Brought Together by Baby

by Margaret McDonagh

  ‘We’re expecting you. Come to Resus,’ Nathan instructed, cradling a red-faced Max, who was now struggling for each breath.

  Hurrying behind him, with Gus at her side, Holly pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to stop the cries and pleas that wanted to burst from her. She was grateful when Gus gave Nathan a succinct if shaky account of events because she didn’t think she could speak. The fear in Gus’s voice matched her own. The speed of the swelling had shocked her, and she was wrestling with guilt. This was her fault. She’d left the door open. She’d brought the fruit in. And she’d known there were wasps around. She should have taken more care.

  Seconds later they arrived in Resus, which was already busy with other patients. Holly knew they were only allowed to stay because of their connection to the department, so although the temptation to be close to Max was overwhelming she stood with Gus, out of the way. Feeling sick with anxiety, they watched and waited.

  Nathan examined Max with brisk efficiency, the team following his directions for the administration of adrenalin via a nebuliser, followed by steroids and antihistamine to counteract the swelling. Holly knew how good her former colleagues were, and she placed her trust in them to save the baby she loved with all her heart.

  As an oxygen mask was placed over Max’s swollen face Gus slid an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. Shaking from head to toe, and too scared to think what she was doing, she turned into him, seeking the comfort she so desperately needed. Burying her face in his chest, she inhaled his familiar scent, drawing on his strength. Knowing he shared her fear, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Gus,’ she sobbed. ‘You must hate me. It’s all my fault.’

  He stroked her hair with the palm of one hand, gentle and soothing. ‘That’s nonsense, Holly.’

  ‘I knew there were wasps around. I just didn’t think,’ she continued, riddled with guilt.

  ‘I saw them, too, and it didn’t occur to me, either.’

  ‘But—’

  Much to her surprise, Gus drew back and cupped her face in his hands, smoky green eyes intense. ‘Stop tormenting yourself. No one is blaming you, darling, least of all me,’ he reassured her. The endearment startled her and warmed her at the same time. ‘It was a freak accident. That’s all. I know you’re frightened. I am, too. But Nathan knows what he’s doing and Max will be all right.’

  ‘He has to be,’ she whispered, taken aback when Gus pressed a kiss to her forehead, leaving her skin tingling.

  His hands dropped to her shoulders and turned her so she could see what was happening on the treatment table. Max had stopped crying, and she realised with a huge wave of relief that the swelling was lessening and his breathing improving. Nathan gestured to them and they followed him out of Resus into the relative quiet of the corridor. ‘Max is doing well. He had five mg of nebulised adrenalin to begin with. We did anaesthetic and ENT reviews, but in the end he didn’t need intubation or an emergency tracheotomy because he responded to the adrenalin, steroids and antihistamine we gave him,’ he told them with a smile, and Holly sagged against Gus, clinging tenaciously to his hand, her fingers linked with his. ‘He’s settled, and the swelling is much reduced, so we’re moving him to a quiet cubicle to rest, but it’s close enough to bring him back to Resus in the unlikely event we need to. There’s the potential of a second stage of reaction in the first six hours, but I’m not anticipating any problems.’

  ‘Can we stay with him?’ Holly asked, her voice rough with emotion.

  Nathan nodded. ‘Of course. And if his recovery continues like this you can take Max home—as soon as it’s clear there’ll be no further reaction. If he needs it overnight he can have some Calpol, but I think you’ll find him back to normal by tomorrow.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Gus sounded as relieved as she felt, and she watched as he shook Nathan’s hand. ‘Do you think Max is now sensitised to wasp stings?’

  ‘I believe this has been a localised reaction to being stung in a sensitive place inside the mouth and not a full-on anaphylactic attack,’ Nathan explained, his brow creasing in concentration. ‘As you know, generally a person needs to be stung once to sensitise the immune system, and it’s after the second sting that an allergic response occurs. As far as we know Max has never been stung before.’

  ‘And hopefully won’t be again,’ Holly interjected with feeling, and Gus’s fingers gave hers a squeeze.

