A Family This Christmas

by MacKay, Sue

  Cam roared his encouragement. ‘Come on, Marcus. Ten metres to go. That’s it. You’re a champ.’ Then his gaze cruised down the pool to latch onto Andrew. ‘Keep going, my boy. One arm after the other.’

  Jenny reached for Cam’s hand. ‘We should be at the finish line—or whatever you call it in swimming. Those boys are going to want to see you standing there, smiling at them.’

  Cam’s fingers instantly interlaced with hers. ‘You’re right.’

  They got to the end of the pool as Marcus hauled himself out of the water. ‘Did you see that, Dad? I won.’

  Cam ruffled Marcus’s hair. ‘Well done, kiddo. That was a great race.’

  Marcus beamed at him then turned to her. ‘Did you see me, Jenny?’

  ‘I saw you. You’re like a seal in the water.’ Jenny dropped a kiss on his forehead, got a whiff of chlorine and immediately recalled the many hours she and Alison and their mates had spent at the local pool in the summer holidays.

  A warm hand covered her shoulder, warm fingers on her skin. Cam bent his head so his mouth was close to her ear. ‘You’re a marvel with these two. Sure you haven’t got a gang of kids hidden somewhere?’

  She heard the words but couldn’t answer for the effect his warm breath was having on her skin. Inside, a gentle wave of warmth quickly became a tsunami of heat, rolling through her, overwhelming her ability to stand upright. Just like last night, only this time it hadn’t even taken Cam’s kiss to start her off. Placing a hand on Cam’s arm for balance, she struggled to gain control. When her eyes locked with his she hoped she didn’t look as startled as he did right now. How could one touch, one look make her feel so—so stunned?

  ‘Dad?’

  The twins. She gasped at the same instant Cam swung his head up. Her heart pounded. What had just gone down? Here, at the pool. Totally out of place. They were at the school, surrounded by kids and teachers and parents. And Marcus and Andrew. Far worse than in the kitchen last night.

  Cam calmly dropped his hands to his sides. ‘I’d better get a move on.’ He had to be in Blenheim for the afternoon clinic. ‘See you tonight, okay?’

  ‘Is Jenny staying to watch us some more?’

  ‘I’ll be here for the rest of the afternoon.’

  ‘Cool. We’re going to have a bombing contest after the last race.’

  She heard Cam say, ‘Be careful,’ in a worried tone.

  ‘I’ll make sure they behave.’ She looked directly at him. ‘No broken bones on my watch.’

  His smile was strangely relaxed, like he didn’t care if half of Havelock had witnessed that near kiss. It seemed for ever before he looked away and focused on the boys. ‘How about I get fish and chips on the way home and we can take Jenny down to the marina to eat them?’

  The shouts of yes were deafening. The warmth returned to her body, this time calm and gentle. This family seemed to like having her around. What’s more, she loved being here, with them. Especially with the man who had woken up parts of her body she’d hardly been aware existed before. How could desire for one man be so different from any other she’d experienced in her previous sexual encounters?

  ‘I hear you made a fabulous dinner last night.’ Amanda appeared before her moments after Cam disappeared around the corner of the school building, looking too smug for her own good.

  Glad of the distraction, Jenny agreed. ‘It was delicious, and everyone except me ate two helpings. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.’

  ‘It seems to have had a strange effect on you and Cam, if what I overheard the twins telling their mates is true.’ Amanda’s eyes glittered with amusement.

  ‘Here I’d been hoping we’d get away with that little adventure.’

  Amanda laughed. ‘Not a chance. I doubt there’s a living soul in town who doesn’t know you two were kissing last night.’

  Shrugging, Jenny joined in the laughter. ‘Guess there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to wish it hadn’t happened.’ Oh, where’d her discretion button gone? It wasn’t as though she usually went around telling others about her private life. ‘How are those fingers?’

  ‘Very sore, but they get me out of washing dishes.’

  ‘Wonder what we can cook next.’

  ‘How about lasagne on Monday?’ Amanda asked.

  ‘That’s getting more difficult, isn’t it?’ Walk before running, remember?

  ‘Not at all. You’ll be fine with it. Come and meet some of the other mums. Be warned, they’re curious about you, especially after the stories and that eye-locking moment you just had with Cam.’

