Читать книгу Love Affairs - Louise Allen, Carol Townend - Страница 39
ОглавлениеTHERE WAS SOMETHING different about him the next day.
Annie couldn’t put her finger on it, and it took her till lunchtime to work out what it was.
He was avoiding her eye.
It had taken her that long to cotton on because she’d been so busy avoiding his, but once she realised it, she felt curiously, stupidly disappointed.
Why? She didn’t want him to look at her, to crowd her space, to be underfoot all the time like he had been yesterday.
Did she?
No!
‘Annie?’
She glanced up to see James Slater, their clinical lead, standing a few feet away, watching her with his head tilted to one side.
‘Oh. Hi.’ She smiled apologetically at him. ‘Sorry, I was miles away. What can I do for you, James?’
‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing, so why don’t you take lunch now while it’s so quiet?’
‘Shh.’ She pressed her finger to her lips, and he chuckled.
‘Superstitious?’
She grinned. ‘Always. But I will grab some lunch while the going’s good. We didn’t have time yesterday, in case you’re running away with the idea that we had an idle day!’
‘No, I gather it was chaos. Sorry I had to bail on you for that meeting. How was Ed?’
Too beautiful for his own good. Or hers.
‘Good. Great. Excellent doctor.’
‘I’m glad about that. I thought he would be. His references were stunning and we were really lucky to get him. Right, off you go before that damn phone rings.’
She grinned again, saluted and went, grabbing her bag from her locker on the way, then hurried outside to go round to the café in the sunshine.
And bumped straight into Ed.
Literally.
‘Aagh!’
She leapt back, clutching at her scrub top and pulling it hastily away from her chest. ‘Sheesh, that’s hot!’ she gasped, flapping the fabric to cool it as the coffee soaked straight through and drenched her.
‘Hell, Annie, I’m sorry. Are you all right?’
He was shaking cappuccino froth off his hand, and she tilted her head and gave him a sarky look. ‘Oh, peachy—apart from being doused in scalding coffee! Why didn’t you have a lid on it?’
‘I did—you squashed it when you ran into it. I’m so sorry. Are you all right? You’re not really scalded, are you?’
She thought about it and shook her head. Her bra was sopping, and the coffee had been hot but not hot enough to damage her. She could feel it cooling down already in the light breeze.
‘Don’t worry, I won’t sue you. I’m just going to be wringing wet and a little fragrant for the rest of the day,’ she said wryly.
‘Yeah, you probably need to change.’
‘Really? I thought I’d wander round like this all day wearing cappuccino—set a new trend, you know?’
‘You don’t have to be sarcastic—’
‘I can be what I like, I’m the one soaked to the skin with it,’ she retorted, but then she gave a despairing laugh and shook her head. ‘Don’t worry, I can find myself some new scrubs. The underwear might be harder.’
‘Ah. Sorry, I can’t help you there. I don’t have my spare bra in my locker today.’
She looked up, a surprised laugh on her lips, and their eyes met and locked, the laughter dying as heat flared between them.
Why were they even talking about her underwear?
She dragged her eyes away. ‘Look, it’s fine. I’m sorry about the coffee, I’ll get you another one while I’m in the café.’
‘Forget it. I’ll get myself another one. Look, why don’t you go and change and we’ll go over there together and I’ll buy you lunch?’
‘Do you have time?’
That wasn’t what she’d meant to say! No, no, no! She should have told him it wasn’t necessary and she’d rather be alone!
Her mouth, however, didn’t seem to be under her control any more, and he cornered her with his next words.
‘I’ve got time. I wasn’t going to bother to eat, but as it’s quiet—’
‘Shush! What is it with everyone today?’
He grinned, his mouth kicking up on one side, and she felt her insides turn over.
‘Go on, hurry up, get changed and we’ll grab a sandwich and eat it in the park. Shoo.’
* * *
She must be mad.
She dabbed the coffee out of her bra—thankfully not a moulded-cup T-shirt bra but just a thin lace one—squashed it dry with paper towels, then pulled on the clean scrubs. It would dry off in time, and she didn’t have any choice.
She checked herself in the mirror, then headed back outside and found him propped against the wall of the building on his phone. He glanced at her, nodded and ended the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
‘Better?’
‘I’ll do.’
‘I really am sorry.’