  Nathan smiled in sympathy. ‘It must have been a dreadful experience for both of you. We can do some tests at a later date to see if Max is sensitised or not, and you can carry an Epipen of adrenalin as a precaution, but my hunch is that this was a one-off event.’

  ‘Thanks, Nathan…for everything,’ she said with feeling.

  Smiling, the handsome doctor gave her a quick hug. ‘No worries.’

  ‘How’s Annie? I keep meaning to ring her or meet up for a chat.’

  ‘She’d love that,’ Nathan confirmed. ‘She’s much happier now the court case is over and her attacker is safely behind bars.’

  ‘Thank God,’ Gus responded, voicing aloud her own feelings.

  Holly shivered, recalling the January day when Annie had been stabbed in A&E by a man escaping the police. Holly had transferred to the Children’s Ward shortly before the event, but she’d visited Annie many times during her recovery and would never forget how close they’d come to losing her. It was a huge relief to know it was over and that the man would be serving a long sentence for nearly ending Annie’s life.

  Nathan gave further reassurances about Max’s condition before saying goodbye to them both. Thankful that what had begun in such a scary and traumatic fashion was ending so happily, Holly accompanied Gus to the nearby cubicle where they found a much more contented Max. With tears welling in her eyes, Holly kissed his soft, warm cheek and cuddled him.

  Gus’s arms closed around them both in a three-way hug. Every atom of her being was aware of him and reacted to his closeness, reminding her how vulnerable she was to him and how easy it would be to let down her guard.

  After the short but terrifying ordeal Max was safe.

  Where Gus was concerned, Holly knew she was anything but.

  * * *

  Gus knew the instant he walked into the living room that Holly had been crying. And he could tell by the wobbly, over-bright smile and the characteristically stubborn lift of her chin that she was determined to hide it. He was equally determined to find out what had upset her. She didn’t meet his gaze, focusing instead on the pillowcase she was ironing, folding it with studied care and adding it to the completed pile of laundry on the dining table behind her.

  ‘Everything OK?’ he asked, keeping his voice light as he dropped the things he was carrying on the sofa—including a plush teddy bear. He knelt on the floor to say hello to Max, who was lying on his play mat gym, happily kicking his legs and gurgling along to the music of a well-known nursery rhyme.

  ‘Fine.’ Holly’s answer was predictable, and he didn’t believe her, but he allowed her to temporarily divert his attention back to his son. ‘Given all the kicking practice he’s been doing, I think Max is going to be a footballer when he grows up.’

  He smiled, drawing the growing baby into his arms. ‘Yeah?’

  ‘He’s learned two new things today,’ she continued, pride mixing with the false jollity in her voice.

  ‘That’s great.’

  Max had made a full and swift recovery from the wasp sting, and after their return from the hospital had slept through the night, appearing none the worse for his adventures come morning. Gus smiled ruefully…he and Holly had been the unsettled ones. He felt as if he’d aged ten years.

  Gus gave Max a kiss and set him back on the mat to play. ‘Are you going to show Papa your new moves?’

  ‘He’s been doing mini-press-ups. And he’s discovered how to work the buzzer,’ Holly told him, her smile more natural as Max chose that moment to demonstrate his new skill and happily smacked t
he button to ring the buzzer.

  Laughing, Gus rose to his feet. ‘Nice one, half-pint!’

  He loved these moments, coming home from work full of eager anticipation at seeing Max. And Holly. Since Max had been stung he and Holly had shared a new closeness, brought together by their shared fear, giving each other strength and comfort. The underlying tension and awareness simmering beneath the surface was also increasing all the time. It was becoming harder and harder to hide his feelings from Holly…and to remember that unresolved issues lay between them. At times he was convinced Holly felt the attraction, too, but she’d rejected him once before and he was wary of making another mistake and being hurt again.

  ‘Who’s your friend?’ Holly asked, breaking into his reverie. ‘He’s gorgeous.’

  ‘It’s not meant for children under three, but I couldn’t resist when I discovered the bear was called Max,’ he confided, closing the distance between them and handing her the super-soft, hand-made teddy.

