Free St Piran's: The Fireman and Nurse Loveday by Kate Hardy Page B

time to keep coming over to the farm and seeing her. And, unless she was looking after Joey, he didn’t really even have a reason for coming to see her. ‘I’m being ridiculous about this,’ she told her dog. ‘Worse than a teenager with a crush—and I haven’t got a crush on Tom Nicholson.’
    Banjo regarded her steadily, as if he didn’t believe her.
    She sighed. ‘All right, so I think he’s gorgeous. And it’s not just the way he looks. He’s a nice guy and there’s something about him that makes me feel more…well, confident. He listens to me, so I don’t feel like a bumbling idiot when I’m with him. I like the way his mind works, I like the way he puts other people first, and I like the way he’s trying so hard to fit his life round Joey, rather than making Joey fit round him.’ She bit her lip. ‘But I’ve got to be practical about this, because he’s way out of my league.’
    But all the same she was pleased the next morning to hear the crunch of the gravel as Tom parked outside.
    ‘Have you had breakfast yet?’ she asked as she met Tom and Joey at the door.
    He shook his head. ‘I’ll get something at the station.’
    ‘It’s as easy to make breakfast for three as it is for two.’
    ‘Thanks, but I need to get going or I’ll be late for work.’
    Of course. And she was being ridiculous, feeling disappointed that he wasn’t staying. At her age, she should know better. ‘See you tonight, then.’ She smiled at him. ‘Have a nice day.’
    ‘You, too. Bye, Joey.’ Tom ruffled his nephew’s hair awkwardly, and Joey gave him a pained look. Tom was clearly careful not to react in front of the boy, but Flora saw his shoulders slump as he headed back to his car. Every time Joeyrejected him, she had a feeling that it cracked Tom’s heart that little bit more.
    ‘So what would you like for breakfast, Joey? I was thinking about French toast. Have you ever had French toast?’
    The little boy shook his head.
    ‘Do you fancy playing chef? ‘
    His face lit up and he went to fetch a tea-towel from the drawer. Flora couldn’t help smiling as he tucked it round himself to keep his school uniform clean. ‘Good boy—well remembered.’
    Joey seemed to thoroughly enjoy helping her beat the egg with vanilla essence and dip the bread into it. While the French toast was cooking, she sliced up some fruit onto two plates, then put the cooked French toast next to it.
    ‘Nice?’ she asked after Joey had taken a bite.
    He nodded.
    ‘Score out of five?’
    He thought about it, then held up his right palm with all four fingers and thumb outstretched.
    ‘Five? Excellent.’ She beamed at him. ‘We make a good team, Joey Barber.’
    She washed up the breakfast things, then took him to school. ‘Now, Joey, I know you don’t like holding people’s hands very much, but there’s a fair bit of traffic here and I need to know you’re safe, so I need you to hold my hand from the car to the playground, OK?’
    He nodded and let her hold his hand.
    For one crazy moment, Flora thought, This is what it would be like to take my own child to school. Then she shook herself. How silly. She didn’t even date, so marriage and children were hardly an option.
    But, oh, how she missed being part of a family. How she’d love a family of her own, somewhere she’d be accepted for herself. She adored Banjo, but the dog could only listen to her,not talk back, and she wasn’t quite soppy enough to believe that the dog understood every word she said to her. Right now, she was rattling around on her own in the farmhouse. Lonely. As an only child, she didn’t even have nieces and nephews to spoil—not now, and not in the future. So, unless she could do something to overcome her shyness and start dating, it was pretty unlikely that she’d ever have a family of her own again.
    Though where did you meet people? At work wasn’t an option for her; apart from the fact that the male doctors in the practice were already