning, or that the motel room was totally inappropriate for them both. None of this was his fault.

She wanted to respect her boss and get on well with him. He was a bit grumpy, but she’d met worse, and she was sure she could knock it out of him. She’d already embarrassed herself once in front of her boss. It was time for a new tack.

She met his gaze straight on. ‘Jacob, I don’t think you’re actually allowed to ask me questions like that.’

‘Aren’t I?’ He sat back quickly and frowned.

She held up her hands. ‘Would you ask a guy these questions?’ She was so aware it was all about the tone here. It was a serious subject, but she was quite sure he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. ‘What if I asked you, right now, about childcare arrangements for any kids you might have? Would that seem appropriate to you?’

The recognition dawned quickly on his face. ‘Well...no.’ He put his head in his hands for a second and shook it. When he pulled his head back up he had a sorry smile on his face and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Sorry.’

She gave a little nod of her head. ‘No problem.’

She heard him suck in a breath and his shoulders relaxed a little. ‘I do have a good reason for asking you.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘You do?’

He nodded slowly. ‘I do.’ He was being serious now. ‘Valerie Glencross, the director of midwifery, suggested we should offer you a promoted post.’

Bonnie sat bolt upright in her chair. It was the last thing she’d expected to hear. ‘She did?’

His gaze connected with hers. ‘She did.’ For a second it felt as if time had frozen. She was looking into the brightest pair of green eyes she’d ever seen. She’d been right. He had little gold flecks in his irises. It made them sparkle. It was making her hold her breath as she realised exactly what kind of an effect they were having on her.

‘She did,’ he reiterated. ‘It seems your CV had already impressed her. I’m guessing that your telephone interview with her went well. She wanted me to meet you and ask if you’d consider being Ward Sister on a temporary basis.’

‘Me?’ Bonnie was more than a little surprised. ‘But you must have senior staff working here already. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have someone take charge who is familiar with the set-up?’

He gave a little laugh. ‘You would think so. Our senior staff are excellent. But none of them have the talent of organisation. Valerie said that before you were a community midwife you were a ward sister. I think she thought it would be good to have a new broom, so to speak. Someone who didn’t have any preconceived ideas about CRMU and could bring some fresh ideas about how things should run.’ He gave a little sigh. ‘Our ward sister Abby has been gone less than two weeks and it’s chaos out there. She left sooner than expected and we obviously didn’t appreciate just how much she kept on top of things.’ He gave his head a little shake. ‘I’m feeling bad. I’m wondering if the stress of the ward was a factor in her pre-eclampsia.’

‘Is she okay?’ It was the first thing that sprang to mind.

He gave a quick nod and Bonnie shot him a smile. ‘In that case, you’re not making it sound like my dream job. Shouldn’t you be giving me the hard sell? And after our first meeting—do you really want to offer it to me at all?’ Jacob Layton wasn’t good at this. He was being too honest.

He groaned again and sat straighter, giving her a grin that sent tingles to her toes. ‘Let me start again. Bonnie Reid—from your extensive experience on your CV we’ve decided you would be a great addition to our team. You’ll know the reputation of Cambridge Royal Maternity Unit. We employ the best obstetricians and midwives and are known as a centre of medical excellence. We have links with Cambridge University and are pioneers in the development and research of many groundbreaking medical techniques. We have a great bunch of staff working in the labour delivery suite. We just need someone who can bring some new organisational skills to the ward.’ He leaned across the table towards her. ‘How’s that for the hard sell?’

She couldn’t pull her eyes away from his. He was closer to her than ever before. She could see every strand of his dark brown hair. See the tiny lines around his eyes. And exactly just how straight and white his teeth were.

He nodded towards her. ‘And yes, I do want to offer it to you. You’re the first person to answer back in about five years.’

Boy, he was handsome. But there was something else. Something so much more than just good looks. Beneath the flecks of gold in his eyes she could see another part of Jacob Layton. There was so much more there than a handsome but grumpy obstetrician. He seemed the single-minded, career-driven type. But what lay beneath the driven exterior?

She returned his smile. ‘That was much better.’