  ‘I can cuddle him until Max takes over.’

  If ever anyone looked in need of a cuddle it was Holly. As she hugged the bear tightly Gus struggled to resist the temptation to step around the ironing board and wrap her in his arms. First he needed to uncover the cause of her discomfort. But he knew from past experience that coming right out and asking wouldn’t work.

  ‘I’m going upstairs to change,’ he told her, noting her cheeks were so pale that her cute smattering of freckles stood out in stark relief. ‘Shall I take the laundry up with me?’

  ‘That would be great, thanks.’

  Her hands shook as she sat the teddy bear on the table before picking up the neatly ironed pile of bedlinens and towels. Their fingers brushed as she transferred the bundle to him, and he was surprised to see a bloom of colour return to her cheeks. Surprised and intrigued. Flustered, she stepped back, lowering the ironing board and hiding behind it as if it were a shield.

  He was almost at the door when a thought nagged him and he half turned to address her. ‘I didn’t get a chance to tell you this morning, but I found a photo album before I went to work. Did you see it?’

  ‘Yes.’ Sooty lashes hid her expression. ‘Thank you.’

  The falsely cheery tone of her voice didn’t fool him for a minute. ‘Holly, what’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Her smile frayed at the edges. ‘I’m just tired.’

  It was a lie and they both knew it. As she disappeared into the kitchen Gus went upstairs, considering how to get her to talk to him. He put the laundry in the airing cupboard, then continued down the corridor. As he passed Holly’s room he automatically glanced inside the open door, his footsteps slowing as he noticed the photo album lying on the floor.

  Rather than falling accidentally, it had clearly been roughly pushed aside. Holly had been anxious to get the pictures back, so why had she discarded it? Was this what had upset her? Had he given her the wrong thing? In his haste that morning he hadn’t looked at the contents.

  Concern for her overriding his caution, he crossed the threshold of her room and picked up the book. As he began to scan the pages the cause of Holly’s distress was obvious. Gus swore under his breath, his throat tightening as anger welled within him. In each photograph Holly’s face, and that of her mother, had either been cut out or mutilated and defaced with nasty words or scribbling. There was no doubt that Julia had been the guilty party, but why had she been so vindictive? He had no answers, only more questions.

  Uppermost in his mind was Holly, and how she must have felt when she’d seen the pictures. She’d longed for them—only to discover them in this state. He felt horribly guilty for not checking to ensure there was nothing to upset her. Not that he could ever have foreseen this.

  Holly was back in the dining room, sorting a pile of Max’s Babygros and she looked surprised when she saw him. ‘I thought you were going to get changed.’

  ‘I was. But…’

  He put the album on the table, hearing her soft exclamation of distress. Breaking his rule not to touch her, he cupped her face in his hands and tilted her head up so he could see the pain and shimmer of tears in her beautiful blue eyes.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Holly. I would never have let you see this if I’d known.’

  Tears pooled before spilling past her lashes and trailing down her cheeks. ‘Gus…’

  As a ragged sob shuddered through her, tearing at his heart, he drew her into his arms. She felt so right. A perfect fit. And as he breathed in he noticed how good she smelled. Uniquely Holly…feminine, subtle but sultry and sexy, like a wildflower meadow on a warm summer day. As her arms stole around his waist and she leaned into him, crying out the hurt, he held her tight, uncaring that her tears soaked through his shirt to his skin.

  ‘I understand how awful it must have been for Julia to lose her mother at such a young age, and then to see her father remarry and have me—but even after everything else she’s done I wasn’t prepared for the photos,’ she sobbed brokenly, and a knot formed in his chest in response to her pain. ‘Mum and Dad tried so hard with her, but instead of mellowing as she grew older her resentment increased.’

  Gus slid a hand under the silken strands of her hair, his fingers stroking the whisper-soft skin of her neck. A shaky sigh escaped her and she leaned against him, some of the tension draining from her as her tears slowed.

  ‘What else did she do?’ he asked, keeping his voice low as he encouraged her to talk, unable to doubt her sincerity or the reality of Julia’s actions.

