Tempted By The Single Mom (Yoxburgh Park Hospital)

by Caroline Anderson

  ‘Yes, it is! You told me you were ready for a quiet life. Believe me, there’s nothing quiet about life with my children, and I can’t live on eggshells in case they upset you—’

  ‘Ellie, stop it,’ he said gently, taking hold of her hands and stilling them before she slopped tea all over herself. ‘It’s fine,’ he lied, as much to himself as to her. ‘We’ll be fine, and if you and they aren’t happy here, then the insurance company will find you somewhere to go, but for now, at least, you don’t need to worry. Let me do this for you, please.’

  She stared at him as if he’d got two heads. ‘Why? Why would you put yourself out like this?’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I? You’d do it for me, I know you would. You’d do it for anyone.’ He gave a smile that felt a little crooked. ‘You remember telling me why you liked general practice? Because you could make a difference to people’s lives, and that’s important. It’s important for all of us, and it’s so easy for me to do this for you, and if it makes your life easier now, then that makes me happy. And anyway, why wouldn’t I want to have you around? In case you haven’t noticed, I rather like your company.’

  He saw something flicker in her eyes, and guessed what she was thinking before she even spoke.

  ‘We can’t...’ She broke off, and he rolled his eyes and sighed, a little hurt that she could think so little of him.

  ‘Ellie. Seriously? Your house is trashed, you and the children are homeless, and you think I’m worried about sex? I thought you were a better judge of character.’

  She swallowed. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just—the situation’s never arisen before, but I made a decision long ago that there would be nobody sharing my bed while the children were around, and certainly not a man I’ve only known a few weeks. Even if they have been pretty significant weeks...’

  He smiled and hugged her again. ‘They have, but, honestly, I’m not stupid and I’m not selfish and I absolutely understand where you’re coming from. I’m offering you somewhere safe to stay, no strings, and at the moment you’re all out of options.’

  ‘We could always stay with Liz and Steven once he’s out of hospital.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have thought so, or not for a while. Steven’s fracture is going to need surgery, and once he comes home he’ll need help with all sorts of things, so I doubt you’ll even be able to rely on Liz for a while, at least for the first week or so until he’s over it and on the mend. It was a nasty break.’

  She nodded slowly, and swallowed. ‘Yes, I saw. I was wondering about that, just before I opened my front door.’ She shook her head. ‘I haven’t even given him a thought since, and his problems are far worse than mine. What kind of a person does that make me?’

  ‘Worried. Worried for your home and your children and their safety and security—and anyway, you knew he was being taken care of and there was nothing you could do to change things for him, so why would you think about him when he wasn’t your top priority? You’ve had more pressing things to deal with, and he would understand that. And anyway, he’s in the right place and I’m sure he’ll be OK. Apparently he fainted, so they’ll probably want to check that out as well. Liz said she’d let you know as soon as she had news.’

  She nodded again, and finally leant back against the bench and drank her tea, her eyes on the precious little people that were her life, and he sat with his arm behind her along the back of the bench and watched her watching over them while his heart ached for her.

  He just hoped this situation didn’t end up breaking any of their hearts or spoiling the fledgling relationship he had with Ellie, but that was the least of his worries, because it wasn’t just about how he felt, or her, come to that, it was about the children.

  And they, he reminded himself, were all that really mattered.

  * * *

  Her phone rang just as the children were sitting down to eat, and she pulled it out and sighed.

  ‘Sorry, I have to get this, it’s David,’ she said, and walked into the kitchen.

  He could hear snatches of what she was saying, giving him the gist of what had happened. Then he heard his name, and his ears pricked up. Whatever happened to keeping it secret? And what would David be making of it? Not that there was any way they could keep it from him. The children were bound to let it out.

  ‘Hey, Oscar, don’t feed Rufus,’ he said softly, dragging himself back to the task in hand. ‘People’s food isn’t good for dogs.’

  ‘Why?’

