A Touch of Christmas Magic

by Scarlet Wilson

  Bonnie was shocked by Jess’s words. She reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘Competitive siblings can be a nightmare. My ex-husband was like that with his brother. It made him even harder to live with.’ She sucked in a breath. ‘And if Cambridge Royal is like every other hospital I’ve worked in, you’ll have heard that I found my ex-husband in bed with my best friend. So, I sympathise. At least I had the option of walking away. I don’t need to look at them together.’ She leaned back and took a sip of her coffee. ‘It sucks that you have to do that.’

  Jess burst out laughing and reached over towards Bonnie. ‘Yes, the hospital grapevine is in full flow and I love that you just say it like it is.’

  Bonnie shrugged. ‘After thirty-two years there’s not much point in changing the habit of a lifetime.’

  Jess gave her a rueful stare. ‘I might have heard that about you too. Men suck. Unfortunately, men are my biggest issue. Or namely the fact I don’t have one. That’s the reason I’m dreading the anniversary party so much. Everyone is just waiting for me to produce who is going to be Mr Jessica Black and create the two-point-four kids we’re supposed to have.’

  Bonnie took a bite of her tuna sandwich. ‘Can’t you take a friend?’

  ‘Yeah, but the friend would need to reach my family’s exacting standards. They would have to be devastatingly handsome, completely charming and totally unfazed by my sister trying to be the centre of attention.’

  Bonnie gave a little smile. ‘I have to say, there’s more than a few handsome guys around here. Can’t you ask one to accompany you?’

  Jess frowned. ‘Like who?’

  Bonnie swallowed and tried to appear casual. ‘What about Jacob Layton?’

  Jess waved her hand. ‘Oh, he’s handsome enough but way too grumpy.’

  Bonnie tried not to let the wave of relief sweeping over her be obvious. ‘Aaron Cartwright, the infertility specialist? An American might go down well.’

  She smiled and shook her head. ‘He might. But he’s not for me. He’s too committed to his work. That’s the problem with most of the guys around here.’

  Bonnie thought again. She was just here. But she’d met most of the consultants in the last few days. ‘I’ve got it. What about an Australian, then, Sean Anderson, the obstetrician that arrived just a few weeks before me?’

  ‘Are you serious?’ Jess laughed and wagged her finger. ‘I’m going to forgive your observational skills, Nurse, because you’ve just started. But have you noticed how jumpy Isabel is since he got here?’

  Bonnie racked her brains. Isabel was also an Australian obstetrician. Bonnie hadn’t connected the two, but maybe there was something... She’d been warm and friendly towards Bonnie since she arrived. She shook her head and shrugged. ‘I’ve never seen them together, so I can’t say I’ve noticed.’

  Jess raised her eyebrows. ‘She’s like a proverbial cat on a hot tin roof. Mark my words, there’s some history there. I’m not getting embroiled in that.’

  Bonnie took a final bite of her tuna sandwich. When she’d finished chewing she had the perfect answer. ‘I’ve got it. Why didn’t I think of him before? You’ve got the perfect answer right under your nose. Dean Edwards, the SCBU doctor.’

  Something flickered across Jess’s eyes. Bonnie was on it in an instant.

  ‘What? Has something happened between you two already?’

  Jess almost choked. ‘No. Absolutely not. But I’ll be the only one. He has a different lady for every day of the week. His phone goes off constantly.’

  Bonnie took a sip of her tea and sat back in her chair. ‘Dean’s a ladies’ man? Who has he dated at work?’

  Jess was quick to shake her head. ‘Oh, no. He doesn’t date anyone at work.’ She held out her hands. ‘But that leaves the rest of the world wide open for him.’

  ‘And you struck off his list?’ Drat. That came out too bluntly. She’d only met Jess on a few occasions.

  But it was just the two of them and Jess looked up from her coffee, her light brown eyes rueful. Maybe it was easier to open up to someone who was new?

  She blew out a long, slow breath from her lips. ‘I guess so. He wouldn’t look at me anyway—and even if he did, once he met Wonder Sister he’d be entranced by her. They all are. It wears pretty thin.’

