Brought together...and bound forever!

Fiercely independent orthopedic doctor Chloe Delancourt will do anything for her teenage sister, Hannah, and little niece, Amy. So when Amy falls ill and Hannah runs away, Chloe steps in, with the help of gorgeous pediatrician Jon Lambert...igniting an unexpected attraction!

Saving baby Amy brings Jon closer than he ever wanted to get to another woman after his disastrous marriage. But Chloe’s determination and unwavering loyalty remind Jon of what a real family should be...and that this could be his chance to have everything—with Chloe!

When he saw her he got to his feet, whispering so as not to disturb Amy. ‘Sorry. The door was open…’

‘That’s okay. When I heard about the accident I held her a little tighter.’

‘We have to protect her.’

‘We will.’

He’d settled for want, instead of need, and gone upstairs to check on Amy. But now that Chloe was here… Jon reminded himself that she had her own issues about being touched, and that the intensity with which he wanted to touch her would probably be unwelcome.

But she touched him. He drew away and she touched him again, taking hold of the front of his shirt and pulling him towards her. And then she was in his arms. Chloe reached out, curling her fingers around his neck.

One breath. One look.

There was no longer any him or her—just one frozen moment in time which they both owned equally. Chloe seemed to understand everything that was in his heart, every question and every sadness.

Dear Reader,

There are times when I dream of perfection. But in reality I know that it is just a dream. Because, to me, a world without any flaws would hold no challenge—nothing to strive for. And perhaps it’s the way we deal with situations which are less than perfect that is the truest measure of our spirit and humanity.

So a hero who wants perfection isn’t someone I’d normally see eye to eye with. Perhaps that’s why I gave Dr Jon Lambert a particularly hard time in this book, throwing him together with a heroine who resists taking the help he offers and facing them both with a situation that tests Jon to the limit. But, like any true hero, Jon has it in him to rise to the challenge—even if it does mean that he’s forced to re-examine his perspective on life.

When Chloe Delancourt’s niece, baby Amy, is in danger of being abandoned by her mother, Chloe must fight to reunite her family and secure Amy’s future. Jon isn’t her first choice of ally, but she has no choice but to admit she needs his help. And in working together to save baby Amy both Jon and Chloe discover that perfection isn’t something either of them needs in order to find true happiness and fulfilment.

Thank you for reading Jon and Chloe’s story. I’m always thrilled to hear from readers, and you can contact me via my website at annieclaydon.com.

Annie x

Saving Baby Amy

Annie Claydon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cursed with a poor sense of direction and a propensity to read, ANNIE CLAYDON spent much of her childhood lost in books. A degree in English Literature followed by a career in computing didn’t lead directly to her perfect job—writing romance for Mills & Boon—but she has no regrets in taking the scenic route. She lives in London: a city where getting lost can be a joy.

Books by Annie Claydon

Mills & Boon Medical Romance

Stranded in His Arms

Rescued by Dr Rafe

Saved by the Single Dad

The Doctor She’d Never Forget

Discovering Dr Riley

The Doctor’s Diamond Proposal

English Rose for the Sicilian Doc

Visit the Author Profile page

at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.

To Rosie, with love.

Praise for Annie Claydon

‘A compelling, emotional and highly poignant read that I couldn’t bear to put down. Rich in pathos, humour and dramatic intensity, it’s a spellbinding tale about healing old wounds, having the courage to listen to your heart and the power of love that kept me enthralled from beginning to end.’

—Goodreads on Once Upon A Christmas Night…

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Praise

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

HOSPITAL GOSSIP WAS a bit like the wind: unpredictable and prone to sudden gusts in one direction or another. Information could easily end up at the furthest corner of the hospital before it came to the notice of the people involved. So it was no particular surprise to Chloe Delancourt that she’d walked all the way over to the canteen before hearing a piece of news that quite obviously pertained to her.

‘So what’s all this about your boyfriend and a baby?’ One of the other junior doctors joined her at the end of the queue.

‘My boyfriend?’ Jake was long gone, and if he did have a baby it was nothing to do with her.

Petra grinned. ‘All right, so he’s not your boyfriend. Since he’s good looking, single and living with you, that might be classed as an omission on your part.’

‘You mean Jon?’ Chloe had only seen Dr Jonathan Lambert for a total of about ten minutes since he’d moved in two weeks ago.

‘How many good-looking men are you living with currently?’

‘Just the one...’ The ten minutes had been more than enough to notice that he was good looking. And that he had a delicious smile. But apart from that all she really knew about him was that he was a good friend of her brother’s and he kept the bathroom tidy. He’d started his new job at the hospital six weeks earlier than anticipated and had needed a place to stay because the renovations on his own house weren’t finished yet.

‘Glad to hear it. If there was more than one of them, I’d be looking for an invitation to come over for dinner at the weekend.’

Chloe shrugged. ‘Come over anyway, I’m not doing anything tomorrow. It’ll be just the two of us, though, he’s not exactly made his presence felt.’

‘If he’s working nights then I suppose you wouldn’t see much of him during the week...’ Petra was obviously turning the idea over in her head.

‘Or the weekend. He spends every waking hour over at his place. I’ve hardly seen him.’ Maybe Jon was avoiding her. Or maybe he just took the promise that she’d hardly know he was there very seriously. Whatever. It suited Chloe not to get too involved with a face as handsome as his.

‘Well, he’s here now. With a baby.’

‘What kind of baby?’

Petra rolled her eyes. ‘Two arms, two legs...the usual. A little girl, he was calling her Amy...’

‘What?’ Chloe almost dropped her tray and instead thrust it into Petra’s hands. ‘Where is he?’

‘He was in A and E about five minutes ago. Someone said he’d asked for directions up to Orthopaedics—’ Petra broke off as Chloe turned, running for the doors of the canteen.

* * *

Chloe had sprinted across the courtyard and up three flights of stairs, back to her own department. Jon had been up to Orthopaedics and left a message that he was going back downstairs to A and E. By the time she got down to the Paediatric A and E department she could hardly breathe so it was just as well that the receptionist knew what she wanted without Chloe having to say so.

‘That was quick, I’ve only just paged you. They’ve just gone through. Consulting Room Three.’

The pager in Chloe’s pocket buzzed suddenly and she jumped, switching it off. Taking a deep breath, in an effort to slow her racing heart, she thanked the receptionist and walked slowly towards the consulting rooms.

If Amy was here, then where was Hannah? And if Hannah had left her child with Jon that posed a whole slew of other questions that Chloe really didn’t want to think about until she was sure of the situation. She knocked and turned the handle of the consulting-room door before whoever was inside had a chance to answer.

Jon was lifting Amy out of her car seat. He’d obviously dressed quickly, because his shirt was buttoned up wrong, leaving one red checked tail slightly longer than the other at the front. Amy fretted a little, and then seemed to decide that the strong cradle of Jon’s arms was a safe place.

‘What...?’

She hadn’t noticed how blue his eyes were before, or how tender. Or that his light brown hair, falling across his brow, gave him a slightly boyish look. Or that his hands seemed so large and capable next to Amy’s tiny fingers.

