BETH WAS exhausted when Monday morning came around. She had spent the whole of Sunday at the hospital with Hannah and hadn’t left there until late in the evening. Adam had stayed as well, only leaving her briefly to visit his uncle in the coronary care unit. The good news was that Hannah seemed to be responding to the antibiotics and everyone was hopeful that the crisis was over.
She dragged herself out of bed when the alarm went off and took a shower then set to and ironed her clean uniform dress. Sunday was the day when she normally caught up with her housework and she groaned when she thought about all the jobs that still needed doing.
She snatched a cup of instant coffee then hurried down to the surgery. Eileen was in the office, going through the day’s post, and she greeted her with a cheery smile.
‘Was it a bit of a rush to get ready this morning, then?’ she asked, tucking the label back inside the collar of Beth’s dress.
‘Thanks. And, yes, it was a rush. We were at the hospital with Hannah all day yesterday so I didn’t have time to do any of my usual jobs,’ she explained. ‘I had to start ironing when I got up this morning.’
‘What a shame! When you say we do you mean that you had a friend with you?’ the receptionist asked curiously.
‘That’s right.’ Beth turned away, making a great show of checking the diary so that she didn’t need to look at the other woman. Until she knew what Adam intended to tell people about Hannah, it didn’t seem right to mention that he’d been at the hospital with her. ‘Looks like a full list this morning so I’d better go and get ready.’
She quickly left the office before the receptionist could ask her anything else and ran slap-bang into Adam, who had just arrived.
‘Sorry! I should look where I’m going,’ she apologised.
‘Don’t worry. I’m tougher than I look!’ He gave her a warm smile, although she couldn’t help noticing how tired he looked as well.
‘You look how I feel,’ she observed, walking along the corridor with him.
‘I expect I do,’ he agreed ruefully. ‘It was a long day yesterday. It’s no wonder that we’re both worn out this morning.’
‘But at least Hannah appears to be improving. I phoned the hospital as soon as I got up and they said that she’d had a comfortable night.’
‘I know. I phoned them as well.’ He opened the door to his room then paused, and she couldn’t help noticing the frown he gave.
‘What is it? I can tell that something is worrying you,’ she asked quickly.
‘I was just wondering how you’re going to cope when Hannah is well enough to leave hospital. She’s going to need a lot of care in the first few months, Beth. I don’t know how you are going to fit in looking after her as well as doing a full-time job.’
‘I’ll manage,’ she assured him, although she had to confess that it was something she had worried about many times. Hannah would be unable to return to school for some time after she was discharged from hospital because of the risk of infection. She would also need to continue her treatment, which would mean repeated trips to the hospital. It was going to be difficult to fit everything in when she was working.
‘It isn’t going to be easy,’ he said flatly. ‘I think we need to start making provision for when she comes home, see if we can work out a plan that will make life easier for you as well as for Hannah. Obviously, I’ll do everything I can to help, but we have to face the fact that she’s going to need a lot of care in the first few months.’
‘Maybe I could find someone to sit with her while I’m at work,’ Beth suggested, thinking worriedly about how much it would cost to hire anyone reliable.
‘Do you think that’s a good idea?’ He shrugged when she looked at him. ‘You told me that Hannah is shy with strangers. The fact that she’s been so ill might simply exacerbate the problem.’
‘What else do you suggest? I can’t afford to give up my job to look after her because then we would have no money, not to mention anywhere to live.’
‘I’m not sure what the answer is but I do think that we need to consider all our options.’ He touched her lightly on the arm. ‘Just remember that we’re in this together, Beth. It’s our problem, not just yours.’
He gave her a quick smile then went into his room. Beth sighed as she went to get ready for her first patient. Adam had meant to be helpful but it had brought it home to her how much their lives were going to revolve around Hannah in the future. Whilst she wanted nothing more than to look after her niece, would Adam come to resent the restrictions that caring for a sick child would impose on him?
It was impossible to answer that question. She would just have to wait and see what happened. But suddenly it felt as though her whole life was hanging in the balance.
