‘Chloe’s an excellent midwife.’ Oliver was all too aware of how his heart had leapt at hearing Chloe’s name. With an effort he forced his mind back to the matter at hand. ‘The best thing to do with Leo is to put a couple of saline drops in each nostril before feeding. That will help to thin and disperse any congestion, and he should find feeding much easier. You can also try holding him in a more upright position until he is over the cold.’
A relieved smile stripped the worry from Juliet’s rosy face as she strapped Leo into place beside his now silent, watchful brother. ‘That’s great. Thank you so much, Dr Fawkner.’
‘No trouble. You have two fine sons.’ He held the door open and helped Juliet guide the buggy out of the room. ‘Let me know if Leo’s cold doesn’t clear in another couple of days, or if you have any other concerns.’
His next patient was a middle-aged man with recurrent muscular pain in his back. After prescribing some analgesia, he recommended that the man see Lauren Nightingale for some gentle physiotherapy to help strengthen his back.
‘I’m willing to try anything, Doctor,’ he agreed with a wan smile.
Smiling in sympathy, Oliver made a couple of notes. ‘I’ll see to the referral and Lauren will contact you directly. Any problems, come back and talk to me.’
As the man made his uncomfortable departure, Oliver reflected on another mixed afternoon surgery while he waited for his final patient of the day to come through. The summer influx of tourists and surfers brought an upsurge in minor injuries and illnesses. He had been taken on at the practice to assist his new colleagues in covering the additional cases on top of the usual workload of local families, farmers and fishermen. In the weeks he had been in Penhally, he had seen everything from surfboard collisions to scrapes on the rocks, weaver and jelly-fish stings, fractures, sprains, cuts that needed stitching, and had given what seemed a never-ending series of tetanus injections.
Oliver looked up and smiled as a knock on the door announced the arrival of Rachel Kenner. He had seen from the notes that the local vicar’s daughter seldom visited the surgery, but one look at her frightened blue eyes told him that something serious and troubling had brought her there today. Gently he sat her down and tried to put her at ease. Slender and shy, with short blonde curls and a nervous manner, she looked younger than her seventeen years and very vulnerable.
‘Hello, Rachel. Take your time and make yourself comfortable,’ he said encouragingly as she shifted restlessly on the chair. ‘What can I do to help you today?’
Clasping shaking hands together in her lap, she stared at him in silence for several long moments and then burst into tears.
Chloe had just shown her last mum-to-be of the afternoon out of the room when the phone rang. She returned to her desk, grimacing at the sight of the pile of paperwork awaiting her, and picked up the receiver.
‘Sorry, Chloe, am I interrupting?’ Sue, the head receptionist apologised.
‘No, Sue, it’s fine. Mrs George has just left. Is there a problem?’
‘Oliver asks if you could pop down to his consulting room as soon as you are free,’ Sue continued and Chloe’s heart skittered at the sound of his name and at the request. She was still gathering her wits as Sue continued. ‘He has Rachel Kenner with him.’
Surprise jolted Chloe from her wayward thoughts about the man whose all-too-brief kiss three days ago still left her jittery, ridiculously excited and confused. ‘Rachel? OK, I’m on my way down.’
Wondering why Reverend Kenner’s shy, studious daughter might need her, Chloe hurried down the stairs to the suite of consulting rooms, frowning as she knocked on the door of what had been Lucy’s room but which Oliver was now using.
‘Come in.’
Stepping inside, Chloe felt another burst of nervous anticipation, then she met Oliver’s darkly sinful gaze. Warmth stole through her whole being. For just a moment something intense and deeply personal burned in his eyes, and a small smile played at his mouth, then he was back in professional mode, as if the private connection had never happened.
‘Thanks for coming down, Chloe.’
‘No problem.’ She dragged her attention away from the man who had hijacked all her thoughts of late and focused on the girl who sat by the desk, tear tracks marking her pale cheeks, a pile of soggy tissues clutched in her shaking hands. Chloe’s heart went out to her, and she moved to her side, slipping an arm around her slim shoulders. ‘Hello, Rachel, my love. Whatever has happened?’
