‘I thought I would have got rid of it by now.’
‘Oh.’ Maxine looked a little happier. ‘You’re not keeping it, then?’
‘No. Its mother’s coming back. Her mother,’ Jason amended. He didn’t like the way talking to Maxine was sucking him back in time. Had he really thought her such an amazing conquest? She hadn’t even looked at Megan, let alone said how cute she was. How self-centred could someone get? ‘At least, we think she is.’
‘You don’t know?’
‘No.’ Jason was suddenly rather pleased to be holding Megan in his arms. ‘It’s possible she’s never coming back,’ he found himself saying. ‘So I might end up being pretty busy for the next ten years or so. Are you sure you don’t want to hold her, Maxine? Look, she’s smiling.’
Maxine’s look said it all. Everybody studiously stuffed themselves with cake for the next few minutes as Jason’s relationship went through some speedy death throes. Laura found her throat too constricted to swallow, however. Jason had just been made very firmly single again, and Jason never stayed single for long. Just how far from home would he go looking for a replacement for the beautiful Maxine? Maybe he wouldn’t bother looking at all for a while. He might even be upset by the break-up. She watched anxiously from the corner of her eye as he turned back from the doorway where his final words and probably an apology to Maxine had gone unheeded.
‘Hey, have you lot eaten all that cake?’ Jason shook his head sadly. ‘Oink, oink!’
‘You can have mine,’ Laura offered. Relief that Jason wasn’t noticeably devastated at the break-up of yet another relationship made her smile widely. ‘I’ve only eaten half.’
‘Thanks, Laura.’ Jason sat down beside her and swapped the baby for the cake plate. ‘I knew I could count on you.’
Laura smiled at Megan. Jason focussed on the half-slice of banana cake and neither of them was aware of the new wave of meaningful glances exchanged in the room.
Or the rather satisfied-looking smiles.
Chapter 7
‘Did you have anything specific in mind?’
Laura stared at her reflection in the huge mirror facing her. Her peripheral vision took in the figure of the young hairdresser who was also eyeing the thick, mousy, one-length hair she had just combed out.
‘Just a trim, I guess.’ Laura’s nose wrinkled as she continued to stare at herself. ‘It’s been at least a year since it had a good cut and the ends must be horribly split.’
‘How do you normally wear it?’ The length of her hair was now wound around the hairdresser’s hand and was being scooped up to sit in a heap on top of her head. She caught her client’s gaze in the mirror and Laura grinned.
‘Not like that,’ she said. ‘I just tie it back in a ponytail to keep it out of the way.’
The hair was released and then fluffed out by expert fingers. ‘You’ve got quite a bit of natural curl, you know. It’s just too heavy in one length for it to show. Have you ever thought of having it layered?’
‘But then I wouldn’t be able to tie it back. I’m a paramedic. I can’t have my hair flopping into a patient’s face when I’m leaning over them.’
‘So why not cut it a bit shorter? You could still have it down to your shoulders if you want to keep the length. If it’s layered and shaped it would sit neatly around your face. Look.’ The hair got gathered up and pulled back firmly as it would be in a ponytail. ‘Like this, all you see is your face.’
‘And my glasses.’ Laura grimaced. ‘I’ve never noticed how much like a car’s headlamps they look.’
The hold on her hair loosened and changed so that thick loops hung forward, covering the sides of her spectacles and framing her forehead. Amazingly, the glasses became far less noticeable and the whole appearance of Laura’s face softened.
‘Hmm. I rather like that.’
The hairdresser was still playing with her tresses. ‘What about the colour?’
Laura sighed. ‘Dead mouse, I’d call it.’
Her stylist grinned. ‘It’s not that bad. You’ve got a lot of blonde in there. A few highlights would bring it out. How much time have you got this morning?’
‘As long as I like.’ Laura’s sigh was much happier this time. Jason had insisted she have the morning to herself to do whatever she felt like doing. Right now, she felt like making a real effort to improve her appearance. ‘I’m sold,’ she told the hairdresser. ‘Go for it. Do whatever you like.’
