LITMIR.BIZ

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the office she couldn’t help thinking about what Helen had said. If the circumstances had been different, would she have seen Max as a potential partner?

      Her heart sank because she knew it was true. On the surface, at least, Max was just the kind of man she’d always found attractive. It wasn’t just how he looked either. His relaxed and easygoing manner didn’t detract from the fact that he was deeply committed to the welfare of his patients, and that was a definite turn-on. That he didn’t pull rank and treated the nursing staff as equals was another point in his favour. It was his private life she had an issue with, and that really and truly wasn’t any of her business.

      Lucy took a deep breath. What Max did in his free time was up to him.

      Chapter Four

      THE week rolled to an end and Max had the weekend off for once. He spent it at his brother Simon’s house in Leeds. With three boisterous children under the age of ten, it was non-stop chaos from morning till night, but he enjoyed every minute. Being part of a family was a joy, even though it did leave him feeling secretly downhearted about his own life. Although he had a great job and some wonderful friends, it wasn’t the same. He couldn’t help envying his brother his good fortune.

      He drove back to Dalverston early on the Monday morning and went straight to work. When he arrived, everyone was gathered in the staffroom for the monthly team meeting so he poured himself a cup of coffee and went to join them. The meetings had been his idea. Although they were informal affairs, they gave the staff an opportunity to raise any concerns they had. He found it invaluable to be able to discuss any issues before they turned into major problems.

      ‘Morning, everyone.’ He took his seat and glanced around the room. Diane was back from sick leave, looking a little peaky, but obviously feeling better. ‘Good to have you back,’ he said before his gaze moved on. His heart squeezed in an extra beat when he spotted Lucy sitting in the corner. Although he had seen her only briefly in passing since she had refused his offer of help, he had found himself thinking about her frequently, especially over the weekend. As he’d played with his nieces and nephew, he had kept imagining how well she would have fitted in and it was worrying to know that he was thinking along those lines.

      Since his divorce, he had kept his personal life in strictly defined compartments: one for his parents and brothers, and another for the women who made brief appearances on the scene. He had never, ever, mixed the two, yet for some reason he had found himself wishing that he could introduce Lucy to his family.

      ‘Good morning,’ he said with a smile that would hopefully disguise how alarmed he felt. What was it about her that made him want to break all his rules? He wished he knew because maybe then he would be able to do something about it.

      ‘Good morning,’ she replied politely.

      Max frowned when he heard the cool note in her voice. Once again he was left with the impression that he was persona non grata and it was very strange. What had he done to offend her, he wondered, and how could he make amends? And why in heaven’s name did it matter so much?

      There was no time to dwell on it right then, however. By necessity the meetings needed to be brief and there was a lot to cover. They discussed various matters but the issue that concerned everyone most of all was the difficulty they were having obtaining supplies. Recent budget cuts meant that they no longer held as large a stock of basic items in the unit and several times they had run out.

      Max promised to look into it and the meeting broke up. Although the delivery rooms were empty, a couple of mums were due to be discharged that day so there was a lot to do. He tagged on the end as everyone filed out of the room. Lucy was in front of him and it struck him that it would be the ideal opportunity to have a word with her. If he had upset her, it would be better to get the problem out into the open rather than have it niggling away in the background all the time.

      He caught up with her outside the office. ‘Can I have a word with you, Lucy?’

      ‘Of course.’

      She turned to face him and Max was aware of a definite coolness about the look she gave him. Bearing in mind how well they had got on in the clinic, it seemed very strange, and he didn’t waste time beating about the bush.

      ‘Have I done something to upset you?’

      ‘Of course not,’ she replied quickly, but he saw the colour that touched her cheeks and knew that she was fibbing.

      ‘Are you sure?’ He smiled, hoping she would confide in him if he kept things low key. ‘Because I get the distinct impression that I’m in your bad books for some reason.’

      ‘You’re imagining it. Now, if that’s all, I really do need to get on.’

      ‘Of course. But if I have upset you, Lucy, I apologise. The last thing I want is for us to be falling out.’

      ‘There’s nothing to apologise for,’ she said tersely, turning away.

      Max sighed as he watched her hurry along the corridor. Despite her protestations, he knew there was something wrong and it was frustrating not to be able to do anything about it. Exasperated with himself for letting it bother him, he went into the office and phoned the purchasing manager, not pulling his punches as he told him what he thought about the new system. It was rare he ever spoke so sharply but it paid dividends that day. The man immediately agreed to increase their stock limits and even promised to have extra supplies delivered by lunchtime.

      Max hung up, knowing that he should be pleased that the matter had been resolved so speedily. However, it was hard to feel any pleasure when there seemed to be a cloud hanging over him. Maybe it was silly, but he hated to think that Lucy was annoyed with him. For some reason her opinion mattered to him more than anyone else’s had done in a very long time.

      

      Lucy went straight to the ward after she left Max. Sophie and baby Alfie were being discharged that morning and she wanted to say goodbye to them. Alfie had developed a mild case of jaundice after his birth and that was why he had been kept in. Extra fluids and phototherapy had soon cleared it up and he was now well enough to go home.

      She pushed open the door, doing her best to calm herself down, but she could feel her nerves humming with tension. She hadn’t known what to say when Max had asked if he’d upset her. She had never considered herself to be an overly demonstrative sort of person, so the fact that he had picked up on her mood had stunned her. Richard certainly hadn’t noticed if she’d been upset. He’d been oblivious to anything that hadn’t directly affected him, in fact. She definitely couldn’t imagine Richard worrying in case he’d offended her, let alone apologising for it!

      Lucy frowned. It wasn’t the first time she had found Richard lacking, yet in the beginning he had appeared so perfect. He’d been handsome, charming, witty, attentive—everything she could have wished for. It was only after they had started living together that she’d discovered he could be incredibly selfish at times too, but she’d been so sure that he was the man she’d wanted to spend her life with that she had made excuses for him.

      Was she doing the same thing again? she wondered suddenly. All week long she had struggled to reconcile the impression she had formed of Max as a caring, dedicated doctor with the playboy bachelor Joanna had described. The only explanation she had come up with was that something must have happened in his past to make him behave so differently in his private life. It would be even easier to see that as the explanation after what had happened just now, too. Max had sounded genuinely concerned in case he had upset her, but Lucy realised it would be foolish to take it at face value. It was probably all part of his act, a way to project the right image!

      Pain lanced her heart as she made her way to Sophie’s bed. Even though she knew how silly it was, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed. It was an effort to smile at the girl but the last thing Lucy wanted was anyone guessing how she felt. ‘I’ve just popped in to say goodbye. I bet you’re looking forward to going home, aren’t you?’

      ‘I suppose so,’ Sophie muttered.

      Lucy

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