Reunited by Their Baby

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Permanent?’ Beth echoed, unable to hide her surprise. ‘You mean that you intend to stay in Beesdale?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘But what about your aid work?’ she asked, her heart racing. Callum was planning to live here permanently—could it be true? He had lived here once before, of course, when he had first moved to Yorkshire to be with her. Although he had never said so at the time, she’d had the impression that he hadn’t really settled into the role of country GP. The thought set all her internal alarm bells clanging and she hurried on. ‘I know how much you enjoy the work you do, so are you sure you’ll be happy switching careers?’

  ‘Yes. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but my priorities have changed. I have a child now and there’s no way that I intend to go trekking off around the globe when she needs me.’

  There! He’d said it, actually put into words all the vague ideas he’d had since he had returned to England. He intended to be here for Beatrix, not just for a few months, either, but permanently. He wanted to watch her growing up and have some real input into her life. He had no idea how Beth would feel about the idea, but he would worry about that later. For now it was enough to make his position clear.

  ‘I don’t know what to say, Callum. When you turned up, I thought it was just going to be...well, a brief visit.’

  ‘So did I at first. Oh, not too brief. I did plan to stay around to sort things out—’ He broke off. Admitting that he had hoped to sort things out with her seemed like a pipe dream now. It was obvious that she didn’t want him back and, although it upset him terribly, he had to accept it. He would be Beatrix’s father—no more and certainly no less than that. If Beth would let him.

  The thought that even now she might not allow him to have any contact with his daughter in the future sent a rush of panic shooting through him. He pushed away his plate, all thoughts of food forgotten. ‘I know it very much depends on you, Beth, but I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I’m serious about this. I want to be a real father to Beatrix.’

  ‘But for how long, though?’

  The scepticism in her voice cut close to the bone but he didn’t dare show it. He couldn’t afford to let her see that he had his own doubts about his ability to live up to the role. ‘For ever. There’s no time limit on being a parent as far as I’m aware.’

  ‘No, there isn’t. It’s a lifetime commitment, Callum—are you really prepared for that?’ She gave a brittle laugh. ‘You don’t exactly have a good track record when it comes to commitment, do you?’

  ‘Meaning when we split up?’ He sighed, wishing he could explain why he’d had to leave her. Should he tell her the truth, that it had been just too painful to watch her torturing herself, that he’d hoped she would find some kind of balance if he was no longer around? He had left because he had loved her, but how could he tell her that when it was unlikely she’d want to hear it? The last thing he wanted was for it to lead to another destructive argument. ‘That was different, Beth.’

  ‘Was it? Really? You got tired of me and left, so who’s to say you won’t get tired of being Beatrix’s father and decide to leave her too?’

  ‘I won’t. I swear on my life that it won’t happen,’ he said hotly, hating the fact that she had such a poor opinion of him. ‘She’s my daughter and I’ll never abandon her!’

  ‘You say that now, Callum, but I’m not totally convinced.’

  It was obvious that she wasn’t prepared to give an inch and he sighed in frustration. ‘Then I’ll have to prove that I mean it. That’s all I’m asking for, Beth, a chance to prove to you that I can be a proper father to our daughter. Oh, I don’t expect to jump straight in and become a major part of her life. She needs time to get to know me first. But I want to be involved, take her to the park, teach her how to ride a bike—do all the things that fathers do.’

  ‘And what about the other times, like when she’s sick or just being a typical toddler and throwing a tantrum? Will you still want to be her father then?’

  ‘Yes, I will,’ he said firmly. Maybe he did have doubts about his ability to take on the role but he wouldn’t fail through lack of effort. He intended to put his heart and his soul into making a success of this. If Beth would let him. He stared down at his hands, willing himself to say the words even though they hurt so much.

  ‘I know it didn’t work out for us, Beth, but that’s all in the past. You’ll meet someone else one day and put it behind you. It’s the future that matters now, your future, my future but, more importantly, Beatrix’s future.’ He looked up, trying to hide his devastation at the thought of Beth loving anyone else. ‘And I intend to be part of her future.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘SO WHAT’S HAPPENED? Have you seen Callum again?’

