by Joanna Neil
He tilted his head to one side, taking evasive action, but unfortunately he wasn’t quite fast enough.
‘No, no…’ Ruby admonished the baby, gently unfastening her small fist from the silky strands of his thick, dark hair. His hair was clean and springy in texture, and Ruby was taken unawares by the series of tiny electric shocks that ran along her wrist and arm as her fingers brushed lightly against the strands. Her nervous system was too highly strung for such intimate contact, obviously. In fact, the whole notion that her refined, meticulous former boss was sitting in her grandparents’ country kitchen seemed more than a touch bizarre.
‘Leave Sam be, Becky,’ she murmured, getting herself together. ‘He’s not used to our exuberant country ways.’ She placed the infant in her high chair and Becky proceeded to noisily bang her rattle on the food tray, laughing with glee at the din she was making.
Sam winced at the noise and after a moment or two thoughtfully handed her the oversized rabbit, so that peace reigned for a while as she hugged it close. He looked pleasantly surprised that his strategy had worked, and Ruby gave a soft laugh.
‘Now you see what I have to put up with all day,’ she murmured. Glancing at him, she added, ‘You seem to have been working on your technique with youngsters. Distraction tactics tend to work, don’t they?’ She poured tea and pushed a generously sized cup towards him, adding a plate of pizza slices and a bowl of salad to the table, along with a plate and cutlery. ‘Help yourself. We don’t go in for table manners and etiquette around here. Old habits die hard. It’s a case of grab it and eat while you have the chance…much the same as at the hospital.’
He did as she suggested, helping himself to a pizza slice, and she added conversationally, ‘How are things at the hospital? Is there any news of the infant who came in with abdominal pain? How’s he doing? Last I heard, you were planning on sending him for surgery.’
‘That’s right. It turned out that he had an obstruction in his intestine, as we thought, so I called for the specialist surgeon to come and take a look at him. He operated later that same day, and now the little boy’s recovering on the paediatric ward.’
‘And he’s doing well?’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Good, I’m glad of that. It’s a relief to know that at least some things manage to turn out all right.’ She handed Becky a rusk, removing the rabbit gently from her grasp, and then buttered herself a fruit scone, putting it to her lips and taking a bite. She didn’t sit down—Becky was likely to need attention, and it was easier if she was by her side.
‘Do I detect a note of strain in your tone?’ he asked, sending her a thoughtful glance. He took a bite of pizza, savouring the cheese and tomato as though it was a whole new experience. Then he licked the sauce from his lips with the tip of his tongue, and she had the feeling that he was trying to work out what made the flavours so special. It was probably the delicate blend of herbs she had added. Ruby watched him in fascination, lost in a world of her own until he asked quietly, ‘Have things here not turned out quite as you hoped?’
She came back to earth with a jolt. ‘I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting,’ she answered, wiping her hands on a paper towel. ‘All I know is that one of the ponies is off his food, one or two of the ducks have a problem with their wing feathers, and the hens are not laying as well as they might. I suspect some of them are a bit old now and have given up on trying.’
‘Oh, I see.’ His brows drew together. ‘I suppose you’ll take them off to market and bring in some new ones, will you?’
‘Certainly not.’ Her voice rose on a note of indignation, and she glared at him, affronted that he should suggest such a thing. ‘I wouldn’t dream of sending them away. They’ll stay here and live out their lives on the farm.’
He laughed. ‘This is not meant to be a commercial enterprise, then? Just a happy-go-lucky country-living type enterprise?’
‘We’re just playing at being farmers, you mean?’ She let her shoulders drop and gave an amused smile. At least he’d begun to relax a little. Perhaps the food and hot tea was all that he needed to help him to unwind. ‘You make it sound as though we’re a bunch of country yokels. I have to tell you, I’m not quite ready for the battered hat and straw between the teeth just yet.’
