by Sarah Morgan
‘I thought that was controversial?’
‘I think it might be appropriate in Diane’s case. I’ll call them.’ He strode out of the room again just as Ellie walked in.
‘Diane? I’ve been looking after your lovely boys,’ she said, ‘and I wanted to let you know that they’re doing fine. We’ve given them oxygen and they’re sitting up and chatting. They’ve told me everything that’s on their Christmas lists and all I can say is I hope you won the lottery recently.’
‘They’re all right?’ Diane clutched Stella’s hand. ‘It’s because of you,’ she said hoarsely. ‘It’s because of you they’re alive. I can’t believe I just thought they were tired. You saved our lives.’
‘She’s a miracle,’ Ellie agreed, winking at Stella, ‘but don’t tell her too often or she’ll expect a pay rise and we don’t do things like that around here.’
Stella smiled at her friend and squeezed Diane’s hand. ‘I’m just relieved that your family is all right.’
‘If you hadn’t thought of it—or if that doctor hadn’t taken you seriously—’
‘I always take her seriously,’ Daniel drawled from the doorway, a gleam in his eyes as he glanced briefly at Stella. ‘Diane, I’ve spoken to my colleagues and I’m transferring you for some special treatment, and the others, too.’
Stella helped with the arrangements and once Diane had been transferred, she went back to the room to clear up.
‘Well done. You just made someone’s Christmas.’ Daniel stood in the doorway and her heart danced an uneven rhythm because the way he was looking at her was achingly familiar.
‘I’m just glad it turned out all right.’ She pushed the ECG machine to the end of the cubicle, reminding herself to keep it professional. If they just talked about work, it would be fine. ‘How are the children? Ellie said they should be fine.’
‘Their COHb levels were quite high, but hopefully they won’t suffer any long-term problems. The fire brigade wore breathing apparatus when they went in. Apparently the gas fire was lethal. Blocked flue or something.’ He strolled into the room, his eyes on hers. ‘Good job, Stella. I’ve missed working with you.’ His gruff male tones melted her bones to liquid.
‘I’ve missed working with you, too,’ she breathed, her hands tightening around the side of the trolley. ‘You’re a good doctor.’
There was a painful silence and Stella stood there, so aware of him that he may as well have been touching her.
‘Look at me, Stella.’ His soft command made her heart skip and she lifted her head and looked at him. And instantly regretted it. With a murmur of confusion, she gave a little shake of her head and his eyes darkened.
‘Stella, I—’
‘Daniel?’ A crisp, female voice came from behind him and they both glanced guiltily towards the door.
A woman stood there. She was slim and businesslike, dressed smartly in a navy suit and a white shirt, and in her right hand she held a briefcase. Her glossy red hair was neatly contained in a professional-looking French plait and her make-up was immaculate.
‘Andrea.’ Daniel hesitated and then cast a wary glance towards Stella.
And she understood instantly who the woman was.
His lawyer.
‘I’ll just go and check the waiting room.’ Stella intended to slide out of the room, but the woman stopped her.
‘Don’t run away on my account. I’m due in court in ten minutes so I don’t have long. Dan—about tonight. Don’t pick me up. I’ll meet you there. I’d rather drive myself.’ She was all crisp efficiency. ‘And I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow, so I won’t be staying overnight.’
Stella dug her nails into her palms, horrified by the agonising pain she felt. She was supposed to be over him, wasn’t she? She wasn’t supposed to care any more. So why did it hurt to meet his latest girlfriend? And to hear her talking about ‘staying over’, as if it was a regular occurrence.
Well, of course it was. What had she expected? Daniel was a red-blooded male. Just because he had no interest in marriage and children, it didn’t mean he had no interest in other things.
Shaken by the depth of the pain she felt, Stella mumbled an excuse and slid past the two of them, avoiding eye contact with Daniel.
He had his life and she had hers.
And that was the way she wanted it.
‘Caring of Cumbria’ was going to be her type, she reminded herself. And he was going to stop her thinking about Daniel.
