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.
