by Lucy Clark
‘Most twins are. You know what it’s like to be an aunty, to hype the children up on lots of sugar and then hand them back to the parents.’
Megan couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Yes. I have done that once or twice come to think of it.’
Did she have any idea how beautiful she looked when she laughed like that? When she relaxed and let her guard down? Let her true self shine through? ‘I used to do that to my nieces and nephews. Hype them up and then drop them home.’
‘The perfect uncle.’
‘Aye, and my sisters delighted in doing the same thing after Heather was born. Still do, in fact. They’re always spoiling her or hyping her up on sugar.’ He shook his head, amusement dancing on his lips.
‘Are you married?’ The question blurted from her lips, surprising both of them—Megan most. She clapped a hand over her mouth as though trying to take it back. ‘I’m sorry, Loughlin. You don’t need to answer that. Ignore me.’
‘No.’
‘Well, just forget what I said, then.’
‘No, I meant that, no, I’m not married. I am, however, divorced. Quite a nasty one actually so I’m more than glad to be on the opposite side of the world from my ex-viper…er, I mean ex-wife.’
‘My goodness. What on earth happened?’ Again, it was as though her mouth had a mind of its own and she put her hand to her lips once more. ‘Sorry, again. It’s really none of my business.’
‘You’re obviously curious so why don’t we go and check on Narissa and I’ll enlighten you on the topic of my horrible experiences with matrimony whilst we head home, eh?’
‘Loughlin, you shouldn’t feel pressu—’
‘Hey.’ He stood and leaned across the table, placing a finger over her lips, effectively silencing her. The touch of his skin against hers and in such an intimate fashion, in such a confined and deserted tearoom save the two of them, caused Megan’s heart to beat out a wild and excited rhythm in her chest. This was utterly ridiculous. She didn’t even know this man so how on earth could his nearness evoke such an overwhelmingly powerful reaction?
‘I’m more than happy to tell you on the way home.’ His gaze flicked down to her lips for a split second as though he was tempted to remove his finger and place his mouth there instead. The simple look had heat flooding through Megan’s body, her breathing becoming even more shallow. He looked into her eyes once more and she saw that there was a spark of awareness in the dark depths. ‘After all, this is a small hospital and I doubt you’re the only one who’s curious. Better to get the story out there and circulating so it can die a natural death sooner rather than later.’
His tone was soft, his words even and his scent was starting to blend with her own, making a heady combination. Once he’d spoken, he didn’t automatically move away and the awareness between them seemed to triple in an instant. What on earth did this mean? Megan’s logical mind was trying to decipher the signals, trying to figure everything out so she could understand how on earth she could be so attracted to a man she’d only just met. The only problem was, her mind didn’t seem to be functioning too well at the moment.
‘Right,’ she said, although if he’d asked her what she was agreeing to, she couldn’t have told him for all the tea in China. A patient buzzer, which could be heard loud and clear from the tearoom, went off and it gave them enough of a start for both doctors to move apart. Loughlin’s hand dropped back to his side, the two of them staring at each other as though they weren’t quite sure what had just transpired.
‘Narissa.’ Megan stood and carried her cup to the sink. ‘We need to check on—’
‘Narissa,’ he finished. It was enough to make them focus their thoughts and go and check on their young patient. After they’d done that and Night Sister had assured them that everything else was running like a well-oiled machine, Megan and Loughlin headed outside into the now rather cool April evening.
‘Well, tonight didn’t go exactly as planned,’ she said as Loughlin drove through town.
‘And you still owe me dinner,’ he pointed out.
Megan wasn’t sure she could go through another evening sitting across the table from him, staring into those brown eyes of his. The colour was so rich, so deep, and his gaze so…probing. When he looked at her as he just had, it was as though he was trying to look into her soul, trying to find out exactly what it was that made her tick. Megan wasn’t used to such attention, and hardly knew how to react. Being out with Loughlin tonight had made her feel extremely vulnerable and that was an emotion she was more than willing to avoid wherever possible.