Beth had a long list of appointments that day so she didn’t get a moment to herself. However, she was glad that she didn’t have time to think about her own problems.
One of her first patients was Hilary Dwyer, the daughter of the woman who had been suffering from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Beth had difficulty hiding her surprise when Hilary came into the room. Not only had Hilary’s hair been cut and styled but she had bought herself some fashionable new clothes. The transformation was amazing.
‘You look wonderful,’ she declared truthfully as she ushered the woman inside.
Hilary blushed. ‘Thank you. I’ve rather let myself go in the last few years, I’m afraid. I was too busy looking after Mother to worry about myself. However, I’m hoping to find a job so I thought it was time I did something with myself.’
‘How is your mother?’ Beth asked, getting out the sphygmomanometer. Hilary was due to have her blood pressure checked, as well as having blood and cholesterol tests that day.
‘An awful lot better. Dr Knight suggested this wonderful nursing home for her. I was reluctant at first but he insisted that it would be the best thing for Mother if she had professional nursing care after she came out of hospital, and he was right.’
There was a touch of hero worship in Hilary’s voice. ‘He’s been absolutely marvellous. Did you know that he visited Mother in hospital and found the time to call me at home to reassure me that I was doing the right thing by having her admitted to the nursing home?’
‘No, I didn’t know that,’ Beth admitted with a smile, wondering where on earth Adam had found the time to do all those things.
‘I’m not surprised.’ Hilary laughed softly. ‘He isn’t the sort of man who goes around blowing his own trumpet, is he? I feel so fortunate that he happened to be here when Mother was taken ill otherwise we might have gone on the way we were for years!’
‘I’m really pleased that everything has turned out so well,’ Beth said sincerely. ‘Now, I believe that you’re due for various tests this morning so I’ll start with your blood pressure if you could slip off your jacket.’
Hilary quickly did as she was asked. ‘This is all Dr Knight’s doing as well. He asked me to come in for a checkup because he thought that I was probably run-down.’
Beth made a note of the reading on Hilary’s card then unwound the cuff. ‘I see that you’re due for a cholesterol test and a blood test as well.’
‘That’s right.’ Hilary sighed. ‘I’ve been getting dreadful hot flushes so Dr Knight suggested that I should think about HRT.’
‘Hormone replacement therapy is marvellous,’ she assured her patient, breaking open a new syringe to take the first sample of blood. ‘Many women find that it makes a huge difference to their lives.’
‘The only thing that puts me off is the thought of having to take lots of tablets,’ Hilary confessed with a grimace. ‘I hate taking pills.’
‘You don’t have to take tablets for the oestrogen part of the treatment. You can opt for an adhesive patch or an implant, if you prefer,’ Beth explained, deftly drawing up blood into the syringe. She broke off the needle and filled in the label with the patient’s details then picked up another syringe. ‘However, the progestogen is administered in tablet form, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh, I see. Well, I’m sure I can cope with one lot of tablets,’ Hilary said, sounding relieved. ‘Especially if the results are as good as you say they are.’
‘I’ve had women tell me that HRT has literally changed their lives,’ Beth assured her. ‘As well as controlling the hot flushes and night sweats, which are so distressing, it helps to prevent osteoporosis—or thinning of the bones—and atherosclerosis, which is narrowing of the arteries. Plus, it does prevent dryness of the vagina which can make sexual intercourse very painful after the menopause.’
Hilary blushed. ‘That isn’t something I need to worry about. I’m afraid that if Mr Right is out there, I certainly haven’t come across him yet!’
‘There’s still time,’ Beth said, laughing as she pressed a dressing over the small puncture mark in the crook of Hilary’s arm. ‘That’s it, then. We should get the results of the blood tests in a few days’ time so make an appointment to see Dr Knight on your way out.’
‘I shall. Thank you.’ Hilary slipped on her jacket and smiled mischievously at Beth. ‘Now there’s a man who would come top of my list for the title of Mr Right. Lucky you, getting to work with Dr Knight every day!’
