Reunited by Their Baby

by Jennifer Taylor

  * * *

  Beth paced the sitting room floor, unable to settle. Although it was past midnight, she knew it was pointless trying to sleep. She kept thinking about Callum being out on the hills. Maybe he had worked in all sorts of places around the globe but the Yorkshire Dales were an unknown quantity to him. He had very little experience of the rough terrain he would encounter and she couldn’t help worrying. He could so easily find himself in serious trouble.

  The sound of a car drawing up outside had her flying to the window and she felt her heart leap with relief when she saw Callum getting out of the search and rescue team’s four-wheel drive. Beth saw him glance towards the cottage and held her breath, wondering if he would knock on her door when he saw the light was on. It was only when she saw his shoulders slump as he turned away that she realised she couldn’t let him leave without speaking to him. Hurrying to the front door, she called after him.

  ‘Callum, wait! What happened? Did you find the missing walkers?’

  ‘Yes, we did.’ He came back and she could see the lines of strain etched on his face. Without pausing to think about what she was doing, Beth held the door wide open.

  ‘Come in and tell me about it,’ she said quietly. She led him into the sitting room and waved him towards a chair. ‘I can see you’re upset so what happened?’

  He sighed heavily as he sat down. ‘The woman was already dead when we found them. She had Alzheimer’s disease, apparently, and had wandered off on her own and fallen over the edge of the Cauldron. Her husband had managed to climb down to her and he was just sitting there, holding her hand, when we arrived.’

  ‘Oh, how tragic!’ Beth declared, feeling her eyes sting with tears. ‘It must have been horrendous.’

  ‘It was. It took me ages to convince the husband that she was dead. He kept insisting that she’d be all right if we got her to the hospital.’ He shook his head. ‘Even after we’d loaded her body into the back of the car, he couldn’t seem to take it in.’

  ‘Where is he now?’ Beth asked, her heart going out to him. A situation like this was always stressful and it was obvious that Callum had been deeply upset by what he had witnessed.

  ‘Still at the hospital. He was in no fit state to be sent back to the B&B on his own,’ he explained. ‘The police have contacted his son and he’s driving up here. He lives in Surrey, though, so it’ll take him a while to get here.’

  ‘At least the old man will have someone with him,’ Beth said, softly. ‘That will help.’

  ‘Yes. He’s lucky in that respect. At least he isn’t completely on his own now and has a family who cares about him.’

  There was something in his voice that made Beth’s heart ache all the more. Was Callum thinking that he didn’t have any family who cared about him? She knew it was true and the urge to comfort him was too strong to resist. Reaching out, she gripped his hand. ‘There are people who care about you, too, Callum.’

  ‘Are there?’ He gave a bitter laugh. ‘If you mean my parents then forget it. They didn’t care about me when I was a child and they certainly don’t care about me now that I’m an adult.’

  ‘You have friends,’ she began but he shook his head.

  ‘I’ve lost touch with most of my friends in the past year. I doubt they even spare me a thought these days. They have their own lives, their own problems—why should they worry about me?’

  ‘Because they care about you! Maybe you haven’t seen them for a while but it takes more than that to end a friendship.’

  ‘Does it? Really? All it took to end our marriage were a few words, Beth. I told you I wanted a divorce and that was it.’

  ‘That was different,’ she murmured painfully. ‘It was clear that you didn’t want to be with me any more.’

  ‘Was it? What if I only asked you for a divorce because I felt it was the right thing to do?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ She gripped his hand when he went to draw it away. ‘Tell me, Callum!’

  ‘Nothing. I’m just rambling, that’s all.’ He stood up, effectively breaking her hold on him. ‘I’d better go. We’ve got work in the morning and it’s late. I’m sorry if I woke you, Beth, but it was easier for Joe to drop me off here than drive to the surgery.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she managed, her head reeling as she tried to make sense of what he had said.

