frisky boxer straining at its lead.
‘Fine, thank you,’ he replied. ‘Needless to say, it was very different from the surgeries I have worked in over the last few years, but they all have the same end in view, don’t they?’
‘Yes, they do,’ she agreed, and then to his surprise asked, ‘What do you think of the staff at the surgery?’
‘They seem great. Why do you ask?’
‘I thought that maybe you hadn’t hit it off with Nurse Marshall as you seemed to be having a disagreement at one point during the morning. It was unusual as Julianne is held in high regard by everyone at the practice.’
‘Yes, I am sure she is,’ he said calmly. ‘It was just a moment of confusion on both our parts, that’s all.’
‘Ah, that’s good,’ she replied, and went on her way, leaving him to think that the face from the past seemed as if she had a fan club at the surgery. So what? There would be no likelihood of him joining it. He had seen her and her sister in their true colours and was not going to be deceived twice.
That second night he slept better. The sound of the waterfall was no longer disruptive. This time it was a constant, reliable sound that helped him to relax, and no sooner had his head hit the pillow than he was out like a light.
Until he heard the sound of the first of the passenger launches going across the lake at seven o’clock the next morning and then it was a shower, a quick breakfast and off to the practice with what would have been sheer pleasure if it wasn’t for the thought of meeting up again with Julianne.
As he drove along the main street she was there, brisk and immaculate, unlike her appearance of the morning before, and about to get into her car. On impulse he drew level at the kerbside and as she looked up questioningly he said tonelessly, ‘I saw Helena last night down by the lake and she was concerned that we weren’t going to get on with each other, so I thought I’d stop to let you know that during working hours there will be no problems as far as I am concerned, though I’m sure you must realise that if I’d known you were part of the package of Swallowbrook’s health care I wouldn’t have taken the job.’
Here it comes, Julianne thought miserably. It hasn’t taken him long to put me in my place. Would he have recognised me if it hadn’t been for my name? But she was not going to argue.
‘I’m sorry that my presence at the surgery has taken away your pleasure in coming home, Aaron,’ she said levelly. ‘When I knew that you were going to be Libby’s replacement, I must admit I thought about leaving, but decided that as I’d done nothing wrong, why should I? A truce while we’re working together would be most acceptable, and for the rest of the time our private lives will stay how they are meant to be, private.’
He didn’t take her up on that, just nodded, and keen to know if she already knew that Nathan was having thoughts about them working in pairs asked, ‘Did you know that Nathan is considering us working in twos, a doctor and a nurse working together?
‘At the moment we have four doctors and three nurses so he will probably leave Ruby working solo until she leaves to look after their little adopted child when it arrives. It would be better if we didn’t work so closely together.’
She almost groaned out loud and ignoring his last comment said, ‘No, I didn’t know. Maybe I can ask him not to do that before he decides who is with who, but of course he will want to know why and …’
‘What? You wouldn’t want him to find out that you are not as bright a star as he thinks you are? I will say one thing, Julianne, you have certainly got them all bedazzled, Nathan, Helena, the nice guy at the bakery, but of course they don’t know the sort of things you get up to, do they?’
On that discordant note he drove off and left her standing on the pavement with a lump in her throat, thinking miserably that no man would relish having to endure what had happened to him, and if she wanted no further hurt along the way she would need to tread carefully when he was around at the practice, which was going to be most of the time.
When Julianne arrived Aaron was already ensconced in the kitchen with some of the other staff, enjoying the early morning brew that the first to arrive always made for the rest of them, and when he saw her downcast expression Aaron felt a sharp pang of guilt. If they’d been handing out medals for arrogance he would have been top of the list.
On impulse he said to those gathered there, ‘I wonder if you folks would like to be my guests tonight at somewhere while I celebrate my return to the UK, which has brought with it the pleasure of meeting you all?’
With one exception, Julianne thought. There had been no joy for him in meeting up with her again. So what was the reason for his sudden invitation? Yet did it matter? Whatever it was, she wouldn’t be attending.
For one thing, he wouldn’t want her there, and for another it was her night for helping out at the hospice at the far side of the lake, and no matter how low she might be feeling she never arrived there without a smile on her face.
Nathan had just appeared and Aaron was asking him if he and Libby could get someone to mind the children for a couple of hours at such short notice.
After thinking for a moment, Nathan replied, ‘I’m sure that my father will do the honours as long as both Toby and Elsey are asleep when we leave them.’
With a glance at the other two doctors, Hugo Lawrence and his recently qualified young wife, Ruby, Aaron said, ‘And would you folks be free for a couple of hours?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Hugo replied, and to the rest of those gathered in the kitchen, ‘Where would you suggest? Aaron doesn’t know the night life in the area like we do. There’s The Mallard, of course, or a new restaurant that has just opened on the lakeside that we’ve had good reports of. You have a good social life, Julianne, where do you suggest?’
‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘We all have our likes and dislikes, and in any case I won’t be there, it’s the night I go to help out at the hospice, and I can’t let them down.’
So much for that, Aaron thought. He’d suggested the get-together mainly because he felt guilty for being so abrupt earlier, and was now realising that he needn’t have bothered extending an olive branch as she had other plans.
But he couldn’t go back on what he’d suggested and showing no disappointment at the thought of her absence he decided on the new restaurant. A decision that was met with approval from everyone except Julianne, who was just relieved to have a good reason for not being there and didn’t have to think up an excuse.
It was always very late when she arrived home on the nights she worked at the hospice. If there was an ambulance driver free, or any other member of the staff going her way with a car, they would give her a lift, otherwise she phoned for a taxi. She had a little runabout car, but was always so tired when she’d finished there after working at the practice all day that she daren’t risk using it in case she fell asleep at the wheel.
Tonight it was one of the doctors at the hospice who had brought her home and as he drove off, the surgery crowd appeared, strolling along the pavement on their way home from the impromptu party, all in high spirits after the unexpected get-together in a smart restaurant.
The last thing she wanted was to have to face Aaron again and she fumbled around in her bag for the door key, hoping to get inside before they drew level. The ones at the front didn’t pause,
