Taking a Chance on the Single Dad

by Sue MacKay

  ‘Here’s my horse, Daddy.’

  ‘Thanks, kiddo.’ Hunter took the paper Dylan held out to him and focused entirely on the yellow and green animal standing in a red and grey stall. ‘That’s clever. You’ve done a great job. We’ll put it on the wall in your new bedroom when we move into our house.’

  Our house. Dylan’s bedroom. Their life.

  ‘I’ll do more colouring in tomorrow. Can we play I Spy?’

  ‘Sure.’ It was nearly Dylan’s bedtime, but Hunter wasn’t giving up play time. ‘Then I’ll read you a story in bed.’

  ‘Dinner in thirty,’ Jess said.

  ‘Great.’ If his stomach could handle food at the moment. ‘Come on, Dylan. We’ll play in the other rooms, give the adults some quiet time.’ He ignored Dave’s smart-ass comment to that and headed out to the conservatory to start their derivative of I Spy, which involved colours and not letters as Dylan wasn’t up to speed on those yet. His friends’ two boys joined in and soon the house was full of shouts and laughter. So much for quiet. Hunter grinned to himself. Served Jess right. Nosy creature. But she’d be the first to have his back if anyone hurt him. That was how she operated, unless she disliked you.

  So, Brenna, what did we do? Was it wrong? Right? Whichever, they definitely needed to put the past back in its box and padlock the lid.

  He didn’t need Jess harassing him with questions, he managed fine all by himself throughout the night. They hadn’t quietened down by the time he turned into Brenna’s service lane early next morning. She’d started the car, removed the charger and was about to head to work. ‘Want to share a ride?’ he asked. Not because it made sense to share the trip but because he wanted to know how she felt about him this morning.

  ‘Sorry but I go to aqua jogging straight after work on Wednesdays.’ She slid inside her car and closed the door.

  So, he wasn’t top of the pops. Hopefully there’d be no complications arising while they worked together. Like their previous relationship, last night’s kiss was history. Knowing that was one thing, remembering it another. So far, he hadn’t been doing a good job of remaining neutral around her.

  ‘See you at the base,’ he managed, without the disappointment that was clamping around his throat creeping into his voice. Dropping the charger into the back of his four-wheel drive, he climbed into the driver’s seat and reversed out onto the road. Thirty minutes to give himself a talking-to about wanting Bren and not having her, and when he pulled into the rescue centre park he added a wish for a frantically busy day for good measure.

  It was the only wish that came true all day.

  ‘Aircraft accident at Boundary Bay airport, two injured, one serious.’ Andy drained his mug of coffee and headed out to the helicopter at a fast clip.

  ‘The pilot’s not really with it, says he’s got pain then goes quiet on us,’ they were told when they arrived at the upside-down Cessna. ‘He’d started to take off when the plane suddenly shot sideways and flipped.’

  ‘Name?’ Hunter crawled between the strops to the open door.

  ‘Alan.’

  ‘Hello, Alan, I’m Hunter, a paramedic. Can you hear me?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

  ‘Sharp pain in my chest. Blacked out, I think.’ Nothing wrong with his speech or awareness.

  ‘Any history of heart problems?’ Hunter was tearing open the man’s shirt and taking the ECG pads Brenna passed through to stick to Alan’s chest.

  ‘No,’ Alan shot back, too fast. Was he telling the truth? Or had he hidden some of his medical history in order to keep his licence?

  ‘Any other pain, before or after impact?’

  ‘My left arm hurts.’ Then he quickly added, ‘That started after we crashed. Not before.’

  Left arm pain could be an indicator of cardiac dysfunction. Or Alan might’ve broken it when he’d been thrown against the framework as the plane had rolled.

  ‘Ventilation required,’ Hunter told Brenna, and nodded when he saw she had the equipment in her hands. Naturally she hadn’t missed a trick. He turned away from Alan and spoke in a low voice. ‘I’m wondering about the cause of the accident.’

  Brenna nodded. ‘According to the other guy on board, the take-off was going according to plan then suddenly the pilot groaned and grabbed his chest, letting the controls go. It all ties in with CA. But you’re wondering about past history, aren’t you?’