  What had Callum meant about it being the right thing to do? Right because he had stopped loving her? Or right for some other reason? She followed him into the hall, wishing that she could make him explain even though she knew it was pointless. The facts were clear, after all. Callum had stopped loving her and had asked her for a divorce.

  And yet the nagging thought that she was missing something wouldn’t go away. When he turned towards her, she searched his face, feeling her heart quicken when she saw the regret in his eyes, but regret about what? About divorcing her? But why would he regret it when it had been his decision?

  ‘Callum,’ she began.

  ‘Don’t.’ He touched her mouth with his fingertips, stopping the question before it could emerge, and his expression was infinitely sad. ‘There’s really nothing more to say, Beth, believe me.’

  He let himself out without another word. Beth watched until he disappeared from sight and only then did she let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. Closing the door, she leant back against it, feeling her whole body trembling. Raising her hand, she touched her mouth, but the warmth of Callum’s fingers had already faded. She couldn’t hold onto it any more than she had held onto him and it was the most bitter thought of all. She hadn’t been enough for him and she never would be. Any interest he showed in her from now on was purely because she was the mother of his child. She took a deep breath, letting that thought seep into every cell in her body because she must never forget it.

  * * *

  Callum telephoned the hospital the following morning to check on the man he had helped to rescue and was relieved to hear that his son was now with him. He thanked the ward sister and hung up, wondering why the incident had had such an impact on him. Was it the fact that it had brought it home to him just how alone he was in the world? His only real family link was with Beatrix, his daughter, and he resolved to spend as much time as possible building a relationship with her.

  When he went into work, he put through a call to Beth, meaning to start the way he needed to continue. Maybe the thought of her seeing another man devastated him, but if that was how things had to be, then he would use it to his advantage.

  ‘Beth, it’s me. I won’t keep you because I’m sure you’re busy, but I just wanted to say that if you need a babysitter any time then ask me. I’ll be more than happy to mind Beatrix if you want to go out.’

  ‘Oh. Right.’ She sounded surprised, as well she might, Callum thought wryly. He had never imagined himself making such an offer.

  ‘I know you said that you and Walsh might go out for dinner one night, so I thought I’d mention it,’ he said, stamping on the spurt of jealousy that suddenly reared up inside him.

  ‘I...er...yes, although we’ve not made any arrangements yet,’ she said hurriedly.

  ‘Well, when you do there’s no need to worry about finding someone to look after Beatrix,’ Callum said, hoping she couldn’t hear the edge that had crept into his voice despite his best efforts to avoid it. ‘I’ll be happy to do it.’

  ‘Um, thank you. Anyway, I’d better get on. Are you calling round tonight to see her?’

  ‘If it’s all right with you,’ he said levelly.

  ‘It’s fine. I’ll see you later then.’

  With that she hung up, leaving Callum in a quandary. Whilst he was glad that he had made the offer, he couldn’t claim that he was happy at the thought of her going out with Walsh, or anyone else for that matter. He sighed wearily. He couldn’t have it both ways, could he? He couldn’t offer to baby
sit and then behave like the proverbial dog in a manger. Beth was free to see whoever she liked, no matter how he felt about it. One thing was certain: Beth wasn’t interested in having him back in her life in any capacity other than that of Beatrix’s father. And even that wasn’t guaranteed.

  * * *

  Beth was still reeling from the shock of Callum’s phone call when she set out to visit one of the outlying farms that afternoon. It was a wet and windy day, the previously fine weather having changed in the space of a few hours as it often did in the Dales. Rain lashed against the windscreen as she headed out to Outhwaite’s Farm.

  Jenny Outhwaite had requested a home visit because she was worried about her youngest child, two-year-old Tilly, who was running a high temperature. It was the most remote of all the farms on their books and the journey there took time even on a good day. Now with the wind and rain slowing her down, Beth realised it was going to take her even longer than usual and sighed, wishing that she had phoned Alison to warn her that she might be late collecting Beatrix.

