Читать книгу: «Christmas Kisses Collection», страница 30

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘OH, MY GOODNESS, what are you doing here?’ Juliet squealed as she opened the door. She couldn’t have been more surprised…or happier. ‘Quickly come in from the cold!’

‘It was your father’s idea. He thought that we could help with Bea while you concentrate on the quads’ surgery.’ Her mother embraced Juliet, then stepped aside for her husband to do the same.

‘It’s a challenging surgery and we don’t want you worrying about picking up Bea from the crèche,’ her father chipped in as he carried one of the suitcases inside and then hugged his daughter warmly. He turned back for the other one still on the porch, then closed the door on the bitterly cold night air.

‘Or worrying if she gets a sniffle with the sudden change in climate,’ her mother added as she looked around the cosy sitting room of the cottage.

‘Oh, my God, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

‘Because you would have said we were fussing—’

‘Which you are…but I’m very glad you like to fuss.’

‘And we missed you both terribly.’

‘It’s been less than a week.’

‘See what an only child has to suffer. Two parents who miss you after less than a week and follow you to the other side of the world,’ her father continued as he placed the second suitcase down. ‘So learn from us and give Bea some brothers or sisters in the future or she’ll be doomed to having a helicopter parent hovering around like us!’

Juliet smiled. ‘If I’m half as good a parent as you two, then Bea will be a lucky girl.’

‘We are the lucky ones, Juliet. You make us both very proud.’ Her father hugged Juliet again and then stepped away a little as his eyes filled with tears of happiness.

Juliet could see the emotion choking him and knew all three of them would be a mess if she didn’t change the subject. ‘So when did you decide to fly out? And how did you arrange it so quickly?’

‘We had passports so we just rang the travel agent. We’ve booked into a hotel nearby for tomorrow but they didn’t have a spare room tonight.’

‘You’ll do no such thing. There’s plenty of room here.’

‘We don’t want to put you out. We’ll just stay tonight if that’s okay. We can sleep on the sofa.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll stay here…now how long are you able to stay?’

‘Till you get sick of us,’ her mother replied.

‘Then you’ll be here for a long time,’ Juliet said. ‘What about a nice cup of tea?’

‘That would be lovely,’ her father said.

‘Well, actually, we’ve booked one of those river cruises through France and Spain,’ her mother added. ‘That’s the week after Christmas.’

‘I thought you had planned that for next July? You were going to enjoy summer in Europe. Leave the Australian winter behind and thaw out over here.’

‘That was our plan but we brought it forward. No point flying out twice. It’s a long way for two old people.’

Juliet laughed. ‘Hardly old but you’ll be missing the sunshine on your cruise.’

The three of them looked up as Bea came running down the hallway. ‘Grandma! Grandpa!’

‘Here comes all the sunshine we need,’ her father said.

Juliet’s parents both dropped to the ground, her father a little more slowly due to the arthritis that plagued his knees. A group hug ensued with lots of kisses.

‘I knew Father Chrithmath was real,’ the little girl said with a toothy grin.

‘Of course Father Christmas is real, but why do you say that?’ Juliet asked as she looked at the three of them nestled together on the rug on the floor.

‘’Coth I asked him to bring Grandma and Grandpa here to play in the snow with me and have Christmath food and everything.’

‘How did the surgery go for Kelly Lester?’ Juliet asked as they sat by the fire after settling into Bea’s room. Bea was happy to move in to Juliet’s room and sleep in the big bed and give her room to her grandparents. ‘I got your email that the procedure was successful but how is Kelly progressing post-operatively?’

‘Good, very good,’ her father answered as he reached for a homemade cookie. ‘She’s a strong woman, lots of family support and, although there will still be hurdles as to be expected with spina bifida, the chances have been greatly improved of the child walking by about the thirty-month mark, which I know was your prognosis. And we both know without surgical intervention the little boy would never have walked or really enjoyed a quality of life.’

‘Look at you two. Like peas in a pod,’ her mother said as she finished her second cup of tea.

‘You liked the tea, Grandma?’

‘Yes, I did, Bea.’

‘Would you like some more?’

‘No, thank you, sweetie. But what I would like is to hear about how you got that cast. Mummy rang and told us how it happened but it did sound very scary.’

Momentarily distracted from her cup of hot chocolate, Bea looked at the cast intently. ‘I fell from the slide and broke my arm.’

