Читать книгу A Family This Christmas - Sue MacKay - Страница 9

JENNY WOKE TO a nurse pumping a blood-pressure cuff wrapped around her arm. ‘Did I miss the party?’

The nurse frowned. ‘Party?’

‘The dry mouth and fuzzy head.’

An easy smile. ‘The revolting after-effects of anaesthetic. Your blood pressure’s normal. I need to take your temperature.’ A thermometer was slipped into her mouth as the nurse continued to talk. ‘Breakfast will be along shortly. You’ve got visitors, too.’

‘Visitors?’ Jenny spluttered around the glass stick between her lips. ‘I don’t know—’ Anyone except Cam and his boys. ‘Oh.’

‘Those boys are so gorgeous.’ Then the girl winked. ‘Just like their dad.’

‘True.’ It had to be post-op trauma that made her agree. ‘Does Mr McNamara do rounds on Sundays?’

‘He phoned earlier to say he’d drop by to see you this morning.’

‘Hey, sunshine, you’re looking more comfortable,’ Cam called from the doorway. ‘Up to visitors? As in three of us?’

‘You bet.’ Shuffling up the bed, she pulled the sheet up to her throat and settled back on the pillows the nurse rearranged at her back. Sunshine, eh? More like a disaster zone, with hair that hadn’t been brushed and probably yesterday’s mascara making dark smudges under her eyes. But it felt inordinately good to see him.

Cam stepped into the tiny room, followed by his sons carefully carrying coffee and something smelling suspiciously like a hot croissant.

‘Hello, guys. Is that for me?’

They nodded in unison. ‘Yes.’

‘You’re crackerjacks, you know that? I’ve been hanging out for a proper coffee since I arrived in this place.’ To think she could’ve blown this by venting her anger at them yesterday.

‘There’s a bacon and egg thing, too.’ One of them held out the bag to her.

‘Bacon and egg croissant,’ the other explained.

‘Okay, tell me, is there a trick to knowing who’s Marcus and who’s Andrew?’ They were darned near identical, though now that she was looking for differences she could see one of the boys had a tiny scar on his chin. Tapping it gently, she asked, ‘What happened there?’

‘Marcus pushed me off the swing when we were little.’

‘Gotcha. You’re Andrew.’ Now all she had to do was remember to look for that pale scar every time she bumped into these two scallywags. Like how often would that happen?

Andrew smiled a bigger, more impish version of that smile his father had given her yesterday when he’d visited the ED. ‘Marcus has got a scar on his bottom.’

‘Have not.’ The other twin stuck his chin out and glared at his brother.

‘Have too.’ Andrew scowled and made to haul his brother’s shorts down.

Cam stepped in. ‘That’s enough, boys. We came to visit, not turn the ward into a war zone.’

Jenny felt something oddly like laughter beginning to bubble up. When was the last time she’d laughed? ‘Better than the boring place it is at the moment. So how was your party? Did Santa Claus bring presents?’

‘Santa Claus isn’t real. He’s—’

‘Just an old man dressed up funny.’

Her breath hitched. A lump blocked her throat. She and Alison used to finish each other’s sentences. Oh, boy, this just got hard. Harder. Think of something to say. They’re all staring at you. ‘Bet you accepted the presents he gave you.’

‘Of course. They are cool. I got a remote-control plane.’

‘I got a helicopter.’

‘Pilots, eh? Have you been flying in real planes?’ She wanted to tell them how cute they were but knew not to if she wanted to remain friends with them, and, strangely, despite that little glitch over the way they shared sentences, she found she did. Though the chances of seeing them again once they walked out of here were very remote.

Cam was shaking his head at the three of them. ‘Don’t any of you come up for air?’

All three of them shook their heads and smiled at Cam, who said, ‘Great, so I’m the only sensible, sane one around here. Jenny, do you want milk for your coffee? Sugar? I can scrounge some off the nurses.’

‘Milk and sugar would be good.’