‘Cool. Let’s get stuck into the highlights first, then. Shouldn’t take more than an hour and a half.’
Ninety minutes of sheer self-indulgence. Bliss. Laura browsed through magazines but couldn’t find an article that was more interesting than what was already going on in her head.
That magic wand that had apparently been waved over Inglewood station the morning Megan had arrived seemed to have been used for another small swish in the last couple of days—Laura suspected it had happened during Maxine’s visit to the station—and another fundamental change was occurring in her world.
It hadn’t happened quite yet but the building anticipation was undeniable and rather delicious. Yesterday had been a little shaky, admittedly. It had been their first day off after a night shift, and she and Jason had taken turns catching up on some sleep, but Jason emerged from his afternoon nap with a very uncharacteristically subdued manner.
‘You OK?’ Laura had queried. ‘You can get some more sleep if you want. Megan’s happy.’
‘Nah. If I do that I won’t sleep tonight and then I’ll still be tired tomorrow.’
‘Do you want to go out tonight? I’ll babysit.’
‘Who with?’ Jason had sounded resigned rather than heartbroken.
‘Stick,’ Laura had suggested promptly. ‘Or Mitch. You haven’t had a night out with your mates for ages.’
‘They’re not my mates any more,’ Jason had said darkly. ‘How am I supposed to keep the rent up on this place by myself?’ His face had brightened momentarily. ‘Hey, you don’t want to move in, do you Laura? Even if Megan goes home, you’d make a great flatmate.’
If Megan went home? Maybe the comment to Maxine hadn’t just been an escape route for the moment. The thought of being a ‘flatmate’ for Jason was less than appealing, however.
‘Sorry, Jase. I already own a house. My best friend, Charlie, is living with me at the moment to help pay the mortgage. Anyway, I’m sure Stick and Mitch will come back once things are back to normal.’
‘They prefer Cliff’s sleepout,’ Jason reminded her. ‘It’s cheaper. You must have heard them going on about their plans to save up and buy a house together. They’re going to live in it and do it up on their days off and then sell it for a huge profit and start again.’
Jason’s heavy sigh reminded Laura of more than just any conversations that had been ongoing at work. His mood was understandable. In fact, it was remarkable that he hadn’t been plunged into the depths of depression, really. Maxine’s exit from his life had probably underscored just how much had changed in a very short period of time. Jason had become a father, had had a bomb detonated under his lifestyle both at work and especially at home; his mates had not only defected from living with him, they were now planning an exciting project that he was excluded from; and his girlfriend had dumped him. He had a lot to think about.
As did Laura.
Jason had not only made more than one reference to the possibility that Shelley might not be riding in on a white charger to rescue him from the parental predicament he found himself in, he’d actually hinted that he wouldn’t be overly pleased if she did.
Laura had tentatively tested the waters last night by voicing the suggestion that it might be time to try tracking Megan’s mother down. Surprisingly, Jason had vetoed the idea with an almost disgusted shake of his head.
‘She knows where her baby is,’ he’d muttered. ‘And if she gave a damn she would have at least made contact by now to see if she’s OK.’ The clearing of his throat made it seem as though Jason
had made a decision. ‘I reckon Megan’s better off where she is.’
‘She won’t be able to stay in the country very long on a visitor’s permit,’ Laura pointed out. ‘It’s only a matter of months, isn’t it? And she won’t be able to leave the country without explaining what she’s done with her baby.’
‘We’ll deal with that when it happens,’ Jason decreed. ‘If that’s OK with you, Laura.’
It was more than OK. They were a team and they were both fighting in Megan’s corner.
Laura’s new hairstyle was also more than OK. Laura was delighted when she walked out of the salon. She was even more delighted when she saw Jason’s expression.
‘Nice’ was the only word of approbation but his eyes were saying a great deal more and Laura tucked her impressions away with all the other things that seemed to be coated with fairy dust.
‘Your turn now,’ Laura told Jason. ‘You get to have the afternoon off to do whatever you like.’
‘How ’bout a drive somewhere? We could take Megan to the beach. I’ll bet she’s never seen a beach.’