‘Sit down.’ Amy stirred slightly at Jon’s words, and then snuggled back against his chest. For a moment it seemed the best place in the world to be. Held in his arms without a care in the world.

But if Amy didn’t seem concerned about the whereabouts of her mother, Chloe was. ‘Where’s my sister?’

‘Hannah’s at your place.’ The tenderness in his eyes seemed reserved just for Amy, and he gave Chloe a more dispassionate look. ‘Sit...’

Clearly something was up, and he wasn’t going to tell her until she was sitting down. She bit back the temptation to tell him that she was a doctor too, and that she’d been working at this hospital a good deal longer than he had. Even if she did feel far more like a slightly panicky aunt than a doctor at the moment.

The dark blue windcheater on the chair next to him had been hanging in her hallway for the past two weeks, and was probably the most familiar thing about him. Chloe moved it, draping it over the backrest. When she sat down, an elusive hint of his scent halted the clamour of her senses for a moment, as if they’d paused to appreciate it. This wasn’t the time, or the place...

His eyes and the slight curve of his lips invited calm. No... Actually, they invited surrender, and that wasn’t something that Chloe was prepared to give. ‘Tell me what’s happened.’

‘Hannah was worried about Amy and she took her to her own doctor this morning. He told her that Amy just had a virus, but Hannah thought it was something more so she brought her to you.’

‘And...?’ Chloe reached across to feel Amy’s forehead. She was a little feverish, and her cheeks were flushed.

‘I agreed with Hannah. So I brought Amy here, where she could be examined and treated properly.’

‘But where’s Hannah?’ Chloe couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice.

‘She’s at your place. She was...a little distressed.’

‘A little distressed?’ Chloe frowned at him. Jon didn’t need to play the situation down for her benefit.

‘She was crying her eyes out, and she insisted on staying behind while I brought Amy here.’ Chloe’s eyebrows shot up and he flashed her a cool smile. ‘It’s okay. I got to know Hannah quite well when she was staying with James. She wasn’t entrusting Amy to a stranger.’

So, however distressed Hannah was, she was still thinking straight. That was something. James had mentioned that a friend of his had helped out a lot with Hannah, spending time with her and letting her talk, but Chloe hadn’t realised it was Jon.

But if Hannah had found someone to talk to in Jon, then Chloe couldn’t see how. He seemed somehow distant, as if Amy was the only person in the room he could trust with an unreserved smile.

‘Then you’ll know that Hannah’s...vulnerable.’ Chloe twisted her lips. Vulnerable wasn’t quite the right word. Hannah could be surprisingly strong and very determined. But she was young. Troubled sometimes.

‘I know that she’s almost ten years younger than you, and that she was only nine when you lost both your parents. That you and James have done your best to look after her, but it hasn’t always been easy.’

‘No, it hasn’t.’ Chloe hadn’t made it any easier. Hannah had always wanted to live with her, and Chloe had worked hard, saving every penny she could and adding to her third of the money from the sale of their parents’ house so that she could afford a home for the two of them. She’d bought the house, and then two months after they’d moved in Chloe had fallen ill. Hannah had gone to live with James instead, but had never really settled.

‘Look, Hannah’s okay for the moment.’

Okay for the moment. Most people had learned to settle for that where Hannah was concerned, but Chloe wanted more for her sister.

‘You do know that Hannah’s still only eighteen? And that Amy’s father isn’t on the scene?’ Hannah had run away two weeks before her sixteenth birthday. Chloe had been too ill to do anything but worry, while James had moved heaven and earth to find their sister. When he had, she’d been living with a boy of nineteen, who had been more than eager to give her up when James had wondered aloud whether Hannah’s queasy spells might be morning sickness.

‘Yes, I know. She’s all right.’ It seemed that Chloe was going to have to take his word for it, because Jon’s face showed no evidence that he really understood the gravity of the situation. His whole attention was focussed on Amy.

‘I’d just feel a bit better if she were here and I could see for myself.’ Her words sounded rather more accusing than Chloe had meant them to.

‘I felt that Amy needed to be looked at sooner rather than later, and that was my first priority. Hannah calmed down when she saw I was taking her concerns seriously and promised to stay put while I was gone.’

‘Yes...I’m sorry. Thanks.’ None of this was Jon’s fault. Hannah had put him in a difficult position and he’d taken the only decision he could. Chloe stretched her arms out towards Amy. ‘I’ll take her now.’

He didn’t move. ‘Why don’t you let me examine her? I can do it now—my shift won’t be starting for another three hours.’

‘And you’re better qualified than me?’ There was something he wasn’t saying, and Chloe guessed it might be that. It was true, after all. Jon’s speciality was paediatric emergencies, and even though he’d only been here a couple of weeks he was already gaining something of a reputation as an excellent doctor.

‘Yes, I am. And I’m not Amy’s aunt.’ He said the words dispassionately. ‘I dare say you’re a lot better at dealing with Hannah than I am. Why don’t you give her a call, while I fetch my stethoscope from my locker?’

Maybe he was just giving her something to do to keep her quiet, because it seemed that he had already come to some kind of agreement with Hannah. But he was right. Chloe nodded and Jon delivered Amy into her arms.

‘She’s two years old. All of her immunisations are up to date and she’s on no medication.’ If she was going to take up the role of concerned aunt then she may as well give Jon all the relevant information. And ask the relevant questions. ‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t know anything for sure yet.’ He got to his feet and walked out of the room, without looking back.

* * *

Jon had woken to the sound of the front door banging closed, and had got out of bed, groggily thinking that he must have overslept if Chloe was home already. And then he’d heard Amy crying and had gone downstairs to find that it was Hannah.

He shouldn’t really have been there at all. But the hospital had asked him to fill in for someone who was sick, six weeks before he was due to start his new job there, and he’d had to find a place to stay in the area. Chloe’s place wasn’t ideal as it reminded him too much of the family that he’d never again be a part of. But the renovations on the new house he’d bought had been the perfect excuse to stay out of her way and only return to her place to get some sleep while she was at work.

Although he’d seen little of Chloe herself, the slightly shabby, eclectic warmth of her home surrounded him. He slept between her sheets, saw her bottles in the bathroom when he went to take a shower and her food in the fridge when he went downstairs to make coffee. And if love had been something he ever wanted to do again, he would already have been a little in love with Chloe’s scent.

But that wasn’t an option. He walked back into the consulting room, armed to the teeth with all the reasons why he shouldn’t get involved with Chloe. She was cuddling Amy in her lap, her phone tucked against her shoulder, her brow creased in concentration.

‘Yes, don’t worry, we’ll make absolutely sure she’s all right. What about you?’

A pause, and then her lips twitched into a smile. It seemed that whatever was being said at the other end of the line was a reassurance.

‘Okay. You’ll stay there until I get back. Promise? Yeah, love you too.’ Chloe caught her phone as it slid from her ear and ended the call.

‘Hannah?’

‘Yes. She sounds all right, but she won’t come to the hospital. She says...’ Chloe shook her head. ‘She’s so terrified that she’s not doing well enough, and that people will think she’s a bad mother.’

