The Accidental Romeo Read Free Page B

and Charlotte will have something nice waiting for breakfast that you can eat in the car if we’re in a hurry.’
    ‘Promise?’ Adam checked.
    ‘As much as I can promise,’ Harry said, because the very nature of his job meant that nothing could be guaranteed. ‘But if we don’t get to make it tonight then the bananas will be even blacker tomorrow and the banana bread even sweeter.’
    Finally, Adam smiled.
    ‘I hate banana bread!’ Charlotte, the louder of the two, had to have her say as Harry gave her a kiss goodbye.
    ‘I know.’ Harry smiled. ‘But you do like eating the frosting.’
    ‘Can I make the frosting?’ Charlotte was more easily cheered, though, unlike Adam and Jill, she did protest loudly whenever Harry was late picking them up or was called into work.
    ‘Yep,’ Harry said, and then, because he had to, he qualified again. ‘If I get home in time.’
    ‘Try,’ Charlotte said.
    It was all he seemed to be doing these days.
    He hugged them both and then, as good as gold, they headed off to join their little friends to start their very long day.
    Something had to give.
    Harry headed back towards the department and tried, for now, not to think about the unpalatable decision that he was coming to.
    As well as being an emergency consultant, Harry was also a renowned hand surgeon. He was reluctantly considering moving into the private sphere and focusing on his second love—hands. Emergency and single fatherhood, he had fast found out, simply didn’t mix.
    Harry had decided that he was going to take some annual leave while he made his decision. Once Juan was back from his honeymoon and Dr Cooper had started work and the department was adequately staffed, he could take some proper time off and work out what to do.
    He just needed to get through the next few weeks.
    Harry headed straight for the changing rooms and took the ten minutes Marnie had noted that he needed. He quickly shaved, combed his hair and added a tie, then walked back into the department, and the first person he saw was Marnie.
    ‘That’s better!’ Marnie commented, when others perhaps would not have.
    ‘Better?’
    ‘You’ve shaved, put on a tie...’
    ‘I don’t need a tie to be a consultant.’ Harry made light reference to her jacket comment to Lillian but still he bristled. She should see how Juan dressed some days, stomping about in Cuban-heeled boots, and, until recently, Juan’s black hair had been longer than shoulder length—imagine what she’d have had to say about that! Harry had always prided himself on his appearance and tried to look smart for work, and he really didn’t need a lecture today.
    Heading to her office, Marnie gave it a good wipe down with alcohol rubs and then, deciding it was too drab, she rang a local florist and asked for flowers to be delivered. Then she asked Cate Nicholls, who had been filling in after Christine had left, to bring her up to date with certain protocols and paperwork.
    ‘Most multi-trauma goes straight to the city, though it depends on transport availability, so we can get a sudden influx,’ Cate explained, but Marnie had gone through most of this at her interviews. The paperwork took a while—there were all the patient complaints and staff incident reports to go through.
    ‘They’re mainly about waiting times,’ Cate commented.
    ‘And cleanliness,’ Marnie observed, flicking through them. ‘Is there a protocol for cubicle preparation for the patients?’
    ‘Not one that’s written as such,’ Cate said.
    There soon would be! Still, Marnie moved on to the budget lists and all the stuff that Cate had loathed but which Marnie just loved to tackle.
    ‘I hope everything is up to date,’ Cate said. ‘If it’s not...’
    ‘I’ll just ask you,’ Marnie answered.
    ‘I won’t be around, though,’ Cate reminded her. ‘I’m going on annual leave next week.’
    ‘Of course, you’re getting married...are you going anywhere nice for your honeymoon?’
    ‘We’re