Hayley nodded. ‘Carly. We’re going to call her Carly.’
Kerry came over with the other baby. ‘Dillon and Carly. They’re beautiful names for your children. Congratulations.’ She handed Dillon back over to his dad. ‘Dillon was six pounds twelve, and Carly six pounds four. Good weights. Sean said he’d be back to check them again later but there’s no reason for them to go to Special Care.’
Hayley and Jordan smiled at each other. They were clearly in the new parenthood haze. Bonnie remembered it well.
Her heart sank a little—just as it always did at this stage. Robert, her ex, had never looked at her the way Jordan was looking at his wife. Robert had just looked permanently stunned. The same expression he’d had on his face when she’d found him in bed with her best friend. He hadn’t been ready for marriage. With hindsight, they both hadn’t.
Robert had been her boyfriend for barely a year when she’d fallen unexpectedly pregnant. His parents were traditionalists and had wanted them to get married. And now, Bonnie realised she’d been more swept away with the idea of being in love, rather than actually being in love. Maybe, at heart, she’d always known that Robert wasn’t marriage material.
But what hurt most of all, despite her best efforts, was the fact he hadn’t made any attempt at all to see Freya since they’d separated. It turned out Robert hadn’t been father material either.
Cambridge was the chance of a new start. She didn’t want to make the same mistakes again. She was determined not to get swept away in some ill-fated romance. Not when she had Freya to think about.
She loved her job. She always had. But sometimes, especially at an emotional delivery, she was struck by the connection between the parents of the new baby. Freya was everything to her. But sometimes it made her a tiny bit envious that she was missing out on something she’d never experienced.
It was pathetic really. Most people didn’t get the fairy tale. Most people got relationships that were hard work—and she knew that. But it didn’t stop her craving the impossible.
She tidied up in the room and got one of the domestics to make Hayley some tea and toast. Most women said that their post-delivery tea and toast was the best in the world.
Kerry tapped her on the shoulder. ‘It’s nearly your finishing time. I’m going to help Hayley with breastfeeding and will hand over to the next shift. Thanks for the help, Bonnie.’
Bonnie gave a smile. ‘No problem, you’re welcome.’ She took the dirty laundry with her to the sluice, disposed of it and washed her hands again.
Jacob appeared at her back. ‘I think that was one of the smoothest shoulder dystocia deliveries I’ve ever seen. Good call.’
Bonnie shook her head. ‘That was pure luck. We both know things could have been different. I was actually breathing a sigh of relief as soon as that baby came out.’
Jacob rested his hand on the small of her back. ‘Believe me, so was I. I didn’t like the thought of a quick sprint down the corridor to Theatre.’
She could feel his warm hand through her thin scrubs. The warmth was radiating across the small of her back. When was the last time a man had touched her? She couldn’t even remember.
She turned her shoulder just a little so she was looking up at him. She hadn’t moved enough to let his hand fall. She didn’t want it to break contact with her. ‘Thank you, Jacob,’ she said quietly.
‘What for?’ He tilted his head to the side. She was only inches away from those green eyes that sparkled with flecks of gold. This was the closest she’d ever been to him. She could see the tiny emerging shadow of stubble along his chin—even though she knew he’d shaved this morning. Her fingers itched to reach up and touch.
The weariness that had been on his face the first day she’d met him had seemed to gradually disperse. On occasion, Jacob still looked tired. But there had been something else that first day—a little despair? Jacob was still a mystery to her. The only thing she knew for sure was that he didn’t have a woman in his life and for some reason that made her happy. Not that she’d ever admit that to anyone—not even Jessica.
‘For not interfering,’ she was whispering, even though there was no need. The rush and bustle of the ward was still going on in the corridor outside, but this seemed like a private conversation. ‘For not coming over all “doctor” and trying to take over. For giving me a chance to do my job.’
He leaned forwards just a little. One inch. That was the space currently between them. She held her breath. If she breathed out right now, her warm breath would touch his skin.
But there was a problem. As she’d breathed in, she’d breathed in him. Jacob. The faintest aroma of this morning’s aftershave. The scent of his skin. She could almost swear she’d just breathed in a whole host of pheromones. What other explanation could there be for the fact she was feeling the slightest bit light-headed? She’d never been light-headed in her life.
‘I’ll always give you the space to do your job, Bonnie. From what I’ve seen you’re excellent at it. I have faith you. The staff have faith in you. The patients have faith in you. You’re a real asset to Cambridge Maternity. And I look after my staff.’
Her lungs were going to explode. She had to breathe out. She really did. Her insides were all over the place. It was the way he’d said it. The way he’d looked into her eyes and told her he had faith in her. She leaned back a little against his hand and tilted her chin up towards him. ‘Thank you, Jacob.’
They froze. Neither of them moving. Their eyes locked together.
‘Bonnie, can you just sign...? Oh, sorry.’
They sprang apart. It was stupid. They hadn’t been doing anything but Bonnie could feel the colour rushing into her face.
Ellis, one of the midwives, was standing with a delivery note in her hand. Her eyes darted between them; it was quite obvious she was cringing and that made Bonnie do the same.
‘That’s fine, Ellis. I was just washing up after the twin delivery. Did you hear that things went well?’ She was back into professional mode. She didn’t even look back, just took long strides towards Ellis, taking the delivery note from her hand and walking over to the nurses’ station, pulling a pen from her pocket.
She was trying to appear as calm and professional as possible. As if nothing at all had been going on between them. Because that was true. Nothing had been going on between them.
So why was her heart thudding against her chest and why did her cheeks feel as if they were on fire? And why was Ellis looking at her as if she would be the next topic of conversation on the hospital grapevine?
Ellis took the paperwork and disappeared back down the corridor. Bonnie sucked in a deep breath. What on earth was wrong with her? She’d almost wanted him to kiss her in the sluice at work. Even the thought of that sent a shiver down her spine—it was hardly the most romantic place in the world.
But it hadn’t been about the place. It had been about the moment. The feel of Jacob’s hand at the small of her back and the way she could see all the tiny lines around his perfect green eyes.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Even her thoughts were getting ridiculous. She had to speak to him. She had to try and understand what was going on. She had to draw a line here. She wasn’t looking for any kind of romance. And definitely not with her new boss—no matter how much he just made her tingle. She spun around towards the sluice again.
But Jacob was gone.
SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT. Something had changed. And Jacob couldn’t quite