Their Christmas Dream Come True

It was good to be home. Well, not quite home, Kit thought. He hadn’t actually lived in Birmingham when he’d worked there before. He’d lived in Litchford-in-Arden, a little Warwickshire village halfway between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon, in a picture-postcard cottage that overlooked the village green with its duck-pond and huge oak tree. Close to an ancient church where part of his heart would always lie.

When his world had fallen apart, Kit had fled to London. He’d wanted to lose himself in the anonymity of the city, avoid the pitying glances and the sympathy of people around him. It had worked for a while, but the busyness of the city had never really eased the ache in his heart. He’d never quite been able to block it out, no matter how many hours he worked or how hard he drove himself.

Now he was back. Near enough maybe to find some peace, but far enough away that people around him wouldn’t know about the past. And, more to the point, they wouldn’t offer him the pity he didn’t want—didn’t need. He was a paediatric specialist, and a good one, on track to becoming a consultant. He’d be good for St Joseph’s, and St Joseph’s would be good for him. Yes, this was going to work out just fine.

And everything was fine until he walked into the staffroom and saw the woman in a white coat talking to another woman in a sister’s uniform. His heart missed a beat.

Tally.

Except it couldn’t be. Tally was a teacher, not a doctor. And this woman had short, cropped hair instead of Tally’s Pre-Raphaelite curls. She was thinner than Tally, too. No, he was just seeing things. Wishful thinking, maybe. And he needed to get his subconscious wishes back under control, right now. Stop seeing his ex-wife in every stranger’s face. The past was the past and it was going to stay that way.

And then the woman looked up, saw him and every bit of colour leached from her face.

He wouldn’t be surprised if he’d gone just as white. Because it really was her. It was the first time they’d met in five and a half years. ‘Tally?’ The name felt as if it had been ripped from him.

‘Natalie,’ she corrected. ‘Hello, Kit.’

Her voice was like ice. A voice that had once been warm and soft, a voice that had once slurred his name in passion.

But that had been before Ethan.

‘Do you two know each other?’ the nurse she’d been talking to asked.

‘We went to the same university,’ Tally cut in quickly. ‘We haven’t seen each other in years.’

It was the truth. But very, very far from the whole truth. Obviously Tally didn’t want to admit just how well they’d known each other.

Then again, Kit didn’t exactly want the whole truth known either. Or the gossip and speculation that was bound to go with it.

Hell, hell, hell. If he’d had any idea that Tally had become a doctor—that she was working here—he would never have come to St Joseph’s. He’d have stayed in London. Maybe even gone abroad for a while, got some experience in America or worked for Doctors Without Borders.

A quick glance at her ID badge told him that Tally was using her maiden name. Not that that meant anything. She might be married again now. Though he couldn’t see a ring on her left hand, or a tell-tale band of paler skin on her ring finger. Maybe not married, then. Probably living with someone. Family was important to Natalie. She wouldn’t be living on her own. She’d clearly moved on with her life.

Just like he had.

And he damped down the ‘if only’ before it had a chance to echo in his head.

He focused on the nurse and extended his hand. ‘Kit Rodgers. Pleased to meet you. I’m the new boy.’

And I’m Debbie Jacobs. Senior sister, for my sins.’ The nurse smiled at him. ‘Well, you’ve plenty in common with our Natalie, then. She’s new, too—she started yesterday.’ She gave them both a curious look. ‘Since you know each other, you two must have a lot to catch up on.’

Natalie’s reaction was clearly written on her face. Not if I can help it.

‘We didn’t really know each other that well,’ Kit said coolly. Again, not the whole truth, but true enough. By the end, they’d been complete strangers. Living separate lives. And he’d wondered if he’d ever really known her.

‘Natalie, maybe you can show Kit where everything is?’

‘Um, yes. Sure.’ And she smiled.

Oh, hell. He knew that smile. The bright one that pretended nothing was wrong—when, inside, everything was wrong. The one that spelled trouble with a capital T.

This was surreal. Natalie was showing Kit around the ward—and they were both acting as if they were polite strangers. Considering they’d known each other much more intimately, this was crazy.