  Maybe she should phone Callum and ask him to fetch her, she mused, and then just as quickly dismissed the idea. While she didn’t doubt that he would take good care of Beatrix, was she really ready to make him an accepted part of her daughter’s life? Apart from the concerns she had about his commitment, there was the fact that Callum unsettled her.

  Take today, for instance. She’d felt on edge ever since he had offered his services as a babysitter. She wasn’t sure why but it felt wrong to even think about asking him to look after Beatrix while she went out with another man. She sighed, knowing that she was overreacting. Hopefully, the situation would improve in time, but at the moment it seemed safer not to involve him in her affairs.

  It turned out that little Tilly Outhwaite had chickenpox. The rash had appeared since Jenny had telephoned the surgery so Beth was quickly able to diagnose the problem. The little girl’s chest and thighs were covered in spots, some of which had already turned into the fluid-filled blisters so characteristic of the illness. Beth advised Jenny to give Tilly paracetamol liquid for her temperature and to dab calamine cream on the spots to stop them itching. Cutting Tilly’s nails would also help to prevent scarring if she scratched the scabs that would form once the spots started to heal.

  Beth left the farm a short time later, having refused a cup of tea. The storm was getting worse and she was eager to get back to Beesdale. Rounding a bend in the road, she gasped when she was suddenly confronted by a huge pile of rocks blocking the way. She ground to a halt, her heart racing at the near miss she’d had.

  Opening the car door, she went to investigate, hoping there would be room to drive around the landslide, but the ground beside the road was far too wet to risk it. Getting bogged down in the mud wouldn’t help so her only option was to phone the surgery and see if Daniel could come out to collect her. Hurrying back to her car, she took her mobile phone out of its holder, groaning when she discovered that she didn’t have a signal. There were blank spots all over the Dales and, typically, she was in the middle of one.

  Beth got out of the car again and headed back along the road, holding up the phone in the hope that she could find a signal. Maybe it would help if she tried climbing up the hillside, she decided. She was in a dip here but if she was higher up then she might be able to connect to the nearest mast. Stepping off the road, she started to scramble up the hill. She was still staring at her phone and never even noticed the patch of loose rocks until her feet skidded out from under her. A searing pain shot through her right ankle as she fell heavily onto the ground and she cried out. Sitting up, she checked the damage, grimacing when she rolled up her trouser leg and discovered that her ankle was already swelling up. Whether it was sprained or broken, she couldn’t tell, but the moment she tried to stand up and put her weight on it, the pain became unbearable.

  Beth sank back down onto the ground, forcing back the tears as she suddenly realised her predicament. She couldn’t get back to her car and return to the farm and she couldn’t summon help either. It looked as though she was going to be stuck here until someone came looking for her.

  If anyone did.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CALLUM WAS CLEARING up when Daniel came to find him. It had been a busy afternoon with appointments as well as the antenatal clinic. Polly had taken the clinic, but one of her mums had had a problem with her blood pressure and he had been drafted in to deal with it.

  It had been a stark reminder of how easily things could go wrong during pregnancy. He knew from a comment Polly had passed that Beatrix had arrived several weeks early and it must have been a very worrying time for Beth. To say that he felt guilty about not being there was an understatement, even though he’d had no idea what had been happening at the time. He sighed because it all boiled down to one thing, didn’t it? If he hadn’t left in the first place, then he would have been here when Beth had needed him.

  ‘Have you spoken to Beth recently?’ Daniel asked him now without any preamble.

  ‘Not since this morning, although I’m calling round to hers tonight to see Beatrix, as it happens.’ Callum frowned when he saw the concern on the older man’s face. ‘Why? What’s wrong?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Daniel replied. ‘Alison has just phoned. Apparently, Beth hasn’t collected Beatrix yet. Alison’s quite happy to keep her there, but she’s worried about Beth not turning up.’

  ‘That’s strange!’ Callum exclaimed, glancing at his watch. ‘It isn’t like her to be late.’

