Kate Hardy - Mistletoe Proposal On The Children's Ward / Taming Her Hollywood Playboy

‘True. But, if you don’t know what the problem is, then you might inadvertently stamp on a sore spot,’ Jojo pointed out.

‘You have a point. I think it might be something to do with kids, because he went a bit brooding on me when we were near the carousel,’ Anna said thoughtfully. ‘On the other hand, he’s an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in children’s medicine, so he’s around children all day. Maybe I was misreading it.’

‘You’ll have to find a tactful way to ask him,’ Jojo said.

Anna shrugged. ‘He’ll tell me when he’s ready.’

Jojo frowned. ‘What I don’t get is, if he hates Christmas, then why would he go to a Christmas fair with you?’

‘Because we’ve come to an agreement. If I can help him to feel that Christmas is bearable, then he’ll wear the red suit and beard and play Father Christmas on the ward for me on Christmas Day, in Robert’s absence,’ Anna explained.

‘So what do you get out of it?’ Jojo asked.

‘What it is to have a lawyer for a sister. I should’ve guessed you’d interrogate me,’ Anna said lightly. ‘I’ve already told you the deal. I’m helping Jamie to face Christmas, and then he’ll help me by being Santa.’

‘That’s work,’ Jojo pointed out. ‘I mean, what do you personally get out of it?’

‘Being Anna the Fixer?’ Anna suggested.

‘Not enough.’ Jojo looked at her. ‘If you’re helping him get over his hatred of Christmas, then I reckon in return he needs to help you get over Johnny.’

‘I’m already over Johnny,’ Anna protested. ‘So I don’t need any help.’

‘Yes, you do. You haven’t dated anyone since your divorce,’ Jojo said. ‘Which suggests to me that either you’re still in love with Johnny—’

‘Absolutely not,’ Anna cut in.

‘—or,’ Jojo continued, unfazed, ‘that Johnny’s left you feeling that you’re not enough for anyone.’

Trust her sister to hit the nail right on the head. Jojo was the most clear-sighted person she knew.

‘And that isn’t fair or true. You’re wonderful, and any decent bloke would be lucky to have you. You need to get back out there and find someone who loves you for who you are. Someone who deserves you,’ Jojo declared.

‘I don’t need anyone,’ Anna said. ‘Remember, I have Gorgeous George.’

‘A goldfish,’ Jojo said firmly, ‘is not the same as having a partner.’

‘Actually, George is better. He doesn’t talk back to me and annoy me.’ Anna gave Jojo a pointed look. ‘Unlike interfering little sisters.’

Jojo hugged her. ‘I’m not interfering, Anna-Banana. Really. I just worry that you’re lonely.’

‘How can I be lonely when I have the best family in the world and a ton of really good friends?’ Anna asked.

‘You come home to an empty house every night.’

Anna spread her hands. ‘So do lots of people.’

‘I think Johnny and his selfishness really chipped away at your self-confidence,’ Jojo said. ‘You don’t bother dating anyone, because you don’t believe a man will give you a second look as soon as they find out that you can’t have children.’

Anna sighed. ‘I’m fine, Jojo. Really. And I know not everyone shares Johnny’s views about infertility. Not everyone even wants children in the first place.’

‘I’m still not sure you’ve really come to terms with the situation yourself,’ Jojo said gently.

‘Honestly, I have,’ Anna said. ‘And you’d be the first person I’d talk to if I was upset about anything.’

Jojo still looked worried. ‘I hope you know I’ll always be here for you. And I hope you don’t think Becky and I rub Noah in your face.’

‘You don’t. At all.’ Anna was very definite about that. ‘I love him. I love the fact you both asked me to be his godmother. And I love that you and Becky let me come and read him stories and play with him whenever I want to.’

‘Because we love you, too.’ Jojo still looked worried. ‘So do you like this Jamie guy?’

‘As a colleague and potentially a friend, yes.’

Jojo raised her eyebrows.

Anna sighed. ‘All right. Yes, I admit he’s attractive. He reminds me of the actor in that Scottish historical drama everyone moons over.’

‘ Nice ,’ Jojo said approvingly. ‘Does he like you?’

‘I have absolutely no idea! I’ve only known the guy for a week. And this isn’t about relationships, anyway. Though I suppose I should think myself lucky you didn’t arrange for a suitable someone to partner me at dinner tonight,’ Anna added ruefully.

‘I wouldn’t do that to you.’

It was Anna’s turn to raise her eyebrows at her sister.

‘Not without warning you first,’ Jojo amended. ‘But, if you like this Jamie guy, there’s no reason not to make this Christmas deal of yours into a proper date.’ She grinned. ‘As he’s a surgeon, at least you know he’s going to be good with his hands.

‘Joanna Maskell, you really are just too much, sometimes!’ But Anna couldn’t help laughing. ‘Now, please can we drop the subject?’

To her relief, Jojo agreed; Becky called through that dinner was ready, and they kept the conversation light for the rest of the evening.

When Anna left, Jojo hugged her at the door. ‘Sorry for nagging. I do love you, Anna, and I worry about you. So does Becky.’

‘I’m fine. And I love you both, too. And Noah.’ Anna hugged her back. ‘See you soon.’

Anna didn’t see Jamie on the ward and wasn’t in clinic with him during the rest of the week, but on Thursday evening she met him at the Tube station as they’d arranged, and they went to the skating rink at Somerset House. There was a massive Christmas tree at either end of the skating rink, both of them covered in twinkling lights. Spotlights dappled the surface of the rink with different colours, and the rink was already packed with people, some looking nervous and sticking very close to the edge where they could grab the sides for safety, and others almost dancing on the ice. There was a pop-up Christmas shop selling gifts, and a stall selling hot drinks and snacks.

The music was all modern and Christmassy, and Anna could see that Jamie looked antsy; she remembered him telling her that he found Christmas music difficult.

‘If you’d rather not do this, we don’t have to,’ she said.

Jamie looked awkward. ‘But we’re here now and you’ve already bought the tickets. It’d be a waste not to use them. Which reminds me, I still owe you the money for my ticket.’

‘We’ll sort that out later. Let’s just go round the rink for one song,’ she said. ‘Then we can review the situation and see if it’s too much or if you want to keep going for a bit longer.’

‘OK.’ He took her hand and squeezed it briefly. ‘Thank you. You’re being very patient with me.’

‘I’m a doctor, not a patient,’ she quipped lightly. ‘And, for that matter, so are you.’

He groaned. ‘That’s terrible, but you know what I meant. I appreciate what you’re doing for me.’

‘You’re doing just as much for me, actually. This means I have someone different to drag out to all the Christmassy things I love doing and my family and friends have had more than enough of,’ she said with a smile. ‘Plus I have my eye on the big prize.’

‘What prize?’ He looked mystified.

‘You wearing that red suit on Christmas Day—because, apart from the fact that I haven’t managed to source a voice-changer yet, what if it fell off while I was walking through the ward, or my beard fell off to reveal it? I really don’t want to be responsible for making a whole ward of sick children find out the hard way that Father Christmas isn’t real.’