‘Are you sure we can’t just call it even?’
‘Even? I ended up paying for dinner!’
‘What? But we never received the food.’
‘Well, when I say “paying”, I actually meant “collecting”. Paula was so grateful for our help she said tonight’s meals were on the house and Antoinette had put them into takeaway containers.’ He jerked his thumb in the direction of his back seat and it was then Megan saw a small box that held two food containers and another package wrapped in foil. ‘Paula was worried we didn’t get to eat and the food had already been cooked so she made me take it. We can heat it up when we get back to your place.’
‘But—’
‘Or mine, if you don’t want to eat at your house, although I should warn you that I don’t have a lot of furniture as yet. Thought I’d wait for Heather to come so we could pick it out together. You know, sort of make it our home, rather than just mine.’
‘So you’re definitely planning on staying?’ If his daughter was coming, that sounded as though it was pretty permanent.
‘For as long as your country will have me.’
That was interesting news. Although why she should find it so was still a dilemma. ‘And your daughter? Heather? Will she stay, too?’
‘Most certainly. I have sole custody.’
‘Why didn’t she come with you?’
‘I wanted to get established first. You know, get to know my way around, get settled with work, check out the people to see if they’re nice.’ He grinned at her. ‘That sort of thing. Much easier for her to arrive once I’ve had time to do all the hard work such as finding a place to live.’
‘The job came with accommodation provided,’ she felt compelled to point out.
‘Shh. Buy a car that works, unlike some other doctors in town that I know.’
‘Hey. I hardly think that—’
‘And look for suitable schools,’ he continued, cutting her off.
‘But not buy furniture.’
‘Nay. Thought it might be loads of fun to choose it all with my wee bairn.’
‘I thought you said she was around Narissa’s age.’
‘Aye.’ He chuckled. ‘She’s twelve, but to me, she’ll always be daddy’s little girl.’
‘And what about Heather’s mother?’
‘Mother in name only,’ he scoffed. ‘Bonnie doesn’t care about Heather. She never has. Always find out if the person you’re marrying wants children before you marry them.’
‘Good advice,’ Megan agreed, thinking of how Calvin had been nonchalant on the subject of children, whilst she’d always craved a brood of her own.
‘In my defence, though, I will say that when I married her I was young and highly immature and Bonnie was very beautiful.’
‘I can imagine.’ Megan looked out the window but she couldn’t see much as he turned off the main road onto the short cut that led to their houses. She could well picture him with a beautiful woman draped on his arm who would undoubtedly be smiling indulgently at him. He was a handsome man and handsome men were always surrounded by beautiful women.
As far as she was concerned, she would hardly describe herself as beautiful. Sure, she was blonde and blue-eyed with a slim frame, but not stunning or anything like that. She’d never had men lining up to date her and she’d come to terms with that. In school, she’d been the freaky genius kid who’d only captured the interest of the opposite se
x when they’d wanted help with their homework. ‘Were you married long?’
‘Eight years. Isn’t it funny how you can marry a person and then a few years later you wake up to find yourself married to a total stranger.’
‘What went wrong, do you think?’
‘Work. I was always studying. Always busy at the hospital.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s not an uncommon story. It’s why medics usually marry medics. Bonnie worked as a photographer. We met when the hospital held a bachelor auction and all the men got raffled off for charity. She was hired to take the publicity photographs and let’s just say she managed to outbid quite a number of women to win me.’
‘Sounds impressive.’
‘It was, at the time. Anyway, we knew we were a wrong fit but we didn’t seem to care. You tell yourself a lot of lies when you’re young, thinking you can take on the world…or at least Glasgow.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Nay. It doesn’t work. Anyway, I was at the hospital for long hours, Bonnie’s career started taking off and she was getting bookings for London and Paris fashion shows. Then she discovered she was pregnant with Heather.’