‘As you were kind enough to point out, I ran into you—although technically I wasn’t running.’
‘Almost, but I wasn’t looking where I was going. Why don’t we call it quits?’ he said with a wry grin, and ushered her into the café. Two minutes later they were sitting outside on a bench and ripping open sandwich packets.
‘Coronation chicken or tuna?’
‘Don’t care. I just want to eat it before my pager goes off.’
He split them, handed her one of each and tore open the potato crisps, and she put their coffee down carefully on the bench between them and bit into the first sandwich.
‘So, Annie Brooks, tell me all about yourself,’ he said.
She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘All?’
He grinned. ‘Well, obviously not all. I don’t need to know when you started your periods or what grade you got for your A levels—’
‘Thirteen, and three As. You?’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘OK. Three As and a B. And I’m still waiting. My mother said it might be a while.’
It was her turn to laugh.
‘OK. I’m...single,’ she said, reluctant to use the word when it wasn’t technically true, because she was definitely in a relationship, albeit with her children. But there didn’t seem to be a box to tick for ‘was engaged to a philandering adulterer who legged it before I could tell him I was pregnant’ so it was hard to find a more appropriate word. And for some reason she didn’t want to tell him about all that.
‘I trained in London, at King’s, and then I worked in various London hospitals, and I’m thirty-six and this is my first consultancy. I work part time, job sharing with Andy, and I work four days a week. Your turn.’
‘OK. I’m thirty-two, single, I trained in Nottingham and I’ve worked in Cambridge and London. My last job was in Great Ormond Street and I’m angling for a consultancy there.’
‘Ah. Hence the Paeds.’
‘Indeed. And I’m definitely full time. With bells on. So, that’s the work thing. How about the rest? Favourite colour, music, film...’
‘OK, my favourite colour is green, I’m vegetarian, a member of Greenpeace, my favourite food is—’
‘Don’t tell me. Peas. Or spinach? Green beans?’
She couldn’t suppress the smile. ‘You guessed.’
‘I sensed a green theme going on and I know for a fact you were lying about being a vegetarian, because you’re eating a chicken sandwich.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘OK. No more prying. Although I wasn’t, really.’
She conceded the point and opened up a little. ‘Actually, my favourite colour probably is green. Look over there at the new leaves on the trees, that brilliant acid green. Isn’t that the most wonderful colour? So full of hope and promise.’
He looked, and with a soft sigh he nodded, his smile somehow sad. ‘Yes. Yes, it is,’ he said quietly. ‘So, if it’s not too personal, why are you here, in Yoxburgh?’
‘Because my family’s here,’ she said honestly but without elaboration. ‘You?’
‘Ditto,’ he said, but there was a shadow in his eyes.
There was a question, as yet unformed, poised on the tip of her tongue when their pagers both beeped.
He pulled his out, glanced at it and stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth as he sprinted for the door, leaving her to deal with the debris of their lunch.
She left their half-finished drinks. She’d had enough coffee-related incidents today without risking another one. It was only when she joined him in Resus and he glanced down at her chest and grinned that she saw the damp imprint of lace on her scrub top. And her nipples, chilly from the light breeze over the damp fabric, had peaked enthusiastically.
She arched a brow primly, covered her top with an apron and pulled on some gloves.
‘So, what have we got?’ she asked him, all efficiency.
‘This is Elizabeth. She slipped and fell over the edge of the kerb. She’s got an open tib and fib on the right and query Colles’ of the left radius and ulna. She’s stable, she’s had five of morphine on the way in and I’ve just given her another five, and she’s very coherent, aren’t you, Elizabeth?’
‘Am I? I don’t feel very coherent. That morphine’s lovely,’ she slurred.
‘Good. We’re just waiting for X-rays to confirm the fractures. Would you do me a favour, Annie, and check the pulse in that foot? I think it’s looking a bit pale.’
‘Sure.’
It was. Pale, cold and she didn’t like the look of it.
‘I’ve got a pulse, but it’s weak.’
He nodded. ‘That’s what I thought. The orthos are tied up in Theatre. I think it might need a little help before they’re free.’
‘Elizabeth?’
‘Oh, Jerry! Thank goodness you’re here.’
‘Sorry, darling, I had trouble parking the car.’ He grasped her good hand and looked up at them worriedly. ‘How is she?’
