Wedding on the Baby Ward / Special Care Baby Miracle by Lucy Clark

door.
    ‘Janessa, I’ll see you at the meeting,’ he remarked.
    ‘Yes. See you there,’ she sort of threw over her shoulder, looking vaguely in his direction. When he was gone, Janessa visibly relaxed in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment, only to encounter Sheena’s interested stare when she finally looked at her friend.
    ‘What was
that
all about?’ Sheena asked with astonishment.
    ‘What?’
    ‘You and Miles. Honestly, you could cut the air with a scalpel the tension between the two of you is so palpable.’
    ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Janessa feigned innocence and continued drinking her tea.
    ‘Oh, seriously? There were sparks flying between the two of you from the instant you entered this room.’
    ‘Sparks?’
    ‘Janessa. He’s not like Bradley. Miles has been through things and, unlike Bradley, he’ll stick around. I know you were devastated that Bradley wasn’t there for you, to be with you as you both grieved for Connor’s loss, but not all men are like that.’
    ‘All men? Meaning Miles?’
    ‘He’s a great guy, Nessa. Strong and dependable. You two are good together.’
    ‘Together? No. We’re not together.’ At her words, Sheena gave her a disbelieving look. ‘You think there’s something going on between Miles and myself, don’t you?’
    ‘Is there?’
    ‘Yes.’
    At this word, Sheena sucked in a breath and clenched her hands at her chest, excitement in her eyes.
    ‘It’s you.
You
are why we’re here, why our worlds have connected. We are both here, working together because of your girls. They deserve the best care in the world and that, if I may be so bold, is Miles and myself. So technically, Sheenie, it’s all
you.
There are no sparks, no tension. Just real honest concern for you and your girls.’
    ‘Now you’ve made me disappointed.’ Sheena dropped her hands back to her rub her belly. ‘Hear that, girls? Aunty Janessa is trying to fool herself into thinking that she’s not attracted to Uncle Miles.’
    ‘Uncle
Miles? When did he get promoted to uncle status?’ Janessa wanted to know, feeling mildly indignant that he should get the same level of honorary title as herself, and yet Sheena didn’t know him nearly as well. She finished her drink and stood, hoping that leading Sheena down this track might also prompt a change in topic. The awareness she had for Miles was definitely there but that didn’t mean she had to do something about it, neither did she want to discuss it.
    ‘Hush. I can say what I like and assign titles to whomever I choose because I am the incubator and I have spoken.’
    Janessa shrugged her shoulders as though she didn’t have a leg to stand on with an answer like that. ‘You are absolutely right. Anyway …’ she collected Sheena’s cup ‘… I have to go. I don’t want to be late for the meeting.’
    ‘You’ll come by later and give me an update?’
    ‘On most things, yes.’
    ‘Good.’ Sheena lay back and closed her eyes, getting ready to settle down for a nap. ‘Nessa,’ she said softly as Janessa headed to the door, ‘don’t push him away. He’s not Bradley.’ The words were spoken quietly and with complete seriousness.
    ‘Understood,’ Janessa replied, realising she hadn’t fooled Sheena one bit with her attempt at changing the subject. Her friend knew her far too well. ‘Thanks, Sheenie.’
    Sheena yawned. ‘That’s what friends are for.’
    As Janessa returned to her office and gathered the papers she would need for the meeting—the first of many on the conjoined twins—she pondered Sheena’s words. Was she resisting the attraction she felt for Miles simply because of the way Bradley had pulverised her heart? Was she too afraid to even take a tiny step outside her very comfortable comfort zone in case she once more ended up in tiny pieces? Was she that much of a coward that she would deny herself happiness simply because she’d been burnt so badly in her past?
    Possibly.

CHAPTER