by Smith, Wendy
Julia is sitting in bed, and she smiles as we walk in.
“Good morning. I brought you something to read.” I drop the plastic bag with the magazines I bought on the way on the table beside the bed. There’s a selection of Hollywood gossip and lifestyle books to give her some variety.
“Thank you.”
“How are you feeling?” I sit on a chair beside the bed, and smile.
Julia’s lips twitch. From her hazy gaze, she’s obviously still tired. “Much better than I was. Thank you. You saved my life.”
I shake my head. “Doctor Campbell did that. I just worked out what was going wrong.”
“I still owe you a debt of gratitude. So does my community. I’m sure they’ll all be very grateful.”
Nodding, I’m not sure what to say in response to that, but I clamp my teeth together, remembering that I still need to return to collect my car.
“I’m glad they called you in. There was a lot of debate about it.”
“What do you mean? It was clear you were in trouble.”
She drops her gaze. “When I asked for help, the other ladies didn’t want to bring in anyone from the outside. Ash made the decision.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“What he says goes, but they didn’t like it. He must have looked you up just in case anyway, because he knew who to ring straight away.”
I shiver at those words. Why me?
The baby grizzles, and I lean over the crib and stroke his fuzzy head. “Hey, don’t give your mum a hard time. She’s been through enough.”
He lets out a bleat, and I nod. “I bet you’re hungry.”
I pluck him out, and rock him for a minute before handing him to Julia. It’s awkward, but she puts him to her breast and he sucks as if there’s no tomorrow.
“Thanks, Hayley.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to get going now and give you some privacy, but I’ll be back again tomorrow before I head home to Copper Creek.”
Her eyes widen. “I never thought about how I’m getting home.”
“We’ll sort something out. You’ll be here for the next few days at least, and even if I have to come and get you myself, I’ll get it sorted.” Not that I’d complain if it gives me an excuse to see Drew.
She smiles. “Thank you. I seem to be saying that a lot.”
“It’s no problem. Just let someone here know if you need anything. They have my details, so they can call me if you need me.” I grin. “From the looks of it, I think you’ll be just fine. Now, because I’m in the big city, I’m going to go and get some retail therapy.”
Julia laughs. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done that.”
My heart hurts for her. She can’t be much younger than I am, and she’s given her freedom up for what? I know I shouldn’t judge, but it can’t be healthy.
“If I don’t see you before, see you in the morning.”
Drew’s waiting outside when I come out, and he takes my hand and squeezes. “Everything okay?”
“Aren’t you checking in on her?”
He nods. “I will. Just wanted to give you a few minutes with her alone.”
“Her baby’s doing really well, from what I can see. He’s a hungry wee thing.”
“That’s good.”
I reach into my bag and pull out my phone. There’s a text waiting from Ash.
Thank you for letting me know. I look forward to your return.
My return? He must be referring to Julia, but she’ll be travelling after I do. After her C-section and the complications, she’ll be in hospital for a while yet.
Julia will have maybe a week in hospital recovering. I can update you when she’s due to come back.
You need to come and get your car. I’ll be waiting for your call.
A shiver goes through me. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but after those intense looks yesterday, his words take on more meaning than they should. It scares me.
“Hayley?” I raise my face to see Drew with his head tilted to the right. “Earth to Hayley.”
“Sorry. I sent a text to Ash last night to let him know that Julia was safe. He’s not showing much interest in her.”
I hold my phone up to show Drew the texts, and he bristles. “Someone’s got an admirer.”
“It’s not just me, right?”
He shakes his head. “Be careful around him.”
“I promise.”
Bending a little to kiss me, he lingers before pulling away. “Here are the car keys. The house key is the silver one if you want to go home and rest.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Totally understandable after last night.”
I lick my lips slowly, his eyes never moving off them. “I’ll need plenty of energy for later, won’t I?”
“Something like that.” He shoots me a killer smile that I hope no one else ever gets. How am I going to go all day without him after that? “Give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll come and get you. If you’re lucky, I’ll cook you dinner.”
“You don’t have to. We can go out for dinner, or I can order something.”
I take the keys from him. “It’s the least I can do.”
He grins. “I should go, but I’ll see you later.”
I walk out of the maternity ward with so many eyes on me, and it puts an extra sway in my hips.
He’s mine.
* * *
I make the most of being in the city.
Mum and Dad still send me money from time to time, and my bank account has enough in it to hit the stores and spend. When you live in a small town for long enough, you miss what the bigger places have to offer. It’s nice to be surrounded by shops and able to splash out a bit.
Drew’s car is soon filled with bags, and I have to stop myself because there’ll be no room for me at the rate I’m going.
It’s been a while since I’ve had my hair styled. The most I’ve done with it in forever is a trim at Fiona’s Cuts, back home. This time I get to pamper myself, having it layered, but still long enough to tie up.
