The Midwife's Little Miracle

by Fiona McArthur

  On her first morning as a nurse she worked with Chrissie, who welcomed her with no small degree of excitement and lots of practical help.

  Chrissie was superwoman as far as Montana was concerned.

  ‘So you work full time and your husband is away three or four nights a week.’ She shook her head at Chrissie. ‘How do you manage?’

  Chrissie laughed. ‘My mum gets my son off to school and my husband helps on weekends, but it’s all worth it.’

  Montana thought she made it sound a bit easier than it was. ‘What’s he do?’

  ‘He’s a truck whisperer.’

  ‘A what? Never heard of it.’

  Chrissie smiled reminiscently. ‘That’s what he told me when we met. He’s really a diesel mechanic but he told me that trucks have emotional problems, just like horses.’

  She laughed. ‘He’s Irish and has kissed the Blarney stone but I love him. When other mechanics can’t find the fault, he’s the one who goes in and sorts it out. His reputation is spreading faster than he can keep up.’

  Montana smiled at the mental picture of an Irishman talking to a tractor about its emotional problems. ‘With a man like that, it must be hard when he’s away, though.’

  Chrissie shrugged. ‘We’re saving up for a farm and then he’ll be able to stay home and work from there. Maybe we’ll even have more kids.’

  Andy’s unmistakable step in the corridor heralded his arrival. ‘What’s this about you having kids, Chrissie?’

  ‘Not yet I’m not and you’ll be the last to know.’ Chrissie looked him up and down. ‘You back again, Andy?’

  Surprisingly, Andy had dropped in three times before eight in the morning for reasons Montana assumed she’d work out later.

  She saw the twinkle in Chrissie’s eye as she watched each of Andy’s new explanations float past but she didn’t get the joke.

  Between the occasional outpatient who appeared for dressings or injections, Chrissie had turned out drawers and cupboards so that Montana knew where to find supplies when needed.

  ‘How are you going, Montana?’ Andy asked as he skimmed an outpatient chart.

  ‘It’s all pretty simple really,’ Montana said as she checked expiry dates on medications and restocked dressing packs.

  Chrissie bubbled. ‘Apart from the occasional disaster, where we do the best we can with what we have, the rest is more like a clinic than an emergency department.

  ‘Speaking of clinics, how come yours is finished over at the house, Andy?’ Chrissie had her hands on her hips and Montana laughed.

  ‘It’s not. I just came over for some more X-ray forms. I’ll see you later,’ he said, and sauntered off again.

  Chrissie put another empty box in the bin. ‘The man’s mad but a sweetie. And I have to thank him because having you here is so great. Even if you work part time I’ll have more flexibility with my shifts, which will thrill my family.’

  She opened another box. ‘Imagine if more new staff came! Just having one more midwife on the books helps so much. Poor Rhonda has been out of it for too long and she’s over having to be responsible for new babies if one drops in.’

  Montana couldn’t imagine ever being over midwifery. ‘Has Andy told you about the new birthing centre plans?’

  Chrissie nodded enthusiastically. ‘He mentioned a little and it sounds great. Especially when I think about having another baby myself. Imagine if I didn’t have to go away and wait for labour. Imagine if I could have the same person care for me the whole way through.’

  ‘That’s how case load works and we want to drum up business. I think you should spread the word,’ Montana teased. ‘Andy’s sister is a midwife. I’m nagging her to pay a visit so I can talk to her about relocating to the Lake.’

  Chrissie stopped what she was doing and leant against the bench to study Montana’s face. ‘Have you known Andy for a long time?’ she asked casually.

  Montana kept stocking boxes and missed the intensity of Chrissie’s gaze. ‘No. I’ve worked with Misty for the last six years and she’s one of my best friends but never caught up with Andy. I met Andy after my baby was born and he suggested I come here to recuperate.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Chrissie’s comment was non committed. ‘He never loses an opportunity for new staff. I guess the Lake is a peaceful place.’

  As she finished her sentence the wail of an approaching siren drifted in the window and they looked at each other and smiled. ‘Spoke too soon,’ Montana said.

