Laura Iding - Snowbound With The Single Dad

‘You’re sure? Do want a little drink of water?’

Drew shook his head and closed his heavy eyes.

Callum’s hand automatically moved into position, very gently rubbing Drew’s tummy in little circles. What could be wrong?

He hated to overreact. He hated to be an over-anxious father. But the truth was he had very few people he could bounce things like this off.

His friends Julie and Blair were the obvious choice but he wasn’t going to call them at this time of night.

He glanced at the clock again. Maybe he would take Drew back to the GP in the morning. The trouble was, he hated going to the GP with a list of vague symptoms. A list of not much but maybe it could be .

It made him feel paranoid. It made him feel as if he wasn’t coping. And that was the last thing he wanted anyone to think.

Did single mothers feel like this too?

Drew was the most precious thing in the world to him. He couldn’t live with himself if he brushed something off and it turned out to be serious.

Maybe he should have asked Jessica yesterday. She was a paediatrician, she knew everything there was to know about kids.

But he hadn’t thought about it and that made him feel a little guilty. He hadn’t even told her about Drew yet. Should he have? Theirs was a professional relationship. Nothing more, nothing less. But a tiny little part of his brain was nagging away at him, thinking that maybe it could be something else.

He still hadn’t got to the bottom of her words. Things just didn’t work out for me .

She’d been really careful today to keep steering the conversation back to him—or work, whenever he’d asked anything vaguely personal. She’d mentioned her mum and dad, a few old friends they’d known years ago. But nothing about herself.

Maybe he should wait until he found out what that meant before he gave it another thought.

He cuddled up with his little boy. Drew was his top priority right now.

The first person he looked at in the morning and the last person he looked at at night.

And that’s the way it would stay.

THE WARD WAS quiet and he’d no idea where Jessica was. The nurse had just pointed down in this general direction.

He walked past a few windows, seeing children lying in beds with anxious parents next to them.

His heart clenched slightly. He would hate to be in that position. Thank goodness Drew usually kept in good health. He still hadn’t got to the bottom of that stomach ache. The GP had basically fobbed him off and Callum didn’t blame him because when they’d finally got an appointment, Drew had been full of beans and jumping around the place.

It was always the same with kids.

The ward sister he’d met a few times was standing next to one of the doors. ‘Hi, Pauline.’

She gave him a knowing smile. ‘Hi, there, Callum. And who might you be looking for?’

He sighed. He’d known from the first time he’d met her that Pauline could read everyone instantly. Why even pretend it was anything else? He still hadn’t seen Jess, so this might work in his favour.

He leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms. ‘Let’s just say I’m looking for our favourite doc.’ He lifted his eyebrows. ‘All work-related, of course.’

Pauline nodded. ‘Of course.’ But the smile was spreading further across her face. She lowered her voice. ‘I think our mutual friend will be very pleased to see you.’

He felt something flare inside him. That acknowledgement—no matter how brief—reassured him. Pauline and Jess were good friends. If Jess was talking to anyone it would be Pauline. It gave him a little hope. It also gave him the courage to ask the question that had been gnawing away at him.

He hesitated for a second. ‘Pauline—about Jess.’

She raised her eyebrows, as if he was about to say something she didn’t want to hear. She was protective of Jess and that was nice.

‘Jess told me that things didn’t work out for her. And I know she’s reverted to her maiden name.’ He unfolded his arms and held out his hand towards her. ‘I wonder if you could tell me what happened. I get the feeling I’m treading on difficult ground.’

Pauline bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes met his. ‘You’re right, Callum, it is difficult ground but I think that it’s something Jess really needs to tell you herself.’ Her eyes looked down, as if she was hesitant to say any more. ‘Life hasn’t turned out the way she expected. Jess should be married with a family to love and I’m hoping that’s what she’ll get. Just give her a little time.’

She pointed to the next set of doors. ‘She’s down there. Go and say hello.’

Was this better or worse?

His curiosity had just scaled up about ten notches.

He wanted to give Jess time to tell him—he really did. There was just that little edge of wariness. That lingering feeling left by a previous experience.

Jess was nothing like Kirsten, Drew’s mother. They weren’t even in the same ballpark. But it didn’t stop his slightest sense of unease as he walked down the corridor.

He pushed the feelings to one side. He’d already made up his mind about what he wanted to do next. He wanted to see how Jess would react. And he wouldn’t know unless he tried.

Finally he caught sight of Jess’s caramel-coloured hair. She was sitting talking to a little girl with curly hair with her leg in a bright pink fibreglass cast. It was Rosie, from the minibus accident.

He stuck his head around the door. ‘Knock, knock.’

Jess looked surprised to see him. ‘Callum, what are you doing here?’

‘I phoned and left you a message. Didn’t you get it?’

She shook her head then turned to the woman sitting next to her. ‘Carol, this is Callum Ferguson. He’s one of the fire rescue crew who were at the accident. He helped get Rosie out of the bus.’

‘It’s him, Mummy! It’s him!’ Having a cast on hadn’t seemed to limit Rosie’s movements. She wiggled over to the edge of the bed. ‘The one I told you about.’

Rosie’s mum stood up and held out her hand. ‘Callum, my daughter has been talking about you non-stop. She seems to think you’re a superhero. She saw you abseil down the side of the riverbank.’

Callum felt a little rush of blood to his cheeks. This was the last thing he had been expecting. He shook his head and knelt down beside the bed. ‘You’re much braver than me, Rosie. You tumbled down the bank in the minibus. That must have been really scary. The way I got down wasn’t scary at all.’

Rosie held out her hands and reached round Callum’s neck, giving him a big hug.

Jessica was watching. Watching—and trying to keep the smile from her face at his appearance. Callum seemed totally at ease, not in the least fazed by the little girl’s action. Thank goodness. She had him on some sort of pedestal.

But it was kind of nice. Almost as if he was used to being in contact with kids.

Callum leaned back and tapped the pink cast. ‘How is your leg? I love the colour of your cast.’

Rosie smiled. ‘Thank you. Dr Rae and I have the same favourite colour. That’s why I picked pink.’

‘Well, I think it looks great. Your leg will be all better soon.’

Jess stood up and gave Carol and Rosie a smile. ‘I’ll leave you two. You can give me a call if you need me.’ She nodded her head towards the door. ‘Callum?’

She could smell his aftershave. It wasn’t familiar. It was different from the one he’d used the day they’d abseiled back up the slope. It was more spicy, with richer tones. She liked it.

They walked along the corridor. Callum waved his hand, in which he had a big brown envelope. ‘I’ve typed up the statement from the other day. I need you to read over it and sign it.’