‘Don’t give yourself too much to do or we’ll miss you if you decide to move out.’ Bella smiled. ‘Welcome to the house, Blake.’
She looked at Vivie. ‘Would you like to show Blake his room? He can have the end room at the back of the house. That one has its own bathroom, even though it’s pretty rough.’ She looked at Blake with a challenging stare. ‘You clean your own bathroom every week. We don’t do men’s rooms.’
‘I’ll show you how.’ Vivie managed to enter the conversation finally. ‘When you get your stuff I’ll make the room up for you—then it’s up to you. You get clean sheets on a Friday.’ Vivie had moved into housekeeper mode and Blake followed her out of the room.
Bella could hear Vivie explaining about mealtimes and how he had to tell her if he wasn’t planning on being there for a meal. It would do Vivie good to have some male company other than her year-old son, Bella thought with a smile. Vivie had been on the receiving end of a bad experience, like Bella herself, and she needed to practise her feminine wiles. Bella had decided she didn’t need her wiles.
Later Bella was stepping out of her front door for the first bus run of the evening when Scott fell into step beside her.
‘Good evening, Bella. Here we are again,’ he said.
‘So I gather. Hello, Scott.’ She looked up at him. ‘This really isn’t necessary you know.’
‘Humour me,’ he said as they walked together towards the garage.
Bella sighed and waited for the fireworks. She stepped past a fire-engine red, low-slung, two-door SLR Torana with silver mag wheels and BITE ME splashed across the front windscreen. Scott’s eyes widened as he followed Bella onto the bus.
‘Where on earth did that car come from?’ Scott twisted his neck and screwed up his face in disgust.
Bella settled herself into the seat before she answered and didn’t look across at her passenger. ‘It’s Blake’s car. He moved in today.’ She started the bus’s engine and revved it. It was a diesel engine and she shouldn’t do that before it warmed up, but the motor’s noise successfully drowned out Scott’s reply.
Scott glared across at her. When the engine was back at an idle he tried again. ‘Does Abbey know you now have a male boarder?’
Bella could feel the elevation in her blood pressure. At least she assumed that was what the red mist in front of her eyes meant. ‘Excuse me?’ She turned to Scott and spoke softly but the edge was unmistakable. ‘Perhaps you’d like to trot up to the hospital and tell my sister while she’s breastfeeding. I can’t wait for her to tell you it’s none of her business.’ To reinforce her point she opened the door again and waited.
Scott met her eyes and raised his eyebrows at her reaction. ‘That’s not what I meant, but I’m sorry if I upset you.’
Bella said nothing. The door closed again and she put the bus into gear and drove out of the garage.
Scott held his peace as they drove the circuit but mentally he gnashed his teeth. He couldn’t believe she’d been so reckless and invited some unknown youth into her house. And judging by his car, the boy was loud and a hothead as well. Scott remembered the boy’s pierced eyebrow and tattoo and clenched his fists. If anything happened to Bella he’d grind the pipsqueak into a pulp.
They didn’t talk much during the first trip. There were a few more young adults than last night’s early trip and Bella was kept busy stopping and starting the bus.
By the time they were back at Bella’s house she had calmed down enough to accept she might have overreacted and Scott was being careful.
They almost made it to the next bus run as they talked of ordinary things and then suddenly, as they stood up to leave, it was as if he couldn’t restrain himself. Scott threw in a contentious question.
‘So where does Blake sleep?’ The words hung in the air between them.
Bella blinked and raised her eyebrows. How dared he? ‘That’s funny.’ She tilted her head. ‘I was under the impression that the guests in my house had nothing to do with you.’
She glared but this time Scott stared back without expression and wouldn’t be silenced. ‘It’s not unreasonable for your friends to be concerned if we consider you’ve made an ill-judged decision.’
‘Ah,’ said Bella. The red mist was coming back. ‘Patronising! That’s the Scott we all know and love.’
Scott glared back. ‘Don’t avoid the issue. You’re just asking for trouble. You can’t know anything about this person. What if he tries to break into your room in the night? He could have a criminal record as long as your arm. I’m concerned for you, Bella.’