He relaxed back in his chair and she was almost sorry she’d replied. ‘Thank goodness.’ He was so much nicer like this. Why did he act so grumpy around the staff?

She took a deep breath. ‘I want this to work. I want this to work for me and for Freya—my little girl. This is a fresh start. I want to leave everything else behind us.’ She rolled her eyes and gave her head a little shake. ‘And I definitely want to leave men behind. I just want to focus on my new job and getting me and my daughter settled.’

Jacob gave a little nod of acknowledgement as he tapped his fingers on the desk. ‘The reason I asked about your childcare arrangements—if you’re working as ward sister we’d generally expect you to work nine to five. You’d only occasionally be expected to work late shifts if there were staffing issues, and join part of the hospital on-call rota to do weekends.’

Bonnie frowned. ‘How does that work?’

‘All of our ward sisters take turns in covering weekends. You’re not actually there as a member of the team that weekend. You’re covering the management for the whole hospital. Sorting out staffing problems, dealing with any difficult cases or issues across the whole of maternity. It usually works out once every nine weeks.’

Bonnie nodded. ‘That’s understandable. This would make things much easier with my childcare arrangements. Freya will be much happier if I’m working more or less regular hours. I’ll get to put her to bed most nights. And, as I’ve mentioned, Lynn will happily take Freya every weekday before and after school, and for the occasional late night or weekend.’ She gave a visible sigh of relief. ‘I’m happy to do the job—in fact, I’m really excited to be asked.’

He seemed relieved. ‘So you’ll take the job?’ His voice went up a little, as if he was still a bit anxious she might turn down this fabulous opportunity.

She stood up and held out her hand towards him. ‘Of course I will. I’m a little nervous but am sure in a few days it will feel like I’ve been here for weeks. That’s always the way of it, isn’t it?’

He smiled again; this time the relief was definitely reaching right up into his eyes. His hand grasped hers. There it was again.

She hadn’t been mistaken first time around. Coming into contact with Jacob Layton’s hand was doing strange things to her skin receptors—currently it was the dance of a thousand butterflies. Just as well she’d made it clear she was a man-free zone.

‘Perfect. I’ll let Valerie know you’ve accepted. She’ll arrange for a new contract.’ He held open the door for her. ‘Now, let’s go and tell the staff.’

Her stomach did another little flip-flop as she walked through, but she couldn’t work out if that was the thought of telling her new peers about her role, or from the burn coming from Jacob’s hand at the small of her back.

One thing was for sure—CRMU was going to be interesting.

CHAPTER TWO

JACOB HADN’T BEEN WRONG. The labour suite was in chaos. And it was all basics.

Bonnie grabbed a ward clerk and made some immediate requests about sorting out case notes, filing things appropriately and keeping the boards up to date. Then she asked for new lists of contact numbers. The one she found on the wall was obviously out of date and, with doctors changing every six months, she didn’t want any problems with pagers in case of emergency.

She spent the next two hours working with various members of staff and patients. After a few hours she was confident in the clinical capabilities of the staff that were on duty. They all wanted to do their jobs and work with patients. They just didn’t want to bother with ‘ward’ stuff. Ordering, stocking, rotas, outpatient appointments, pharmacy prescriptions. It quickly became apparent that her predecessor had dealt with all these things and her quick departure meant there had been no handover.

Bonnie gave a sigh. She’d like to spend all day working with patients too—but that wasn’t the way a ward was run. She started making a ‘to do’ list that she’d have to work her way through.

The other issue was the phones. They rang constantly—often with no one answering. First thing tomorrow she was going to ask about a regular ward clerk for the unit. Just as she finished making a few notes about the off-duty rota the phone rang again.

‘CRMU, Bonnie Reid, can I help you?’

‘Ambulance Control. We need a team on-site at a crash on one of the motorway slip roads. We have a trapped, unconscious pregnant woman. She’s reported to be thirty-four weeks. Ambulance is on its way to pick you up.’

Bonnie put down the phone. First day on the job. You had to be joking. She automatically dialled the page for the on-call obstetrician. Most big maternity units had supplies for emergencies like these. It was just a pity she hadn’t had a chance to find out where they were.