‘Sore, broken, but she’ll be all right,’ Annie assured him. ‘Her leg’s a bit of a worry. I think the blood vessels might be pinched, so we want to stretch it out a little and line the bones up better.’
He winced, and squeezed his wife’s hand. ‘Will you do it under anaesthetic?’
Ed shook his head. ‘No need, it’s really fast. We’ll give her a sedative and she might moan a bit but she won’t really know anything about it and she’ll come round very quickly. She’s had lots of pain relief.’
‘Morphine. It’s lovely,’ she said, smiling up at her husband and looking utterly away with the fairies.
‘Oh, dear. You always were a lightweight, my poppet,’ he said fondly, and kissed her forehead. ‘She just tripped over the kerb and down she went, just like that. I heard the crack from the other side of the car. Horrible.’
‘Yes, it’s a nasty break, and she’ll need surgery to stabilise it. Right, have we got that ketamine drawn up?’
It took moments. Ed took her foot, Annie took her knee and it was done. Her foot went pink and the pulse was instantly better, with only a little moan to show for it.
Jerry looked a bit queasy for a moment, but he hung on, stroking her hair back from her face and kissing her, and as she came round she smiled at him.
‘It’s all done,’ he told her, and she looked surprised.
‘Oh. That was quick.’
‘That’s us,’ Ed said with a grin. ‘Faster than a speeding bullet. Right, can we have a backslab on that and refer her to the orthopaedic team, please?’
‘The wrist fracture’s undisplaced,’ Annie told him. ‘I think we could just put a backslab on that for now, too.’
He nodded. ‘OK, Elizabeth, they’ll be taking you up to the ward soon to admit you, and then you’ll be going to Theatre to fix your leg.’
‘Will it be all right?’
‘It should be fine, but you might set off the alarms in the airport from now on.’
‘Oh, how exciting,’ she said with a smile, and Annie chuckled, amazed at her optimism and positivity.
Jerry smiled. ‘That’s my girl. Always looks on the bright side.’
But his wife frowned. ‘Not always. Talking of theatres, we won’t be able to go to the play tonight, will we? What a shame. I was so looking forward to it.’
‘We’ll go another time.’ Jerry looked up at them, glancing from Ed to Annie and back. ‘I don’t suppose either of you two can use these?’
He produced a couple of tickets from his jacket pocket and held them out. ‘Tickets for Arsenic and Old Lace at the Yoxburgh Playhouse this evening. We’re obviously going to be otherwise engaged, and it seems a shame to waste them. And if you can’t use them, perhaps you could pass them on?’
‘Of course. Thank you, how kind of you. That’s very generous.’
‘Well, they’re no use to us, and there’s no point in wasting them. And you’ve been very kind. All of you have.’
Ed smiled and pocketed the tickets. ‘Thank you. We’ll make sure they get used. Good luck, Elizabeth. Hope it goes well.’
‘I’m sure it will. Thank you for the morphine. I might have to come back for some more of that, it’s rather nice.’
He chuckled as Kate wheeled the trolley out, but she slowed as she passed and murmured something to him.
He just laughed, and then the doors swished shut and he turned to Annie, his eyes thoughtful.
‘I don’t suppose you’re free this evening? I know Kate is, she just told me, but, to be honest I’m not sure I’m brave enough to take her up on it.’ There was a smile flickering in the back of his eyes, and she laughed softly.
‘She’s not that bad.’
‘If you say so, but I’d much rather take you.’
She tilted her head on one side and studied him searchingly. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Of course I’m serious. Why not? We’ve just been given two free tickets for a very funny play, and frankly I could do with a good laugh and you look as if you could, too. So—are you free to come with me or are you going to make me take Kate?’
Was she free? Free to go, yes, if her mother would babysit, and tonight wasn’t a night she was usually busy. But—free to go out with Dr Gorgeous?
That was an altogether different question and it made her heart beat a little faster.
‘I need to check with my family,’ she said evasively, and his smile softened.
‘Me, too. So, shall we both do that and then confirm?’
‘Good idea. I’ll let you know.’
‘What happened to our coffee, by the way?’ he asked as they walked out of Resus together.
‘Ah. I left it outside. Thought we’d had enough coffee dramas today.’
His eyes flicked down to her chest, and he smiled, sending all sorts of crazy messages to her nerve endings.