Her question set off another burst of sobbing. Chloe held Rachel while she cried, raising a querying gaze to Oliver who looked on with sympathetic concern.
‘Rachel’s come to see us because she has a problem she’s not sure how to handle,’ he explained after a moment, choosing his words with care. ‘I said we’d do all we can to help.’
‘Of course we will,’ Chloe agreed robustly, giving Rachel an encouraging smile.
Oliver hunkered down on the other side of the distraught girl and offered her a fresh tissue. His kindness touched Chloe’s heart. ‘Rachel, do you want to explain to Chloe, or would you like me to tell her?’
‘You d-do it. P-please.’ Sniffing, Rachel wiped her face and blew her nose.
‘OK.’ Oliver moved back, giving the teenager some space. His voice was matter-of-fact and without judgement or drama. ‘Rachel had a short relationship with a boy whom she thought cared about her. Now she fears she’s pregnant and she’s worried about telling her father.’
Chloe couldn’t have been more surprised. Rachel was the very last person she would ever have imagined being in this difficult situation. Not just because she was the vicar’s daughter, or even because she was shy, but because she had been so focused on her education and her dream to be a teacher. As for Rachel’s father, Chloe knew how close he and Rachel were, especially since her mother had died some years ago, leaving them alone. Reverend Kenner was a kind-hearted, generous and understanding person, and Chloe knew he would stand by Rachel no matter what. Those were bridges that could be crossed after they had determined whether the teenager was pregnant.
‘First things first, then,’ Chloe decided, following Oliver’s no-nonsense approach. ‘We’ll do some checks to make sure, but what makes you believe you are pregnant? Have you done a home test, my love, or are you guessing because you’ve missed some periods?’
‘Both,’ Rachel admitted. The crying had stopped for now, but her voice sounded thick with tears.
Chloe gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘And how far along do you think you are, Rachel?’
‘F-four months.’ She hiccupped, smiling gratefully when Oliver crossed the room, returning with a cool glass of water for her. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, taking a few sips. ‘It only happened the once. He s-said it would be all right.’
Oliver looked resigned and Chloe smothered a sigh. How many times had they heard a tale like this one? Once was all it took. ‘You don’t think the father of the baby will stand by you?’
‘I know he won’t,’ she scoffed, full of hurt and scorn.
‘Can you tell us what happened?’
Rachel raised her head. Her blue eyes were red-rimmed and her lower lip trembled. ‘I couldn’t believe he had even noticed me. I should have known better. But he told me he cared, and he was nice to me when we went out a few times. I was stupidly flattered. I’d never had a boyfriend before. They tend not to notice me because I am shy and bookish, not to mention being the vicar’s daughter,’ she added with a touch of cynicism.
‘But this boy did notice you?’ Oliver encouraged.
‘So I thought…at the time.’ Rachel took another drink of water and drew in a ragged breath, fresh tears spilling from between her lashes and trickling down her pale cheeks. ‘But it was all lies, just to get what he wanted. He didn’t force me to have sex, I wanted to by then, but it wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t enjoy it.’ More tears slipped free. ‘He wasn’t caring at all. It really hurt.’
Chloe gave her another h
ug and waited until the girl calmed again. ‘Who was it, Rachel?’
‘G-Gary Lovelace.’
Somehow Chloe bit back a retort. Damn those Lovelaces. They were a well-known problem family in Penhally, the father in prison, not for the first time, and the mother left alone with several difficult children. Gary, the eldest at seventeen, was good-looking but lazy and always in trouble. Thrown out of school, he was now unemployed and following in his father’s unsavoury footsteps. That Rachel had become one of Gary’s targets was more than upsetting. Judging by Oliver’s expression, he hadn’t yet come into contact with the Lovelace family during his first weeks at the practice. Checking that Rachel wasn’t watching, Chloe shook her head and mouthed to Oliver that she would explain later. His brief nod confirmed his understanding.
‘Gary never came near me again,’ Rachel continued, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. ‘I tried to talk to him, to tell him about the b-baby, and he just laughed. He said being with me had been a joke, payback to my father for his do-gooding ways.’
