Praise for Sue MacKay:

‘THE GIFT OF A CHILD by Sue MacKay is a deeply emotional, heart-rending story that will make you smile and make you cry. I truly recommend it—and don’t miss the second book: the story about Max.’

—HarlequinJunkie

‘What a great book. I loved it. I did not want it to end. This is one book not to miss.’

—GoodReads on

THE GIFT OF A CHILD

A Family This Christmas
Sue MacKay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader

Havelock is at the head of the Pelorus Sound in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, just twenty minutes down the road from where I live. It’s known as the Green Mussel Capital of the World, for its locally grown mussels, and every year there is a mussel festival with bands, arts and crafts, and of course lots of mussels to eat. It is a vibrant small town and very focused on the sea.

When I was planning A FAMILY THIS CHRISTMAS Havelock seemed just the right place for Jenny and Cam to get together and work through their issues. Both of them have city backgrounds, and yet both find the lifestyle in this small place fits with what they want to give and receive in life. It’s a perfect place to bring up two small boys struggling with the departure of their mum.

I hope you enjoy reading Jenny and Cam’s story, and also enjoy learning about a little treasure at the top of the South Island.

I’d love to hear from you on sue.mackay56@yahoo.com

You can also drop by www.suemackay.co.nz to catch up on my latest releases and get a copy of the recipe of the month.

Cheers!

Sue

Table of Contents

Cover

Praise for Sue MacKay

Title Page

Dear Reader

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘WATCH OUT!’ THE SHOUT was followed by something like a muffled scream ricocheting through the air, lifting the hairs on the back of Cameron Roberts’s neck.

Then the clattering sound of what Cam swore was one of the twins’ skateboards hitting the pavement the wrong way up. His gut tightened, and his heart squeezed. What now? Was there no end to the trouble his boys could get into? They were only eight yet could kick up more messy problems than a team of rugby players out on the town after a hard game.

Already moving towards the front of his house, he dropped the hedge trimmer on the barbecue table on the way past. ‘Marcus? Andrew? You guys okay?’

‘Dad, hurry. She needs a doctor. I didn’t mean it. I promise. I’m sorry.’ Marcus appeared at the end of their drive, tears streaming down his worried little face.

Cam’s gut became a knot. What had Marcus done this time? And where was Andrew? Had something happened to him? That would explain the fear in Marcus’s cry. Except he’d said she needed a doctor. ‘What’s happened?’ He ruffled Marcus’s hair on the way past, begging the parenting gods to give him a break for once.

As usual those particular gods were on holiday if the sight before him was anything to go by. ‘One day, just one whole, disaster-free day, is all I ask for,’ he muttered under his breath as he reached the redhead lying in an awkward bundle on the pavement.

Her face was contorted in agony and the eyes she raised to him were darkened with that pain. Judging by the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her resp rate was raised. Blood smeared across her left elbow and down her arm, probably from scraping along the concrete.

Andrew stood, hopping from one foot to the other, his skateboard dangling from his hand as he stared down at the woman as though he couldn’t understand how she’d got there. A second skateboard lay upside down beside her. Marcus’s.

‘What happened?’ Cam repeated, as he dropped to his knees beside the woman. Swearing was forbidden in their house, and that went for out on the pavement too, but Cam came very close to breaking that rule right at this moment.

‘Dad, the lady’s hurt, but—’

‘We didn’t mean it. True.’ The wobble in Andrew’s voice as he finished Marcus’s sentence told Cam heaps.

The woman moved, groaned. ‘My ankle’s broken.’

Glancing down her leg, he noted one foot and ankle already swelling. Fracture or sprain? ‘We don’t know that for sure yet.’

‘I do.’ She sounded very certain. Not to mention angry.

Guess he couldn’t blame her for that. ‘I’m a doctor. Is it all right if I take a look and access the damage?’

Her eyes locked with his. Forest-green eyes, reminding him of long-ago summers spent walking in the hills. ‘The front edge of that boy’s board slammed directly into my talus. The pain was instant and excruciating. It’s broken.’

Talus, eh? Not ankle bone. Then she knew a medical thing or two. With a sinking stomach he studied the extended foot. She was also probably right about the fracture. Unless she’d twisted her ankle as she’d fallen. ‘I apologise for this. My sons tend to be over-exuberant about everything they do.’ Understatement of the year, but he wasn’t about to spill his guts and tell this woman that most days he struggled to cope with their antics. That was none of her business even if they were to blame for her current predicament.

Wow, she’s beautiful.

Where the hell had that come from? He glanced around, saw nothing out of the ordinary, no one speaking over his shoulder. He returned to looking at the woman, sucking in a groan of raw need. Despite the pain distorting her face, she was drop-dead stunning. Do the job and get her packed up and on the way to hospital. Do not think about anything else. This might be one stunning female but the point is she is a female and therefore nothing but trouble.

‘They were in a hurry,’ said the woman, easily distracting him. Then she shifted on her butt and gasped. Her knuckles whitened as she clenched her hands and waited for the pain to subside. Despite the situation her voice held a gentle lilt, in the way a Southlander spoke.

‘Scottish ancestry?’ Now, why had he asked that? None of his business, and nothing to do with this foot that needed to be eased out of a worn slip-on shoe.

‘Not a drop. Growing up at the bottom end of the country tends to mean we don’t speak like the rest of you kiwis.’

The roll of her ‘r’s tickled him, warmed him. He’d always been a sucker for women with accents. Yeah, and look where that had got him.

He instantly refocused on the rapidly swelling ankle. He shouldn’t need any reminders about beautiful women with sexy accents and how shallow they could turn out to be. ‘I’ll call the ambulance crew. They’ll have nitrous oxide on board for you to suck on while they remove your shoe.’ The knowing glint in her eyes told him she knew what nitrous oxide was. ‘Andrew, get my phone. Now.’

‘Yes, Dad.’

‘Marcus, bring the cushions from the couch out here for the lady.’

‘Yes, Dad. But we—’

‘Do as I say.’ His calm tone belied his anxiety for this woman and the annoyance that just for once his boys could’ve held back on arguing with him.

‘Very obedient,’ muttered the woman, as the boys disappeared inside the house.

You think? ‘Only because they know they’re in deep trouble right at this moment.’ Cam gently straightened her leg, making sure he didn’t jar that ankle. ‘I’m Cameron Roberts, by the way. A GP at the local medical centre. Make that the only GP at the centre.’

‘Jenny Bostock.’ Her full lips pressed flat, and the green of her eyes dimmed as she stared over his shoulder as though trying to focus on something other than her ankle. Her hair might’ve originally been tied back in that band now hanging down her back, but it must’ve sprung free when she’d gone tumbling down in a heap. Thick, red waves cascaded over her shoulders, down her back, even over one side of her face.

Resisting the urge to lift the hair back from her cheek wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. But following up on that impulse could get him struck off the medical practitioners’ register, if not a slap across his face. ‘Are you visiting Havelock for the day or stopping on the way through?’ I am not being nosy, merely trying to distract you while I tend to this painful ankle.

Blinking, she refocused on him. ‘I crossed over on the ferry this morning and decided to take Queen Charlotte Drive instead of going direct to Blenheim. Then at Havelock I decided to take a walk along the main street before having lunch at that café beside the marina.’

‘My sons have put paid to that idea. I’m very sorry. They get a bit carried away at times.’ The only place she was going now was hospital.

