Scarlet Wilson - Healing The Single Dad's Heart / Just Friends To Just Married?

She nodded and waited outside as he went in to collect an excited but tired Regan, getting a full report from his teacher.

He walked back out with Regan in his arms. ‘It seems nursery was a big success,’ he said with a smile, conscious of how relieved he felt. Knowing that Regan had had a good day always made him happy. He’d be able to text his mum and dad tonight to tell them that things were good, and he knew they’d be relieved too.

‘Tell you what, let me try and make amends. How about I buy you dinner?’

Lien looked a bit surprised. ‘Dinner?’ she repeated.

He nodded and looked around. ‘You choose. Somehow I haven’t managed to get to the market today, and we devoured the food in the fridge last night. Show us somewhere we can eat on a regular basis.’ He raised one eyebrow. ‘Familiarise me with the area.’

She let out a laugh and shook her head, looking at Regan. She moved closer to talk to him. ‘Big day at nursery?’

Regan nodded in a tired kind of way. ‘It’s cool,’ he whispered.

Joe gave his back a rub. ‘I suspect Master Lennox is struggling with jet-lag. Once we’ve eaten I think I’ll get him straight to bed.’

Lien looked up and down the street. ‘What does Regan like? Are there foods he doesn’t eat? Or is he allergic to anything?’

Joe gave a brief shake of his head. ‘Take us somewhere you like, somewhere good. The wee man will more or less try anything.’

Lien let out a laugh.

‘What?’ Joe’s brow creased. ‘What is it?’

Her eyes were gleaming. ‘Have you any idea how Scottish you just sounded?’

She started walking down the street and he fell into step alongside her. ‘Don’t I always sound Scottish? I know my accent is a bit thick—’

‘A bit?’ Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows.

He laughed now too. They crossed a few streets and she showed him into a small Vietnamese restaurant. By the way they greeted her it was clear she was a regular.

They sat in a booth and Regan settled next to his dad. He seemed to perk up a little. ‘Are we getting food?’

‘Yip,’ said Joe, glancing at the menu. His smile broadened and he looked up at Lien.

She was leaning her head on one hand and watching them both. She too had a big smile on her face, and he knew exactly why.

‘What’s on the menu, Dad?’ asked Regan.

‘What’s on the menu, Lien?’ he asked. He nudged Regan. ‘What do you want to eat tonight? I think we’re going to get Lien to order for us.’

He slid the menu across the table towards Lien. It was entirely in Vietnamese. He was really going to have to get a handle on the language. He didn’t even know how to order fries somewhere—the staple food of lots of kids.

‘Rice and more pork,’ said Regan brightly. ‘And can it be a little bit spicy like the kind we had last night?’

Joe almost gave a sigh of relief. He was lucky Regan was such a great eater. With the exception of Brussels sprouts, there was very little his son would refuse.

Lien leaned across the table towards Regan. ‘Oh, they do the best spicy pork in here. We can definitely get you that.’ She looked up. ‘What about you, Joe?’

‘I’ll just get the same as Regan.’ He pulled a face. ‘But can you order big? I’m famished—I skipped lunch.’

‘You did?’ She frowned and sat back. ‘I thought you took a break today.’

He glanced down at his son, and mussed Regan’s hair. ‘I went to check on Regan. Didn’t have time to eat.’

She gave him an appreciative glance, then turned to their waiter and ordered rapidly in Vietnamese for them all. As she did it, she flicked a bit of hair out of her face. He smiled. She did that often. There was always a strand that seemed to defy the ponytail band or clip she wore to tie her hair back. It was a habit, one he found endearing. He straightened in his chair. Where had that thought come from? He focused his thoughts back on his sleepy son.

She was right about the restaurant. It was a good choice. The food arrived quickly, and they chatted easily while they ate.

He could see Lien gradually beginning to relax further. The more she relaxed, the more animated she became. He started to realise just how stressed she must have been earlier by his actions. Trouble was, he really wanted to check on the family again at some point. He just wasn’t sure how to do it without getting on her wrong side.

By the time they finished eating, Regan was sleepy again and Joe gathered him into his arms to carry him back to the house.

Lien smiled. ‘It’s getting to be a habit, isn’t it? Don’t worry. It takes some adults a whole week to adjust to jet-lag. Got to imagine it’s worse for kids.’

They walked along the main road back to the hospital. ‘Do we need to do anything when we get back?’

She shook her head. ‘Dr Nguyen—Phan, you met him earlier—is on call tonight. You’ll have that pleasure later in the week.’

He nodded. ‘Well, since I’m only a few steps away, that seems fine.’

‘There aren’t many emergencies at night,’ she said, her dark hair catching in the wind. ‘An IV might need to be re-sited, but unless someone appears at the door, being on call is generally just about being available if needed.’

‘So what do you do on your nights off, then—apart from show the best restaurants to your new colleagues?’ He wasn’t quite sure where that question had come from. It was out before he had much of a chance to think about it. But he was curious.

She gave him a half-smile. ‘Are you being nosy, Joe?’

He dragged one hand across his brow. ‘Phew. I must be at least half-forgiven. I didn’t get Dr Lennox .’

She laughed. He could tell she was trying decide what to say. It had only been one day, but she appeared to live alone in the house next door. There had been no mention of another half. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have one.

‘To be honest, I concentrate on work most of the time.’

There was something about the way she said those words. A hint of regret. A hint of something else.

‘Not married?’ What was wrong with him? His mouth seemed to be having a field day of talking before his brain could engage.

‘Me? No way.’ She held up one hand. ‘When would I have time to be married? I spend just about every waking hour at the hospital.’ Then she laughed. ‘Plus the non-waking hours.’ She wagged a finger at him. ‘The only exception is when I have to chase after our international doctors who have crazy ideas.’

This time he made sure his brain engaged before he leapt to his own defence. ‘Can we have a chat about that tomorrow? There are a few things I want to run past you.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Dr Lennox,’ she said with a smile on her face, ‘why do I get the impression you’re going to be trouble?’

THEY’D FALLEN INTO an easy routine. Joe was keen and enthusiastic, and she couldn’t fault his clinical skills for a second. Which was just as well as the place was even busier than usual. Khiem and Hoa had returned for a week, and then gone to the other hospital in Uông Bí in the northeast of Vietnam.

They’d quickly given their approval of the latest employee, loving his enthusiasm and listening to his wide range of ideas.

She couldn’t help but admire the relationship Joe had with his son. When they weren’t working, he devoted all his time to Regan. The little boy seemed to love his new environment. He’d even tried a few Vietnamese words on Lien that he’d learned at nursery. She was impressed.

Her fears had started to settle. Even after the awkward first day, Joe didn’t seem inclined to jump on the first plane back home.

Dinner at her favourite restaurant had been…interesting. His dark green eyes often had a glint of cheekiness in them, and she liked that. She was beginning to believe that he really was looking for a fresh start—even if he was only here for six months. Apart from his mum and dad, he rarely mentioned home. It was almost as if he was putting things firmly behind him. He’d been learning the language basics from Mai Ahn, and had taken an interest in some of the wider public health issues in the area.