  Bonnie reached out towards her again. ‘You’re a gorgeous girl, Jess. It would be wrong of me to say anything about your sister, but, to be honest, she seems like a piece of work. You’ve got much more integrity than that, and somewhere—’ she held up her hands ‘—out there, is a man who is just waiting to find a woman like you. You’ll probably find him when you least expect to.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘I’m sorry but I better go. We’ve got a woman expecting twins due in.’ She put her plate and cup on the tray and winked at Jess. ‘I gave you the option of three gorgeous men and you said no to all of them. Don’t let it be said that you’re picky.’

  Jess winked back and put her plate on her tray, standing up and walking towards the catering trolleys. ‘You gave me the option of four, Bonnie. Now I’m wondering if you’re keeping one to yourself.’

  And she left, before Bonnie could pick her chin off the floor and stop kicking herself.

  * * *

  By the time she reached the ward she could feel herself blushing like crazy. This was ridiculous. No one knew she was staying at Jacob’s. Everything at work was entirely professional.

  Everything at home was entirely professional too. But Jacob was surprising her. For a guy that acted as though he would run a million miles from kids, he’d been surprisingly good with Freya. Yes, he was still a bit awkward, but he was definitely making an effort. And that mattered. A lot.

  It was a dangerous line. If he hadn’t been friendly, they could have felt like trespassers in his home. Jacob still didn’t give much away. He was obviously a private person. And that was fine. Except five-year-olds weren’t always good at knowing when to stop asking questions.

  He met her at the doors of the ward. ‘You’re helping with the twin delivery?’

  She grinned. ‘I am. Is she your patient? Anything I should know?’

  In a labour unit some women would be classed as midwifery care and some as medical care. Any woman with a multiple pregnancy automatically fell under medical care as they were at higher risk of complications. An average woman, with a normal pregnancy, could come into the unit and not come into contact with a medic at all. She would be delivered by the midwives and her follow-up care carried out by them. Babies were different—they were always checked over by a paediatrician.

  Bonnie dumped her bag as Jacob kept pace with her. ‘Hayley Dickson has had a textbook pregnancy but her blood pressure has gone up a little in the last two weeks. I’m actually glad she’s gone into spontaneous labour because I was considering inducing her. She’s been scanned for the last few weeks. No problems with the babies. It’s non-identical twins and both babies are around six pounds.’

  ‘Does she know what she’s having?’

  He shook his head. ‘She didn’t want to know.’

  Bonnie smiled. ‘Do you?’

  ‘I might do—’ he tapped his mouth ‘—but my lips are sealed. Let’s go and introduce Mum to these beautiful babies.’ He put his hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. ‘If it’s okay with you, I’d like to let you and Kerry take the lead. I’m only here if there are any issues. I’ll set up the epidural I know she wants. But Hayley is keen to have a normal delivery.’

  Bonnie gave a nod. ‘No problem. I’ll go and pick up the cots, be back with you in a minute.’

  She was glad that Jacob didn’t want to try and take over and respected the birthing plan his patient had decided on. Sometimes medics could be a bit overzealous. She hated when that happened.

  She collected the cots and baby warmers and headed back into the room. Kerry gave her a nod
as she entered. ‘Hayley, this is Bonnie, our new ward sister. She’ll be helping with the delivery. Bonnie, this is Hayley and her husband, Jordan.’

  Bonnie walked straight to the sink to wash her hands. ‘Pleasure to meet you, Hayley. I’m really looking forward to meeting these two new babies.’ She nodded towards the cots. ‘As soon as the babies are out we’ll have one of our paediatricians check them over. After you’ve had a cuddle, of course.’

  Hayley gave a nervous smile, then grimaced as another contraction hit. ‘I didn’t expect these to be coming so quickly.’

  Kerry had already completed all the paperwork and hooked Hayley up to the monitors. One was monitoring her babies, the other checking her blood pressure.

  Jacob appeared at Bonnie’s back, pushing a trolley with the equipment for the epidural. He gave a nod to Kerry. ‘Have you done a check yet?’

  Kerry nodded. ‘Yes, we’re good to go. Hayley is five centimetres dilated and the first baby is head down and in a good position.’