‘Oh, Rachel,’ Chloe soothed, seeing the murderous look on Oliver’s face, knowing he would like a few minutes alone with wretched Gary Lovelace, just as she would.
They took some time to gentle Rachel through the necessary tests and health check, confirming the pregnancy.
‘Have you given any thought to what you want to do?’ Oliver asked gently as he sat back down at his desk.
‘Not really.’ Rachel bit her lip. ‘For a while I tried to pretend none of it was happening. I have so many plans for my life. I desperately want to be a teacher. But how am I going to manage with a baby? I do know that I can’t get rid of it, no matter what the circumstances or why it’s here.’
Drawing up another chair, Chloe sat beside her. ‘We’ll do everything we can to support you, Rachel, but I honestly think you need to tell your father.’
‘Oh, but I can’t!’ the teenager all but wailed.
‘Rachel, I agree with Chloe,’ Oliver announced in support. ‘I know it must be scary to face these things, but your father is a good man and he’ll stand by you.’
Rachel ducked her head, her shoulders shaking. ‘He’ll be so disappointed in me. He’s so wrapped up in his community work, I hardly see him any more.’
‘He loves you dearly. And you love him.’ Chloe rested a reassuring hand on Rachel’s arm. Her thoughts strayed for a moment and she wondered what it must be like to have a good, caring father, as Rachel did, a man so different from her own. Suppressing a shiver, she pushed her memories away. ‘You’re going to need his support, Rachel. This isn’t something you can hide from him.’
‘I just don’t know how to tell him.’
Chloe opened her mouth to make a promise, then closed it again and glanced at Oliver. He smiled, a glint in his eye, as if he knew what she had been about to say.
‘Would you like Chloe and me to come home with you and help explain things to your father?’ Oliver offered, and Chloe smiled at him in gratitude, knowing he had somehow been in tune with her train of thought.
‘You’d do that?’ Rachel looked from her to Oliver and back again. ‘Really?’
‘Of course. If you think it would make things easier for you.’
Looking young and scared, Rachel nodded. ‘Yes, please.’
‘All right.’ Glancing at Oliver, Chloe rose to her feet. ‘I’ll just pop upstairs and fetch my things, then I’ll be ready to go.’
Rachel clutched her hand before she could leave. ‘Thank you. Thank you both, so much.’
‘Do you think Rachel will be all right?’
Hearing the worry in Chloe’s voice, Oliver reached for her hand and linked his fingers with hers. So much for his plans to have her to himself for the evening, he thought wryly, given the hour or more they had spent at the vicarage after driving Rachel home. Not that he begrudged helping the teenager smooth things over with her father, or answering their endless questions. He didn’t. He was just impatient to have Chloe to himself as their time alone together was precious.
‘Your judgement was perfect,’ he reassured her now. ‘Yes, Rachel’s father was shocked and upset, but he’s devoted to his daughter and it’s obvious he’s going to stand by her. The plan to involve the aunt and uncle who live in Plymouth, and who are experienced and regular foster-parents, sounds an excellent one.’
‘It would be wonderful if they agree to help Rachel care for the baby when the time comes, while she continues her A levels and does her teacher training at Plymouth university,’ she agreed, sounding more hopeful.
‘Exactly. And in the meantime, Rachel has her father…and us.’
The smile Chloe bestowed on him turned his heart over and sucked the air out of his lungs. ‘Yes. She does. Thank you for being so good with her.’
‘It wasn’t me, it was you.’ It was no good. He couldn’t wait another moment. Coming to a halt, he drew her to face him, his free hand cupping her cheek. Slowly, carefully, he placed an all-too-brief, all-too-chaste kiss on her lips. ‘You’re pretty special, Chloe MacKinnon.’
A becoming blush pinkened her cheeks. ‘I am not.’
‘Now, we could argue about that for the rest of the night…and I’d most definitely win,’ he teased, starting them walking again.
Back at her car, Chloe opened the doors. ‘Do you want me to drop you at the surgery so you can collect your own car?’
‘No, it’s OK. I’m not on call tonight and I can easily walk to work in the morning.’ He didn’t intend to waste another second of time with Chloe. ‘How about we pick up something to eat?’