  ‘Yes. He’s coming round tonight, in fact.’ Beth unfastened the sphygmomanometer cuff and rolled it up. Now that Polly was pregnant, she had offered to do her friend’s antenatal check-ups. She noted down the blood pressure reading then smiled at her. ‘Close your mouth. You look like a goldfish, gaping at me like that.’

  ‘Is it any wonder?’ Polly grumbled, rolling down her sleeve. She fixed Beth with a piercing stare. ‘I’ve only been away for two weeks on my honeymoon and look what’s happened. You and Callum are getting all cosy again!’

  ‘That’s where you’re wrong.’ Beth got up and took the sample of urine over to the workbench to test it for sugar. Peeling off one of the chemically coated strips, she dipped it into the pot. ‘Callum is coming to see Beatrix, not me.’

  ‘If you expect me to believe that,’ Polly began, but Beth didn’t let her finish.

  ‘Well, you’ll have to believe it. He isn’t interested in me. He’s only interested in his daughter.’ She tossed the test strip into the bin then sat down again. ‘Everything’s fine—blood pressure, sugar level all normal.’

  ‘That’s good,’ Polly said distractedly. She leant across the desk, her pretty face filled with concern. ‘Are you sure he’s telling you the truth, Beth? I mean, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was feeding you a line because he can’t bring himself to admit that he’s still crazy about you. After all, he came back, didn’t he? That has to prove something.’

  ‘He came back to see Beatrix,’ Beth corrected her. ‘It didn’t have anything to do with me. If he hadn’t found out that we had a child then he wouldn’t have bothered, believe me.’

  ‘It’s so sad. I always thought you two would make a go of it eventually,’ Polly declared. ‘Oh, I know how awful it must have been for you when Callum didn’t reply to your letter, but now you know what happened, are you sure there isn’t any chance of you getting back together?’

  ‘No. The only reason Callum would want us to get back together is if he thought it would benefit Beatrix,’ Beth said baldly. ‘He isn’t interested in us having a relationship again and neither am I.’

  ‘I see.’ Polly sighed as she stood up. ‘Well, you know best, Beth, but I still think it’s a crying shame if you two don’t try to work things out. You went through such a lot together and I find it hard to believe that you don’t still have feelings for one another.’

  ‘I’m not saying that,’ Beth said quietly, feeling a lump come to her throat. It was difficult to admit that she still cared about Callum when he obviously didn’t feel anything for her any more. She held up her hand when Polly went to speak. ‘I do care about him but he’s made it very clear that what we had is over. He even mentioned me meeting someone else.’

  ‘Maybe you should,’ Polly conceded. ‘After all, if you and Callum really are history then it’s time you moved on. You can’t live in the past for ever, Beth.’

  Beth sighed after Polly left. She knew that her friend meant well but the thought of meeting anyone else held very little appeal after what had happened between her and Callum. She had thought that they would be together for ever, that their love could
overcome any obstacle, but she had been so very wrong. Did she really want to risk going through that kind of heartache again? Of course not!

  * * *

  ‘Right, Mr Brimsdale, you can put your shirt back on.’

  Callum helped the old man into his shirt then went and sat down behind the desk. Arnold Brimsdale was his first patient that morning. At over ninety years of age, Arnold had come into the surgery for his six-monthly check-up. Now Callum smiled as the old man came to join him. ‘Well, I have to say that I wish more of our patients were in as good health as you are, Mr Brimsdale. Your blood pressure is spot on and you’ve got a good strong heartbeat. The only thing slightly amiss is your breathing but so long as you keep using your inhaler, it shouldn’t cause a problem.’

  ‘That’s good to hear, Doctor.’ Arnold sat down in front of the desk and laughed. ‘I’m hoping to get my telegram from the Queen before I pop me clogs. It’ll look right nice on the mantelpiece, it will.’