‘Dad, can we bring our presents to show her?’ Marcus—or was it Andrew?—asked. They weren’t directly facing her so there were no identifying marks in sight.

‘The lady has a name. Miss …’ His brow wrinkled as he glanced at her hands. ‘Miss Bostock, or Dr Bostock.’

Jenny locked gazes with him, and felt a nudge in the pit of her stomach. He really was gorgeous. She hadn’t been imagining it through the haze of nitrous oxide. ‘I’m happy with Jenny, unless you object.’ Definitely not Dr. She didn’t deserve that title any more.

He shrugged. ‘No problem. Okay, lads, give Jenny the food and coffee. No, don’t climb on the bed. She has a very sore foot.’

Instantly Marcus’s smile disappeared and his head dropped forward. ‘I’m sorry.’

So was she, but it had happened and grumping about it wouldn’t make him feel good. Wouldn’t do her any favours either. Leaning forward, she raised the boy’s head with her hand under his chin so he had to look at her. ‘Listen to me. It was an accident. You didn’t mean it, did you?’ His head slid from side to side. ‘You didn’t see me and I didn’t see you. I was watching the fishing boat out on the water. So let’s not worry about this again. Okay?’

Marcus nodded and looked at his dad. ‘She’s nice, Dad. I like her.’

Heat seeped into her cheeks, probably making her usually pale face resemble a stop light. That was the nicest thing anyone had said to her in a long while. She could even feel tears collecting in the back of her eyes. Great. Crying twice in less than twenty-four hours. Cam would think she should be in the mental health ward and rush his boys away.

‘Breakfast time,’ called an older woman, as she pushed in a cart that rattled with plates and cups.

Saved by the cart. ‘Can I have some milk and sugar, please?’

‘Certainly. Your family brought in some decent coffee for you. That’s lovely. Here, lads, hand Mum the milk, will you?’

Marcus stared at the woman with his mouth open and something like anguish in his brown eyes, while Andrew took the plastic bottle and passed it to Jenny, looking bemused but not upset.

‘She’s not our mother,’ he informed the woman. ‘She hurt herself on our skateboard so we’re visiting.’

‘That’s nice of you. Is that breakfast in that bag? It will probably be tastier than the cereal I’ve got here for Dr Bostock.’ With the number of patients she saw every day the woman would be used to making similar mistakes.

Cam finally got a word in. ‘Jenny, do you want the hospital breakfast? We won’t be insulted if you do.’

She shook her head. ‘Just the milk and sugar, thanks, Sadie.’ A quick read of the name badge pinned to the woman’s ample chest earned her another smile.

‘Here you go, then.’

Then another voice spoke from the doorway. ‘Good morning, Jenny.’ Angus strolled into the room, dressed in light slacks and a T-shirt. ‘Morning, Cam, boys. How’s everyone today?’

It was getting to be like a bus station in here. She looked around, found everyone watching her, waiting for her to answer. ‘I’m good. Not that I’ve got out of bed yet so I’ve no idea how I’ll go on crutches.’

‘Crutches?’ The twins’ eyes lit up.

She grinned at them. Their innocent sense of fun made her feel good about a lot of things. ‘It’s going to be exciting driving my car, don’t you think?’

‘Time we left Jenny alone.’ Cam headed for the door. ‘She’s got to talk to Mr McNamara.’

Disappointment tugged. With all the chatter between her and the twins Cam hadn’t said a lot, and now she wished for a rerun of the minutes they’d all been here. This time she’d talk to Cam, find out more about living in Havelock, just because it would be a safe subject and she could listen to his deep, husky voice. But they were already on the way through the door, the boys pushing each other.

‘Cam,’ she called. ‘Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate it.’

He turned a steady gaze her way, that anguish under control. ‘I could leave the boys with you for the day if you want company.’

I’d like that. I really would. They’re gorgeous fun. One day, Jenny, one day in the distant future. ‘Guess the ward staff might have something say about that.’

‘So would you after the first hour. We’d better not keep Angus waiting. He’s dressed for golf, I’d say.’