  Jacob smiled. ‘Perfect.’ He sat next to Hayley to explain the procedure. It only took him a few minutes. ‘Once the catheter is in place it will only take twenty minutes for the full effect. We’ll keep an eye to make sure it doesn’t slow your labour, but I suspect everything will be fine.’ He gave Bonnie a little nod to help position Hayley on her side.

  He was an expert. He had the catheter safely slid into place easily and the medication started. Bonnie stayed in the room with Kerry and they monitored Hayley’s contractions.

  Things went smoothly. Around two hours later the first little baby delivered easily. Bonnie quickly checked over the baby’s mouth and breathing before setting the naked little baby on his mother’s chest. ‘You have a beautiful boy. Do you have a name yet?’

  Hayley’s husband couldn’t wipe the dopey new-dad smile from his face. ‘Dillon. We’re going to call him Dillon.’

  Sean came into the room with a smile. ‘Perfect. I’m just in time. I’m Dr Anderson. I’ll check your little man over in a few seconds, folks.’

  He spoke with Jacob for a few minutes, checked Dillon over and declared him well with perfect APGARs. He gave them a little nod. ‘I’ll be back again when your next baby arrives. Good luck, guys.’

  Kerry stayed with the new baby for another few minutes while Bonnie checked over Hayley again. The labour progressed quickly with the next baby’s head being delivered; however, within a few seconds Bonnie frowned as another contraction hit. She turned rapidly to Jacob, keeping her voice very calm.

  ‘I think we’ve got a shoulder dystocia.’ Jacob moved over to the bed immediately but Bonnie had things under control. ‘Hayley, your second baby has got a little stuck—their shoulder is stuck behind your pubic bone. Dr Layton and I are going to help you change position to try and get your baby out as soon as possible. I need you to stop pushing for a second until we help you into position.’

  Jacob didn’t interrupt at all. He just positioned himself at the side of the bed. Bonnie kept talking calmly and smoothly. ‘We’re going to do something called the McRoberts manoeuvre. I need you to lie on your back and pull up your legs as far as you can. Kerry will help on one side, and Dr Layton on the other. This will make it easier to get your baby out.’ Kerry handed the little boy back over to his dad.

  Bonnie gave a little nod to Jacob. ‘Dr Layton is going to push down on your tummy when you have the next contraction. This should free your baby’s shoulder. It might be a little uncomfortable.’ Bonnie glanced at the clock. She had to keep watch. A baby’s umbilical cord could become compressed with shoulder dystocia. If they didn’t get the baby out in the next few minutes, Hayley would need to go for an emergency Caesarean section.

  The contraction hit right on cue. Bonnie eased her hands in to give a gentle pull on the baby as Jacob attempted to press the pelvic bone and release the baby’s shoulder. After a few tense seconds, Hayley gave a yelp and the baby slid into Bonnie’s hands.

  Kerry had already sounded the alarm and Sean was waiting with outstretched arms to check over the baby. He only took a few minutes. It was important. Babies who had shoulder dystocia could have damage to the nerves in their shoulder, arm and hand. Some could have breathing difficulties if their cord had been compressed. But after a few minutes Sean pronounced the baby well. ‘Congratulations, Mum and Dad, here’s your new baby girl.’

  Hayley and Jordan beamed. Bonnie stayed in position. After a few minutes Hayley delivered her placenta and Bonnie did her further checks. ‘Have you got a name for your daughter?’

  Hayley nodded. ‘Carly. We’re going to call her Carly.’

  Kerry came over with the other baby. ‘Dillon and Carly. They’re beautiful names for your children. Congratulations.’ She handed Dillon back over to his dad. ‘Dillon was six pounds twelve, and Carly six pounds four. Good weights. Sean said he’d be back to check them again later but there’s no reason for them to go to Special Care.’

  Hayley and Jordan smiled at each other. They were clearly in the new parenthood haze. Bonnie remembered it well.

  Her heart sank a little—just as it always did at this stage. Robert, her ex, had never looked at her the way Jordan was looking at his wife. Robert had just looked permanently stunned. The same expression he’d had on his face when she’d found him in bed with her best friend. He hadn’t been ready for marriage. With hindsight, they both hadn’t.

