don’t think I can—’
‘I don’t think you can either.’ He rose. ‘So it was a very nice idea, from you and from Jonas and Emily and the hospital board. But it’s impractical and impossible. I’ll ring them and thank them—as I thank you—but I think we should leave it at that. Don’t you?’
‘No.’
‘No?’
‘I told Jonas and Emily that I’d give you a decent Christmas.’
‘And I’ve said it’s impossible. You can’t take over my Christmas.’
‘No,’ she said slowly, and her chin jutted into a look of sheer stubbornness. ‘OK. Maybe I can’t. But maybe I can share it.’
‘What?’
‘Maybe somehow we could have a Christmas to remember. Together.’
Nell wouldn’t be budged. No matter how many arguments he raised, she countered them.
‘You need a rest. You know you do.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘You know very well that a tired doctor is a dangerous doctor.’
‘I can—’
‘You can’t. No one can. When you’re tired, your judgement’s impaired. That’s why Jonas and Emily are worried about you.’
‘Did they say my judgement was impaired?’
‘Not yet. But it will be.’
‘For heaven’s sake, this is ridiculous.’
‘What’s ridiculous,’ she said serenely, ‘is you continuing to argue with me.’
‘I don’t even know you,’ he threw at her, goaded. ‘You walk in here like some outlandish—’
And that had been the wrong thing to say!
‘You don’t like my overalls?’ She stood up, her eyes flashing fire. ‘You don’t like my gorgeous patchwork overalls? And you’re judging me on them? How dare you? Of all the intolerant, prejudiced, male chauvinist—’
‘I didn’t say anything about your overalls,’ he said weakly, but she stalked around the desk and advanced on him.
‘Outlandish! What about me is outlandish except for my overalls?’
‘Your temper?’ he tried.
That brought her up short. She stopped a foot away from Blake and she glared.
‘You meant my overalls.’
‘They’re…they’re wonderful.’
‘I made them myself.’
‘Like I said—’
‘They’re wonderful,’ she agreed, her eyes narrowing. ‘Not outlandish.’
‘I…not outlandish.’
‘You’re not colour prejudiced?’
‘I like pink. And purple…’
‘That’s enough. There’s no reason to go overboard.’ Nell glared some more. ‘Do we have a deal, Dr Sutherland, or do I go to the medical board and say you won’t employ me because of stupid prejudices about pregnancy and patchwork pants?’
‘I’m not employing you.’
‘No. The hospital board is. And they already have. So if I’m now unemployed then I’ve been sacked and you’re the one that’s doing it. So I’m right. Prejudice…’
‘I’m not prejudiced.’
‘You want a quiet Christmas?’
‘Yes.’ How would he get a quiet Christmas if this virago was in town?
‘Then do what we want. Let me share your load. Let me take on as much as I can, while you enjoy mince pies and mistletoe to the max.’
‘I can’t.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Look. Miss McKenzie—’
‘Doctor!’ It was an angry snap. ‘Think it through. Think of what you’re refusing.’
He took another breath, but still she glared at him. Her anger gave him pause. It made him stop and count to ten…
And counting to ten helped. It did give him time to think.
‘Um…’ he said, and she homed right in on it.
‘Yes?’
She was deadly serious, he saw. She really was intending to live in the place. ‘Maybe you could just do morning clinics for a bit,’ he said weakly. That might get her out of his hair.
And maybe it’d even be a good idea.
It was a generous offer Jonas and Em had made. So maybe he should accept. If this woman could take on his morning work then he’d have only a normal day’s work left to do himself.
She considered what he’d said and her anger faded. A little. ‘It’s a start,’ she said grudgingly, sinking back into her chair and watching him across the desk. ‘But I’ve been paid to work.’ She brightened. ‘I can take every second night’s house calls.’
He bit his lip. ‘You can’t. The emergency calls are switched through to my house. It’d be too much trouble to change the system just for a month.’
‘We wouldn’t need to change the system.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because Em told me the situation here is the same as the one at Bay Beach,’ she said sweetly. ‘The hospital has the doctor’s residence attached and it has four bedrooms. They were built at the same optimistic time—when hospital boards imagined doctors might like becoming country practitioners in remote areas. So, that’s a bedroom for you, there’s one for me, there’s one for Ernest and there’s one left for whoever wants to drop in.’
Ernest? Who was Ernest? Another child? A partner?
Blake didn’t want to know. It was irrelevant. ‘You can’t stay with me.’
‘Why ever not?’ Her eyes widened in enquiry. ‘The doctors’ residence is supposed to be for doctors—isn’t it? It’s designed for up to four doctors. There’s two here. Me and you.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘And my house is unlivable. That’s one of the reasons I agreed to do this locum.’
‘Miss McKenzie—’
‘It’s Dr McKenzie,’ she said sweetly. ‘And