‘Double trouble, eh?’ Those lips lifted into the semblance of a smile, surprising and warming him. The anger had abated. Hardly surprising given what she was coping with. She’d be focusing on dealing with the pain.

‘Forget that saying. Whoever made it up hadn’t had twins of their own. Try tenfold trouble.’ He grimaced, then dug deep for a smile of his own, the movement of his mouth a little strained. ‘But on the plus side I get ten times the love.’

‘They came skating out of nowhere. Don’t be too hard on them. For all I know, this could’ve been my fault. I was watching a boat heading out of the marina and not looking where I was going.’

‘You’re being kind. I’ve told them more times than I can count to be very careful of pedestrians. Not that we get many this end of town.’

‘They’re boys—of course they’re not going to listen to you.’

‘Don’t I know it.’ Time to lock those skateboards away till they learned to control their actions. ‘Any numbness?’ Cam asked, as he lightly tapped her foot. When she nodded he continued with, ‘Want to try and move your foot?’

‘Not really.’ But her lips flattened and her eyes took on a determined look.

He knew the moment she tried by the spike of pain in her eyes. ‘Stop. I’m sure you’re right about this not being a sprain.’

‘Here’s the phone.’ Andrew appeared on the other side of Jenny.

‘I got the cushions.’ His other boy scuttled along to join them, his arms laden with every cushion to be found in the house. Not many.

‘Place them behind the lady one at a time. Careful. Don’t bump her. You’ll hurt her some more.’ He wanted to growl at the boys, shout at them for being careless, but it seemed he did too much of that these days. His goal at the moment was to refrain from being a grump all the time. Maybe they’d learn from this accident without him reading them the riot act or banning the boards. They got so much fun out of skateboarding he hated to take that from them.

Jenny directed the placing of the cushions, talking softly to the boys like this happened to her every day. They lapped it up, tossing him a look that suggested he should be taking heed and learning something from this.

Standing up, Cam direct-dialled the volunteer ambulance chief. ‘Hey, Braden, you’re needed outside my gate. Lady with a suspected broken ankle needs pain relief and transport to Wairau.’

‘Wairau?’ Thick eyebrows rose as those forest eyes focused on him from down on the pavement.

His knees clicked as he hunched down again. ‘Hospital in Blenheim. You need an X-ray and an orthopaedic surgeon’s take on what that shows up.’

‘There goes my catwalk career.’ Was that a twinkle through the pain in her eyes?

Catwalk? Yep, come to think of it, those long, slim legs filling his view were made for modelling. Thinking’s not always wise, said his brain, while his eyes cruised the length of her. The rest of her body was A1 too, topped off with that glorious hair and a face that could tempt a eunuch. Which you pretty much are these days, boyo. Given the chance, Jenny Bostock could certainly change his mind on avoiding the female half of the population. So don’t give her a chance. He straightened up again, putting space between them. Hell, he was up and down like a yoyo.

Time to get practical. ‘I presume you’ve got a car parked up somewhere around here. It can go in my garage until you’re ready to drive again.’ It was the least he could do, considering who’d had put her out of action.

Her fingers slid into the hip pocket of snug-fitting, mid-thigh-length shorts and tugged a key ring free. ‘Red sports car, registration HGH 345, parked outside the woodcarver’s.’

He nearly missed the keys as his gaze remained fixed on that hip. Catching them at the last moment, her words finally registered. Sports car, yeah, right. ‘You’re very trusting.’ Which probably meant the vehicle was an old bomb in need of lots of repairs.

‘Dr Cameron Roberts, Havelock GP. Shouldn’t be too hard to track down. Anyway, I’m lying outside his front gate: 5C Rose Street.’

Far too observant. Just then he heard a siren. ‘They’re turning it on for you.’

‘All ambos like to play with their bells and whistles, don’t they? But I admit I’ll be glad of that nitrous oxide. This is doing my head in.’ A grimace tightened her mouth. She’d run out of smiles. Those bewitching eyes looked plain old tired now. Her attention to him and the boys had all been for show, something to take her mind off what was really happening.

‘Should’ve asked you this sooner. Is there someone I can call for you? Get them to meet you at the hospital?’

Those eyes went blank as she withdrew completely. ‘No, thanks.’

‘You’ll need to be picked up after the medical team has put you back together.’

‘I’ll sort it.’ She looked away, but not before he saw desolation glittering out at the world. Then, ‘Hi, guys. You come to get me? I hope you’ve brought lots of painkillers.’

Braden and his sidekick, Lyn, jogged over with a stretcher, a cardboard splint, their medical kit and the tank of gas Jenny was longing for.

Cam said, ‘Hi, guys. Meet Jenny Bostock.’ Guilt assailed him again, this time brought on by that desolation she was busy trying to hide, and knowing if it hadn’t been for his sons she wouldn’t be in whatever predicament she now found herself.

‘Dad, can we go to the shops?’

‘We saw Mum get out of a car at the end of the road.’

His heart crashed. They’d seen their mother? There was more likelihood of pigs flying by. Would this ever stop? As if it wasn’t enough that they’d broken this woman’s ankle, they thought they’d seen their selfish mother. When would the boys accept that that particular woman had no intention of ever returning? Even if she deigned to drop by because she’d had a rush of oxygen to the brain, she certainly would not want two eight-year-olds interfering with her career plans.

‘There isn’t time. You’re meant to be at the softball juniors’ Christmas party in an hour and you still have to clean your faces and put on decent clothes.’

The disappointment blinking out at him from two almost identical faces hurt as much as that broken ankle was hurting Jenny. Better he give it to them straight than have them walking up and down the short main street peering into every shop and café, looking for someone who was hundreds of k’s away in the North Island. He hated having to be the big bad ogre breaking their hearts by telling them that when it was their mother who’d caused their anguish.

He looked away, his gaze encountering Jenny’s as she drew in deep breaths of gas. This time he couldn’t read the expression in those green eyes at all. He didn’t try to guess because he wouldn’t be seeing her again. Whatever she was thinking didn’t matter.

Braden said, ‘We’ll be off as soon as we’ve got a splint on this here leg and loaded Jenny in the ambulance. You going to happy hour at the pub tonight?’

The fundraiser for the school swimming pool maintenance. ‘That depends on what time the boys’ Christmas do finishes and we get back here.’ He and the kids had become experts at socialising, being invited to just about every celebration happening in Havelock. Anything from a cat’s birthday to the theatre group’s finishing night was an excuse to have fun around here. Which was fine, except when someone took it into their head to arrange a function in Blenheim, a thirty-minute drive away. Not far except when appointments were stacking up or, like at this time of year, there were too many social engagements to attend.

‘Might see you later.’ Braden and Lyn shifted their patient onto the stretcher and rolled her across to the ambulance.

Cam followed, unable to walk away. ‘I hope all goes well for you at Wairau, Jenny. And once again, I’m sorry for my boys’ actions.’

Removing the gas inhaler from her mouth, she gave a semblance of a smile. ‘Accidents happen all the time. I should’ve been looking where I was going.’

This woman was very quick to forgive. Not many people would’ve said that. A genuine, good-hearted lady? Or was the laughing gas mellowing that despair that had been glittering out from those suck-him-in eyes?

