One Night, One Baby

by Kate Hardy

  Not specific enough. ‘When do I get to meet them?’

  ‘Soon.’

  She refused to let him fob her off. ‘Why don’t you invite them here for Sunday lunch?’

  ‘This Sunday?’

  She could hear the faint note of panic in his voice, and although it made her feel horrible she knew she had to push this. For her baby’s sake. ‘Yes.’

  ‘I can’t. I’m flying back to the States.’

  ‘What? I thought you were here for a couple of weeks?’ He hadn’t been specific about how long he was staying—but surely he’d planned to tell her more than two days before he left?’

  ‘I had a call from Brad today.’

  ‘Who’s Brad?’

  ‘My number two on the project. There’s a problem. He needs me to sort it out.’

  ‘Why can’t he do it?’

  ‘Because I have more experience.’

  ‘And you’re the only person in the world who could fix the problem?’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘Why does this feel as if you’re running away?’

  ‘Because you’re paranoid.’

  She sighed. ‘Mitch, you won’t discuss anything about the future.’

  ‘What’s to discuss? Everything’s fine.’

  No, it wasn’t. ‘You won’t even talk about baby names.’

  ‘Because it’s unlucky to discuss it in advance. Stop worrying.’ He pushed his chair back, scooped her from hers, sat down in her place and settled her on his lap. ‘Everything’s going to be fine.’

  She let him distract her with kisses—kisses that quickly led to her losing most of her clothes and him carrying her to bed. But only because he’d put up such a huge wall between them, she had no idea how else to scale it. At least in bed he let her close. And maybe, just maybe, if she kept close to him, he’d learn to trust her enough to start demolishing that wall.

  CHAPTER TEN

  MITCH glanced at the display on his phone before he answered it. An international number?

  His heart missed a beat. Jane never called him. They had a tacit agreement that he’d call her, when he was having a break and it was still a reasonable time in the UK.

  So if Jane was ringing him…that meant something was wrong.

  He stifled the panic. Of course not. He was just being paranoid. It was probably Harry chasing him up for something he’d forgotten. Everything was fine. He answered the call. ‘Mitch Holland.’

  ‘Mitch, it’s Hannah. Jane’s friend.’

  The one who was a nurse. He went cold. ‘What’s happened?’

  ‘Jane’s in hospital. Don’t panic, everything’s going to be OK—but she had a bit of a scare.’

  He could barely force the words out. ‘What sort of scare? Is she all right? Is the baby all right?’

  ‘She had a bit of a bleed.’

  Bleed.

  Pictures of Natalie flashed into his head. ‘Oh, my God.’

  ‘It’s OK, Mitch. I took her in myself. She’s going to be fine, and I was there when they did a scan to check the baby. They’re just keeping her in for observation for a couple of days. To be on the safe side.’

  He dragged in a breath. He still couldn’t get past the word ‘bleed’. And even though the rational part of his brain knew it wasn’t the same thing that happened to Natalie, he couldn’t stop the panic. Hot, choking panic that made him feel as if he couldn’t breathe, as if he were going to be violently sick. ‘Is…?’

  ‘Everything’s OK,’ Hannah reassured him. ‘She just wanted you to know. And obviously she can’t ring you from hospital.’

  This was where he was meant to send a message back. But he couldn’t think what to say, beyond a lame, ‘Thank you.’ His brain had completely deserted him.

  He was still shaking when he ended the call.

  Part of him wanted to stay here, where he’d be so busy focusing on work that he wouldn’t have time to think about the situation. But the better part of him knew that he’d never be able to forgive himself if he let Jane down. And this time there wasn’t a white-out to stop him. There was no reason why he couldn’t get on a plane and fly back to London. Walk into that hospital. Be there for Jane when she needed his support.

  His mother’s voice echoed in his head. When are you going to forgive yourself, Mitch?

  He wasn’t sure he ever could. But he also knew he couldn’t bear the same sort of thing on his conscience all over again. Regardless of the fact that they were in the middle of something important right now, he’d put Jane before his job.