Beth murmured some appropriate reply but she couldn’t help sighing after she had seen Hilary out. Adam would come top of many women’s lists, she would imagine, but would he be at all interested to know that?
The rest of the day flew past. There was a baby clinic that afternoon, which Adam had offered to take instead of Chris. Beth got everything set up before she went for her lunch, knowing that she wouldn’t have time after she got back from the hospital. Adam had a patient with him so she decided that it was pointless waiting to see if he wanted to go with her. She was always pushed for time because it was a good twenty-minute drive to the hospital.
She spent a quarter of an hour with Hannah then drove back to Winton, cursing roundly when she found herself stuck in a traffic jam. The Willows hotel had been extended recently and workmen were digging up the road outside. It was obviously a rush job because there was a huge banner in front of the place, announcing that the new bar and restaurant would be opening that evening. By the time she managed to get through the hold-up she was fifteen minutes late arriving at the surgery.
Adam had just shown the first patient into his room, and he looked up when Beth appeared. ‘Can you find me Laura Watson’s notes, please? They don’t appear to be amongst the ones Eileen has left for me.’
Although his tone was pleasant enough, she couldn’t help noticing the rather grim set to his mouth when he addressed her. Her heart sank because it was obvious that he wasn’t pleased about her being late.
‘Of course,’ she replied, deeming it better to leave her apology for later rather than waste any more time. She hurriedly found the baby’s notes and took them back to him.
‘Thanks.’ Adam skimmed through the child’s record then turned to her mother. ‘I see from this that Laura was born six weeks premature, Mrs Watson.’
‘That’s right, Doctor,’ the young mother agreed. ‘The hospital kept her in the intensive care unit for over a month because she had trouble breathing.’
‘That’s a fairly common complication with prem babies,’ Adam assured her. ‘How has she been since you brought her home?’
‘Fine. She takes her feeds without any trouble now and she seems to be gaining weight at a rate of knots!’
He laughed as he lifted the baby from her mother’s knee and gently deposited her in the scales. ‘She certainly looks well. Let’s see how much weight she’s gained since the last time you brought her into the clinic.’
He quickly adjusted the scales then smiled. ‘Six ounces. Not bad going, I’d say.’
Beth quickly noted the baby’s weight and the date on her chart while he handed Laura back to her proud mother.
‘You’re obviously doing a great job with Laura, Mrs Watson. I know she had a bit of a setback when she was born, but she’ll soon catch up. Most prem babies make up any ground they lost within the first year,’ he told her in his usual calmly reassuring manner. ‘Next time you come to the clinic we’ll start Laura off on her immunisation programme.’
‘That’s something I wanted to ask you about,’ Julia Watson said worriedly as she began slipping the baby back into her clothes. ‘I’ve heard so many conflicting views about those injections that I don’t know what to believe, quite honestly.’
‘The risks of vaccination are far less than the risks of damage from disease,’ he replied evenly. ‘Obviously, it’s a decision only you and your husband can make at the end of the day, but I do believe that it’s important to have a child immunised.’
‘But is there any point in having it done?’ Julia Watson persisted. ‘I mean, nowadays there are all sorts of antibiotics to treat these diseases with, so what point is there in having a child vaccinated against them?’
‘Because the antibiotics available to us don’t always work. If, for instance, whooping cough is recognised early enough then erythromycin can be given and can shorten the period of illness,’ he explained patiently. ‘However, it doesn’t actually cure the whooping cough. I’ve seen babies die of the disease because they developed complications such as pneumonia.’
‘Oh, I hadn’t realised that!’ Julia Watson shuddered. ‘You tend to get a bit complacent, don’t you? Expect that there’s a cure for everything, but that’s not always the case.’
‘No, it isn’t, I’m afraid,’ he said flatly.
Beth knew immediately that he was thinking about Hannah. Even if Hannah had a bone-marrow transplant, there were no guarantees that she would be cured.
She longed to say something to him, a few words of reassurance, but there was no time as he set about explaining the vaccination programme to Laura’s mother. Each baby was given a combined injection against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough at two, three and four months of age. Another injection was also given to immunise the child against Haemophilus influenzae B, the bacterium responsible for epiglottitis and meningitis. The vaccine to safeguard against polio was administered orally at the same time.
