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After that it all happened so quickly and smoothly that Miranda could do little except watch in amazement.
With the efficiency of a team clearly used to working together, they assembled the stretcher and in no time at all they were ready to carry her Verity along the path towards the ambulance.
‘I’m not going to be able to keep up with you,’ Miranda told Verity, ‘so I’ll say goodbye now. I hope your ankle doesn’t take long to heal.’
‘And I hope you agree to marry your young man!’ Verity smiled her thanks at Jake. ‘Men like him don’t come along very often. You should snap him up.’
‘I agree. She definitely should.’ Ignoring the curious glances of the rest of the team, Jake strolled back to collect his gear, leaving his colleagues to set off down the path.
Miranda stood still, chewing her lip, a frown on her face. ‘Don’t you mind that they’re all gossiping now?’
‘Why would I mind?’
‘You let her think that the baby is yours and that you want to marry me. Just how far are you prepared to go in the name of distraction?’
‘It wasn’t about distraction.’ He swung his rucksack onto his back. ‘I’m crazy about you, Miranda, and the baby is part of you. You’ve got to stop thinking that your pregnancy makes any difference to the way I feel about you.’
The way he felt about her?
She felt suddenly light-headed. He was crazy about her? She felt a flicker of happiness and excitement that she ruthlessly squashed. ‘You might think you don’t mind about the baby, but that’s before reality sets in.’
His eyes were amused. ‘You think I don’t know about babies?’
‘You know about delivering babies, Jake. Delivering them isn’t the same as living with them.’ Especially when that baby wasn’t his.
‘I have nieces and nephews. I’m a very hands-on uncle and godfather.’
‘And you return home to your perfect, peaceful house at night. It isn’t the same thing at all!’
He took her arm and tucked it through his as they walked back down the path towards the car. ‘I’m not precious about my house, Miranda. A house is a home, not a showpiece, despite what my sister
may think.’
‘Do you have any idea what children would do to your cream sofa?’
‘Actually, yes,’ he said in a lazy, masculine drawl. ‘My godson, Ben, is always spilling drinks. My sofa has been the lucky recipient on at least three occasions.’
She sighed. ‘You’ve got an answer for everything.’
‘If you’re telling me that I’m persistent, yes, I am. But I’m also patient.’ The amusement in his eyes faded. ‘I don’t want you to feel under pressure. I’m willing to wait for you to make the first move.’
They were back at the car and she’d never felt so confused in her life. ‘I’m not going to make the first move.’
He unlocked the car with a smile, his expression unperturbed. ‘Then we’re in for a frustrating few months, angel. Good job there are plenty of frozen lakes for me to jump into.’
He kept his word about not making the first move and for the next two weeks they worked together, ate dinner together, chatted about everything. But he didn’t kiss her. And she didn’t kiss him.
What was the point, when she knew it wasn’t going anywhere?
No matter how great the attraction, she wasn’t willing to subject herself to more trauma when it ended, and she knew it would end.
So she gritted her teeth and ignored the rush of excitement she felt whenever he walked into a room and she forced herself not to stare at him when they ate a meal together and not once did she reach for him even though her hands were burning to touch him.
Jake himself worked punishing hours, sometimes spending whole nights at the hospital, returning home briefly just to shower and shave before returning to do his ward round. His commitment to his patients was absolute and his skill and patience with the mothers astonished her. And she learned a great deal from him and found her confidence growing. He taught her to trust her instincts and not doubt herself.
Just how far she’d come was brought home to her when a young woman was admitted to the labour ward with flu-like symptoms.
Miranda helped her into one of the side rooms and quickly glanced at the letter from the GP. Clearly he’d spoken to one of the obstetric registrars, who had then arranged for admission.