Watching the ambulance pull away and head towards the intersection, he felt a tug of longing he hadn’t felt in years. Longing for what? Something about Jenny’s bravery had caused it, made him feel he should be following in his car, going to the ED with her. Holding her hand? Yeah, right. Holding a beautiful woman’s hand was so not on his agenda. He shrugged. Couldn’t deny feeling responsible for her.

If there’d been someone with her, or even meeting her at the other end, he wouldn’t be thinking like this. But it sounded like she was alone. So when she came out of hospital, where would she go? How would she get there? She hadn’t been carrying a bag, wasn’t wearing a jacket with pockets to hold money or credit cards. Or a phone. Just the keys she’d handed him to the car he had to retrieve and park at home. He swore, once, softly. He was going to have to deliver her bag to her.

He spied the boys carrying the cushions up the drive, flicking him worried looks from under their too-long hair, having obviously heard his bad language but not willing to tell him off as they normally did. At least they’d got the seriousness of the situation. He sighed. Time to get moving if they weren’t to be late for the party.

Oh, and note to self: arrange for two haircuts at the hair salon on Monday afternoon after school.

CHAPTER TWO

JENNY STARED AROUND the ED and shivered. ‘I want out of here. Like now.’

Not going to happen. The ED specialist had told her what she’d already suspected—that he was waiting for an orthopaedic surgeon to come in and look at her X-rays, and who knew when that would be. Apparently the surgeon had been out fishing on Queen Charlotte Sound when the ED staff had eventually got hold of him.

Waiting patiently wasn’t her forte any more. And waiting in an ED was cruel. There’d been a time she’d loved nothing more than turning up for her shift in the emergency department. She’d thrived on the heightened anticipation brought on when waiting for the unknown to come through the doors, and by helping put people back together after some disaster had befallen them. ‘Yeah, well, you turned out to be useless at that, didn’t you?’

The ED was full to overflowing. The adjacent cubicle wasn’t completely curtained off, leaving her open to scrutiny from a blue-eyed toddler with curls to die for. A young man lay on the bed in obvious pain, after apparently coming off his farm bike and being pinned underneath for an hour until his wife had found him. The injuries couldn’t be life-threatening or he’d be in Theatre already.

‘Up.’ A very imperious tone for someone so young.

‘No, Emma, leave the lady alone.’ The child’s mother snatched her out of reach to plonk her on a chair by the man’s bed. ‘I’m sorry about that,’ said the harried woman.

‘No problem.’ Jenny dredged up a smile and watched as the little girl clambered off the chair the moment her mother’s attention left her.

‘You all right there?’ asked a chirpy trainee nurse from the other side of Jenny’s bed. Too happy for her own good. ‘Anything I can get you?’

Didn’t they teach nursing students not to tease their patients? ‘I’d kill for a strong coffee right about now.’

‘Nil by mouth, I’m sorry. At least until after Mr McNamara has seen you, and then only if you’re not having surgery.’

‘I totally get it. It’s called wishful thinking.’ Talk about getting more than her share of apologies today. Cameron Roberts had looked and sounded more than apologetic, with tiredness and stress blinking out at her from those coffee-brown eyes peeking from under a mass of wayward blond curls. Bet those gorgeous twins were more than a handful. Trouble and twins were synonymous. She had first-hand experience of that.

The nurse smoothed the already smooth bedcover. ‘If you want anything, call me. There are some magazines lying around somewhere but they’re years out of date.’

‘I’m fine.’ She could pretend, couldn’t she?

‘Great.’ The student flashed another smile and went to charm another patient, leaving her in relative peace to contemplate her situation. Which was looking rather dire.

Stuck. That’s what she was. Stopped in her tracks, all because of a boy on an out-of-control skateboard. He’d wrecked everything. Like she’d slammed into a brick wall and there was no way round. She’d wanted to yell at those boys, tell them they should’ve been looking where they were going, not shouting and taunting each other to go faster. She did remember turning to see what the noise was about seconds before the boy—Marcus?—had crashed into her. But in all reality she’d been miles away, unaware of much except that boat heading out and the sun on her face.

The boys had looked so repentant. They’d also appeared as if they’d had enough of being told off and wanted to be given a break. She totally knew what that was like. How many times had she and Alison driven Mum insane with their mischief? Cameron Roberts hadn’t known she knew what she was talking about. ‘Bet I could teach those boys a thing or two about being naughty.’

Then an image of Cam’s tired and frustrated expression slipped into her mind and she retracted that thought. The man didn’t need any more problems.

‘Emma? What’s the matter, baby?’ In the next cubicle the mother’s panic was immediately apparent. ‘Why’s she gone so red? Emma. She’s not breathing.’

Jenny swung her legs over the side of the bed, ground her teeth on the flare of pain. ‘I’m a doctor. Pass her here.’ One look at the child’s terrified face, which only minutes ago had been grinning at her, had Jenny reaching back to slam her hand against the emergency button on the wall behind her bed. ‘What was she playing with?’

‘I’m not sure. Cotton balls, I think.’

Grabbing the child from the distraught mother’s arms, Jenny ran a finger around the inside of her mouth, scooped out sodden cotton balls. Had the child swallowed any? ‘Does Emma have any allergies that you know of?’ she demanded.

‘No.’

Emma definitely wasn’t breathing. Instantly laying the child over her knees with her head hanging down, Jenny began striking the child firmly between the shoulder blades with the flat of her hand. Strike one. Two. Come on, baby. Breathe for me. Three. Please. Four. Please, please, please. Five. Where are the doctors? Check the resp rate. The tiny chest wasn’t moving at all.

Jenny knew the mother was screaming at her but she ignored her, focused on saving this little girl. Quickly standing on her good foot, ignoring the pain slicing up her leg, she held Emma around her waist and located her belly button with her finger.

‘What’s going on?’ A doctor raced into the cubicle, followed by two nurses.

At last. But handing over now meant wasting precious seconds. Jenny fisted one hand. ‘This child appears to have choked. No resp rate. I’ve done five back strikes.’ Oh. Tell him. ‘I am an ED doctor.’ I was an ED doctor. Her fist thrust upward into Emma’s abdomen. One. Two. Emma coughed hard and a small round object shot across the floor.

‘A lid off a pill bottle by the look of it.’ One of the nurses retrieved it from under the next bed.

The doctor took the now crying and bewildered child from Jenny’s arms and laid her on the bed. ‘Shh, sweetheart. You’re going to be all right.’ He looked over his shoulder at the crying woman and the frantic father trying to get off his bed. ‘Mum? Come and hold your little girl while I examine her. What’s her name?’

‘Emma.’ The mother scooped up her baby and held her tight.

‘Easy. I need to give her a complete exam. Nurse, bring me a child’s blanket. Jason, get back on that bed. You shouldn’t be moving. You’ll start that wound bleeding again.’ The doctor turned back to his little patient and gave her a quick but thorough going over. ‘She’s going to be fine, thanks to this doctor.’

The mother had lost all colour in her cheeks. ‘Thank you so much, all of you. If you hadn’t done what you did …’ She swallowed.

Jenny eased her butt back onto her bed. The pain in her ankle had intensified now that she wasn’t being distracted. ‘Don’t go there,’ she advised with a smile she hoped wasn’t a grimace as pain stabbed repeatedly. ‘Instead be glad you were here and not at home when it happened.’

Within minutes the department had returned to normal. Except for the hiccups in the next cubicle as the mother slowly calmed down, only muted voices could be heard once more.