A few seconds later Jacob appeared from his office just as Bonnie was relaying the message to one of the senior midwives. He was holding his page. ‘What have we got?’

She handed over the piece of paper she’d scribbled on. Jacob gestured towards her. ‘Follow me. Equipment is in here. Grab a jacket and a bag.’ He turned to face her. ‘You are coming, aren’t you?’

She hesitated for only the briefest of seconds. ‘If you want me to.’

No. I’m terrified. This sounds like an initiation of fire. It’s my first day, I’ve just agreed to act as temporary sister in one of the most prestigious maternity units in the country and now you want me to be part of the emergency response team.

He acted as if he did this every day, grabbing a jacket with ‘Doctor’ emblazoned across the back and handing her the one with ‘Midwife’. He shot her a smile as he helped her lift the emergency pack onto her shoulders. ‘Let’s go. Leave instructions with Miriam, the senior midwife. She’ll deal with the calls until we get back.’ He walked away, his long strides crossing the corridor quickly, only stopping to wheel a portable incubator to the door.

She could feel the wave of panic lapping around her ankles. There was no way she could let it go any further. She started repeating in her head the list of emergencies that she’d dealt with on her own as a community midwife. She could do this. She could.

Miriam gave her a sympathetic nod as she handed over a few instructions. ‘I’m so glad it’s you and not me,’ she murmured under her breath.

‘What do you mean?’

Miriam rolled her eyes. ‘If you think Dan Daring is harsh on the ward, you should see him at a roadside emergency. The patients love him. The rest of the staff need counselling by the time he’s done.’

‘Let’s go, Bonnie!’ The shout made her jump and she hurried to the exit and into the back of the waiting ambulance. As soon as the doors closed and the sirens switched on they were on their way.

Sitting in the back of the ambulance was more than a little bumpy. She only just managed to avoid practically bouncing onto Jacob’s lap. But he barely noticed. He was holding on to the strap in the back with his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

‘Any more news?’

One of the paramedics turned around. ‘All bad. We’ve just had a report that they think her membranes might have ruptured. She’s still unconscious and trapped. They’re panicking. They think she’s gone into labour.’ He glanced at the clock. ‘We’ll be there in five minutes.’

Bonnie sucked in a breath. A thousand different potential diagnoses were flying through her head. From Jacob’s serious expression he was thinking the same.

When they screeched to a halt Jacob didn’t wait, he just flung open the doors, grabbed the bag and started running.

The first thing that struck her was the smell. Fire, burning metal, petrol and a whole lot more. There were four ambulances already on-site. A few casualties were sitting on the edge of the road. Two children with blood on their faces, a man cradling his arm and an older woman who looked completely shell-shocked. Police had cordoned off part of the motorway but the speed and noise of the cars still passing by was unnerving. Rubbernecking. That was what most of the passing cars were doing. Any minute now there would be another accident on the other side of the motorway. She shuddered and jumped out of the back of the ambulance, trying to spot Jacob’s bright green jacket in amongst the melee of emergency people.

‘Over here.’ A policeman gestured her towards an upended car. She stepped around the pieces of car debris that littered the road. Somewhere, she could hear someone crying. The wails cutting through the rest of the sounds. It was horrible. It was unnerving.

She landed on her knees next to the upturned car. The only thing she could currently see of Jacob was the soles of his feet. His whole body was inside the car, his feet sticking out through the broken passenger-side window. ‘Do you need anything?’ she shouted through the gap.

She adjusted her position to get a better view. Inside the car a pregnant woman was trapped upside down, held precariously in position by her seat belt. It was obvious she was still unconscious, an oxygen mask to her face and a collar around her neck. Jacob was pushing back her coat and gently easing her stretched top over her abdomen. Bonnie didn’t wait for instructions. She fished out a stethoscope and a foetal monitor and stuck her hand through a gap in the broken window where Jacob could grab them.

Even from here she could see the damp patch between the woman’s trousers. It could be two things. It could be urine or it could be amniotic fluid. She was just praying it wasn’t blood. She didn’t even want to consider that—not under these conditions.

