Doctor Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Book 2) (2 page)

“Beth?” Freyja asked. “I think I might need to push.”

“Not yet, honey,” she said brushing Freyja’s hair back from her face and thinking this should be her husband’s loving duty. “Once these contractions have passed, I’ll check, but I think we have a while to go yet.”

“OK,” Freyja panted.

“Do you want something for the pain?”

“Not yet. I have a high pain threshold.” Her eyes kept straying to the door, and Beth knew she was looking for her husband. Beth started to let her temper take hold. What was it with men? They could be so selfish. Mr. Frasier should be here with his wife. She was about to give birth to their first child, for goodness sake!

“Thank you, Beth.” Freyja smiled at Beth, and Beth met it with one of her own.

“My pleasure, Freyja. You’re very lucky to be having a baby.”

“Yes. I know. Do you have kids? Or a boyfriend?”

Beth shook her head. “No. I thought I did. But he … well, he led me on.”

Freyja squeezed Beth’s hand, hard, as another contraction washed over her. Through gritted teeth, she said, “Ben is a good man.”

Beth looked at her sharply. “He may be. But I know his type.”

“I can guarantee you don’t. Look, I know what you’re thinking about them not being here. But it’s for good reason.”

“Let’s not worry about them. Let’s take a look to see how things are going.”

A few minutes later, the doctor and Mr. Frasier reappeared, and when Dr. Hansom looked at Beth this time, he was completely in control. “How are things progressing, Nurse Andrews?”

“Freyja is almost completely dilated. She feels the need to push, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

“OK. Thank you.” Then he moved to Freyja, and Beth had to admit he became the perfect doctor. “Hey, Freyja, sorry about that.”

Freyja’s gaze slid to the doctor and then to Beth, and something registered there as fact. “I understand, Ben. Are you OK now?”

He smiled reassuringly, and Beth’s heart thumped in her chest. He sure to goodness was godlike, and a feeling awakened in her that she had promised herself would stay buried for a long time. Her emotions had got the better of her before; there was no way she was about to fall for another doctor. So she reminded herself of Francis and the way he had treated her. Beth pushed a finger into that gaping wound and poked it hard, but, faced with the beautiful smile of Dr. Ben Hansom, she found it didn’t hurt so badly anymore. But rather than feel comforted, she felt afraid. It was as if it was all happening again, and she felt weak.

“Nurse Andrews?”

She came back to the room, her eyes focused on his, and it was as if they were the only two people in the there. Yet his smile was one of kindness and patience, not the alpha male who was out for a conquest. Not the knowing smile Francis had given her when she had declared her undying love to him.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“I think we’re nearly ready.” He turned back to Freyja. “Now, this is going to hurt some more. I won’t lie to you.”

“More?” she gasped, her contractions strong now.

“Yes, but at the end of it you are going to have a perfect baby. So, between us we are going to help you all we can. And we all know you can do this. Right, Will?”

“Yes, Freyja, you are the bravest woman I know. You can do this.” Will looked into his wife’s eyes, and for a moment the world seemed to freeze. Beth could feel their love; it was as if she could reach out and touch it. Her heart wrenched in her chest. How she would love a man to look at her like that and to know he meant it. The love between Freyja and Will was nothing like the sham love Francis had promised her.

A cry from Freyja brought her back to the room, her professional side kicking in. Freyja was experiencing another strong contraction; the birth wouldn’t be too long now. However, as it passed over her, Freyja gasped, “I’m not so sure I can do this.”

“You can do it. Now, if you are ready. You will be introducing your new baby to this wonderful world. Just imagine running along the mountain meadow with him. Keep that in your mind and then I’ll direct you. OK?”

“Nooo.”

Will held Freyja’s hand and kissed her head; Ben helped her, watching in awe as the baby’s head gradually appeared. Helping as much as she could, although she wasn’t needed too much, except for moral support, Beth began to feel as if she belonged. They worked as a team, and within an hour, a small, wrinkled baby lay in new mom Freyja’s arms. Beside her, Will wept tears of joy and the doctor teared up too.