  Jenny groaned. ‘Great. Think I’d better be making tracks for home.’ It is not home. And you told the boys you’d be watching them, remember? Oh, hell. She’d just agreed to go to Amanda’s on Monday when she intended leaving that day. She guessed the buses ran the same on Tuesdays.

  ‘We’re keeping an eye on our kids from the other side of the pool under the shade sail.’

  ‘Are they going to tease me, too?’

  ‘You can bet your dinner on it.’ Amanda grinned. ‘Might as well face the firing line and get it done with.’

  It should’ve felt exactly like that but the women were so friendly Jenny relaxed immediately when Amanda introduced everyone.

  ‘Shelley, Karen, Jocelyn, meet Jenny. She’s staying with Cam and the boys until her foot’s come right.’

  Fobbing off the comments about hot doctors, Jenny found a spot on the grass beside Shelley and carefully lowered herself to the ground.

  ‘How’s that ankle coming along?’ Shelley asked.

  ‘Not nearly fast enough.’ Though if it had healed in three days, like she’d wanted, then she’d be long gone and back out on the road heading for the next town. And not getting to know Cam as much as she had.

  Then Shelley asked her, ‘Have you got kids? You seem to know what you’re doing with Cam’s two.’

  ‘None yet.’ Yet? ‘Got to find a man first.’ Why did Cam come to mind so instantly? Don’t answer that. She couldn’t anyway, not having a clue. An image of strong leg muscles and a tight butt burst across her brain. Okay, maybe a little clue.

  ‘Looks to me like you already have.’ Jocelyn had a nice smile even when being cheeky.

  Amanda had no problem with giving an opinion on Jenny’s single status either. ‘Cam doesn’t have anyone in his sights. You could check him out more thoroughly.’

  Been there, done that, and so far liked what she’d seen, tasted, felt. ‘I think the man’s too busy to find time for dating. Anyway, I’ll be gone within a few days.’ How many times had she said that in the past week? The day that she packed her bag never seemed to come, always getting pushed further out. But soon she would have to make arrangements for that rendezvous with her past.

  Shelley looked surprised. ‘You’re not staying on once your ankle’s better? I’m sure Cam could use your help at the practice.’

  ‘I think Cam more than handles the centre. Besides, I was an emergency specialist, not a GP.’ She shoved to her feet and looked around for the twins. Suddenly she’d had enough of idle chatter that seemed to focus on her too much. Next, these women would be wanting to know why she wasn’t doctoring at the moment, and she wasn’t ready to share that with them today. Or ever.

  Shouts came from the pool. Children were staring into the water. Parents had leapt to their feet and raced closer. Jenny felt her heart thump against her ribs. Where were the boys? Her eyes searched the area as she made her way down to the edge of the pool, found Andrew. Marcus? There, by the changing shed. Phew.

  ‘Lily,’ Shelley screamed, and pushed past Jenny to kneel down on the edge of the pool.

  A man leapt into the pool, dived deep, aiming for the child on the bottom. The water was turning red down there.

  ‘What happened?’ Jenny asked the woman beside her. ‘I’m a doctor, I can help.’

  ‘I know. I think Lily was running along the edge and slipped. How many times do we have to tell the
kids running is banned around the pool?’

  ‘Can you call the ambulance? I’ll do what I can but Lily is going to need oxygen and things that I don’t have with me.’ If she hasn’t drowned down there.

  ‘On it.’ The woman was already punching 111 on her cell. ‘The ambulance is just next door but the call will go through Christchurch.’

  ‘I suppose it would be asking too much for someone here to have a key?’ Jenny asked.

  ‘I’ve got one. I’m Brett, a volunteer crew member. Simone, tell the dispatcher you’ve got the ambulance sorted but they still need to record the call.’ The man turned to Jenny. ‘What do you need?’

  ‘A backboard, oxygen, neck brace, and the defibrillator just in case.’

  Brett grabbed a woman by the arm. ‘Give us a hand.’

  Jenny squatted awkwardly beside Shelley. ‘Your daughter?’

  ‘Yes. Is she going to be all right?’

  That was the million-dollar question. ‘She hasn’t been down there more than a few seconds.’ But what was causing the bleeding?