  See? She had a finger on everything. He nodded but refrained from answering in case Alan overheard. No point upsetting him further. ‘In case there are fractures I’ll check him over before we extract him with some help from the onlookers.’ At this hour there weren’t many, but he only needed a couple of strong men to get Alan’s small frame out of the tiny cabin.

  On the flight back to the hospital emergency department Hunter filled in the report form, making sure all the details were correct, including the pain Alan had suffered before the accident, but not the suspicious way he’d replied to questions. His medical history would be looked into by ED staff. Whether the man should’ve been behind the controls was for the medical insurance company to determine.

  ‘I’m not happy thinking that accident might’ve been preventable,’ he told Brenna as they returned to the helicopter from the ED. ‘His arm wasn’t broken, or even badly bruised. What if his passenger had been seriously injured? Or worse?’

  ‘One of the bystanders said he’d renewed his licence two months ago and they have to pass a medical first so it’s probably a new medical event.’

  ‘Or he’s been denying pains and pretending nothing’s wrong.’

  ‘Are you always this suspicious?’ Brenna glanced his way, amusement lightening those intense caramel eyes for the first time all morning.

  ‘Just being observant,’ he growled, because he had to avoid falling into the warmth surrounding that amusement. ‘I hope we’ve got time for coffee.’

  ‘In need of a fix?’

  ‘Something to keep me alert. Dylan woke twice last night and had to be talked back to bed, no easy feat.’

  ‘Does that happen often?’

  ‘Less than it used to.’ He wasn’t mentioning how their kiss had kept his body fractious when he hadn’t been awake, being the responsible dad.

  The coffee grains hadn’t had time to dissolve in boiling water when Kevin poked his head around the tearoom door. ‘Gas explosion in an apartment downtown.’

  ‘Not in Gastown?’ Brenna asked, her voice thick with apprehension.

  Kevin quickly shook his head. ‘No. Nowhere near Emily and Lily.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Brenna pressed her lips together, seemingly fighting the relief her sisters were safe while other people obviously weren’t.

  Kevin continued, ‘There’s a fire on the third floor of the building and so far firefighters have found two bodies, along with one badly burned, unconscious woman.’

  ‘Internal and external burns very likely,’ Brenna said as they ran to the chopper.

  ‘The worst injuries possible in my book.’ Hunter grimaced. ‘Especially those to the lungs.’ Hopefully, and very likely, the patient would be unconscious, otherwise she’d be in agony.

  The woman was out of it, and her breathing was shallow, while her heart rate was rapid as it tried to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Black mucus at the edge of her mouth indicated internal burns. Brenna immediately began giving oxygen via a manual ventilation bag while Hunter cut away the woman’s clothing so he could cover the burns to her skin with cling wrap to prevent infection or dust contaminating the wounds.

  ‘I need large-bore IV access here for saline,’ Hunter told Brenna. Fluids were essential for the woman to have any chance of surviving.

  ‘There’s a trauma to the head.’ Using her free hand, Brenna was carefully feeling around the woman’s skull. ‘She must’ve been thrown
against something solid in the explosion.’

  ‘The left wrist is at an odd angle too,’ Hunter noted as he applied tape to keep the large-bore in place before letting the saline solution run into the vein. ‘We need to get her to hospital ASAP.’

  ‘Do we have identification details?’ Brenna was looking at the cop standing nearby, not at their patient.

  ‘I’ve got her name and where she works. That’s all I’ve been able to find out,’ the young woman replied. ‘A police unit has gone to her work for more info. They’ll pass it on to the emergency room.’

  ‘I hope neither of the deceased are related to her. She’s got enough to fight at the moment without having to deal with that loss,’ Hunter said with a heavy heart. Some people got some lousy breaks. ‘Let’s go.’

  On the way back to base Andy called up Kevin. ‘Put the kettle on, will you? We could all do with very strong coffee and breakfast.’

  They got to smell the coffee before the next call came in. ‘A woman in labour and the baby’s head’s out but nothing else is moving. It’s been in that position for thirty minutes. The midwife called it in.’