  ‘It will indeed!’ Callum laughed as well. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed the Dales people’s dry sense of humour. He filled in a repeat prescription for Arnold’s inhalers and emailed it to the on-site pharmacy. ‘Unless you have any problems I’ll see you in six months’ time. Don’t forget to collect your prescription on your way out, will you?’

  ‘I won’t,’ Arnold assured him, standing up. ‘I take it that you’re staying around here then from what you just said.’

  ‘Yes. I’m covering for Dr Saunders while she’s on maternity leave, but I’m hoping to be taken on permanently after that,’ Callum explained, thinking about the conversation he’d had that morning with Daniel. Although Daniel hadn’t actually offered him a permanent post, it was definitely on the cards and now he just needed to tell Beth. The thought of how she would react to the news made his stomach churn but he managed to hide his unease. ‘The practice could do with another doctor now that Dr Hargreaves has retired.’

  ‘Aye, that it could, plus that little lass of yours needs her daddy,’ Arnold observed before he took his leave.

  Callum sighed as the door closed. Everyone in Beesdale knew he was Beatrix’s father and they were probably waiting to see if he measured up to the job too. He hadn’t exactly got off to a flying start but, hopefully, they wouldn’t hold it against him. At least his colleagues at the surgery knew about Beth’s letter failing to reach him. It could have been very awkward if they’d all thought he had deserted her when she had needed him most. He would never have left if he’d thought there was a chance of her getting pregnant, though. He would have stayed right here and they could have looked forward to the birth of their baby together. How different his life would have been then.

  He blanked out that thought because it was pointless thinking like that. He’d done what he had thought was right at the time, and now he had to live with the consequences. Would Beth follow his advice and move on? he wondered suddenly. Part of him hoped that she would while another part rebelled at the thought of her meeting someone else. He sighed as he buzzed in his next patient. If some passing genie could grant him a wish then it would be to have Beth back in his life, Beth and Beatrix, but genies were few and far between in the Yorkshire Dales!

  * * *

  Beth just had time to tidy up before Callum arrived that evening. They had slipped into a routine whereby he called round after work and spent an hour or so playing with Beatrix. She hadn’t invited him to dinner again, however; it had seemed wiser to keep things on a less familiar footing. After all, Callum wasn’t coming to see her, he was coming to see their daughter, and there was no reason to turn his visits into anything more than they actually were.

  Beatrix was delighted to see him each day and held up her arms to be picked up. She had accepted his presence in her life with an ease that Beth envied. Now she sighed as she picked up a pile of clean baby clothes and took them up to the nursery. Even though she knew how silly it was, she was always on edge when Callum was there.

  Oh, he never said anything to alarm her. On the contrary, he always confined their conversations to what Beatrix had done. However, just having him in the house made Beth feel very self-conscious. She couldn’t help remembering when they had lived there together and how different it had been. Even though their relationship had been under a lot of strain, there had been good times too. Lots of them.

  She pushed that thought aside, not wanting to dwell on it. Leaving the clothes on the changing table, she ran back downstairs, forcing a smile when she found Callum playing a game of peek-a-boo with their daughter. Beatrix was giggling in delight, loving every second of it too. ‘It looks like you two are having fun,’ she observed as she went to join them.

  ‘We are.’ Callum covered his face with his hands then peeped through his fingers. ‘Peek-a-boo!’

  Beatrix laughed so hard that she tumbled over. Beth quickly righted her, placing a steadying hand under her arm as she scrambled to her feet. ‘She managed to walk all the way to the chair on her own this morning,’ she told Callum as Beatrix shuffled her way to the basket of toys.

  ‘Really?’ Callum sounded impressed. ‘Some babies don’t even attempt to walk until they’re much older, do they?’

  ‘No, apparently not,’ Beth agreed. ‘Obviously, Beatrix is keen to explore the big wide world.’

  ‘It must be in her genes,’ Callum replied, laughing. ‘I was always eager to see something of the world.’

