I’ve hardly had a chance to get to know her,’ he countered, a shade defensively.
‘Maybe not, but it’s not like you to be so slow.’ Ros’s eyes were filled with laughter as she looked at him. ‘Usually, you have a woman summed up and categorised in less time than this.’
‘Categorised? I’m not sure I know what you mean,’ he said stiffly.
‘Oh, come on! Of course you do. I’ve watched you growing up, don’t forget. I’ve seen the effect you have on the female half of the population and watched you in action, too.’ Ross chuckled. ‘I’m not sure if you use some sort of scoring system but women seem to fall into one of two categories where you’re concerned. They’re either fair game or strictly off limits. What I can’t work out is which category Hannah comes into.’
‘So what are you two muttering about?’ Simon came over to refill his cup and smiled at them. ‘You look as though you’re plotting some sort of mischief.’
‘Mischief?’ Ros took the cup off him. ‘It’s a long time since I could be accused of causing any mischief! ‘
Tom moved away while Ros topped up her husband’s cup, relieved to have been let off the hook. He frowned as he turned to stare out of the window again. Was Ros right? Did he view women in such a calculating way? He hated to think that he did, yet he knew in his heart it was true.
Since his first—and only!—ill-fated foray into love, he had been determined not to leave behind a trail of destruction like his parents had done. Although he enjoyed dating, definitely enjoyed sex, he didn’t do the rest and he never would. There would be no happily-ever-after for him. No wife and family gathered around the hearth waiting for his return. He preferred his life to be free of such complications and that way nobody would get hurt, neither him nor some poor unsuspecting woman who’d had the misfortune to fall in love with him.
He glanced round when someone laughed, felt the hair on the back of his neck lift when he realised it was Hannah. In that second he knew that although he may have managed to avoid commitment in the past, he might find it harder to do so in the future. There was just something about Hannah Morris that drew him, something he could neither explain nor reason away. He could only thank his lucky stars that he was leaving. By this time next week, he would be on his way to Paris and he would make sure it was a long time before he came back!
Hannah spooned a little more sugar into her cup as she listened to the affectionate banter between Simon and his wife. It was obvious how fond they were of each other and she couldn’t prevent the sudden pang of envy that rose up inside her. She had hoped that she and Andrew would have that kind of a relationship, but it hadn’t happened. There had always been a certain distance between them even though they had appeared to have had so much in common. It was funny how you could think you knew someone and be proved so wrong.
‘More coffee, my dear?’
Simon reached across the table for her cup but she shook her head. ‘No, thank you.’ She turned and smiled at Ros. ‘It was delicious but I’ll be buzzing if I have any more.’
‘I know what you mean.’ Ros smiled back. A pretty woman in her fifties with light brown hair that curled around her face, she exuded an air of calm that was very soothing. ‘I have to limit myself to no more than three cups a day otherwise I’m high as a kite on all the caffeine!’
Hannah laughed when Ros pulled a rueful face. She glanced round when a movement caught her eye and felt herself tense when she realised that Tom Bradbury was watching her again. It had happened several times now; she had glanced up and found him staring at her and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was it just the fact that she was new or was there something more behind his interest?
She hurriedly dismissed the thought, refusing to go down that route. She wasn’t looking for romance. She just wanted to be left alone to create a new life for herself and her son. Charlie was all that mattered, his happiness was her main concern. Everything else was inconsequential.
‘Simon told me that you have a little boy, Hannah. What’s his name and how old is he?’
Hannah roused herself when Ros spoke. ‘His name’s Charlie and he’s nine months old.’
‘And into everything, I bet!’ Ros laughed as she turned to her husband. ‘Remember when our two were that age? You needed eyes in the back of your head. They’re twins and that made it worse, of course, but I wouldn’t have believed the havoc they could cause if I hadn’t seen it for myself.’
Hannah smiled, trying not to let Ros see that the remark had hit a nerve. Sadly, Charlie couldn’t get up to very much mischief. He had been born with talipes—club feet—and at the moment his legs were encased in casts, which severely restricted his movement. Although he was a happy, intelligent little boy, he wasn’t able to do a lot of the things a child his age normally did. Still, she consoled herself, once the casts came off the situation should improve, and if they hadn’t worked there was a good chance that a second operation would solve the problem.
‘Do your children still live in Bride’s Bay?’ she asked, changing the subject because the thought of her son needing further surgery made her feel a little panicky.
‘I wish!’ Ros sighed. ‘Daniel is a research botanist. He’s in Borneo at the moment, tracking down a plant which the locals claim has healing powers. And Becky moved to New Zealand with her husband a couple of years ago. She’s just had a baby, a little girl called Millie, and as you can imagine we’re dying to see her.’
‘We’ll get over there as soon as we can,’ Simon assured her, patting her hand.
‘I know, darling, but I don’t want to wait, that’s the problem. Babies grow so quickly and I just feel that we’re missing out on so much…’ Ros stopped and gasped. ‘Why didn’t I think of it before! I mean, this would be the ideal time, wouldn’t it? Tom knows the ins and outs of running the practice almost as well as you do, and now that Hannah is here, we’re fully staffed.’
She turned beseechingly to Hannah. ‘If you and Tom would hold the fort, it means that Simon and I can go and visit our first grandchild!’
CHAPTER TWO
‘PLEASE take a seat, Mrs Granger.’
Hannah waited while the woman made herself comfortable. It was almost lunchtime and Barbara Granger was her last patient. The morning had been surprisingly busy. She’d not had a minute to herself, in fact, and suddenly found herself wondering if she should have accepted Tom Bradbury’s offer to split her list. It would have made far more sense to ease herself in gently, yet she’d felt strangely reluctant to accept his help. Something had warned her that once she did, it might be difficult to stop.
The thought was so ridiculous that she was hard pressed not to show her disgust. Tom Bradbury meant nothing to her. He was just someone she would be working with for a short while, although, if Ros had her way, it might be longer than either of them had anticipated. The idea was disquieting and she had to make a conscious effort not to dwell on it as she smiled at the woman seated across the desk.
‘I’m Hannah Morris, the new doctor.’
‘Nice to meet you, dear.’ Barbara Granger smiled back. ‘I’m sure you’ll be very happy here. Bride’s Bay is such a lovely little town—everyone is very friendly, as you’ll soon discover. Margery worked here for over
