months.’
She ignored his muffled groan as she made her way to the door. ‘Any time in the next twenty-four hours will be fine.’
She was still debating how best to deal with Callum Brooksby when she made her way home later that day at the end of her shift. He was a thorn in her side, a devious, happy-go-lucky, aggravating man who gave the impression of being as difficult to catch as thistledown. Every time she had him within her sights, he somehow managed to whisk himself away, out of reach.
‘Look what we’ve found,’ Sarah said excitedly, greeting Alex as she went to collect the children from her neighbour’s house later that day. Sarah led the way into the kitchen. ‘Auntie Jane showed us how to collect honey from the beehives in the orchard. We’ve been putting it into jars. It smells of flowers.’
Alex sniffed at the glass pot Sarah thrust under her nose. ‘So it does,’ she said. ‘I expect the bees have been visiting the apple blossom and the bramble bushes. That should make for good fruit later on in the season.’
She looked at Jane, who was standing by the fridge, looking pale and tired. ‘You’ve been busy. Are you sure you should be taking on all this work? I feel bad enough that I’m asking you to watch the children for me.’
‘Oh, I like having them around. Anyway, I volunteered to have them after school, and it’s no trouble to collect a bit of honey.’ Jane smiled. ‘I expect you had no idea what a wealth of treasures you were gaining when you bought the property next door. Of course, I didn’t let the children go near the hives when I collected the honeycombs, but they loved seeing the end result. They were fascinated.’
‘It tastes funny,’ James said, screwing up his nose. ‘Yuk.’
‘I like it,’ Sarah said happily. ‘We had some on pancakes and they were scrumptious.’
‘It sounds as though you had a lot of fun.’ Alex watched the children as they carefully spooned the golden honey into scrupulously clean jars. Jane sat down by the table and let them get on with it for a while.
‘How have you been feeling, Jane?’ Alex asked, giving her a long, thoughtful look. ‘Have you been back to see your doctor?’
‘Not yet.’ Jane shook her head, and at Alex’s small murmur of protestation she added, ‘I know…I keep putting it off, and I shouldn’t, but what’s he going to do for me but give me more tablets? Nothing’s working, so I might as well put up with things as they are.’ As she spoke, she absently rubbed her back. ‘The only that really gets to me is this pain, but I suppose I can take painkillers for that.’ She sighed. ‘But I guess that’s old age creeping up on me.’
‘I don’t think so, Jane. I think it’s something that needs to be investigated.’
She might have said more, but there was a brief tap on the kitchen door just then, and a moment later it opened, as a visitor stepped into the kitchen.
Alex pulled in a sharp breath.
‘Hi, Aunt Jane,’ Callum Brooksby said, going over to Jane and giving her a hug. ‘How’s my favourite aunt?’
‘Oh, it’s so good to see you,’ Jane said, smiling. She looked at him with genuine affection. ‘I was hoping you’d come round.’
He nodded. ‘I know I’ve left it a little bit longer than usual. It’s been a busy time lately, what with work and overseeing the builders at home.’ Then he straightened and looked around, interested in seeing who had come to take tea with her.
His gaze met Alex’s and they both stared at one another in shock.
‘Alex?’
‘Callum?’ She blinked.
Callum frowned, his dark brows drawing together in a straight line. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’
‘I…I bought the house next door,’ she said, stumbling a little over the words, still in shock. ‘That’s how I came to know your aunt—she’s been good to me, looking after the children while I’m at work.’
‘Children?’ His expression became incredulous as he turned his attention to James and Sarah, happily spilling honey over the scrubbed pine table and the assembled jars. ‘Good grief.’ He looked back at Alex. ‘I don’t know you at all, do I?’
Jane looked from one to the other, a puzzled expression on her face. ‘So you two have met before this?’ She frowned. ‘Of course, it must be the hospital—it didn’t occur to me. I knew you were in Paediatrics, Alex, and, Callum, you’re in Emergency, but of course you must meet up on occasion.’
‘All the while, Aunt Jane,’ Callum agreed, a look of wonder coming over his face. ‘We work in the same department.’
Alex was still trying to get over the shock. She studied him carefully. ‘So you’re the nephew?’
His head went back. ‘Nephew? Why, who’s been talking about me?’ He looked at Jane, a glimmer of amusement coming into his eyes. ‘It has to be you, doesn’t it? You’ve only told her good things, I hope?’
‘As if I’d do anything else,’ Jane answered cheerfully.
Callum put an arm around her in a gesture of affection. ‘She practically brought me up,’ he told Alex. ‘She’s been like a mother to me.’
Jane patted his hand.
‘Auntie Jane, can we go and play in the garden?’ James asked, coming over to her and beginning to tug on her skirt.
‘Yes, of course.’ Jane’s glance ran over him, and a line indented her brow. ‘Perhaps we’d better get you cleaned up a bit first, though.’
James looked down at the honey trails that streaked his T-shirt. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘I can do that.’ He pulled his shirt up to his mouth and began to lick the sticky patches.
Sarah pulled a face. ‘You are so gross,’ she said in disgust.
‘Why?’ James responded, astonished. ‘Am not.’
Callum began to laugh. ‘Was I ever like that?’ he asked his aunt, and she nodded. ‘All the time.’ She turned her attention back to the boy. ‘I’ll get a cloth.’
‘No, don’t do that. I’ll see to everything,’ Alex said, intervening when Jane would have stood up. ‘You stay there and rest. You’ve done enough for one day.’ She helped the children to wash their hands, before sending them outside, and then she began to clear up the mess on the kitchen table.
Jane tried to lend a hand, gathering up spoons and honeycombs, but Alex gently took them from her. ‘You’re already hurting,’ she remonstrated softly. ‘Let me do it.’
Callum frowned, looking at his aunt. ‘What’s this about you hurting? Is it your back again?’
Jane nodded. ‘It’s nothing for you to worry about,’ she said. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Hmm. Why don’t you go and sit down in the living room, and I’ll bring you a cup of tea? I’m sure you’ll be much more comfortable in there.’
