‘Of course. I’m not on call tonight anyway.’ Jed drained his cup and scooped Toby into his arms.
Brooke was horribly aware of Gill’s speculative gaze as they left the unit, but she forced herself to ignore it. She’d deal with the inevitable questions tomorrow.
* * *
In the weeks that followed it seemed to Brooke that she and Jed were thrown together constantly, and whatever her misgivings about their personal relationship she had none about their professional one. They understood each other well and Brooke was amazed that Jed was so in tune with her own thinking about labour and delivery.
He tried never to intervene unless he had to, and actively encouraged a more ‘natural’ approach as long as there was no risk involved to mother or baby. He
also clearly respected Brooke’s opinion, which she found refreshingly touching. She’d worked with plenty of obstetricians who showed little respect for midwives, and Jed’s skill at fostering true team spirit did much to raise morale on the unit.
He was warm and patient with the mums but his real skill was in judging just when to intervene. He seemed to have an intuitive feel for trouble and his skill and confidence in the operating theatre had averted several potentially dangerous situations.
‘You’re always so cool and confident. Don’t you ever feel self-doubt?’ she asked him curiously after he’d finished a particularly tricky emergency section, which Gill had predicted would have an unhappy ending. Thanks to Jed it hadn’t, and both mother and baby were alive and expected to do well.
He raised a dark eyebrow. ‘You want to be operated on by a surgeon who doubts himself? You want me to start every operation by saying, Mrs Brown, you may be nervous, but you’re not half as nervous as I am?’ His eyes gleamed with humour. ‘I can’t quite see it filling her with confidence, can you?’
Brooke laughed, too. ‘You know I didn’t mean it that way!’ She blushed slightly. ‘It’s just—well, you’re always so self-assured. I wondered if it was really an act.’
Those blue eyes welded to hers and he dragged his fingertips down his cheeks in a gesture of affection. ‘Well, I never had the stuffing knocked out of me when I was young.’ His voice was gruff. ‘My self-confidence has always been carefully nurtured thanks to my privileged family life.’
But Brooke knew there was more to it than that. Jed was a strong person, outside and inside, and his self-confidence was part of that strength.
At least once a week Jed took her over to the farm and Ellie gave Toby a riding lesson while Jed and Brooke watched or walked together through the fields. Tom had gone back to London but occasionally Phil, Jed’s older brother, was there, usually discussing some crisis about one of the properties.
Always Brooke was made to feel welcome and, seated at the huge kitchen table covered in magazines, riding equipment and the results of Ellie’s baking, she felt totally at home, surrounded by warmth and safer than she’d felt in her life.
Toby’s parentage wasn’t mentioned until one weekend when they arrived to find the whole family, including Tom and Phil, gathered round the kitchen table which was loaded with presents and a huge birthday cake.
‘Happy Birthday!’ they chorused as she and Toby walked through the door, and Brooke stared at them, stunned. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had celebrated her birthday with her except Toby.
‘How did you know?’ Her cheeks were pink and she looked at Jed who was grinning from ear to ear, visibly pleased with himself.
‘Gill told me.’
Brooke felt a lump building in her throat. ‘I don’t know what to say…’
‘Just blow out the candles,’ Phil said dryly. ‘We’re all starving and this is the only cake in the house.’
After that typical Phil remark she couldn’t help but laugh, shrugging off her jacket as she moved towards the table.
‘Can I help?’ Toby was dancing round next to her and she hugged him close.
‘Of course. Ready?’ They counted to three and blew, beaming as everyone cheered.
After that they all handed her their presents and she felt the lump in her throat return. ‘You shouldn’t have got me presents—’
‘Of course we should.’ Ellie walked across and gave her a hug. ‘You’re one of the family and everyone has presents on their birthday.’
One of the family. How she wished she was. But it wasn’t true. Not really.
Blinking back tears, she tore open the first present and removed a beautiful silk top with matching trousers.
‘Oh, they’re stunning!’ She gasped and smiled shyly at Jed’s parents. ‘Thank you so much.’
Toby proudly gave her a photograph frame that he’d been secretly making and painting with Ellie.
‘It’s beautiful, we’ll have to choose a photo together.’ She kissed him gently and he slipped onto her knee and sat happily while she opened the rest of her presents. Phil and Tom had given her soft leather gloves and Jed a gold bangle which she loved and immediately slipped onto her slim wrist.