  ‘That’ll bring Andy back again and it’s not even nine o’clock yet,’ Chrissie said with a smile.

  Montana shut the cupboard she’d been arranging and moved towards the emergency bay. ‘You see a lot of him over here, don’t you?’

  ‘Some days more than others,’ Chrissie said cryptically, and came to stand beside her as they waited.

  The siren turned out to be a police car carrying Chrissie’s eight-year-old son, Dylan, who had fallen off his bike on the way to school.

  His left arm was swollen at the wrist and he began to cry in earnest when he saw his mother.

  The policeman, Bob, and his wife, June, had scooped him from the road and June had him on her lap while her husband drove. June was almost as upset as Dylan.

  Chrissie and Montana lifted him carefully and carried him into the observation room.

  By the time Andy arrived, Chrissie had consoled Dylan and arranged for the retired technician to come in and X-ray her son’s arm and Montana had plied Bob and June with tea for their nerves.

  An hour later the results were through and Andy was happy to manage Dylan conservatively. ‘Even though his radius and ulna are cracked, the base hospital has confirmed it won’t need plating,’ Andy said.

  ‘We’ll give him a sedative and the cast will give enough support for it to heal. I’ll write a referral for the orthopaedic surgeon for a check next week, and when he wakes up you can take him home and look after him.’

  Chrissie sighed. ‘Poor baby. He’ll go berserk with boredom if he can’t be a daredevil.’ She looked at Montana. ‘Sorry I have to leave you. So much for helping you settle in.’

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ Montana shook her head. ‘I’ve learnt the essentials this morning and if I need anything I can call Andy or talk to you on the phone. And Bill will be here after lunch when he starts his shift. I can save any questions I have for him.’

  By eleven Montana was in charge of the hospital but there were no more moments of unusual interest for the rest of the day. Just two old dears in the medical end who wanted to know what had happened with the siren.

  Andy brought Dawn over to her mother at lunchtime as Louisa was cooking up a storm for Ned’s surprise party the following week, and they spent an agreeable half-hour discussing who would come to the party.

  Montana was back home by four and was pleasantly satisfied with her first day.

  When she walked in to the kitchen, Andy was there jiggling Dawn on his lap and Montana shook her head in disbelief.

  ‘I can’t believe how many times I’ve seen you today.’

  Andy looked at Dawn. ‘I know. Crazy, isn’t it?’

  Montana was confused at the undercurrents but couldn’t pin down what disturbed her. ‘One of us is.’

  They smiled at each other and then Montana realised she was flirting. Where did she expect that to lead? Her baby was only four months old and her husband gone for just under a year.

  Horrified with herself, she wanted to cry and scream and beat her chest that life was unfair and too confusing, but she battened down the urge. But she needed to get away from him.

  ‘I’ll take Dawn. Excuse me,’ she said, and left the room rapidly with her daughter.

  Andy watched her go.

  Maybe it was wishful thinking but he had an idea what she was struggling with.

  It was strange to be attracted to a person other than the one you’d promised to love for life.

  He was finding it difficult himself and he’d had longer than Montana to adjust t
o loss and change. Maybe it was all too new and too hard for both of them.

  The night of Ned’s seventieth birthday arrived and Montana decided she would enjoy the evening without regret.

  Ned was a delight and she wished him a great party. She wouldn’t bring any of her heartache to ruin his evening, though she’d probably be late because she still had a dilemma about what to wear.

  She’d spent far too much time unconsciously fantasising about how Andy would look in his kilt and none about how to dress herself.

  In the end she chose a black skirt and white lacy top with a frilled neckline. If it looked a little like it could go with a tartan cape, so what?

  Ned was due back from his chess game at seven and the guests were arriving from six-thirty on to be in and hidden by seven.

  Louisa had been cooking for weeks and Montana planned to slip into the kitchen to see if she could help with any last-minute chores.

  She’d just settled Dawn down for a sleep when Andy knocked softly on her door.

  ‘You there, Montana?’ His voice was low but she had no problem distinguishing the words. Funny, that.

  She felt her heart trip a little and she frowned at herself. She took a deep breath and opened her door.

