A familiar ache filled her heart but for some reason it didn’t seem as painful as it used to be. If she was honest, the thought of Max living the life of an eternal bachelor hurt far more. Maybe it was silly but she felt let down and it was worrying to know that she had made another mistake. From now on she must see Max for what he was: just another man who was out for all he could get.
‘Thanks for coming.’
Max shook Adam Sanders’s hand then went back into the side room. Helen Roberts had suffered a hypoglycaemic attack after her blood glucose levels had dropped too low. Although she was stable now, it was a blow after she had done so well. He could see the worry in her eyes when he went over to the bed.
‘It was just a blip, Helen. You heard what Dr Sanders said, that you’ve been doing too much and need to rest more. So long as you follow his advice, there’s no reason why it should happen again.’
‘I was only trying to get everything ready for when the baby arrives,’ Helen protested. ‘Martin broke his leg last week. One of the bullocks barged into him when he went to feed them, so he’s out of action at the moment. I thought I’d finish setting up the nursery—put up the cot and unpack all the baby clothes, things like that. I wasn’t doing anything more than any other mum would do.’
‘But you aren’t just any other mum,’ Max reminded her gently. ‘All that extra work knocked your glucose levels out of kilter. Add to that the growing demands of the baby, combined with the tendency for insulin resistance to increase during pregnancy and you have a recipe for disaster.’
‘I know you’re right, Dr Curtis, but it’s so hard. I want to do what other women do and get ready for when my baby arrives.’ Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and he patted her hand comfortingly.
‘I understand that, Helen. But you’ve got this far and it seems silly to take any risks. Why not let your husband do the unpacking? He’s probably sick of being laid up with nothing to do and will enjoy it.’
‘Heaven knows what state the place will be in after he’s finished!’ Helen declared. ‘Martin isn’t exactly the tidiest of men.’
‘I’m sure he’ll make a special effort if you ask him.’
‘You’re right. He will.’ Helen wiped her eyes and smiled. ‘He’s just so thrilled about this baby. We thought we might not be able to have a family because of my diabetes, you see, so it’s like a dream come true.’
‘It must be.’
Max dredged up a smile but the comment had struck a chord. He had always loved children and had assumed that he would have some of his own one day. Both his brothers had kids and he’d had no reason to think that he would be any different to them. Finding out that the chances of him ever fathering a child were virtually nil had rocked his whole world. Although he’d thought he had accepted it, he suddenly found himself thinking how marvellous it would be if a miracle happened…
He cut off that thought. He wasn’t going to put himself through all the heartache of wishing for the impossible to happen. ‘I’d like to keep you in overnight, Helen. Dr Sanders wants to monitor your blood glucose levels for the next twenty-four hours and I’d feel happier if you were here while it’s done.’
‘I understand, Dr Curtis.’ Helen sounded resigned. ‘Best to be safe rather than sorry.’
‘It’s just a precaution,’ he assured her. ‘I’ll pop back later to check on you. In the meantime, you’re to lie there and rest.’
Max made his way to the desk. Amanda was talking to Lucy when he arrived and he smiled when they both looked up. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted you to know that I’m keeping Helen Roberts in overnight. I know it means tying up the side room but I’d feel happier if she was here while everything settles down. One of the diabetes care team will be popping in at intervals to check her blood glucose levels.’
‘That’s fine,’ Amanda assured him. ‘In fact, it will be the perfect opportunity for Lucy to meet her. I know Helen was concerned when Maria left. She was worried in case her replacement didn’t have any experience of diabetic pregnancies. You can set her mind at rest, can’t you, Lucy?’
‘Of course.’
‘If there’s anything you aren’t sure about, I’d be happy to run through it with you,’ Max offered, but Lucy shook her head.
‘That won’t be necessary, thank you. I’ve worked with a number of women who had diabetes and I understand the problems they can face during the birth.’
Her tone was so cool that Max frowned. He had the distinct impression that he had upset her, although for the life of him he couldn’t think what he’d done. When she excused herself, he went to follow her then stopped when Amanda asked him about the patient they were inducing that afternoon. By the time they had sorted everything out, Lucy had disappeared.
Max was sorely tempted to track her down but in the end he decided not to bother. What could he say to her, anyway? That he was sorry for committing some unknown misdemeanour?
He sighed as he headed to the canteen for a late lunch. Lucy Harris might be a very attractive woman, but that was as far as it went. He had worked out a life-plan for himself and he had no intention of ditching it just because he suddenly found himself harbouring all these crazy ideas.
Maybe Lucy was the type of woman who’d been born to have kids, but that had nothing to do with him. The truth was that he was no use to Lucy or any other woman in that respect.
Lucy spent a productive half-hour with Helen Roberts. They discussed Helen’s birth plan and Lucy was pleased to see that although Helen hoped for a normal vaginal birth, she was realistic enough to know it might not be possible. By the time Helen’s husband, Martin, arrived, she felt they had established a genuine rapport.
‘You’ve been really great,’ Helen enthused as she gathered up her notes. ‘Maria was very nice but she could be a little intimidating at times, couldn’t she, Martin?’
‘She certainly put the wind up me,’ Martin replied drolly. ‘Put it this way, I wouldn’t have crossed her!’
‘So long as you’re happy, that’s the main thing,’ Lucy said, not wanting to be drawn into a discussion about her predecessor. It would be highly unprofessional for one thing and very unfair when she had never met the woman. ‘Now, don’t forget that if you’re at all worried then you can always phone me. If I’m tied up then leave a message and I’ll call you back.’
‘Thank you. I really appreciate that. You’ve been so kind, just like Dr Curtis has,’ Helen declared. ‘He’s really lovely, isn’t he? I can’t believe that nobody has snapped him up but one of the other mums told me that he isn’t married. Is he seeing anyone, do you know?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Lucy summoned a smile, trying to ignore the hollow ache inside her. She wasn’t sure why she found the idea of Max’s playboy lifestyle so upsetting but she did. ‘I’ve only been here for a couple of days so I haven’t had time to get up to speed with the gossip.’
‘Well, make sure you do.’ Helen grinned at her. ‘I don’t know what your situation is, Lucy, but you and Dr Curtis would make a lovely couple, if you want my opinion.’
‘Which she doesn’t.’ Martin shook his head when Lucy blushed. ‘Now see what you’ve done, Helen. You’ve embarrassed her.’
‘Rubbish!’ Helen said stoutly. ‘It was only a bit of fun. You’re not embarrassed, are you, Lucy?’
‘Of