‘So you’re a house officer. I didn’t know you’d become a doctor. Your parents never said,’ Kit remarked.

Natalie stared at him in shock. Her parents? Why would her parents have said anything to him about her change in career? ‘You stayed in touch with them?’

He shrugged. ‘Just Christmas and birthdays.’

Strange. She couldn’t remember ever seeing a card from him on the mantelpiece. Or maybe her mum had kept it to one side when she had been around. Trying to save her daughter from more hurt. Seeing Kit’s name in a card, maybe with another woman’s name added after it.

And Natalie had to admit, it would’ve hurt. A lot. Even though, logically, she knew, of course, Kit had moved on. He was probably married by now. A man like Kit Rodgers wouldn’t have stayed on his own for long. With cornflower blue eyes, dark hair and a killer smile, he was drop-dead gorgeous. Women adored him. Even when she’d been married to him, women had chased him. He’d never been short of offers, even though he’d always turned them down. Lack of fidelity wasn’t one of his faults.

‘You know your mum,’ Kit continued. ‘She always writes a lovely note in with a card.’

He sounded affectionate towards her parents. Though it wasn’t so surprising. She knew he’d loved them—and they’d adored him. So had her younger sisters. Kit had the ability to charm just about anyone he met. Of course her parents would have stayed in touch with him.

Though Kit’s parents hadn’t stayed in touch with her. Also not surprising: they’d always been slightly wary of each other. Kit’s family had always made her feel as if she wasn’t quite good enough, as if a BA and a PCGE were somehow the second-class option, well beneath the notice of a family of doctors. She’d never really fitted in. Kit’s parents and his three older brothers had all been medics, all high flyers. They’d seen her as a distraction, the person who’d stopped Kit achieving his full potential. She knew it wasn’t true and she would have shrugged it off quite cheerfully, had it not been the fact they’d blamed her for Ethan.

Natalie pushed the thought back where it belonged— locked away with all the other feelings—and gave him a whistle-stop tour of the ward. ‘This is the staffroom. Lockers here, kettle here, tea and coffee here, mugs in that cupboard, biscuits in the tin, milk in the fridge. Debbie has the kitty—and she’s the one you tell if you notice we’re running low on anything.’ Out of the staffroom, back on to the ward. ‘Nurses’ station, patient board, so you know who’s the nominated nurse, parents’ phone, parents’ room.’

Done and dusted.

‘Thank you, Tally.’

‘Natalie,’ she corrected, annoyed at the amusement in his voice. So what if she’d rushed showing him round? Besides, she wasn’t ‘Tally’ any more. To anyone.

She sneaked a glance at him. He’d barely changed in the last few years. A couple of grey hairs around his temples, a couple more lines on his face. But basically Kit Rodgers was the same. The epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Charming and easygoing with it, too—the female staff in the hospital would be falling at his feet in droves. So would the patients. And their parents. There wouldn’t be any difficult cases on Nightingale Ward when Kit Rodgers was around: that easy-going smile was too infectious. Men would identify with him and women would fall for him. He’d manage to get a good response from even the stroppiest parent.

Except maybe from her.

She knew better. She’d keep things cool and professional between them.

He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, she noticed. Not that that meant anything. He hadn’t worn one before either. Well, she wasn’t going to ask him if he was married. And she definitely wasn’t going to ask the question that usually went with that one. She wasn’t interested.

Ha. Who was she trying to kid? More like, she wasn’t sure she could handle the answer.

‘I, um, need to get ready for the ward round,’ she said. ‘Catch you later.’ As in preferably much later. Better still, as in not at all. ‘Lenox’s office is just there.’

And she walked away, quickly, while she still could.

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_6a21f56a-725b-5240-a8df-4a0730e7bd98)

NATALIE managed to avoid Kit for most of the morning, and at lunchtime she had the unimpeachable excuse of needing to get her shoes reheeled during her lunch-break. But in the afternoon they were both rostered to the outpatient clinic. Thrown together. No respite.

Well, she could deal with this. Kit was just another doctor. A colleague. She’d keep him neatly pigeonholed there.

‘So, would this be your first clinic since you qualified?’ Kit asked as they headed to the outpatients area.