Kate Hardy - Her Real Family Christmas

‘I’m not on my own,’ he said. ‘I have Mia, I have you, I have Mum and Dad, and I have the Parkers.’

‘Having a daughter and a supportive family who love you,’ Lucy pointed out, ‘isn’t the same as dating someone. You’re still young, Dan. You’re only thirty-five, but you’re acting as if you’re an old man.’

He had no answer to that.

‘Would you have wanted Meg to stay on her own?’

He sighed. ‘No. I would’ve wanted her to find someone who’d love her as much as I did. Someone who’d treat Mia as his own and love her, too.’

‘Exactly. And Meg was my friend as well as my sister-in-law. I knew her well enough to know how she would’ve felt—and she would’ve felt the same as you do.’ She paused. ‘So have you met someone?’

He didn’t answer. Not that it made any difference.

‘Why don’t you ask her out?’ Lucy asked.

He gave her a speaking look. Wasn’t it obvious?

Lucy spread her hands. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ When he didn’t answer, she said it for him. ‘That she says no. And then it’s no different from the situation you’re in now, not going out with her. Ask her.’

He wrinkled his nose. ‘It might be a bit awkward at work.’

‘She works with you?’

‘Sort of,’ he hedged.

‘In the same department?’

He had to be honest. ‘No.’

‘Well, then. It won’t be awkward. You always put patients first and you’re professional. OK, it might be a little bit awkward at the first team night out afterwards, but it’ll soon smooth over.’ She leaned over and squeezed his hand. ‘You’re scared, aren’t you?’

Trust his sister to work that out. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve dated. I have no idea what I’m doing.’ He dragged in a breath. ‘And it’s not fair to Mia. Or to this woman.’

‘Whoa, you’re really building bridges to trouble here. Look, there’s a world of difference between going out with someone and enjoying an evening in each other’s company, and asking the woman to marry you and become Mia’s stepmother.’

‘I guess.’

‘Mia doesn’t have to know anything about this, so she’s not going to get hurt. If it doesn’t work out between you and the mystery woman, then it doesn’t work out, but you’ve still had a couple of nice evenings out and had some fun, for a change. And if it does work out—well, you’ve already said Mia wants a mum.’

How easy she made it sound. ‘You make it sound so easy,’ he said lightly.

She laughed. ‘It sounds easy, but we both know it isn’t always. Don’t forget I made a pretty good mess of my own love life. Dan, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be yourself.’

‘Harvey was an idiot, you know.’ He’d never liked her ex.

‘And so was I, for choosing him, but I’ve forgiven myself for that.’

Daniel felt his eyes widen as he absorbed her words. ‘Lucy, are you seeing someone?’

‘I might be.’

He folded his arms and waited.

She gave in and groaned. ‘If you tell Mum, you’re toast. I don’t want her getting her hopes up, not until I know where this is going.’

He laughed. ‘OK, this is just between you and me. What’s he like and where did you meet him? Did Karen finally talk you into doing that online dating thing?’

‘No, he’s a parent at the school—not the parent of anyone I teach,’ she added swiftly. ‘I met him at a school governor meeting.’

So the man had a social conscience and was happy to do his bit for the community—unlike Harvey, who was the most selfish man Daniel had ever met. That was a good start. ‘You deserve someone nice—and you can tell him that your big brother—’

‘I’m telling him nothing of the kind,’ she cut in, ‘and, much as I love you, Dan, I don’t need you to fight my corner every second of the day. Just as you don’t need me there every second, fighting your corner.’ She softened her words with a smile. ‘But I’m glad we talked about this. Mum worries about you, and so do I. You need to do something for you , Dan. You’re more than just Mia’s dad and a busy doctor.’

He didn’t quite see how he could fit anything else into his life. But he smiled at his sister, knowing that she meant well. ‘The same goes for you. You’re more than just a brilliant teacher and aunt.’

She laughed. ‘I know. And I’m doing something about it. So maybe it’s time for you to do something about it, too. Ask her out, Dan. You’ll never know what she’d say unless you do.’

He thought about it for the next couple of days, and decided that maybe his sister was right. The next time he saw Stephanie, he’d ask her out.

But their shifts were clearly out of sync, because she didn’t attend any of the births where there were enough complications for the midwives to involve him and need a paediatrician on standby.

He made the decision when she emailed him the report. He emailed back.

Can we have a quick discussion? When’s good for you?

The reply came .

Lunch today or tomorrow, patients permitting?

Sure. I’ll ring down and see if you’re free.

He spent the rest of the morning doing the ward rounds, reassuring the nervous first-time mums and double-checking the obs for one of his mums with suspected pre-eclampsia before asking the midwives to step up the frequency and call him the minute anything changed. And then he called Stephanie’s extension.

‘Paediatrics, Stephanie Scott speaking,’ she said.

‘It’s Dan. Are OK for a lunch meeting about the project today?’ he asked.

‘Yes. I’ll meet you at the canteen. I think we’ll have to give the park a miss today.’

He glanced out of the window and realised that it was absolutely bucketing down outside. It looked more like November than September outside. Definitely not the right weather for lunch outdoors. ‘OK. See you there.’

Funny how his heart skipped a beat when he walked down the corridor and saw Stephanie waiting for him at the door to the canteen.

He kept himself in check and steered the conversation over lunch to her report and his suggested amendments, agreeing them with her point by point. And then, at the end, he looked at her. ‘Stephanie, before you rush back to the department, are you free any evening this week?’

She looked started. ‘Free?’

Oh, help. How was he going to ask her without it sounding sleazy or needy? It had been ten years since he’d last asked someone out. He was way out of practice in the dating game. Then he remembered what Lucy had said. Just be himself. The worst that could happen was that she’d say no.

‘I, um, thought might be nice to have dinner together. If you’re not busy,’ he added swiftly.

And he didn’t dare look at her. In case he saw disgust—or, worse, pity.

Would she say yes?

Or would she make a polite excuse and then be cool with him from here on after?

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