I float down the supermarket aisles, picking out things to cook for dinner, thinking only of this second and final evening with Drew before I go home again. If tonight is anything like last night was, it’s going to be hard to leave.
My mobile rings as I drop the groceries in the boot, and I smile at Drew’s name popping up on the screen. “Hey.”
“Hey, princess. I’m knocking off now if you want to swing by and pick me up.”
I grin. “I’ll be there shortly. I’m still out shopping.”
He laughs. “Good for you. See you soon.”
Drew’s waiting outside the hospital entrance when I pull up, and I step out of the car so he can drive.
His jaw drops. “Wow.”
“I decided you were right. It was time to pamper myself. I can see you approve.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and even slips me the tongue with his kiss. “You look amazing. I mean, not that you didn’t before.”
“You should see all the crap I bought.”
Laughing, he lets go of me and takes the keys from my hand. “I’m glad you had fun.”
“I really did. My reasons for coming here might not have been the best, but it was really nice to splurge a bit.”
He grins. “Let’s get home.”
Home.
* * *
He says nothing as I bring in all my purchases from the car, and shakes his head with a smile when I return a third time.
I dump the last lot of bags on the floor next to the couch. “That’s it.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a shopping spree.”
He nods. “I bet. At least now you have a second reason to come to Hamilton more often.”
I place my hand on my heart. “You mean, now I’ve discovered all these stores I didn’t know existed.”
Drew rolls his eyes as he slides his hands around my waist. “I’m talking about me.”
&nbs
p; “Ohhh.” I lick my lips. “I guess you’re a good reason too. Maybe even the best reason.”
His gentle kiss leaves me wanting more, and I forget about cooking dinner for the moment as he pulls me toward the couch. It’s only just wide enough for us to lie on together.
It’s a while before I come up for air, and then it’s to make cheese on toast. Forget the potato bake and steak I’d planned. There’s not time for much else before we go to bed.
We eat the food and then brush the bed down, trying to get the crumbs off the sheets. Drew laughs and pulls me down on top of him, and when his mouth finds mine again, I know I’m home.
“Can I keep you?” Drew asks.
“I love being here, but we both know I have to go back to Copper Creek.”
He gives me that sly smile that gets my stomach doing cartwheels. “Guess I just have to convince you to stay.”
“You could come home with me.”
Drew sighs and shakes his head. “I’d love that. But there’s no future for me in Copper Creek. I wish there was.”
I shrug. “You could always work with me.”
He gives me a wistful smile, one that tells me he’s not lying. “If only it was that simple.”
I reach for him, cupping his cheek with my palm. “It’s okay.”
He turns his head, kissing my hand. “You know I have to do everything in my power to convince you to move.”
“You’d better.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and I snuggle into him.
“Tell me how you ended up in Copper Creek. You said you didn’t cope at the city hospital.”
My stomach churns. I hate talking specifics about what happened, but of all people, Drew will understand. “I lost a patient in my second year of practice.”
He frowns. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s a tough thing to get past.”
“There was nothing I could have done.”
Drew nods. “Sometimes, things happen that are just out of our control.” He links his fingers in mine. “My third year, I had a mother have a coronary episode mid-caesarean. It was massive. She never stood a chance. The baby made it, but it still haunts me. I wanted to do better.”
I squeeze his fingers. “It doesn’t sound like there was anything you could do.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sure yours was the same.”
“It was a bit different. I tried to report my concerns to a doctor who didn’t really give two shits. My patient had placental abruption.”
His eyes widen. “Holy shit. And you got the blame?”
“He told everyone I hadn’t reported it to him in time. I went through a review process and was put under supervision for six months.”
Drew’s face is tight. I swear if I looked closely there’d be steam coming out of his ears. “No one believed you?”
“I was a second-year midwife. He had much more experience.”
“What’s his name?”
I stroke his face. “It doesn’t matter. Margaret needed another midwife and talked me into moving. I was shattered. So many of my own colleagues treated me like I had the plague. Leaving turned out to be the best thing I ever did.”
“It matters because if I ever run into him at any conference, I might smash him in the face.”
I shake my head. “It’s not worth it. I’m in a good place now.”
“A good place that’s a long way from me.”
“Drew …”
He sighs. “I’m sorry. Everything’s just so fucked up. I had a shitty relationship with someone here, and now have a chance at an amazing one with someone who’s miles away.” Turning, he runs his fingers through my hair. “I miss you when we’re not together.”
“I hate it.”
His eyelids flicker.
“As soon as I was old enough, I was in boarding school. Mum said she wanted nothing but the best for me, and apparently, that was living in another part of the country to my parents. I’ve spent half my life feeling like I’ve been abandoned by them.” I fight back tears. “And then I get attached to the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and he’s miles away.”
I close my eyes as he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead.
“We make a great pair, don’t we?” he asks.
I nod.
