Jo.’ Vicki squeezed her arm, her expression all soft and mushy. ‘Just look at him, the pet…’
Jo looked. And looked again. And then got a grip on herself. She tugged Monica aside. ‘Where’s Dr McNeal now?’
‘Tying up the paperwork with Angelo,’ Monica said absently, her gaze winging back to the baby as if drawn by an invisible thread. She sighed reminiscently. ‘We haven’t had a baby in the practice since Jane and Riley left with their little Kiara Rose.’
All that had been before her time. Jo looked distractedly around. The baby was lovely but this was supposed to be a medical practice, not a crèche. Someone had to break up the party.
‘Right, let’s get back to work, everyone.’ Surprisingly, it was Vicki, taking over and sounding quite professional about it. ‘Dr Rutherford, I have you all set up in the staff-room. So let’s get this little guy back to his dad, shall we?’ So saying, she gathered up the capsule by its handles and wafted ahead of Jo along the corridor.
Feeling pulled every which way, Jo turned, following a pace behind. She felt in shock. Almost. And nothing was going to plan. Nothing. Who could she get to look after a baby full time? A baby.
She didn’t have much time to think about it. From his consulting room at the other end of the corridor, Angelo emerged with Brady. Their heads were turned towards each other and they were obviously deep in conversation.
And they hadn’t seen her. Thanking all the saints in heaven, Jo darted ahead of Vicki into the staffroom, holding the door open for her to angle the capsule through. And berating herself for her loony behaviour. She should have waited beside the door and greeted Brady politely and professionally. Instead, she went to the window and looked out—at nothing.
‘Come on, now, pumpkin.’ Expertly, Vicki lifted the baby from his capsule. ‘Let’s go meet your daddy, shall we? Just buzz me if you need anything, Jo.’
‘Thanks…I will,’ Jo croaked.
It was only a few seconds then until Angelo and Brady McNeal stopped at the open doorway. Seconds when Jo felt every nerve-end stretched tightly.
‘Jo will look after you now,’ she heard Angelo say, and then Brady had taken a step inside and Jo turned to face him, her arms linked defensively across her midriff. She blinked and something shifted inside her as she took in the tender picture of Brady and his infant son.
He held him close, tucked into the crook of his arm, one large, masculine hand cradling his son’s tiny feet. And they looked so right together. Already a family. Jo felt a wash of emotion she couldn’t explain.
‘Jo.’ Brady’s mouth made a brief twist of acknowledgement.
‘Hello, Brady.’ She gave a stilted laugh. ‘This is all a bit odd, isn’t it? I mean, the way we met and neither of us knowing we were about to become work colleagues.’
‘Maybe it was kismet, then?’
Fate? Maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t. She gave him a taut smile.
Brady’s gaze sharpened. ‘Angelo put me right about everything. So, no surprises and no harm done. And it is good to see you again. I’m sure we’ll work well together, aren’t you?’
Jo nodded. ‘Of course.’ It would have been entirely unprofessional to have said otherwise. ‘Shall we get settled, then? I believe you’re going to need some child care.’
‘Ah…yes.’ Brady shifted his weight slightly as he turned and placed his son back in his capsule. ‘What are my chances, do you think?’
‘Not sure, really,’ Jo said. They pulled out chairs and made themselves comfortable at one end of the long table. ‘For some reason, I expected an older child.’
Brady frowned and she guessed he was puzzled by her assumption. ‘I don’t recall I gave that impression at the interview.’
‘No…well…’ Jo lifted a shoulder dismissively. ‘It’s immaterial now. Let’s get a few details, shall we? How old is the baby?’
‘AJ is six months.’
‘AJ?’ Jo’s eyes widened in query.
‘Andrew James,’ Brady enlightened. ‘I named him after my father and grandfather. But we shortened it to save confusion. I wouldn’t have brought him with me today, except for a few unforeseen circumstances. Normally my mother would have been able to take care of him, but unfortunately she had other commitments today.’
Jo absorbed the information with a nod. ‘Do you need to give Andrew a bottle or anything?’
‘No…’ Brady’s look softened. ‘He’s not due for a while.’
Jo looked thoughtful. He seemed at ease in his role of sole parent, but surely there would have been times, like now, for instance, when he must feel the strain of it. Something propelled her to say, ‘It must have been a bit hair-raising, embarking on the long flight from Canada with such a young child.’
His eyes glinted and a quick frown marked his forehead. ‘Your point being?’
Jo was taken aback. He was almost bristling with defensiveness. Obviously he thought she was questioning his capability as a parent. Well, if he chose to take things the wrong way, that was his problem. She hadn’t wanted to be put in this position of trying to organise his child care.
She pinned his gaze, her own firing green sparks. ‘I’m not making any particular point. The only concern I have is for Andrew’s care to go smoothly. Can I take it you’re the one making the decisions?’
He huffed a bitter laugh. ‘If you’re worried his mother will turn up and cause a ruckus with the arrangements, don’t. Tanya is out of the picture. I have legal custody of my son.’
Jo was shocked at the sudden locked-down expression on his face, and her own anger vanished like leaves in the wind. The man was obviously toting a massive load of emotional baggage.
In a split second she wondered why on earth she felt the insane desire to help him carry it.
But before she could form any words, Brady dropped back in his chair with a muted ‘Oh, hell.’ Stabbing a hand through his hair, he met her eyes with a crooked and repentant smile. ‘I didn’t mean to snap at you, Jo. Can we start again?’
She hesitated a moment, her even white teeth rolling over the corner of her bottom lip, unable to believe the sudden crazy need she felt to make things right for him and his son. ‘Fine with me.’
His ‘Thank you’ was heartfelt, and as Jo looked at him across the desk, their eyes met and held and she felt the instant shock of it shimmer right up her spine.
Sweet God. Brady blinked and blinked again. It was like being struck by lightning. Silver-green lightning, lancing through him and anchoring him to the chair. With a little grimace he dragged his eyes away and gave himself a mental kick in the backside. This was no time to be indulging in fantasies. For now his priorities had to be elsewhere, with his baby…
‘So,’ Jo was asking, ‘are you expecting any separation trauma when you have to leave your son?’
He