  She was silent for several moments and he held his breath, giving her time, hoping she would confide in him and explain some of the many things he didn’t understand. Haltingly, Holly outlined examples of the unkind acts and petty jealousies Julia had been responsible for when they were growing up, and he was amazed and impressed that Holly remained so compassionate and forgiving.

  But learning about Julia’s more recent actions shocked him even more.

  ‘Julia was seventeen when our father died, and she went into a rage when she discovered she was unable to challenge his will,’ Holly explained. ‘Dad loved her so much, but he wasn’t blind to her faults, and he made sure my mother was provided for and our house was protected while Mum was alive.’

  ‘I should hope so,’ he murmured, his fingers continuing their caress of her skin. How could Julia have been so unreasonable?

  ‘Julia didn’t agree. She left Strathlochan—went working as a beauty therapist on cruise ships. She boasted about the lifestyle, the status, the money. When Mum became ill with Motor Neurone Disease Julia wasn’t interested. I’d originally wanted to be a doctor,’ she confided, surprising him anew, ‘but looking after Mum was my priority, so I stayed home and trained to be a nurse instead, because I could do that here in Strathlochan.’

  His heart ached for her. ‘I’m sorry, darling, that’s such a cruel disease,’ he sympathised, the endearment slipping out as he imagined all she and her mother must have been through together.

  ‘Yes.’ She paused a moment, sucking in a steadying breath before continuing. ‘After Mum died Julia returned to claim her share of the estate. I really didn’t want to lose the only home I’d ever known, so I took out a mortgage, which enabled me to pay Julia her half, but she was never satisfied with that. She saw herself as Dad’s proper daughter and entitled to everything.’

  ‘That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘It’s how she felt.’ She glanced up at him with a sad smile, and the expression in her blue eyes made him feel as if he’d been punched in the gut. ‘Other things happened then…’

  Gus felt a flicker of unease as he recalled one of the things Julia had told him about Holly’s past. He wanted to know the truth, yet part of him feared what he might learn. ‘You and Euan were going to be married?’ he finally asked, noting the flash of disquiet in her eyes before sooty lashes lowered to mask them.

  ‘What did Julia tell you?’ she countered, a wary reserve evident.

  ‘Not much.’ He remembered all too well
the fateful night when Holly had stood him up and Julia, amongst other things, had told him that Holly had a track record in breaking hearts. ‘No real details—just that you’d called things off at the last minute.’

  Gus frowned as he thought back to the conversation with Julia. At the time he’d been so wounded and disillusioned at the way Holly had rejected him that Julia’s revelations about Euan had hurt, sketchy though they had been, although the image of Holly being cold and thoughtless didn’t fit with the woman he knew.

  ‘We were supposed to be married,’ she confirmed, a new tension in her voice.

  He experienced an irrational curl of jealousy. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I called off the wedding a month before it was due to take place.’ She paused, and he felt the quiver that rippled through her. ‘After I came home and found Euan in bed with someone else. But I don’t want to talk about it,’ she added with a quiet dignity that tightened his chest. ‘Raking over the details serves no purpose.’

  He believed her, understanding why she’d acted as she had. And why she shied away from talking about it now, much as he would have liked to know more. The man had been crazy to risk losing Holly by doing something so unforgivable, and it was obvious the betrayal had hurt her and broken her trust. ‘I’m sorry. He was an idiot to throw away what he had with you.’

  As his fingers stroked her skin and she leaned into him he reflected on how Holly’s version cast a very different light on the story than the one Julia had wanted him to believe. He was frustrated; he still didn’t understand why.

  ‘I didn’t see Julia again until she came home—supposedly sorry for the way she had treated Mum and me. She claimed to be in terrible trouble,’ Holly continued with a shake of her head. She sighed deeply. ‘It was a shock to learn she’d become addicted to gambling on the cruise ships she’d worked on, and was heavily in debt to the wrong kind of people. She said she’d been threatened and she feared what would happen if she didn’t find the money. She begged me to help her.’