The Midwife's Son

‘Didn’t you do just that three days ago? Figuratively speaking.’ Those eyes that always got to him were totally focused on him right now.

‘Guilty as charged.’ His stomach clenched, relaxed. Of course she’d want to take a crack at him. He’d hurt her by leaving like he had. Somehow he was going to make that up to her. But he wasn’t barrelling in on this one. They had their whole lives ahead of them. He’d take it slower than he was used to doing with anything.

Parking outside Mum and Dad’s house, he pulled on the handbrake. ‘I’ll tell you something. What you just said about me thinking like a local made me feel warm and fuzzy, not cold and panicked. Guess I’m improving.’

Jess actually chuckled. There was even a hint of mischief in her eyes. ‘Watch this space. You’ll be standing for mayor before we know it.’

‘Get outta here.’ Not that Golden Bay had a mayor. There were plenty of people who liked to think they were running the district, but official business was down over the hill.

‘Don’t let me forget my kit.’ She dropped to the ground and reached into the back for two bags. ‘Wonder if any of the beach houses are vacant.’

‘You thinking of renting one for a while?’

She nodded. ‘Got to find somewhere to live fairly quickly.’

Now he had something practical he could do for the woman he loved. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll ring round, or go online, while you’re bringing that baby into this wet world.’

Her gaze lit up as she looked skyward. ‘The sun’s peeking out, most of the sky’s blue, and the rain has stopped everywhere.’

And Jess had started looking a tiny bit more relaxed. Relief nearly made him swing her up in his arms to kiss her soft lips. But as his foot came off the ground to move towards her, caution held him back. Patience, man, patience. Do not rush her. Not today, anyway. He smiled and lifted out two more heavy bags of damp belongings before following that gorgeous butt inside.

* * *

Virginia handed her a steaming mug of tea even before she’d got her boots off. ‘Here you go, Jess. Get that in you. I tried to get you to have one before you left at sun-up but you weren’t hearing anything.’

Jess apologised. ‘I had my mind on my home, nothing else.’

‘That’s what I thought.’ Virginia’s arm draped around her shoulders. ‘You and Nicholas stay here for as long as it takes to sort everything out. No arguments.’

‘I’m not arguing. I’m just too exhausted to do anything much about finding somewhere to live today. So, thanks very much.’ She laid her cheek against the other woman’s arm for a moment, absorbing the warmth and care. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered again.

Jackson strolled through the farmhouse-sized kitchen and smiled at her and his mother. ‘We’re heading into town shortly. Anyone here who needs to go that way?’ He was definitely sounding more and more like most of the other caring people in the district.

Virginia dropped her arm and handed Jackson a mug. ‘Not that I know of. Want to take some food with you? Can’t imagine any shops being open today.’

Ten minutes later Jess sat in the passenger seat watching Jackson skilfully negotiate a small washout just past her house. ‘It could take months to get everything back to normal.’

Her work phone buzzed in her pocket. ‘Hey, Lynley, that you?’

‘My contractions are down to five minutes apart and we’re waiting at the birthing unit.’

‘Nearly there.’ She closed the phone. ‘That girl is so calm for a first baby.’

‘What were you like when you had Nicholas?’

‘Terrible. My baby was the first baby ever to be born. No one could’ve possibly understood what I was going through. I’m surprised I had any friends left by the time I’d finished.’ She grinned. ‘Labour hurts, big time. And mine went on for thirty-one hours. I swear it’s the only time Nicholas has been late for anything.’

‘Would you do it again?’

Talk about a loaded question. ‘You going somewhere with this?’

‘Yep.’ He slowed behind a tractor towing a trailer laden with broken trees. Driving patiently, he kept back from the mud sent into the air by the trailer wheels. ‘I’d love to have kids.’

And that had something to do with her? Though he had said he loved her—three times. ‘Yeah, I’d do it again. The pain’s quickly forgotten when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time.’

Jackson didn’t say any more, just concentrated on getting them through the mud and debris littering what used to be a perfectly good road.

The medical centre was surprisingly quiet. ‘I think everyone’s too busy cleaning up to be bothered with visiting us,’ Mike theorised, when they tramped inside with their plastic box of breakfast.

‘Where are Lynley and Trevor?’ she asked.

‘Over in the maternity wing.’

Jackson continued walking through the centre. ‘I’m over there if you find you’re suddenly rushed off your feet, Mike.’

‘You don’t have to come with me.’ Jess hurried after Jackson.

‘I’ll make breakfast.’

‘You have an answer for everything,’ she muttered under her breath.

He leaned close, placed a soft kiss on her cheek. ‘Better get used to that.’

Lynley had already changed into a loose-fitting hospital gown. ‘Can?

?t stand anything constricting me at the moment,’ she told Jess the moment she turned into the birthing room. ‘Ahh, Trevor, hold me.’ Her pretty face contorted as vice-like pain caught her.

Trevor stood rock solid as his wife clung to him, his hands around her waist. ‘Glad you got through, Jess. I heard about your place being flooded. Hope it’s going to be all right. If there’s anything I can do, give me a call, okay?’

‘Thanks. It’s too soon to know what’ll happen with it. This is Jackson Wilson. He’s an emergency doctor and, no, Lynley you’re not having an emergency.’

Jackson waved a hand at the couple. ‘If you don’t want me hanging around just say so, otherwise I’m here to watch and learn.’

When the contraction had passed Jess indicated for Lynley to sit back on the bed and then wrapped the blood-pressure cuff around the mother-to-be’s arm. ‘Baseline obs first and then I’ll listen to baby’s heartbeat.’

‘Any idea how long this is going to take?’ Lynley asked.

‘It’s like the piece of string. Every baby is different. Your BP’s good.’ She listened through the stethoscope to the baby’s heartbeats, counting silently. ‘All good there, too.’

‘Now we wait, right?’ Trevor said.

‘We certainly do. And be grateful that wee boy didn’t decide yesterday was the day to arrive.’ Jess sat on a low stool and filled in patient observations.

Jackson said, ‘I’ll make our breakfast. Can I get you anything Lynley? Trevor?’

Another contraction, and again Trevor held Lynley. And again. Jackson returned from the kitchen with a tray laden with toast and jam, and four cups of coffee. More contractions, more observations noted on the page. The morning groaned past and Lynley began to get tired.

‘I’m fed up with this pain,’ she yelled once.

‘Why did you get me pregnant?’ she demanded of Trevor another time. ‘Do you know what you’re putting me through?’