  Lily was quickly brought to the surface. Thankfully her rescuer had lifted her with his hands under her arms and saved her spine from curving. Now to keep her that way. ‘Someone take her for me,’ the man called.

  ‘Give her to me.’ Shelley reached for her daughter.

  ‘Mummy!’ Lily screamed.

  ‘Wait.’ Jenny grabbed Shelley’s shoulder. Thank goodness Lily was breathing. One less problem. ‘Sorry, Shelley, but we have to do this properly in case there’s any spinal damage.’ Looking around, she said, ‘Once we get the backboard I need three people in there to place it against Lily and lift her out.’

  Instantly hands were raised, and people were saying, ‘I’ll help.’

  She pointed to the nearest three. ‘Get into the water away from Lily so you don’t cause her needless movement. Then I want you to stand behind her with…?’

  ‘John.’

  ‘With John. I’ll come in and put a neck brace on her before you move her.’ She bent down to remove her shoe.

  Someone tapped her on her shoulder. ‘Here you go. One neck brace. The backboard and everything you asked for. I’ll go in with the neck brace. You keep that cast dry.’ Brett gave her no time to reply, already sliding into the pool and pushing towards Lily.

  Once Jenny saw Brett knew what he was doing she turned to get the backboard. Passing it down when he nodded, she held her breath as the girl was gently moved upwards and out to the side of the pool.

  Shelley grabbed her hand and held on tight. ‘She’s bleeding from the head. That’s serious, isn’t it?’

  Jenny squeezed back and looked around for Amanda. ‘Can you take care of Shelley?’ she mouthed.

  Amanda joined them immediately, wrapping an arm around Shelley. ‘Hang in there, and try not to panic. I’m sure Jenny knows what she’s doing.’

  ‘Can someone get a blanket out of the ambulance?’ Jenny knelt beside the shivering, crying child. ‘Lily, I’m Jenny and I’m a doctor. I want you to lie absolutely still for me. You mustn’t move your head at all.’ Even with the brace there was room for small movements.

  ‘I want Mummy.’ Lily coughed up water. ‘Mummy,’ she hiccupped.

  Brett held her as still as possible but he couldn’t prevent some movement. ‘Careful, Lily.’

  ‘Mummy’s here, love.’ Shelley’s voice wavered as she crowded closer.

  Jenny began gently feeling Lily’s skull, looking for a soft patch where she might’ve hit the side of the pool. ‘Tell me if it hurts when I’m touching you. Do you feel any pins and needles in your legs?’

  ‘No. Why?’

  ‘What about in your fingers?’

  ‘No. Am I all right? Is that blood on my face?’ Lily’s faced puckered up as tears spurted from her eyes. ‘I don’t like blood.’

  ‘We’ll clean it up for you in a minute, sweetheart.’ The blood was pouring from a gash on Lily’s forehead but at least the bone didn’t appear to be broken. Still, only a scan would be able to totally eliminate that possibility.

  ‘Want me to apply a pressure dressing to that wound?’ Brett asked quietly. ‘Meg can hold her head.’

  She nodded. ‘Yes. Are there any slings on board the ambulance?’ She’d noticed Lily’s elbow was twisted at a slightly odd angle.

  ‘I’ll get one.’ Brett didn’t waste time, just got on with what was needed.

  She continued working her hands down the length of the girl’s body but found no other injuries. ‘Shelley, Lily will have to go to hospital. She needs stitches in her forehead and a cast on her arm. They’ll take X-rays of that first and a scan of her head. But I’m tentatively optimistic she’s one very lucky little girl.’

  A flood of tears streamed down Shelley’s face. ‘Thank you, Jenny. I’m so glad you were here.’

  Brett returned and she helped him tape the pressure bandage on Lily’s head, careful not to jar the child’s neck. Then they carefully slipped the sling under her left arm and behind her neck. Not that Lily was about to leap up and run around but the sling would prevent unnecessary movement.

  ‘There you go, Lily. Now, we’re going to put you on a trolley and place you in the ambulance. Mummy will be with you all the time.’ Twisting her head, she found Shelley standing almost on top of her. ‘You okay with that?’

  ‘Try and stop me.’

  Amanda said, ‘I’ll take your other kids home with mine. What about Gavin? Want me to get hold of him to let him know what’s going on?’