‘I know that you must be worried about making the right decision for Laura, Mrs Watson, but I strongly advise you to have her vaccinated.’ He turned to Beth. ‘Do we have any leaflets on the vaccination programme, do you know? It’s always helpful to have something to refer to.’
‘There’s some in this folder.’ Beth found one of the information leaflets and handed it to Julia.
Adam smiled approvingly. ‘Good. I should have known that you’d have everything to hand.’
She smiled back at him, relieved that he seemed to have forgiven her for being late back from lunch. She quickly removed the paper sheet from the scales and popped a fresh one into place while he saw Julia out. Maybe it was foolish but it felt as though the day had grown that little bit brighter.
The baby clinic came to an end at last then it was time for evening surgery. Beth worked her way through her list, wondering when she was ever going to get to the end of it. When she left her room to fetch a batch of forms that she had run short of, she could see that the waiting room was packed. By the time they finished just before seven everyone was worn out.
‘The days just seem to get busier,’ Chris exclaimed, following her into the office with a stack of cards for filing. ‘It’s fast reaching the point where we won’t be able to cope.’
‘I agree.’ Adam had come into the office behind them and had heard what Chris had said. ‘As soon as Jonathan is well enough I intend to broach the idea of taking on another partner.’
‘Do you think Dr Wright will agree?’ Beth queried.
‘I don’t think he’ll have any choice.’ Adam shrugged. ‘It’s obvious that the surgery is drastically understaffed. We not only need another GP but we need closer links with the community nurses’ department as well. A lot of the people you deal with in the surgery, Beth, should be seen at home by a community nurse.
‘Then there’s all the office work that has to be done. Eileen does a superb job but she needs help. We need another receptionist plus an office manager to deal with all the paperwork that’s piling up.’
Chris whistled. ‘You’re talking about making some major changes around here. I’m all for it, frankly, but I don’t know how Jonathan will feel. It took me long enough to persuade him to buy in an on-call service outside surgery hours.’
‘I think Jonathan will have to bow to the inevitable. This practice cannot carry on functioning the way it has been, with people running themselves ragged trying to keep on top of all the work,’ Adam stated bluntly.
‘Amen to that,’ Chris said immediately. ‘By the way, have you had any luck finding a locum?’
‘I’ve got someone coming tomorrow as it happens, a fellow by the name of Benedict Cole. I spoke to him on the phone this afternoon and I’m hopeful, shall I say.’ He clapped Chris on the shoulder. ‘It might be a bit premature but maybe you can think about packing those suitcases soon.’
Chris laughed. ‘They’re already packed! I’ve no idea where I’m going, mind, but that doesn’t matter so long as I get away from here. The only thing that’s keeping me going at the moment is the thought of this break!’
Adam laughed as Chris sketched them a wave and left. However, his expression was thoughtful when he turned to Beth. ‘Let’s hope this holiday does him good otherwise I get the impression that Chris might consider giving up medicine altogether.’
‘Do you really think so? It would be such a shame if he did,’ she said worriedly. ‘Eileen told me when I first started working here how dedicated Chris is to his job.’
‘Maybe he is, but there comes a point when everyone has to face the fact that they need more than just work in their lives.’ He shrugged but she wasn’t deaf to the rather hollow note in his voice all of a sudden. ‘I think Chris has realised that, and it’s all part of the problem.’
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she agreed softly, wondering if he was thinking about his own circumstances. Like Chris Andrews, Adam had dedicated his life to his work up till now, but had he come to realise that he needed more out of life, like a home and family and someone to love?
Maybe he had found the first two by coming back to Winton and finding Hannah, but would he ever find a woman he could love as much as Claire?
She sighed, realising how often that thought had plagued her of late. It was a bit like having a sore tooth—she kept prodding away at it instead of leaving it alone. But it was the reason why she found it so difficult to deal with that worried her most of all.
