A Mother for His Twins (10 page)

‘Working day and night and night and day but I feel as though I’m finally starting to get things under control. Sort of.’ Jennifer smiled.

‘You have a lovely smile, dear, and I do like the way you’re wearing your hair. It suits you. Highlights your pretty eyes.’

‘Oh. Thank you.’ It was strange for Jennifer to receive compliments like that, especially since her own mother had never taken the time to give her any.

Iris leaned a little closer and spoke in an intimate whisper. ‘I think Jasper likes your hair like that, too.’

Jennifer nodded slowly. ‘He did mention it.’

‘Did he?’ Iris’s eyebrows lifted at this news. ‘The two of you becoming…better acquainted?’

For the second time since she’d arrived, Jennifer felt her cheeks tinge with colour and she lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

‘Don’t misunderstand me, Jennifer. I think it’s wonderful. Jasper needs someone like you and the more I get to know of you, the more I’m thinking that you need someone like Jasper.’

‘Hmm.’ She fiddled with the ring she wore on her right hand, still unable to look at Iris, hoping the woman would change the subject.

‘I saw you having a lovely tête-à-tête with Jasper earlier. I could have screamed at Megan for interrupting you. It looked as though you were about to kiss.’

‘Iris, I’m—’

‘I know, I know.’ Iris patted Jennifer’s hand. ‘It’s none of my business but I do want him to be happy. It’s what every
mother wants for their children. For them to be happy in love.’ She sighed, her gaze coming to rest on Megan.

‘How’s she doing?’ Jennifer was glad of the reprieve.

‘Not as well as you and Jasper, I’m afraid. Poor Megan. Ian and I aren’t particularly happy with her choice of marriage partner—Megsy’s far too good for him—but she says she’s in love and despite how much heartache the cad seems to cause her, she forgives him.’

‘Love’s a tricky thing.’ Jennifer’s words were spoken softly and Iris gasped as she absorbed their true meaning.

‘You’ve been in love before,’ she stated. ‘Well, no wonder you want to take things slowly with my son. Good for you and good for him.’ Iris placed her hand on Jennifer’s. ‘Just know that if you want to talk about anything, anything at all, you can bend my ear any time, dear.’

Jennifer was so touched by the heartfelt words that tears sprang into her eyes. ‘Thank you, Iris.’

‘Oh, no, dear. Have I said something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘It’s not that. It’s just…my mother and I don’t…’ She stopped and sniffed. ‘Well, let’s just say we’re not at all close. I guess that’s why I’m not all that good at relationships.’

‘Oh, toffle. You have a brilliant and long-lasting friendship with Sara, don’t you? And Matt? What about their boys? And Lilly and Lola can’t stop talking about you. Jasper says you’re doing fantastic things for the department and I know for a fact that
he’s
quite taken with you. If that’s not having relationships, personal or otherwise, I don’t know what is.’

‘But I’m not good at communicating.’

Iris scoffed. ‘What do you call this, then?’ She indicated the space between the two of them. ‘You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit, Jennifer.’

‘That’s what I keep telling her,’ Jasper remarked as he
entered the marquee. He’d been watching Jennifer and his mother talking for quite a few minutes now and was growing restless to know what they were talking about. Was his mother sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong? Was she scaring Jennifer off? It was those thoughts which had made him walk over and pull up a chair on the other side of Jennifer, shifting it a little closer before he sat. As he breathed in, her fresh perfume surrounded him and he felt himself relax. The woman really did have an amazing effect on him.

‘Do you know, she requisitioned a coffee-machine for the clinic and made me put it all in my name?’ Jasper shook his head as though she was a lost cause. ‘I just don’t know what to do with you, Dr Thorngate.’

Iris stood and grinned. ‘I can think of a few things.’ She winked at them both.

‘Mum!’ Jasper was momentarily mortified but then laughed as he watched his mother head over to talk to Sara. Well, at least he now knew his mother was definitely on his side. ‘Sorry about her.’

Jennifer smiled at him. ‘It’s all right. I think it’s nice that she can tease you.’

‘She was teasing you, too.’

‘Was she?’ Jennifer couldn’t contain her surprise. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been teased by someone else’s mother before.’

‘Were you close to Arturo’s parents?’

‘It was just Art and his dad at the time but his father passed away about a year after Art’s death.’ She paused. ‘What about Elisha’s parents? Do you see them?’

‘The girls have only seen them once. They live in Canada so it’s a bit difficult for them to be a part of their lives, but they send birthday money and Christmas cards.’

‘A shame, really.’ Both looked over to where the girls were running around with Sara’s boys, giggling brightly.

‘It is.’ They were silent for a few minutes, both completely comfortable without feeling pressed to make conversation. It was a nice feeling. ‘Now, I’ve been meaning to ask, how is everything going in your new home?’

‘It’s…cosy.’

Jasper leaned his elbow on the armrest and came closer. ‘And the window-seat?’

Her smile increased. ‘Relaxing.’

He straightened. ‘Excellent. So when is it your turn to have us around for breakfast?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘Well, you’ve been to my place for pancakes. A good neighbour always returns the invitation. It says so in the etiquette book.’

That made Jennifer laugh and he loved the way it seemed to brighten the entire marquee. ‘You’ve actually read an etiquette book?’

‘Well…no, but my mother has and that’s what she’s told me all my life.’

‘Oh, well, if it’s in the etiquette book, I guess we’d better sort out a date. Now, by “us” do you mean you and the girls or should I include your parents in this invitation? After all, your mother has dropped by a few times to visit on my days off.’

He nodded slowly. ‘She did mention that. As far as who to invite, personally I think you should have three different events. One with just me. Then one with myself and the girls and then one with the whole family.’