‘Probably wise. Want to try again?’
But the red phone and her pager had other ideas, and they headed off in different directions, coffee on hold again.
‘Don’t forget to let me know,’ he called after her, and she nodded.
She still wasn’t sure if she wanted to go. No, she was sure that she did, but she wasn’t sure—at all—of the wisdom of it. Nevertheless, as soon as she could, she rang her mother.
* * *
‘So, are you taking me to the theatre tonight?’
He looked down into Kate’s guileless eyes and smiled wryly. ‘No. I’m taking Annie, if she’s free.’
‘Annie?’
‘Yes, Annie. What’s wrong with that?’
Kate shrugged. ‘Nothing. Just—she’s older than you, and she’ll need a babysitter if her mum can’t do it.’
Babysitter?
‘She’s checking it out,’ he said smoothly, while his understanding of Annie realigned itself in private. ‘And age is nothing to do with it. This is hardly a hot date and, anyway, she’s not exactly ancient.’
‘Well, if you change your mind, I’m definitely available,’ she said, her tempting smile promising to turn it into the hot date of the century.
He wasn’t tempted. Not in the least, which was odd because normally he might well have been, but compared to Annie—well, there was no comparison, and he had to put her straight or life was going to be really difficult.
‘Thanks, but I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ he said gently but firmly. ‘And for what it’s worth, I won’t change my mind. Ever. I’m not in the market, Kate, so you’re wasting your time with me.’
She smiled ruefully. ‘Shame. We could have had fun. Well, if you do change your mind, you know where to find me.’
Did she have no pride?
He went back to work, the word ‘babysitter’ echoing in his head. Funny. She hadn’t mentioned a child. Family, yes, but a child? Not that it changed anything, not for this evening. Or any other evening. He wasn’t going there, he reminded himself firmly. Tonight was a definite one-off.
He grabbed the little mid-afternoon lull and went out of the door to call his grandmother. ‘Hi, Marnie. How are you doing?’
‘OK. What’s wrong? You don’t usually ring during the day.’
‘I wanted to ask you a favour. We’ve been given tickets to the theatre tonight by a patient. I just wondered if you could cope without me this evening if I went.’
‘Of course I can cope. You go and have a lovely time. Are you going with anyone nice?’
He laughed softly. ‘I’m going with a colleague. We were both working on the case.’
‘Well, have fun with her.’
Her? Damn her razor-sharp intuition. He could challenge her but that would draw attention to it, so he changed the subject. ‘How’s he been today? Are you sure you can get him to bed all right on your own? Mum and Dad should be around if not.’
‘Of course I can do it. As you said, your parents are around if I run into difficulties.’
Although they both knew she wouldn’t call them unless there was an out and out crisis. And he could see where they were coming from, how emotionally distressing his father found it, but—
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure. You go out and have a lovely time, but I expect you to tell me all about it.’
He chuckled. ‘OK, will do. I’ll see you later. Call if you need me, I’ll have my phone on silent but I’ll feel it ring and I can always leave. It won’t be too late, anyway.’
‘I won’t need you. You go and have fun. Love you, darling.’
‘Love you, too. I’ll see you later.’
He hung up and turned round, to find Annie watching him thoughtfully.
‘I thought you said you were single?’
He blinked. ‘I am. That was my grandmother.’
‘Oh.’ She coloured slightly and waved a hand. ‘Sorry. I’m a bit, um...’
‘Suspicious?’
‘Sorry,’ she said again. ‘It’s a habit.’
He nodded, then said casually, ‘So did you get your babysitter sorted out?’
She stiffened, her eyes widening briefly with alarm, and then she frowned. ‘How...?’
‘Kate,’ he told her, although he didn’t tell her what else Kate had said in the process of eliminating the competition.
She rolled her eyes. ‘Of course. Silly me.’ She gave a wry laugh but she didn’t look pleased and so he didn’t pursue it. Her dependants were none of his business.
‘So—did you sort it?’ he asked again, and she nodded.
‘Yes. Yes, I did. It’s fine.’
‘Good. That means we’re both free. So, shall I pick you up at seven?’
Panic flared in her luminous blue eyes. ‘No. I’ll meet you there at a quarter past. It’s only a short walk from home and it’s a lovely day.’
And you don’t want to give me your address.
