Sarah Morgan - Wish Upon A Star

‘She did an obstetrics module. All the doctors were crazy about her.’

Alessandro scowled. ‘I didn’t need to hear that.’

‘Why not? It’s the truth.’ Jake studied a cake loaded with cream. ‘Christy is gorgeous.’

‘You’re talking about the mother of my children,’ Alessandro said coldly, and Jake shrugged and walked past the cake.

‘So? That doesn’t stop her being gorgeous. And, anyway, I thought you didn’t want her any more.’

Alessandro inhaled sharply. ‘Who said I didn’t want her any more?’

‘You didn’t follow her to London.’

‘She left to get away from me,’ Alessandro said grittily. ‘I assumed that following her would inflame the situation.’

‘Did you?’ Jake shot him a curious look. ‘You really don’t understand women at all, do you?’

Alessandro stared at his friend with mounting irritation. ‘And you do?’

‘Of course. I’m an obstetrician. I’m paid to understand women.’ They arrived at the till and Jake beamed at the plump, smiling woman who looked at his tray and clucked with disapproval.

‘Where’s the nutrition in that lunch, Dr Blackwell?’

‘I need energy, not nutrition, Delia,’ Jake said cheerfully. ‘We’re busy on the labour ward and I’m going to need more than carrots to see me through until midnight. That’s a nice jumper. The colour suits you. Is it new?’

‘You always notice the little things.’ Delia beamed and handed him his change. ‘Early Christmas present from my daughter who lives in Canada.’

‘Is that Gillian? The one with the two-year-old?’

Delia blushed with delight. ‘Is there anything you don’t remember, Jake?’

‘I’m programmed to remember the details of everyone’s labour and delivery,’ Jake responded with a cheerful wink as he pocketed the change and lifted his tray.

Alessandro rolled his eyes as they walked to the nearest vacant table. ‘Do you have to flirt with every woman you meet?’

‘Yes, I think I probably do.’ Jake sat down and picked up his fork. ‘Believe it or not, Garcia, women like it when you notice them. You ought to drop your intimidating Mediterranean macho act and try it some time. Having a guy who behaves like a caveman might be a woman’s fantasy, but when it comes to reality they want a man to talk to them.’

Alessandro bit into his sandwich with more savagery than was strictly necessary. ‘What are you implying?’

‘Nothing.’

Alessandro put the sandwich down on his plate. ‘You’re suggesting that I don’t talk to Christy, but she was in London before I realised anything was wrong and now she’s back I can’t seem to reach her.’

‘No.’ Jake dug his fork into the potato and gave him a bland smile. ‘Of course you can’t.’

‘Did you think Christy was happy being a practice nurse?’

Jake chewed thoughtfully. ‘Well, she liked the hours, of course, because it meant that she could always be there for the children.’ He waved his fork. ‘But she missed the pace of A and E. Hardly surprising, really. I think she quite liked things like the asthma clinic because she could make quite a difference to the patients’ lives, but syringing ears and doing dressings drove her nuts.’

Alessandro stared at him. ‘When did she tell you all that?’

‘I don’t know.’ Jake pushed his plate away and reached for his first bar of chocolate. ‘We’ve chatted about it over the years. Christy was quite a high-powered nurse. She invariably knew more than the doctors when she worked in A and E. It’s hardly surprising that she was frustrated, working in a village practice. A bit like putting a racehorse in a riding school, I suppose.’

Had she been frustrated? Alessandro abandoned the sandwich and ran a hand over the back of his neck, suddenly realising that it hadn’t ever occurred to him that she was anything less than happy in her work. And he didn’t like the fact that she’d confided in Jake. Since when had Christy confided in Jake? They were friends, that was true, but he didn’t like the idea that his friend knew more about his wife than he did.

Checking that her mother was safely occupied in the kitchen, Katy slunk into the living room where her brother was orchestrating a battle between dinosaurs and toy soldiers.

‘Ben, here’s a really, really large glass of blackcurrant squash.’

Ben stared at it. ‘I’m not thirsty.’

‘Good,’ Katy said sweetly, ‘because I don’t want you to drink it. I want you to spill it on the sofa.’

Ben’s eyes widened. ‘No way! You spill it on the sofa.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Katy’s tone was condescending. ‘I’m eleven. I’m way past spilling drinks on the sofa. You’ll have to do it.’

‘But that will make the sofa wet and purple.’

‘That’s the general idea.’

‘Why?’

‘Because despite our efforts, our parents are still not sharing a bed,’ Katy said with an impatient sigh. ‘And they’re never going to get back together if they don’t share a bed. Everyone knows that adults should share a bed if they’re married. It’s how they mate.’

Ben picked up another dinosaur. ‘What’s mate?’

‘You’re far too young to understand,’ Katy said disdainfully. ‘You’re just going to have to trust me.’

‘I don’t see how spilling blackcurrant squash will help,’ Ben muttered, and Katy rolled her eyes.

‘Because it will make the sofa sticky and wet you stupid, idiot baby.’

‘I’m not a stupid, idiot baby!!’

‘Then trust me and spill the squash!’

‘Mum will be mad.’

Katy glared. ‘Do you want to go back and live in smelly old London? Do you want Mum and Dad to live together again or not?’

Ben’s face crumpled. ‘Of course, I do, but—’

‘Then spill it, Ben! Just spill it and stop asking questions!’

‘But—’

‘Ben, you spill things all the time.’ Her tone was exasperated. ‘You spilt your milk at breakfast. You dropped your pasta at supper. Spill the blackcurrant before I strangle you!’

‘Mum says you’re not allowed to put things round my neck. And if I spill blackcurrant, it will ruin the sofa.’

‘That’s the idea. Don’t worry about that. It won’t cost them anything because they can put in an insurance claim, but that will take weeks to come through,’ Katy said airily, and Ben looked at her doubtfully.

Katy ground her teeth. ‘Ben…’

‘All right, I’ll spill it.’ Ben snatched the squash from her, sprinted across the living room, tripped over a toy he’d left there and spilt the entire contents of the glass over the sofa.

‘Even better than I could have predicted,’ Katy breathed, staring at the spreading, deep purple stain on the sofa with admiration and satisfaction. ‘Well done, baby brother.’

Ben’s lip wobbled as he stared at the mess. ‘Mummy’s going to be mad.’

‘Very possibly,’ Katy agreed, ‘but she isn’t going to be sleeping here tonight, and that’s the only thing that matters. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.’

‘You shouldn’t have had a drink in the living room.’ Christy kept her voice level, reminding herself that it wasn’t good to shout at one’s children, especially when they were so clearly remorseful. Ben stood in front of her with his head down and his lip wobbling.

‘Katy told me to do it!’ He burst into sobs just as Alessandro walked in through the front door.

‘What’s going on here?’

Christy sighed, wondering whether everyone’s family was as noisy and complicated as hers. ‘I haven’t had time to cook any dinner yet. Ben spilt blackcurrant all over the sofa. It’s ruined.’

‘Good thing,’ Alessandro drawled, shrugging his broad shoulders out of his jacket and loosening his tie. ‘It was ugly and uncomfortable and sleeping on it was having a detrimental effect on my spine. You’ve done me a favour, Ben.’