‘That sounds nice. But I have some chicken and things for a salad in the fridge. It won’t take me long to put something together. If you’d like that?’ she finished doubtfully.
Did she believe such a plan might be too homely for a supposed playboy like him? He’d soon disabuse her of that worry, but that she might think it brought a sting of disappointment. The shallowness and false impressions were things he had come to Penhally Bay to escape. It mattered to him that Chloe saw the real man.
‘Perfect.’ He stroked one finger along her bare forearm, feeling her shiver in reaction, seeing confusion and awareness darken her eyes. He smiled and withdrew his touch. ‘Thank you for asking me. I’d love to spend some quiet time at home with you.’
As she turned away and started the engine, he noticed that her hand wasn’t entirely steady and she sounded more than a touch breathless. ‘OK.’
Back at her cottage in Fisherman’s Row, Oliver insisted on helping her put the impromptu meal together. ‘Tell me about Gary Lovelace,’ he requested, smiling at Chloe’s unladylike exclamation.
His smile faded, however, when he learned about the reputation of the family and the endless problems they seemed to cause.
‘Eve Dwyer knows more about them than I do. She’s a practice nurse who lives in the village, but she’s currently on an agency placement in Newquay until a vacancy becomes available back here,’ Chloe explained, taking some tomatoes from the fridge and beginning to chop them. ‘According to Eve, Tassie, the ten-year-old girl, is the only decent one in the Lovelace family. I don’t know the whole story, but the mother, Amanda, just can’t cope, and Eve is involved doing what she can to help Tassie. Gary is the main troublemaker and is leading his younger brothers astray. It sounds as if he played poor Rachel ruthlessly in one of his games. I can just imagine his sick thrill at getting the vicar’s daughter in trouble.’ The knife sliced through the juicy tomatoes with vigour and Oliver winced at the symbolism. ‘I’d like a few moments to have my say to that boy.’
‘Join the queue.’
Chloe made a murmur of agreement. ‘I think most in Penhally feel the same way. Oh, blast,’ she finished, setting down the knife and raising her finger to her mouth.
‘Have you cut yourself?’
‘It’s nothing.’
Concerned, he took her hand, holding it under the cold tap for a few moments. ‘Have you got any plasters?’
&nb
sp; ‘In that drawer.’ She pointed across the other side of the kitchen and he soon found what he needed. ‘I’m getting as bad as Lauren in the clumsy stakes!’
‘What is it with her?’ he asked, moving back and carefully drying Chloe’s cut finger on some clean absorbent kitchen roll, applying pressure to stem a fresh welling of blood.
‘Lauren’s always been accident-prone. Why?’
Oliver shrugged. ‘I just noticed she doesn’t judge distances well when she’s reaching for something, and she trips over or walks into things that are in shadow.’
‘You think there’s something wrong?’
‘Probably not if she’s always been like it,’ he soothed, regretting having caused Chloe any concern about her friend. But something nagged at him about Lauren’s clumsiness. Pushing the thought from his mind, he gently applied the plaster over Chloe’s cut. As he finished, she went to pull her hand away, but he held on. ‘Wait. I haven’t kissed it better yet.’
‘Oh!’
Cradling her left hand, pale and delicate-looking against his darker skin, he slowly raised it, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. He placed a feather-light kiss over the injured spot, lingering a moment, his gaze holding hers, before he released her.
‘There we go, babe.’
‘Right. Thanks.’ She looked adorably flustered. Swallowing, she turned back to the counter. ‘Um, did I tell you Avril Harvey might be well enough to bring her baby home on Friday?’
Oliver hid a smile at her unsubtle change of subject. ‘You did. It’s good news that mother and daughter are doing well. Her husband must be relieved.’
‘Yes, he is.’ Placing the cold chicken on plates, Chloe drizzled dressing over the fresh salad. ‘And I gather you spoke with Nick.’
‘He’s agreed to take back his own cases, including the Trevellyans and the Fiddicks, but I’ll handle any other antenatal work not on his list for the time being,’ he clarified, taking the cutlery and a jug of iced water to the table.
Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 2 Page 54