Christmas with Her Ex(49)

Unexpectedly Connie leaned up on her elbow and panted at him. Waved him away with her hand. ‘For goodness’ sake. Go And see if your gran is okay. We’ll be here when you come back.’ Connie waved him away again. ‘Go. Hurry. I’m busy.’ And went back to pushing.

He stared at Connie in astonishment, shook his head with a smile and went. Swiftly. There was a junior midwife standing at the lift, holding it for him, and he shot her a warm thank-you glance, then looked back over his shoulder at the senior midwife. She shooed him off, too. ‘I’ll page you when we get close.’

When the lift doors opened on the ground floor the first person he saw was Kelsie. His relief was enormous. He hadn’t lost her yet. And she’d been with his gran in her time of need.

He allowed himself one brief, soul-enriching look and then scanned ahead. ‘Where is she?’

‘She’s being assessed by the physician. She’s okay, Connor. She was in a lot of pain but I think it’s reflux, though they’re ruling out cardiac or a clot. She demanded they bring her here.’

‘She’s a fighter,’ he reassured himself more than Kelsie. Then glanced back at the lift. Kelsie had said hs grandmother was okay. Did he believe Kelsie? He should go back to the Wilsons. But he couldn’t. ‘I want to see her.’

‘Of course you do. She wants to see you too.’ Kelsie led the way. Knocked on a door and opened it on a room where a tall gangly man in a black suit stood beside the bed. Winsome looked pale, and very still, with her eyes closed.

‘Ah. Connor.’ The man put out his hand and Connor shook it briefly. ‘I’ve given her something for the pain and she’s a bit drowsy now. We’re about to run an ECG to check her heart, and then we’ll scan her, but I hear she’s been on that train, living the high life again.’

‘My fault. I went with her this time.’ He stepped closer to the bed. Picked up his grandmother’s hand and squeezed it between both of his. Her eyelids fluttered and she smiled drowsily up at him.

He pretended to frown at her. ‘You said you’d managed for eighty years without me.’

‘I’ll be fine. Soon.’ Her eyes closed again.

She looked so pale, he thought. ‘What about her bloods?’

‘We’re waiting for results. But she’s tough. Given herself a scare, though.’

His heart squeezed with the dilemma of staying or leaving to go back upstairs. ‘She’s given me one as well.’

‘She’ll be fine with rest. I’ll keep her in overnight.’ The doctor’s pager bleeped and he excused himself. Connor took a step to pick up the clinical notes when his own name was paged over the loudspeaker.

‘Would Dr Black please go to Maternity immediately.’

He glanced up at the speaker. Torn. ‘It’s Connie’s baby.’

Kelsie watched his indecision with a surge of empathy. Poor Connor. The struggle. He wanted to do everything. This was the Connor she knew. Bless him. All of it was good. ‘You can’t do everyone’s jobs. Or save everyone. You go and do yours. I’ll stay here until you get back.’

‘She’s the closest thing I’ve had to a mother for so many years. I love her. I don’t want to let her down.’

Kelsie understood that. She understood a lot of things now. ‘You couldn’t let her down. Your grandmother is in good hands. The doctor is great. Go. I’ll be here.’

He nodded. He trusted Kelsie to stay with her until he could return.

‘You’re right.’ Unexpectedly, he paused and searched her face, said, ‘I would have been there for you, you know,’ before he dropped a swift kiss on her lips and spun away.

She heard his voice again as he disappeared. ‘Hold that lift.’

Kelsie touched her lips with her fingers. He would have been where for her? She could still feel the imprint of Connor’s mouth on hers.

She didn’t understand his comment but wished she’d kissed him back, one last time, then hugged the feeling that he had trusted her with the most important person in his life. Anything else was too complicated to think about.

An hour later Connor was back. ‘Baby Wilson has arrived!’ There was immense satisfaction as well as quiet relief in his voice and Kelsie smiled.

‘A bouncing baby girl who’s taken to the outside world with a calm acceptance that’s left her besotted parents very happy.’

She loved it that he glowed with relief. He was a very good man. ‘I’m so glad you were there for them.’

He grinned at her. Almost buckled her knees with the power of it. ‘Me too. Thank you for staying here so I didn’t have to worry about Gran.’