With a sigh Jenny lay back. Talk about having the day from hell. But a broken ankle was low on the scale of urgency and really she was incredibly lucky. Euphoria nudged her despair aside. That child would’ve been saved by any of the doctors or nurses on duty but she’d done it. Her old instincts had kicked in instantly. She hadn’t had to spend precious moments trying to recall the procedure. It had been there, lying in some unused corner of her brain waiting to be summoned.

It was good to know she still had it, even though she wasn’t about to do anything stupid like go back to being a doctor. Yet the words ‘I’m a doctor’ had spilled off her tongue without thought. If she had stopped to consider that, she’d probably have handed Emma to another medic and lost precious seconds.

Wriggling further back against the pillows, she wondered what she’d do once she was discharged. Originally she’d planned on staying in Blenheim for a couple of nights and visiting the vineyards she’d gone to with Alison two years ago and having a glass of her sister’s favourite bubbly.

Did she still stop here until she was capable of getting around again? Doing what? Reading, eating, sleeping. Boring. What about going to Havelock? Her chuckle was humourless. Less than five hundred people lived there. So not her, a place like that. All too soon the locals would start saying hello, and then asking how her day was going. She shuddered. Face it. Stopping for more than three nights anywhere was so not her at the moment. But as of now she was no longer on the move.

Almost six months on the road hadn’t solved anything, hadn’t given her the forgiveness she ached for, hadn’t brought her any closer to accepting what had happened.

This road trip had just about run its course anyway. There were only two more stops to go. Yeah, well, like climbing mountainsides in the Kahurangi National Park was going to happen now. Saying goodbye to Alison might have to wait another year.

Tears welled up, spilled down her face. ‘So sorry, sis. I intended being at the place where you left me on the first anniversary.’ Now that final goodbye had been taken from her in a single hit. A little like Alison’s death. One fall off a mountainside and she’d gone. For ever.

‘You look like you could do with some company.’

Now, that wasn’t a memory. That voice was from three hours ago. Ducking her head further down to hide her face, she croaked around her clogged throat, ‘Dr Cameron Roberts.’ Who didn’t sound overly pleased to be here. Surprise, surprise.

‘You remembered, then. Most people call me Cam.’

She’d always had a phenomenal memory. Right down to the very last word Alison had ever said to her. She drew a deep breath, and put Alison to one side—for now at least. ‘You can’t find the location of the boys’ Christmas party?’

He sat on the edge of her bed without asking. At least he was careful not to disturb her broken foot. ‘Safely delivered and for once I’m not putting on the red suit and handing out parcels to over-excited kids.’

‘Sounds like fun all round.’ She looked up, momentarily forgetting about her tears.

‘Hey, you’re crying.’ He looked nonplussed, like crying women threw him.

Sure am. ‘Guess it’s just a reaction to finding myself in here, instead of enjoying that lunch down on the marina.’ Telling a virtual stranger the truth would sound like she was looking for sympathy and that was the very last thing she intended. She didn’t deserve it, for starters. ‘Don’t mind me. I’m fine, really.’

He looked relieved. Because the tears hadn’t become a torrent? ‘I hear you’re waiting for Angus McNamara to show up.’

‘Is he any good?’ Like, hello? What choice did she have?

‘You don’t except me to say otherwise, do you?’ Cam was still watching her closely, but now a small smile slowly appeared, like he wasn’t used to smiling.

‘Not really.’ He should try the smile thing more often as it turned an already good-looking face into something beyond handsome. Her stomach sucked in and her heart knocked gently against her ribs, as if to say, Hey, sit up and take note. He’s one cool dude. Except, dear heart, the man has a wife. Those boys mentioned seeing their mother. She shifted a little and groaned, grinding out, ‘You’d tell me if I’d be better off seeing a chainsaw specialist, wouldn’t you?’

Cam grimaced with her then told her, ‘Angus is very good.’ He swung her car keys between them. ‘The car’s parked in my garage, out of the way. I brought in your case. Thought you’d want a change of clothes some time.’ Thoughtful as well as a hunk. ‘It’s in the ED office until they know whether you’re having surgery or just getting a proper splint and crutches.’

‘Would you mind putting the keys in my case? Losing them would only give me another headache to deal with.’

‘Sure.’ Cam stared thoughtfully at a spot somewhere around his feet. ‘If you’re discharged, where will you go?’

She had no idea. ‘Yesterday I looked up motels in Blenheim and found heaps of vacancies so I didn’t bother making a booking. I’ll phone around when I know what’s going on here.’

‘You sure that’s what you want to do? You could catch a flight home as soon as they kick you out of here.’ The question in his eyes asked where home was.

She wasn’t answering it. ‘I’ll be fine. Lots of options, really.’ She played mental ping-pong. A motel where she’d have to get take-out delivered because of her inability to move around? Or a flight out to where? Which town would she settle in and pretend it felt like home until she was okay to move on again? According to some, home was where the heart was, and her heart was lost right now.

At the moment all her worldly possessions were locked up in a container in a storage yard in Auckland, no doubt going mouldy. She suspected that after her road trip she’d like somewhere new to start again.

‘I’ll leave you my numbers so you can call me if you want anything else out of your car.’

‘Thanks.’ The carton of medical journals could wait a month or so. The hiking boots, running shoes and camping gear were absolutely useless at the moment. Blink, blink. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It’s a broken ankle, not a catastrophe, even if you are stuck here for a while. Her gaze drifted to Cam, over his expansive chest and on down to the long legs stretched half across the cubicle. ‘How did you manage to get behind the steering wheel of my car? Your knees must’ve been up around your ears.’

‘That’s something I’m used to. Though driving a sports car was a novelty, even if only for half a kilometre. The boys couldn’t believe what they were seeing when I pulled up at home.’

‘I can picture their faces.’ She continued checking him out. Why? She had no idea.

This guy spent time in the sun. His skin had a mouth-watering tan. Those calf muscles were well honed. Her stomach squeezed. Settle. The last thing she needed right now was to get interested in a man. She had nothing to offer anyone. She ran on empty all the time. Anyway, this particular man was taken. Remember? Remember. ‘You look fit. You run?’ Why was she even asking? He’d disappear any minute and that would be the end of that.

Surprise widened his eyes. ‘It’s the one thing that keeps me sane some days.’

She’d focus on his running, nothing else. ‘That can’t be easy with only a handful of short streets or the main highway to pound out on.’ An hour in Havelock had been ample time to get the idea of how small the place was.

‘I use Queen Charlotte Drive. The hill’s a bit of a grunter but the traffic moves at a far slower pace than out on the main road. Sometimes the boys cycle with me. I’d never take them on the main road. Too many large trucks rolling through all the time.’

‘Your boys are cute.’ Where was their mother? Had she gone to the party with them?

‘Don’t you dare tell them that. They absolutely hate anyone using the “cute” word.’ Another smile, more expansive this time, lifted his mouth into a delicious curve and lightened the brown of his eyes.

‘They’re strong-willed?’

Cam nodded his head slowly. ‘Unfortunately, yes.’

‘You’d want your kids to be pushovers?’ she asked, wondering exactly why he’d dropped by. She wasn’t his patient or his friend.

His sigh filled with sadness as the smile switched off and his gaze dulled. ‘They’re a funny mix of strong and soft. Kind of nice, I guess, but there are things I wish they were stronger about.’