  ‘Please. I think he’s on the harvester, doing some maintenance to the line hauler. Tell him to come through to the hospital as soon as he can.’

  Jenny placed her hands on her hips and leaned back, clicking her spine into place. Kneeling all that time hadn’t been comfortable. Then she leant forward over Lily. ‘I’ll see you in a day or two, okay?’

  She helped Brett and another guy carefully slide Lily onto the stretcher and watched as he wheeled her over to the ambulance, which was now parked at the entrance to the pool area.

  ‘How do you stay so calm?’ Amanda asked from beside her.

  ‘Guess that comes with the training.’ Though she had always been calm in emergency situations. If she was going to have a panic it would be after the event, not during it.

  ‘Well, you mightn’t be so flash at cooking but you sure know how to fix people.’

  Yeah, she did, didn’t she? Now that Lily was on her way to hospital and she could relax, she could feel a rush of excitement warming her. She’d helped Lily, made sure she was safe and comfortable. Had been ready if anything more serious occurred. Damn it, she felt good.

  The boys ran up. ‘Jenny, did you save Lily?’

  ‘No, I just helped her.’ She’d completely forgotten about the boys while all that had been going down.

  ‘Relax. I had my eye on them,’ Amanda told her.

  ‘Them and half the school, it seems. But thanks. I’m easily distracted.’

  ‘What’s to eat?’ Marcus asked. ‘I’m hungry.’

  ‘When aren’t you?’ She rubbed his mussed-up hair, which was so long it was in his eyes. ‘You need a haircut.’

  ‘Dad forgets to make us an appointment at Kaye’s shop.’

  ‘Is Kaye the hairdresser?’ She’d noticed the small house on the main street that had been converted into a salon when she’d walked to the grocery store.

  ‘It’s a girls’ place but lots of us go there,’ Marcus told her.

  ‘Where’s Andrew?’ Then she spied him chasing a ball around the field with three other boys. ‘Shall we get him and head home with a stop at the bakery?’

  ‘Andrew,’ Marcus hollered. ‘We’re going to the bakery now.’

  Guess that was a yes, then.

  *

  ‘Hey, who cut your hair?’ Cam asked the moment he saw the twins. He’d never got around to making that appointment.

  ‘Kaye. Jenny took us there after swimming.’ Andrew screwed up his nose. He hated having
his hair cut.

  ‘I hope you behaved.’

  ‘Yes, Dad. We did.’

  ‘Where’s Jenny?’ The fish and chips needed to be eaten soon or they’d go soggy in their wrapping, and it would take ten minutes to walk down to the marina at her speed.

  ‘I’m here,’ her sweet voice called from the deck. ‘Andrew, can you put the washing basket away, please?’

  ‘Coming.’ Andrew hopped off the couch and raced to do as Jenny asked.

  Cam grinned at her. ‘You’ll have to tell me your secret. A haircut and putting the basket away without an argument. I don’t believe it. Thanks a lot for the haircuts. I’ve been trying to remember to book them in for weeks.’

  ‘Beginner’s luck. Kaye had a cancellation.’ She grinned back.

  ‘Dad, Lily hit her head in the pool and Jenny saved her,’ Marcus called from the kitchen.

  Jenny winced. ‘Lily slipped and went in, banging her head and elbow on the way.’ She quickly filled him in on the details. ‘I haven’t rung the hospital yet to find out how the scan went.’

  ‘I can do that, if you like. They’re more likely to tell me as I’m Lily’s GP. But let’s have dinner first.’

  ‘Those fish and chips smell divine. I’ve put a few things together in your chilly bin. Drinks for the boys, wine for me and beer for you, a roll of paper towels for the messy faces, and some tomato sauce. Can you think of anything else?’

  ‘Nothing at all. I’ll grab the foldaway chairs and we’ll be off.’ A picnic. He was going on a picnic of sorts with his kids. And Jenny. His heart felt lighter than it had in yonks. This was fun, pure and simple. The kind of thing any dad should be doing with his boys, and yet he’d never thought to do it. By the time he got to the end of his working day he only wanted to get home and finish all the chores so he could relax for a bit. But with Jenny here he’d suggested it without considering the usual constraints he put on himself.

  ‘Come on, slowcoach,’ the woman slowly retraining him as a father called from the front door. ‘I’m dribbling with anticipation of those chips.’