It hurt to know that Adam might still be in love with Claire, and it hurt more than anything had ever hurt before, including her break-up with Ian. On one hand she wished that she understood why it should cause her such pain, whilst on the other she knew that it would be a mistake to start looking for an answer. Some questions were best left alone!
Hannah was sitting up in bed when they arrived at the hospital that night. Adam had driven them both there, claiming that it was pointless going in separate cars, and it hadn’t seemed worth arguing. Now, as she hurried into Hannah’s room, Beth felt her spirits lift. Although Hannah still looked rather pale and heavy-eyed, she was obviously much better that evening.
She went straight to the bed and gave the child a hug. ‘Hello, darling. How are you tonight? You look a lot better, I must say.’
‘I don’t feel sick now,’ Hannah told her. Her face suddenly broke into a huge smile as Adam came into the room. The sister on duty that night had stopped him as they had been passing the office so Beth had gone on ahead.
‘Adam! I thought you weren’t coming,’ Hannah exclaimed in delight.
‘Wild horses couldn’t have kept me away!’ he declared with a smile. However, Beth could tell that something was troubling him and her heart turned over as she wondered what the sister had told him.
It was impossible to question him in front of Hannah, of course, so she bided her time. They stayed with the child for almost an hour then left when it became obvious that she was getting tired. There were a lot of visitors leaving at the same time so Beth waited until they were out of the building before asking him what the sister had wanted to speak to him about.
‘The results of the blood tests are back. Charles Guest left a message, asking me to make an appointment to see him as soon as possible.’
‘Did the sister give you any indication whether it was good news?’ she asked anxiously.
‘No. You know what hospital etiquette is like. It’s left to the consultant to break the news.’ He grimaced. ‘I keep wondering what’s going to happen if I’m not a suitable donor for Hannah. After that scare she’s just had, it’s more imperative than ever that she gets this transplant.’
‘It is,’ Beth agreed. ‘We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed, I suppose. When have you arranged to see Mr Guest?’
‘Tomorrow afternoon at 2.30. I was hoping that you’d come with me.’ He summoned a smile but she could tell how anxious he was. ‘I could do with a bit of moral support, to be honest.’
‘Of course I’ll come. It’s my free afternoon because I’m working this Saturday, so there’s no problem about that.’
‘And Chris has agreed to cover for me any time that I need to come to the hospital,’ he informed her, unlocking the car door.
‘You’ve told him about Hannah, then?’ she asked as she slid into the seat.
‘Yes. You don’t mind, do you?’ He turned to look at her as he got into the driver’s side.
‘Of course not. I was going to ask you if you intended to tell people about her, in fact.’
‘If I was going to tell people? What do you mean by that?’
She shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable when she heard the edge in his voice. ‘I wasn’t sure what you intended to do. I mean, this situation has come right out of the blue, hasn’t it? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want people to know that you are Hannah’s father.’
‘I have no intention of hiding the fact, I can assure you.’ He started the engine with a roar that hinted at his displeasure. ‘It wasn’t my decision to stay out of her life, if you recall.’
‘I know that and I wasn’t trying to imply that it was.’ She sighed. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to be…well, discreet, I suppose. People are bound to be curious about what’s happened and I just didn’t want you to be put on the spot by having to answer a lot of awkward questions.’
His expression softened. ‘And I’m sorry for snapping at you like that when you were only trying to help.’ Reaching over, he took hold of her hand. ‘Friends?’
She laughed when he treated her to a hang-dog look. ‘Of course!’
‘Good.’ He let go of her hand as they came to a junction. ‘I’d hate to think that we might fall out, Beth, when we both want the same thing.’
‘Me, too. Hannah’s welfare is our number-one priority and everything else has to take second place to that,’ she agreed lightly.
He flicked her a smile. ‘It does for now, anyway.’
She wasn’t sure what he had meant by that but before she could ask him to explain he suddenly groaned.
‘Hell’s teeth! I was supposed to go to the airport yesterday to collect my luggage. I’d forgotten all about it!’