If only she knew how to wipe away that look, bring back the warm smile. But it wasn’t her place. They were strangers who were going to remain so. ‘I’m sure all parents think that.’ How enlightening. Not.

‘You got kids?’ His question was nothing startling, fitted into their conversation, and yet it arrowed in for her heart.

‘No.’ She’d always hoped she’d get married and have a family. That had been part of her life plan, along with the medical career, the extended travel to Europe and watching Alison achieve her goal to become an international airline pilot. Except Alison had died because she had failed as a doctor. Her new life plan was waiting to be rewritten, but one thing she knew for certain was that having a family would be a part of it. Losing her sister had heightened that need.

‘Hello, Cam. Didn’t expect to find you here. You know my patient?’ A middle-aged man strode around the curtain and stopped at the end of her bed.

‘Not really. My boys are responsible for this. A skateboarding accident of no mean proportions.’

‘Ouch.’ The casually presented man turned to her. ‘I’m Angus, your surgeon.’

She held out her hand. ‘Jenny Bostock. Should I be asking if you caught any fish? Or will that make you go a little harder on me?’ Plastering on a smile she didn’t feel much like making, she watched closely to see how he reacted to her.

‘Your timing was perfect. Dinner’s ready and waiting in the fridge at home. Blue cod. The best fish in our waters, as far as I’m concerned.’ His friendly smile faded. ‘I’ve seen your X-rays. The lower tibia has a fine fracture, but it’s the talus that needs attending to, I’m afraid. You require plates to be attached.’

‘That’s what I expected.’ And didn’t want. But there was nothing she could do about it, except rewind the clock four hours and stay in her car, instead of walking around Havelock.

‘Do you want me to outline the whole procedure, Dr Bostock?’ The surgeon emphasised her title.

Beside him, Cam lifted his eyebrows. ‘So you are a doctor. I wondered if you were.’

‘Angus has been reading my admission slip.’ She should’ve put dog walker or cleaning lady but some habits didn’t disappear, even after six months. ‘Anyway, it was irrelevant to the situation. I’m presuming you’d have treated me the same, no matter what my job was.’

Cam shrugged. ‘Of course.’

She didn’t go around telling anyone she was a doctor. People might ask her to treat them or give them advice, and they really didn’t need that from her. But when it came to filling in paperwork she tended to honest. Just in case she ever got her life back on track.

‘Jenny—I can call you that?’ The surgeon’s eyebrow rose in query.

‘Sure.’

‘Jenny’s being coy. I’m surprised you haven’t heard how she saved a child who was choking not more than thirty minutes ago. Everyone’s talking about her.’

Cam’s eyes widened. ‘Truly? That’s awesome. I have to say you seem to have a habit of finding yourself in the middle of trouble. Is that usual? Or is today the exception?’

Define trouble. Crossing her fingers, she muttered, ‘It’s been one of those days when I shouldn’t have got out of bed.’

‘Well, you’re back in one now.’ Cam’s smile was cheeky, warming her where she didn’t want to be warmed. Right around her heart.

‘Right.’ Angus became brisk. ‘Let’s get this under way. The anaesthetist should be here any minute. I’ll head over to Theatre and wait for you there.’ He flicked the curtain wide to stride out.

Cam took his cue. ‘I’d better go and check on those boys of mine, see what other mischief they’ve managed to get themselves into.’

She called after him, ‘Thanks for dropping by. I’ll sort out what to do about my car when I’m a bit more mobile. I’ll give you a buzz some time tomorrow. Is that okay?’

‘It can stay where it is for weeks, if necessary. Call me if you want anything else.’ He was only being helpful to a stranger for whom his boys had caused trouble. It was there in his eyes, in the now flat smile he gave.

‘Thanks.’ Suddenly she didn’t want him to go. Her fingers picked at the sheet covering her. The idea of being anaesthetised made her feel tetchy. All the what-if scenarios popped into her mind. Surgery was not without its risks. So talk to Cam, ask him questions about anything at all to keep him here for a bit.

‘I can hang around until Sheree gets here.’ So he read minds.

‘Sheree?’

‘The anaesthetist on duty this weekend.’ His butt sank back onto the edge of the bed. ‘In what field of medicine do you practise?’

The down side of having him stay was fielding the unwanted questions. ‘Emergency.’

‘You feel weird, being an ED patient?’ Those eyebrows rose again.

Kind of cute when they did that. Did he like the ‘cute’ word? Why was she even asking herself that? The man had a family, wasn’t available. But it had been a long time since she’d been interested in a man that way. ‘Not weird, just scary being on the receiving end of all the attention.’

‘I had keyhole surgery for appendicitis ten months ago. If it hadn’t been for the pain and knowing how fast the whole thing could’ve turned bad, I’d have bailed out of having the operation. Call me a wimp, but I knew everything that was going to happen, and that made it worse.’

‘You mean you understood what could go wrong.’ Like she did.

A big, warm hand covered hers. ‘You’ll be fine. Sheree and Angus know what they’re doing. The worst of this will come afterwards, when you can’t get around easily. I could send my boys in to be your slaves for as long as it takes to get back on your feet.’ His brow crinkled. ‘They’re not very good at cooking, or cleaning, or making decent coffee. Great at fetching and carrying, though.’

Surprised he could joke with her, the nervousness took a step back. ‘You make them sound like puppies. Fetch, Booboo.’ The warmth seeping into her from that small contact made her relax even more. Then she tensed. Tugged her hand free. He has a wife. ‘Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. Really.’

Cam’s gaze cruised over her face, studying her intently. Looking for what? Then with a brief nod he stood up. ‘I can hear Sheree talking out there. I’ll head away. Take care.’

She stared at the curtain long after he’d gone. What would it be like to have Cameron Roberts to come home to at the end of a busy day in the department? Excuse me, you don’t work in an ED any more. You don’t work at all. As for coming home to that particular man, you must be high on laughing gas. He’s taken, remember?

A girl was allowed to dream, wasn’t she?

CHAPTER THREE

JENNY WOKE TO a nurse pumping a blood-pressure cuff wrapped around her arm. ‘Did I miss the party?’

The nurse frowned. ‘Party?’

‘The dry mouth and fuzzy head.’

An easy smile. ‘The revolting after-effects of anaesthetic. Your blood pressure’s normal. I need to take your temperature.’ A thermometer was slipped into her mouth as the nurse continued to talk. ‘Breakfast will be along shortly. You’ve got visitors, too.’

‘Visitors?’ Jenny spluttered around the glass stick between her lips. ‘I don’t know—’ Anyone except Cam and his boys. ‘Oh.’

‘Those boys are so gorgeous.’ Then the girl winked. ‘Just like their dad.’

‘True.’ It had to be post-op trauma that made her agree. ‘Does Mr McNamara do rounds on Sundays?’

‘He phoned earlier to say he’d drop by to see you this morning.’

‘Hey, sunshine, you’re looking more comfortable,’ Cam called from the doorway. ‘Up to visitors? As in three of us?’

‘You bet.’ Shuffling up the bed, she pulled the sheet up to her throat and settled back on the pillows the nurse rearranged at her back. Sunshine, eh? More like a disaster zone, with hair that hadn’t been brushed and probably yesterday’s mascara making dark smudges under her eyes. But it felt inordinately good to see him.

