Alison Roberts - Undressed by the Rebel

‘This is my life, Max,’ Ellie said gently. ‘My responsibility. You can’t stop me doing what I want to do.’

‘Wanna bet?’ Max could feel himself scowling at her. ‘I’m a consultant on staff here. You think they won’t listen to me when I tell them you have nowhere to go that’s suitable for a convalescent mother and a neonate?’

Ellie was biting her bottom lip. Mouse was rubbing her nose against her T-shirt and making noises that emphasised her need for some dinner.

‘I’ll have to go to my mum’s, then.’

‘And where’s that?’

‘A little town near the bottom of the Coromandel peninsula. Couple of hours by bus from the airport.’

Max shook his head. ‘You can’t travel that far yet. You’ve had adult respiratory distress syndrome, Ellie. Your lungs still need time to recover properly. Flying anywhere is out of the question.’ He wasn’t sure it was contraindicated but delivered in such a decisive tone, it certainly sounded plausible and it should work as a means of preventing Ellie just getting on a plane and vanishing from his life.

What are you doing? The small voice in his head sounded astonished. Wasn’t this the perfect way out? He could almost hear Rick and Jet applauding the voice but Max was determined to argue. She wasn’t going to marry him and that was fine. Oddly disappointing but probably for the best given the kind of potential unseen complications Rick had enlightened him with. But to just vanish into nowhere? Not acceptable because…because…

‘How did Marcus trace your whereabouts last time?’

Ellie went pale. ‘OK. No flying, then. I’ll get a car. I’ve got enough money saved to keep us going for a while.’

‘A three-day journey with a week-old baby? For goodness’ sake, Ellie, what are you trying to prove? I’ve got a spare room and it’s no big deal.’ Max stalked towards the window and then turned, rubbing his forehead as he took a quick glance at the closed door. ‘Look…I’ve gone out on a limb here and everybody thinks I’m your husband. That I’m Mouse’s father. How’s it going to look if word gets out that you don’t come home with me? That this has all been some kind of fraud?’

Ellie was backing away from him, Mouse in her arms. She sank into the armchair beside the bed and for a long minute, as she arranged her clothing to put her baby to her breast, there was nothing but the hungry infant’s cries. And then there was silence.

‘I don’t want people to know,’ Ellie admitted quietly. ‘I don’t want questions being asked or…or social services or someone getting involved but…but I can’t just come and stay with you, Max.’

‘Why not?’

In the instant before Ellie averted her gaze, Max caught a flash of something.

Embarrassment, given the flush of colour in her cheeks now? No, that didn’t make sense. She hadn’t hesitated to start breastfeeding in front of him and why would she? They’d been through a far more intimate session that first time.

Something Rick had said rang in his head like a warning bell. Something about her wanting to be a ‘real’ wife. Oh…hell. Was Ellie attracted to him? That could certainly make things a bit awkward. He wanted to help, not set her up to get hurt. He wasn’t offering to settle down and take on an instant family.

Perish the thought.

But he’d offered marriage.

What had he been thinking?

This was a mess. Max stared at Ellie’s bent head, her hair falling like a screen to frame the baby, who was pushing on her breast with her little hand and staring up at her mother with a rapturous expression.

A warmth curled through Max. She was such a cute baby with her dark hair sticking up in spikes and eyes that still looked black. They’d got to know each other pretty well, him and the mouse. They were kangaroo buddies. And that gave him an idea.

‘Ellie…we’re friends, aren’t we?’

She nodded. ‘Of course. I owe you so much.’ She looked up and her eyes shone with moisture. ‘I’ll never ever forget what you did for us.’ Her smile was wobbly. ‘A week ago you’d never met me. We don’t know each other, really, do we? Not well enough to live together.’

They knew each other well enough, Max wanted to tell her. She knew he was looking out for them. He knew that she had been through a rough time and had the guts and determination to get through whatever life threw at her. But maybe she had a point. The offer of marriage had been misguided. Maybe living together, even temporarily, was also unwise.

‘How ‘bout a compromise, then?’

‘Like what?’

‘There’s a motel about three doors down from my apartment block. I could give my address for discharge details and take you to a unit there. That way, you’d be independent but I could drop in a couple of times a day to make sure you were OK and I’d only be a phone call away if you had any problems.’

‘Y-you’d do that?’

‘Of course.’ Max nodded slowly. ‘Hey…I told you you were safe, remember? You’re not. Yet. You will be, but if you go steaming off on your own right now and something happens to you, or Mouse, how do think that would make me feel?’

Just terrible, he answered for her silently. Never mind fifteen years down the track like Rick had warned. He didn’t want to feel bad tomorrow, thanks very much.

Ellie held his gaze and seemed to read the correct answer to his question. The tense lines in her face softened and she smiled.

‘The motel would be perfect.’

THE motel was a long, long way from being perfect.

‘I guess it’s clean enough,’ Max said, somewhat dubiously.

It was also completely without any character to give it warmth. Bland, white walls, grey carpet and tiles and no decoration other than a ghastly abstract print over the bed. There was a small couch, also grey, a television set and a kitchenette. An internal door opened to a bathroom that was as basic as the rest of the unit.

Max opened a cupboard beside a microwave oven. There was a single pair of everything. Two plates, two glasses, two cups and saucers. The cutlery drawer was just as sparsely furnished. He made a less than impressed sound.

‘It’s fine.’ Ellie was sitting on the end of the bed, holding Mouse. She looked pale and tired and no wonder.

‘I shouldn’t have made you stop at the baby shop. You look done in.’

‘I just need to sit quietly for a bit. And I needed to go shopping. I couldn’t have managed without getting the crib and nappies and everything.’ She smiled. ‘I’m glad you brought your car. I had visions of me leaving the hospital on the back of your bike.’

Max gave a huff of laughter. ‘As if! The bike’s a toy since I grew up a bit. I’ll go and get the rest of the stuff.’

He went through the sliding glass door to where his SUV was parked directly outside. He had requested a unit near the manager’s office for Ellie so that she had help nearby if needed it but also for security. Maybe it was better that she was here even if it lacked a little in material comforts. Marcus Jones knew where his apartment was and if Ellie was there, she’d be alone a lot of the time while he was at work. At least here she had the manager in residence and other patrons who would be coming and going.

It was just a shame it seemed so much more second rate in the daylight. He hadn’t noticed how much traffic noise you could hear from the main road last night, either. Still…safety was paramount. He pulled the large, basket-style bassinette from the back of the car, throwing in the packs of disposable nappies and other purchases. A door slammed overhead and then a man’s angry voice drowned out the traffic noise.

‘Don’t blame me, woman.’