Free The Midwife's Marriage Proposal by Sarah Morgan Page B

life.’
    â€˜Ellie is not my sister.’
    â€˜But she’s a close friend.’
    Tom let out a long breath. ‘That’s different.’
    â€˜I don’t see why your sister should be deserving of less than a friend. There’s no one else I trust,’ Bryony confessed quietly, and Tom sighed.
    â€˜Bry, I can’t.’ He took a slug of wine and stared broodily at his glass. ‘I’ll have a word with Chris Knight. He seems pretty good to me.’
    â€˜Pretty good isn’t good enough,’ Bryony said tartly, and Jack grinned.
    â€˜â€œPretty good” is high praise from your brother, you should know that. The guy’s obviously a genius.’
    Tom gave a wry smile. ‘He seems solid enough and we think along the same lines.’
    â€˜I want
you
,’ Bryony said stubbornly, and Tom’s gaze shifted to Jack.
    â€˜Don’t look at me,’ Jack muttered. ‘When Bry gets something stuck in her head, there’s no shifting it. You should know that.’
    Tom was silent for a few moments and then he looked at his sister. ‘I promise to be there when you deliver, but I’m not being responsible for the actual delivery.’
    Bryony hesitated. ‘You’ll be there? You’ll intervene if you see them doing something wrong?’
    â€˜People don’t do things wrong in my department.’ Tom ran a hand over the back of his neck. ‘And, yes, I’ll be there.’
    Bryony smiled at him, warmth and gratitude in her eyes. ‘Thanks, Tom.’
    Sally was suddenly aware that he was studying her again and she felt the tension rise inside her.
    Why had he asked her that question about her reasons for coming home?
    Had he expected a declaration of undying love?
    If so then he was doomed to disappointment.
    She stood up, suddenly needing to be in her own.
    â€˜I’d better go. I’m on an early tomorrow.’ She glanced at her watch and then smiled at Helen. ‘It was a wonderful meal and a lovely evening. Thank you so much for inviting me.’
    â€˜Come again soon.’ Helen glanced at Jack and Bryony. ‘Are you giving Sally a lift home? She can’t possibly ride her bike this late.’
    â€˜You’re talking to a girl who mountain biked around the Himalayas,’ Oliver said dryly, his eyes amused as he looked at his fiancée. ‘I don’t suppose anyone looked out for her then.’
    â€˜Well, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look out for her now,’ Helen said firmly, ‘and she isn’t riding that bike of hers home this late at night.’
    Something shifted inside Sally and she felt an instant bond with Helen.
    She was an incredibly kind person.
    â€˜Thank you,’ she said gruffly, ‘but I’ll be fine, really.’
    â€˜Helen’s right, you shouldn’t cycle this late. I’ll giveyou a lift.’ Tom rose to his feet and lifted an eyebrow in her direction, challenging her to refuse.
    She lifted an eyebrow. ‘You’re on a bike, too, remember?’
    Tom’s eyes gleamed with amusement. ‘Not the same thing, as you well know.’
    Sally glanced down at herself. ‘I’m hardly dressed for a ride on a motorbike in freezing March.’
    â€˜I’ve got a spare helmet and you can borrow a set of leathers from here,’ Tom said easily. ‘Oliver?’
    â€˜We’ll take her,’ Bryony interrupted quickly, her expression troubled as she looked at Sally. ‘She doesn’t want to go on the back of your motorbike. It’s a totally uncivilized mode of transport.’
    â€˜Sally isn’t like you,’ Tom said softly, his blue eyes fixed firmly on Sally. ‘She used to love my motorbike. I can’t believe she’s really changed that much.’
    Sally stared at him, hardly able to breathe. Why did she have the feeling that this conversation wasn’t about motorbikes? It was about the