Free The Midwife And The Single Dad by Gill Sanderson Page B

was frightened of getting too close to her, of bringing out the kind of feelings that had caused him so much pain. Thekind of feelings that he’d had for his wife. And she couldn’t blame him. In her turn she was frightened of getting close to him.
    She liked his company, which made it hard living with him. She was still fearful of what her feelings could cost her. And what about her vows of treating this place as a man-free sanctuary for a year, of having nothing to do with men? Perhaps, too, she was getting too fond of Fiona. Ben and Fiona were a definite package.
    She decided not to think further about things, let Ben make any decisions about their relationship. But Ben didn’t seem to want to move on from the state they were in now.
    And did she? Well, she could be tempted.

CHAPTER SIX
    S O THIS was it and she liked it. Home. Well, home at least for a year. When she had parted from Sean she had promptly moved out of the flat they had shared and into a rented room offered by the hospital. It had been pleasant enough but not really somewhere to call home. For too long she had needed a place where she felt she belonged. She needed a home and this was nearly it.
    She had just moved into the flat above her clinic. Her three trunks had been delivered, she had been living out of a suitcase for too long. Her clothes were now in the built-in wardrobe, her books were on the shelves, there were pictures on the wall. She had even paid a visit to the new supermarket and stocked up her larder.
    She was hot and pleasantly weary. It was early evening now and she decided that what she needed was a bath and a cup of tea. But first she wandered around her new domain, thinking how much larger it looked now that there was no builders’ clutter.
    It was only a small flat but the light-painted walls and the large windows made it seem larger. And she had to admit that the furnishings were minimal but very comfortable.Someone’s taste was very similar to her own. Ben’s taste—he had chosen the furniture. Another indication that they had so much in common…
    Yes, she knew she was going to be happy here.
    ‘Sorry things have taken longer than I thought,’ Henry the builder had said, ‘but I wanted to get things just right, try to get rid of the smell of paint.’ He had pressed a card into her hand. ‘Any problem, night or day, give me a call.’
    ‘Thanks Henry, I will.’
    He had done a good job. Secretly, she had wondered if Ben had talked him into slowing down a little. It had been a fortnight and there hadn’t seemed to be too much work to do. But what did she know about building? And why would Ben want her to stay longer at his home?
    She had really enjoyed staying with him and felt that he had enjoyed her company too. But after that first welcoming kiss on the quayside there had been no further advances. Of course, he was an honourable man, he might have felt that it was wrong even to try to kiss her when she was a guest in his house. It would have been taking advantage of her. But she felt he might at least have given her a goodnight kiss. She had to admit being envious when he took Fiona in his arms and hugged her. And she thought that once or twice she had caught him looking at her as if he wanted to… Foolish thoughts!
    She had to admit to herself that although she was so happy to be moving here into her own place, she still very much regretted having to leave Taighean dhe Gaoithe. ‘You will come and see us?’ Mrs McCann had asked anxiously. ‘Wee Fiona will miss you.’
    ‘I’ll miss her and I’ll miss your cooking, MrsMcCann. But I really need to be living nearer the job. And what would people say if they knew that my flat was finished and that I was still staying with Dr Cavendish?’
    ‘True,’ Mrs McCann said judiciously. ‘But…’
    She never finished the sentence so Alice didn’t know what the ‘but’ meant.
    She was here and she was happy.
    The bath was nearly full and Alice was just deciding which