  Robert had been her boyfriend for barely a year when she’d fallen unexpectedly pregnant. His parents were traditionalists and had wanted them to get married. And now, Bonnie realised she’d been more swept away with the idea of being in love, rather than actually being in love. Maybe, at heart, she’d always known that Robert wasn’t marriage material.

  But what hurt most of all, despite her best efforts, was the fact he hadn’t made any attempt at all to see Freya since they’d separated. It turned out Robert hadn’t been father material either.

  Cambridge was the chance of a new start. She didn’t want to make the same mistakes again. She was determined not to get swept away in some ill-fated romance. Not when she had Freya to think about.

  She loved her job. She always had. But sometimes, especially at an emotional delivery, she was struck by the connection between the parents of the new baby. Freya was everything to her. But sometimes it made her a tiny bit envious that she was missing out on something she’d never experienced.

  It was pathetic really. Most people didn’t get the fairy tale. Most people got relationships that were hard work—and she knew that. But it didn’t stop her craving the impossible.

  She tidied up in the room and got one of the domestics to make Hayley some tea and toast. Most women said that their post-delivery tea and toast was the best in the world.

  Kerry tapped her on the shoulder. ‘It’s nearly your finishing time. I’m going to help Hayley with breastfeeding and will hand over to the next shift. Thanks for the help, Bonnie.’

  Bonnie gave a smile. ‘No problem, you’re welcome.’ She took the dirty laundry with her to the sluice, disposed of it and washed her hands again.

  Jacob appeared at her back. ‘I think that was one of the smoothest shoulder dystocia deliveries I’ve ever seen. Good call.’

  Bonnie shook her head. ‘That was pure luck. We both know things could have been different. I was actually breathing a sigh of relief as soon as that baby came out.’

  Jacob rested his hand on the small of her back. ‘Believe me, so was I. I didn’t like the thought of a quick sprint down the corridor to Theatre.’

  She could feel his warm hand through her thin scrubs. The warmth was radiating across the small of her back. When was the last time a man had touched her? She couldn’t even remember.

  She turned her shoulder just a little so she was looking up at him. She hadn’t moved enough to let his hand fall. She didn’t want it to break contact with her.
‘Thank you, Jacob,’ she said quietly.

  ‘What for?’ He tilted his head to the side. She was only inches away from those green eyes that sparkled with flecks of gold. This was the closest she’d ever been to him. She could see the tiny emerging shadow of stubble along his chin—even though she knew he’d shaved this morning. Her fingers itched to reach up and touch.

  The weariness that had been on his face the first day she’d met him had seemed to gradually disperse. On occasion, Jacob still looked tired. But there had been something else that first day—a little despair? Jacob was still a mystery to her. The only thing she knew for sure was that he didn’t have a woman in his life and for some reason that made her happy. Not that she’d ever admit that to anyone—not even Jessica.

  ‘For not interfering,’ she was whispering, even though there was no need. The rush and bustle of the ward was still going on in the corridor outside, but this seemed like a private conversation. ‘For not coming over all “doctor” and trying to take over. For giving me a chance to do my job.’

  He leaned forwards just a little. One inch. That was the space currently between them. She held her breath. If she breathed out right now, her warm breath would touch his skin.

  But there was a problem. As she’d breathed in, she’d breathed in him. Jacob. The faintest aroma of this morning’s aftershave. The scent of his skin. She could almost swear she’d just breathed in a whole host of pheromones. What other explanation could there be for the fact she was feeling the slightest bit light-headed? She’d never been light-headed in her life.

  ‘I’ll always give you the space to do your job, Bonnie. From what I’ve seen you’re excellent at it. I have faith you. The staff have faith in you. The patients have faith in you. You’re a real asset to Cambridge Maternity. And I look after my staff.’

  Her lungs were going to explode. She had to breathe out. She really did. Her insides were all over the place. It was the way he’d said it. The way he’d looked into her eyes and told her he had faith in her. She leaned back a little against his hand and tilted her chin up towards him. ‘Thank you, Jacob.’