Brought Together by Baby (12 page)

He’d slowly won back the professional respect of his colleagues, but it appeared that Julia’s death, the miraculous survival of Max, and staunch public support from Holly had completed his rehabilitation. He was grateful—yet a flicker of resentment remained.

George’s smile faded, concern replacing the earlier humour. ‘Gus, I’m so sorry for your loss.’

‘Thank you.’

An awkward silence lingered, and Gus felt guilty for accepting the kindness of someone who naturally assumed he was racked with grief and who knew nothing of the circumstances, or his shameful sense of relief. Picking up the box Holly had left in the porch, Gus led George upstairs.

‘It’s wonderful that Max is doing so well. Everyone is talking about your miracle baby,’ George chattered as they reached Holly’s bedroom and set down their respective loads. ‘You must be so excited that he’s coming home today.’

‘I’ve been counting the hours,’ he admitted with a smile.

George smiled back, a touch of mischief in her eyes. ‘There’s a good-natured competition brewing between us on the children’s ward and your colleagues in A&E to claim babysitting rights!’

Gus pondered this, touched by the support. Aware that Holly could join them at any moment, he used the time alone with George to seek answers to some of his questions.

‘You and Holly have been friends for a long time?’ he asked, abandoning any pretence of subtlety.

‘Over twenty years—since junior school,’ she replied, chuckling at his exclamation of surprise. ‘We trained together, which was fun—although this is the first time since we qualified that we’ve worked together. I went straight to Paediatrics while Holly chose A&E.’

He was eager to discover more, but the subject of their
conversation arrived in the bedroom and his opportunity was lost. Holly looked wary at the sight of them talking together.

‘Is there anything else to bring up?’ Gus asked, regretting that his chance to question George had ended.

‘I’m afraid so,’ Holly confirmed ruefully.

George laughed. ‘I don’t know how we crammed it all in the car!’

‘I’ll go and make coffee—we have time before going to the hospital—then I’ll bring up another load,’ he offered, leaving them alone and returning downstairs.

With the coffee underway, Gus gathered up more of Holly’s possessions from the diminishing pile stacked in the porch and started up the stairs. As he neared the top he heard the girls talking and, ashamed of himself for eavesdropping, let his steps falter.

‘Are you going to be all right?’ George queried with concern.

Holly’s laugh was shaky. ‘I hope so. If I remember why I’m here,’ she added, her enigmatic comment making him frown and wonder again about her motives—what lay behind her offer to help with Max?

‘There’s always a room for you at my house.’

‘Thanks, George. But don’t turn down any opportunity to rent,’ Holly insisted. ‘If you get the chance for a new housemate or two, go for it.’

‘There’s no rush. Dad left me well provided for. I rent the rooms more for the company than for the money. I’ll miss you, Holly. It’s been fun having you around—like old times when we were kids!’ Gus heard the waver in George’s voice. ‘It’s going to seem even stranger when Kelly leaves for Australia in a couple of weeks. The cats and I will be rattling round the house on our own.’

‘Kelly’s really brave. I wonder what it would be like to
nurse in a big city hospital like the one in Sydney?’ Holly mused.

Gus’s heart lurched at the thought of Holly leaving to take part in the exchange programme Strathlochan Hospital had organised with its counterpart in Australia, giving doctors and nurses the opportunity to swap places for a year.

‘I wouldn’t like it,’ George admitted, and Holly laughed, the throaty sound tightening the ache in his chest.

‘Given that you’ve rarely ventured as far from Strathlochan as Edinburgh,’ she teased her friend, ‘I can’t imagine you popping off to Sydney!’

George joined in the laughter. ‘Kelly’s more adventurous than me.’

‘And me. It’s a wonderful opportunity, but I wouldn’t do it,’ she confided, and Gus’s heart returned to a more normal rhythm. ‘I hate to think of you in the house alone, though.’

‘August will be the best time to find another housemate when the new intake descends on the hospital. That’s weeks off, so you can come back if you need to.’

‘Thanks, George, you’ve been fabulous. I don’t know what I’d have done without you when I had to sell the house,’ Holly confided, pain evident in her voice.