‘I like him and I trust my instinct.’
‘Abbey trusted her instinct with Clayton Harrows and look where that led both of you.’
‘How dare you?’ Bella couldn’t believe he’d brought her sister’s ex-fiancé into the conversation. She’d just managed to get those memories of her attack back in their box after last night, and he was opening the lid again. She couldn’t believe it. Where did this man get off?
Scott wasn’t repentant. ‘I dare because I care.’
‘So what changed you to care?’ The bitterness in her voice made Scott wince. He couldn’t help the step he took towards her and before he knew it he had her pulled against him.
He looked into her eyes and his voice was barely audible. ‘I’ve always cared!’
She smelt of some herbal shampoo and flowery perfume that triggered the response he’d been fighting against all night, and his body quickened with desire and a stupid jealousy that she believed some twenty-year-old over him.
Oblivious to the tightening of his fingers, Bella tossed her hair and glared back at him. This was a Bella he’d never seen. ‘Big effort, Scott. Be careful, or someone will hear you,’ she taunted. ‘I have to watch what I say in case you run to Abbey with it, like you did when I was eighteen.’
The bitterness in her reply shocked them both. Scott lowered his voice. ‘I “ran to Abbey” to protect you. Don’t you realise? I was twelve years older and you were only eighteen. I couldn’t trust myself.’
‘So what’s changed now?’ This was crazy and needed to stop. Bella could hear the scorn in her own voice and she consciously relaxed her shoulders and attempted to step back.
But it was too late.
Scott pulled her against him and lowered his face. His eyes burned into hers as he captured her chin firmly in his hand so she couldn’t step away again.
When his lips touched hers they seared then softened and he sighed into her. Bella tasted a mixture of anger and regret and a glimpse of incredibly sweet homecoming that seemed to settle over her like a fine warm fog, and it was tantalisingly delicious. The room swam before her eyes as she leaned into him. To be in Scott’s arms was everything she’d been afraid it would be.
This feeling was too dangerous after all she’d been through. Bella didn’t want to go there—not without thought. She turned her face to break the spell, shrugged out of his hold with a practised move she’d gleaned from her self-defence classes and backed away so that he stepped back too.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t have come tonight.’ The words were clipped, as if he was still striving for control. ‘I’d better go.’
This was like a nightmare. Here she was, wanting Scott to kiss her so she could open herself up to pain a fourth time. ‘Please, do,’ was all she said.
Bella stood ramrod straight in front of him and full of purpose. She’d grown up and he hadn’t seen it until now. She didn’t need protecting by anyone. Not even by him.
Bella glanced at her watch. ‘I’m quite capable of doing the trips on my own.’
He nodded. ‘I can see that. Goodnight, Bella.’
‘Goodnight, Scott.’ Bella watched him go and now she was more confused than ever. She wasn’t quite sure where all that emotion had come from but it had better get back where it came from because she was finally self-sufficient and happy. The last thing she needed to do was get tangled up in some angst-filled relationship wit
h Scott Rainford so that he could get cold feet again and break her heart a second time.
Later that evening, Bella had just crawled into bed when someone knocked quietly on her door. Her heart jumped and for a moment her chest felt heavy with panic. Scott’s dire warnings about Blake still rung in her ears until common sense told her it was probably one of the girls.
‘Yes?’ It was more of a squeak than an enquiry. She sat up and cleared her throat to try again. ‘Who is it?’
‘It’s Blake.’
Bella couldn’t help the hand that flew to her chest. It was as if Scott was at her shoulder saying, See. The feelings she’d conquered a year ago echoed in her memory. She steadied herself. She mustn’t jump to conclusions.
Bella drew a deep breath to steady her nerves and deliberately padded across to the door and opened it slightly.
‘What do you want, Blake?’ She couldn’t help the snap in her voice but then she saw the concern in his face and realised he posed no threat to her. Damn Scott Rainford for putting those suspicions in her head.
‘It’s Melissa. She thinks she’s in labour.’
Bella nodded and opened the door wider. ‘I’ll just get my dressing-gown.’
