Return of Dr Maguire (Mills & Boon Medical) (13 page)

He nodded. ‘Aye, we’ll do that. Anyway, I’ll bring her home with me now and I’ll be in contact with you regarding Dad and his progress.’

* * *

It was practically dark by the time Christa returned home. She parked the car and as she fumbled for the key in her bag, the door opened in the next house and her neighbour, Janet, came out, with a bowl of flowers in her hands.

‘Hi, Christa, I saw these on your doorstep when I came back from taking Titan for a walk. I took them in, in case that cat down the road started playing with them. Aren’t they lovely?’

Christa took them from her and buried her nose in the delicate arrangement of tiny tête-à-tête daffodils and freesias in a small blue pottery bowl.

‘Mmm, they smell so fresh and springlike,’ she said.

‘Looks like you’ve got an admirer,’ teased Janet.

Christa tore open the note that was stuck on the side. It said, ‘Thank you for the most delicious omelette I’ve ever had in my life.’

She giggled, then grinned at Janet and stuffed the note in her pocket. ‘Only a thank-you note for a pretty awful meal I made for the new partner in the practice,’ she said lightly.

And although she glowed with pleasure as she put the little arrangement on the table, she told herself sternly that it was just a polite but amusing gesture of thanks, and that the evening had meant nothing more to Lachlan than a bit of fun between two people who were free agents.

Of course they were attracted to each other, but hadn’t they agreed, as adults who knew their own minds, to keep it cool without commitment? She smiled wryly to herself. Deep down, didn’t she yearn for more than that with Lachlan? Something that would involve a meaningful future?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Please be ready at seven-thirty tonight for a brainstorm meeting re work, etc., to expand on what we did the other evening. We need to discuss that thoroughly. We’ll go to local restaurant. Lachlan.

C
HRISTA
GIGGLED
. R
EADING
her e-mails at work was usually pretty routine, but this one gave her a jolt of delight. She wondered just how much work would be discussed at the ‘brainstorm meeting’! The ‘etc.’ bit gave her a clue that there would be more to it than talk about the practice, and a lovely feeling of anticipation at meeting him later on kept shooting through her all day.

This was her first ‘proper’ date with Lachlan Maguire, but she was determined to take things slowly, stick to her airy intentions of keeping everything casual and emotionally detached between them. Well, she could try, anyway!

She sent him a reply. ‘Look forward to discussing programme...’

* * *

Christa was ready hours before seven-thirty. It seemed like a family of butterflies was fluttering in her stomach, and as if this first proper invitation from Lachlan to go out with him was one of the most important dates she’d ever had in her life. She’d gone through every outfit in her wardrobe and discarded them all as unsuitable. During the past year, shopping for clothes had not featured much in her life. Finally she’d selected a pair of black trousers with a soft blue angora jumper that was warm without being suffocating.

She looked doubtfully at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Was she looking too casual? Not casual enough? Then she laughed, wondering just why she was getting in such a spin. It was just going to be a normal, pleasant evening of chat, wasn’t it? But it had been a long time since she felt this sort of excitement before a date. Had she really felt this pent up before going out with Colin? She bit her lip, remembering how she had sent caution to the winds and had had a wild affair with him that had all ended in tears.

She certainly wasn’t going to be like that with Lachlan—however much she longed to. He wasn’t for commitment and if anyone got hurt it would be her. If she’d learned anything from her past mistakes it was to be careful when it came to love. Just because she and Lachlan had had an unexpected fling one night, it didn’t mean that was on the agenda for every date!

She peeped out of the window—the snow had started falling heavily and she suspected the wind would be as sharp as a honed knife. When it was cold in Errin Bridge it was really cold. She put on a coat her mother had given her, a long cream suede with a sheepskin lining, and plonked a Cossack hat made of fake fur on her head, then went to the door when she heard the bell.

Lachlan had on a large quilted jacket and fleecy hat with ear flaps, his clothes covered with a dusting of snow. He ran his gaze slowly over Christa, taking in the way the tendrils of her auburn hair curled round the white hat, the contrast of her flushed cheeks against the cream of the coat.

‘Wow,’ he said softly. ‘You look like a snow queen...’