Gus remembered Holly telling him she’d had to sell her home due to her parents’ wishes, but was there more to it? Hearing movement, and fearing Holly and George would discover him lingering, he made a noise to alert them of his arrival, then continued up the stairs and into the bedroom.

The woman who continued to turn his life upside down looked round as he entered the room and he was struck by her natural beauty. He’d hoped Holly would be the mother of his children but she hadn’t wanted him. Despite being a good nurse, Holly’s total lack of interest in Julia’s pregnancy had led him to expect a similar lack of interest in his son. The
fierceness of her devotion to Max had completely bowled him over.

A sudden thought occurred to him…

What if Holly wanted custody of Max? Was
that
her motivation? If it was, she’d have the fight of her life. He would never give up his son.
Never
. The thought took root, nagging at him, reminding him to be cautious in the days ahead.

Holly moving in was far from ideal, given the tension between them, but Max was his paramount concern. Which meant getting used to Holly being around…and ignoring the way his heart turned over when he looked at her.

‘Come down when you’re ready and we can work out a schedule,’ he suggested, backing out of the room and giving himself the chance to strengthen his protective shield.

Holly had slipped past his defences before and she’d let him down. It had been a bitter blow and one he’d never overcome. He’d failed to get her out of his system. She was dangerous, and he had to be careful not to leave himself open and vulnerable to her again. There were things that didn’t make sense, and until he knew the truth he’d keep up his guard.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A
FTER
George’s departure, Holly spent a few moments bringing order to her room and putting her toiletries in the space Gus had made for her in the shared bathroom. Before heading downstairs she stopped by the nursery, recalling Gus’s surprise the night before when he’d seen the results of her efforts. His reaction had made the long hours she’d spent on the task worthwhile.

Since the previous night Gus had added finishing touches and organised the room. He’d even hung in the window the rainbow spinner she’d bought to entertain Max. An inbuilt mini solar panel absorbed the sunlight and turned the crystals hanging beneath, reflecting rainbows of colour around the room.

Excited by Max’s imminent arrival home, she went down to the kitchen. Gus was sitting at the table, and she sensed a reserve in him that hadn’t been there a short while ago. Maybe the act of her physically moving in had hit him as forcefully as it had hit her, slamming home the reality that they were confined under this roof together with Julia and the past hanging over them. Forbidden territory. But not forgotten…certainly not by her.

Would having Max at home make things easier? Holly hoped so. With any luck they’d be so focused on the baby’s needs there wouldn’t be time to notice the tension—or for her
to brood over Gus, and what she’d lost. Once they returned to work their paths would only cross as they exchanged responsibility for Max. Or so she hoped. Again and again she repeated the mantra she’d used to reassure her friends…
she was doing the right thing for Max
. But doubts still nagged at her.

Gus looked up from the notepad on the table in front of him, his sultry green eyes guarded. ‘Has George gone?’

‘Yes. She had some errands to run.’ Covering her nerves, Holly accepted the coffee he offered and sat down, keeping the solid width of the table between them. ‘You’ve finished the nursery so well.’

‘Its success is your doing, not mine.’

Although his gruff praise gave her a warm tingle, she was aware that her presence unsettled him. ‘We’ve both done our part.’ She sucked in a steadying breath and decided to tackle things head-on. ‘Gus, I know this situation is far from how you planned it, and I know you don’t really want me here, but this is about Max—not about us.’

‘There is no
us
,’ he pointed out, with a harshness that pierced her like a knife.

‘No. I know that.’ She knew it all too painfully, without the huge dose of salt being rubbed into a wound still deep and raw. Tears stung her eyes and she looked away, fighting against them and the emotions churning within. It was a struggle, but she regained control, although bitterness and sarcasm laced her words. ‘I don’t need reminding of the choice you made, Gus.’

‘Holly…’

He fell silent, his frown deepening, and she watched as he dragged a hand through his hair, always a sure sign of his discomfort. Before he could say more, she pressed on. ‘You
mentioned a schedule?’ she reminded him, steering them away from dangerous ground.

