have jumped down your throat like that.’
He shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s little wonder that you’re stressed after everything that’s happened. All this coming on top of the journey you’ve had would be a lot for anyone to cope with.’
It was on the tip of her tongue to deny it until she realised that she was in danger of digging an even deeper hole for herself. Did she really want to admit that it was seeing him again that was causing her to behave so irrationally?
‘Probably.’ She glanced at her watch and came to a swift decision. ‘If you’re happy to stay then maybe I will go back to the house. I need to unpack and get settled in.’
‘It’s fine by me,’ he agreed equably.
‘Right, that’s what I’ll do, then. I’ll just let Aunt Margaret know what’s happening first.’
‘I’ll come with you.’ He shrugged when she glanced sharply at him. ‘I’d like to see Jim before he goes down to Theatre, set his mind at rest that the practice is in safe hands. You know what a worrier he is.’
‘That’s true.’ Emma headed back along the corridor, very conscious of the fact that Daniel was just a step behind her. She paused outside the door to the private room where her uncle had been taken and glanced at him. ‘It would be best if Uncle Jim didn’t have to worry about anything at the moment, so I suggest we call a truce.’
‘That’s fine by me.’ He smiled at her and Emma felt her breath catch when she saw the warmth in his eyes. She had never expected him to look at her that way and it threw her for a moment. It was an effort to concentrate when he continued. ‘I don’t want to fight with you, Emma. It’s the last thing I want, in fact.’
‘Me too,’ she replied stiffly.
‘Then we’ll agree to set our differences aside, shall we?’
‘Yes.’
She turned away, struggling to contain the emotions that were welling up inside her. It had been months since she’d even thought about Daniel, although in the beginning the memory of what had happened had tormented her. She had kept going over everything he’d said, reliving the pain of discovering that she had meant less to him than his precious career had done. Only by immersing herself in her work had she got through that terrible period and she refused to place herself in the same position again.
She squared her shoulders. No matter what Daniel said or did, no matter how convincing he sounded, she would never trust him again.
CHAPTER TWO
BY two o’clock Emma had finished unpacking and put everything away. She looked fondly around the room that had been hers since childhood. It had changed very little over the years and she found it reassuring to see her collection of stuffed toys on top of the wardrobe and the shelves of books she’d read while she had been growing up. She had moved house several times in the past few years and although it had never bothered her, it was good to know that there was somewhere permanent she could return to.
She sighed softly as she stowed the canvas hold-all in the bottom of the wardrobe because if Uncle Jim was forced to give up the practice, there would need to be a lot of changes made. The surgery was attached to the house and it was unlikely that her aunt and uncle would want to carry on living here. Nothing was truly permanent and she had to get used to the idea, even though she hated the thought of not being able to call this place her home.
Emma closed the wardrobe door and headed downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. She glanced at the clock as she filled the kettle. Uncle Jim should be leaving Theatre soon, so she would drink her tea then go back to the hospital to keep her aunt company. It would give Daniel time to get back for evening surgery.
‘I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea, if you’re making one.’
As though thinking about him had somehow conjured him up, Daniel suddenly appeared. Emma looked round in surprise when she heard his voice. ‘What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay at the hospital until I got back.’
‘I was, but your aunt insisted that she’d be all right by herself.’ He grimaced. ‘I tried to persuade her to let me stay but she wouldn’t hear of it. I think she was worried in case I was late for evening surgery.’
Emma sighed. ‘She’s as bad as Uncle Jim. Their lives revolve around the practice and have done for years. It isn’t right that it should come first, especially not at the moment.’
‘It certainly isn’t.’ He pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘They need to concentrate on making sure that Jim makes a full recovery and that’s where we come in.’
Emma wasn’t sure she appreciated that we, although she didn’t correct him. She poured boiling water into the pot then went to fetch the milk out of the fridge. The days when she and Daniel had been a couple were long gone and she, for one, wouldn’t wish them back again.
‘So what do you suggest?’ she asked, adopting a deliberately neutral tone to conceal the pain that thought had aroused, oddly enough.
‘Basically, what we agreed on today. We make sure we do nothing to cause your aunt and uncle any concern.’ He shrugged. ‘Margaret told me that she’s hoping to take Jim to their cottage on the coast while he recuperates, but he’ll refuse to go if he thinks you and I are at loggerheads.’
‘I can assure you that I have no intention of causing a disruption,’ Emma said sharply, trying to ignore the squirmy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was one thing to agree to a truce but it could be something entirely different to stick to it. Could they really maintain a wholly professional relationship when they had once been lovers?
The fact that she should be experiencing such doubts when she was determined not to let Daniel affect her in any way annoyed her and she glared at him. ‘I said it before but obviously it didn’t sink in so I’ll repeat it. I don’t care enough to fight with you, Daniel. OK?’
‘Good.’ He smiled calmly back at her. ‘It should make life a lot simpler for all of us.’
Emma didn’t say anything as she poured the tea. Daniel obviously believed her and that was all that mattered. She certainly didn’t want him to suspect that she had doubts, not that she really did. She had moved on from the days when splitting up with him had left her feeling utterly devastated.
Of course it must have been easier for him to get over their break-up, she thought as she placed the cups on the table. He had never invested as much of himself into their relationship as she had done. Although he had told her at the time that he loved her, it patently hadn’t been true. He would never have chosen his career over her if he’d felt even a fraction of the love she had felt for him.
She frowned. It made his decision to work in Avondale all the more difficult to understand. Taking time off to come here didn’t make sense when he was so keen to pursue his ambitions. Did he have an ulterior motive? It was what she had accused him of earlier in the day, although she hadn’t seriously believed it. Now she found herself wondering if it was true. As she knew to her cost, Daniel’s career meant more to him than anything else.
Daniel wasn’t sure what was going through Emma’s mind, but he could tell that it wasn’t anything pleasant. He bit back a sigh because he had a nasty feeling