  She almost forgot to breathe out. He looked so incredible.

  ‘Well? Say something.’ She couldn’t believe he was unsure. He didn’t need to be nervous.

  ‘Oh, my goodness,’ was all she said, and even that came out muffled because her hand had flown up to cover her mouth.

  Andy stared back anxiously. ‘Do I look silly?’

  Her heart swooped and dived in her chest like there was a big hand in there squeezing and chasing it around. ‘Silly isn’t a word that leaps to mind,’ she said. She met his eyes and dragged her hand away and smiled. ‘No. You look amazing. Fabulous. And very Scottish.’

  ‘Och, aye, then.’ He grinned and twirled his yellow and red kilt. ‘I still can’t decide whether to wear jocks or not.’

  She blinked and her face flushed at the thought. ‘You’re kidding me.’

  He grinned again. ‘Yeah, but I had you worried.’

  Kill that thought. But, of course, she couldn’t. She felt like a kid waking up on her birthday. But that was silly. It was Ned’s birthday.

  ‘That’s a relief. I was worried for the innocent children if you fall over later.’

  ‘You are a hard woman, Montana Browne.’ He may have said ‘hard’ but he’d said it softly and the meaning didn’t correlate with the word.

  Andy appeared to like what he saw of her outfit too. His gaze lingered and goose-bumps ran down her arms. She needed space and forced herself to move out of the danger zone.

  ‘And you look cute in a skirt,’ she said, ‘but I have to go and see if I can do something for poor Louisa. She’s worked herself up into a state.’

  ‘A kilt, woman, not a skirt. Please.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘What about you and I take over the kitchen from Louisa and she can go and change and put on her make-up before Ned arrives? Chrissie has come over to meet people at the door and hide them in the library until seven.’

  In the kitchen Louisa laughed so hard at the kilt that in the end Montana even felt sorry for Andy.

  ‘Watch you don’t lay an egg there, Louisa.’ Andy pretended to be miffed. ‘Off you go and pretty yourself up for seven. We’ll look after your work here and meet you in the library at five to seven.’

  Louisa scurried out, dragging off her apron as she went, but she still giggled.

  Montana glanced at Andy’s crestfallen face as she stirred the rice salad in a bowl. ‘Poor Andy. She laughed at you.’

  Andy scooped coleslaw into a large crystal dish. ‘I prefer to think she laughed with me, if you don’t mind.’

  She placed a sprig of parsley in the middle of her bowl and then Andy’s for decoration. ‘I think you look wonderful.’

  ‘That’s all that matters, then.’ He’d said it lightly but when Montana looked at him again he was watching her.

  She turned away to the sink to hide her flushed cheeks. There was more to that statement than she’d first realised.

  ‘By the way…’ He was right behind her when she turned back. He had a sprig of parsley in his hand and he held it over their heads. ‘It’s not mistletoe but it will do.’

  ‘What—?’ She didn’t finish and he pulled her gently into his arms and kissed her. Only a gentle kiss but this time there was a hint of promise that he had further plans. She didn’t know what she thought of that and there wasn’t time to think about it now.

  ‘I needed that for my bruised ego,’ was all he said.

  She frowned. He was getting a little too easy with his kisses. ‘Glad I could be of service, but a little warning wouldn’t go astray.’

  Don’t read too much into it, she told herself. ‘We should move to the library because I think I just heard Joe’s car arrive to drop off Ned.’

  Andy looked horrified. ‘You can hear outside noises while I kiss you?’ He shook his head as he popped the salads into the fridge. ‘That’s not a good recommendation of my technique.’

  ‘We will talk about your technique later.’ Which is pretty darn good, she added silently. ‘Let’s go or we’ll miss the surprise.’

  They slipped into the dark library past Chrissie who raised her eyebrows at Andy’s kilt, and then everyone was silent as they heard the front door open.

  ‘Of course you can come in, Joe.’ Ned sounded jovial and Montana suspected he might even have had a whisky to help with his chess game.

  He went on as another voice could be heard on the veranda. ‘Louisa can always set another place at the table. Now, where is everybody?’