Beth stood, enraptured by the scene in front of her, her emotions threatening to push her into meltdown. Dr. Hansom looked up and winked at her. Then he smiled. “Come take a proper look. This little fellow will be the leader of Bear Bluff one day, after his beautiful mom.”

Freyja looked up, and then leaned forward over the baby and kissed the doctor’s cheek. “Thank you so much, Ben.”

“No problem, honey. You did all the work.”

“Thanks, Ben,” Will said, his voice choked with emotion.

“Congratulations, Will.” Then he looked at Beth again. “Come on. This little fellow means there is one more miracle in the world.”

Beth felt her heart flutter. She had totally misread this man, and she felt guilty. Taking a step forward, she looked down on the baby. The doctor reached out and held her hand. A shock of recognition passed through her, but although he saw her reaction, he ignored it, simply pulling her forward gently to look at the little bundle in Freyja’s arms.

“He’s beautiful,” she said, and then promptly burst into tears and fled from the room.

“Go after her,” Freyja said.

“I can’t. I think I’ve already scared her off.”

“Ben, go. Don’t make the same mistakes we did.” Will looked at him and then shoved him off the bed. “Man up and go and find her.”

Voices were outside. The Clan chief had arrived. Soon it would be bedlam in here, so Ben thought it was probably the best time to get going. It was either stay and be congratulated, when in his opinion, Freyja had done all the hard work, or go after his mate.

“I’ll be back to see you after things have calmed down. Listen, I’ll tell them on the way out they have half an hour, and then you have to have some rest and feed that little man of yours.”

“OK. Don’t worry, Will can get rid of them if we need to. However, my dad won’t be here long. He isn’t fond of hospitals and he will be much more interested in his grandchild when he can run and kick a ball.”

“Are you sure?” He hated leaving like this.

“Go,” Freyja said, shooing him away.

Ben walked out of the room and straight into Stuart McCormac’s outstretched hand. “Thank you, my boy. I knew you were the man for the job.”

“It was all Freyja and Will. He was very supportive.”

“A fine son-in-law, even if he is from Bear Creek.”

“They are a fine family, Stuart.”

“That they are. Anyway, can we see them?”

“Yes. Although Freyja is very tired. I have said half an hour, but I think the shorter your visit, the better.”

“Certainly. We just want to see him for ourselves. An heir at last. I never thought she would find a mate, you know. Now it’s your turn, Ben. Plenty of women lining up. Shame none of them are
the one
.”

“There’s always hope, Stuart.”

“Good boy.” Stuart shook Ben’s hand one more time and then disappeared into the delivery suite with his wife.

Immediately, Ben began to look for Beth. Where would she have gone? He didn’t want to ask Daphne; he didn’t want people talking, not yet. So he stopped to think it through: she would have gone somewhere quiet, the ladies’ room? He made his way down the corridor, but before he got too far, he became aware of her. It was almost as if he had developed another sense. Part of him was drawn to her, as though they were magnetically charged particles.

Pushing the door open, he went outside, around the corner of the building and there she was, sitting in the small, scented garden. It was for relatives to come and sit when they had lost loved ones, or if anyone needed peace and solitude, or just a good cry. Which was what Beth was doing.

For a moment, he hung back, not wanting to disturb her peace, but as another shudder passed through her, he couldn’t hold back: she was his, whether she knew it or not, and he had to comfort her—it was his duty. And he really wanted to fulfil his duty, every single last piece of it.

“Here,” he said, sitting down beside her and offering her a handkerchief.

She looked at him and took the handkerchief. “Thank you.” She dabbed her eyes. “I didn’t know anyone still carried handkerchiefs around these days. It’s a little old fashioned.”

“I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy.”

They sat in silence for a moment or two, Ben allowing Beth the time she needed to compose herself. After she had dabbed her eyes and then noisily blown her nose, she looked around at him. “I’ll launder it and get it back to you.”

“No. Keep it. I have a supply of them.”

“Is that because you always have someone crying on your shoulder?”

“Sometimes it seems that way. But not always in a sad way. This job has its downs, but it also has its ups.”

“Like Freyja giving birth?”

“Yes. My favourite part of the job. A new life, new hope.”

“I’m sorry if I misjudged you at first. I thought you were incompetent, but I was very wrong. You gave Freyja such strength.”