After a few minutes of wrestling around Jacob finally spoke. ‘I’ve got a heartbeat—albeit a little quick. But I’ve just felt her contracting and there’s absolutely no way to do any kind of examination.’

He shook his head as Bonnie tried to hand him the nitrazine strips. The best they could do in this situation was rub one against her damp clothes. ‘There’s no point checking. I’m fairly sure her membranes have ruptured. We need to get her out of here now. She’s at risk of uterine or placental rupture. There’s no way I’m delivering this baby upside down.’

Bonnie stood up and shouted over to the fire and rescue colleagues. ‘We need to get this woman out. She’s about to deliver. Can we have some assistance?’

One of them ran over. ‘Sorry, got tied up trying to lift a car off someone’s chest.’

Bonnie gulped. It was chaos all around them and even though the road seemed full of emergency staff, there probably still wasn’t enough.

The fire-and-rescue guy pointed at the collar. ‘She was conscious for only a few seconds after we arrived and had no feeling in her legs. That’s why the collar’s in place. The trauma doc said not to move her. He was waiting for you to arrive.’

She nodded. ‘Well, tell the trauma doc we’re here and she’s in labour. We need assistance to move her as safely as possible now. Can you get us a backboard?’

She pushed her way around the other side of the car. The driver’s door was wedged up against a van that was on its side. It was a struggle to push her arms through and try and wind a blood-pressure cuff around the lady’s arm. ‘Do we have a name?’ she shouted to Jacob.

‘Holly Burns.’

She pressed the button on the machine. Now she’d squeezed around the other side she could see him a little easier. There were deep furrows along his brow; he was clearly worried about this patient and so was she.

‘BP’s low,’ she said quickly as the result displayed.

A number of the fire-and-rescue crew had collected around them, all talking in low voices. ‘Doc, we’re going to have to move the car. We need to cut the patient free and we can’t do it while the van’s in place. You’ll need to come out.’

Jacob didn’t hesitate. ‘I’m going nowhere. This mother and her baby need monitoring every second. Move the car with me in it.’

One of them stepped forwards as Bonnie wriggled out from the other side. She could see clearly why they would need to separate the vehicles. There was no way they could get Holly out on a backboard otherwise. If she had spinal damage they had to do everything possible to try to minimise the movement.

She shook her head and touched the fire-and-rescue chief’s arm. ‘Don’t waste your time arguing with him. He won’t change his mind and it’ll just get ugly. This woman could deliver very soon and her position makes it dangerous for her life and her baby’s.’

She was quite sure this went against every health and safety check imaginable. But she’d seen fire and rescue, paramedic and police services do similar things before. They all made the patient their priority.

She stood back as equipment was positioned and blankets shoved inside the car as Jacob was told to brace himself and his patient.

The car and van were wedged tightly together. The sound of metal ripping apart made her wince. Nothing about this was delicate. Both the car and van were juddering, wheels spinning in the air. It seemed to take for ever before they were finally yanked apart and the fire-and-rescue crew moved in with their cutting equipment.

It only took seconds for them to cut the side from the car. One of the other trauma doctors appeared with the backboard and had a quick confab with Jacob inside about the best way to cut Holly free from her seat belt and support her spine. It was a delicate operation. Twelve pairs of hands ended up all around her, ready to ease her gently onto the spinal board as the seat belt was cut. ‘Hold it,’ said Jacob abruptly. ‘She’s having another contraction. We’ll have to wait a few seconds for it to pass.’

Bonnie swallowed anxiously. Jacob still had the foetal monitor on Holly’s swollen abdomen. She could see the contraction clearly. As an experienced midwife she knew Holly wasn’t in the early stages of labour, even though she was upside down. A thought flicked through her mind—had Holly already been in labour and on her way to the hospital before the crash? Or was this a trauma-induced labour brought on by the crash? One thing was for sure: as soon as they got Holly into the ambulance, they’d better be prepared for a delivery.

As the seat belt was cut and Holly slid onto the backboard Bonnie glanced around. ‘Does anyone know about next of kin?’ she shouted. They were just about to take Holly away from the accident site. There hadn’t been a chance to get all the information they needed.