  He stifled the smile. His sisters’ endless choruses of ‘why?’ had driven him nuts when they were this age, and his nephews and nieces had carried on the tradition. Apparently it was universal.

  ‘It just isn’t. Their tummies are different,’ he explained, and waited for the inevitable reaction.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘They just are,’ he said, and steered the conversation away from the dog’s digestion. ‘He had fun with you in the garden.’

  ‘I like him,’ Maisie said. ‘He always looks happy.’

  ‘He is happy when you’re here. He loves children. Have you all finished?’

  Oscar pushed his plate away and looked hopeful. ‘Can we have pudding?’

  He scanned the fridge in his head. ‘Would you like some yogurt?’

  ‘Do you have ice cream?’

  ‘No, Maisie, I don’t, I’m afraid. I’ve got yogurt and blueberries, and I can cut up some banana. How about that?’

  It seemed to appeal, so he cleared the plates and took the fruit and yogurt back to the table, giving Ellie a reassuring wink in passing.

  She flashed him a smile, hung up a few moments later and followed him back.

  ‘Sorry about that. He’d had a message from his mother but he couldn’t get hold of her and he wanted to know what was going on.’

  He sliced banana into the bowls and glanced at her. ‘Is he coming back?’

  She shook her head. ‘No. He can’t, he’s at the airport. I’ve said I’ll deal with it.’

  ‘Did you tell him about the house?’ he asked, dolloping yogurt on the fruit.

  ‘Yes, and I told him we were staying with a friend so he didn’t need to worry, but he wasn’t, really, he was more worried about his father. He knew you’d helped Steven, and he seemed to know who you were. Guys, did you and Daddy walk past the house this weekend on your way to the beach, and did you tell him all about Nick and Rufus?’

  They nodded, and she exchanged a speaking glance with him before looking back at the children. ‘I think you need help with that, Evie,’ she said, and took the baby’s spoon out of her hand, and he watched her feed the little one and wondered what else had been said.

  * * *

  It was another hour before the children were tucked up in bed, and half an hour after that before they were asleep. Even so, she sat for a good while longer on the double bed she’d be sharing with Evie, until she heard the soft sound of Nick’s bare feet padding down the hall.

  He paused at the door and raised an eyebrow in enquiry.

  ‘OK?’ he mouthed, and she nodded and got carefully off the bed, put the pillows in the way so Evie couldn’t roll out and tiptoed across the room.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked in a quiet undertone.

  ‘Nothing. It’s just you’ve been ages, and I wondered if you were having difficulty settling them.’

  She shook her head. ‘No. I’m just worried they’ll wake up, and it’s a long way to the sitting room. I don’t think I can leave them. They might wake up and not know where they are.’

  ‘Fancy a coffee?’

  She sighed with joy, and smiled at him. ‘I’d love a coffee. I’ll come with you and get it and bring it back here.’

  He shook his head. ‘I have a better idea. Go into my bedroom, and I’ll bring it. We can sit on the bed and talk with the door open, and you’ll hear if any of them stir.’

 
She hesitated, and he shook his head slowly and gave her a rueful smile. ‘Ellie, I thought we’d had this conversation? Go on, go and get comfortable. I won’t be long.’

  She went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. ‘You are such a star,’ she murmured, and went into his bedroom to wait for him. The overhead light seemed too bright, so she put on the bedside lights and settled herself against the pillows she’d slept on only last night, wrapped in his arms.

  It seemed a lifetime ago, and so much had happened in that time.

  She heard his footsteps and he appeared with coffee and a heaped plate on a tray. She sat up straighter, suddenly aware that she was hungry.

  ‘Are those sandwiches, or am I hallucinating?’

  He grinned and shook his head. ‘I made them a little while ago, because I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to leave the children. I thought you could eat while you watch them, if necessary, but this is a much better idea.’

  His smiled warmed her all the way to her toes, and she shuffled over and he settled himself beside her and handed her a mug, putting the plate down on the bed between them.

