LITMIR.BIZ

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you’re done. We’d love to see you.’

      I’m never going to the Wilson house again. My face will light up like a Christmas-tree candle the moment I step through their door. Apparently Virginia had a way of getting things out of a person without appearing to be trying.

      Hauling on some knee-length shorts and a sleeveless shirt, she gave her hair a quick brush and tied it in a ponytail. There wasn’t time to blow-dry it now and as she wasn’t about to see Jackson it didn’t really matter any more.

      Pulling out of her driveway, she saw her neighbour, Mrs Harrop, waving at her from the front porch. They both lived on the outskirts of town in identical little houses built back in the 1950s. Mrs Harrop took care of the gardens for both of them while Jess made sure the other woman had proper meals every day by always cooking twice as much as she and Nicholas needed.

      ‘Morning, Mrs Harrop. Everything all right with you today?’

      ‘The sun came up, didn’t it? How was the wedding? Who was that man I saw leaving your place in the early hours?’ There was a twinkle in the seventy-year-old woman’s eyes.

      Damn. Usually her neighbour was half-blind in full daylight. ‘Mrs Harrop...’ Jess couldn’t help herself. ‘You won’t mention anything to your friends, will you?’

      ‘Get away with you, girl. My lips are zipped.’

      Now, why did she have to mention zips? Jess’s brain replayed the memory of Jackson undoing the zip of her dress last night. Oh, and then of her hand on his fly, pulling that zip down. Turning the radio onto full blast, she sang some more cringeworthy words and banged the steering-wheel in an approximation of the song’s beat, and drove to town.

      Jess made it to the maternity unit fifteen minutes before the distressed couple arrived. She filled in the time making coffee and nipped next door to the store to buy a muffin for breakfast. Nothing like the big cook-up she could’ve been enjoying at the Wilson establishment. But way better for her waistline.

      The man she supposed to be Matthew helped his wife into the clinic and stood hopping from foot to foot, looking lost and uncomfortable.

      After the introductions, Jess helped Lily up onto the examination bed. ‘This is where they used to tell the husbands to go and boil water.’

      Matthew gave a reluctant smile. ‘Thank goodness the world is far more modern these days. But I admit having something concrete to do would help me right now.’

      ‘You could hold your wife’s hand while I examine her.’ Try being a comfort to her, rubbing her back. She’s the one doing the hard work here.

      ‘Speaking of water, Lily did pass a lot of fluid just before I rang you.’

      ‘You’re telling me her waters broke?’ What was wrong with letting me know sooner?

      Matthew looked sheepish. ‘Lily wouldn’t let me look and I wasn’t sure.’

      Jess wanted to bang her head against the wall and scream. These two really weren’t dealing with this pregnancy very well. After an examination she told them, ‘Baby’s head’s down, and its bottom is pointing up. You’re definitely in labour.’

      Lily said nothing, but her face turned white. ‘Now? Here? We shouldn’t have come.’ The eyes she turned on her husband were filled with distress and something else Jess couldn’t quite make out. Blame? Fear?

      ‘Matthew told me you’re nearly eight months along.’ When Lily nodded slowly, Jessica groaned internally. She’d have preferred to be dealing with a full-term baby when she didn’t know the patient. ‘I need to talk to your midwife. Lily, have you timed how far apart your contractions are?’

      ‘She wasn’t sure they were contractions,’ Matthew replied.

      ‘So this is your first baby?’ Jess asked.

      ‘No, our second.’ Matthew again.

      So far Lily had hardly got a word in. Maybe that boiling water was a good idea after all. Jess pasted on a smile before saying, ‘I really need to talk to Lily for a moment. Have you timed the pains?’

      Lily nodded, her face colouring up. ‘They’re four minutes apart.’

      ‘Okey-dokey, we’ve got a little lead-in time, then.’ Possibly very little, if this baby was in a hurry, but there was no point in raising Lily’s anxiety level any further. ‘You can fill me in on details. Like who your midwife is and how I can get hold of her for a start.’

      I so do not like flying blind. A perfectly normal pregnancy so far, according to Matthew, but that baby was coming early. Too early really. Jess punched the cellphone number Matthew read out from his phone.

      ‘They’re where?’ the other midwife yelped when Jess explained the situation. ‘I warned them not to leave town. Lily has a history of early delivery. She’s only thirty weeks. The last baby didn’t survive.’

      ‘Thirty weeks? You’re sure? Sorry, of course you are. Damn it. Why would Matthew have said nearly eight months?’ Jess would’ve sworn long and loud if it weren’t the most unprofessional thing to do.

      ‘To cover the fact he shouldn’t have taken Lily away at all.’ The other midwife didn’t sound surprised.

      ‘He’s brought his wife to a place where there’s no well-equipped hospital or any highly qualified obstetricians and paediatricians.’ All because he’d wanted to go to a family wedding. The closest hospital by road was Nelson, a good two hours away. Now what? She had to call one of the local doctors. At least she knew where they all were. At the post-wedding brunch. She needed help fast. And probably a rescue helicopter. Those guys would have Lily in Nelson with every chance of saving her baby’s life in a lot less time than any other form of transport.

      Lily groaned her way through a contraction. It would only get worse very soon, Jess thought after another examination of Lily. ‘Your baby has definitely decided on Golden Bay for its showdown.’ But she’d do her damnedest to change that. ‘Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?’

      ‘A girl,’ Matthew answered.

      A discreet knock at the door had her spinning around to see what her next crisis was. Another patient was not on her agenda.

      Heat slammed into her tummy. ‘Jackson?’ Yes, please, thank you. ‘Come in.’ Perfect timing. ‘What brought you here?’

      ‘Mum’s truck.’ He grinned. ‘When she told me why you’d phoned I thought I’d drop by and say hi.’

      ‘I’m really glad you did.’ Then Matthew glared at her and Jackson so she quickly made the introductions.

      ‘Good. A doctor is exactly what we need,’ the guy had the temerity to say straight to her face.

      Lily would’ve had any number of those if only they’d stayed in Christchurch. ‘Lily, Matthew, I need to talk to Dr Wilson. We’ll be right back.’

      She dragged Jackson out of the room before anyone had time to utter a word. Her hand held a bunch of his very expensive shirt, the likes of which wasn’t usually seen around Takaka. In other circumstances, she’d have been pulling that gorgeous mouth down closer so she could kiss him hard and long. But today wasn’t her lucky day. ‘I know you don’t start covering for Grady for a few more days so I can phone Mike or Roz, but I’d like some assistance here.’ She quickly ran through all the details the midwife had given her. ‘I think it would be best if the rescue helicopter is called. I do not want to risk that baby’s life.’

      ‘I’m with you.’ Jackson caught her hand to his chest as she let go of his shirt. ‘The baby will need all the support it can get right from the moment it appears.’

      ‘She. It’s a girl.’ Jess spread her fingers across the chest that only hours ago she’d been kissing. ‘You need to make the call. I’m not authorised to except in exceptional circumstances.’ Which this could arguably be.

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