Jon nodded. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that particular sentiment, and it was ironic that it was often the most loving and capable mothers who voiced it. But, then, family relationships weren’t exactly his forte.

‘First things first. I’ll take a look at Amy.’ That he could do, and he knew he could do it well.

He was aware that Chloe’s gaze was on him, an intrusion that felt so warm and welcome that all he could do was try to shut it out. Amy was fretting a little, obviously out of sorts, and he concentrated on soothing her, trying to make the examination into a game.

‘I think she may have a urinary tract infection.’ Finally he turned and faced Chloe.

‘Why?’

A fair enough question. She was a doctor too, and he couldn’t completely relegate her to the role of faceless care-giver. ‘She has a fever, but there’s no sign of a cold. Her blood pressure is slightly high, which is a concern, and...’ He shrugged. ‘I changed her nappy pants before I brought her here.’

‘And?’

This was the part where instinct corroborated medical fact. ‘There’s a particular smell that can point to a UTI in young children. Not always, but it’s an indicator.’

She nodded and Jon thought he saw her lips purse slightly. Maybe it was just his imagination. ‘Is that an old wives’ tale?’

‘It was something that a very experienced health visitor told me when I was starting out. It’s been statistically confirmed since.’

‘Which means you need a mid-stream urine sample?’

‘Yes. I think I can get that the natural way, without having to catheterise her.’

He passed this test every day. Concerned parents, who needed to know whether they could really trust him or not. It was only right that care-givers should question him and weigh everything he did up for themselves, but it was different with Chloe. He wanted very badly to make her smile.

Suddenly she did, and the effect left him momentarily transfixed, taking in all the tiny details that he’d forced himself not to notice before. The way her light auburn hair, scraped back away from her face, escaped in curls around her brow. The tiny freckles across her nose, and her pale skin. Long legs encased in a neat, business-like skirt. She was the kind of woman that a man could spend a lot of time watching.

She reddened slightly—enchantingly—and Jon looked away quickly. It was nothing. He was human, and it was just an echo from a long-gone past, when wanting to watch every move a woman made had been something that might lead somewhere.

‘Did your very experienced health visitor give you any clues about how to get a two-year-old to pee on demand?’

‘As it happens, no. But I’ve picked up a few pointers from their mothers. And I gave her a drink as soon as I got here.’

He bent over Amy, smiling at her, and she rewarded him with a smile in return. That’s what he liked so much about children, they were usually a lot less complicated than adults. ‘Right, young lady. Let’s give this a go.’

CHAPTER TWO

HE WAS SO good with Amy. Confident, gentle and playful. The kind of doctor that every parent wanted to see when their child was sick. Chloe knew that a mid-stream urine sample, one that wasn’t contaminated by any bacteria from the skin, wasn’t an easy proposition, and she waited to see what Jon was going to come up with.

He didn’t disappoint. Taking Amy’s nappy pants off and cleaning her carefully, he made a game out of sitting her on a potty and splashing her hands and feet in a bowl of warm water. Even though she was fretful and drowsy, he somehow managed to make her drink a little more and make her laugh at the faces he pulled. When she did finally give in, he seized the opportunity and deftly caught a mid-stream sample in the small container he had ready.

‘Well done, sweetheart.’ He hugged Amy and she grabbed at the sample bottle, almost spilling its precious contents. Chloe took it from him, snapping the lid on firmly, and Jon set about dressing Amy.

‘The urinalysis test kits are over there.’ He nodded towards a cupboard in the corner of the consulting room.

It seemed that, finally, she was going to be allowed to do something, instead of sitting and watching Jon work. Even if sitting and watching him did have its good points. Chloe carefully divided the small sample into two, one for the lab, if needed, and the other for the test strip from the urinalysis kit.

‘You were right.’ She showed the coloured test strip to Jon and his brow darkened. There was a clear indication of the presence of white blood cells and bacteria.

‘I think it’s best if we take her into the children’s ward, for tonight at least. The infection’s clearly putting her under some stress.’

And Amy’s home situation wasn’t ideal at the moment. At least he had the delicacy not to mention that. Or maybe he was just ignoring it, since that was Chloe’s problem, not his.

‘Yes, I agree. Thanks, Jon.’

‘Are you finished for the day?’

Chloe nodded. ‘Yes, I’ve seen all the patients on my list. I had some paperwork to catch up on but that can wait.’

‘Then what do you say to my staying here with Amy and sorting out a bed for her? I think it’s time you went home and had a conversation with Hannah.’

He was absolutely right and wishing that Jon would come with her, in the hope that he might be able to conquer Hannah’s fears as effortlessly as he’d conquered Amy’s, was just selfish. Amy needed someone with her here, and Hannah needed some support too. This was the obvious solution.

‘Are you sure? I don’t know how long I’ll be.’

‘I’m fine here until my shift starts. You’ll be back by then?’

‘Yes, I’ll make sure if it. With or without Hannah.’ A thought occurred to her. ‘Have you eaten?’ He shook his head, as if that didn’t really matter. ‘I’ll get you something. I’ve got some rosehip teabags if you’d like tea?’

From the look on his face, rosehip teabags didn’t quite hit the spot. ‘Thanks, but...actually anything with caffeine and a few calories would be great. And a drink for Amy. My wallet’s in my jacket pocket.’

He picked Amy up, soothing her gently. Chloe ignored his jacket and made for the door. The least she could do for him was to stand him breakfast, even if it was just a sandwich from the canteen.

* * *

Chloe had left a large cup of coffee and a sandwich from the canteen perched on the window sill, well out of Amy’s reach. Then she’d hugged Amy, gifted Jon with a smile that had been as delicious as it had been hurried, and had left.

‘Just you and me, then, eh?’ He rocked Amy in his arms. She was becoming increasingly fretful, and the sooner he started the antibiotic drip the better. He’d sent one of the nurses to get what he needed, and he was alone for a moment.

‘Don’t you worry, now, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be okay, and we’ll make you better.’ Making Amy better was reasonably straightforward. Making everything okay was a lot more fraught with uncertainty. Hannah hadn’t just been distressed when she’d arrived at Chloe’s house, there had been a wild look in her eyes that had told Jon she was very close to breaking point. He’d been loath to leave her alone, but Hannah hadn’t given him much choice in the matter.

‘Mum-eee...’ Amy’s little face started to scrunch up and tears escaped her eyes. Jon held her close, soothing her.

‘All right. Mummy’s coming.’ Not straight away but soon, he hoped. ‘You want to know a secret, Amy?’

‘I love secrets...’ Jon jumped as someone spoke. He hadn’t heard the calm-faced nurse re-enter the room, and when he turned she was standing behind him.

‘This one is that I’m gasping for that cup of coffee over there.’ Jon gave her a smile and a shrug when her lip curled slightly in disbelief.

‘I’ll take her. Go and drink your coffee.’

‘Thanks.’

He’d leave the real secret until later. It was one thing to tell Amy that her Aunt Chloe was one of the most beautiful women he’d seen in a long while but, then, Amy could be relied on not to syphon that information into the hospital gossip network. Neither would she betray the part about Chloe’s special magic. Jon couldn’t quite put his finger on what kind of magic it was, but he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t recognise it was there.