‘Yes.’ He appeared as keen as she was to keep things businesslike. ‘Caring for a baby is new for us both.’

‘We’ll have much to learn, but once we establish a routine it will be easier. If we plan a rota for sharing the nights we should both get some sleep,’ she suggested, pulling the pad and pen across the table and making some notes.

‘What about your social life?’

A genuine laugh escaped her. ‘What social life?’

‘But—’

‘Look, Gus.’ She set down the pen and clenched her fingers together. ‘This isn’t something I’ve entered into lightly. My whole commitment is to Max.’ Surely he knew her well enough to realise she’d never been a party girl? ‘My time is accounted for with my shifts at the hospital, my friends and my study.’

‘Study? What study?’ he asked, looking genuinely perplexed.

‘Didn’t Julia tell you?’ Her sister had no doubt told him a lot of other things, Holly reflected darkly. When Gus shook his head, she continued. ‘I’m doing an Open University degree.’

A stunned silence followed before he spoke again, interest vying with confusion. ‘I had no idea. A degree in what?’

‘International Development, Environmental Studies and Geography.’

* * *

Gus sat back, stunned into silence. This was something else Holly had never shared with him, and he wondered why she’d kept it a secret when it was obviously important to her. It was one more question that remained unasked—for now. It was
clear there were hidden depths to Holly…much he had yet to discover.

Frowning, he mulled over her earlier words, recalling the pain and accusation in her voice as she’d spoken them.
‘I don’t need reminding of the choice you made, Gus.’
What had she meant?
She
was the one who’d stood him up, rejecting him and his friendship, making a fool of him. What choice had he had with
her
? Self-disgust bit into him as he forced himself to acknowledge that Holly was not the only one to blame. He alone was responsible for his mistake with Julia.

As he wrestled with the inconsistencies, and all the things he didn’t understand, Holly returned her attention to Max and suggested a workable rota.

‘We also need to agree a fair amount for me to pay each week,’ she said, once they’d sorted out sharing responsibilities for Max.

‘Pay for what?’ he asked, unsure where she was heading.

‘My living expenses.’ She shook her head as if exasperated with him. ‘I don’t expect you to support me, Gus. I intend to make a fair contribution to the household.’

Holly’s attitude was the polar opposite of Julia’s, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts. ‘But you’re doing this to help. If I had to employ someone I’d have to pay them to live here, not the other way around,’ he pointed out, seeing her bristle with indignation.

‘I’m
not
someone else, and nor am I in your
employ
. Max is my flesh and blood. I most certainly do
not
want to be
paid
to care for him.’

‘OK.’ A sudden laugh bubbled out of him. She looked cute when she was angry! ‘Why don’t we let things settle and see how we go?’

The suggestion earned him a reluctant nod, but her statement
left him with little doubt he’d hear more on the subject in future.

‘All right. For now.’

‘Is there anything else?’ he asked, glancing at his watch. The sooner he got to the hospital, the sooner he could bring Max home.

‘There is something…’

After her spirited mood, she now sounded tentative and uncertain. The tension between them was making him cautious. ‘What is it?’

‘Gus, we can’t change what happened in the past. Whatever we think of each other now, the most important thing is Max’s well-being and ensuring he is thriving and loved.’ She paused and turned her head, allowing him to see the sincerity and concern—but also the shadow of pain—in her amazing blue eyes. ‘May I suggest we try to stop sniping at each other and keep our focus on Max?’

Whatever we think of each other now…

Holly’s words rang in his head, disturbing him. What would she say if he asked her what she
did
think of him now? He was afraid to speculate. However, she was right. No matter how much the pain of the past nagged him, sarcastic comments and point-scoring served no purpose. And, however uneasy he was at the prospect of living closely with Holly,
his
needs and emotions were insignificant compared to his son’s. For Max’s sake he and Holly had to find an amicable way of living together.

‘All right.’

His agreement was met with a wary, shy half-smile. ‘Truce?’ she ventured.

‘Truce.’

Tentatively they shook hands, sealing the deal, but as he
withdrew he felt disturbed by the instinctive reaction of his body to the touch of her silky-soft skin.