‘Are you feeling better now?’ her grandfather asked as he lovingly watched his granddaughter.

‘Yeth, Charlie made my pink cast.’

‘It’s very pretty and has lots of beautiful drawings,’ her grandmother replied.

‘Yeth, my friendth drew them,’ Bea told them, then, pointing at the image of a sunflower, she continued. ‘Thith one is by Emma, my betht friend.’

‘Well, she’s very clever and I’m sure very nice.’

‘Charlie ith very nice too, and very tall. Like a building,’ Bea said as she jumped to her feet and stretched her hand up as high as possible. ‘He’th Mummy’th friend and he’th going to get us a Chrithmath tree. A really, really big one.’

‘Did Charlie offer to get a Christmas tree for the house?’ Juliet asked with a curious frown. He had not mentioned it to her.

‘Yeth, Mummy, he told me he would get a beautiful tree for uth.’

Juliet’s parents looked at each other with a knowing smile.

‘Don’t go there,’ Juliet said, shaking her head. Since the strange way he’d left off with Juliet, she wasn’t sure about him. She felt that he was hiding something from her and she wasn’t sure she wanted anyone that complex in her life. ‘He’s the OBGYN, and to be honest, most of the time, quite difficult to work with. It’s taken almost all week to finally come close to understanding him. He’s conservative and stubborn and fought me every inch of the way about the in-utero surgery.’

‘Why did he attend to Bea? Since when do OBGYNs attend to paediatric fractures?’

Juliet drew a deep breath and put down her spoon. ‘He’s the doctor that rushed to Bea in the playground. The doctor I was waiting for inside and he was running late. He arrived at the hospital at the same time Bea fell.’

‘Serendipity…’

‘Mum, please, I said don’t go there.’

‘Is he handsome?’

‘Mum…’

‘It’s a simple question, Juliet. Is the nice doctor who saved Bea, and is now, according to our granddaughter, your friend, who is going to buy you a Christmas tree, handsome?’

Juliet swallowed. ‘Yes, he’s handsome…and incredibly difficult at times—’

‘And also with a very kind streak by the sound of it too,’ her mother cut in.

Juliet’s eyebrow was raised as she returned her attention to the last few crumbs of cookie on her own plate. She wasn’t going to get into an argument. Her mother had said the truth. Charlie did have a chivalrous and kind side to him and she didn’t want to think about that.

‘He’th nice,’ Bea added, completely oblivious to her mother’s opinion of Charlie. ‘We put up tinthel, and pretty thingth around the hothpital.’

‘Really? Not what I would have thought was part of an OBGYN’s job description?’ her mother said without making eye contact with Juliet.

‘Particularly not one who’s difficult…’ her father mused, looking at his wife.

‘Let’s not forget stubborn,’ her mother commented with a wistful smile.

Juliet stood up. ‘Have you finished?’

‘With this conversation or the cookies?’ her mother asked with a cheeky grin.

‘Both!’

‘Remember, if there are any issues or just for peace of mind, if you need or want to stay at the hospital and monitor the quads’ mother, you know your mother and I are here to look after Bea.’

‘I still can’t believe you flew all that way just so I could focus on the babies,’ Juliet said as she gathered the last of her things, wrapped her scarf around her neck over her heavy coat, pulled on her knitted cap, kissed Bea and headed for the door. They had all enjoyed a restful night’s sleep and Juliet felt good about the impending surgery.

‘If Bea needed you in the future, you would do exactly the same.’

Juliet knew that was the truth. She would indeed do anything for her daughter, at that time or any time in the future.

‘Despite what you say, Juliet,’ her mother added as she sipped her early morning cup of tea and prepared for the cold gust of air as her daughter opened the door, ‘it’s not easy being single and raising a daughter and having a career that makes you responsible for other people’s lives. You have a lot on your very slender shoulders.’

‘But I love it. It gives me purpose and I can’t imagine doing anything else,’ Juliet told them both as she stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind her.

‘I know,’ her mother replied as she looked over at her husband, reading the local paper. ‘The apple indeed did not fall too far from the tree.’

Georgina and Leo were waiting outside Theatre when Juliet arrived. With her hair tucked inside a disposable cap, and dressed in a hospital gown, Georgina had been prepped for the surgery. She was lying on the trolley with the sides up ready to be wheeled inside by the theatre staff. Leo was holding his wife’s hand tightly and trying to put on a brave face but Juliet could sense the fear that was mounting by the minute.