Loughlin pulled the car into Megan’s driveway and switched off the engine. He undid his seat belt and turned to face her. ‘She didn’t want the baby. I begged her to keep it. She eventually conceded. I cut back on my hours, had my sisters and mother at the ready to provide help, but nothing I did seemed to make any difference. When Heather was three, Bonnie walked out. She’d had enough.’
‘So does Heather see her at all?’
‘Very occasionally. When Bonnie’s schedule permits it. Career first…family way, way down the other end of the list.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘That’s my ex-wife.’ He tugged at his shirt collar, even though it wasn’t tight.
‘And when is Heather due to arrive?’
‘Two weeks’ time.’
‘You’re going to live with no furniture for two weeks?’
‘Barely any furniture.’ He grinned at her as he climbed from the car then opened a door and removed the box containing their dinner. Megan didn’t wait for him to open her door and quickly stepped from the car, going over to unlock her front door. She knew a lot of people out here didn’t bother locking their doors and she guessed that the only houses on this side of the hill were really her own and Loughlin’s, but it was still a lifelong habit of hers from living in a big city and it wasn’t one she was about to forgo…especially as she was planning to leave Kiama when her contract was up.
‘Barely any furniture. What does that mean, exactly?’ She switched on lights and headed for the kitchen, picking up a few odd tissues and a coffee-mug she’d put on the table as she’d rushed out the door that morning. As Loughlin came in with the food, she quickly closed her bedroom door lest he should see the mound of clothes on her bed which she’d quickly gone through when trying to choose something to wear out to dinner with him.
‘I have a mattress to sleep on. A bean-bag and a card table. What more does a man need?’ He came into the kitchen and noticed the mound of dishes in the sink. He grinned, sort of pleased to find that Megan wasn’t a complete Miss Hospital Corners. He liked women who were real, who made mistakes and learned from them, who became stronger from those mistakes. He liked women who had self-confidence, who obviously weren’t afraid to speak their minds and who didn’t care if a man came into their kitchen and found a week’s worth of dirty dishes in the sink. It showed they were human…unlike Bonnie.
He tried not to huff with annoyance at the thought of his ex-wife, who had definitely been little Miss Perfect in every way, shape and form—except when it came to motherhood. Then her true colours had shone through and Loughlin had realised he’d been completely duped by the woman he’d thought he’d married.
‘How about a bed for your daughter?’
Megan’s words brought him back to reality and he stared at her for a moment, trying to remember what they’d previously been discussing. Furniture. A bed for his daughter? His eyes widened as her words sank in. ‘Ah.’
‘It’s all well and good saying you want her here to choose the furniture with you but I think she’d appreciate not having to sleep on the floorboards, at least for her first night in a foreign country after flying halfway round the world.’
Loughlin nodded slowly. ‘You may just have a point there, Megsy.’ He watched as she took the food from the containers and heated it up in the microwave, secretly pleased she hadn’t said anything about him using her nickname. ‘So what are you doing tomorrow?’
Megan frowned at him, busying herself by pulling out glasses and cutlery and carrying them through to the dining room alcove. Loughlin followed her, watching her set the table as she spoke. ‘I’m going to work. Like you. Tuesdays are usually quite busy thanks to morning clinic and then I have a surgical list in the afternoon.’
‘Right. What about after the list is finished? What are you doing then?’
‘Why?’ She returned to the kitchen and opened her refrigerator. ‘Looks as though we’ll be drinking water. Sorry. It’s all I have.’
Loughlin peered into her fridge. ‘Megsy, darlin’. It’s a little sad to see a doctor who’s well versed in the dos and don’ts of nutrition to have such an empty fridge as yours.’ He picked up a carton of milk and smelt it, grimacing before he put it back. ‘Doing some experiments? I may not have furniture but at least I have food. Right. We’ll go shopping for groceries after we’ve bought Heather a bed.’