She spread home-made raspberry preserve onto another scone. ‘In fact, my grandparents do make a small living from the fruit crops they grow, and then there’s the honey they get from the beehives. Sometimes, through the summer months, they open the farm up to visitors—family groups, mostly. There are lots of activities youngsters can get into—like pond dipping, or swinging on the rope in the hay barn. There’s a small playground area too. And of course, there are the animals to see. They even have pony rides sometimes.’
She bit into the scone, leaning back against the nearby worktop, lost for a moment in sheer enjoyment of the sweet fruit. ‘I could show you around the place if you like—or at least some of it.’
‘Thanks. That would be good.’ Sam’s gaze drifted over her, his expression strangely unreadable as she arched her back briefly to relieve muscles that were stiff after a day’s work on the small farm. She gave a small frown, wondering if he was contemplating the slightly generous nature of her curves, given her obvious enjoyment of pastries and the like. She wasn’t particularly slender, but, then again, she wasn’t overweight either, and her jeans fitted her snugly, as did the cotton top that left her midriff bare whenever she stretched.
She straightened up. Perhaps it was her naked midsection that had caused his glance to wander.
He averted his gaze. ‘So once you’ve managed to sort out the animals’ problems, things will be fairly straightforward, I imagine,’ he said in the small silence that had arisen. ‘You’ll be able to settle to this way of life.’
‘I don’t know about that.’ Her mouth made a downward curve. ‘Becky’s teething, which means she’s constantly dribbling and intermittently crying because her gums are sore. And on top of that I’ve discovered a leak in the roof that’s causing a damp patch on one of the bedroom walls, and the central heating’s on the blink. Not that I need it very much right now, but the nights are becoming cooler, and it would be nice to be able to take the chill off the place.’
He was listening intently, but now he paused, his teacup halfway to his lips, so that her gaze was drawn to the long, bronzed fingers that circled the handle. The back of his hand was covered with a light smattering of golden hair, and, as he moved to set the cup down again, she caught a glimpse of the distinctive watch that circled his strong wrist beneath the beautifully laundered cuff of his shirt.
For just a second or two she was captivated by the sheer maleness that he exuded. He didn’t have to say a word. He simply sat there in her kitchen, looking overwhelmingly masculine, and she found herself thinking that of all the men in the world he was an example of one who could make women go weak at the knees without even trying.
She couldn’t imagine why her thoughts were wandering in that direction. She wasn’t in any way about to succumb to his subtle blend of magnetism, was she? He was the total opposite of everything she stood for.
Besides, she wasn’t looking for a man in her life, not after Tom had let her down by showing himself in his true colours. That had been an eye-opener. It had taught her that you never quite knew where you were with men. They seemed to be everything you could want, and then, just when you let yourself relax and accept that this might possibly be the real thing, they turned your world upside down and headed off for greener pastures.
She frowned. Hadn’t the same thing happened with Sophie? Except that Becky’s father had turned out to be a married man looking for a temporary diversion, and poor Sophie had no idea until it was too late. No, she decided, men were not to be trusted with something as tender and special as a woman’s affection. They didn’t appear to appreciate it.
She pulled herself together and distracted herself by gathering up a broken piece of rusk from the high chair�
�s food tray and handing it to Becky. ‘Here you are,’ she told her. ‘See if you can finish it all.’
‘I can see that you have your hands full with the baby, as well as the house and the farm,’ Sam said, ‘so anything else is an added burden. Isn’t your husband able to sort these things out for you?’ He gave her a searching look. ‘It seems to me you have more than enough to contend with around here…and that’s without taking into account what you’ve already given up—the rewarding career you’ve left behind.’
She returned his gaze. ‘I don’t have a husband,’ she said.
He frowned, shooting a glance at her bare ring finger. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise…’ He was clearly thrown by that revelation, but he recovered himself, appearing to mull things over. ‘That must make life doubly difficult for you, having to take care of your baby on your own. It’s perhaps no wonder that you found it all too much of an effort to go on with your job.’