He sipped his coffee, watching as the nurse busied herself, trying to tell himself that he shouldn’t be shaken by any of this. It was straightforward. A housemate for six weeks while he made his own place habitable. A child who needed his help. It was neat and clean and nothing that he couldn’t deal with.

Not like his marriage. Jon had often wondered whether the time bomb that had finally blown everything apart had been primed on his and Helen’s wedding day. Ticking away the moments of pure happiness, measuring all the times that attention to two blossoming careers had demanded they spend apart, and tallying up each moment of tired indifference. Then exploding suddenly, sending shards of vitriol that scattered themselves across every aspect of Jon’s life, embedding themselves deep into his heart.

A heart that had been hardened by time, but now felt under attack. Chloe’s house was a long way away from the perfect, magazine-cover home that he and Helen had shared, but he’d found himself suddenly at ease there, as if he’d just pulled on a favourite shirt. Maybe it was a little frayed in places but it was warm and comfortable, fitting him perfectly. And if her house made him yearn for something he didn’t have, then Chloe herself turned an obscure ache into an urgent stab of longing.

‘Chloe’s gone now?’ The nurse interrupted his reverie.

‘Yeah.’

‘So you’re left holding the baby...’ The nurse bent down, smoothing Amy’s brow in a motion of comfort. ‘Pretty little thing, isn’t she?’

‘Yes, she is.’ Jon had always assumed that Amy’s light auburn curls and the freckles across her nose must be inherited from her father. But some quirk of genetics had rendered the little girl the image of her aunt, right down to her honey-brown eyes.

The feeling that he was being sucked in by Chloe’s eyes wasn’t an entirely unpleasant one. But he was in control of his life now. He could decide to ignore whatever part of Chloe he wanted to.

‘This is the last thing Chloe needs right now. I hope she doesn’t overdo things.’ The nurse smoothed the blanket over Amy in one of those entirely unnecessary acts of caring that always made Jon proud to be part of a team.

‘I heard she’d been ill.’

‘Yes. I don’t think that any of the doctors down here could miss a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome if they tried. Chloe made sure of that.’

The thought made Jon smile. Guillain-Barré was enough to deal with on its own, without undertaking an information awareness exercise. But somehow he expected no less of Chloe.

‘She shared her experience?’

‘You bet she did. Before she could even walk, she persuaded someone to wheel her down here and told the senior houseman that if any of the juniors hadn’t seen Guillain-Barré before, she was ready to be examined. It was pretty painful for her, but she sat through it and slurred her way through all of their questions as well.’

‘That’s...’ Suddenly Jon couldn’t find the words.

‘Beyond the call of duty, I’d say.’

‘Yeah. Way beyond...’ If Chloe could do that, then backing off now was suddenly unthinkable. Jon put his cup down, ignoring the film-wrapped sandwich. ‘Why don’t you get on, now? I’ve everything I need here, and I’ll make sure that Amy’s all right.’

* * *

Chloe had expected to find that Hannah was upset, but the reality had been much worse. Hannah had been sitting in the lounge, her arms wound around her stomach, her face impassive apart from the tears that had trickled down her cheeks. She’d looked almost as if she was in shock, rocking slightly as if to comfort herself.

Chloe had made a cup of tea and they’d talked for a while. Or rather Chloe had done most of the talking, while Hannah had listened disinterestedly, as if the words had meant nothing to her. But Chloe knew she’d got through to Hannah because when she’d suggested that she come and see Amy, to make sure she was all right, Hannah had stood up and put on her jacket.

Jon had left a message with the paediatric A and E receptionist, and Chloe led Hannah up to the children’s ward. She could see him, sitting next to Amy’s cot, through the large window that divided the ward from the reception area, and when he caught sight of them, he rose.

‘How is she?’ Hannah’s first question for Jon was the one she’d asked Chloe as soon as she’d walked through the door.

‘She’s doing well. I wanted her admitted to hospital as a precaution, but the antibiotics will clear the UTI and she’ll be fine.’ His voice was gentle but very firm, as if just saying it was going to make it happen.

‘I’m sorry.’ There was nothing but dull despair in Hannah’s voice.

‘There’s nothing to be sorry for. You did exactly the right thing for Amy. I wish that some other mothers were as sensible as you.’

Hannah looked up at him. Jon seemed to be making about as much impression on Hannah as Chloe had, but he was trying. And somewhere, on some level, Hannah must be hearing all of this.

‘Why don’t you come and see her, eh?’ Jon picked up Hannah’s hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm. He flashed a smile towards Chloe and she nodded. She’d done her best to convince Hannah that she was a good mother and she’d done nothing wrong, but Hannah had just shrugged. ‘You’re my sister, you would say that.’ Maybe the words would have greater weight if they came from someone else.

She watched as Jon walked Hannah into the ward, getting her to sit down in the chair that he’d been occupying. He gestured towards the drip, obviously explaining everything that was being done for Amy, and waited as Hannah slowly reached out to touch Amy’s hand. Then he turned, walking out of the ward to stand next to Chloe.

‘She seems...fragile.’ Jon was watching Hannah and Amy intently.

‘Yes, she is.’ Chloe looked up at him, but he didn’t return her gaze. ‘She’s doing a good job of beating herself up over what’s happened.’

Jon frowned. ‘What has happened? As far as I can see, Hannah thought that there was something wrong with Amy and did everything she could to get the proper medical treatment for her.’

If only he would look at her. Chloe could really do with just a moment in the warmth of his reassurance. But it seemed that was carefully rationed, and that only Amy and Hannah were entitled to it.

‘When she went to see the doctor, she said that he looked at Amy and said it was most likely just a virus, and to call him immediately if she was worried. Hannah started to cry and he asked a lot of questions about how she was doing. She thinks that the doctor put all of her worries about Amy down to her own mental state.’

The frown deepened. ‘Hannah was crying when I saw her. And she had a sick baby...’

‘Yes. Well, that was a few hours later and maybe Amy’s symptoms were a lot more pronounced.’ Or maybe Jon was just a good doctor, who understood people. ‘Apparently Hannah’s been to her doctor before, about feeling she can’t cope.’

‘You knew this?’

That was the bitterest part of it. Hannah had been in trouble and she hadn’t said anything. ‘No. Neither did James.’

‘What are you going to do?’ He turned suddenly, and the warmth in his face cut through the feeling that Chloe had failed Hannah yet again. This time, it was all going to be different.

‘I’ve given James a call. He’s on holiday in Cornwall, but he’s driving back up tonight and he’ll stay with Hannah at my place. I’ll stay here with Amy, and we can talk in the morning.’

‘Sounds like a plan. If there’s anything I can do...’ He shrugged, as if he couldn’t think of what that anything might be. A moment in his arms perhaps. Having him tell her that everything was going to be fine. But that was something that could only be given, not asked for.

‘You’ve done a great deal already. I’m very grateful.’ If that sounded a lot like a thank you and goodbye, then maybe it was. Relying on other people to help her was only going to lead to disappointment.