  He flipped open his phone, retrieved Hannah’s number from the call list and rang her straight back. ‘Hannah? It’s Mitch. I’m on my way back. Which hospital?’

  ‘London City General. Maternity ward. Her consultant’s Kieran Bailey.’

  ‘Thanks. Tell Jane I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight.’

  ‘OK.’

  He snapped the phone closed, and went to find Brad.

  ‘I was just coming to get you,’ Brad said with a grin. ‘We have a beauty forming over here. Look at this!’ He showed Mitch the screen.

  Usually, the adrenalin rush would start now. He’d be as excited as the rest of the team, dying to get out there and watch the tornado form. Track it. Collect the data and see how it fitted his theories.

  But not today.

  ‘Sorry, mate, you’re on your own.’

  ‘What?’ Brad frowned. ‘What do you mean, on my own?’

  ‘I mean that you’re in charge. I have to go back to London.’

  Something in his tone must have alerted his colleague, because instead of making a fuss Brad asked, ‘Everything OK?’

  ‘Don’t know until I get there.’ Mitch sucked in a breath. ‘I’m sorry to let you down like this—but I really do have to go.’

  ‘Any idea when you’ll be back?’

  ‘As soon as.’ Mitch sighed, knowing he owed his colleague a proper explanation—and appreciating the fact that Brad had given him space instead of pushing. ‘Jane’s in hospital. Her friend’s a nurse—she says it’s going to be all right, but I need to see her for myself.’

  ‘Oh, no. I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s not just her.’ Mitch forced himself to say the rest. The first time he’d acknowledged it to anyone else apart from Jane and Harry. ‘It’s the baby. I’ll be in touch when I can, OK?’

  ‘Baby?’

  Mitch closed his eyes. ‘Baby. We’re having a baby in January.’

  ‘January? No wonder you’ve been hopping back and forth over the pond. And first babies—this is your first baby?’

  Yes and no. But it was easier to nod.

  ‘They’re always…Well. I know what I was like with my own. Fussing so much that I drove Deanna crazy.’ Brad smiled at him and clapped his shoulder. ‘Try not to worry too much. I’m sure everything will be OK. We’ll be rooting for you.’

  ‘Do you mind not telling the others? Just in case…’ Mitch couldn’t say the rest. He didn’t want to tempt fate.

  Just please, please, let everything be all right.

  Given the choice of waiting six hours for a direct flight, or taking a longer journey with several changes that would get him to London two hours earlier, Mitch picked the long haul. Though he was too keyed up to sleep, and he drank way too much coffee. He managed to get through to Harry in the wait between one of the airline changes, and she promised to book him a taxi straight from the airport to the hospital.

  Which meant he stumbled through the door of London City General at four a.m. Kansas time—when everyone in the UK was bright and cheerful at ten in the morning. He just about had enough English money on him to buy Jane some flowers from the hospital shop. And then he walked into the maternity unit—needing a shave, with bloodshot eyes and his clothes creased from travelling.

  No wonder the midwives were frowning at him.

  One of them walked over to him. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked, sounding polite yet wary.

  ‘I’m here to see Jane Redmond.’
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  ‘Are you family?’

  Was she going to refuse to let him see Jane? His eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve spent the past sixteen hours travelling from America. I know I look a mess and I could do with a shower and a shave—but no way am I moving from here until I’ve seen her for myself and know she’s OK. And the baby.’

  ‘I still need to ask the question.’

  Her voice was cool and calm, but it sounded as if she had him pegged as trouble, a nutter, or both. He had to defuse the situation, and fast. He put both hands up in a gesture of surrender. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I’ve had one hell of a journey and I’m worried sick about Jane. I’m…’ What? Her live-in lover? ‘The father of her baby.’ It was the first time he’d said it out loud. ‘I know her consultant’s name is Kieran Bailey, if that helps.’ He glanced at her badge. Senior Midwife. ‘I’m Mitch. Mitch Holland. And I…’

  He had to swallow hard. Because he was that close to falling to his knees and sobbing his heart out. ‘Please. I really need to see her for myself.’