  ‘It isn’t,’ Daniel agreed. ‘Apparently, she was doing a home visit this afternoon at Outhwaite’s Farm. I’ve spoken to Jenny Outhwaite and, according to her, Beth left there a couple of hours ago.’ He glanced out of the window and shook his head. ‘The weather’s atrocious so maybe that’s what’s delayed her.’

  ‘I take it you’ve tried phoning her?’ Callum said, his anxiety mounting. Maybe it was too soon to start panicking but it was hard not to do so.

  ‘I have, but it’s going straight to voice mail.’ Daniel grimaced. ‘The signal is patchy around there so it doesn’t mean very much. She might just be out of range.’

  ‘Or she could have had an accident.’ Callum knew that he was merely voicing what Daniel was thinking and his heart turned over. He came to a swift decision, knowing that he wouldn’t rest until he was sure that Beth was safe. ‘I’ll drive over there and see if I can spot her. Can you mark the route on the map for me? I’ve not been to the farm before and I don’t want to end up getting lost.’

  ‘Of course.’ Daniel sounded relieved. ‘I’ll copy the map we have in Reception—all the farms are marked on there. Satnav’s useless around here—you’ll find yourself driving round in circles if you try to follow it. Stick to the map and you’ll be fine.’

  ‘Shall do.’ Callum unhooked his waterproof jacket off the back of the door, thanking his lucky stars that he had left it there in case he ever needed it. The rain was lashing down now and the trees at the bottom of the car park were bent double from the force of the wind.

  ‘Maybe I should come with you,’ Daniel suggested suddenly. ‘It’s a filthy day and I don’t want you going missing as well.’

  ‘No, it’s better if you stay here. That way you can alert the search and rescue team if you don’t hear from me in a reasonable length of time.’

  ‘Good point, although I hope that won’t be necessary,’ Daniel said grimly. ‘I’ll also phone Tim Outhwaite and ask him if he’ll check if there’s any sign of Beth thereabouts.’

  ‘That would be a big help,’ Callum agreed, heading for the door. They walked through to Reception where Daniel photocopied the section of the map that Callum needed, placing it in a plastic sleeve to keep it dry.

  ‘Keep me posted, won’t you?’ he said, clapping Callum on the shoulder. ‘I don’t want anything happening to you.’

  ‘Me neither,’ Callum replied lightly, al
though there was no denying that Daniel’s concern had sounded genuine. It reminded him of what Beth had said the other day about people caring about him. Maybe it was true, he conceded as he ran out to his car. However, the one person he really wanted to care about him was the most unlikely of all. After all, why should Beth care about him after the way he had behaved, even if he had believed that he was doing the right thing?

  The thought stayed with him as he drove out of the town. The route was clearly marked and he had no difficulty following it, although he knew that he would have had problems if he hadn’t had the map. The roads became increasingly narrow as he drove on, twisting and turning through the countryside. This part of the Dales was sparsely populated, with only the odd farm here and there, and he grew increasingly anxious when he saw no sign of Beth’s car along the way. By his reckoning he was only a couple of miles away from Outhwaite’s Farm now so where on earth was she?

  He rounded a bend and had to slam on his brakes when he was confronted by a huge heap of rocks and soil blocking the road. It was obvious that the rain had caused a massive landslide and there was no way that he could drive around it. Leaving his car where it was, he hurried towards it, his feet slipping and sliding as he scrambled over the top, and felt his heart surge in relief when he saw Beth’s car parked on the other side. He ran straight over to it, his relief rapidly disappearing when he discovered that it was empty. Fear knotted his guts as he turned in a slow circle and scoured the surrounding countryside. Where on earth was she?

  * * *

  Beth wasn’t sure how long she had been stranded out on the hillside. The noise of the wind as it tore across the hills made it difficult to think clearly. All she knew was that the combination of the wind and driving rain had chilled her to the bone. The lightweight jacket she was wearing provided little protection from the elements and she knew that she needed to find shelter or she would be in real danger of developing hypothermia.