‘I haven’t seen one myself for a while.’ Laura also tucked away the fact that Jason had given up an afternoon’s reprieve in order to spend time with her and Megan.
As usual they took Laura’s hatchback car, because Jason still hadn’t cleaned out his own vehicle and she had declared it a health hazard for babies the first time they had taken Megan home. She wasn’t about to suggest he spend his free afternoon catching up with that task, though, not when the prospect of a family-type outing was in the offing for the first time.
And it was great.
They drove out of the city, taking the coastal road to the wide expanses of Paraparaumu beach. The warm spring afternoon held all the promise of a hot summer to come, and while the water was still far too cold to contemplate even a paddle, Jason eyed the gentle surf longingly.
‘Do you remember summer holidays when you were a kid?’
‘My family had a bach at Waihi. Corrugated iron walls, outside loo, no electricity. Must have been hell for Mum but we loved it. We’d spend the whole of January there some years.’
‘Good surf?’
Laura laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you really are an ex-surfer?’
‘What does she mean?’ Jason directed the question to the baby he was holding as they walked along the firm, damp sand just out of reach of the waves. ‘Look, Peanut.’ He turned his daughter and held her face outwards to the view. ‘This is a New Zealand beach,’ he said proudly. ‘It’s where most of us live for the summer holidays. We swim and build sandcastles and have picnics and barbecues. And surf,’ he added firmly. ‘There’s nothing better than catching a wave, kid. When you’re big enough I’ll get you a boogie board and teach you how to use it.’
Except that Megan would probably be spending her Januarys in a cold, grey city on the other side of the world, but neither of them mentioned that.
They sat for a while amongst the tussock-covered sand dunes and Jason was the one who fed Megan. He laughed at the baby’s expression on tasting her milk.
‘Yeah, I know it’s cold. Food always tastes different at the beach. Better,’ he added wistfully. He glanced up at Laura. ‘Look at that—she’s not bothered that it’s cold. She’s a little trouper, isn’t she?’
‘She’s great,’ Laura said quietly.
Jason broke the short silence that fell a minute or two later. ‘Talking about food at the beach…I’m starving.’
‘I’m not surprised. It’s three o’clock and we haven’t had lunch. Did you see that fish-and-chip shop we passed just down the road?’
‘Let’s go.’ Jason put Megan upright against his shoulder and was rubbing her back with what seemed like an automatic gesture. She obliged by burping loudly only seconds later, and then Jason was on his feet. ‘She’s going to need a nap soon.’
‘She’ll sleep in the car.’
‘We could take a longer route home. I’ll drive this time, if you like. Let’s go over the hills and back through the Hutt Valley. I haven’t been out that way for years.’
Neither had Laura. ‘I never knew there was an animal park out here. Look, it says it has deer and donkeys and goats and you’re allowed to feed them all. Be great fun for kids.’
‘We’ll bring Megan some time when she’s awake.’
‘She might be a bit young to appreciate it.’
‘We’re not, though.’ Jason turned to grin at Laura but she clutched at his arm.
‘Look out, Jase!’
Jason swore roundly as a car, passing them at speed on the downhill stretch, cut in way too sharply. ‘What’s he in such a big hurry for? Idiot.’
The black BMW containing the idiot had reached the bottom of the slope. Laura’s mouth gaped as she saw the swerve when its outside wheels left the tarmac. An instant later, the car had vanished.
‘Oh, my God—it’s gone over the bank!’
Jason already had the hazard lights on Laura’s car flashing. He pulled off the road well before the bend so that oncoming traffic would see the vehicle.
‘Stay here,’ he ordered. ‘I’ll go and see what’s happened.’
‘We know what’s happened. That was a hell of a crash we just heard. It’s highly likely that someone’s injured. I’m coming, too.’
‘But we can’t just leave Megan.’
‘She’s sound asleep and perfectly safe in her car seat.’ Laura was pulling her first-aid kit, in a small green backpack, from the back of her car. ‘Come on, Jason. We’re wasting time.’