‘What do you know about this guy she’s seeing?’ Daniel stood in his brother’s kitchen, staring across the yard towards the converted stable. A light shone behind a curtain and he assumed that Stella was getting ready to go out for the evening. For some reason that he didn’t understand, the thought set his teeth on edge.
‘Nothing.’ Patrick drained the pasta. ‘Posy, sit at the table. Alfie, help your sister. God, I’m tired. I can’t remember the last time I spent a whole night in my bed. The labour ward is crazy.’
‘You’re the boss. You’re supposed to delegate.’
‘I don’t delegate life-and-death situations. Why are so many babies born near Christmas?’
‘I don’t know.’ Daniel leaned forward and stole a piece of pasta. ‘You’re the obstetrician.’
‘Can I have extra cheese on my pasta?’ Alfie picked Posy up and sat her on her chair. Then he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk.
‘Not milk,’ Patrick said absently, cursing under his breath as the water scalded his fingers. ‘Give her water. Otherwise she’s too full to eat.’
Daniel felt something pressing on his ankle and looked down to see a kitten looking up at him hopefully. ‘About this guy that Stella is seeing…’
‘I don’t know anything about the guy Stella is seeing.’
‘I do.’ Alfie replaced the milk and poured water into two cups. ‘I know he’s not in the mountain rescue team.’ He put the cup in front of his sister. ‘And I don’t think he has muscles. But I know he wants to get married and have kids. That’s why she’s picked him. I just hope he doesn’t turn out to be a real creep. She’ll find out tonight. Ellie is going to phone her at nine and if he’s really yucky then she’s going to pretend there’s a crisis at home. I guess that will work. She hasn’t given him her address or anything.’ He scooped up the kitten that was winding itself around Daniel’s legs and sneaked it onto his lap under the table, casting a furtive glance at his father.
Stunned into silence by the volume of information that Alfie had delivered, Daniel gaped at his nephew and then turned to his brother. ‘He’s ten years old.’
‘He inherited his intelligence from me.’ Patrick put a bowl of pasta in front of his golden-haired daughter. ‘Alfie spends every available minute with Stella. He knows far more about her than I do.’
Daniel turned his attention back to his nephew. ‘You’ve been spending time with her?’
‘Why not? She’s got this brilliant laptop. It’s so cool. And she does this dating thing. You ought to do it, Dad.’ Alfie squirted ketchup onto his plate. ‘Stella had three hundred and fifty replies. If you had that many they could each come here and cook a meal and you wouldn’t have to cook again for a whole year.’
‘What’s wrong with my cooking? And I know you’ve brought that kitten to the table again, Alfie. I’m not blind or stupid. Put her on the floor. And don’t eat with your fingers, Posy.’ Clearly distracted, Patrick put the fork into his daughter’s hand. ‘Alfie, eat, please. I’ve got to go back to the hospital in a minute.’
‘Dating agency?’ Feeling as though he was five steps behind everyone else, Daniel stared at his nephew. ‘Stella is using a dating agency?’
‘Yup.’ Ignoring his father, Alfie kept the kitten on his lap. ‘On the internet. It’s the only way she’s going to meet a decent man. She’s been through three hundred and fifty people and she’s chosen someone who isn’t a bit like you.’
Patrick gave a choked laugh and Daniel glared at him and then pulled out
a chair and sat down next to Alfie.
‘So she’s meeting a complete stranger?’
‘Not really. She knows loads about him. I think he sounds really boring, but I’m not a girl.’ Alfie stuffed a forkful of pasta into his mouth. ‘She’s really excited. Dad—how long does it take to make a baby?’
A baby?
Daniel had to physically stop himself from sprinting across the courtyard and bolting the stable door from the outside.
There was no way Stella would be intimate with a guy that quickly, he told himself. She wasn’t that type of girl, was she? It had been ages before she’d eventually slept with him.
‘Nine months,’ Patrick said absently. ‘Alfie, Mrs Thornton is going to sit with you tonight.’
Alfie groaned. ‘Not Mrs Thornton. She’s so old.’
‘She isn’t old.’
‘She smells funny and her mouth is really red. Can’t I stay on my own?’