‘Actually…’ she sat down at last and faced him squarely ‘…it isn’t like that at all. I mean, yes, I had to take time out to look after the baby…but Becky isn’t mine. She’s my sister’s baby—only Sophie went off a week or so ago, without warning, and there’s no one else who can take care of her child.’
His expression was stunned. ‘Is she coming back?’
Ruby shrugged. ‘I don’t know. The police are looking for her, but so far they haven’t managed to find her.’
He was silent for a moment or two. ‘That’s shocking news…you must be very worried.’
She nodded. ‘I am, though I’m holding on to the belief that nothing bad has happened to her. She seemed to be quite confused just before she left, and I think she may have needed some time on her own to sort herself out.’
‘That still leaves you having to pick up the pieces.’ He was frowning now. ‘Surely you could have let the authorities look after the infant? I imagine they wouldn’t have much trouble finding her a foster family. Why would you have to ruin your life by taking on her care?’
Ruby’s gaze narrowed on him. ‘You obviously have no understanding of how relationships work,’ she said, keeping her voice low and even but unable to hide the thread of exasperation.
He raised a dark brow. ‘I know enough to understand that your sister went off and left her child. What kind of mother would do that? And why should you take over the reins? Becky’s gorgeous, I grant you, but when it comes down to it, she isn’t your problem.’
‘Maybe I don’t see it that way.’ He really ought to have read the warning signs that were sparking in her eyes because his cavalier attitude was beginning to rile her. She was usually incredibly even-tempered, but the thought that anyone could dismiss Becky as someone to be parcelled off into local authority care made her thoroughly irritable. ‘Families are important,’ she said, emphasising the words. ‘Don’t you see that? Wouldn’t you do the same for your family?’
He frowned. ‘Perhaps those loyalties aren’t so important to me, but, then, my family isn’t a close-knit one. Don’t get me wrong—we have a great bond and affection for one another, but we don’t live in each other’s pockets. My parents are away looking after their business interests abroad for a good part of the year, and my younger brother is working up in Scotland. We keep in touch, obviously, but generally we’re pretty much self-reliant. I’m able and willing to look after the family’s country estate while they’re away, but I doubt that any one of them would call on me to do more than I do already.’
She sent him a guarded look. His outlook on life was so different to hers. She was part of a loving, caring, hands-on family, whereas he seemed to prefer his independence. Was that the reason he was uncomfortable with the general camaraderie back at the hospital? No wonder he acted the way he did. Surely, his comments were the key to his whole personality? He was totally self-sufficient, needing no one—instead, he was a law unto himself, concentrating only on the job in hand as though it was all that mattered.
She frowned. And what was that about a country estate? That conjured up all kinds of images in her mind, but she batted them away and concentrated instead on the issue at hand. ‘Well, I don’t feel the same way at all. My family mean everything to me, and we always help one another out in any way we can. My sister is ill, and I’m worried about her, and I feel a responsibility towards her baby. Sophie can’t possibly be thinking straight or she wouldn’t have left.’
She stood up, knowing that if she stayed still her emotions would most likely well up inside her and bubble over, with disastrous consequences. She didn’t want to say something she might regret later. Instead, she handed Becky another piece of rusk that had broken off from the main biscuit. The little girl’s mouth was smeared with gooey cereal, and her fingers and palms were covered in moist rusk from where she had dabbled her hands in her food.
‘That still doesn’t make her child your concern.’
‘But I want her to be my concern.’ She glowered at him from beneath her lashes, and this time he must finally have taken note of the sharp edge to her voice and the glitter of her gaze because his eyes widened a fraction.
‘She’s family,’ Ruby went on, ‘which gives me a strong reason for wanting to take care of her. Added to that, I’m of an age where I’m wondering if having a career is maybe not the be all and end all of life, after all. Perhaps I’m missing out on the biggest part of what being a woman is all about. I hope it’s not the case, but it occurs to me that I might never experience the joy of looking after a child of my own, so taking care of my sister’s baby has to come somewhere close to the ideal.’