Cam stepped into the tiny room, followed by his sons carefully carrying coffee and something smelling suspiciously like a hot croissant.

‘Hello, guys. Is that for me?’

They nodded in unison. ‘Yes.’

‘You’re crackerjacks, you know that? I’ve been hanging out for a proper coffee since I arrived in this place.’ To think she could’ve blown this by venting her anger at them yesterday.

‘There’s a bacon and egg thing, too.’ One of them held out the bag to her.

‘Bacon and egg croissant,’ the other explained.

‘Okay, tell me, is there a trick to knowing who’s Marcus and who’s Andrew?’ They were darned near identical, though now that she was looking for differences she could see one of the boys had a tiny scar on his chin. Tapping it gently, she asked, ‘What happened there?’

‘Marcus pushed me off the swing when we were little.’

‘Gotcha. You’re Andrew.’ Now all she had to do was remember to look for that pale scar every time she bumped into these two scallywags. Like how often would that happen?

Andrew smiled a bigger, more impish version of that smile his father had given her yesterday when he’d visited the ED. ‘Marcus has got a scar on his bottom.’

‘Have not.’ The other twin stuck his chin out and glared at his brother.

‘Have too.’ Andrew scowled and made to haul his brother’s shorts down.

Cam stepped in. ‘That’s enough, boys. We came to visit, not turn the ward into a war zone.’

Jenny felt something oddly like laughter beginning to bubble up. When was the last time she’d laughed? ‘Better than the boring place it is at the moment. So how was your party? Did Santa Claus bring presents?’

‘Santa Claus isn’t real. He’s—’

‘Just an old man dressed up funny.’

Her breath hitched. A lump blocked her throat. She and Alison used to finish each other’s sentences. Oh, boy, this just got hard. Harder. Think of something to say. They’re all staring at you. ‘Bet you accepted the presents he gave you.’

‘Of course. They are cool. I got a remote-control plane.’

‘I got a helicopter.’

‘Pilots, eh? Have you been flying in real planes?’ She wanted to tell them how cute they were but knew not to if she wanted to remain friends with them, and, strangely, despite that little glitch over the way they shared sentences, she found she did. Though the chances of seeing them again once they walked out of here were very remote.

Cam was shaking his head at the three of them. ‘Don’t any of you come up for air?’

All three of them shook their heads and smiled at Cam, who said, ‘Great, so I’m the only sensible, sane one around here. Jenny, do you want milk for your coffee? Sugar? I can scrounge some off the nurses.’

‘Milk and sugar would be good.’

‘Dad, can we bring our presents to show her?’ Marcus—or was it Andrew?—asked. They weren’t directly facing her so there were no identifying marks in sight.

‘The lady has a name. Miss …’ His brow wrinkled as he glanced at her hands. ‘Miss Bostock, or Dr Bostock.’

Jenny locked gazes with him, and felt a nudge in the pit of her stomach. He really was gorgeous. She hadn’t been imagining it through the haze of nitrous oxide. ‘I’m happy with Jenny, unless you object.’ Definitely not Dr. She didn’t deserve that title any more.

He shrugged. ‘No problem. Okay, lads, give Jenny the food and coffee. No, don’t climb on the bed. She has a very sore foot.’

Instantly Marcus’s smile disappeared and his head dropped forward. ‘I’m sorry.’

So was she, but it had happened and grumping about it wouldn’t make him feel good. Wouldn’t do her any favours either. Leaning forward, she raised the boy’s head with her hand under his chin so he had to look at her. ‘Listen to me. It was an accident. You didn’t mean it, did you?’ His head slid from side to side. ‘You didn’t see me and I didn’t see you. I was watching the fishing boat out on the water. So let’s not worry about this again. Okay?’

Marcus nodded and looked at his dad. ‘She’s nice, Dad. I like her.’

Heat seeped into her cheeks, probably making her usually pale face resemble a stop light. That was the nicest thing anyone had said to her in a long while. She could even feel tears collecting in the back of her eyes. Great. Crying twice in less than twenty-four hours. Cam would think she should be in the mental health ward and rush his boys away.

‘Breakfast time,’ called an older woman, as she pushed in a cart that rattled with plates and cups.

Saved by the cart. ‘Can I have some milk and sugar, please?’

‘Certainly. Your family brought in some decent coffee for you. That’s lovely. Here, lads, hand Mum the milk, will you?’

Marcus stared at the woman with his mouth open and something like anguish in his brown eyes, while Andrew took the plastic bottle and passed it to Jenny, looking bemused but not upset.

‘She’s not our mother,’ he informed the woman. ‘She hurt herself on our skateboard so we’re visiting.’

‘That’s nice of you. Is that breakfast in that bag? It will probably be tastier than the cereal I’ve got here for Dr Bostock.’ With the number of patients she saw every day the woman would be used to making similar mistakes.

Cam finally got a word in. ‘Jenny, do you want the hospital breakfast? We won’t be insulted if you do.’

She shook her head. ‘Just the milk and sugar, thanks, Sadie.’ A quick read of the name badge pinned to the woman’s ample chest earned her another smile.

‘Here you go, then.’

Then another voice spoke from the doorway. ‘Good morning, Jenny.’ Angus strolled into the room, dressed in light slacks and a T-shirt. ‘Morning, Cam, boys. How’s everyone today?’

It was getting to be like a bus station in here. She looked around, found everyone watching her, waiting for her to answer. ‘I’m good. Not that I’ve got out of bed yet so I’ve no idea how I’ll go on crutches.’

‘Crutches?’ The twins’ eyes lit up.

She grinned at them. Their innocent sense of fun made her feel good about a lot of things. ‘It’s going to be exciting driving my car, don’t you think?’

‘Time we left Jenny alone.’ Cam headed for the door. ‘She’s got to talk to Mr McNamara.’

Disappointment tugged. With all the chatter between her and the twins Cam hadn’t said a lot, and now she wished for a rerun of the minutes they’d all been here. This time she’d talk to Cam, find out more about living in Havelock, just because it would be a safe subject and she could listen to his deep, husky voice. But they were already on the way through the door, the boys pushing each other.

‘Cam,’ she called. ‘Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate it.’

He turned a steady gaze her way, that anguish under control. ‘I could leave the boys with you for the day if you want company.’

I’d like that. I really would. They’re gorgeous fun. One day, Jenny, one day in the distant future. ‘Guess the ward staff might have something say about that.’

‘So would you after the first hour. We’d better not keep Angus waiting. He’s dressed for golf, I’d say.’

‘You’re not wrong, Cam. I won’t be long with Jenny if you want to wait.’

Cam shook his head. ‘We’ve got things to do in town. I want to be done and home before the temperature really cranks up. It’s hot out there already.’ Cam turned to her again. ‘See you later.’

Really? He’d drop by again? She nodded, afraid if she spoke the sudden lump in her throat might dissolve into tears. She was so used to being on her own it was like being knocked in the back of the knees to have had the Roberts trio turn up here to see her. Watching Cam walk away, she drank in the sight of his broad shoulders and a very tidy butt clad in khaki chinos.

Angus cleared his throat and she turned her attention back to him. ‘What happens next? Am I out of here this morning?’

‘Have you got anywhere to go?’

‘Yes.’ They had taxis in Blenheim, didn’t they?

The surgeon was shaking his head. ‘You’ll have to do better than that. Your admittance form gave a post box number—in Dunedin.’