‘You’re too young. I won’t be late.’
‘You always say that, but babies are never predictable,’ Alfie grumbled. ‘They just don’t do what you expect them to do. You’ll be at the hospital all night, like you always are. If Mrs Thornton is here, can I watch that DVD? She’s so shortsighted, she won’t know.’
‘Which DVD?’ Only half listening, Patrick fished his mobile out of his pocket and scrolled through his messages.
‘It’s a twelve rating.’
‘You’re ten, so the answer is no.’
‘My friends have all seen it.’ Alfie wrinkled his nose. ‘I don’t think it’s unsuitable.’
‘So why is it a twelve rating?’
‘Not sure. It will either be “scenes of a violent nature” or “moderate sex references”.’ Alfie spooned another pile of cheese over his pasta. ‘It doesn’t really matter. I fast forward those bits anyway. All that kissing is boring when you’re ten.’
Patrick’s phone rang and he answered it immediately. ‘Buchannan. Yes. How many centimetres dilated is she?’ Still listening, he tucked the phone between his cheek and his shoulder and wiped the tomato sauce from his daughter’s face. ‘No—no, not yet. All right.’
Alfie sighed. ‘Wait for it. He’s going to have to go to the hospital and sort it out.’
Daniel reached forward and stole a piece of pasta from Alfie’s bowl. ‘You know everything that’s going on around here, don’t you?’
‘I have eyes and ears. Never underestimate a kid,’ Alfie said solemnly, pulling his bowl out of Daniel’s reach and wrapping an arm around it protectively. ‘I have this whole house wired. I want to be a spy when I grow up. You could stay with me tonight, then Mrs Thornton wouldn’t have to drag her creaking joints over here.’
‘Creaking joints?’ Daniel looked at his brother with disapproval, wondering who he was entrusting with his children. ‘How old is this woman you’re leaving him with?’
‘At least forty-five,’ Patrick drawled, sliding his phone into his pocket and removing the cheese from Posy’s grasp. ‘To Alfie, that’s old.’
‘She is old and she smells strong. And she’s always asking about Daddy.’
‘She covers herself in perfume before she comes round?’ Daniel leaned back in his chair and grinned at his brother. ‘Sounds as though she’s interested in something other than the welfare of the children.’
‘Unluckily for me.’ Patrick scooped the kitten from Alfie’s lap. ‘Mary, go to the kitchen.’
‘That’s Joseph. I don’t know how you can do your job if you can’t tell the difference between a boy and a girl.’ Alfie pushed his bowl away and looked at Daniel. ‘Can’t you stay with me tonight?’
‘I have a hot date.’ Glancing at his brother, who was still on the phone, Daniel leaned forward and lowered his voice. ‘So, Agent Alfie, you wouldn’t happen to know where Stella is meeting this mystery man of hers, would you?’
‘Yes.’ Alfie picked up his drink. ‘I would.’
Daniel lifted an eyebrow. ‘And are you going to tell me?’
‘I might. But it’s going to cost you.’
Daniel gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘You think I’d pay you for information?’
‘I suppose it depends how important it is to you.’ Alfie slid off his chair and took his bowl to the kitchen.
Daniel followed. ‘You’re a tough negotiator.’
‘You don’t have to pay if you don’t want to know.’
Out of his depth, Daniel took a deep breath and glanced through the door towards his brother, who was now on the phone again, talking to the hospital. ‘How much is it going to cost me?’
Alfie set the dishwasher to rinse. ‘Two pounds fifty.’
‘That’s daylight robbery.’
‘Fine. Why do you want to know where she’s going, anyway?’ Alfie frowned. ‘You two don’t go out together any more. She thinks you’re too macho and you’re worried because she wants babies. I’m only ten but even I can see that that’s going to be a terrible relationship. Kids are a lot of work. I know, because I am one.’
‘She thinks I’m too macho?’ Daniel ran his hand over the back of his neck, unable to believe that he was having this conversation with a ten-year-old. ‘Where do you hear these things?’