  * * *

  The moment they entered the bedroom at the house they’d run to from the helicopter, Brenna was introducing herself. ‘Hello, Amy. I’m Brenna, a doctor. I hear you’re having trouble bringing your little one into the world.’

  Hunter nodded to the man looking distraught on the other side of the large bed. ‘I’m Hunter. Your wife?’

  He nodded abruptly, pain in his dark eyes. ‘Do something. It’s not meant to be like this.’

  ‘We’re onto it.’

  As the midwife filled them in on the details, Brenna talked softly to Amy and explained what she was doing. Pressing above the pubic bone slowly and firmly towards Amy’s lower back. ‘I’m trying to reposition baby’s shoulder. Sometimes they get stuck.’

  ‘I tried that,’ the midwife said. ‘No change, which was when I called your lot.’

  Hunter smiled as he unpacked the portable trolley they’d brought with them. ‘You did the right thing. Brenna’s just trying once more. We’ll be on our way very soon.’ Unless baby’s shoulder shifted, and then it would arrive in a rush.

  It didn’t. ‘Let’s go.’ Brenna straightened up and between them they helped Amy onto the trolley.

  Immediately Hunter began wheeling her outside and across to the helicopter sitting in the middle of the road, where neighbours were keeping back traffic and other people coming to see what was going on. ‘Let’s go,’ he told Andy as soon as Amy was strapped in and the door shut.

  ‘I’ve called the details in,’ Brenna told him. ‘They’ve got an obstetrician on standby.’ Surgery looked like Amy’s best option now.

  * * *

  ‘Baby was delivered safe and well by C-section, and is in PICU to keep an eye on things. Mum’s been given heavy painkillers so not very aware just now. The husband sends his thanks,’ Kevin told Hunter and Brenna when they sat down to eat lunch at four that afternoon after numerous callouts.

  ‘That’s the best news of the day.’ Brenna fiddled with her sandwich. ‘What about the burns lady?’

  ‘No change.’

  As she made to drop her sandwich back on the paper bag Hunter said, ‘Eat it. I know it’s hard to swallow but we’re no good to anyone if we don’t have food.’

  ‘And I’ve got to deal with sixteen energetic and rowdy teenagers later.’ Her perfect white teeth bit into the bread and chicken. Her eyes closed as she worked at chewing and swallowing. She looked so vulnerable Hunter had to tighten his hand around his mug of soup to stop himself from leaping up and going to cuddle her until she smiled again.

  Instead he said, ‘Thought you were aqua-jogging.’

  ‘We are. It’s part of the keep-fit regime their skiing coach insists on.’ Her eyes popped open and he was blasted with a caramel-coloured look. ‘It’s wind-down time. Last weekend’s competition was the final one for the year, yet the kids aren’t ready to hang up their skis. Or stop their fitness training. They’re a good lot who like doing things together, and I go along to keep them orderly. At least, I try.’

  Her phone vibrated on the table and she picked it up. ‘That’s not good. A friend of mine has to fly to Toronto tonight as her mother’s been admitted to hospital.’ She tapped a reply, then put the phone aside. ‘Now what am I going to do?’

  ‘Problem?’ Hunter asked, even when it was obvious there was. Worry was darkening that toffee colour to coffee grinds.

  ‘Gina dog-sits Poppy for me when I go away. She likes getting out of the apartment she shares with two other women and coming to my house for peace and quiet. She also adores Poppy.’

  ‘Where are you off to this weekend?’ More downhill races? Leaping out of perfectly good flying machines?

  Brenna’s face tightened. ‘This weekend is the third anniversary of Dad’s passing and the family’s going to the cabin over on Vancouver Island.’

  ‘I’m sorry. The date didn’t register.’ If he’d been around it would’ve been indelibly marked in his head.

  ‘Hunter,’ Brenna sighed. ‘Don’t apologise. I did not expect you to know the significance of this weekend.’