  ‘I could get used to this,’ she murmured contentedly.

  ‘Feel free,’ he said with a smile, and leant over and dropped a chaste, tender kiss on her lips. ‘Now eat.’

  She ate hungrily, then sat back with a sigh and sipped her coffee. ‘Bliss. I was starving. Thank you so much—for everything. I don’t know what we would have done without you.’

  ‘Well, that’s easy. You wouldn’t have been in this mess without me, because you would have found the leak much earlier because you wouldn’t have been here.’

  ‘I might not have done. I might not have found it until the ceiling fell down on the children in the middle of the night. It’s going to give me nightmares,’ she said, and suppressed a shudder.

  ‘No, it won’t,’ he said firmly, ‘because it didn’t happen and it’s all fine—well, no, not fine, obviously, but at least everyone’s OK. So what did David have to say about the house?’

  She sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, not a lot. He wanted to know if we were all right, but he was more worried about his father, naturally, and of course he couldn’t come back to see him and make sure he was all right. He asked if he could leave me to deal with it. I pointed out he usually does.’

  ‘I heard you mention my name.’

  ‘Yes, he brought it up because he knew you’d been there helping. He said, “Is that the Nick who lives in Jacob’s Lane?” so I imagine the children will have given him chapter and verse when they walked past. They don’t normally hold back. He certainly knew you’d got a dog.’

  ‘Does he know you’re staying here?’

  She shook her head. ‘No, and I didn’t tell him. I didn’t want him jumping to conclusions. He wanted to know where I’d been, as I obviously hadn’t been at home, and I just told him I was away for the weekend. I could hear the cogs turning, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts two and two together and makes ten, but there you go, there’s nothing I can do.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry about it. You are divorced, aren’t you? You’re entitled to a life.’

  She gave a little huff of laughter. ‘Oh, yes. We’re very definitely divorced, and I know he hasn’t been a saint since we split up, but then it’s different for him. He’s not a mother.’

  ‘It’s not different!’

  ‘It is, or sort of. He doesn’t live with them, and they never see him in his other life. It’s harder for me to have a relationship, and I don’t know how he’d take it. Not that it’s any of his business, but I’d still rather not discuss it with him. He wanted to know why we weren’t going to stay with his parents. I had to point out that I don’t have keys, she was at the hospital with his father, either waiting for him to go into Theatre or waiting while he was in there, and if he couldn’t get hold of her then I couldn’t, so how was I supposed to get the keys, and anyway she had quite enough to worry about without being bothered by my problems. I also told him not to tell her about the house, because I really don’t want her worried. I’ll tell her when I know Steven’s OK.’

  ‘Good plan. And in the meantime, stop worrying. It’ll all sort itself out.’

  She gave a short sigh. ‘I don’t think so. I think I’m going to have to sort it.’ She dropped her head back and stared blankly at the wall opposite. ‘Oh, what on earth am I going to do, Nick?’ she said, feeling utterly defeated and so, so tired. ‘I don’t even know where to start.’

  ‘Keep it simple. Lucy should be back by now. Phone her and tell her you need the day off tomorrow, and then call the insurance company first thing in the morning. Do you have the documents?’ he asked, all practicality, but she hadn’t even thought about that.

  ‘Yes—but not on me. They’re in the dining room, but at least it’s dry in there so they should be OK. I can get them tomorrow.’

  ‘I’ll go and get them for you now. Where are they, exactly?’

  ‘Oh—are you sure? You don’t need to do that, Nick, I could go.’

  ‘What, and leave the children with a virtual stranger? No. I’ll go, Ellie. It’s better for them, and I don’t mind. So, how do I find these documents?’

  She gave in, because of course he was right. ‘In the dresser—far end, bottom shelf, in an expanding file full of all the important stuff. It’s black, with a red handle, and my laptop’s in there, too. That could be useful.’