‘I will be scrubbing in for your procedure now,’ she told them as she patted Georgina’s arm. ‘And, Leo, you can scrub in with me. I know that Georgie will want you right beside her during the procedure.’

‘Sure.’

‘Any questions?’

‘Yes,’ Leo said with a cheeky smirk. ‘How hot does it get in Australia in summer?’

Juliet was surprised by the question. It was definitely left of centre. ‘Quite hot in Perth, well over one hundred degrees on our hottest days. I left only a few days ago and we’d been through a heatwave—we had three days in a row that reached over one hundred and five degrees.’

‘That’s hot. Maybe spring would be nicer.’

Aware that time was ticking, and the medical team would be waiting, she quickly asked, ‘For what, exactly?’

‘Georgie and I have decided, should all of our babies come through this happy and healthy…’ he paused for a moment and smiled lovingly at his wife ‘…that in honour of you we’re going to take them all on a trip to Australia before they start school. We were planning on showing them Italy, but I think an adventure down under would be more fun for the six of us. Besides, Georgie and I have been back to Italy a few times but we’ve never seen a kangaroo up close and we can tell the girls how an Aussie doctor saved their brothers and, if you’re home, perhaps we could call in and say hello.’

Juliet thought it was such a sweet sentiment and optimistic. It was what would pull them through whatever lay ahead. ‘And I will put the barbie on for all of you.’

‘I’ll cook the pasta,’ Georgina added from the trolley.

‘And I’ll bring the vino,’ Leo chipped in as the theatre staff began to wheel his wife into surgery. Juliet couldn’t help but see through his jovial façade that a tear trickled down his cheek. She patted his arm. ‘Georgina is in good hands and so are your babies.’

Juliet then took Leo to scrub in.

‘Heads up to the medical student and interns with us today, if you have questions about any of this procedure, ask. We will be using a laser to coagulate the shared blood supply between two of the four babies. This will be more complex with the four foetuses and will take considerable time to map the shared arteries and veins but it will be done. So we are all in here for the long haul.’

Charlie was pleased to hear the conviction in Juliet’s voice.

‘After this procedure I am hoping the two babies currently affected by the TTTS will be able to grow to their maximum size without complications.’

The epidural had taken effect and Leo was behind the blue surgical sheet holding his wife’s hand. Everyone present in Theatre was wearing the protective goggles in preparation for the laser, including Georgina and Leo. Juliet carefully inserted the fetoscope and, guided by the screen, began the arduous task of locating Rupert, otherwise known as Baby A. Once this was done she traced his umbilical cord back to the placenta and began the process of identifying the offending arteries. Secure in the knowledge she had the first communication located, Juliet utilised the laser to cauterise the artery.

Charlie held his breath. That was only the first; he was well aware there were more to locate and sever. Juliet continued mapping the vascular placental linkages and painstakingly cauterising each one. The procedure was progressing slowly but successfully. Charlie was still cautious. Any disruption to the uterus he knew was risky. With only two veins to cauterise, Juliet announced they were on the home stretch and everyone in Theatre felt instant relief sweep over them.

‘Well done, Juliet,’ the anaesthetist announced. ‘Great outcome.’

‘I said home stretch, not completed,’ she countered cautiously as she pushed down on the foot pedal for the laser and severed the second to last. ‘We still have one to go.’

Charlie was impressed with her reply. She had every reason to gloat that close to seeing the end in sight but still she was hesitant to accept praise. He also realised that he had been wrong to judge the procedure. Perhaps, in fact, Juliet had made the right call with the quads. And if the babies all continued to grow, they would be able to prolong the pregnancy for at least a few more weeks until the uterus became too large, but by that time the babies would be all viable and have a good chance at a healthy life.

The final artery was the most difficult to locate due to Baby B’s position. All eyes were on the monitor as Juliet carefully manoeuvred around the tiniest twin.

‘We have a problem,’ the neonatal cardiologist announced. ‘Baby B’s struggling, he’s clearly in stress.’

Charlie stepped forward again to observe the screen. The invasive procedure had been delayed by the fact it was four babies, not two, and it had adversely affected the smallest quad.

‘I’m ceasing laser now,’ Juliet told the room, then quickly but delicately removed the fetoscope but it was too late. Without warning Georgina’s water broke. The operating table was saturated with the amniotic fluid of the boys. The girls, in a separate sac, were unaffected but that would not mean they were safe. If the boys were to be born, so would the girls.

