an instant message from Karen.
Grumpy guts is on his way. Good luck! I’ve put Tim Tams in the kitchen. You’ll need three after working with him all afternoon.
Karen had been having a whinge in the tearoom earlier in the day about Dr Jackson. She’d called him cold, curt and a control freak. Lily was used to Karen getting defensive with new staff members who questioned her but she couldn’t believe Noah Jackson could be quite as bad as Karen made out. She’d offered Karen chocolate and wisely kept her own counsel.
‘You ready?’
The gruff tone had her swinging around on her office chair. Noah stood in the doorway with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and one hand pressed up against the doorjamb—muscles bunched and veins bulging. A flicker of something momentarily stirred low in her belly—something she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. Fear immediately clenched her muscles against it, trying to force it away. For her own safety she’d locked down her sexual response three years ago and it had to stay that way.
Unlike yesterday, when Noah had looked like the quintessential urban professional, today he was rumpled. His thick hair was wildly wind-ruffled, his tie was stuffed in between the third and fourth buttons of his business shirt and his black trousers bore traces of sand. Had he spent his lunch break at the beach? She loved the calming effects of the ocean and often took ten minutes to regroup between clinic sessions. Perhaps he wasn’t as stuck up as she’d first thought. ‘Been enjoying the beach?’
Shadows crossed his rich chocolate eyes. ‘I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.’
She tried hard not to roll her eyes. Perish the thought he might actually find something positive about Turraburra. Stick to talking about work. ‘Today’s clinic is all about—’
‘Pregnant women. Yeah, I get it. You do the obs, test their urine and weigh them and leave the rest to me.’
I don’t think so. She stood up because sitting with him staring down at her from those arcane eyes she felt way too vulnerable. Three years ago she’d made a commitment to herself that she was never again going to leave herself open to be placed in a powerless position with another human being. Even in low heels she was closer to his height.
‘These women are my patients and this is a rubberstamping exercise so they can be part of the midwifery programme.’
His nostrils flared. ‘As the doctor, isn’t it my decision?’
Spare me from non-team-players. ‘I’m sorry, I thought you were a surgical registrar but suddenly you’re moonlighting as an obstetrician?’
His cheekbones sharpened as he sucked in a breath through his teeth and she reeled in her fraying temper. What was it about this man that made her break her own rules of never reacting? Of never provoking a man to anger? Of never putting herself at risk? She also didn’t want to give Noah Jackson any excuse to dismiss her as that crazy midwife and interfere with her programme.
‘I take that back. As Turraburra’s midwife, with five years’ experience, anyone I feel doesn’t qualify for the programme has already been referred on.’
His gaze hooked hers, brimming with discontent. ‘So, in essence, this clinic is a waste of my time?’
‘It’s protocol.’
‘Fine.’ He spun on his heel, crossed the hall and disappeared into the examination room.
She sighed and hurried in after him.
‘Bec,’ she said to the pregnant woman who was sitting, waiting, ‘this is Dr Jackson, our current locum GP. As I explained, he’ll be examining you today.’
Bec Sinclair, a happy-go-lucky woman, gave an expansive smile. ‘No worries. Good to meet you, Doc.’
Noah sat down behind the desk and gave her a brisk nod before turning his attention to the computer screen and reading her medical history. He frowned. ‘You had a baby eight months ago and you’re pregnant again?’
Bec laughed at his blatant disapproval. ‘It was a bit of a surprise, that’s for sure.’
‘I gather you weren’t organised enough to use contraception.’
Lily’s jaw dropped open. She couldn’t believe he’d just said that.
Bec, to her credit, didn’t seem at all fazed by his rudeness. ‘It was a dodgy condom but no harm done. We wanted another baby so the fact it’s coming a year earlier than planned is no biggie.’ She leaned towards the desk, showing Noah a photo of her little boy on her phone. ‘Lily delivered Harley, and Jase and I really want her to deliver this next one too.’
‘It will be my pleasure. Harley’s really cute, isn’t he, Noah?’ Lily said, giving him an opening for some chitchat and hoping he’d respond.
Noah ignored her and the proffered photo. Instead, he pushed back from the desk, stood and pulled the curtain around the examination table. Patting it with his hand, he said, ‘Up you get.’
Bec exchanged a look with Lily that said Is this guy for real? before rising and climbing up the three small steps.
Lily made her comfortable and positioned the modesty sheet before returning to stand by Bec’s head. Noah silently listened to her heart, examined her breasts and then her abdomen. Lily kept up a patter, explaining to Bec everything that Noah was doing because, apparently, he’d turned mute.
When the examination was over and Bec was back in the chair, Noah said, ‘Everything seems fine, except that you’re fat.’
Bec paled.
‘What Dr Jackson means,’ Lily said hurriedly, as she threw at him what she hoped was a venomous look, ‘is that you’re still carrying some weight from your last pregnancy.’
‘That’s not what I meant at all.’ Noah pulled up a BMI chart, spun the computer screen towards Bec and pointed to the yellow overweight zone where it met the red obese one. ‘Right now, you’re just below the border of obese. If you’re not careful during this pregnancy, you’ll tip into the red zone. That will put you at risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and thrombosis. There’s also an increased risk that the baby may end up being in a difficult position such as breech. All of those things would make you ineligible to be delivered by Lilia at the birth centre.’
‘I want to have my baby here,’ Bec said, her voice suddenly wobbly.
‘Then make sure you exercise and eat healthy foods. It’s that simple.’ Noah turned to Lily. ‘I assume you have information for your patients about that sort of thing.’
‘I do,’ she managed to grind out between clenched teeth. ‘If you come with me, Bec, I’ll give the pamphlets to you now as well as the water aerobics timetable. It’s a fun way to exercise and there’s a crèche at the pool.’
She escorted Bec from the room and gave her all the information, along with small packet of tissues. ‘Come and see me tomorrow and we’ll talk about it all then in greater detail. Okay?’
Bec nodded and sniffed. ‘I kinda knew I’d got big but it was hard hearing it.’
Lily