When they’d moved down the hallway to the girl’s room they found Melissa sitting wide-eyed and trembling on the edge of the bed.
Bella sat down beside her. ‘What’s wrong, Melissa?’
Melissa grabbed Bella’s hand for comfort. ‘It’s the backache, and it keeps coming and going. It wasn’t too bad earlier but in the last half an hour it’s coming much quicker and now I’m getting these bad cramps in the front, too.’ She looked up at Bella with frightened eyes. ‘Do you think it might be labour?’
Bella smiled wryly. ‘It certainly sounds like it. Why didn’t you come and see me earlier?’
‘I didn’t think you were home and it wasn’t so bad before…’ The girl stopped and her face contorted with pain. Bella laid her hand on Melissa’s abdomen and the hardness of the uterus under her fingers confirmed the contraction. She shut her eyes for a second while she thought of what they had to do.
‘The contractions are strong. We need to get you up to the hospital to see if we can stop your labour.’
‘What if my baby is born today?’ There was real fear in Melissa’s voice.
Abbey hugged the girl. ‘We’ll have to see how big he or she is. Some thirty-four-weekers have few problems but most need special care for several weeks. It’s mainly the poor feeding that will keep your baby from coming home as quickly as a full-term baby. Now, let’s get you organised.’
She looked up at Blake. ‘Thanks for getting me, Blake.’ She glanced around the room. ‘At least we packed Melissa’s hospital bag last week.’
The young man looked less worried now that Bella was there to take command, but his anxiety wasn’t over as Melissa grabbed his hand.
‘Come with me, Blake. Thomas won’t come, and I’m scared.’
Blake backed away and he looked at Melissa with reluctance. ‘Are you sure you want me? Bella will be with you. You’ll be fine.’
Melissa’s eyes implored him. ‘I want you, too. Please.’ Bella watched the interplay. Whatever was best for Melissa was fine by her.
Blake swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. ‘OK. If you think it will help you, Melissa.’
He looked at Bella. ‘What do you think?’
‘You can stay up at the head end of the bed, Blake,’ Bella reassured him with a smile. ‘Just hold her hand and tell she’s doing a great job. That’s all you have to do.’
Bella left a note for Vivie in the kitchen on their way out to say where they’d gone.
‘We’ll have to take the bus,’ she said as she remembered her car was out of action.
‘Take mine. I’ll drive.’ At least Blake felt confident about getting them there.
Bella nodded and helped Melissa into the front. She stifled a grin at what Blake would do if Melissa’s waters broke all over his luxurious lambswool seat covers. In fact, she would have preferred to have her first drive in a hot rod in a less stressful situation and without Blake’s lead foot, she thought as the houses flashed past.
The upside was it only took them five minutes to get to the hospital, though they’d probably wakened the neighbourhood.
When they arrived at Maternity, the ward was busy with a woman in labour in the other birthing unit. Rather than short-staff the night girls, Bella admitted Melissa to the ward and settled her into bed. Blake sat on the chair beside Melissa and held the young girl’s hand.
With the night staff so busy it fell to Bella to ring Scott. Bella sighed as she dialled his number and listened to it ring. So much for avoiding Scott.
‘Hello?’ Considering it was after midnight, he sounded wide awake.
Sunday
Bella’s mouth was suddenly dry and her voice came out huskily. ‘Scott, it’s Bella.’ Before he could think she’d rung him for personal reasons, Bella hurried on. ‘I’m at Maternity with Melissa. She’s in labour at thirty-four weeks and I’d say she’s well established.’
There was a couple of seconds’ silence as he processed the information and then he said, ‘I’m on my way,’ and put the phone down.
Bella replaced her own receiver gently and turned to Melissa. ‘He’s coming in now.’
‘That’s good.’ Melissa’s voice was faint. ‘Because I think my waters just broke and these contractions are getting pretty bad.’ She met Bella’s eyes and tears welled up and overflowed. ‘Will my baby be OK?’
Bella hugged the girl. ‘Your baby will be fine.’