‘I’ll take over from here. We’re in labour and delivering,’ Charlie announced as he removed his protective laser glasses, switched them for clear glasses and stepped up to the operation table. He looked over the blue curtain to the Abbiatis. ‘Georgie, Leo, your children are on their way,’ he said, before turning his attention back to the immediate task. ‘Nurses, please prepare for a Caesarean section—we have four twenty-nine-week foetuses that are neither large nor strong enough to pass through the birth canal.’

Immediately Juliet stepped back as she watched the surgical tray swing around in reach of Charlie. She approached Georgina and Leo, leaving the operation table free for Ella and the other midwife to approach and assist.

‘The epidural was our safety net,’ Juliet said softly. ‘It won’t be too long before your babies are born.’

‘But…they’re…too…tiny,’ Georgina stated with fear paramount in each staggered word.

‘They’re small but, thanks to Dr Warren’s suggestion of the epidural, we’re more than adequately prepared. There’ll be no delay in delivering all four babies and that is an important factor. They will be assessed by the neonatal team and then moved quicker to neonatal ICU.’

Carefully but with haste appropriate to the situation, Charlie made the first incision at the base of Georgina’s engorged stomach, cutting through the outer layer of muscle. Then carefully he prised open the first incision to reveal the almost translucent uterus that had been stretched to capacity with the four babies. Once through to that layer, Charlie cut the unbroken amniotic sac of the girls, and, reaching in, he carefully pulled free the first of the tiny infants. Carefully he placed the baby in the first neonatal nurse’s hands while he clamped the umbilical cord. One clamp for the first baby, who was named by the team, Baby C. The second girl followed a few minutes later; it was Baby D and she had two clamps. Baby D was slightly larger and began to cry immediately. Quickly she was taken by the second midwife. Then came Baby A and finally the smallest of them all, Baby B, who had been against his mother’s spine. Removing him from the womb proved tricky as he was the smallest and the most fragile. She could see the concern in Charlie’s eyes but along with it was sheer determination. Finally he was pulled free, blue and almost translucent, but alive.

Juliet watched in awe as Charlie tenderly held the tiny infant while the final cord was clamped. The paediatric team worked alongside the neonatal nurses to assess all of the babies. But it was Baby A that caused the greatest concern. He had been the recipient baby and, while not the smallest, his heart had been pumping furiously for the previous twelve hours as Georgina had teetered on the periphery of stage five.

Charlie’s focus remained with Georgina. There were still two placentas that needed to be delivered and then the painstaking work of closing the Caesarean section. Juliet remained with Georgina and Leo. It was where she was most needed at that time. With a heartfelt admiration for Charlie, she watched as he expertly began to repair the opening that had allowed Lily, Rose, Rupert and Graham to enter the world.

‘You’re an incredibly skilled obstetrician and you have no idea how very grateful I am that you were in Theatre today,’ Juliet commented as she removed the disposable gown over her scrubs. ‘I’m just sorry you had to use your skills.’ She was waiting for what she knew would follow. And what she knew would be a fair call. I told you so.

But it didn’t. Instead, she received the most unexpected praise.

‘I did okay, but your skills are second to none, Juliet. I observed you mapping the placenta’s vascular pathways. Not an easy task with two babies, but with four it was a miracle and you managed to cauterise all but one artery. And if you’d been provided the time then the quads would still be happily tucked inside Georgina for another few weeks. But fate had another idea.’

Juliet pulled her surgical cap free. ‘So you’re not upset that I tried. I thought you would be…and justifiably so.’

Charlie turned to face her. ‘The opposite, actually.’

‘Now I’m confused.’

‘If you hadn’t pushed for the fetoscopic laser surgery, Juliet, then Rupert’s heart would’ve remained overworked for another twelve hours and it might have been too late. We wouldn’t have done another scan until tomorrow and there’s every chance he would have gone into heart failure during the night. We would not have had the opportunity to save him.

‘I’m very glad you came all the way from Australia to fight me on this. You saved at least one baby’s life. If not all four.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

‘THANK YOU, CHARLIE. That was an unexpected compliment.’

‘Perhaps unexpected but not undeserved. I think you know me well enough after the last few days together to know that I don’t hold back my opinion, whether others want to hear it or not. In this case I hope you want to hear it. And while I didn’t initially agree, you proved me wrong and that rarely happens.’