‘It’s nothing. Just paying it forward.’ Chloe shot him a querying look. ‘James was very good to me when my marriage broke up, he put me up until I found a place of my own. That was when I got to know Hannah.’

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise—’

‘It’s water under the bridge now.’ The downward quirk of his lips told Chloe that even if it was, it was something that still pained him. ‘From what James tells me, you were dealing with your own problems at that time. I’ve only ever come across one case of Guillain-Barré syndrome but I know it’s a tough journey to take.’

It had been tough, suddenly losing any sensation other than pain in both legs and one arm, contending with the real fear that the accompanying paralysis might keep spreading until it reached her chest and the other side of her face.

‘That’s water under the bridge, too.’

Suddenly he was looking at her again, his face suffused with all the warmth that he’d offered to Amy and Hannah. ‘You’re sure about that. Because if you can’t cope...’

‘I can cope.’ The words were defensive on her lips.

‘Sorry.’

‘No...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.’ It wasn’t Jon’s fault that few of the promises that had been made around her hospital bed had come to fruition. That both Jake and her best friend had sworn they’d stand by her through this, and they’d ended up standing by each other.

Chloe took a deep breath, trying to puff out the echoes of the lonely despair she’d felt when she’d realised that her partner and her friend were now an item and that neither of them had the guts to come and tell her. This wasn’t the time to be raking over old memories because she had to think about the challenges of the present.

‘Look, I...I couldn’t give Hannah the support she needed when I was ill. I can now.’

He nodded. ‘And that’s important to you.’

‘Yes, it is. Hannah’s not had an easy time, she was so young when our parents died. James and I tried to help her through it, but we were both at university and neither of us were in a position to give her a stable home. My mother’s sister fostered her, and... Aunt Sylvie’s very kind, very loving, but Hannah always wanted to live with me. When she was fifteen I took her.’

‘But you fell ill?’

‘Yes, and Hannah went to live with James. I don’t think she really understood why I wouldn’t keep her. She told me that she’d help look after me, but I didn’t want to make her into my carer. She deserved more than that.’

The frank approval in his eyes meant a lot more than it should. Chloe had wanted his understanding, craved his warmth, and now that she had it, it was too much to bear. She looked away, staring at Hannah and Amy.

‘Hannah was almost sixteen when she ran away. I couldn’t help look for her, I could hardly manage to get out of the house. It was James who found her and brought her back, and he was the one who looked after her when she realised that she was pregnant.’

‘And you think you let Hannah down?’ His tone suggested that Jon thought quite the opposite, but Chloe begged to differ.

‘I think that Hannah and Amy need me right now. And that I’m going to be there for both of them.’ It was too late to save Hannah from the turbulence of her teenage years, but she would find a way to put things right now. Because this time it wasn’t only a matter of saving Hannah, it was a matter of saving Amy, too.

CHAPTER THREE

IT HAD BEEN a restless night, sleeping in the folding bed next to Amy’s cot, and so far the morning hadn’t been much easier. Chloe hadn’t seen Jon when she’d returned home to talk to Hannah and James, and she’d assumed that he’d escaped over to his place when his shift had ended this morning.

But when she got back to the hospital he was there, sitting in the chair next to Amy’s cot with Amy on his lap, talking to her and gently stopping her from grabbing at the bandage on her arm that covered the cannula.

‘She’s a lot better this morning.’ One of the nurses had stopped at Chloe’s side, and Chloe dragged her gaze away from Jon. Each time she saw him with Amy it was impossible not to notice that someone so strong could be so gentle.

‘Does he usually check up on his patients like this?’

The nurse grinned. ‘He’s no stranger up here, he often pops in to see how the children he’s had admitted are doing. He seems to have taken a bit of a shine to Amy, though.’

It seemed that he had. And Amy had clearly taken a bit of a shine to Jon, looking up at him, her hand reaching to touch his face.

But Chloe was here now. And she could cope. Thanking the nurse, she walked into the ward.

‘Good morning.’ Jon had been so bound up with Amy that he’d failed to register Chloe’s approach until she’d spoken.

He made to deliver Amy into her arms, and the little girl started to cry, clinging on to him. Jon pulled an embarrassed face, which didn’t quite conceal his pleasure at Amy being so determined not to let him go, and Chloe motioned for him to stay as he was.

‘How are things?’ He took a moment out from Amy to ask the question.

‘We’re getting there. I think...’ Chloe took her jacket off and sat down. ‘James is taking Hannah back down to Cornwall with him, and I’m going to look after Amy for a while.’

His attention was suddenly all hers. ‘She doesn’t want to stay here?’

‘She’s...’ Chloe shrugged. ‘She’s got it into her head that I can look after Amy better than she can. Maybe that’s true for the moment. Hannah definitely needs a break so she can think things through.’

‘And when she has?’ Concern was etched deep into his face.

‘When she has, she’ll see that she’s a great mother and that James and I are both here for her to give her all the support she needs to make a good life for herself and for Amy.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

‘You don’t seem very convinced.’ He obviously knew as well as Chloe did that things probably weren’t going to be as easy as that.

He shrugged. ‘I’m...not really the one to ask about families.’

‘You mean the kids are a lot less complicated?’

‘Now you mention it...’ Amy grabbed at his nose and he gave her a look of exaggerated shock. Then he pinched her nose, putting his thumb between his fingers as he pulled his hand away and showing it to Amy.

‘Mine...!’ Amy reached for his hand.

‘That’s your nose, is it?’ Jon wiggled his thumb and Amy nodded.

It was almost painful to watch. All the support and love that anyone could want, and which Chloe couldn’t bring herself to trust in. But Jon had just said it himself. Something had persuaded him that families weren’t his strong point, and for him it was all about the children.

He was busy replacing Amy’s nose and threading an imaginary needle to stitch it back on again while Amy held it in place. ‘How’s that, then? Let Auntie Chloe have a look, see if I’ve got it straight.’

‘It’s straight...’ Suddenly the game seemed too good to end it here. Chloe clapped her hand theatrically over her mouth. ‘Call yourself a doctor? Amy...he’s put your nose back on upside down!’

Amy pulled at her nose, inspecting her empty hand, and Jon laughed.

‘Look, this is the way you do it... Perhaps Auntie Chloe can do a better job putting it back on again.’ A flash of his blue eyes, full of intoxicating fun. ‘She’s obviously the expert around here.’

The make-believe needle and thread was handed over to Chloe, and she pulled her chair a little closer. Amy held her nose on, giggling, while Chloe pretended to sew it back, her knees almost touching Jon’s. When he leaned over to gently untangle the drip attached to Amy’s arm, his fingers brushed hers, making her shiver.

‘Perfect.’ Jon inspected her handiwork, then dropped a kiss onto his finger, planting it on Amy’s nose then lifting the little girl onto Chloe’s lap.

‘Are you okay here?’ He pulled his chair back, as if he knew that suddenly he’d got altogether too close. ‘What about Amy’s things?’

‘James is dealing with that. He’s taking Hannah back to her place to pack and then he’ll drop Amy’s things back at my place and take Hannah on down to Cornwall.’