‘OK. I’ll be there at seven-fifteen, armed with the tickets. We can have a drink before the show. I’ll get them in ready. What would you like?’
‘Oh. Um—dry white wine?’
‘OK.’ He smiled at her, curious that she seemed suddenly flustered by the idea of the drink. ‘So—do you want me, or were you just eavesdropping?’
‘I want y—’ She broke off, and soft colour washed over her cheeks again as she registered what she was saying, but she held his eyes anyway and he suppressed a smile. ‘There’s a little girl I want you to look at,’ she amended.
‘OK. Lead me to her, and you can fill me in.’
* * *
This is not a date.
She stared blankly at the contents of her wardrobe, the words echoing in her head like a mantra.
So—what to wear, then? Jeans? Or smart-casual, which opened a whole new can of worms, because there was a huge range of options.
Who was she kidding? Her wardrobe was scanty, to say the least, and apart from work clothes she spent precious little on it because the budget just didn’t stretch to pretty stuff she never got to wear.
But there was one thing, a rich sapphire-blue maxi dress in soft jersey that she’d bought last summer that she could dress up or down, and she really, really didn’t want to wear jeans and a top again. She hardly ever went out. This was the first time in ages, and she knew it wasn’t a date, but there was no harm in looking nice, was there?
And at least it didn’t smell of coffee.
She put it on, ripped it off again and put a strappy white vest top on underneath, then pulled it on again and stood back. Better. Cleavage would send out a whole different message, one she wasn’t happy with—and just to be on the safe side, she was wearing a T-shirt bra with moulded cups so her nipples wouldn’t show if she got chilly. He’d seen quite enough of them today already.
She slid her feet into some pretty little flat pumps, pulled on a cardi, contemplated and dismissed a necklace and at the last minute spritzed herself with perfume.
It was evening, after all, and she couldn’t wear it at work, so why not? She checked her lippy, stood back for another look and then glanced at her watch.
Yikes. She was going to have to run.
‘Bye, Mum,’ she said, sticking her head round the door.
‘Bye, darling. You look lovely. Have a good time.’
‘Thanks, I will. Call if you need me, I’ve got my phone on silent. Got to dash.’
She grabbed her bag, debated a jacket and then went without it. No time to dither, no time to stroll there in a leisurely fashion, just a rapid walk that brought her up the steps to the Yoxburgh Playhouse at a hair past seven-fifteen.
She walked in, went up to the bar and he was standing there waiting for her, looking good enough to eat in a casual linen blazer, jeans and a blinding white shirt open at the neck to reveal that oh-so-masculine throat. He hadn’t shaved, and the dark shadow on his jaw just added to the tantalising aura of danger that surrounded him.
His smile made her heart trip faster.
‘Hi. Sorry I’m late.’
‘You’re not—well, only a few seconds. Here, have a drink.’
She took the glass, conscious of the fact that she was windswept, breathing hard and would probably start to glow like a beacon in a moment. ‘Thank you.’
‘My pleasure. You look lovely, by the way. Pretty dress.’
‘Thanks. I don’t really have a lot of choice, and it’s nice to have a chance to wear it.’
‘It suits you. That colour really works with your eyes.’
‘What, the shadows underneath?’
He chuckled. ‘You really need to learn to take a compliment, Annie.’
Well, no, she didn’t. She’d had compliments, bucketloads of them, but they’d all been lies and frankly she didn’t care if she never heard another one. As she’d pointed out to him, being suspicious was a habit.
‘Sorry. I don’t trust compliments.’
He frowned, opened his mouth as if to say something and then shut it again, but his eyes were frank and assessing, and she got the feeling there wasn’t much he didn’t see.
And that made her uneasy. She didn’t want to be the object of his scrutiny, so she changed the subject fast.
‘So—remind me of the plot?’
One of those strong, dark eyebrows quirked, but he let her get away with it.
‘Oh, it’s crazy. Two daffy old sisters who poison their lodgers and bury them in the cellar in graves dug by a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and he’s digging the Panama Canal, and another brother who’s in love with the preacher’s daughter. I haven’t seen it for years but it’s very, very funny.’
‘It sounds chaotic. I was trying to remember if I’d ever seen it, but I don’t think I have. What a shame about Elizabeth’s fall.’
