And if that happened he had every intention of calling the chief executive of the hospital. If he had to forfeit his precious weekend off then so could the hospital management.

Perhaps if the guy experienced the reality at first hand he might be more sympathetic to requests for more staff.

Alex flexed his aching shoulders and looked out of the huge windows across the sand. Normally the tension leached out of him as soon as he reached his home, but not any more.

His home had suddenly become a source of tension too.

He’d passed Jenny’s car on the way in so he knew she was here.

With the baby.

The baby that wasn’t his.

Any hope he’d had that his lawyer would have been able to clear the matter up quickly had been dispelled by a quick conversation before he’d left the hospital. It seemed that it was going to take some time and the help of a private investigator to produce the evidence that Alex required.

Which meant that for the time being he was stuck with them. Unless he threw them out.

His head was suddenly filled with the disturbing memory of the baby smiling up at him and Jenny’s eyes filling as she’d told him about Chloe.

He gritted his teeth and knew that he couldn’t throw them out. Not until he’d been given some answers.

Cursing himself for being a soft touch, he decided that what he needed was exercise. Something to take his mind off the frustrations of the day.

He could run or he could swim.

The sea sparkled temptingly and he opted for the swim. Although it was early evening it was still surprisingly warm and hopefully the cool water would clear his head.

He took the stairs two at a time and then paused when he heard laughter coming from one of his bathrooms.

He’d given her a key so that she could let herself in, only too aware that if he hadn’t she would have been more than capable of forcing a confrontation in A and E in front of his colleagues, and that was something he was keen to avoid.

For the time being he didn’t want anyone knowing she was staying with him.

Hearing more laughter, he pushed open the bathroom door and stood still, his attention caught by the antics of the little girl.

She was chuckling with delight as she splashed herself, totally confident and happy in the water.

Jenny was completely soaked and Alex’s eyes flickered downwards, his gaze drawn to the swell of her small breasts under the damp, clinging material.

Unaware of his presence, Jenny leaned forward to kiss the baby.

‘Ow!’ She winced as Daisy locked a fist in her hair and tugged at her ponytail. ‘Now look what you’ve done, you minx.’

Her dark hair tumbled loose around her shoulders but she ignored it and scooped the baby out of the bath and laid her carefully on the towel that she had ready.