Jon nodded. ‘I guess Cornwall’s not so far. If Hannah needs to come back.’

‘Yes.’ Chloe sighed. ‘I hate them being apart but... Hannah seems to need some time at the moment. And some sleep as well.’

‘Yeah. I can identify with that.’ He rubbed one hand across his face, seeming suddenly drawn.

‘Why don’t you go home and get some rest? James and Hannah will be gone by now and I’ll give them a call and tell them not to wake you up when they get back with Amy’s things.’

‘You want anything before I go? Something to eat?’

‘No, I’ve eaten. Go.’

Amy seemed to have run out of energy too, and Chloe felt her snuggle against her, refusing to wake up and wave goodbye to Jon. He grinned, brushing Amy’s cheek with his finger, and Chloe watched his back as he walked away.

He turned for one final wave through the window from the lobby outside. Even distance, even the glass couldn’t dim the bright blue of his tired eyes and Chloe wished that he wasn’t leaving her behind.

It was the first step on a long and slippery slope. A look, a shared smile that would catapult her into neediness and leave her in a tangled heap on the floor when Jon went his own way. However much she liked his smile, it just wasn’t worth it.

Amy started to fret in her arms and Chloe leaned down to comfort her. ‘It’s going to be okay, Amy. Everything’s going to be okay, you’ll see.’

* * *

Jon hadn’t thought that a battered teddy bear and a bar of chocolate could possibly be such controversial items. He’d selected the teddy bear from the bag of toys that James had left in the hall while he’d slept, reckoning that the most worn was probably the most loved. And the chocolate was the same seventy per cent cocoa blend that he’d found stashed away at the back of one of the kitchen cabinets.

But when he’d gone to the children’s ward that evening, Chloe had looked at them both as if they were poisoned. She propped the teddy bear up in Amy’s cot, leaving the chocolate untouched on the locker.

‘Isn’t your shift about to start?’ It was a clear invitation for him to go, even if he’d only just arrived. He probably should go, but something stopped him. Maybe the fact that no one in their right mind refused a visitor when they were in hospital, and that Chloe’s attitude betrayed some other worry.

‘Not for another hour.’ He drew up a chair and sat down. He could probably find somewhere else to be, but sleep had rearranged his muddled thoughts, and on waking the decision had seemed obvious. Chloe needed help, and he was there to give it.

She hesitated. She looked different tonight, softer, dressed in a pair of casual trousers with a top that he reckoned was supposed to slide from one shoulder to reveal the strap of a cotton vest underneath. The warmth in here had touched her cheeks with pink, and her hair curled loosely around her face in what seemed like an invitation to touch.

Clearly that invitation wasn’t extended to him. And even if it had been, Jon had no intention of taking it up. The decision on that point had been clear, too. Help out, but don’t touch.

‘You don’t need to do this.’ She pressed her lips together, and they too became a little pinker. Jon wondered whether they tasted pink, and dismissed the thought with no more than a moment’s regret.

‘Do what?’

‘You know...’ A small, delicious frown indicated that Chloe understood quite well that he was going to make her explain. ‘We all really appreciate what you did yesterday, Jon. But you don’t have to feel responsible for us, just because... You have other things to be getting on with.’

For a moment he couldn’t imagine what those other things might be. Chloe and Amy seemed more important than anything.

‘My house, you mean?’

‘Yes. And your job.’

‘I imagine the builders will be quite pleased to find that I haven’t been interfering with things over the weekend. And my job doesn’t require twenty-four-hour input.’

‘All the same...’ She shrugged. ‘Amy and I are fine, really. We’re not your problem.’

He was beginning to feel that they were—which was a problem in itself. But Jon could handle it.

‘I can help, can’t I? It’s never easy, taking responsibility for a sick child.’

‘No, but I can manage. You don’t need to keep popping in to see if we’re all right.’

Leaning forward, he picked up the chocolate, unwrapping one end and breaking off a piece. ‘Okay. I get it. You’re managing.’

The look on her face, when he started to eat, was a classic. Clearly she had reckoned on saving the chocolate and eating it when he was safely out of the way. He hesitated for a moment before he popped a second piece into his mouth and she broke suddenly.

‘You’re eating my chocolate.’

Jon grinned, as innocently as he could manage. ‘Yeah. Since you’re managing so well, I thought you wouldn’t want it.’

She seemed on the cusp of either smiling or sulking. Chloe went for the smile. ‘That’s different. Don’t you know that some people have a special relationship with chocolate?’

That was exactly what he’d been banking on. Jon handed her the bar and she broke a piece off. ‘So I’m allowed to bring you chocolate, then?’

She twisted her mouth, obviously willing to accept that she was beaten. ‘Yes. You’re allowed to bring me chocolate.’

‘And Amy her bear?’ He glanced over to where Amy was subjecting the bear to her own version of nursing care, shoving it under the blanket of her cot.

‘Yes, that was a kind thought. Papa Bear’s her favourite.’ She smiled at Amy, who ignored her, in favour of banging Papa Bear on the nose, presumably in an attempt to make him go to sleep.

‘She seems much better.’

‘Yes, she is. She’s stopped clinging to me and wanting to be held. They should be letting her go on Monday when the tests come back.’

Chloe turned her gaze back onto Jon. ‘Look, I’m sorry if I seemed ungrateful. When I was ill... You get to understand who you can really rely on at times like that.’

‘Yourself?’ It wasn’t a universal experience. Many—most—people were comforted by the support of those around them when they became gravely ill.

‘Yes, myself. James did the best he could, but he had Carol and the kids and Hannah to worry about.’

‘So you told him that you were fine and that you didn’t need anything.’ Which was exactly what Chloe was telling him now. Jon’s determination to take that with a pinch of salt strengthened.

She shrugged. ‘I might have intimated something of the sort.’

‘And since you’re a doctor, and James probably wouldn’t have heard of Guillain-Barré syndrome, he’d have just taken your word for it.’

‘Well, he looked it up on the internet. But the internet can be wrong sometimes.’ Chloe fixed Jon with a glare. ‘And you’re not telling him any different now.’

‘What you choose to tell anyone about your illness is none of my business.’ James would be horrified if he knew what Jon suspected, that Chloe had been incapacitated and coping alone for a long time after she’d been released from hospital. But there was no point in telling him that now.

‘Thank you.’

It was obvious why Chloe had been reluctant to rely on her brother, but it was rather more of a puzzle why she’d applied the same principle to everyone. And why she seemed so intent on applying it again now. But that wasn’t his business either. As long as she accepted that she could at least tell him if she needed something, they’d get along just fine. He took the small lint bandage that he’d found in the kitchen drawer out of his pocket.

‘Hey, Amy.’ The little girl turned to look at him. ‘Is Papa Bear ill?’

‘Yes.’ Amy nodded gravely.

‘Right. Shall we see if we can make him better?’ It wasn’t unusual for children to transfer what was going on in their heads onto their toys, and making the battered bear better would help Amy too.

Chloe caught onto the idea and grinned. ‘Do you think he needs a bandage?’ She leaned over, lifting Amy out of the cot and onto her lap, and Jon reached for the bear.

