A Family This Christmas Read Online Free Page A

party with them?
    ‘Don’t you dare tell them that. They absolutely hate anyone using the “cute” word.’ Another smile, more expansive this time, lifted his mouth into a delicious curve and lightened the brown of his eyes.
    ‘They’re strong-willed?’
    Cam nodded his head slowly. ‘Unfortunately, yes.’
    ‘You’d want your kids to be pushovers?’ she asked, wondering exactly why he’d dropped by. She wasn’t his patient or his friend.
    His sigh filled with sadness as the smile switched off and his gaze dulled. ‘They’re a funny mix of strong and soft. Kind of nice, I guess, but there are things I wish they were stronger about.’
    If only she knew how to wipe away that look, bring back the warm smile. But it wasn’t her place. They were strangers who were going to remain so. ‘I’m sure all parents think that.’ How enlightening. Not.
    ‘You got kids?’ His question was nothing startling, fitted into their conversation, and yet it arrowed in for her heart.
    ‘No.’ She’d always hoped she’d get married and have a family. That had been part of her life plan, along with the medical career, the extended travel to Europe and watching Alison achieve her goal to become an international airline pilot. Except Alison had died because
she
had failed as a doctor. Her new life plan was waiting to be rewritten, but one thing she knew for certain was that having a family would be a part of it. Losing her sister had heightened that need.
    ‘Hello, Cam. Didn’t expect to find you here. You know my patient?’ A middle-aged man strode around the curtain and stopped at the end of her bed.
    ‘Not really. My boys are responsible for this. A skateboarding accident of no mean proportions.’
    ‘Ouch.’ The casually presented man turned to her. ‘I’m Angus, your surgeon.’
    She held out her hand. ‘Jenny Bostock. Should I be asking if you caught any fish? Or will that make you go a little harder on me?’ Plastering on a smile she didn’t feel much like making, she watched closely to see how he reacted to her.
    ‘Your timing was perfect. Dinner’s ready and waiting in the fridge at home. Blue cod. The best fish in our waters, as far as I’m concerned.’ His friendly smile faded. ‘I’ve seen your X-rays. The lower tibia has a fine fracture, but it’s the talus that needs attending to, I’m afraid. You require plates to be attached.’
    ‘That’s what I expected.’ And didn’t want. But there was nothing she could do about it, except rewind the clock four hours and stay in her car, instead of walking around Havelock.
    ‘Do you want me to outline the whole procedure,
Dr
Bostock?’ The surgeon emphasised her title.
    Beside him, Cam lifted his eyebrows. ‘So you are a doctor. I wondered if you were.’
    ‘Angus has been reading my admission slip.’ She should’ve put dog walker or cleaning lady but some habits didn’t disappear, even after six months. ‘Anyway, it was irrelevant to the situation. I’m presuming you’d have treated me the same, no matter what my job was.’
    Cam shrugged. ‘Of course.’
    She didn’t go around telling anyone she was a doctor. People might ask her to treat them or give them advice, and they really didn’t need that from her. But when it came to filling in paperwork she tended to honest. Just in case she ever got her life back on track.
    ‘Jenny—I can call you that?’ The surgeon’s eyebrow rose in query.
    ‘Sure.’
    ‘Jenny’s being coy. I’m surprised you haven’t heard how she saved a child who was choking not more than thirty minutes ago. Everyone’s talking about her.’
    Cam’s eyes widened. ‘Truly? That’s awesome. I have to say you seem to have a habit of finding yourself in the middle of trouble. Is that usual? Or is today the exception?’
    Define trouble. Crossing her fingers, she muttered, ‘It’s been one of those days when I shouldn’t have got out of bed.’
    ‘Well, you’re back in one now.’ Cam’s smile was cheeky,