Kate Hardy - The Brooding Doc's Redemption

Dear Reader

This is a story about forgiveness, and how love can give you a second chance.

GP Laurie thinks she’s settled and has the perfect life with her daughter and her dog in a little country town—but she’s missing something. And Marc needs to forgive himself for the past before he can move on and learn to be happy again.

Working together on a project to help their patients means they’re thrown into each other’s company—and, although neither intended to fall in love, that’s exactly what they end up doing. But it takes a shock for them both to overcome their pasts and admit it …

This book’s set in my part of the world, and I can honestly say that the bluebell woods Marc and Laurie visit are even more magical in real life. It’s definitely one of the most romantic places in the world, and I’m lucky in that my research assistants are always happy to come with me. (Except the dog, because sadly dogs aren’t allowed—otherwise he’d be there, wagging his tail alongside us.)

I’m always delighted to hear from readers, so do come and visit me at www.katehardy.com

With love

Kate Hardy

KATE HARDYlives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two young children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history, she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking—spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.)

Writing for Mills & Boon has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She’s been writing Medical Romances™ for over ten years. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!

SCARLET WILSONwrote her first story aged eight and has never stopped. Her family have fond memories of Shirley and the Magic Purse , with its army of mice, all with names beginning with the letter ‘M’. An avid reader Scarlet started with every Enid Blyton book, moved on to the Chalet School series and many years later found Mills & Boon.

She trained and worked as a nurse and health visitor and currently works in public health. For her, finding Medical Romances™ was a match made in heaven. She is delighted to find herself among the authors she has read for many years.

Scarlet lives on the West Coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons.

Also by Kate Hardy in Mills & Boon ®Medical Romance™:

ONCE A PLAYBOY …

DR CINDERELLA’S MIDNIGHT FLING

ITALIAN DOCTOR, NO STRINGS ATTACHED

ST PIRAN’S: THE FIREMAN AND NURSE LOVEDAY

(St Piran’s Hospital)

And in Mills & Boon Modern™ Romance:

THE HIDDEN HEART OF RICO ROSSI

THE EX WHO HIRED HER

A MOMENT ON THE LIPS

These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To Maggie Kingsley and Margaret McDonagh—in loving memory of dear friends who were taken too young .

THIS was ridiculous. Anyone would think that Marc was five years old and about to start his first day at school, not thirty-five and about to start his first day as a GP at Pond Lane Surgery.

He shook himself. There was absolutely no reason for him to be nervous. If Sam, the senior partner at the practice, hadn’t thought that Marc would fit into the team, he wouldn’t have offered him the job. Marc had spent ten years working in a busy practice in London. Working in a sleepy country town would be different, but he’d wanted different. Something to help him leave the memories behind.

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The middle-aged woman at the reception desk smiled at him. ‘It’s a bit early for appointments, I’m afraid. We’re not quite open yet.’

‘I’m not actually here for an appointment,’ he explained. ‘My name’s Marc Bailey.’

‘Oh, our new GP! Welcome to the practice.’ She shook his hand. ‘I’m Phyllis—well, obviously I’m the receptionist. Sam’s expecting you. I’ll take you through to his office.’

A friendly face on Reception was a good start. Hopefully the rest of the day would match up to it.

Phyllis rapped on the open door. ‘Sam? Marc Bailey’s here.’ She smiled at Marc. ‘I’ll leave you to it. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.’

‘Thank you.’

Sam shook his hand warmly. ‘Welcome to Pond Lane. I hope you don’t mind, Marc, but I’d like you to work with Dr Grant for the first half of the morning. I know you’re perfectly capable of settling in by yourself, but it always helps to have someone teach you the horrible little quirks of a computer system that’s new to you.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Marc wondered where this was leading. Was having someone shadowing him his new boss’s way of making sure that he’d made the right decision in offering Marc the job?

‘And you’ll be helping her at the same time. Laurie works part time at the surgery. She’s halfway through qualifying as a GP trainer, and it’ll be useful for her to sit in on consultations with someone she hasn’t worked with before.’

Marc gave him a wry smile. ‘It’s been a while since someone observed me in a consultation.’

‘Laurie won’t bite. She’s a sweetie, and she makes the best lemon cake ever,’ Sam said with a chuckle.

‘Right.’ Marc imagined a doctor in her mid-forties, the motherly type, who wanted to enrich her career by teaching new doctors.

‘Oh, and I should warn you—she has this pet project. Given your experience in sports medicine, she might ask you to help out.’

Marc wasn’t sure whether to be more intrigued or concerned. ‘Noted,’ he said.

‘I’ll take you through to Laurie.’ Sam shepherded him through to Laurie’s room. ‘Marc, this is Laurie Grant. Laurie, this is Marc Bailey, our new GP.’ He patted Marc’s shoulder. ‘I’ll leave you to sort things out between you.’

‘OK.’

Laurie was nothing like Marc had expected. She was in her early thirties, a couple of years younger than himself, he’d guess, but what he really noticed were the dark corkscrew curls she’d pulled back in a scrunchie, her piercing blue eyes, and the sweetest-looking mouth he’d ever seen.

Which was terrible. He shouldn’t even be noticing this sort of thing about her. She was his new colleague, and for all he knew she could be married.