Sorry, baby, but if he’s going to accuse me of being easy when he should know me better, then he can suffer for a bit.
Will followed the movement and felt another irrational streak of jealousy. She was carrying another man’s baby. He hadn’t been prepared for that. Her anger, her hostility—yes. But not how much it was going to sting knowing she had traded him in for someone else so quickly.
He shook his head to clear it. ‘Since when did you want a baby?’
‘I’ve always wanted one,’ she snapped.
‘You never told me,’ he said indignantly.
‘When was it ever the right time to tell you, Will? I’m a thirty-five-year-old woman. What makes you think I wouldn’t want one?’
He blinked. Good question. She was a paedatric nurse. A damn good one at that. She’d been wonderful with Candy. He sighed. ‘Who’s the father?’ Please, God, don’t let me know him. ‘Are you going to marry him?’
Lou felt herself getting sucked in to the lie further, and searched for a half-truth to assuage her guilt. ‘He’s … not on the scene any more.’ It’s complicated. She thought about Jan and Martin and clutched her swollen belly harder.
Will blinked. The surprises just kept on coming. ‘What do you mean? Doesn’t he know you’re pregnant?’
‘It’s not like that,’ she dodged, hoping she could keep the lies straight. ‘It was just a casual thing.’
Will narrowed his eyes and looked at her closely. Rubbish. There was something she wasn’t telling him. How badly had she wanted a baby? Had she used some poor, unsuspecting guy to accomplish her goal?
‘Lou, you didn’t just use some guy to get pregnant, did you?’
The baby kicked again. Did he really think her capable of such a cold-blooded plan? Anger simmered through her veins. ‘This is none of your business, Will. All you need to know is that I’m pregnant and I’ll be out of your hair in a month. I’m sure you and I can manage to be civil to each other in that time, right? Or is that going to be a problem?’
Four weeks. He’d been looking forward to coming back to his old job, knowing he’d get to see Lou every day. Because apart from their history she was the best damn nurse unit manager he’d ever worked with. Efficient, knowledgeable and resourceful. ‘No problem,’ he said emphatically, staring into her pretty face and blue eyes. ‘Who’s filling in for you?’ he asked.
‘Lydia.’
Oh. Great. Just what he needed. The friend from hell. ‘Excellent,’ he said.
There was a moment of awkward silence. ‘I suppose you’re here to familiarise yourself with the new computer system?’ she said, not seeing any point in continuing hostilities when they had to work together.
‘No, I have some other stuff to attend to first. I’m coming back this afternoon to get myself orientated with that. I actually came to see you. Check that we were … okay.’
‘And?’
‘I don’t know, Lou.’ He raked his hands through his hair. ‘You’ve thrown me for a bit of a loop, actually.’
Welcome to my life. ‘Well, back at you,’ she said.
The phone rang and Lou was grateful for the interruption. ‘Ward Two, Louise Marsden speaking.’
‘Everything okay?’ demanded Lydia.
Lou smiled. ‘Fine.’
‘Do you want me to come in and kick his butt?’
This time she laughed. Lydia would, she had no doubt. ‘Thanks, I have it under control.’ She hung up, still smiling.
‘Lydia?’
She nodded.
‘She doesn’t like me much these days.’
‘No.’
‘I wasn’t aware I’d done anything to upset her.’
Lou shrugged. ‘You didn’t. You left. You upset me. It’s enough.’
‘What else could I have done, Lou? Delvine was making it impossible. You were miserable. I wasn’t … we weren’t making you happy any more.’
‘You did what you had to do, Will. I understand that. But it still hurt.’
‘So I do the only decent thing and I’m the big bad wolf? That’s hardly fair,’ he grumbled. Women!
Lou nodded. ‘That’s what friends are for.’
‘Do they all hate me?’ he asked, feeling slightly apprehensive about working with a hostile staff.
She shook her head. ‘Only about seventy-five percent.’
The phone rang again, and it was the pharmacy checking on supplies. She replaced the phone and felt more on an even keel now the initial hostilities were over and they’d settled into polite chit-chat.
Will shook his head. ‘Candy’s going to flip when I tell her you’re having a baby. She was just lamenting only yesterday how she didn’t have a little brother or sister to play with. You’re going to be her favourite person … but then I guess you always were.’
Lou smiled, thinking about Will’s gorgeous eight-year-old daughter. ‘How is Candy?’
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Surprisingly so. I thought she might be more upset … withdrawn … But she’s amazed me. I’m lucky she’s so resilient.’
Lou loved the way his mouth, his entire face softened when he talked about Candice. Just as well I’m over you. ‘How long will Delvine be gone for?’ Harold Yates, the Medical Director, had filled Lou in on Will’s new circumstances. Delvine had found herself a rich property developer and had decided to relocate to Italy with him.
‘At least two years. Probably more.’
Lou shook her head. How could she? How could she walk out on her daughter, a sweetie like Candice, for such a long time? But then Delvine had always had the maternal instincts of a spider. And it wasn’t the first time Delvine had done a runner. She had taken off for two and a half years when Candy had been one, leaving Will a single dad.
Lou felt the bulge of her belly and knew that although the baby inside her had never been a part of her future plans, it was her responsibility and she could no more walk away from that than fly to the moon. And the baby wasn’t even hers.
Lucky for Candice she had a father who doted on her and was one hundred per cent committed. Hell, despite the custody arrangements, he had practically raised her. When Lou thought about the interference and stress Delvine had caused in Will’s life, their life, she wanted to spit.
‘She signed over custody to you?’
He nodded. ‘I think she was looking for an out. Again.
