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      ‘Well, I’m thrilled for you.’ She really was. ‘Honestly.’

      ‘Jasmine, will you please shut up?’ Penny gave a sigh of irritation then beckoned her towards the ladies. Of course it was crowded, so they went outside and Penny waited till they were about twenty metres from anyone before she spoke,

      ‘I did get offered the job,’ Penny said, ‘and before you jump up and down on the spot and get all emotional and then start worrying about Jed …’

      Jasmine took a deep breath.

      ‘I withdrew my application.’

      Jasmine literally felt her jaw drop. ‘Why would you do that?’

      ‘Because,’ Jasmine said, ‘and I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but some things are more important in life.’

      ‘Your career is …’ Jasmine buttoned her lip but Penny just laughed.

      ‘Exactly,’ she said. ‘There needs to be more. I’ve been a terrible aunt,’ Penny said, ‘and an appalling sister, because I’ve been so incredibly jealous of you. I always have been. And I guess I still am. I want what you have.’ And she smiled as Jasmine frowned. ‘Not Jed, you idiot. The other guy in your life.’

      ‘A baby?’

      ‘It seems Mr Dean was right. They train you up and what do you go and do …?’

      ‘You’re pregnant?’

      ‘Not yet,’ Penny said. ‘But I’m hoping to be in the not-too-distant future, and from everything I’ve heard about IVF, well, I’m not going to be the sunniest person.’

      ‘Penny!’ Jasmine was stunned.

      ‘I’m in my mid-thirties and I just …’ Penny gave a tight shrug. ‘At the moment I have about sixty-three minutes a week to devote to a relationship. There are not many men who would put up with that.’

      ‘There might be.’

      ‘Well, I want my baby,’ Penny said. ‘And I’ve thought long and hard and I’ll work right up to the last minute and then—’

      ‘But IVF?’ Jasmine queried. ‘Don’t you just need a donor?’

      ‘I tried for a baby with Vince.’ Jasmine watched her sister’s eyes, which were always so sharp, actually fill with tears. ‘We had a few problems.’ She looked at her sister. ‘Or rather I had a few problems in that department. It meant IVF and Vince and I …’ She swallowed her tears down. ‘Well, I think we weren’t really up to the challenge.’

      ‘Is that why you broke up?’

      ‘In part.’

      ‘Why couldn’t you talk to me?’

      ‘I am now,’ Penny said, and Jasmine realised what her mum had meant about some big news. But, no, she didn’t need to be told to keep her smile on, she was genuinely thrilled for her sister. ‘You have to give me my injections, though.’

      ‘I can’t wait to stick another needle in you.’ Jasmine grinned and gave Penny a hug.

      ‘And I’m not giving up my career,’ Penny said. ‘I’m just not complicating things for now. I have no idea how I’m going to work things out.’

      ‘You will,’ Jasmine said.

      ‘I think I’ll have to get a nanny.’

      ‘We can share one.’ Jasmine grinned.

      ‘I want this,’ Penny said. ‘And I’m not waiting around for Mr Right. Anyway, I’ve seen both you and mum stuff up—we have terrible taste in men.’

      ‘I guess.’

      ‘Not this time, though.’ Penny smiled. ‘Mind you, don’t you go telling him I got offered the job.’

      ‘Penny! I’m sick of lying.’

      ‘I mean it. If he has got the job and that’s what he’s all worked up about, the last thing he needs is to be told I turned it down. Just be all happy and celebrate when he gets the news.’

      ‘Do you think he’s got it?’ Jasmine wasn’t so sure—Jed seemed really tense.

      ‘I’m pretty sure. There was an external applicant who was pretty impressive but I think Mr Dean wants to keep it in-house. He should hear any time soon.’

      She had a terrible feeling that he already had.

      Jed was lovely as they drove back from the ball a couple of hours later, but she could tell that he had something on his mind—it had stung when she had thought he had lost the job to Penny. She knew how his career had been sidetracked dealing with what he had, but losing it to an outsider would really hurt.

      ‘Where are we going?’

      Only then had she noticed they were driving to the city.

      ‘Somewhere nice.’

      ‘But you have to work.’

      ‘Nope.’ He grinned. ‘Mr Dean arranged a locum, well, not really a locum—he’s going to be working there in a few weeks so it’s good if he gets a feel for the place.’

      She looked over and tried to read his expression.

      ‘Working there?’

      ‘The new consultant.’ He gave a small grimace.

      ‘Oh, Jed.’ She really didn’t know what to say. ‘I know it’s hard for you …’

      ‘Hard on me?’ He turned and looked at Jasmine. ‘It’s hard on you, though Penny didn’t look as upset as I thought she’d be,’ Jed admitted. ‘I thought she’d be savage.’ He shook his head. ‘She seemed fine.’

      Jasmine looked out of the window to the bay. Penny had been right. Working in the same department was way too complicated. She could hardly tell Jed the real reason Penny was so delighted and she definitely didn’t want to tell him that Penny had actually turned down the job.

      They chatted about this and that but she could feel his tension and she was so irritated that they had told the applicants today of all days. Couldn’t they just have enjoyed tonight?

      ‘We can’t stay out too long.’ Jasmine glanced at her watch—half an hour really, if she was going to be back by midnight, though maybe she could stretch it till half past. It was hardly his fault. He just wanted to go out somewhere nice and wasn’t used to factoring in a one-year-old and his babysitter.

      ‘What are we doing here?’ she asked as they pulled up at a very nice hotel.

      ‘I told you I wanted to take you somewhere nice.’

      ‘Just a drink at the bar, then.’ She hoped he hadn’t booked for dinner. He popped the boot and as Jasmine stepped out of the car, she frowned as he gave his name to park it and frowned even more at the sight of her rather tatty case being hauled out.

      ‘Jed?’

      ‘Ruby packed it,’ Jed said. ‘It’s all sorted.’

      ‘Oh.’

      They went to check in. It was the nicest thing he could have done for her, but she felt terrible because surely he had been planning a celebration, or maybe he hadn’t factored in that he’d know.

      It was like holiday where it was raining and everyone was pretending it didn’t matter, all grimly determined to enjoy themselves, and she would … she was. Jasmine was thrilled to have a night away with him, she just knew how hard this must be for him.

      ‘Wow!’ She stepped into the hotel room and tried not to notice the champagne and two glasses. Instead, she stared out at the view but Jed poured two glasses and it tasted fantastic and, yes, it was fantastic to be together.

      ‘I

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