One of the policemen appeared at her elbow. ‘We’ve sent someone to contact her husband. Are you taking her to CRMU?’

Bonnie nodded. ‘Can you give me her husband’s name and contact details?’

He nodded and scribbled in his notebook, ripping out the page and handing it to her. By the time she turned around Holly was already being loaded onto the ambulance.

Jacob was ruthlessly efficient. The other trauma doctor secured Holly’s head and neck, checking her airway before he left. He was part of the general team from Cambridge Royal. ‘I have to accompany another patient back with a flail chest. I’ll send an orthopod around to the maternity unit.’ Jacob gave him the briefest nod as he attached the monitoring equipment. Bonnie barely got inside as the doors slammed shut and the ambulance started off at breakneck speed.

‘There’s another contraction coming,’ she said as she finished attaching the BP cuff and heart monitor. She helped him slide off Holly’s underwear and covered her abdomen with a blanket.

Jacob’s frown deepened. ‘She’s crowning. This baby is coming out any minute.’

Bonnie turned towards the portable incubator, struggling to stay on her feet as the ambulance rocked from side to side. There had to be rules about this. She was sure they were supposed to be strapped in. But this baby wasn’t waiting for anyone, and what use would two health professionals be at her head or at her side, while a baby slipped out?

She was doing rapid calculations in her head. ‘She’s thirty-four weeks. That’s not too early. Hopefully the baby won’t have any breathing difficulties.’ She switched on the monitoring equipment in the incubator, ensuring it was warm and the oxygen was ready.

It was difficult to take up position in the swaying ambulance. She could only try and lift Holly’s nearest leg, holding it in position to allow Jacob easier access to the presenting head.

She gulped. ‘She’s missing out on the birth of her baby.’ She blinked back tears. ‘I hope she doesn’t miss out on anything else.’

This was awful. Her first delivery for CRMU with a mother that she didn’t even know would wake up. Why was she still unconscious? The trauma doctor had only given her a quick once-over. There hadn’t been time for anything else. A Glasgow Coma Scale chart dangled from a clipboard. As each contraction gripped there were facial twinges—as if she were reacting to some element of the labour pain. Reaction to pain was a crucial part of the head injury assessment. And she was breathing spontaneously. Bonnie tried to focus on the positives. She would hate to think this mother would never get to hold her new baby.

As another contraction gripped Holly’s stomach the head delivered. Jacob had a quick check around the baby’s neck for any sign of a cord. He glanced quickly in Bonnie’s direction. ‘No cord. Presentation is good.’ He gave an audible sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness.’

One minute later the baby slid into his hands and he quickly handed it over to Bonnie.

A little girl. Just like Freya. A fist squeezed around her heart. She’d heard Freya’s first cries, felt her first little breaths against her chest. Holly was missing all of this.

She quickly gave the pale little baby a rub, stimulating her first noisy breath, followed by some sharp cries. She gave Jacob a quick smile before wrapping the baby in the warming blanket and doing a quick assessment. ‘APGAR six,’ she said as she finished.

It was a little low, but would likely come up before the second check in five minutes. It was certainly better than she’d initially hoped for.

She looked up; they were pulling up in front of the emergency entrance at the maternity unit. Three other staff were waiting for them.

Jacob moved into position as the doors opened and helped lift the incubator down. ‘Take her to the nursery and get a paed doc to check her over.’

Bonnie gave a brief nod and headed down the corridor with one of the nursery midwives by her side. The handover was quick. The little girl was pinking up now and was letting everyone know she wasn’t entirely happy with her entrance to the world.

By the time Bonnie got back to the labour suite, Jacob was consulting with the orthopaedic doctor who’d come over from the main hospital. Holly’s notes had appeared at the desk. Thankfully, she had no significant medical history and her pregnancy seemed to have gone well. Bonnie could see from the whiteboard that Miriam, the senior midwife, was with her.

‘Has she woken up yet?’ She was having trouble getting her head around the fact that Holly had delivered a baby without being conscious. ‘In ten years of midwifery I’ve never seen a woman labour while unconscious.’ She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. ‘Does she have some kind of head injury?’