She laughed at his rueful expression. ‘It’s no wonder, bearing in mind the day we had.’
‘I suppose not.’ He frowned as he pulled out of the junction. ‘I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to go now. It will probably be the weekend before I have any free time. I know I bought some clothes to tide me over but I really could do with some of the stuff in my cases.’
‘Why not go tonight?’ she suggested. ‘I know it’s late but there’s bound to be someone at the airport who can help you. They have flights going out at all hours.’
‘Brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of it? But would you mind if I went straight away? It seems pointless driving all the way back to Winton when we’re halfway to the airport.’
He gave her a beguiling smile. ‘And as an added inducement, I’ll treat you to a drink when we get back, so you’ll not only have a tour of the lost-property department to look forward to but the pleasure of my company for an extra hour.’
‘Oh, how could I possibly refuse such a tempting offer?’ she replied, trying to quell the sudden pounding of her heart. After all, it wasn’t as if he’d asked her out on a date! she told herself sternly, but it didn’t seem to help.
‘Stick with me, kid, and I’ll show you a good time,’ he growled in his best gangster voice, making her laugh.
‘I’ll believe you, although thousands wouldn’t!’
‘Then it’s a good job that I’m not interested in their opinions,’ he stated in a tone that made a frisson ripple through her.
Beth took a deep breath as he turned the car onto the motorway slip-road but it did little to quell the feeling of excitement that was making her blood fizz like champagne. Maybe Adam hadn’t meant anything by that comment but she didn’t want to believe it. She wanted to believe that she was special to him.
The thought was enough to make those bubbles start popping all over again!
‘Thanks anyway…No, really. There’s no need to worry. I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.’
Beth smothered her grin when Adam tried to edge away as the girl behind the enquiry desk broke into another bout of abject apologies. It appeared that his luggage had mysteriously disappeared once again and nobody knew where it had gone this time. As he came to join her, she couldn’t contain her amusement any longer.
‘Ever get the feeling that those cases are jinxed?’
‘I most certainly do!’ he declared, rolling his eyes. ‘I can’t believe they’ve gone missing again. The person I spoke to the other day swore that once they had them back here they would lock them away!’
‘They could have been liberated,’ she suggested, her tongue very firmly in her cheek. ‘There’s a lot of strange people about so who knows if someone didn’t take pity on them?’
‘That’s it!’ He stopped dead and stared at her, laughter making his blue eyes sparkle. ‘The SLF have freed them from oppression.’
‘The SLF?’ she queried, giggling uncontrollably.
‘The Suitcase Liberation Front, of course,’ he explained with a completely straight face as he started walking again. ‘You must have heard of them? They’re responsible for a lot of luggage that goes missing from airports.’
Beth was laughing so hard now that her eyes were watering. ‘I thought I was mad but you are far crazier than me! The SLF indeed.’
He grinned as he opened the door for her. They had parked in the multi-storey car park across the road from the terminal and they paused while a car drove past. ‘You started it. I was completely sane until I met you.’
He held up his hand when she gasped in outrage. ‘Truce! We’re both as mad as each other, agreed?’
‘Hmm, I’ll have to think about that.’ She led the way up the steep concrete steps to the third level where they had parked. Despite the fact that it was gone nine, there were a lot of people about and they had to stop to let an elderly couple manoeuvre two huge suitcases through the door.
‘Obviously not a woman who makes any hasty decisions,’ he observed lightly. ‘Anyway, how about that drink I promised you? I thought we could stop off at The Willows, if that’s all right with you? Eileen told me that it’s the grand opening of the new bar and restaurant tonight, so it might be fun.’
‘Sounds fine to me, although I hope they managed to get everything finished in time. They had the road dug up when I passed there at lunchtime,’ she explained. ‘That’s why I was late getting back. It had caused such a hold-up that it took me ages to get through the town centre.’
‘Oh, I see. We’ll have a look and if they’re open, we’ll go there. If not, we can find somewhere else.’ Adam unlocked the car. ‘It must be a rush getting to the hospital and back in your lunch-hour, without getting stuck in traffic to add to your woes.’