‘You’re not wrong, Cam. I won’t be long with Jenny if you want to wait.’

Cam shook his head. ‘We’ve got things to do in town. I want to be done and home before the temperature really cranks up. It’s hot out there already.’ Cam turned to her again. ‘See you later.’

Really? He’d drop by again? She nodded, afraid if she spoke the sudden lump in her throat might dissolve into tears. She was so used to being on her own it was like being knocked in the back of the knees to have had the Roberts trio turn up here to see her. Watching Cam walk away, she drank in the sight of his broad shoulders and a very tidy butt clad in khaki chinos.

Angus cleared his throat and she turned her attention back to him. ‘What happens next? Am I out of here this morning?’

‘Have you got anywhere to go?’

‘Yes.’ They had taxis in Blenheim, didn’t they?

The surgeon was shaking his head. ‘You’ll have to do better than that. Your admittance form gave a post box number—in Dunedin.’

Caught. ‘I’m staying in a motel.’

‘Which one?’

Hell. What was the name of one she’d checked out on line two days ago? The Grape Castle? The Vineyard Retreat? Her shoulders slumped. ‘I’ll make a booking before I leave here.’

‘That will be tomorrow at the earliest. If you had someone to take care of you I’d discharge you today, but I don’t want you tottering around on your own until you’ve got the hang of using crutches. Anyway, you shouldn’t be walking anywhere, even across a room, until the swelling’s gone down, and I suspect checking into a motel would involve more movement than I would be happy with.’

‘Give me all the gory details and then go and enjoy that round of golf. I’ll stay put. For now.’

The look he gave her suggested he didn’t trust her to behave. Neither did she, but she’d keep that to herself. By the time Angus had filled her in on the operation and written a prescription for painkillers she no longer had the energy to get out of bed. Round one to the surgeon.

The moment they got home Cam headed for the third, and rarely used, bedroom. He’d made his mind up. It was probably the dumbest thing he’d contemplated in a long line of dumb things but, hey, he’d do it anyway. ‘Guys, come and give me a hand.’

Marcus and Andrew appeared in the doorway in a flash. ‘What are you doing, Dad?’

‘I want you to take all these books and toys and store them in your bedroom. In the back of the wardrobe if necessary.’

‘Why?’ came the usual question.

Because he’d seen despair in Jenny Bostock’s eyes at the mention of sorting out what to do with her car tomorrow when she’d no doubt be feeling like hell on crutches. Plus because she seemed filled with sadness and loneliness, something he could understand. What he should be taking notice of was that restless expression that trawled through her gaze at times.

That expression he’d seen all too often in Margaret’s eyes in the months before she’d packed her bags and left them, except Margaret had been more of a caged lioness waiting to attack the world, whereas Jenny looked lost. A few days bunked down in Havelock wouldn’t hurt her. His heart sighed. As long as that didn’t hurt him.

There was something indefinable about Jenny that teased him. Beyond her physical attributes, that was. Despite that frailty he sensed a selflessness and a need to put things right. Would a woman like that walk out on her man after vowing to love him for ever?

‘Dad, why are we cleaning this room?’

‘Because I’m going to ask Jenny if she’d like to stay with us for a while.’

‘Yay, that’s cool.’ The boys leapt into the air and high-fived each other. ‘We like her.’

‘She didn’t tell us off or get mad or anything like that.’

That was the final reason he’d invite her. A thank-you and an apology. ‘You’re very lucky she’s such an understanding lady.’ He was curious why she hadn’t immediately revealed to him that she was a doctor. Had something gone wrong with a case that had led to that sadness leaking out of her eyes and dulling her face when she’d thought no one was watching her? It would have to be bad for her to stop practising, if that’s what she’d done. It was a rocky road at times, being a doctor.

Cam picked up a pile of books and handed them to Marcus. ‘Put those away.’

Andrew lifted an even bigger pile and staggered after his twin. Warmth stole through Cam. They really were great kids. If only he didn’t get so tired and busy, and forget that sometimes.