The orthopaedic doctor glanced at Jacob, then leaned over and touched Bonnie’s arm. ‘It actually might not be as bad as first thought. She almost certainly has a head injury but her Glasgow Coma Scale responses are improving. I suspect Holly’s in spinal shock from injuries sustained in the crash. She wouldn’t have felt the intensity of the labour pains even though her body naturally delivered. Jacob and I were just discussing the fact that we think she might actually have been in labour prior to the accident. We’ve checked the ward call log. She hadn’t called into the labour suite and she didn’t have any bags in her car. We’re wondering if she was going home to collect her things.’

Bonnie nodded. She could only remember a few things about spinal shock from her general nurse training. It was usually temporary but could cause loss of sensation and feeling. It certainly sounded better than some of the things she’d been imagining.

Jacob’s voice cut across her thoughts. ‘I take it the little girl is okay?’ He was glaring and it took her a couple of seconds to realise it wasn’t at her—well, not entirely. His eyes were fixed on the orthopaedic doctor’s hand, which was still on Bonnie’s arm.

Was Jacob this territorial around all his staff?

She gave a nod to the orthopod and walked behind the desk to pick up some paper notes. ‘Baby Burns is doing fine. APGAR was eight at five minutes. The paediatrician was checking her as I left.’ She waved the notes at Jacob. ‘I’m just going to write up some midwifery notes for what happened out there. I’ll get the clerk to put Holly and baby Burns into the hospital admission system.’

There was a bang at the bottom of the corridor as the doors were flung open. Both Bonnie and Jacob jumped to their feet. It wasn’t entirely unusual for people to enter the labour suite in a rush. This time, though, there was no pregnant woman—just an extremely anxious man.

‘My wife, Holly, is she here? They said there was a car accident. What happened? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?’

Jacob and the orthopaedic doctor exchanged glances. Jacob gestured towards his office. ‘Mr Burns, why don’t you come into my office and I’ll let you know what has happened?’

The man’s face paled even more and he wobbled. ‘Are they dead?’

Jacob quickly reassured him. ‘No, no, they’re not dead. And you can see them both. Let’s just have a chat first.’ He turned to the orthopaedic doctor. ‘Dr Connelly, will you join us, please?’

But the man’s feet were welded to the floor. His eyes widened. ‘Both? The baby is here?’

Bonnie walked over, putting her hand on his arm. ‘You have a lovely daughter. I’ll take you to see her once you’ve spoken to the doctors.’ She helped usher him into the office and, once he was inside, closed the door behind him and left them to it.

‘Debbie’ The labour suite domestic was working in the kitchen. ‘Would you mind taking a pot of tea into Dr Layton’s office? I think the man he’s talking to will need some.’

Debbie gave a little laugh. ‘Tea, for Jacob? You’ve got to be joking. The guy drinks his coffee with three spoonfuls.’ She shook her head. ‘You’ll soon learn he usually has a cup from the café across the street welded to his hand. Don’t worry. I’ll sort it out.’

For the rest of the day Bonnie’s feet barely touched the ground. She finished her notes, took over from Miriam for a while, then took Mr Burns along to see his new daughter.

Holly had gradually started to come round. Things were complicated. Midwives really shouldn’t be dealing with a patient with a head injury. But Holly had a few other complications with the delivery of her placenta. She really wasn’t suitable to be on a general ward either. After some careful calls and juggling, Bonnie finally managed to make sure that either a midwife who was also trained as a general nurse was looking after her, or that an extra nurse be called over from the brief intervention unit. After the first twenty-four hours she’d need to be reassessed and other arrangements made.

By the time Jacob came to find her she’d no idea where the time had gone. Opening one store cupboard to have most of its contents 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. He’d already had a few curious stares from members of staff who obviously wondered who he was waiting on. Bonnie appeared two minutes later and jumped in the car next to him. ‘Sorry, just getting changed and sorting out a locker before we left.’ She gave him directions to the childminder’s house and looked around with a smile on her face.

‘I didn’t take you for a four-by-four guy. I thought you’d have something sleeker, more sporty.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Really? Why on earth did you think that?’

