Dare She Date the Dreamy Doc?

by Sarah Morgan

  Lexi squinted out of the window. ‘Better pull it together fast, Mum, lover-boy is strolling up the path. I’ll go and let him in, shall I?’ She sauntered towards the door, crisps in her hand. ‘Hi, Ryan. I’m glad you’re here, because Mum so needs a doctor. She’s acting weird. I’ve waved, like, five packets of crisps under her nose and she hasn’t even reacted. Normally she’d be freaking out and going on about too much salt, too much fat. Today—nothing. What’s the matter with her?’

  ‘Perhaps you’d better leave us for a moment.’ Ryan dropped his car keys on the table, but Lexi shook her head and plopped onto a chair by the kitchen table.

  ‘No way. I’m fed up with being the last person to know stuff around here. If you want to get rid of me you’ll have to kick me out, and that will be child abuse.’

  A smile flickered at the corners of Ryan’s mouth. ‘Presumably that wouldn’t be a good start to our relationship.’

  Lexi looked at him thoughtfully. ‘You’ve got a thing for my mum, haven’t you?’

  Ryan winced, and Jenna came to her senses. ‘Lexi!’

  ‘It’s too late for discipline. I’m already full of crisps.’ Lexi folded her arms. ‘It would be great if someone around here would give me a straight answer for once. I know you like my mum, so there’s no point in denying it.’

  ‘That isn’t quite how I’d describe it,’ Ryan said carefully, and Jenna felt the pulse beat in her throat.

  Lexi didn’t pause. ‘What words would you use?’

  ‘I love your mum.’ Ryan spoke the words calmly, with no hint of apology or question. ‘I love her very much. But I realise that the situation is complicated.’

  ‘What’s complicated about it? She’s divorced, and you—’ Lexi frowned. ‘Are you married or something?’

  ‘No. I was in the past.’

  ‘So, basically, you’re free and single?’ Lexi grinned cheekily. ‘I missed out the “young” bit, did you notice?’

  ‘I noticed. Remind me to punish you later.’ A sardonic smile on his face, Ryan sat down at the table. ‘I’m not sure what order to do this in. If you want to be part of a family that already exists, do you propose to the woman or the daughter?’

  ‘Don’t waste your time proposing to me,’ Lexi said casually. ‘You may be hot, but you’re way too old for me. How old are you?’

  ‘Thirty-six.’

  Lexi shuddered. ‘You’d go and die, or something, while I was still in my prime. Mind you, that has its advantages. Are you rich?’

  ‘Lexi!’ Jenna finally found her voice. ‘You can’t—’

  ‘Actually, I am pretty rich. Why does that matter?’ Ryan’s long fingers toyed with his keys. ‘Are you open to bribery and corruption?’

  ‘Of course. I’m a teenager. The art of negotiation is an important life skill.’ Lexi grabbed a grape from the fruit bowl and popped it in her mouth. ‘So how big a bribe are we talking about? If I let you marry my mum you’ll buy me a pink Porsche?’

  Ryan grimaced. ‘Not pink. Please not pink.’

  Glancing between the two of them in disbelief, Jenna shook her head. ‘Can we have a proper conversation?’

  ‘We are having a proper conversation.’ Lexi looked at Ryan speculatively. ‘What music do you like?’

  ‘I have eclectic tastes.’

  ‘In other words you’ll pretend to like anything I like.’

  ‘No. But I’m sure there would be some common ground.’

  ‘If I let you marry my mum, will you teach me to abseil?’

  Jenna felt faint. ‘Lexi—Ryan—for goodness’ sake—’

  ‘I don’t see why not.’

  ‘And surf?’

  ‘Your balance was pretty impressive on those rocks, and you don’t seem to mind being swamped by seawater.’ Ryan gave a casual shrug and a smile touched his mouth. ‘Looks like I’m going to be busy.’

  ‘And you promise not to tell me what time to go to bed or nag me about my diet?’

  ‘You can eat what you like and go to bed when you like.’

  Lexi fiddled with his car keys. ‘Do I have to call you Dad?’

  ‘You can call me whatever you like.’

  ‘I never thought about having another father.’

  There was a long silence, and then Ryan stirred. ‘How about another friend? Have you thought about having another one of those?’

  Lexi gave a slow smile and stood up. ‘Yeah,’ she drawled huskily, ‘I could go with that. I’ll leave you two alone now. The thought of watching a man kiss my mum is just a bit gross. I’m taking Rebel down on the beach to wash off whatever it is he’s rolled in. I reckon it’s going to take me at least two hours to get him clean, and I’m going to bang the front door really loudly when I come back.’ Grinning wickedly, she scooped up the lead and then walked over to Jenna. ‘Say yes, Mum. You know you want to.’ She glanced over her shoulder to Ryan. ‘And he’s pretty cool—for an older person. We’re going to do OK.’

  Jenna couldn’t find her voice. ‘Lex—’

  ‘You’re almost too old to have another baby, so you’d better not waste any time,’ Lexi advised, kissing Jenna on the cheek.

  Sensing Ryan’s eyes on her, Jenna swallowed. ‘Lexi, we won’t—’

  ‘I hope you do. Think of all the money I’d earn babysitting.’ Lexi grinned. ‘How much would you pay me to change nappies? I’ll think about a decent rate while I’m scrubbing Rebel. See you later.’ She sauntered out of the house, leaving the two of them alone.

  Aware of Ryan still watching her, Jenna opened her mouth and closed it again.

  He stood up and walked across to her. ‘I had an unexpected visitor this morning.’

  ‘You did?’

  ‘The Reverend King.’ There was a gleam of humour in his eyes. ‘He wanted to know exactly what time we wanted the church on Christmas Eve. Apparently it’s been reserved provisionally in our name. His suggestion was just before lunch, so that the entire island could then gather for food at our expense. I wondered what you thought.’

  Jenna swallowed. Then she turned her head and stared into the garden, watching as Lexi put Rebel on his lead and led him through the little gate towards the beach. ‘I think that life sometimes surprises you,’ she said huskily. ‘I think that just when you think everything is wrong, it suddenly turns out right. I think I’m lucky. What do you think?’

  Ryan closed his hands over her shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘I think we only have two hours before Lexi comes home.’ His fingers were strong, and he held her as though he never intended to let her go. ‘We should probably make the most of it. Especially if we want to make a baby before we’re both too old.’

  She made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob and flung her arms around his neck. ‘What if I can’t? What if I am too old? What if I can’t give you a family?’

  His hands gentle, he cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers. ‘Marry me and you will have given me all the family I need. You. Lexi.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Sometimes we don’t begin a journey knowing where it’s going to end,’ he said softly, resting his forehead against hers as he looked down at her. ‘Sometimes we don’t have all the answers. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know that whatever it is we’ll deal with it. Together. The three of us. And Rebel, of course.’

  The three of us.

  Holding those words against her like a warm blanket, Jenna lifted her head. ‘The three of us,’ she whispered softly. ‘That sounds good to me.’

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-6069-0

  DARE SHE DATE THE DREAMY DOC?

  First North American Publication 2010.

  Copyright © 2010 by Sarah Morgan.

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