“Don’t be silly. I was a little off, wasn’t I?”

“Freyja kind of explained why.”

He sounded startled. “She did?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

Damn, that was easier than he had thought. “So, does that mean you will have dinner with me tonight?”

She looked at him, her eyes narrowing. “No. It does not. I don’t know what you think I am, Dr. Hansom, but I am not the kind of woman to help a man cheat.”

“Cheat? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course you don’t,” she replied sarcastically. “Listen, I don’t know what you’ve heard about me. But I am not an easy lay. So unless you want me to file a complaint for sexual harassment, you will leave me alone.”

With that, she was gone. Ben just sat there; she might just as well have slapped him around the face. He had made such a fool of himself. Of course, Freyja wouldn’t have told her about the mating bond. But what
had
she said?

He got up from the bench. Whatever it was, it would have to wait. He had patients to see and Freyja needed to rest; he would ask her on his rounds. Right now, he was actually wishing he could press reset on this whole day and do it again. After all the waiting and hoping, he had finally found his mate and alienated her in the space of around two hours! That was good going, but what he didn’t know was that things were most definitely going to get worse before they got better.

Now she was mad. How dare he try to use her to cheat on the woman he loved? She should have stuck to her first impression of him. He was too damn handsome for his own good, and he thought, with his good looks and his easy manner, that she would fall at his feet and into his bed.

Did she have fool written all over her? Or was there a doctor network that spread gossip and rumours? Was it possible that he had been in contact with Francis? No. No one from her old life knew where she had gone. Apart from Human Resources. Would they divulge that information to Francis? Had Francis tracked her here and then spread rumours about her?

You are being unreasonable
, she thought. Yet the feeling remained. It made her paranoid. As she walked back inside, past Daphne at reception—who smiled warmly at her—and into the lounge to get a coffee, she wondered if they all knew. Were they all talking about her behind her back?

Yet she kept picturing Dr. Hansom, seeing him beckoning her over to look at the baby. That was not the face of a corrupted man. Was it? Had her ability to read people left her?

“Hi there,” said Daphne, coming in to join her. “How did it go? An intense morning for sure.”

“Yes,” Beth answered. “But the baby was perfect. It all went smoothly.”

“That’s because our smooth Dr. Ben was in charge.”

“You’re a fan, then?”

“Oh, sweetheart, the whole town’s a fan.”

“He’s a ladies’ man?” Her heart beat rapidly; so she was right, he was a cad.

“Well, the ladies like to think he is. They hound him from pillar to post. It’s those boyish good looks of his. But I don’t expect you to take much notice of him. Broken heart, is it?”

“I ... I don’t know what you mean,” Beth answered, scared that her secret really was all around the hospital.

“I don’t mean to pry. But when a nurse comes in with crying eyes, I notice. And nine times out of ten, it’s because of a man. That’s why I told Dr. Ben he would be safe with you.”

“Safe?”

“Yes. You know. You wouldn’t be interested in him if you were nursing a broken heart.”

Beth frowned. “Is that because his partner might get jealous?”

“His partner?” It was Daphne’s turn to frown. “He doesn’t have a partner.”

“Oh. I thought Freyja said something about him being in love.”

“Did she?” Daphne asked. “Not that I know of. Maybe that’s how he’s trying to fend off his admirers these days, telling them he’s spoken for. Not that that would stop half of them. I tell you, until he is up the aisle and putting a ring on a woman’s finger, the women of Bear Creek are going to drool over him.” She sighed. “He deserves to be happy. He’s such a good man.”

“I guess we’re all entitled to our opinions.”

Daphne laughed. “I was right, you are immune to his charms, you’ll get on well with him. I know there aren’t many he lets in, they’re like a rabid mob around him. But your heart is sealed up tight. Men, they can be complete bastards, can’t they?”

“Yes, they can.”

“Well, anytime you want a chat, come find me. I’ve probably seen and heard more about men then a woman has a right to know. I’m a bit of an agony aunt around here.”

Daphne moved to leave, her hot cup of coffee in her hand. But Beth decided that there was one question she needed an answer to. “Daphne. Did anyone ever contact the hospital about me, before I came here?”