‘Lou, you didn’t just use some guy to get pregnant, did you?’
The baby kicked again. Did he really think her capable of such a cold-blooded plan? Anger simmered through her veins. ‘This is none of your business, Will. All you need to know is that I’m pregnant and I’ll be out of your hair in a month. I’m sure you and I can manage to be civil to each other in that time, right? Or is that going to be a problem?’
Four weeks. He’d been looking forward to coming back to his old job, knowing he’d get to see Lou every day. Because apart from their history she was the best damn nurse unit manager he’d ever worked with. Efficient, knowledgeable and resourceful. ‘No problem,’ he said emphatically, staring into her pretty face and blue eyes. ‘Who’s filling in for you?’ he asked.
‘Lydia.’
Oh. Great. Just what he needed. The friend from hell. ‘Excellent,’ he said.
There was a moment of awkward silence. ‘I suppose you’re here to familiarise yourself with the new computer system?’ she said, not seeing any point in continuing hostilities when they had to work together.
‘No, I have some other stuff to attend to first. I’m coming back this afternoon to get myself orientated with that. I actually came to see you. Check that we were … okay.’
‘And?’
‘I don’t know, Lou.’ He raked his hands through his hair. ‘You’ve thrown me for a bit of a loop, actually.’
Welcome to my life. ‘Well, back at you,’ she said.
The phone rang and Lou was grateful for the interruption. ‘Ward Two, Louise Marsden speaking.’
‘Everything okay?’ demanded Lydia.
Lou smiled. ‘Fine.’
‘Do you want me to come in and kick his butt?’
This time she laughed. Lydia would, she had no doubt. ‘Thanks, I have it under control.’ She hung up, still smiling.
‘Lydia?’
She nodded.
‘She doesn’t like me much these days.’
‘No.’
‘I wasn’t aware I’d done anything to upset her.’
Lou shrugged. ‘You didn’t. You left. You upset me. It’s enough.’
‘What else could I have done, Lou? Delvine was making it impossible. You were miserable. I wasn’t … we weren’t making you happy any more.’
‘You did what you had to do, Will. I understand that. But it still hurt.’
‘So I do the only decent thing and I’m the big bad wolf? That’s hardly fair,’ he grumbled. Women!
Lou nodded. ‘That’s what friends are for.’
‘Do they all hate me?’ he asked, feeling slightly apprehensive about working with a hostile staff.
She shook her head. ‘Only about seventy-five percent.’
The phone rang again, and it was the pharmacy checking on supplies. She replaced the phone and felt more on an even keel now the initial hostilities were over and they’d settled into polite chit-chat.
Will shook his head. ‘Candy’s going to flip when I tell her you’re having a baby. She was just lamenting only yesterday how she didn’t have a little brother or sister to play with. You’re going to be her favourite person … but then I guess you always were.’
Lou smiled, thinking about Will’s gorgeous eight-year-old daughter. ‘How is Candy?’
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Surprisingly so. I thought she might be more upset … withdrawn … But she’s amazed me. I’m lucky she’s so resilient.’
Lou loved the way his mouth, his entire face softened when he talked about Candice. Just as well I’m over you. ‘How long will Delvine be gone for?’ Harold Yates, the Medical Director, had filled Lou in on Will’s new circumstances. Delvine had found herself a rich property developer and had decided to relocate to Italy with him.
‘At least two years. Probably more.’
Lou shook her head. How could she? How could she walk out on her daughter, a sweetie like Candice, for such a long time? But then Delvine had always had the maternal instincts of a spider. And it wasn’t the first time Delvine had done a runner. She had taken off for two and a half years when Candy had been one, leaving Will a single dad.
Lou felt the bulge of her belly and knew that although the baby inside her had never been a part of her future plans, it was her responsibility and she could no more walk away from that than fly to the moon. And the baby wasn’t even hers.
Lucky for Candice she had a father who doted on her and was one hundred per cent committed. Hell, despite the custody arrangements, he had practically raised her. When Lou thought about the interference and stress Delvine had caused in Will’s life, their life, she wanted to spit.
‘She signed over custody to you?’
He nodded. ‘I think she was looking for an out. Again. She was relieved I wouldn’t sign the passport application. To be honest, I don’t think she’ll ever return.’
Lou nodded. ‘Are you back in the house?’ Will had a beautiful federation-style Queenslander, in the trendy suburb of Paddington.
He nodded. ‘Why don’t you come over this weekend? She’s dying to see you.’
Lou swallowed. She’d do anything for that little girl. But this? So soon? ‘I’m kind of busy.’ She fobbed him off. ‘I’ll see how things pan out.’
There was another awkward silence. He looked so good. A year had been too long. The things she’d wanted to do with this man … to be with this man. Her tiredness was making her sentimental and emotional. She suddenly felt like crawling into his lap and bawling all over his chest. She’d missed him. Curse hormones! I’m over you, damn it.
‘Anyway, I’d better get back. Peter’s out there causing havoc, no doubt,’ she said, rising and crossing to the door like a spooked filly. She’d worked too hard to put him behind her to falter at the first real challenge. I will not cry.
‘Wait. Lou …’
Lou stopped at the door, her hand on the knob. ‘Yes?’ she said, a tremble husking her voice, refusing to look back at him.
‘I’m sorry about before,’ he said, joining her at the door. Her body was so close, and his burned hot with memories of how good it had felt to hold her.
‘It’s fine,’ she said briskly, turning the knob and pulling before she gave in to the urge to lean back into him.
‘No,’ he said, pushing the door shut with his hand up high on the frame, keeping it there, his other hand automatically reaching for her hip. He could feel the unfamiliar flare of her abdomen where once had been the jut of bone. ‘It’s not. I was shocked. I acted like a Neanderthal.’
‘Yes, you did.’
There was a moment of silence, of stillness, full of things unsaid. His hand at what used to be her waist was burning a hole in her side.
‘Lou …’
‘Don’t,’ she begged him quietly.
Her hair smelt fantastic, as always, and he wanted to touch it so badly his fingers itched. ‘I missed you,’ he whispered. ‘I missed this,’ he said, removing his hand from her hip and giving in to the urge to feel her hair.
The skin at the nape of her neck broke out in goosebumps