  ‘I’ll check with her.’ She motioned to him to wait in a corridor, and walked into a little side room. A few moments later, she came back. ‘Jane says she’ll see you. Go in. But she needs to rest, OK?’

  He nodded. ‘Thank you. I could hug you for that.’

  ‘No need.’ She waved him into the room.

  And Jane looked so pale, so small. He put the flowers on her bedside cabinet. ‘Are you all right?’

  She stared at him. ‘Why are you here? Don’t you have a storm to chase?’

  He strove for lightness. ‘You could say I’m taking a rain check. Or even a tornado check.’

  ‘Not funny.’

  ‘I know.’ He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. Pressed a kiss into the palm.

  ‘You look like hell,’ she said.

  ‘I feel it,’ he admitted. ‘I’ve been travelling for sixteen hours and I couldn’t sleep.’ Couldn’t rest until he’d seen her. Again, he tried to keep it light. ‘And I’m not sure what day it is or what time it is.’ Though that was true rather than a joke. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I started spotting. I thought I was going to l—’ Her breath hitched, but he knew exactly what she was going to say. She’d thought she was going to lose the baby.

  Not caring whether it was against the rules or not, he moved nearer and wrapped his arms round her. Held her tightly, hoping she could draw strength from him. Let her cry over him.

  And eventually her shudders stopped for long enough for Mitch to let her go again. He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. ‘Just take small sips,’ he said gently, and took the glass away again when she’d had enough. ‘Hannah said everything was all right. But I needed to see you for myself.’

  Her expression said she didn’t believe him.

  ‘Are you really all right?’

  She nodded.

  ‘So what made you start spotting?’

  ‘It’s what they call an abruption. A small tear in the placenta. It just happens sometimes—it’s nothing I did wrong, and I haven’t been lifting anything heavy at work either, before you ask.’

  ‘I know,’ he soothed. ‘You’re sensible. So what now? Do you need an operation or anything?’

  ‘No, they said it wasn’t too bad a tear and it should heal itself. The baby’s fine, too.’ She grimaced. ‘Except I need bedrest for the next week. So I’m moving in with the girls again.’

  ‘Why?’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Isn’t it obvious? Because I don’t want to be on my own. Just in case…’

  Although she didn’t finish the sentence, he knew what she was telling him. ‘It could happen again?’

  ‘Hopefully not.’ She bit her lip. ‘Anyway. They’re letting me out tomorrow and Hannah’s going to take the morning off so she can pick up some stuff for me from the flat.’

  The flat, he noticed. Not our flat. Or home.

  ‘But Hannah has to work,’ he pointed out. ‘Shelley’s a teacher so she can’t just take time off during term time. And Charlie has to work, too. So you’re not going to have anyone with you, most of the time.’

  ‘Better than being on my own all the time,’ she pointed out.

  He rubbed the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand. ‘I don’t want you back in that tiny bed. No way are you going to be comfortable. Especially now.’

  ‘It’s better than being on my own,’ she repeated.

  ‘You’re not going to be on your own. I’ll take time off.’

  This time, she really did scoff. ‘You?’

  ‘Yes, me. And I can make sure you stay in bed.’

  She shook her head. ‘Mitch, I really don’t think sex is a good idea right now.’

  He rolled his eyes. ‘That’s not what I meant at all. I’m perfectly capable of sharing a bed with you without having sex with you. Which isn’t the same as saying I think you’re no longer desirable because of the bump, before you start thinking that. But it’s my place to look after you.’

  She stared at him. ‘You’re doing this out of duty?’

  ‘No. Don’t twist my words.’ He raked a hand through his hair. ‘I’m jet-lagged and sleep-deprived and I don’t have a clue what I’m saying. Except that I’m going to look after you. And I mean that. I want to do it.’

  ‘You’re actually going to take time off work?’

  He nodded. ‘Until you’re better.’

  ‘But aren’t you…?’

  ‘In the middle of something? Yes.’ He shrugged. ‘It’ll have to wait.’

  She swallowed. ‘And when I’m better?’

  ‘Let’s just concentrate on getting you well,’ he said. ‘I’m going home to crash for a couple of hours. I’ll come back and see you later this afternoon. Anything you need me to bring?’