Within minutes they were back scooping up armloads of toys and traipsing out again. Getting ahead of him and what he had to do to make this room habitable for Jenny. Even as he pulled off the bedcovers and began spreading freshly laundered sheets the doubts nudged at the corner of his mind. What if he was making an idiot of himself? Jenny might think he was making a move on her and that would lead to all sorts of difficulties. But, seriously, the most likely scenario would be her laughing and telling him she could manage on her own.

She probably could, but her vulnerability had nudged him, made him sit up and take notice, had got him trying to read what was going on behind those beautiful big eyes she’d often turned on him. Eyes that turned him on. Talk about another reason not to invite her here.

‘Do I need this when I’ve already got more to cope with than I can manage?’ But guilt was a heavy taskmaster. He owed her. ‘You sure that’s what’s behind this mad idea?’

‘What did you say, Dad?’

‘Talking to myself. Sorry, mate.’ He might be overloaded with work and kids, but he couldn’t walk away from Jenny. He’d invite her to come to Havelock, and then it was up to her.

Lighten up, Cameron. You are entitled to some fun, too. Really? Really.

Note to self: ask Mrs Warner to do the grocery shopping earlier this week in case there’s an extra mouth to feed.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Cam shoved his hands in his pockets and rested a shoulder against the doorframe of Jenny’s hospital room, watching as she leaned against the bed. So slim, yet physically as strong as a whippet. The frailty was in her eyes, not her body.

Her head shot up so fast he heard vertebrae click, saw her wince. ‘Don’t sneak up on me like that.’ Guilt darkened those green eyes glittering at him fiercely, reminding him of the sea when the kahawai were churning it up as they chased smaller fish.

‘You were so engrossed in being stealthy you didn’t hear me coming along the ward.’ He couldn’t hold back his smile any longer. It had been growing from the moment he’d seen her juggling her crutches and trying to pick up her bag from the chair. Which really should be a warning to hightail it out of there, instead of getting involved with her. He should be thinking apology here, not getting up close and interested in Jenny Bostock, pretty woman and sometime doctor.

‘I was not.’ Her turn to smile, though hers appeared very strained.

Shaking his head at her, he crossed to pick up her case himself. ‘Give up arguing with me. I live with two experts, remember?’

‘Where are you taking my case?’ All pretence of smiling disappeared. ‘Seriously, Cam, what do you think you’re doing?’

‘Taking you home.’ So much for finesse. That must’ve gone down the plughole with the dishwater that morning. Had he thought he could railroad her into coming along quietly? If he had then he needed a brain scan. ‘We have a spare bedroom available. You can hole up there for as long as you like. Once you’re mobile again, as in using those crutches with more aptitude, we have cafés and a bakery, jewellery and fudge shops, all for you get lost in for hours on end.’

‘I don’t do shops. Not lately, at any rate. Though the café could be a plus.’ Bewilderment etched her face. Maybe a bit of hope was in there, too. ‘Is there a motel in Havelock?’

Had he really expected her to be thrilled about this? ‘Backpackers’ accommodation only.’

‘Oh.’ Her gaze dropped from him to her case and then to her crutches. She seemed to be weighing up her options.

He helped her along with making up her mind. ‘The boys have got your room ready. They’re really excited about having a visitor, even a practically useless one who won’t be playing cricket on the front lawn any time soon.’

‘You play dirty.’ Her forefinger tapped the handle of one of the crutches.

Not normally, but he couldn’t walk out of here leaving Jenny to her own devices. She was ill prepared to go it alone for the next few days. ‘Trying to make it easier for you to accept. You can leave any time you like, straight after dinner if you want to.’

‘I see.’ Tap, tap, tap went her finger on the crutch. ‘What about your wife? Or did you bully her into this as well?’

Now who was playing dirty? ‘I’m divorced.’ Was he a slow learner, or what? Jenny was gorgeous, but she might not be any more trustworthy than his ex had been. So what? This was going to be a brief stay, not a lifelong one.