‘Poor Papa Bear. Make him better.’ Amy turned her trusting eyes on him.

‘All right, Nurse Amy. You hold him, and I’ll just put this bandage on his arm.’ Jon nodded to the dressing on Amy’s arm, which protected the cannula. ‘Just like yours.’

Amy nodded, and Chloe kissed the top of her niece’s head. ‘See Amy. Doctor Jon’s going to make him better.’

It was a start, at least. If Chloe didn’t trust him enough to take anything for herself, she was much more comfortable with taking all she could get for Amy. And Jon was sure of his ground. He’d be in and then out again, a clean operation, carried out with all the precision that his medical training had taught him to apply. It was perfectly possible to help the sister of a good friend out without doing anything stupid like falling in love with her.

CHAPTER FOUR

CHLOE WASN’T ABOUT to admit that she’d overreacted. It might have looked that way to Jon, but he clearly hadn’t learned yet that even the best of friends would choose their own agenda when it came to the crunch.

That actually wasn’t the problem. The problem was that every time she saw him she wanted to hold onto him, to make him stay. Wanted him to prove that Jake had been mistaken.

Not that she cared all that much about what Jake thought, or did, any more. He’d left her because he’d been unable to see past her illness, and wouldn’t believe that she could make a full recovery, and she’d shown that he was wrong on that score. But she was human, and wanting to be touched by a man was natural. Wanting to show herself that her body could be a source of pleasure and not pain...that was natural enough, too.

But Jon wasn’t the one to prove that point with. If she touched him, and let him touch her, she wouldn’t want to let him go.

What he said made sense, though. Chloe was dreading talking to her supervisor on Monday and telling him that she had a sick baby to look after. He’d been so understanding over the Guillain-Barré, taking her back in her old job and letting her work part time for as long as she’d needed to. Everyone’s patience ran out sooner or later, and hopefully this wasn’t going to be the last straw. If it turned out that she would have to look after Amy for longer than the next two weeks, she was going to need all the help she could get.

A restless night did little to quell her worries, but a new arrival in the ward early on Sunday morning put them into perspective—a little boy of around three, a breathing mask over his face, who lay surrounded by monitoring equipment.

‘What’s the matter with him?’ she whispered to the nurse who was with him.

‘Smoke inhalation.’ The nurses all knew that Chloe was a doctor, and were more frank with her than with the other parents on the ward.

‘Where are his parents?’

‘Dad’s on the burns unit. I think Mum’s still down in A and E.’

‘Shall I go down and see if I can find her? She must be worried sick.’

‘I think... Yeah, I think that’s her now.’ The nurse grinned. ‘With Amy’s favourite doctor.’

There was no question about who that was. Chloe looked up and saw Jon pushing a woman in a wheelchair into the lobby. She was wearing a hospital gown and a nasal cannula indicated that there was probably an oxygen cylinder tucked under the blanket over her knees. Chloe left the nurse with the boy and went outside to meet them.

Jon was looking around, trying to catch the attention of one of the nurses but they were all busy. When he saw Chloe he spoke to the woman.

‘Ah. Here’s someone who might know...’ He turned his blue eyes up to meet hers. ‘There’s a little boy, three years old. He’s just been admitted.’

‘Through here.’ Chloe indicated the ward, and Jon nodded a thank-you, wheeling the woman through.

‘Nicky...’ The woman’s voice was hoarse and cracked. She stretched out her hand towards the boy in the bed and tried to get out of the wheelchair but Jon laid his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

‘Stay there, Kathy. He’s all right.’

‘His hands...’ Kathy wouldn’t stop reaching, and Chloe saw that one of Nicky’s hands was still blackened by smoke.

‘It’s all right. His hands aren’t burned, I cleaned him up and checked. He must have picked that bit of soot up when I took his pyjamas off.’ Jon’s reassurance calmed Kathy a little.

‘He’s not burned at all?’

‘Nothing. Your husband did a good job, Kathy, he got him out of the house without a scratch on him. It’s just the smoke inhalation. We need to watch him carefully for a little while, just the same as we need to watch you.’

‘I’m all right.’ Kathy didn’t take her eyes off her son.

‘Well, we need to make sure. I sprang you out of observation on the strict condition that I made sure you stayed in the chair and breathed through your nose. You’re not getting the full benefit of the oxygen if you breathe through your mouth.’

Jon gave Kathy a look of gentle reproof and she closed her mouth, her chest moving as she took a deep breath through her nose.

‘Better. Thank you.’ Jon grinned at her and she managed a smile. Chloe stepped forward, taking Kathy’s hand.

‘I’m Chloe. That’s my niece over there, but I’m a doctor too. Would you like me to clean Nicky’s hand?’ It made little difference whether the boy’s hand was clean or dirty at the moment, but it was all that Chloe could think of to make Kathy feel better.

Kathy nodded, giving her a tight smile.

Chloe fetched some warm water and carefully wiped and dried Nicky’s hand. Jon had stepped away from them and was talking quietly on his phone, and Chloe pushed the wheelchair a little closer to the bed so that Kathy could touch her son.

‘Is there anyone we can call for you? A friend or relative?’

‘Dr Lambert’s calling my sister. He’s so kind...’ A tear rolled down Kathy’s cheek.

‘Yes, he is. He’s a very good doctor as well, and Nicky’s in good hands here.’ Chloe put her arm around Kathy’s shoulders. ‘Don’t cry, now. Just breathe.’

Jon was still on the phone, talking intently. He saw Chloe watching him, and before she could avert her eyes he flashed her a smile and ended the call.

‘Your sister’s coming, she’ll be here in an hour. She’s going to get the children to school and then come straight here.’ He bent down, squatting on his heels in front of Kathy. ‘I called down to see how your husband’s doing—’

‘Is he all right?’ Kathy’s hand flew to her mouth.

‘He’s comfortable and in no danger. He needs care, he has smoke inhalation and burns to his arm, but they’ll heal.’

‘Thank you... Thank you...’

That smile again. The one that would have calmed a charging rhino. Or made a stone feel something. ‘I hear your husband was a hero.’

Tears rolled down Kathy’s cheeks. ‘He told me to go downstairs. He went to fetch Nicky and rolled him up in a blanket...’

‘The doctor said that you could see him for ten minutes. I can take you down, and bring you straight back here to be with Nicky.’

Kathy’s gaze moved to her son and then back to Jon, in a dilemma. Nicky was lying quietly at the moment, but he was going to need his mother’s comfort when the trauma of the last few hours started to sink in.

‘Will you let me watch Nicky for you while you’re gone? I’ll call you if there’s any change or if he becomes distressed.’ Chloe spoke up.

‘Would you...?’ Kathy was still uncertain.

‘I’ll stay right here, by his bed. I can call Jon, and he’ll bring you straight back here.’

Jon nodded, taking his phone from the trouser pocket of his scrubs and putting it in Kathy’s hand. ‘Here. Hang onto it for me.’