  ‘In here, Ned,’ Andy called out, and they waited in the darkness for the door to open.

  It did so and a shaft of light preceded Ned’s face as he peered into the room. ‘Has the bulb blown?’ he asked, and flicked the switch.

  ‘Surprise!’ Twenty smiling faces appeared with the light and Ned took a step back and clutched his chest.

  ‘A dinna ken what you’re doin’ here.’ He lapsed into broad Scots and Andy patted his back.

  ‘It’s all right, oldtimer. It’s a surprise party for your seventieth. Don’t have a heart attack on us.’

  ‘Well, what do you expect? A bunch of noddies like you in the dark would scare anyone.’

  He peered at the way Andy was dressed. ‘Andy, me boy. You’ve found yourself a kilt. You look bonny.’

  ‘In honour of you.’ Andy rotated to show it off.

  ‘I appreciate that. I really do. You should have had one sooner.’ Ned looked around. ‘Now, where’s that lass of yours?’

  ‘Would that be me?’ Montana smiled and kissed Ned’s cheek. ‘Many happy returns, Ned.’

  ‘Thank you, sweetheart.’

  ‘Don’t thank me. Louisa has been slaving in secret for weeks.’

  He turned to Louisa with a soft smile. ‘Now you are my true sweetheart.’ Ned put his hand out to the older woman and pulled her forward.

  ‘Dear Louisa. Thank you.’ He planted a gentle kiss on his housekeeper’s startled lips and winked at Andy.

  The music started in the background, a Scottish reel that Ned loved, and he towed Louisa forward. ‘I’m afraid I’m a bit slow in one hip but now that I’m a decent age I’ll no let grass grow under my feet. Shall we dance, lass?’

  Ned twirled a laughing Louisa into the middle of the floor and the party began.

  Montana stepped back and watched with a smile on her face until Andy came up behind her and pulled her back against his body.

  ‘We need to check the kitchen,’ he said into her ear and Montana didn’t know which sensation to register first. The feel of his hard body against her back or the fluttery jangle of nerves he’d sent to her stomach with his whispery breath. She shouldn’t be registering either.

  She pulled away and stood straight again. ‘Lead the way. We can get the food out onto the table in the hall an
d open all the doors.’

  Andy frowned and followed. ‘Then we can talk about my technique.’

  Chrissie came up behind them. ‘What technique would that be, Andy?’ There was a bubble of laughter in her voice and Montana stifled a giggle. Andy was having a poor evening being the butt of everyone’s jokes.

  Andy had the answer. ‘A new surgical tie, Chrissie. Where are you going?’

  Chrissie looked surprised. ‘I’m coming to help Montana in the kitchen, of course.’

  Andy nodded as if he’d suspected she might be. ‘Then I’m off to drink to Ned’s health.’

  But he slipped out to the veranda because suddenly he didn’t feel like partying.

  There’d been a few occasions when he’d thought that Montana felt the same way he did or at least had begun to be attracted to him. Then she would close up like a clam and he’d be back at square one.

  He become way too attracted to the maddening woman to get himself out of the nowhere land he seemed stuck in.

  In the three years since his wife had died he hadn’t looked at another woman until Montana. She had broken through the shell around his heart with her courage and serenity and the last thing he wanted to do was damage that serenity by making a nuisance of himself.

  He needed to proceed slowly for both of them but it was hard. Especially when he glimpsed the passionate woman he knew she’d be.

  When he went back to the party half an hour later Montana was dancing with Chrissie’s husband and he leant against the wall and watched.

  What was it about this woman that affected him so?

  Her dark hair was still confined in an ornate clasp and the slender column of her throat rose from her shoulders like the stem of flower. The hollow beneath her ear and her jaw made him want to draw her in and rest his fingers on that flushed delicate skin. Just to feel it. Inhale her scent there.

  He pushed himself off the wall and was considering returning outside when she looked up, smiled and crooked her finger at him. ‘Your wish is my command,’ he murmured to himself, as he powerlessly moved towards her.

  Chrissie’s husband stepped back with a grin and suddenly Andy had what he wanted—Montana in his arms, and the chance to hold her close without needing an excuse.