She sucked in air. ‘I’m sorry, but I needed to know. Not about your divorce but that I wasn’t treading on anyone’s toes.’

‘You’re not treading on anything at the moment,’ Cam quipped, in an effort to dispel his unease, but then thoughtlessly asked, ‘You heard the boys saying they’d seen their mother yesterday?’

‘Yes.’

‘They hadn’t. She lives in Auckland, last I heard.’ That’s all she needed to know. Probably out-of-date news anyway.

‘That must be hard for all of you. Do they make a habit of seeing their mum in places she’s not?’

‘Unfortunately, yes. Margaret—my ex—left rather abruptly two years ago.’ That’s definitely all he was saying. Jenny had cleverly sidetracked him from his mission. ‘Jenny, you are in a bind, partly due to my sons’ antics. I don’t know why you don’t want to go home, wherever that is, but I’m more than happy to help you out until you’re up and running again. That’s all I’m offering. Though be warned, life in our house is hectic and noisy, but during the day you’ll have peace and quiet while the boys are at school. Take it or leave it.’

He studied her small case. She travelled light, if this and what was in her car was anything to go by. His sisters would think Jenny needed lessons on what to take away on a trip, but then she’d need a truck, not a sports car.

She swung the crutches, took two wonky steps. Her eyes locked with his as she tipped her head to one side. Sizing him up?

He went for broke, lifted the case and headed for the door. ‘Coming?’

The silence was deafening. He kept walking, slowly so that if she decided to join him she wouldn’t feel compelled to hurry. Why so little luggage? Those medical journals in her boot were hardly scintillating reading for a trip.

Clump, thump. She was moving, hopping on those sticks. Clump, thump.

Cam relaxed and kept walking, slowing even more.

Clump, thump.

Warmth spread through him. Jenny was coming home with him. He hadn’t realised how much he wanted this until faced with the real possibility she’d turn him down. Being pushy had worked.

‘I guess Havelock is as good a place to be as Blenheim.’

‘Better, as far as I’m concerned. More community spirited.’ Something he’d come to appreciate. It had taken time for him to get used to living in such a small place after spending ten years in Wellington. Nowadays he doubted he’d cope with the stress of city living with two young boys to keep a firm hand on.

‘Only until I’ve got the hang of these damned things.’ Bang, bang, the crutches slammed down on the floor. ‘A couple of days at the most.’

‘Sure.’ The warmth spread. He’d asked out of guilt and yet now he was feeling good about the whole situation. Steady, boy, steady. You might’ve leapt into the deepest part of the pond and have no way of surviving.

‘There she is.’

‘Hello, Jenny. Are you coming to our house?’ The twins mobbed her, threatening her precarious balance.

But before Cam got a word out Jenny was laughing with them and saying, ‘How can I refuse that welcome?’

He hadn’t got a laugh, or even a thank you. Did he need to take lessons from his sons on how to get onside with a pretty woman?

‘Boys, wait here with Jenny while I bring the car to the door. Mind those crutches, will you?’

As he stepped out into the sunshine he heard Marcus asking, ‘Can we have a go on the crutches later? They’re cool.’

Unfortunately the doors slid shut before he heard Jenny’s reply, but something told him she’d have agreed. She got on with the boys so easily. As long as she didn’t get too close and they got hurt when she left. He’d knew too well the devastation their mother had caused them when she’d walked away. But what were the odds Jenny would stay more than a night, two at the most? How attached could Marcus and Andrew get in that short time?

How attached would he get? He so wasn’t ready to trust his heart again. Doubted he ever would be.

No getting away from the fact this had definitely been the dumbest idea he’d ever come up with. Not once had he factored the boys’ hearts into the equation, let alone his own. Blast you, Margaret, for doing this to us. How long did it take for youngsters to truly understand what being abandoned by their mother meant? Or did they already get it and this searching for her was just part of the acceptance process?

Note to self: go see a shrink and get my head space tidied up so I understand my boys and don’t make stupid mistakes about a woman with beautiful eyes that I could drown in.