He leant forward and brushed her mouth with his lips, his cheek cold against hers. Christa felt herself go limp with desire—so much for keeping things light and casual! If he’d suggested giving up on the meal and going inside to make love, her good intentions might have floated out of the window.

‘How gorgeous are you?’ he whispered, drawing back and looking down at her with those sexy eyes of his.

‘Well, you look as if you’ve just landed at an airport!’ She grinned. ‘Very macho and rugged.’

He grimaced. ‘Thank you! Good job I kept this old hat—I used to use it when I was in the Flying Doctor service. It’s come in useful for this weather, although I don’t think it matches up to your outfit in any way. By the way, I hope you’re hungry!’

Anticipation seemed to have taken away Christa’s appetite. She’d been longing for this all day, and now the time was here she couldn’t think of a thing she wanted to eat!

‘Matelli’s’ restaurant was small and intimate and quite busy. There were red and white tablecloths gaily covering the candlelit tables, and on every wall were murals of sunny Italian scenes from the Bay of Naples to hilly views of Tuscany. In a corner a young man was playing Neapolitan songs softly on a guitar, and Christa felt that it was like stepping into another country after the wintry conditions outside.

Paolo Matelli, the owner, made a fuss of them as he led them to a table in an alcove, talking in a strong Italian accent.

‘Ah! My favourite doctors! My bad back ees completely better, thanks to you, Dr Maguire! I miss your dear mother very much—but you are taking over very well! And, Dr Lennox, you look after my wife so well when she had her last baby! Look! I show you how well the bambino does!’

He whipped out a little leather folder and opened it, revealing several photos of a bouncing baby boy. Then, as the two doctors admired the photos, he fussed around, putting napkins in front of them with a flourish, pouring water into glasses.

‘He’s beautiful, Paolo. What do you call him?’ said Christa.

‘Vincente. He’s very good, the best baby in the world!’ Paolo’s eyes twinkled at them. ‘I tell you, there is nothing like a happy family to keep you going, eh? I trust that, like me, you will be blessed too!’

‘I hope I will, Paolo,’ said Lachlan quietly. ‘And you’re right—everyone needs a happy family.’

Christa looked at him compassionately. You didn’t have to scratch very much beneath the surface for the experiences in Lachlan’s own family to be recalled in the flicker of sadness in his blue eyes, and a shadow passing over his face.

Paolo put menus before them. ‘Well, take my advice, and don’t leave it too late. You have to be young to cope with five of them!’

‘Five children?’ remarked Lachlan, his grave face breaking into a grin. ‘I’d like children but I think five of them might test me a little.’

A little throb of longing lodged somewhere in Christa’s brain, the wistful thought that she would love to have his babies—any amount! She looked at his face as he gravely studied the menu. She’d seen him dealing with youngsters over the past few weeks and had thought what a great dad he’d make. Perhaps he’d be strict, but fun and loving, learning from what had happened in his own life.

For goodness’ sake, what are you like, Christa? she thought wryly. You’re only on a first proper date with the man and already you’re making him a father!

Lachlan looked at Christa across the table. The light in the restaurant was muted, but in the glow of the candlelight her auburn hair looked lustrous and her eyes as warm as a summer’s day. When she looked down, her thick eyelashes shadowed her peachy cheeks. God, she was perfect! He longed to kiss her full mouth, to run his hands over the light blue angora jumper she was wearing, feel the softness of her breasts underneath. The sudden heat of desire rushed through him—for the first time in his life he knew that he wanted more from a girl than a light-hearted liaison, but he didn’t want to rush things. Christa had had her heart broken before, she probably wasn’t ready for commitment yet! Paolo came up to him, holding a bottle of champagne.

‘I hope you accept this from our family—just to help make the evening a happy one!’ He popped the cork and poured the sparkling liquid into two fluted glasses. He beamed benignly at them both. ‘There! You celebrate, yes?’

‘Thank you, Paolo—we’ll do our best! We’ve a lot to discuss.’ Lachlan’s eyes held Christa’s, something very tender in their warm depths, and she felt her heart turn over with happiness.

She laughed as they chinked their glasses together. ‘I thought you wanted to have a “brainstorm meeting” to discuss work,’ she said impishly.

‘First things first—let’s order some food. I’m starving! I believe Paolo’s the best cook in the north east of Scotland.’