The bank was steep. They could see the wheels of the unfortunate car, one still spinning, as it lay upside down towards the bottom of the bank. They couldn’t see any occupants due to the shrubby undergrowth beneath the trees. Laura’s foot slipped as she scrambled down after Jason and he caught her arm and steadied her.
‘Careful, babe,’ he warned. ‘Take it slowly.’ He released her arm but took hold of her hand instead and Laura was quite happy to make the journey a team effort. He was quite right, of course. The first rule for any rescuer was not to become one of the casualties, and it would be only too easy to slip and break an ankle or wrist on terrain like this when she was wearing trainers rather than her heavy work boots.
Jason was equally careful as they neared the wreck. ‘Don’t go downhill from the vehicle,’ he warned. ‘It’s not secure enough to be safe. Can you smell any fuel?’
‘No.’ Laura sniffed again just to be sure.
‘Good. Neither do I.’ Jason peered into one of the back windows of the vehicle. ‘I can’t see anyone.’
Laura looked at where the driver’s window was half-buried in soft earth. Or had the roof been compressed that far down? She knelt down and found she could see more than she expected of the front seats. Unexpectedly, she couldn’t see any people. Had Jason missed seeing someone crumpled behind the front seats on the roof that was now the floor of the vehicle perhaps?
‘Hello!’ She called. ‘Can anyone hear me?’
‘There’s a branch been knocked off this tree.’ Jason picked up what could have passed for a tree trunk with ease. ‘I’ll see if I can jam it somewhere on the other side to stabilise the—What the…!’ Jason dropped the tree branch and spun around. His laugh was one of embarrassed relief. ‘It’s a dog!’ he exclaimed. ‘I thought someone was grabbing my leg.’
The dog was black and curly and very fat. It cringed at the first movement from Jason but then wiggled apologetically closer and sat on his foot.
‘It’s shaking,’ Laura observed. ‘It’s probably been thrown clear of the car.’
‘Doesn’t look like it’s hurt too badly.’ Jason moved his foot but the dog moved swiftly and recaptured the contact. ‘It’s OK,’ Jason told it. ‘You’re safe now. Can you get out of the way so we can find your owner?’
Jason was satisfied enough with his positioning of the branch to let them confirm that the car was empty. The dog obviously hadn’t been the only passenger to be thrown clear
of the wreck. They searched the surrounding area in expanding circles, with Jason still insisting that Laura take the higher ground.
‘Up here!’ Laura shouted a minute later. ‘I’ve found someone.’
‘He can’t have been wearing a seat belt, then.’ Jason was beside her within seconds. ‘How is he?’
‘Unconscious but breathing well,’ Laura told him. ‘I can’t see any major head injury. We’ll have to assume he was the only one in the car for the moment. Can you come behind his head and keep his neck stable?’
‘Sure. Do you think he’s got a spinal injury?’
‘Given the mechanism of injury, it’s fairly high on the index of suspicion.’ Laura checked her phone but the reception had been patchy enough on the road when she had first alerted the emergency services. It had gone completely now and she would not be able to give them an update on the situation. Turning back to the accident victim, Laura ran her hands over the middle-aged man in a body sweep for any obvious bleeding. ‘He’s got a fractured femur,’ she told Jason, pointing to the obvious misalignment of the man’s leg. She carried on with a rapid secondary survey. ‘Pelvis is stable, that’s good.’ She was ripping open a woollen bush shirt as they heard a call from above.
‘Do you need any help?’
‘Have you got a phone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Call triple one,’ Laura directed. ‘Tell them we have one patient. No entrapment. Ask them how long it will be before they get here.’
‘And check on our baby, would you?’ Jason yelled. ‘She’s in the back seat of our car.’
Our baby. Our car. But Laura couldn’t afford to take the time to savour the feeling the words gave her. Her patient was regaining consciousness and groaning loudly.
‘Don’t try to move,’ Laura said. ‘It’s all right. You’ve been in an accident but you’re safe now.’
The reassurance in Laura’s tone was enough to attract the fat black dog, which lay down on its stomach and then wriggled forward like a snake until its nose was right beside Jason’s hand.
The Firefighters Baby Page 11