Page 67 of The Wisteria Tree Cottage

‘I did too.’

They stood staring at each other for a moment. Then Bear took her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world and led her back to the table. They handed over their scanners and wristbands to a stunned Imogen.

‘You two matched again?’ she asked in surprise.

‘It was meant to be,’ Bear said and then led Meadow outside.

CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR

They didn’t really talk much on the short drive on the way back but Meadow was excited about what might happen between them. Standing there sniffing each other had been really hot and she knew he had felt the same. This was the first time she had seen any real evidence that he was attracted to her and she couldn’t stop smiling about it. She glanced across at him and saw he was smiling too.

They pulled up outside Bear’s house and got out and walked back past the reception area towards the treehouses, but suddenly a man came running out of the trees, and she recognised him as Jason Lovegrove, one of the guests. He looked absolutely petrified. Meadow wondered if he’d seen the wolf.

‘Do you work here?’ Jason asked.

‘Yes we do,’ Meadow said. ‘Is everything OK?’

‘My wife has just gone into labour.’

‘OK, stay calm.’ She glanced at Bear who was already pulling his phone out of his pocket to call an ambulance. ‘We’ll call the paramedics and they’ll be here soon to help.’

‘No, you don’t understand, she’s only thirty-five weeks. My son can’t come yet, he won’t be big enough.’

Meadow’s heart dropped, feeling the panic she had experienced when Star had insisted on coming early, worrying if her baby would survive.

She heard Bear relaying the added complication to the emergency services.

‘OK, let’s go back and see your wife. Which treehouse are you in?’ Meadow said, trying to stay calm.

‘Honeysuckle.’

‘Right, Bear is going to wait here for the emergency services and he will bring them right over and get the ambulance as close as possible. I’m going to come with you and make your wife as comfortable as possible.’

Bear nodded and she quickly followed Jason back to his treehouse. ‘My daughter was born at thirty weeks and she was perfectly formed, albeit a little small, but everything was working as it should be and she was fine. She’ll be eight in a few months. I’m sure your son will be fine too.’

‘God I hope so. We tried so hard to conceive and in the end we went down the IVF route. This was our fourth attempt at getting pregnant. Everything has been smooth sailing up until now.’

‘I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. Have you chosen a name?’

‘We liked Quinn.’

‘Quinn is a great name.’

They rushed up the steps into Honeysuckle Cottage and then up the stairs to the bedroom. Jason rushed to his wife’s side and took her hand as she puffed her way through a contraction.

‘It’s OK, Emma, I’m here, help is on the way.’

‘He can’t come now,’ Emma said. ‘He needs more time to grow. We haven’t even finished painting the nursery yet.’

‘Try to stay calm. I know, ideally, Quinn would stay in there for forty weeks but thirty-five is still OK. My daughter was fine and she was born at thirty,’ Meadow said.

‘She was?’ Emma said.

‘She was perfect. She’ll be eight in a few months and you’d never know she was premature, she’s so clever and brilliant. Early babies are fairly common. Now are you comfortable, would you prefer to be in a different position?’

Emma nodded. ‘I think I’d like to walk around a bit, it seems to help with the pain.’

‘OK, let’s do that,’ Meadow said. She moved round to the side of the bed and helped Jason to heave her to her feet. Jason held her hand as she walked around the room.

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