  She shook her head. ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘OK. Ring me if you change your mind. Don’t worry about waking me up—if you need me, I’m here.’ He kissed her lightly. ‘And I’m glad everything’s OK.’

  Mitch was as good as his word. He reappeared later that afternoon, still looking as if he needed sleep, but he’d shaved, showered and changed. And he brought Jane some grapes and a couple of magazines. ‘Just to keep you going this evening. What time can I come and pick you up tomorrow?’

  ‘The consultant’s seeing me at ten.’

  ‘Do you need me to be here?’

  Yes. But she wasn’t going to push it. ‘No, that’s fine. I should be ready by about half past.’

  ‘I’ll be here.’ He stayed with her until the end of visiting time, then reappeared the following morning at exactly half past ten. He insisted that she waited in the foyer while he fetched the car. And she blinked in surprise when she saw what he was driving: not a flashy sports car, this time, but a sensible family car.

  ‘You hired this?’

  ‘It’s easier for you to get in and out of than a low-slung car with bucket seats,’ he said with a shrug.

  He’d actually thought of her, put her needs before his own wants. Hired a car he probably loathed instead of the fast, sleek machines he loved.

  She was near to tears as she climbed in. And her eyes filled again when she walked into the flat and discovered that, not only had he tidied everything, he’d changed the bed linen and put the washing machine on, he’d stocked the fridge, he’d bought some extra pillows, and he’d moved the TV into the bedroom.

  ‘Bedrest means staying put. And although this lot will keep you busy for a while—’ he indicated the pile of books and puzzle magazines on her bedside table ‘—you’re going to get seriously bored if you’re stuck in one place for a week. So just in case you wanted to watch a film or something…’

  There was a pile of DVDs next to the books. All very girly films, she noticed: costume dramas and romantic comedies. The sort of thing he’d never want to watch in a million years.

  He’d be bored, bored, bored.

  Or else he’d work in the living r
oom. Jane couldn’t imagine him actually keeping her company, especially since he was having to take time off work. Oh, well. At least she’d be able to call out to him if there was a problem.

  ‘Get into bed,’ he said, pulling the duvet to one side.

  By the time she’d stripped off and got into bed, he’d made her a drink. And then he actually came to sit with her; she really hadn’t expected that. But he chatted with her. Made her lunch and brought it through on a tray. He didn’t discuss the baby at all, but at least he was talking to her. Spending time with her.

  And to Jane’s surprise he didn’t get bored or go off to work in the living room over the next week. He kept her company. He played board games with her, cheated outrageously at Scrabble and had her laughing so much she forgot to worry about the abruption and whether the baby was OK, watched films with her, or just held her while she slept.

  He didn’t complain once, even though she asked him if being here was putting the project behind or causing problems with his work; he merely said he had it covered and she wasn’t to worry about anything. The only time he left the flat was to do some shopping—and even then it was only when one of the girls was there, to make sure she didn’t get out of bed or start doing something.

  ‘I’m sure that it’d be OK for me to get up and get dressed. I can’t loll around in bed in a nightie all week,’ she said.

  ‘Bedrest means what it says.’ He gave her a sidelong glance that heated her blood. ‘And I like having you in nothing but a nightie. As soon as you’re better we’ll have a lot of making up to do…’

  Oh-h-h. The pictures that raised in her mind.

  ‘Stop it,’ he said giving her a sultry grin. ‘Or I’m going to need a cold shower.’

  ‘Stop what?’

  ‘Looking at me like that. I’m going to make myself a cup of coffee and you a herbal tea. And when I walk back in here, I want you demure.’

  She laughed. ‘And if I’m not?’

  ‘Then I’ll have a cold shower, then make you watch science fiction films for the rest of the day,’ he threatened, laughing.

  She liked this side of him. This light-hearted, sexy, teasing man.

  Towards the end of the week, they were lying in bed, talking, and Jane held him close. ‘Thank you for looking after me like this. You’ve been brilliant. I didn’t expect you to come back when Hannah rang you.’