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‘Congratulations,’ Ben said softly. ‘You have a little girl.’
‘The door was open so I let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.’ The midwife bustled into the room and broke off in astonishment at the sight of the bawling baby in Lindsay’s arms. ‘So you were in labour.’
Ellie caught Ben’s eye and looked away again quickly.
‘It would appear that way,’ he drawled.
The midwife was staring at him with shock and blatant disapproval. ‘You delivered the baby?’
Ben didn’t spare her a glance, instead focusing all his attention on Lindsay.
‘He’s a doctor,’ Lindsay said weakly, and the midwife seemed flustered.
‘Oh. Well, naturally I didn’t think... I mean, he doesn’t look...’
Satisfied that all was still well with Lindsay, Ben lifted his dark head, his handsome face blank of expression. ‘As you’re here, you can take over and deliver the placenta. I didn’t have any Syntometrine so at the moment she’s having a physiological third stage.’
‘What on earth is that?’ Lindsay looked worried and the midwife was quick to explain, dragging her gaze away from Ben with visible effort.
‘It means that we haven’t given you an injection to make your uterus contract, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s quite capable of doing it by itself. It will be no problem at all for a young, healthy thing like you.’
The midwife hurried to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands, talking over her shoulder as she did so. ‘I came as quickly as I could but the roads are terrible. There’s an awful storm outside.’
Ellie caught Ben’s eye again and this time failed to stifle a giggle. The midwife had a real talent for stating the obvious. She was beginning to think that Lindsay had had a lucky escape.
Lindsay obviously thought so too because she struggled to sit up, panic in her eyes as she looked at Ben.
‘Please, don’t leave me.’ She glanced furtively towards the bathroom. ‘I—I really want you to be here. I trust you.’
Ben was still for a moment. ‘I’m not leaving you,’ he said, his voice rough and yet gentle at the same time. ‘I’m going to warm the car up so that I can drive you both to hospital once the midwife has delivered the placenta.’
At that moment the midwife bustled out of the bathroom and overheard the last comment.
‘Oh, she won’t be going anywhere for a while. The roads—’
‘I’ll worry about the roads,’ Ben said tersely. ‘You worry about the placenta.’
The midwife looked taken aback. ‘Oh— Well, yes...’
Ben strode out of the room and Ellie flung open the wardrobes and found some warm clothes for Lindsay.
‘Where have you stashed all the baby things, Linny?’
‘In the chest of drawers in the box room.’ Lindsay gave a moan. ‘Ellie, will you hold her for a minute? Just until we get this bit over with?’
Ellie took the baby immediately, staring in awe at its delicate features. ‘Oh, you are so beautiful,’ she cooed. ‘No way can you be Lindsay’s...’
Lindsay gave a weak laugh and the midwife gave a grunt of satisfaction as she finally delivered the placenta.
‘There we are, pet. All done.’ She checked it carefully and dropped it into a kidney dish. ‘Now then, let’s get that baby on the breast to help your uterus contract.’
She helped Lindsay sit up and Ellie handed the baby back, still misty-eyed from the experience.
The baby was gorgeous.
‘Right.’ She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. ‘Baby clothes.’
Ben appeared in the doorway, his handsome features unsmiling. ‘How is she doing?’
‘All finished,’ the midwife said briskly. ‘Just having a little feed.’
Ellie smiled. ‘Come and see her, Ben—she’s beautiful!’
Was it her imagination or did his entire body tense?
‘I need to make a phone call,’ he said curtly. ‘Dress both of them warmly and I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.’
Ellie watched as he strode out of the room, wondering what on earth was wrong. Because something was wrong, she was sure of that.
She had one of her feelings...
Ben had saved the baby’s life. He’d been warm and kind to Lindsay, but now he was remote and untouchable again.
Why?
The midwife went downstairs to fetch something from her car and Ellie and Lindsay were finally left alone.
Lindsay turned to her with an excited smile. ‘Ellie, he’s gorgeous!’
‘He?’ Bemused, Ellie stared at the baby and then at her cousin. ‘It’s a girl!’
‘I’m not talking about the baby!’ Lindsay rolled her eyes. ‘I’m talking about Ben. Superman, or rather Superdoctor. Where on earth did you find him?’
Ellie hesitated. ‘I told you. My car broke down.’
‘And?’ Lindsay looked at her. ‘When my car breaks down I get the emergency road service. I don’t get anyone like Ben.’
Ellie rubbed the toe of her shoe on the carpet. ‘I flagged him down.’
‘You thumbed a lift?’ Lindsay’s voice rose. ‘Ellie, you shouldn’t take such risks! It’s dark, for goodness’ sake!’
‘You sound exactly like him.’ Ellie suppressed a yawn. ‘He’s done nothing but lecture me since I climbed into his car.’
‘And he’s right!’ Lindsay looked troubled. ‘There are some real perverts in the world, El.’
Ellie sighed. ‘You’ve been reading too many newspapers. Does he look like a pervert to you?’
‘No.’ Lindsay gave a sheepish grin. ‘He’s gorgeous. One hundred per cent virile male. Rough and wicked-looking. The sexiest man I’ve ever seen— apart from Paul, of course,’ she added hurriedly. ‘So what are you going to do about it?’
‘Do? What do you mean, what am I going to do about it?’ Ellie stared at her and laughed. ‘What do you expect me to do?’
‘I don’t know—but something.’ Lindsay’s eyes were shining with excitement. ‘You can’t let a man like that go to waste. Why not tell him you think he’s gorgeous and see what happens?’
‘I’ve done that already,’ Ellie confessed with a faint smile. ‘He was shocked.’
Lindsay gasped. ‘You told him he was gorgeous?’
‘Well, he is.’ Ellie shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s just the truth.’