Caught. ‘I’m staying in a motel.’

‘Which one?’

Hell. What was the name of one she’d checked out on line two days ago? The Grape Castle? The Vineyard Retreat? Her shoulders slumped. ‘I’ll make a booking before I leave here.’

‘That will be tomorrow at the earliest. If you had someone to take care of you I’d discharge you today, but I don’t want you tottering around on your own until you’ve got the hang of using crutches. Anyway, you shouldn’t be walking anywhere, even across a room, until the swelling’s gone down, and I suspect checking into a motel would involve more movement than I would be happy with.’

‘Give me all the gory details and then go and enjoy that round of golf. I’ll stay put. For now.’

The look he gave her suggested he didn’t trust her to behave. Neither did she, but she’d keep that to herself. By the time Angus had filled her in on the operation and written a prescription for painkillers she no longer had the energy to get out of bed. Round one to the surgeon.

The moment they got home Cam headed for the third, and rarely used, bedroom. He’d made his mind up. It was probably the dumbest thing he’d contemplated in a long line of dumb things but, hey, he’d do it anyway. ‘Guys, come and give me a hand.’

Marcus and Andrew appeared in the doorway in a flash. ‘What are you doing, Dad?’

‘I want you to take all these books and toys and store them in your bedroom. In the back of the wardrobe if necessary.’

‘Why?’ came the usual question.

Because he’d seen despair in Jenny Bostock’s eyes at the mention of sorting out what to do with her car tomorrow when she’d no doubt be feeling like hell on crutches. Plus because she seemed filled with sadness and loneliness, something he could understand. What he should be taking notice of was that restless expression that trawled through her gaze at times.

That expression he’d seen all too often in Margaret’s eyes in the months before she’d packed her bags and left them, except Margaret had been more of a caged lioness waiting to attack the world, whereas Jenny looked lost. A few days bunked down in Havelock wouldn’t hurt her. His heart sighed. As long as that didn’t hurt him.

There was something indefinable about Jenny that teased him. Beyond her physical attributes, that was. Despite that frailty he sensed a selflessness and a need to put things right. Would a woman like that walk out on her man after vowing to love him for ever?

‘Dad, why are we cleaning this room?’

‘Because I’m going to ask Jenny if she’d like to stay with us for a while.’

‘Yay, that’s cool.’ The boys leapt into the air and high-fived each other. ‘We like her.’

‘She didn’t tell us off or get mad or anything like that.’

That was the final reason he’d invite her. A thank-you and an apology. ‘You’re very lucky she’s such an understanding lady.’ He was curious why she hadn’t immediately revealed to him that she was a doctor. Had something gone wrong with a case that had led to that sadness leaking out of her eyes and dulling her face when she’d thought no one was watching her? It would have to be bad for her to stop practising, if that’s what she’d done. It was a rocky road at times, being a doctor.

Cam picked up a pile of books and handed them to Marcus. ‘Put those away.’

Andrew lifted an even bigger pile and staggered after his twin. Warmth stole through Cam. They really were great kids. If only he didn’t get so tired and busy, and forget that sometimes.

Within minutes they were back scooping up armloads of toys and traipsing out again. Getting ahead of him and what he had to do to make this room habitable for Jenny. Even as he pulled off the bedcovers and began spreading freshly laundered sheets the doubts nudged at the corner of his mind. What if he was making an idiot of himself? Jenny might think he was making a move on her and that would lead to all sorts of difficulties. But, seriously, the most likely scenario would be her laughing and telling him she could manage on her own.

She probably could, but her vulnerability had nudged him, made him sit up and take notice, had got him trying to read what was going on behind those beautiful big eyes she’d often turned on him. Eyes that turned him on. Talk about another reason not to invite her here.

‘Do I need this when I’ve already got more to cope with than I can manage?’ But guilt was a heavy taskmaster. He owed her. ‘You sure that’s what’s behind this mad idea?’

‘What did you say, Dad?’

‘Talking to myself. Sorry, mate.’ He might be overloaded with work and kids, but he couldn’t walk away from Jenny. He’d invite her to come to Havelock, and then it was up to her.

Lighten up, Cameron. You are entitled to some fun, too. Really? Really.

Note to self: ask Mrs Warner to do the grocery shopping earlier this week in case there’s an extra mouth to feed.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Cam shoved his hands in his pockets and rested a shoulder against the doorframe of Jenny’s hospital room, watching as she leaned against the bed. So slim, yet physically as strong as a whippet. The frailty was in her eyes, not her body.

Her head shot up so fast he heard vertebrae click, saw her wince. ‘Don’t sneak up on me like that.’ Guilt darkened those green eyes glittering at him fiercely, reminding him of the sea when the kahawai were churning it up as they chased smaller fish.

‘You were so engrossed in being stealthy you didn’t hear me coming along the ward.’ He couldn’t hold back his smile any longer. It had been growing from the moment he’d seen her juggling her crutches and trying to pick up her bag from the chair. Which really should be a warning to hightail it out of there, instead of getting involved with her. He should be thinking apology here, not getting up close and interested in Jenny Bostock, pretty woman and sometime doctor.

‘I was not.’ Her turn to smile, though hers appeared very strained.

Shaking his head at her, he crossed to pick up her case himself. ‘Give up arguing with me. I live with two experts, remember?’

‘Where are you taking my case?’ All pretence of smiling disappeared. ‘Seriously, Cam, what do you think you’re doing?’

‘Taking you home.’ So much for finesse. That must’ve gone down the plughole with the dishwater that morning. Had he thought he could railroad her into coming along quietly? If he had then he needed a brain scan. ‘We have a spare bedroom available. You can hole up there for as long as you like. Once you’re mobile again, as in using those crutches with more aptitude, we have cafés and a bakery, jewellery and fudge shops, all for you get lost in for hours on end.’

‘I don’t do shops. Not lately, at any rate. Though the café could be a plus.’ Bewilderment etched her face. Maybe a bit of hope was in there, too. ‘Is there a motel in Havelock?’

Had he really expected her to be thrilled about this? ‘Backpackers’ accommodation only.’

‘Oh.’ Her gaze dropped from him to her case and then to her crutches. She seemed to be weighing up her options.

He helped her along with making up her mind. ‘The boys have got your room ready. They’re really excited about having a visitor, even a practically useless one who won’t be playing cricket on the front lawn any time soon.’

‘You play dirty.’ Her forefinger tapped the handle of one of the crutches.

Not normally, but he couldn’t walk out of here leaving Jenny to her own devices. She was ill prepared to go it alone for the next few days. ‘Trying to make it easier for you to accept. You can leave any time you like, straight after dinner if you want to.’

‘I see.’ Tap, tap, tap went her finger on the crutch. ‘What about your wife? Or did you bully her into this as well?’

Now who was playing dirty? ‘I’m divorced.’ Was he a slow learner, or what? Jenny was gorgeous, but she might not be any more trustworthy than his ex had been. So what? This was going to be a brief stay, not a lifelong one.

She sucked in air. ‘I’m sorry, but I needed to know. Not about your divorce but that I wasn’t treading on anyone’s toes.’

‘You’re not treading on anything at the moment,’ Cam quipped, in an effort to dispel his unease, but then thoughtlessly asked, ‘You heard the boys saying they’d seen their mother yesterday?’