Kathy nodded. ‘I’d like to see him. I want to tell him—’

Jon got to his feet, smiling. ‘He’ll be wanting to hear it. And Chloe will keep a good eye on Nicky. If we all share the load, we can cover everything.’

* * *

Chloe had been wondering whether that last comment had been aimed at her. Jon’s glance had flipped momentarily towards her when he’d said it, and she’d pretended not to notice.

He took Kathy away, and brought her back again twenty minutes later. Even though his shift had ended almost an hour ago, he waited until Kathy’s sister arrived, taking ten minutes to change out of his scrubs and then returning to the ward. This time Chloe couldn’t help a little thrill of excitement because he was quite obviously here just for her.

‘Breakfast?’

‘Shouldn’t you be getting home for some sleep?’ Her treacherous heart hoped that he wouldn’t go.

‘I’m not quite tired enough yet.’

They left Amy playing quietly and walked down to the canteen. Jon piled a plate full of all the breakfast items on the menu and Chloe rummaged in her handbag for the small sachet of teabags.

‘Hot water? Or can I tempt you to something else?’ He gestured towards the pile of flapjacks.

‘No, that’s okay. I’ll watch you eat.’

They found a table in a quiet corner and Jon attacked his food like a man who hadn’t eaten in the last week. She waited until he slowed a little, sipping her tea.

‘So how’s Kathy’s husband?’

‘Second-and third-degree burns on the top of his arm and shoulder. He could well need skin grafts.’

‘But he’ll be okay.’

‘Yes. Apparently he was pretty lucky to escape with just that.’

‘He knew Kathy was there?’

Jon’s face broke into a smile. ‘He was drowsy from the pain relief but he knew all right. Brave man.’

‘Going to fetch Nicky like that.’

‘Yes. And the way he told Kathy that it all looked worse than it felt, and that she wasn’t to worry about him. He was okay, and she should stay with Nicky.’

He paused for a moment, looking at Chloe, and then started to eat again. She wondered whether that comment was aimed at her as well. If it was, she didn’t deserve the kind of respect that Kathy’s husband did. She’d just done what she’d had to do, when she’d sent Hannah away to live with James.

‘I’ll go down there later. If he can’t have visitors, I can at least take a message from Kathy. Let him know how she and Nicky are doing.’

‘That’s nice. I’m sure he’d appreciate it.’

He finished the last few mouthfuls from his plate and leaned back in his seat with a satisfied sigh. Then he turned to the toast.

‘I’ve been thinking...’

Chloe asked the question that he was clearly waiting for. ‘What about?’

‘What are you going to do when Amy comes out of hospital?’

‘I’ll take some time off work. She should be coming out on Monday but it won’t be until the afternoon so I’ll speak to my head of department in the morning. When she’s fully well, I’ll make enquiries about getting her into the hospital crèche.’

He nodded. ‘I could look after her next week.’

‘You can’t work nights and look after a baby all day. You’re not that superhuman.’

‘Ah, so you think I’m just a bit superhuman...’ Jon grinned at her. ‘But, no, I wasn’t thinking of doing that. The guy I’m covering for is back from sick leave next week. I’m working on Monday night, but I’m not needed again until the following Sunday. After that I’ve got some more time off arranged before I start work permanently, and I can use that to work on the house.’

It was tempting. Very tempting, in more ways than just the practical. Chloe stared at him, trying to frame a polite but firm refusal.

‘What?’ He didn’t wait for her answer. ‘Come on, you know Amy will be safe with me. And a week off with her might be relaxing.’

‘You think so?’

Jon shrugged. ‘Well, a change is as good as a rest. Amy can’t frame a sensible sentence about either medicine or building materials.’

He seemed so sure. And although it was difficult to fault his logic, his absolute commitment to the idea didn’t make any sense.

‘This is my responsibility, Jon. Why won’t you take no for an answer?’

* * *

It was a fair enough question. If he were in Chloe’s shoes, he’d be asking the same thing. Avoiding her like the plague and then suddenly jumping in with both feet might not be a very good basis for trust, but he’d just have to use a bit of persuasion.

‘When do you think Hannah’s going to be able to take full-time responsibility for Amy?’ He avoided the question with one of his own.

She sighed. ‘I spoke with James last night. We both agreed to take things slowly.’

‘Then you’re going to need to pace yourself. Save your leave for when you really need it.’

‘That’s true, and it’s a very good point. You haven’t answered my question, though.’

So he wasn’t getting off the hook that easily. ‘Families are important.’

‘That’s true too.’ She was circling the rim of her empty cup with her finger. Jon could practically hear the next question forming and he didn’t want to answer that one either.

‘Look, James will tell you that I’m not close to my family. I speak with my sister regularly, once a fortnight. I mark it in my diary to remind me.’

She looked up at him thoughtfully, obviously trying to comprehend an arrangement that was so different from the way she kept in touch with James and Hannah, just picking up the phone whenever she had something to say. Never needing to remember to do it, because her brother and sister were a part of her life.

‘Do you say much?’

‘Yeah, we say quite a bit. We’ve learned not to say anything that really matters, because that’s likely to get us into trouble. It’s a long story. But you and James and Hannah...you have something special. It’s worth taking care of.’

‘When our parents died, all we had was each other.’ She pointed to his empty cup. ‘Do you want a refill?’

‘There’s still another cup in the pot.’ Jon picked up the small, stainless-steel coffee pot and poured the rest of its contents into his cup. ‘Am I going to need this?’

‘I’m not sure. You said it was a long story.’

Suddenly he wanted everything out in the open. He wanted to let Chloe know where he stood, and then they could forget about these games and get on with the practical.

‘Right...’ Jon wondered where to start, and decided that the very beginning was probably best. ‘Well...boy meets girl, I guess...’

Her eyes widened suddenly. For one delicious moment Jon let the misunderstanding hang in the air between them.

‘I met my ex-wife at the Freshers’ Ball at medical school.’

‘Ah. Yes, of course.’ She found another teabag from the seemingly endless supply in her bag and put it into her cup, splashing hot water onto it. ‘And...then you got married?’

‘Yes, we did, after we’d both qualified. Everyone pretty much expected we would, we had the same interests, the same goals in life...our families got on so well that Helen’s parents and mine used to go on weekend breaks together.’

Chloe’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling the inevitable comment. Jon couldn’t help smiling, even though there wasn’t a great deal to smile about in all of this.

‘Yeah, I know. When the in-laws start planning Christmas together there’s a certain amount of expectation involved. But we didn’t let them down, we got a nice house together, both of us had good jobs that we loved. We were very happy.’

Chloe didn’t look convinced about any of this. Maybe she was smarter than he’d been. He’d thought then that love was something he could catch and keep, but now he knew better.

‘I got a promotion, and Helen started working nights. We saw less and less of each other, and when we did there were more and more arguments. We became like strangers living in the same house.’

Even now, the quiet hopelessness, the feeling that if this was all there was to life it had somehow fallen short of what he’d wanted, reverberated through Jon’s heart. He’d never smelled Helen’s soap, the way he had Chloe’s. Never checked the sell-by dates of her food in the fridge. Maybe if he had, things would have been different, but it was too late to think about that now.

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