‘Mmm. They were really looking forward to it. She’s doing OK, by the way. I rang a little while ago and she was out of surgery and back on the ward and it all went well.’
‘Good. Well, here’s to them.’
She raised her glass, and he clinked his against it and held her eyes with his as he took the first sip.
They smouldered slightly—or was it just her imagination? She looked away, suddenly conscious of his nearness in the now-crowded bar, and she felt the warmth from her brisk walk beginning to make itself felt.
‘Gosh, it’s getting hot in here,’ she said, peeling off her cardi and slinging it over her arm.
‘It’ll be warm in the auditorium, too. We’d better drink up and go and find our seats.’
‘Good idea.’ She drained her glass, felt the wine hit her system and wished she’d had a little more to eat before she’d come out. All she needed was to trip over the steps and fall flat on her face.
But she didn’t fall, and he held her elbow and ushered her politely to her seat, folding it down for her and then sitting after she was settled.
Bone-deep good manners.
And suddenly she felt safer, less threatened, because for all he was gorgeous, he’d said and done nothing to make her feel uncomfortable. It was just her own reaction to him, and she could manage that. It was under her control.
It would be fine.
And it was, right up until the time the lights dimmed, the audience went quiet and her arm brushed against his in the narrow seats.
He’d taken off his jacket, turned back his sleeves and the soft hairs on his forearm teased her skin, making the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention.
Heat shot through her, and she shifted subtly, moving slightly out of his way, but there was someone on the other side who was taking the whole armrest, so she shifted back again, right into the warm, fragrant air that surrounded him, the scent of cologne drifting over her and making her want to lean closer and breathe him in.
She resisted the urge, just folded her hands in her lap to keep her elbows out of mischief, and then the action on stage caught her attention and she made herself forget about him and let the experience take over.
* * *
‘That was so, so funny.’
‘Wasn’t it? Utterly hilarious. Very physical. I’m surprised some of the cast haven’t been in to see us before now. They did Alan Ayckbourn’s Noises Off when I was in Nottingham, and someone came in with a broken leg from falling down the stairs one too many times.’
‘Ouch. The things they do for their art.’ Annie tugged her cardi closer round her shoulders as they headed for the street. ‘Gosh, it’s cooled off. I am an idiot, I nearly brought a jacket but I was running late and it seemed quite warm at seven.’
‘Here.’
Before she could protest, she felt the weight of his blazer draped around her shoulders, warm from his body and carrying the scent of his cologne. It was like wearing him, and she breathed in slowly and drew the heady essence of him deep into her lungs.
‘Better?’
‘Much. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. I could make a wisecrack about you not dressing adequately, but I’m not that mean.’
‘No, of course not. Just for that, I won’t offer it back.’
‘Pride wouldn’t let me take it. And anyway, as I’ve already pointed out, you look lovely so it’s a small sacrifice.’
‘I’m sure you’ll live.’
‘I’m sure I will. But it does mean I have to walk you home to repossess it.’
He grinned at her with that little-boy grin, and she smiled back, her eyes softening. ‘That’s fine, I’ll let you. I don’t think you’re about to turn into a stalker. Thank you for taking me this evening, by the way.’
‘You’re welcome. Thank you for coming. You do realise if you hadn’t been able to, I would have been obliged to ask Kate.’
She laughed softly at his shudder. ‘Why didn’t you ask her in the first place? I can’t believe you’re really scared of her.’
He chuckled. ‘No contest. It was you or Kate, and you were the obvious choice. Apart from the fact that Jerry gave us the tickets and not Kate, I’d far rather be with you. I think we have the same sense of humour.’
‘And Kate doesn’t?’
His mouth quirked. ‘Kate isn’t interested in humour. She just wants my body.’
Annie spluttered and clapped her hand over her mouth to suppress the laugh. ‘That’s outrageous!’
‘It’s true. She as good as said so. I told her I wasn’t interested.’
‘She’ll be gutted. She fell in love with you yesterday when she saw you through the glass.’
He chuckled, but there was a tinge of colour on his neck and it made her smile.
‘So—just out of curiosity,’ she asked after a moment of companionable silence, ‘and feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but who was your grandmother putting to bed?’
‘Ah. My grandfather. He’s—’ Ed broke off, and his face looked troubled.
‘Sorry. You don’t have to talk about it.’
‘That’s OK. He’s in a wheelchair and he’s a bit difficult to deal with sometimes.’