‘Yes, but most people don’t often tell the truth,’ Lindsay pointed out, laughing until she clutched her sides with a groan. ‘Don’t make me laugh—I’m sore all over.’
‘I’m not trying to make you laugh and frankly I don’t see what’s so funny. Now he obviously thinks I’m a tart as well as reckless,’ Ellie said gloomily, and Lindsay burst into further noisy laughter.
‘A tart? You? Oh, that’s rich. You’ve never even had a proper boyfriend.’
‘Will you keep your voice down?’ Ellie glared at her and Lindsay covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.
‘Sorry. It’s just that you’ve always said that you’ve never met anyone worth the effort.’ The laughter turned to speculation. ‘He might be worth the effort, Ellie.’
Ellie looked disapproving. ‘Linny, I’ve only just met the man! And, anyway, he makes me nervous.’
‘Does he now?’ Lindsay’s eyes were searching. ‘Well, that might be a good sign. Why does he make you nervous?’
‘I don’t know...’ Ellie gave a small shrug and stared at her fingers. ‘He’s very...controlled. And self-contained. And disapproving. I suppose he’s just different from the men I’m used to mixing with.’
‘That’s because you mix with a crowd of boys, not men,’ Lindsay said softly, ‘and there’s nothing boyish about Ben MacAllister. He’s a cool-headed, self-possessed, incredibly sexy man.’
‘Lindsay, you’ve just had a baby,’ Ellie reminded her. ‘You shouldn’t be thinking about sex.’
‘I’m not thinking about sex for me,’ Lindsay defended herself. ‘I’m thinking about sex for you.’ She gazed down at the baby and then looked at Ellie with a contemplative look on her face. ‘I just want you to meet someone special. You’re so pretty. I have no idea how you’ve kept men at bay for so long.’
Ellie shrugged and blushed slightly. ‘You know why. I just haven’t ever met anyone that I’ve wanted to—that’s seemed...’ She broke off and gave a shrug. ‘That’s seemed like the right man to—to—you know.’
‘Well, you couldn’t do better than Ben MacAllister.’ Lindsay gave her a dreamy look. ‘You only have to look at him to see that he would definitely know what to do with a woman in bed.’
‘Lindsay, those hormones are going to your head!’ Ellie started to laugh, her expression shocked and exasperated. ‘I’ve told you, I’ve only just met him.’
She hadn’t even thought of Ben MacAllister in those terms. And she didn’t intend to.
It was too unsettling.
She helped dress the baby and Lindsay in warm clothes, and then sprinted down the stairs to find Ben.
He was in the kitchen, talking quietly into his phone. As she walked into the room, his gaze flickered to hers and he quickly finished his conversation and looked at her questioningly.
‘Is she ready?’
For a moment Ellie stood rooted to the spot, remembering what Lindsay had said about him knowing what to do with a woman in bed. Her eyes rested on his broad shoulders and then drifted down to the long, powerful legs and she blushed slightly.
Oh, for heaven’s sake!
‘Ellie?’ His voice was sharp and she jumped slightly, hoping that he couldn’t read her mind.
Blow Lindsay and her fantasies! She couldn’t relate properly to the man any more.
‘Er, she’s fine, considering.’ She couldn’t keep the admiration out of her eyes. ‘You were amazing. I know how difficult that delivery was, but you made it look like a picnic.’
‘We were lucky,’ he said grimly, and she shook her head.
‘No.’ Her voice was soft. ‘You were skilled. Don’t think I can’t see that, and don’t think I’m not grateful because I am. Very.’
His dark eyes rested on hers for a long moment and a shiver ran through her.
He really was astonishingly attractive.
She pulled herself together. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you were saying about taking her to hospital. Maybe the midwife is right. Maybe we should wait until the storm dies down. They both seem OK for the moment and those potholes—’
‘Scared, Ellie?’ He lifted one dark eyebrow a fraction, his tone faintly mocking. ‘This from the girl who drove through a flood, flagged down a stranger and ripped off most of her clothes in my car? Are you trying to convince me that you’ve finally developed a sense of danger?’
‘I’m not scared!’ She glared at him and then gave a worried sigh. ‘Well, not for myself. For Lindsay and the baby. I just think maybe now the baby has been safely delivered, maybe we should wait—’
‘We’re not waiting.’ Ben thrust the phone into the pocket of his jeans and strode past her but she caught his arm.
‘Less than an hour ago you were telling me off for driving in that storm.’
His gaze was steady. ‘But this time I’ll be driving.’
She was outraged. ‘You’re a total chauvinist!’
‘Ellie, engage your brain.’ His voice was weary. ‘I have a car which is designed to operate in this weather. Your cousin has just had a difficult delivery. The longer we leave it, the worse the roads will get. I think everything is fine, but I’m not an obstetrician or a paediatrician and I’m not taking any chances. She’s going to hospital right now.’
Without waiting for a response from her, he strode out of the room and up the stairs to Lindsay, leaving Ellie staring after him.
He was right, of course. It was important to get Lindsay to the hospital. She hurried back out to the hall and glanced up the stairs. Ben tossed her his car keys.
‘Get some blankets and put them on the back seat. Strap her baby seat into the car and I’ll bring them out in a minute. The heating is already on full.’
Without waiting to argue, Ellie did as he instructed, sprinting back to the bedroom and dragging blankets out of the cupboard.
At the top of the stairs she slithered past Ben who was supporting Lindsay and carrying the baby.
She opened the front door and gasped at the strength of the wind.
The temperature had dropped and the freezing rain had turned to snow, the huge white flakes reducing visibility even further.
It was not a good night to be out in a car.
Pushing the thought aside, she made a dash for it, opened the back door and threw the blankets inside the car. She had no doubt that Ben was preparing for all eventualities but she didn’t even want to consider the possibility that they might be trapped in there.