‘It is rather hectic. But it’s worth it because Hannah looks forward to my visits so much.’
‘I’m sure she does, but it can’t be good for you to spend all your time rushing around like that.’
‘I’m fine, really. So long as Hannah is happy then that’s all that matters,’ she assured him.
‘And you don’t regret having to give up so much of your free time?’ he persisted, turning onto the motorway as they left the airport complex. ‘A lot of people would feel very resentful in your position.’
‘Maybe they would but I don’t.’ She took a deep breath, wondering where the conversation was leading. ‘Are you starting to find it all a bit of a strain, Adam?’
‘Yes, but not in the way that you mean,’ he replied evenly. ‘The worst thing about this situation is the feeling of helplessness it gives you. I’m a doctor and I’m supposed to know how to make people better. The fact that I can do so little for Hannah is very hard to accept. I feel as though everything that I’ve done since med school has been a waste of time.’
‘That’s not true! Think about all the people you’ve helped over the years, and all the lives that you’ve saved.’ She touched his arm, feeling her heart aching when she heard the regret in his voice. It didn’t seem fair that he should be blaming himself for something he had no control over.
‘I suppose you’re right. It’s just very difficult to find a balance when your own child is involved.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I never imagined it would be this hard.’
‘Had you never thought about having a family?’ she asked, suddenly curious to hear what he would say.
‘Once upon a time I did, but that was a long time ago. It seemed wiser to put any ideas like that out of my head rather than run the risk of being disappointed again.’
Beth felt a chill run through her. Had Adam been referring to the disappointment he’d suffered when he’d split up with Claire? she wondered sickly. Had he discarded his dreams of having a family because he’d lost the woman he’d loved?
She removed her hand from his arm, terrified that he might guess how painful she found that thought. It was a relief when he changed the subject and started talking about the proposals he had made for the surgery. However, she decided that it might be better to cut short the evening when they arrived back at Winton. Being with Adam seemed to unleash feelings inside her which she found it very difficult to deal with, and it seemed silly to put herself through any more heartache that night.
‘Would you mind if I skipped that drink after all?’ she asked as they turned into the high street a short time later. ‘I’m really tired and I could do with an early night, to be honest.’
‘Are you sure? Maybe a drink would help you unwind.’ He slowed the car as they reached the end of the drive leading to the hotel. It was obviously doing a roaring trade because the car park was packed.
Beth shook her head, not wanting to be tempted to change her mind. ‘Thanks, but I really would prefer to go home.’ The words were barely out of her mouth when there was a massive explosion from the vicinity of the hotel.
‘What was that?’ she cried, scrambling out of the car. Adam had leapt out as well and he came rushing round the car as a second explosion followed in the wake of the first.
‘Get down!’ he ordered, thrusting her flat on the ground as debris started to rain down on them.
Beth’s ears were ringing from the noise and she could barely breathe thanks to the cloud of dust that filled the air and the weight of Adam’s body pressing her into the ground. He waited until the aftershocks had died away before he got up and helped her to her feet.
She gasped when she saw what had happened to the hotel. The newly built wing had been completely demolished, leaving a large section of the roof listing dangerously. People were streaming from the exits, scrambling over the piles of rubble and broken glass that littered the path.
‘What on earth has happened?’ she asked in dismay.
‘It looks like a gas main might have blown up. Use the car phone to call the emergency services. We need ambulances and the fire brigade here as fast as possible.’
‘Wait! Where are you going?’ She caught hold of his sleeve as he started to move away.
‘To see what I can do to help. Hurry up and make that call, Beth. We’re going to need all the help we can get from the look of it.’
‘You will be careful,’ she whispered, her heart turning over at the thought of him putting himself in danger.
‘Don’t worry. I’ve too much to lose to take any stupid risks.’
He touched her gently on the cheek then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd that was flooding down the path. Beth put through a call to the emergency services, but even though she responded calmly to the questions they asked her, inside she was a jittery mass of nerves.
She was just starting to realise how much she had to lose if anything happened to Adam.