  ‘Yet you ended up here in the Dales,’ Beth said flatly. She sighed but there was no way that she could let the comment pass unchallenged. ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Callum? Moving here to live is going to be a huge change for you.’

  ‘I’ve lived here before,’ he pointed out.

  ‘Yes, and it wasn’t exactly a roaring success, was it?’ she shot back as all her doubts came flooding back. She had tried her best to ignore them but it was impossible. At the back of her mind the thought that Callum would eventually grow tired of living in the town nagged away at her. Beatrix would grow to love him and then he would suddenly disappear from her life.

  ‘I’m not sure I understand what you mean,’ he said flatly. ‘I certainly didn’t have any complaints about my work at the surgery. In fact, Daniel has made it clear that he’s more than willing to offer me a permanent post once Eleanor’s maternity leave has finished.’

  It made perfect sense. Daniel would be keen to offer Callum a post at the surgery because he knew that Callum could do the job and that he fitted in. However, it wasn’t that which worried her. ‘I wasn’t talking about whether or not you can do the job, Callum. That isn’t an issue.’

  ‘Then what’s the problem?’

  ‘The problem is whether you’ll grow tired of being tied to one place. I got the feeling that you found it rather restricting working here the last time.’

  ‘Did I ever say so?’ His tone was hard and she sighed. She didn’t want to start an argument but he needed to take a good hard look at what he was planning.

  ‘No, you didn’t, but I could sense how you felt, tell that you were getting fed up with being in one place all the time.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m sure it was a contributing factor as to why you left. You’d not only had enough of me but you’d had enough of living here as well.’

  Callum wanted to refute what she was saying but how could he? The reason he had left Beesdale—left her!—had nothing whatsoever to do with him growing bored with country life. He had got over his desire to move around all the time by then, worked the wanderlust out of his system. However, if he told Beth that then he would have to tell her the truth, that he had left because watching the woman he loved putting herself through such torment month after month had been unbearable.

  ‘People change,’ he said neutrally.

  ‘Do they?’ She shrugged. ‘I’ve never really believed that, I’m afraid. You are who you are and that’s it.’

  ‘Meaning that I’m
never going to settle down and one day I’ll decide I’ve had enough and pack my bags and leave again?’ He shook his head, wishing that he could make her understand how wrong she was. ‘It’s not going to happen, Beth. Especially now.’ He looked pointedly at Beatrix.

  ‘So you’re going to stay purely for Beatrix’s sake?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said curtly, hating the fact that she didn’t believe him. What made it worse was the fact that he knew it was his fault too. He had left her, so she was bound to have doubts.

  ‘And how long will it be before you come to resent it, resent Beatrix because you feel that you have to stay for her sake?’ She shook her head, the soft blonde curls dancing around her face. ‘Don’t say it won’t happen, Callum, because I know that it will.’

  ‘You know no such thing!’ he exploded because it hurt to know what she thought about him. He leant forward, feeling his senses whirl as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo and was suddenly transported back in time. The familiar fragrance unleashed a flood of memories as he recalled all the other times he had smelled it when Beth had stepped out of the shower each morning and into his arms...

  ‘Just because I left you, Beth, it doesn’t mean that I’ll leave our daughter,’ he said harshly, needing to rid his mind of such dangerous thoughts. ‘I love her and I’ll always be here for her.’

  She drew back abruptly and he frowned when he saw the pain in her eyes. ‘Then let’s hope you mean what you say this time, Callum. Now I think it’s time you left. I have to be in work early tomorrow for the team meeting and I need to put Beatrix to bed.’

  Callum wasn’t sure what he’d said, although it was obvious that he had upset her. However, short of trying to prise it out of her, there was little he could do. He said his goodbyes and left, taking his time as he walked back to the surgery. He headed straight round to the back where there were steps leading to the flat above. He had moved in the previous week and was slowly settling in. Fortunately, the flat was fully furnished so he hadn’t needed to worry about furniture, although he would have to do so when he bought a place of his own.