‘I know what I’m having—scallops in wine sauce.’

‘Make that two,’ said Lachlan. ‘And I think this bottle of champagne will go down well with that.’

Paolo bustled away and Lachlan picked up his glass. ‘To us, sweetheart...’ His blue eyes were warm and tender. ‘I can’t believe that only a short time ago I didn’t know you...and now look where we are!’

They chinked glasses again, and then he leant forward and took Christa’s hand. ‘And now I want to know everything about you—why my mother took you on and when your friendship with Colin Maitland started...’

Christa swirled the champagne in her glass and watched the bubbles rise. She smiled and shrugged. ‘Not much to tell, really,’ she began. ‘I’d been away for a long time, at med school and then doing my GP training. I returned to Errin Bridge because my mother had had a mastectomy and my father had died. I wanted desperately to be near her, but jobs for GPs weren’t plentiful as there was only one medical centre in the village. I didn’t want to work miles away, and in desperation I went to your mother to see if she needed anyone.’

Lachlan watched Christa intently. ‘And? Did she take you on immediately?’

‘She seemed a bit cautious at first. Said she’d think about it. I’m so glad that she did!’

‘You obviously got on well.’

Christa smiled in reminiscence. ‘Oh, yes! She had a great sense of humour—she was always telling me to find a man! And the irony was that four years ago she took on Colin Maitland.’

Lachlan nodded. ‘Ah, the charming Colin—he pulled the wool over your eyes, then?’

‘And some! Of course I fell for him completely—I thought the feeling was mutual. I made excuses for him when he didn’t always turn up when he said he would, when he said he had to go off on long weekends... In short, I was a bloody fool! Gave away my heart too easily, I guess.’

‘Still bruised by that?’ commented Lachlan lightly.

She laughed and shrugged. ‘I’ve certainly learned a few lessons...’ Then she added softly, ‘But it was Isobel who saved me. She was incredibly kind, told Colin he’d have to find another job. If...if it hadn’t been for her, I don’t think I could have coped.’

‘Of course you would! My mother was obviously very fond of you too—I know she would be pleased that we’d got together.’

Christa grinned. ‘Perhaps. On the other hand, she might have thought you were completely mad to start something with me!’

The scallops arrived, steaming and succulent in the light wine sauce, and suddenly Christa felt ravenously hungry.

She looked at Lachlan impishly. ‘This looks better than omelettes,’ she murmured.

‘Nothing will ever outdo the omelette you made for me that night,’ he remarked, his eyes twinkling. Then he added, ‘By the way, you haven’t forgotten that you offered to give me some ideas about doing up Ardenleigh. This weekend?’

‘Of course—but not this weekend. I’m at a conference in Inverness on cardiovascular disease.’

‘Sounds pretty riveting,’ he teased. ‘Come a week on Sunday, then. Would that be OK?’

‘I’ll be there,’ she promised.

He leaned towards her, his hand behind her neck, and kissed her softly on her full lips. ‘Something to look forward to then...’ he murmured.

Paolo bustled up to their table solicitously, beaming at them both. ‘Excuse me,
signor, signorina
, a little something from the sweet trolley now? Tiramisu, pannacotta or a delicious gelato perhaps?’

‘Just a cappuccino for me,’ said Christa. ‘I couldn’t manage another bite of food!’

‘And then home...’ whispered Lachlan.

Christa looked at him shrewdly—he had that mischievous twinkle in his eye that revealed what he was anticipating when they got home! And how wonderful it would be to tumble into bed with him and make love. Wasn’t she longing for a rerun of the other night? Then that cautious inner voice warned her to be careful—was this going to become the norm, that after an evening out they went to bed together? That was how she and Colin had started—a mad affair that in the end had left her bereft. Surely she’d learned to tread more carefully this time...

She looked at him mock-sternly. ‘Don’t get too many ideas, Lachlan Maguire. That night we had together was meant to be a one-off!’

‘Point taken,’ he said, with a wicked grin. ‘No harm in trying, though!’

And Christa surmised that he might be chary—not because he was afraid of a broken heart but because he didn’t want things to get too serious—whereas she could feel she was already on the threshold of tipping into that thrilling roller-coaster of being headlong in love that she hadn’t felt for so long...and it was wonderful.