‘What?’ Megan was stunned at his words. ‘Shopping?’ The microwave beeped but she didn’t move. Loughlin took the tea-towel she’d left on the bench and removed the glass dishes from the microwave, carrying them to the table. ‘I’m not going shopping with you.’
‘Of course you are, lassie. You’re coming with me to get Heather a bed. I can’t very well pick out something for a twelve-year-old girl by myself. I still thought she played with dolls until I found her drooling over a large poster of a male singer. I may be her da’ but I still want her to be daddy’s little girl and she, apparently, wants to grow up.’
‘But I don’t even know her.’
‘But you’re a girl. That’s an advantage you have over me.’
‘Loughlin, I hardly think that—’
‘I’ll not be taking no for an answer, Megsy, and if you really want me to pull out all the stops, I’ll simply say that if you come shopping with me tomorrow evening after your surgical list we’ll call it even with me helping you out with your car.’
‘We don’t have to have dinner together again?’
Loughlin sat down at the table opposite her. ‘Don’t say it as though it was going to be torture for you. How is a man supposed to feel when his neighbour and colleague doesn’t want to spend any time with him? What sort of friend are you?’
‘A prickly one,’ she answered with a grin, before digging into her dinner.
CHAPTER FIVE
LOUGHLIN lay on his mattress that night and thought about the day he’d just had. As far as first days went, it had pretty much been one of the best ones he’d had and he knew it was because of Megan Edwards.
She was a woman who intrigued him and he hadn’t met anyone like her for a very long time. For years since his divorce he’d kept his distance from any sort of real dating, usually discovering the women were as shallow as his ex-wife. Three dates was all it usually took. He’d developed a skill for asking the right sort of questions to prompt the answers he was looking for. When the wrong answers came—he took that as his cue to leave.
Besides, Heather was his first priority and that hadn’t changed from the minute she’d been born. Establishing a solid home life for his daughter was paramount and it was also impossible to achieve with a different woman in tow every so often.
So he’d put dating on the back burner, but that had been when Heather had been little. Lately, though, Heather was becoming embarrassed when he tried to kiss her goodbye when he dropped her off at school. It was evidence that she was growing up. His sisters had point
ed it out, telling him he was coming to the time where he also needed to think about his needs. Having this distance from Heather, being here in Australia—on the other side of the world—Lochie wondered whether his sisters might be right. It was strange being without Heather but at the same time he was also enjoying it. He was starting to think it might actually be time to find where on earth he’d put his own life.
His sisters had often told him he was a good catch, that any woman would be thrilled to have him in their life, but the truth of the matter was that Bonnie had done a right royal number on him and he didn’t want to get hurt like that ever again. If he thought about dating, about trying to develop more than a friendship with someone, she would need to be one extraordinary woman.
After less than twenty-four hours since first meeting Megan, he’d found himself wanting to get to know her better. He’d flirted with her this morning. He’d been aware of it, even if she hadn’t. He’d flirted with her at the hospital and then later when they’d been out at the restaurant. She intrigued him, fascinated him, and, like a specimen beneath a microscope, he was definitely interested to see what she’d do next.
Usually, he never talked about his own divorce, preferring not to think of the failure he’d made of his marriage, but when she’d asked him about it, he’d discovered that he didn’t mind her knowing. What he’d said about small hospitals was true but by the same token he’d been more than a little bit pleased that she was interested enough in him to ask in the first place.
Of course, he’d just given her the facts, hoping she wouldn’t see how deep Bonnie’s betrayal had cut him. Still, rehashing old wounds had made him rather exhausted and as he tried to relax again, a vision of the woman he’d spent most of the day with swam before him.
Opening his eyes again, he knew he needed to stop thinking about Megan. It wasn’t why he’d come to Australia. He’d come here because he’d realised his life had become stuck in a rut. He’d just turned forty-one and not long after his birthday he’d come to the conclusion that his life held no surprises at all. He knew where he was supposed to be at every given moment on any given day. And that wasn’t who he wanted to be.
