when she collects her son, Ben.’
‘Handy. I imagine good child-care arrangements are crucial for any mother who wants to return to work,’ Mark observed.
‘Exactly. That’s one of the reasons this job was so attractive and why I’d decided that returning to the maternity unit wasn’t an option. Babies have a nasty habit of wanting to be born at all odd hours of the night!’
Mark laughed. ‘The theory being that they arrive exactly nine months after they were conceived.’
Laura laughed at that. ‘I imagine that’s something no one will ever prove! Anyway, knowing that I could work nine to five each day was the incentive for going after this job. I desperately need to work, of course, but Robbie’s welfare has to come first.’
‘Well, I for one am really glad that you applied for it.’ Mark gave her a smile which sent a ripple of heat through her body. There was a slight pause before he cleared his throat. However, Laura wasn’t deaf to the roughness in his voice all of a sudden.
‘Anyway, you’d better direct me before we end up in Cumbria. In this snowstorm I don’t think that would be wise, do you?’
Laura dragged her thoughts into some semblance of order and glanced out of the window. She gasped as she realised how hard it was snowing. ‘I never thought it would stick like this!’
She peered through the glass, wishing that she’d been concentrating harder. It wasn’t fair to have dragged Mark out of his way and then get them both lost!
She suddenly recognised where they were and sighed in relief. ‘Oh, take the next turning on the right. Claire and Sean live in the third house down that road.’
Mark did as she’d asked. He drew up carefully alongside the kerb, although the car still slewed because already the snow was quite deep. ‘Stay there and I’ll come round to help you,’ he ordered, getting out before she could protest.
Laura opened her door but before she could step out Mark was there, his hand fastening firmly around her elbow to steady her. ‘Careful!’ he warned solicitously. ‘It’s really slippery underfoot.’
Despite the warning and the steadying hand, Laura felt her feet skid from under her. She made a desperate grab for the nearest solid object and coloured as she found herself clinging to Mark. He grinned down at her, his grey eyes sparkling with amusement and something which made her heart beat faster than it should have been doing.
‘Twice in one day? That horoscope was uncannily accurate, wasn’t it?’
‘Uh…It looks like it.’ Laura struggled to hide her confusion as she cautiously straightened. She took a careful step back and held out her hand. ‘Thank you very much for the lift, Mark. I do appreciate it.’
‘I hope that wasn’t intended as a brush-off?’
‘I’m sorry?’ She stared at him in bewilderment, not sure what he’d meant.
He gave her a lazy grin as his hand fastened around her elbow again and he steered her towards the house. ‘You promised that I could meet Robbie, if you remember?’
‘Oh, but surely you want to get off home? I mean, it’s snowing so hard…’ She stopped and took a deep breath then looked him squarely in the eyes. ‘Why are you so keen to meet him, Mark? I don’t understand.’
He returned her look steadily enough but there was puzzlement in the depths of his eyes. ‘Neither do I understand why it’s so important, Laura.’ He reached up and brushed a snowflake off her cheek; his touch was so gentle that she shivered. ‘I just know that it is.’
There wasn’t anything she could say to that. Her heart seemed to be beating itself to death as she carried on walking towards the house on legs that weren’t quite steady. She was glad of Mark’s support because she doubted whether she could have managed the couple of yards which was all it took to reach the front door. Her mind and body seemed to belong to someone else at that moment, to someone she barely remembered from years gone by. It wasn’t really she who was experiencing this feeling of excitement and anticipation, surely?
It was a relief when the door suddenly opened and a small, familiar figure came hurtling out of the house because once again she knew who she was—Laura Grady, widow and mother!
‘Mummy! I’s had tea with Ben.’
‘Have you? Why, you lucky little boy!’
Laura swept her son up into her arms and hugged him. He planted a kiss on her cheek then promptly turned his attention to the stranger.
‘Who’s you?’ he demanded.
‘My name is Mark, Robbie. I’m a friend of your mummy’s.’
It was all the cue the child needed. Reaching over, he grabbed hold of the man’s neck and transferred his affections to his new friend.
Mark laughed as the little boy kissed him soundly on the cheek. He swung him up into the air, grinning at Laura as Robbie squealed his delight. ‘A real little heartbreaker indeed.’
Laura nodded, not sure how to handle the way things were moving so fast. It was a relief when Claire suddenly appeared and started chivvying them indoors. ‘Come in before you freeze to death, you idiots!’
Laura stepped inside, realising belatedly that she should explain Mark’s presence. ‘Mark…Dr Dawson, I mean, very kindly offered me a lift because it was snowing.’
Claire grinned wickedly as she glanced at the tall man with the child clinging around his neck. ‘Dr Dawson, is it? Making sure your new staff show you due respect, eh, Mark?’
He grinned back. ‘Something like that.’
Laura stared from one to the other, feeling a little like Alice must have felt in Wonderland. ‘You two know one another?’
‘Of course. Claire and I often ran into one another when she was in A and E. That was before she decided to do her bit for the world population, of course.’ He shot a teasing glance at the other woman’s very pregnant tummy as Claire laughed.
‘One tries one’s best! Anyway, it’s great to see you again, Mark. Sean will be sorry he missed you. He’s working late tonight,’ she explained, then turned to Laura. ‘You and Mark will have to come round one evening for a meal.’
‘Oh, well, I—’ Laura began but Mark cut her off.
‘Sounds a great idea to me. You sort it out with Laura and I’ll bring the wine. Fair enough?’ He turned to Laura, ignoring her stunned gasp. ‘Do you want to get Robbie ready to go? This snow seems to be sticking so we’d better not leave it too long otherwise Claire might end up with three unexpected guests for the night.’
‘I…I’ll get his coat.’
Laura hurried to the cupboard to fetch Robbie’s blue quilted jacket and matching bobble hat. Mark was talking to Claire and Laura heard her laugh at something he said. She closed her eyes, willing herself to act calmly and rationally, but it wasn’t easy to do that. Mark had made it sound as though they were an item, and that there could be nothing more natural than them accepting a joint dinner invitation!
A