“Hayley, I want to try. The way I feel about you is overwhelming, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.” His blue eyes are so full of emotion, it leaves me wanting to cry. “I want more.”
“So do I,” I whisper.
“If you hadn’t ended up on my doorstep, I would be on yours. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that first night.”
Tears roll down my cheeks, but they’re tears of happiness. The thought of a long-distance relationship rips me up, but Drew’s worth it. He’s so worth it.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you either.”
“Maybe I won’t let you go.” He rolls on top of me, spreading my legs with his own. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not.”
“So, what are the tears for?”
I take a couple of short, sharp breaths. “Because when I’m with you, everything feels right. Like it’s meant to be.”
He smiles. “That’s how I feel.” He cups the back of my head and pulls me in tight.
“I have this problem. I think I’m addicted to you.”
He plants butterfly kisses all over my face as I giggle. “The feeling’s mutual.”
“Let’s do something about that.”
10
Drew
I take Hayley up to the hospital to see Julia again in the morning.
Julia’s recovering well, and her baby’s thriving.
In the car on the way back to Copper Creek, we talk and laugh and learn even more about each other.
That’s how my head processes my day. Just one thing after another until we pull up outside Hayley’s house and I know I have limited time with her.
The last two nights have been the best of my life. She fulfils me.
“Are you staying over?” she asks.
“Do bears shit in the woods?”
Hayley laughs. “I want you to stay. You’re becoming a bit of a habit, Drew Campbell.”
“I hope so.”
I grab some of her bags and help her carry them inside. Before long, there’s a pile of parcels in one corner of the living room.
“I’ll call Margaret to let her know I’m home, and then I’m all yours for a while.”
“Just for a while?”
“Okay, the night. But I’m going to be on call, so if anyone needs my help …”
I grin. “I’ll help you and maybe it’ll be quicker?”
She laughs. “If you have some magic trick to speed up labour …”
“If only.”
As she calls Margaret, I take a long look around her living room. Both times I was here, it was almost straight to the bedroom. Maybe now, I can take the time to look around and get to know her better.
There’s a photo on the mantelpiece, and I pick it up. This must be Hayley and her parents. Her mother looks stiff and awkward. Her father is more relaxed, his arm around Hayley’s shoulders. This is the couple who sent her away, and my heart aches that it still has an effect on Hayley. She wants us to be together, but I’m not sure how well she’ll cope with the distance. It’s not insurmountable, but it might just be enough to ruin everything.
She wraps her arms around my waist and buries her face in my shoulder. “That’s my mum and dad on the day I became a midwife.”
“Your dad looks happy enough.”
“He’s not so bad now. It’s Mum who still has the stick up her butt.”
“They seem similar to my parents. My mother can be such a horrible person, but my dad wouldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t know how he lives with her, but they seem to make it work.”
She laughs. “Sounds familiar.”
I place the photo back on the mantel and turn to her. “Let’s not ever be like that. Al
l bitter and twisted. Our kids will be able to do what they want for a career, and we’ll support them.”
“Our kids?” She clamps her lips together, and it’s obvious she’s suppressing a laugh.
I shrug. “Okay, my kids. With whoever decides to take a risk and have babies with me.”
Hayley pecks me on the lips. “I think you’ll make a great parent, then.”
“Maybe. We still have half the day left. What else are we going to do?”
She lets out a sigh. “I need to go and get my car.”
“If you want, I can grab one of my brothers and we can pick it up.”
Hayley shakes her head. “It’s okay. At least it’ll be in and out. That place gives me the creeps.”
She plucks her phone out of her pocket and taps on the screen. It takes seconds to get a response.
“Any time this afternoon.”
I nod. “Did he ask after Julia?”
Her eyes roll. “No, just said that he’s happy for me to pick up my car and is looking forward to seeing me.”
“Is he now?”
She puts her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and licks her lips. “Are you getting jealous there, Doctor Campbell?”
I shake my head. “Nah. I know you’re my girl.”
“That confident, huh?”
Holding my hands out, I shrug. “Who else is going to give you constant orgasms?”
She grins, snickering and grabbing my arm. “Only you, I guess.”
“You only guess?”
“A practical demonstration might be in order tonight.”
I nod. “I don’t think that’ll be too much of a problem.”
She raises her face to mine, and I give her the most tender kiss I can muster.
“Keep kissing me like that and I might just be able to give you a permanent job,” she whispers.
“That’s what I’m aiming for.”
* * *
That damn mountain.
When we were kids, that fence wasn’t there. People still lived in seclusion there for the most part, but it wasn’t like that. How Corey lives up here beside them, I’ll never know.
A few years ago, they wanted his permission to put up the fence. He said he didn’t care, but he wasn’t paying anything toward it. They went ahead and built it. He says in some ways it’s good; the wind used to howl up the hill when the weather was bad. Now there’s a wind break on that side of his property.