She nodded slowly. ‘Is that why you’re here? To help with caring for him?’
He looked down at her, surprised by her intuition, but maybe he shouldn’t have been because she seemed to be able to read him easily.
‘Yes,’ he told her, because it was the truth, if not the whole truth. ‘He’s going downhill fast now, and Marnie really can’t manage any longer, but she’s determined to look after him herself. I don’t know how long he’s got, but I promised her I’d be around for her until he’s gone.’
‘And then?’
He shrugged. ‘Who knows?’
‘So do you live with them?’
He shook his head, surprising her. ‘No. I’ve got my own place closer to the hospital. I’m renting it from the Walkers. He’s an obstetrician. James put me in touch with them when he offered me the job.’
‘And does she mind? Your grandmother?’
‘No,’ he said, but he wasn’t sure it was true. ‘She would probably rather have had the company, but I told her I needed to be nearer the hospital and she was OK with it.’
‘So where do they live?’
‘On the clifftop near the golf club.’
She frowned. ‘But—that’s only about a mile or so away from the hospital.’
‘I know, but mine is closer, and that’s five minutes in an emergency, and she hasn’t questioned it. And I needed my own space.’
‘And you couldn’t say so.’
He smiled wryly. ‘No. Not directly. Not like that.’
Annie nodded slowly. ‘Families are tricky things. Juggling all the obligations. The guilt.’
‘Tell me about it.’ He looked down at her again as they strolled slowly along the pavement. ‘So where does your mother live?’
‘With me. Or, rather, we live with her. I’ve got two daughters. Twins. Chloe and Grace. They’re nearly three. She took early retirement and moved down to London to help me when I went back to work, and we lived in my rented flat, but then my grandmother needed more support so we moved back up here to Mum’s bungalow when a job came up last summer. I’ve been here nearly a year and it’s been brilliant, but we couldn’t afford a big enough house for all of us so we’re living in Mum’s for now until I’ve cleared my debts from my maternity leave. It’s a bit crowded, though, and sometimes I just long for my own space.’
He nodded. ‘I can understand that. Even if it’s just for a short while every day, it’s important, and I imagine that’s even more true with twins. That’s pretty hard-core parenting, I should imagine, especially in the early days.’ He hesitated for a minute, then went on, ‘And their father?’
‘Not part of our lives,’ she said firmly, and he heard the door slam firmly closed.
That was fine. He had enough no-go areas in his own life to understand she had hers, but it didn’t stop him despising a man who could abandon his own children. Some people didn’t know how lucky they were.
She’d come to a halt, pausing in front of a small detached bungalow in a leafy avenue just around the corner from his rented house.
‘This is me,’ she said, and he opened the garden gate and walked her to the door. The porch light wasn’t on and the area was shaded from the streetlight by a tree, creating an intimate little space.
Too intimate.
Suddenly the air was filled with tension, crackling with electricity, heavy with expectation and suppressed emotion. His? Hers?
Both?
He couldn’t kiss her. It would be crazy. They were colleagues. He’d told his grandmother that. Hell, he’d told Kate that, and he didn’t want to muddy the waters at work.
But he wanted to kiss her.
Despite all his best intentions, despite the serious talking-to he’d given himself the night before, he wanted to kiss her.
And she wanted to kiss him. He could feel it, in the tension coming off her in waves, in the hesitation, the breathless sense of anticipation.
He reached for her, his hands pausing briefly on her shoulders, then common sense intervened and he slipped the jacket off her shoulders and stepped back.
‘Goodnight, Annie. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
For a nano-second she didn’t move, but then he felt the tension snap and she nodded, slipped her key in the lock and vanished inside the door, closing it softly in his face.
He let his breath out on a long, slow sigh, turned on his heel and walked back to the pavement. He hesitated, then turned right instead of left and walked slowly along the quiet streets towards his grandparents’ house, deep in thought.
He hadn’t kissed her. He’d so nearly done it, but then at the last second he’d bottled out.
No. Not bottled out. Come to his senses, in the nick of time.
The wind picked up, the sea breeze teasing his skin with cool fingers. He shrugged into his jacket, and it was still warm from her body, the scent of her perfume lingering on the fabric, and he realised he hadn’t come to his senses at all. He’d just delayed the inevitable.