‘Yes.’

‘They hadn’t. She lives in Auckland, last I heard.’ That’s all she needed to know. Probably out-of-date news anyway.

‘That must be hard for all of you. Do they make a habit of seeing their mum in places she’s not?’

‘Unfortunately, yes. Margaret—my ex—left rather abruptly two years ago.’ That’s definitely all he was saying. Jenny had cleverly sidetracked him from his mission. ‘Jenny, you are in a bind, partly due to my sons’ antics. I don’t know why you don’t want to go home, wherever that is, but I’m more than happy to help you out until you’re up and running again. That’s all I’m offering. Though be warned, life in our house is hectic and noisy, but during the day you’ll have peace and quiet while the boys are at school. Take it or leave it.’

He studied her small case. She travelled light, if this and what was in her car was anything to go by. His sisters would think Jenny needed lessons on what to take away on a trip, but then she’d need a truck, not a sports car.

She swung the crutches, took two wonky steps. Her eyes locked with his as she tipped her head to one side. Sizing him up?

He went for broke, lifted the case and headed for the door. ‘Coming?’

The silence was deafening. He kept walking, slowly so that if she decided to join him she wouldn’t feel compelled to hurry. Why so little luggage? Those medical journals in her boot were hardly scintillating reading for a trip.

Clump, thump. She was moving, hopping on those sticks. Clump, thump.

Cam relaxed and kept walking, slowing even more.

Clump, thump.

Warmth spread through him. Jenny was coming home with him. He hadn’t realised how much he wanted this until faced with the real possibility she’d turn him down. Being pushy had worked.

‘I guess Havelock is as good a place to be as Blenheim.’

‘Better, as far as I’m concerned. More community spirited.’ Something he’d come to appreciate. It had taken time for him to get used to living in such a small place after spending ten years in Wellington. Nowadays he doubted he’d cope with the stress of city living with two young boys to keep a firm hand on.

‘Only until I’ve got the hang of these damned things.’ Bang, bang, the crutches slammed down on the floor. ‘A couple of days at the most.’

‘Sure.’ The warmth spread. He’d asked out of guilt and yet now he was feeling good about the whole situation. Steady, boy, steady. You might’ve leapt into the deepest part of the pond and have no way of surviving.

‘There she is.’

‘Hello, Jenny. Are you coming to our house?’ The twins mobbed her, threatening her precarious balance.

But before Cam got a word out Jenny was laughing with them and saying, ‘How can I refuse that welcome?’

He hadn’t got a laugh, or even a thank you. Did he need to take lessons from his sons on how to get onside with a pretty woman?

‘Boys, wait here with Jenny while I bring the car to the door. Mind those crutches, will you?’

As he stepped out into the sunshine he heard Marcus asking, ‘Can we have a go on the crutches later? They’re cool.’

Unfortunately the doors slid shut before he heard Jenny’s reply, but something told him she’d have agreed. She got on with the boys so easily. As long as she didn’t get too close and they got hurt when she left. He’d knew too well the devastation their mother had caused them when she’d walked away. But what were the odds Jenny would stay more than a night, two at the most? How attached could Marcus and Andrew get in that short time?

How attached would he get? He so wasn’t ready to trust his heart again. Doubted he ever would be.

No getting away from the fact this had definitely been the dumbest idea he’d ever come up with. Not once had he factored the boys’ hearts into the equation, let alone his own. Blast you, Margaret, for doing this to us. How long did it take for youngsters to truly understand what being abandoned by their mother meant? Or did they already get it and this searching for her was just part of the acceptance process?

Note to self: go see a shrink and get my head space tidied up so I understand my boys and don’t make stupid mistakes about a woman with beautiful eyes that I could drown in.

CHAPTER FOUR

‘I’VE NEVER BEEN treated like royalty before.’ Jenny smiled at the twins as a glass of chilled water slid onto the top of the small table beside the chair she’d been banished to. At least the lounge, dining area and kitchen all ran together so she didn’t feel isolated from what everyone was up to. ‘I could get used to this.’

‘Dad said we had to make you—’

‘Comfortable and get anything you need.’

Cam spoke from behind the kitchen counter. ‘That also means not bothering Jenny all the time.’

Jenny spoke up before an argument ensued. ‘Guys, maybe we could play a game on the computer or something later?’

The boys high-fived each other and shouted ‘Yes’ at the tops of their voices.

Cam nodded at them. ‘That means you can go outside to play now.’

She watched them scrambling over each other in their haste to go out into the yard, then asked Cam, ‘Do they ever slow down?’

‘Exhausting to watch, aren’t they?’ That half smile appeared as his gaze followed his sons. ‘You look sleepy. Do you want to go to bed for a while?’

That had to be the most uninviting invitation to bed she’d ever had. How would that deep, gravelly voice sound if he was really asking her to take a romp in bed? And why did she even want to know? Shaking her head abruptly, she looked up into the steadiest brown gaze she’d seen in a long time. A hint of amusement shone out at her. Had he picked up on her reaction to his question? Probably. Ouch.

‘Jenny? You’re space tripping.’ His gaze was still locked with hers. Odd, really. Usually people who knew her and what had happened tended to look away. But, then, Cam hadn’t a clue about her life up until yesterday.

‘If it’s all the same to you I’ll stay right where I am. If I do nod off, don’t insist on the boys being quiet. That’d make me feel bad.’ She’d caused enough trouble for this family already.

‘We’re having a barbecue. Steak all right with you?’

‘Perfect. Can I make the salad?’ Though right at this moment telling the difference between a tomato and a cucumber might be difficult.

Her question got her a small smile. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Had to offer.’ Actually, she felt glad he’d turned her down. Those crutches were turning out to be a little trickier to master than she’d have believed. His kitchen was safer without her clunking around in there.

‘Is there anything you don’t like to eat?’ Cam asked.

‘Tripe, Brussels sprouts and broad beans.’

‘You’re more than safe here.’

As Cam dug around in the pantry she studied his back view and found it still very delectable now her brain was clear of drugs and post-op fog. But, of course, finding herself here with a man she barely knew, she was bound to be overreacting to all sorts of things. Then Cam turned to place bottles of sauces on the counter and caught her staring.

‘Yes?’ His eyebrows rose, and that smile hovered on his mouth.

Definitely ouch. Heat crept up her throat and spread across her cheeks. Caught, like a teenager ogling the teacher as he wrote on the board. ‘Nothing.’ Glancing around, she hurried to find something neutral to talk about. ‘You’ve got a lovely home. Spacious and light, warm and cosy.’ Home and Garden reporter she was not. ‘Been here long?’

‘Two and a half years. I was looking for a less hectic work schedule. On a holiday at the family farm out in the sounds, someone mentioned Havelock needed a GP. So here we are.’

‘Is there enough work for a full-time doctor?’ The town was less than small.

‘I do mornings here four days a week and the rest of my time in Blenheim at the practice this one’s linked to.’

‘How do you manage? A GP’s life is never quiet. Then there are your kids.’

‘Solo parenting is a balancing act but I wouldn’t swap it for anything.’ He sprinkled oil onto the steaks and reached for the pepper grinder.

As she watched those strong hands twisting the utensil, her stomach did a wee shake. Long, strong fingers. It didn’t take any effort to imagine them tripping over her skin. Her cheeks burned like a furnace. In fact, her whole body had come alive.

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