Her Festive Doorstep Baby. Kate Hardy
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got much on the forensics side,’ PC Walters said. ‘The best we can do is to put out a press release and ask the local media to tell her to get in touch.’
‘If she’s as young as I think she might be,’ Josh said, ‘she’ll be worried that she’s in trouble—especially if she managed to hide her pregnancy.’
‘Strictly speaking, it’s a criminal offence to abandon a baby,’ PC Graham said, ‘but judges are always lenient in the case of newborns and very young, very frightened mums.’
‘She really needs to get to hospital or a doctor and let them check her over,’ Josh said. ‘That’s important because, if she’s retained any of the placenta or she tore during the delivery, there’s a high risk she’ll develop an infection—and if it’s left untreated she could become really ill.’
‘We’ll make sure everyone says she won’t be in any trouble and we’re worried about her health,’ PC Graham said.
‘And tell her the baby’s absolutely fine and being looked after. The poor girl’s probably going to be worrying about that, too,’ Amy added.
Josh looked at his watch. ‘Sorry. I’m going to have to leave you now. I need to be at work.’ He scribbled a number on one of the spare sheets of paper. ‘You’ve got my mobile number, Amy, and this is my direct line in the department. You can get a message to me if it’s urgent. I’ll be back about half-past eight this evening—unless there’s a crisis in the department, in which case I’ll get a message to you as early as I can.’
Amy really hoped that she wasn’t going to have to use that number. ‘OK. Thanks.’ She paused, knowing that this probably sounded like a come-on, but hoping that he’d take it as the practical suggestion it actually was. ‘Look, as you’re helping me with the baby, you might as well have dinner here. It’s as easy to cook for two as for one.’
‘That’d be nice.’
They exchanged a glance, and another frisson of desire ran down her spine—which was completely inappropriate. OK, so they were both single, but this was all about caring for Hope, not having a wild fling with her neighbour.
She fought to keep herself sounding professional. ‘Do you have any food allergies, or is there anything you don’t eat?’
‘No to the allergies.’ He smiled. ‘As for the rest, I’m a medic in the emergency department, so we tend not to be fussy. We’re lucky if we get a chance to grab a chocolate bar. As long as it’s food and it’s hot, I’m happy.’
She smiled back. ‘OK.’
Once Josh had left, PC Graham sorted out the last bits of paperwork and the police left, too.
‘I’ll be back later this afternoon with supplies,’ Jane promised.
‘We should have enough milk and nappies to last until then,’ Amy said.
‘Thanks.’ Jane smiled at her. ‘You’re a life-saver—literally.’
‘Not just me. My neighbour helped.’ And Amy really had to remind herself that Josh was just her neighbour. They might know each other a bit better and be on friendlier terms after the next few days, but this would be a platonic relationship only.
Amy saw Jane out of the flat, then returned to watch Hope sleeping in her makeshift bed. ‘It looks as if it’s just you and me, baby,’ she said softly. ‘For the next week you’re going to have complete strangers looking after you and trying to make a family for you.’
But it was Christmas, the season of miracles. With any luck Hope’s mum would come forward, Jane would be able to help her, and there would be a happy ending.
IT WAS HOPE’S first Christmas, but Amy’s flat looked just like it did on every other day of the year. She hadn’t planned to be here for the festive season, so she hadn’t bothered putting up a tree. When her plans had fallen through, it had felt like too much effort to get the Christmas decorations out. What was the point when she’d be here on her own?
Now, she had a reason to change that.
Even though she knew the baby wouldn’t remember it or even have a clue that it was Christmas, Amy wanted to decorate her flat and make it Christmassy for Hope. Though, between feeds and nappy changes and cuddles to stop the baby crying, it took her four times as long as she’d expected. And she was panicking that she wasn’t looking after Hope properly.
‘I really have no idea what I’m doing,’ she informed the baby, who cried a little bit more, as if agreeing with Amy. ‘And I don’t know who to ask. If I call Mum, she’ll worry and get the next plane home from Canada—and that’s not fair, because it’s my parents’ turn to spend Christmas with my brother Scott and his wife Rae.’ Who didn’t have children yet, so she couldn’t ask her brother or sister-in-law for advice, either. ‘Half my colleagues have teenagers, and I’m guessing they’re way past remembering what the first couple of days with a newborn are like. And I’m a total cow because I distanced myself from my friends who do have babies. I can hardly ring them and ask for help when I’ve been so horrible and ignored their babies.’
But it had been too raw, once she’d learned that she was infertile and her dreams of having a baby were never coming true. Although she’d been genuinely pleased for her friends, she just hadn’t been able to face watching them bloom through pregnancy or listening to them talk about the latest milestone their babies had reached.
But now she had a baby.
Temporarily.
And walking up and down with Hope like this, holding her close and rocking her in the hope that it would help settle her and stop her crying... This was what Amy’s life could’ve been like, had it not been for Gavin and her own naivety. Why hadn’t she even considered that, as he’d been serially unfaithful to her, in the process he might have picked up some kind of STD which didn’t have any symptoms and passed it on to her? Why hadn’t she got herself checked out just as a precautionary measure?
Maybe because she wasn’t the suspicious sort—which was why it had taken her months in the first place to work out that Gavin was seeing other women on the side. A whole string of them. And she’d been stupidly oblivious, thinking everything was just fine between them.
‘I’m an idiot,’ she said with a sigh. ‘But I’ll do my best to give you a decent first few days and first Christmas, Hope.’
This time, the baby gurgled.
And Amy really had to swallow the lump in her throat.
For a second the baby’s dark blue eyes seemed to hold all the wisdom in the world.
How different her life could’ve been. But there was nothing she could do to change it now; all she could do was make the best of her situation. And, with Josh Farnham’s help, do her best to make this poor baby’s first few days as happy as possible.
When the baby dropped off to sleep again, Amy gently laid her on the makeshift towel bed, covered her up, and tried to work out what she needed to do next.
The intercom buzzed, and Amy rushed to get it before the noise woke the baby. ‘Hello, it’s Jane Richards again,’ a tinny voice informed her.
‘Come in,’ Amy said, and buzzed her in before putting on the kettle. ‘Can I make you tea or coffee?’ she asked when the social worker came in laden with a Moses basket and an armful of carrier bags.
‘Sorry, I can’t stop for more than two minutes,’ Jane said. ‘I just wanted to drop these off for you, as I promised.’ She put down the bags one by one, naming the contents. ‘Moses basket, bedding, bottles, sterilising stuff, milk, nappies and newborn-size clothes.’
‘Thanks.’ The pile looked daunting, Amy thought. How could someone so tiny