  ‘Anything else there that you want? Anything valuable? Bearing in mind that the alarm’s not set because the power’s off.’

  She swallowed. ‘Only my mother’s jewellery.’

  ‘Where is it?’

  ‘In my bedroom, in the...’ She gave a despairing laugh and started again, feeling colour creep into her cheeks. Ridiculous, considering what they’d done right here in this bed over the weekend. ‘It’s in the top right-hand drawer, under my underwear. It’s at the back, under the stuff I never wear.’

  ‘What colour is it?’

  ‘What, my underwear, or the jewellery box?’

  His mouth twitched. ‘I think I pretty much know what colour your underwear is. I meant your jewellery box.’

  She couldn’t help smiling. ‘Tan leather. It’s the only thing in there apart from the undies. Actually you could bring me some clean stuff for tomorrow. That would be really nice.’

  ‘OK. Is that all there is? Any other jewellery?’

  She shook her head, fingering the ring she wore on her wedding finger. ‘Only this. It was Mum’s, too.’

  He reached out and laid his hand over hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m sorry, Ellie.’

  She glanced at him, puzzled. ‘Why should you be sorry? You didn’t flood my house.’

  ‘No. I meant your mum,’ he said softly.

  She swallowed hard, suddenly swamped with emotion, and for a moment she couldn’t speak. Then she sucked in a breath and met his thoughtful, troubled gaze. ‘Thank you.’

  She leant over and kissed him, and then smiled at him. ‘David said his mother had called you a good Samaritan, and she was right, you are. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been around this afternoon to help with Steven and then this. I was so shocked, so scared for the kids, for what might have happened, and there you were, taking control, turning off the water, checking the electricity was off, sorting it out—if you hadn’t been there...’

  ‘But I was, and you’re here now.’

  ‘But only for one night.’

  He shook his head slowly, his eyes intent and sincere. ‘You don’t have to go, you know. You can stay here for as long as you need to, as long as it takes.’

  ‘Nick, it could be months, you said so yourself.’

  ‘That’s fine. Really. You’re safe, the children are safe, and that’s all that matters. Everything else can be dealt with, starting right now.’

/>   He leant over and kissed her, a tender, lingering kiss, then got off the bed and walked towards the door, but she stopped him.

  ‘Nick, wait, you need keys.’

  ‘They’re on the side in the kitchen, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s all secure before I leave. Phone Lucy,’ he added, and then he went out and a few moments later she heard the front door shut and the crunch of gravel as he drove away.

  She lifted her fingers to her lips, and could have cried at his thoughtfulness, his gentleness, his compassion. Instead she pulled out her phone, sucked in a deep breath and called Lucy.

  Time to put on her big-girl pants.

  * * *

  Doing it all by torchlight didn’t make things easier, but at least her directions were good.

  He found the big black file and her laptop and put them in the hall, then went upstairs and looked in her underwear drawer for the jewellery box and some clean undies for her for tomorrow, but he had to struggle to keep his mind in order, especially when he found the bra he’d taken off her the first time. None of that in his immediate future, he thought with a sigh, and picked up a random selection of this and that, shut the drawer firmly and headed for the stairs.

  Then he stopped and shone the torch into the ruined bedroom, and saw teddies.

  Wet, soggy teddies, but much loved.

  He picked his way carefully across the room, and felt the floor giving underneath his feet. The chipboard must have degraded with the wet. Well, just so long as it held his weight, but at least the carpet would stop him falling through into the kitchen. He hoped...

  He tested the floor and found the position of a joist, and walked along it, grabbed the teddies off the children’s sodden beds and made his way cautiously out again, went into Evie’s room and picked up her teddy from her cot and went back downstairs, put everything he’d gathered together into the car and went back into the kitchen.

  He’d brought his cool box, and he emptied the contents of her freezer drawers into it, decanted her fridge into carrier bags, put them in the car, and then hesitated, another thought occurring to him. They might be ruined, but on the other hand, they might not. Worth a try.