‘As I said, your compliment was unexpected but very much appreciated,’ Juliet said as she removed her surgical gloves and dropped them in the designated bin along with her surgical cap and gown. ‘There were a few scary moments in there and I must admit I felt a little out of my depth more than once.’

Charlie slipped his surgical cap free and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘You seemed pretty poised and in control even when it all went south.’

‘I may have looked composed but my mind was the duck’s feet paddling underneath at a million miles an hour. You were the star today.’

Charlie smiled at her analogy and Juliet thought it was the most incredible smile.

‘Seriously, you need to take credit where it’s due. Teddy’s are so fortunate to have you on staff. You could move permanently to anywhere in the world. There would be so many hospitals that would love to steal you, of that I’m sure.’

‘What about you?’ he answered quickly, still looking into her eyes with an intensity she had not experienced.

The deep blue pools were threatening to pierce the last barriers of resistance to him. Watching him so expertly and confidently lead the team and deliver the four babies safely had brought a new level of admiration for him that she knew few, if any, other doctors could surpass. But Juliet still wasn’t sure what he meant. Was he asking if she wanted to steal him? The answer of course would be yes, if she could dull the alarm bells ringing in her head and bury her doubts.

‘I’m not sure what you mean?’ she asked nervously.

He crossed his arms across his impressive chest and stepped out his legs. It was a powerful stance not lost on Juliet.

‘I mean, would you seriously consider living and working here? Would you let Teddy’s perhaps steal you permanently from your base in Perth?’

‘I’m not sure.’

Juliet felt the intensity of his gaze upon her. She wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to say anything as he stood looking at her without saying a word. She felt her pulse quicken and she became almost breathless with him standing so close to her. Her skin tingled and he had not touched her. She wondered for a moment if she would or could say no to him touching her if they were somewhere else alone…and he tried to pull her to him.

‘Are you hungry?’

Juliet was taken aback by his question. Hungry for what? Her eyes widened and she felt excitement surge through her veins as she nodded.

‘What if I cook us dinner at my place?’

‘Your place?’

‘Yes, my home’s twenty minutes from here. You could follow my bike and I could whip us up something half edible and definitely better than the vending machine, which is your other choice if you stay here at this time of the night.’

‘But what about Bea…?’ she began to ask as her chest rose with a nervous intake of air.

‘I don’t think your parents will let her starve and they’ve more than likely eaten already. Bea may even be in bed asleep. It’s almost eight o’clock.’

Juliet hadn’t realised the time. It was true, it was late, and they all might have been asleep, not just Bea. She was trying to keep her emotions in check and remember it would be merely a dinner shared by two colleagues. She just had to keep remembering that fact and everything would be fine.

‘Give me fifteen minutes to have a quick shower and change.’

‘Of course. I could do with a hot shower to loosen my muscles as well. I’ll meet you in your office in twenty minutes.’

Juliet walked away knowing she hadn’t wanted anyone’s company in a very long time. Not until that moment.

Juliet followed behind Charlie’s bike along the winding road. The moon’s halo lit his broad masculine silhouette as they travelled slowly through the darkened countryside. There was no other traffic, just the two of them on the road. Juliet felt herself mesmerised as he leaned into the turns and curves of the road. His was agile and strong and completely in control of the huge machine. He made it impossible for her not to stare in awe and a little bit of anticipation as he led her to his home.

Finally they pulled into the large estate and Juliet wondered if he had one of the cottages, but soon learned it was the stately mansion that was indeed his home. Even with just the moon lighting the grounds, she could see how magnificent the landscape and how grand his home.

‘This is beautiful,’ she said as she climbed from the car wearing jeans, a pullover and boots. Her hair was tied up in a makeshift ponytail and a thick scarf and coat rested on her shoulders. ‘I’ve never seen anything quite like it.’

‘It’s a work in progress.’

‘It looks wonderfully finished to me,’ she replied as she followed him up the steps to the two-hundred-year-old home. ‘It’s simply glorious. Nothing quite like it in Perth.’

Charlie unlocked the door and held it open for Juliet to enter, before he stepped inside and closed the door. ‘I’ll put on a fire and start dinner then show you around, if you’d like.’

With her gaze scanning the furnishings and architecture of the beautiful interior, she nodded. ‘I’d love that.’