She laughed. ‘You’ve got that “I drive a flash car” look about you. Wouldn’t have thought there’d be much call for a four-by-four in the city. I’ve been surprised by how many I’ve seen.’

‘Haven’t you heard? It’s the latest fashion craze and I’m just following the crowd.’

She shook her head. ‘Yeah, yeah. Somehow I get the distinct impression you’ve never been a crowd follower.’

He tried to hide his smile. ‘I’m shocked. We’ve only just met and you’re trying to tell me I’m not a people pleaser.’

She started laughing again. ‘Seriously? You were a bit grumpy this morning. The staff seem quite intimidated by you. Are you always like that?’

‘You were late. That’s why I was grumpy.’ It was the best excuse he could give. The truth was he’d spent the last fourteen months being grumpy—and only a few select people knew why. Jacob had always been a completely hands-on kind of doctor. Some physicians who were Head of Department reduced their clinical time by a large amount. He’d never been that kind of doctor but had been grateful to use his position as an excuse for his lack of patient contact at times over the past fourteen months. That was the thing about some types of chemotherapy—at certain times in the cycle, patient contact just wasn’t appropriate. Particularly when you had to deal with pregnant women and neonates—two of the most vulnerable groups around. Grumpy probably didn’t even come close to covering his temperament and frustration these last fourteen months.

She shook her head as they turned into the childminder’s street. ‘I think you were grumpy long before I was late. I need to know these things. I need to know if staff won’t want to approach you about things. I need to know the dynamics of the labour suite.’

He liked her already. She was astute. It wouldn’t be easy to pull the wool over her eyes—exactly what he should want from the sister of his labour suite. He just wished she weren’t using her astuteness on him.

‘You haven’t mentioned what happens with the special clients. Do I get involved with those?’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘The special clients?’

She smiled. ‘Cambridge Royal is known for attracting the rich and famous. I haven’t had a chance to look over the plans for the general hospital. What happens if we get someone who wants a private delivery? It wouldn’t seem safe to have them in another area.’

He was impressed. She’d obviously done a lot of background reading. ‘You’re right. It wouldn’t be safe. It isn’t public knowledge but there are six private rooms just outside the doors to the labour suite, only a few minutes from Theatre. We don’t want anyone to know where our private patients are.’

She gave a little nod of her head. ‘Makes sense. Privacy, that’s what people want. Isn’t it? I guess we’ll need to talk about the midwifery staffing for those rooms.’

There was something so strange about all this. Everything about being around Bonnie made him feel out of sorts. He had looked at her CV and hadn’t understood at all why Valerie Glencross had thought she would be a suitable replacement for their ward sister. Then she’d been late.

But from the second her eyes had sparked and she’d given him a dressing-down in front of the staff he’d liked her. She was different. She’d proved more than competent at the roadside delivery. She was asking all the right questions about the ward and she was making all the right observations. Bonnie Reid was proving to be the most interesting woman he’d come across in a while.

She opened the car door as they pulled up outside the childminder’s. ‘I’ll only be two minutes, I promise, and Lynn will be able to give me a car seat for Freya. That’s the beauty of having a friend who is a childminder. She has a garage full of these things.’

Car seat. It hadn’t even crossed his mind. That was how far out of the loop he was when it came to children. He tried not to focus on her well-fitting jeans as she ran up the path towards the door with her auburn hair bouncing behind her.

What kind of crazy fool cheated on a woman like Bonnie? The guy must have rocks in his head. Jacob had never realised quite how much he liked that colour of hair.

He watched as she ran back down the path holding the hand of a little girl. She was like an identikit of her mother. Same colour hair and pale skin. It only took Bonnie a minute to arrange the car seat and strap her little girl into place. She was obviously a dab hand at these things.

‘Who are you?’ The voice came from the back seat.

The little pair of curious blue eyes was fixed on his in the mirror. She had a little furrow across her brow. It was like a staring contest. A Mexican stand-off. And Jacob had a feeling he was going to lose.

Bonnie answered as she climbed back in the car. ‘This is Mummy’s friend from work. His name is Jacob. He’s going to give us a lift back to the motel.’

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