‘Stella talks to me. That’s why I like her. She doesn’t treat me like an idiot.’
‘Alfie, you’re no idiot.’ Daniel dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. ‘Five pounds.’
Alfie’s eyes widened. ‘I don’t have any change.’
‘I want to know everything that Stella has told you about this guy.’
‘All right.’ Alfie folded the money carefully and tucked it in his pocket. ‘They’re meeting in the Drunken Fox at eight o’clock.’
‘How are they going to recognise each other?’
‘She’s going to wear red.’ Alfie pulled a face. ‘I hope the guy likes red. She didn’t know whether to wear the red one or the black one, but I said red because I thought she looked nicest in that one. Sort of like a girl from the movies.’
Daniel inhaled sharply. ‘You should have gone with the black.’
‘You don’t want her to look nice?’
‘Red is…’ The colour she’d always worn for him? He’d loved her in red. For a moment his brain tortured him with a mini-clip of Stella in red. The soft red jumper she’d worn the first night he’d kissed her, the silky red dress she’d had on when he’d proposed. ‘You should have told her to wear black.’
‘Why? She looked better in the red.’
Precisely, Daniel thought viciously, searching for an excuse to stride across to the stable, knock on the door and stop her going out.
‘Why are you giving my son money?’ Patrick ended the phone call and walked into the kitchen, Posy in his arms.
‘I’m his uncle.’ Daniel walked across and kissed Posy on the top of her head. ‘I can give him money if I want to.’
Patrick’s eyes narrowed suspiciously but at that moment the doorbell rang. ‘That will be Mrs Thornton. Alfie, make sure you’re in bed by eight-thirty. No messing around. And don’t watch anything unsuitable.’
‘Just go, Dad.’ Alfie lowered the kitten gently to the floor and handed Posy her doll. ‘We’ll be fine. If Mrs Thornton dies of old age, I’ll call you.’
‘Don’t be cheeky.’
Daniel walked towards the door. ‘I’ll catch you later.’
Patrick reached for his coat. ‘Lucky you, having a night off. Are you seeing the lawyer?’
‘Yes.’ And Daniel strode out of the house before his brother could question him further.
For some reason he didn’t want to examine too closely, he wasn’t prepared to tell Patrick how he planned to spend his evening.
Nodding to the woman on the doorstep, he made for his car.
Chapter Four
STELLA turned sideways and looked at herself in the mirror. Was she overdressed? Perhaps she should have just worn jeans. On the other hand, if it went well they were going on to a restaurant afterwards,
so jeans might not be dressy enough.
She looked fine. It was just that the dress reminded her of Daniel.
He’d always loved her in red and the last time she’d worn this dress they’d—
Remembering what they’d done, Stella yanked the dress over her head and threw it on the bed with the other clothes she’d tried on. It was no good. She couldn’t wear it. It just felt wrong. And the pile of clothes on the bed was growing.
Stella stared in the mirror, reminding herself that this was a new relationship. A whole new chapter of her life. And Daniel wasn’t in her life any more.
And the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about him made it even more important for her to go out with someone else.
Exasperated with herself, she grabbed the red dress again, relieved that no one was watching her. If anyone had seen how indecisive she was about a stupid dress, they’d fire her from her job.
She zipped it up a final time and then tried to do something with her hair, but there was so much static after all the clothes she’d pulled on and off over her head she just gave up in despair and left it loose.
Realising that she was going to be late if she didn’t move fast, she eyed the clothes on the bed and decided she’d have to tidy them up later. Grabbing her favourite pair of black boots, she pulled them on and dragged her coat out of the wardrobe.
By her bed were various bags, filled with the beginnings of her Christmas shopping. Realising how much she still had left to do was enough to induce a panic attack, so she put the thought aside and reminded herself there was plenty of time until Christmas.
Fifteen minutes later she was in the car park of the pub, her heart thumping so hard she felt dizzy.
What if she knew someone in the pub?
She’d intentionally picked somewhere she didn’t usually go, but this part of the Lake District was a relatively small community.
What if Alfie was right and Mr ‘Caring of Cumbria’ was a creep?