The fire was roaring and the meat was ready whenever they were; it would take only a few minutes on the grill. Charlie reappeared in the doorway, aware that he was not in a hurry to cook or rush anything about the evening. The surgery, and everything that had happened over the last few days since meeting Juliet, had made him feel alive and made him hunger for more time alone with her, despite his better judgement. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’

‘I do have to drive home.’

‘Not for a while. Besides, you’ll be eating and I’ll give you only half a glass.’

‘That sounds lovely. I won’t head in until around one tomorrow so it might be nice to let my hair down.’

Charlie smiled. Seeing Juliet on the sofa, with her beautiful face lit by the fire, was a sight he had never imagined over the years of his self-imposed solitude. But it was a sight he was relishing. ‘I’ll be back.’

Juliet looked into the crackling fire and as another log was consumed by flames she thought how very different Charlie was from the man she’d first met. In five short days he had opened up and shown a compassionate, loving side completely at odds with the brusque exterior he had first displayed. Bea was smitten by him, and she felt sure if her parents met him they too would think he was very charming. An English gentleman with an English country manor. It was all very proper and lovely. A little like a fairy tale but she wasn’t yet sure of the ending. Or indeed if fairy tales happened.

Charlie appeared with two glasses of red wine, Juliet’s only a quarter filled.

‘As I promised,’ he said as he handed her the long-stemmed Waterford Crystal glass. Their hands touched as he gave her possession of the cold crystal and it instantly stirred an overwhelming desire to feel more than just her hand against his. His mouth immediately craved Juliet’s full, inviting lips hovering only inches from his own. He let his gaze linger for a moment on her mouth, all the while wondering if it would taste as sweet as it looked. He pushed the cold rim of the glass against his mouth in a bid to control the mounting desire surging through his veins.

‘Thank you,’ she said as she climbed to her feet. ‘Can I have the grand tour now? Do we have time?’

‘All the time in the world,’ he replied.

Charlie led Juliet around the ground floor. Leaving the generous sitting room, he showed her the kitchen with the butler’s pantry, the dining room, which she noticed had been set for two, the utility room, a wonderfully inspiring floor-to-ceiling library, a study with a large oak desk and bookcase and a billiard room that housed an antique snooker table. As they entered each room he thought about kissing Juliet but then reasoning stepped in and made him keep a little distance. But each room was harder than the last.

‘You said you were renovating but it all looks perfect to me.’

‘I finished downstairs first then moved upstairs with the repairs and redecorating.’

‘What’s upstairs?’ she asked, her curiosity driving her towards the staircase. She was fascinated by the house and couldn’t wait to see more.

‘The seven bedrooms,’ he answered as he followed her lead and moved towards the grand staircase. ‘Apparently all of them including the master bedroom are finished but I haven’t seen them yet.’

Juliet thought the statement was odd and turned to him. She said nothing as she assumed he had been too busy to check it out, but she couldn’t imagine not rushing home to see the progress every night, no matter what the time of day. He was very low-key.

‘So where do you sleep?’

‘Over there,’ he said, pointing at the chesterfield. ‘I’m accustomed to it now. I’ve been sleeping there for a few months while the work’s been happening upstairs.’ Charlie didn’t tell her that he didn’t feel any motivation to sleep in the new master bedroom alone.

‘It’s a very comfortable sofa, but if the master bedroom’s finished then it’s time you moved in. Let’s take a peek.’

Charlie noticed everything about Juliet as she climbed the stairs ahead of him. Her slim hips swaying in her tight jeans with each enthusiastic step, the way her curls bounced when her head flicked from side to side as she looked at the antique framed paintings hanging on the wall, and the slender fingers of one hand gliding up the balustrade, the other hand encircling her glass. She was gorgeous, intelligent and sexy. And watching her, he suspected he was smitten. He wasn’t sure if it could be more than that but it was still more than he had imagined ever feeling again.

By the time they had reached the large oak door of the master bedroom, Charlie knew he couldn’t resist her any longer. He wanted to spend the night in the refurbished room. But not alone. He wanted to spend the night with Juliet. She had made him feel more alive than he had in years. She, and her little girl, had made him believe there could be life outside the hospital. He had been alone for so long, but now this sexy, desirable woman had stirred feelings that he’d never thought he would feel in his body and soul the way he did at that moment. And if all they had was that moment, he couldn’t let it slip away without taking a chance.