He looked at her in astonishment, as if he thought she had taken leave of her senses. ‘So your career—everything you’ve worked for all these years—is just to be thrown by the wayside on a whim. Do you really plan on giving it all up?’
She frowned. ‘I think you already know the answer to that, don’t you?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m finding it hard to accept that you can turn your back on it so easily. You’re extremely good at your job. You’re a paediatrician who specialises in A&E, and that’s a rare and valuable combination. We need you at the hospital, Ruby. There’s no one who can take your place. You have a wonderful talent for getting the best out of people. That’s why I came here today, to ask if you would consider coming back to work.’
‘I thought that might be the reason why you were here.’ She stood up and went to run a flannel under the water at the sink so that she could wipe Becky’s face and hands. It gave her something to do, to lessen the impact his words were having on her equilibrium. He was pointing out things that she had already turned over in her mind, areas of frustration that she had battled to overcome.
He got to his feet and started towards her, but Becky was not about to let this interesting person out of her range without a fight. The baby leaned towards him, grasping his jacket in her small fist, and then she buried her face in the suede, drawing it to her mouth.
‘Oh dear. I’m so sorry,’ Ruby said, looking at him in consternation. ‘I should have warned you. She does that all the while. Everything goes straight to her mouth.’
He drew back, carefully disengaging himself from Becky’s attentions, and, deprived of her newfound sensory toy, the little girl began to wail. Her face crumpled, her cheeks reddened, and tears began to trickle down her face.
Sam’s expression was so stricken that it was almost comical. ‘What am I supposed to do?’ he said, looking to Ruby for an answer that would put a quick end to the ear-shattering noise.
Ruby’s shoulders moved in an awkward fashion. ‘Don’t ask me,’ she said. ‘I’m a beginner at this, the same as you.’ She shifted the flannel about in her hands in an agony of indecision. What should she wipe first—Sam’s jacket or Becky’s face?
He took the matter out of her hands by going over to the worktop and grabbing a handful of kitchen towels. While he removed the mess from his jacket, Ruby attended to Becky, trying to soothe the child and wipe her clean at the same tim
e.
‘It’s not so bad, Becky,’ she murmured softly. ‘I expect you wouldn’t really have liked the taste of his jacket. Anyway, I think you’re probably tired, aren’t you? I’ll clean you up and pop you in your crib for a while, and then you can hold on to Bunny Rabbit and tell him all your troubles.’
She glanced at Sam while she attended to the baby’s face and hands. He had managed to clean the worst of the mess from his jacket, but the soft suede was wet now, and she guessed it would stiffen as it dried.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said, reading her thoughts. ‘Just concentrate on seeing to Becky, and then maybe we can talk.’
She nodded. She guessed he couldn’t think straight while the loud wailing was going on in the background, and she felt pretty much the same way. That was why the crying device worked so well where babies were concerned. You had to deal with it as a priority if you were to stay sane.
‘I’ll put her to bed,’ she said, lifting the child out of the seat. ‘You could go and take a look around outside if you like, and I’ll catch up with you in a while. If I hook the baby monitor to the belt loop on my jeans, we can take a short walk in the grounds, and I’ll still know if she needs my attention.’
‘Okay. Take your time.’ Perhaps he sensed that she was suddenly stressed because he smiled and held out the patchwork rabbit to Becky, almost like a peace offering.
Becky’s eyes widened, and she stopped crying, hiccupping instead, and looking at him with a guarded expression that said her opinion of him was under review.
Ruby whisked the child away, taking her to the bedroom upstairs and settling her down in her cot. She set the video monitor to play soft lullabies to soothe her to sleep, and after a few minutes, when Becky’s eyelids were beginning to droop, she crept quietly out of the room.
When she went back into the kitchen, she discovered that Sam had cleared away the food and crockery from the table, and all was relatively spick and span. He had also moved the changing unit into the utility room.