‘I don’t think I can do this any more.’ Melissa’s eyes were wild as she glanced at Blake, then at Bella, and then around the room as if to find a place to hide from the strength of the contractions.
Bella nodded and soothed her. ‘I know. The contractions are very strong and it is hard. You’re doing wonderfully.’
‘You are, too,’ Blake said loudly, as if he’d just remembered his lines.
Bella hid her smile as she turned on the foetal monitor and they all listened to Melissa’s baby’s heart sounds gallop along merrily. ‘How about Blake goes outside for a moment and I’ll check to see how dilated you are? If there’s absolutely no chance that your labour will stop, you can jump in the shower. To stay lying down in bed makes the pain harder to bear.’
Despite the abdominal palpation she’d done, Bella wanted to confirm that the baby’s head was coming first as well as check there was no cord prolapse after the waters had broken, though that scenario seemed unlikely with the strong foetal heartbeat they’d just heard.
‘The shower sounds like heaven,’ Melissa agreed.
Scott pulled up outside Maternity and the lecture he’d given himself, about maintaining composure around Bella, flew out the window as he saw that car parked outside. He glared at it and stalked up the stairs. The boy had already ruined one young girl’s life with a pregnancy, and now he’d latched onto Bella. Well, he was watching him.
Sharon, one of the night midwives, met him at the door and took one look at his grim expression.
‘You OK, Scott?’
‘Fine.’ He eased the scowl from his face and loosened his shoulders. ‘I was thinking about something else.’ He gestured to the two birthing suites. ‘Which way first?’
‘See Bella and then we’re ready to have this baby in number one,’ Sharon said as she peeled off to answer the buzzer from her own unit.
Scott nodded, plastered a neutral expression on his face, and went in to see Melissa.
‘So, it’s all happening, Melissa.’ They all looked up with relief when Scott walked in. He could tell things were progressing fast and when Bella handed him the chart he glanced at her findings and nodded. He looked at Blake under his brows but didn’t say anything. Bella had confirmed that Melissa’s cervix was nine centimetres dilated and it was only a matter of time before her baby would be born.
Bella placed the ultrasound Doppler
over Melissa’s stomach. The strong beat echoed around the room and everyone smiled. ‘He or she sounds happy about arriving early,’ Scott reassured his patient, and Melissa smiled weakly back until the next pain arrived.
‘I’d like to get Melissa into the shower until she’s ready to push, if that’s OK with you, Doctor?’
Scott grimaced. ‘All you Wilson girls are the same. Nobody likes to look after people on the bed any more.’ He waved them on. ‘Try to be back here before we have a head on view. Sharon has the nursery ready if we need a crib. I’ll go next door and see how they’re doing.’ He nodded at Melissa and Bella, ignored Blake and left.
Blake hung back as Bella encouraged the girl out of bed but Melissa was having none of it. ‘You come, too.’
Bella bit her lip at Blake’s discomfort but then she saw him accept that it was boots-and-all commitment if he was going to help Melissa. He went up another notch in Bella’s estimation.
‘OK.’ His voice firmed. ‘If I can help, just ask.’ He followed them into the bathroom.
Bella helped Melissa to sit on the big blue ball in the bathroom and as soon as the hot water hit her lower stomach she sighed with relief. Bella could see the tension drain from her shoulders and made Blake sit behind her to gently rub the girl’s lower back in a circular motion.
After an initial awkwardness, Blake settled into a soothing rhythm and Bella could see it helped Melissa. ‘You’re both doing wonderfully. Stay loose and it will all happen.’
The lights were dim and the sound of the running water was peaceful between contractions as they waited for Melissa’s baby to start its descent through the birth canal.
Within half an hour Melissa stood up and the change in her breathing was clearly audible to Bella. ‘I need to push,’ Melissa panted, and Bella nodded.
‘Listen to what your body is telling you to do. Don’t be frightened. It’s OK.’
Melissa couldn’t help the involuntary downward pressure she was exerting and she squeezed Blake’s hand as she pushed. ‘I can feel it move,’ she whispered. Blake paled and stepped back to let Bella closer.
A Very Single Midwife Page 4
