Swallowbrook's Wedding Of The Year. Abigail Gordon

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      It was always very late when she arrived home on the nights she worked at the hospice. If there was an ambulance driver free, or any other member of the staff going her way with a car, they would give her a lift, otherwise she phoned for a taxi. She had a little runabout car, but was always so tired when she’d finished there after working at the practice all day that she daren’t risk using it in case she fell asleep at the wheel.

      Tonight it was one of the doctors at the hospice who had brought her home and as he drove off, the surgery crowd appeared, strolling along the pavement on their way home from the impromptu party, all in high spirits after the unexpected get-together in a smart restaurant.

      The last thing she wanted was to have to face Aaron again and she fumbled around in her bag for the door key, hoping to get inside before they drew level. The ones at the front didn’t pause, just called their goodnights and ambled on.

      At the same second that her fingers closed around the key she could see Aaron looming up in the rear, chatting to Ruby and Hugo, and he’d seen her.

      As the other two doctors wished her goodnight he stopped beside her. She turned the key quickly in the lock and as the door swung open stepped inside then swung round to face him.

      She didn’t speak. If he had something to say, let him say it and be gone, she thought. Her evening had been spent mostly surrounded by the terminally ill with the sadness that such situations brought with them and now she just wanted to go to bed. She was tired in body and soul.

      He did have something to say and it took her by surprise. ‘If they are looking for volunteers at the hospice I could give them a couple of nights, or weekends, on a regular basis. Just thought I’d mention it as I was passing.’ He turned to go. ‘At different times to yours, of course.’

      Stung by the comment, she said, ‘But of course. It wouldn’t do for you to be mixing with a wrong ‘un. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to go to bed.’

      ‘Sure. I’ll be on my way.’ And without further comment he went striding off in the direction of the lake, the waterfall and the cottage, and his last thought before he slept was about Julianne again. So far she hadn’t put a foot wrong. Either she was playing him up, or he’d got his wires crossed somewhere.

      Maybe tomorrow he would ask her about Nadine—where she lived, how often they met and were their parents still around? Though perhaps not. He’d only been back a couple of days and was already showing an exaggerated interest in Julianne.

      Both Aaron and Julianne were waiting for Nathan to mention the working-together-in-pairs arrangement and so far he hadn’t, but that omission was about to be dealt with late on Friday afternoon before the surgery closed for the weekend, when he said to them, ‘I’ve sorted out the new working arrangements.

      ‘I will pair with Helena. Hugo with Gina, who is going to extend her hours to match his now that her young ones are capable of being left for a short time after senior school, and the two of you will make up the third pair. I have every confidence that you will work well together, with Ruby being at hand if any of us doctors are not available for some reason, until such time as she becomes a stay-at-home mother like Libby with our young ones.’

      The phone in his room was ringing and before they could say anything he’d gone to answer it. Aaron said in a low voice, ‘Maybe we should let it ride if we don’t want to be the objects of gossip.’

      ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ she agreed reluctantly, and without further comment went to make sure that the nurses’ room was immaculate before the surgery closed for the weekend.

      Nathan shortly followed her into the room.

      ‘So you’re happy with that arrangement, then, Julianne?’ She shook her head.

      ‘You’re not?’ he exclaimed.

      ‘Not over the moon, no,’ she said flatly. ‘Do we have to?’

      ‘Do we have to what?’ he questioned, surprised at her reaction.

      She was usually the easiest of people to deal with and he was taken aback by her lack of enthusiasm.

      ‘Work together.’

      ‘Why? Don’t you like the guy?’ he questioned.

      ‘He’s all right, I suppose.’

      She’d once liked him a lot more than was good for her, and even now was accepting it without protest when Aaron made no secret of what he thought about her.

      The head of the practice was laughing. ‘Don’t overdo the enthusiasm. Is there some sort of a problem that I don’t know about? It isn’t like you to be so choosy.’

      Wanting my sister’s fiancé wasn’t like me either and no good came of that, she could have told him.

      ‘Shall we see how the two of you get on together for a trial period?’ he suggested.

      Julianne forced a smile but said nothing more on the subject. Pulling on her coat, she wished Nathan a good weekend and headed out into the cold.

      On arriving back at her cosy flat, she collapsed onto the sofa. Her usual vitality was in short supply and it was all because of what she saw as Aaron’s lurking presence.

      She was still stunned by his willingness to do the same as she did and offer his services to the hospice. Maybe he was lonely and needed something to fill the hours away from the surgery, but he would soon have company when it got around that the new doctor was very easy on the eye, and would be no less handsome when the tan wore off.

      After she’d had a meal of sorts that evening Julianne rang the group that she usually socialised with on Friday nights and informed them that she wouldn’t be going into the town to a cinema with them, as had been arranged earlier in the week, because she needed an early night after a hectic week.

      It was only half-true. She’d gone with them many times when she’d been tired at the end of the week at the practice and with the time spent at the hospice and had always perked up as soon as they were all together, but those had been when Aaron hadn’t been back in her life, when he’d been far away in Africa, and now it wasn’t like that any more.

      He was living almost near enough to touch, and although he’d made it plain that he hadn’t forgotten the past and was enduring her presence at the practice only because he had no choice. She had the feeling all the time that he would be watching everything she did and wouldn’t be awarding any Brownie points for excellence.

      The fact remained, however, that she just couldn’t stay closeted in her small apartment on a Friday night, it would be just too stifling, and on that thought she wrapped up warmly and went for a walk by the lake in the opposite direction from The Falls Cottage.

      She could see in the distance that the light was on and thought that Aaron must be having a quiet night too. It was dark everywhere, the light of day having gone completely. The coloured lanterns around the lake hadn’t yet come on and it was beginning to feel spooky beside the trees at the water’s edge as she seemed to be the only one walking there.

      With a sudden yearning for warmth and light she turned swiftly to go back the way she had come and was faced with the sound of someone moving towards her through the trees.

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