  She was right. This stuff was hard. With nothing to add he went with a change of subject. ‘Why not take Poppy with you?’ He’d spent some amazing weekends with Brenna and her family at the holiday house. The dog would love running on the beach and in the forest behind.

  ‘She gets bad motion sickness, especially on the ferry, which I found out the hard way the first time I took her over there.’

  He laughed. ‘Not nice.’ So Poppy would be home alone unless Brenna came up with someone else at short notice. ‘Dylan and I could stay over. It’d give Dave and Jess a break from us.’

  Shock registered in her face. ‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ll come up with something.’

  He had spoken without thinking it through and saw how she might feel about him being in her personal space. ‘The offer’s there if you get stuck. Dylan and I could do with time away from Dave’s lot too.’ He and Brenna wouldn’t see each other except maybe at the beginning and end of the weekend, and he wouldn’t go delving into her rooms and cupboards. But he wouldn’t beg. It wasn’t that important, yet the longer he thought about it the more he’d like to have two days when he didn’t have to fit in with another family.

  In his pocket his phone vibrated. ‘Hello, Mum, how’s things?’

  Brenna stilled.

  ‘Mum, you know perfectly well Dad’s capable of doing that by himself.’ Hunter stood up to wander outside.

  Brenna had begun fidgeting with her coffee mug. As for the look on her face—he didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t know about Dad’s bouts of depression, therefore wouldn’t understand what he was saying to his mother.

  ‘If you hadn’t moved away, I wouldn’t have to worry.’ His mother was using her best petulant voice.

  It wasn’t working. ‘We discussed this. You and Dad have all the help you need at your fingertips. You don’t need me there to fix every little thing that crops up.’ Through the doorway he could see Brenna rinsing her mug at the sink, a grim expression tightening her mouth. So, she thought he’d drop everything and run back to Kamloops over a phone call.

  Isn’t that what you did last time?

  Dad had been thinking about suicide then. Today he was refusing to take Mum with him to the supermarket. What if it was something far worse? Was Brenna right in believing he’d pack up and leave for good?

  ‘No, Mum, I live here now. I am not returning to Kamloops except for visits.’ And the first one of those wasn’t happening for a while yet. They had to learn to get on without him there twenty-four seven. ‘Let Dad do what he wants. He’s not hurting anyone.’

  Get that, Brenna? My life is now here in Vancouver.

  Kevin waved
at him. ‘You’re on again. Car versus bus on Highway 99.’

  ‘Got to go.’ He hung up. Hard but necessary for all of them. As long as he was there for every mishap or disagreement, his parents were not going to start sorting out their own lives. Thankfully the staff at the village they lived in were on his side.

  As he strapped himself into the seat beside Brenna, he told her, ‘Families, huh? They sure keep us busy.’

  ‘Worth it, though.’

  She could’ve said she hoped his had been worth what he’d given up. She hadn’t. He relaxed. ‘That’s what I tell myself when Dylan wets his bed at two in the morning.’

  ‘He still does that?’

  ‘Occasionally, when he’s upset about something.’ Usually something one or other of his grandparents had told him. ‘It hasn’t happened since we moved.’ Long may that last.

  ‘So he’s happy here?’

  ‘Very.’ It was true. Dylan seemed to grow every day, expanding his horizons, not looking for trouble in cupboards. ‘Which is why we’re here. And not leaving,’ he added for good measure.

  At ten past six Hunter slung his day bag over his shoulder and headed out to his four-wheel drive. He was exhausted. Every muscle ached, his head throbbed and he couldn’t wait to get home to his boy.

  ‘Hunter?’ Brenna stood by her car, her elbows on the roof. It was hard to read her expression in the overhead light’s sharp glare.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Can I take you up on your offer to look after Poppy after all?’

  ‘Not found anyone else?’ he asked, not liking to be second best.

  She straightened and came across. ‘I haven’t asked. Turning you down was a knee-jerk reaction because it felt weird that you might be staying in my house after all this time.’

  Don’t pull any punches, will you?

  He gave one back. ‘We have moved on, Bren.’ Idiot. He’d just shown how far his journey had gone. Nowhere. ‘I meant Brenna. When do you head away?’