‘Just you, eh? The two of us? Eating breakfast alone?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t honestly think the girls will let you, Jasper.’

‘You’re probably right.’

‘And I didn’t have breakfast alone with you last time—the girls were there as well.’

‘I know, I know.’ He shifted uneasily in his chair. ‘I guess I’m just impatient to get some time alone with you. To talk.’

‘We will. Tomorrow. You’re going to snatch ten minutes of my time between A and E cases, remember?’

‘Or we could have breakfast bright and early tomorrow morning before you go to work.’

Jennifer bit her lip at the suggestion, so desperately wanting to give in, to accept, but knowing once she was alone with Jasper in such a secluded environment, anything could happen.

‘Or I could just come to the hospital.’ He went back to his earlier suggestion. ‘I could power through some of your paperwork for you so that when Martha comes in on Monday morning, your reputation as a slave driver would remain intact.’

‘The poor woman would probably have a heart attack and I seriously don’t want that.’

‘I can still help and we can talk in between funding applications,’ he suggested, a teasing light in his eyes.

Jennifer chuckled. ‘How utterly romantic. And then once the paperwork’s done, I suppose we can talk between patients and mop-up lists.’

‘We could. At least I’d get to be with you.’

She looked into his eyes as he spoke and couldn’t stop her breath from catching in her throat at the repressed desire she saw there.

‘The sooner we talk, Jen, the better.’

‘For who?’ she whispered.

‘For both of us.’ He reached out and took her hand. ‘How about tonight?’

‘So, Jennifer.’ Megan barrelled in to the marquee and Jennifer instantly shifted, letting go of Jasper’s hand. Jasper could have cheerfully throttled his sister.

Megan sat in the seat her mother had recently vacated. ‘Jasper tells me you’re the new head of unit and you’re only the same age as me. You must have worked very hard.’

‘I have.’

‘Congrats on the dream job, then.’

‘Thanks.’

‘You could have been head of your unit long ago,’ Jasper felt compelled to point out to his sister, trying to hide his annoyance at her bad timing. ‘You’re a bright spark. Where do you think the girls get it from?’

‘Er…you. You’re no dummy, Jasp. Anyway, like you, big brother, I’m not one for administrative work. It takes a special kind of doctor to juggle both admin and medicine.’

‘Jennifer is that doctor,’ Jasper said, proudly and Jennifer smiled at him, warmed by the look in his eyes. He wanted to talk to her, to
seriously
talk about the attraction between them. Even the thought of having that conversation was enough to set the butterflies churning in her stomach. Excited by the prospect, she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Should she agree to see him tonight? Wouldn’t it be dangerous for him to come over in the evening when the girls were asleep? Would they be able to control the desires that were building every moment they spent together?

It was a big step and she wasn’t sure she had the courage to take it.

‘Hello?’ Megan waved her hand and snapped her fingers between the two of them, a happy smile on her face. Jennifer was amazed at how it changed her appearance, how it made the dark circles beneath her eyes disappear, made her blue eyes sparkle and her straight, white teeth show. She looked for similarities between the siblings but only found it in the nose and ears. ‘Gee. You two are worse than me and Calvin. That’s my fiancé,’ she clarified for Jennifer’s sake. ‘He’s also
good at admin and medicine. He’s head of Cardiothoracic at Sydney General.’

‘Oh. OK.’ Jennifer watched as Megan frowned a little as she spoke. The light went out of her eyes, her face took on a dark scowl and a moment later she excused herself. ‘Is she all right?’ Jennifer was genuinely concerned.

‘I’m not sure.’

‘You said she’s doing most of the planning herself?’

‘Most? Try all.’

‘Why doesn’t she hire a wedding consultant?’

‘Megan? Megan only asks for help as a last resort. It’s one of her biggest faults.’

‘And her fiancé isn’t helping at all?’

‘No. He doesn’t want anything to do with it. Just told her to tell him where and when he should turn up, but from what she said earlier he’s even having second thoughts about doing that.’

‘A lot of people get cold feet.’

‘Would you have been one?’

‘No.’ She wasn’t hurt by the question. They’d been open and honest with each other about their pasts. ‘How about you?’

‘Nope. Unfortunately, though, my darling sister is a bit of a control freak, in the nicest sense of the word. She’s not domineering. She just likes things done her way, especially when it comes to things like her wedding.’

‘Well, most girls start to plan their wedding at about age twelve.’

‘Did you?’

‘Of course.’

‘Has it changed over the years?’

Jennifer thought for a moment. ‘Here and there, but I think that’s because I’ve changed.’

‘Megan hasn’t. Even as a child, she would over-think, over-plan, over-research. I guess that’s part of the down side to having such a high IQ.’

‘Possibly.’

‘She’s even making the wedding cake.’

‘What? Why is she putting so much pressure on herself?’

‘Because she doesn’t believe anyone else could do it exactly the way it needs to be done. Besides, cooking, baking, decorating cakes—that sort of thing—relaxes her.’

‘Is she doing it by herself?’

‘Mum’s going to help. She’ll make sure Megan doesn’t burn herself out too much.’

‘At least your sister has someone strong to lean on.’

Jasper smiled. ‘Sounds as though you like my mother.’

‘I do. You’re really lucky, Jasper. Many adults don’t have close relationships with their parents.’

‘True.’

‘And she’s really made me feel welcome. That’s a nice feeling to have.’ Jennifer smiled. ‘The other day when she brought the girls round, we had a difficult time getting them out of the empty packing boxes. Isn’t it amazing how much fun kids can have with an empty box?’

‘The girls said they had a great time. They keep asking to come over again.’

‘Oh, good. I’ll let Iris know when my next day off is.’

‘Unfair.’

‘What?’

‘I said it’s unfair.’

‘What is?’

‘That my daughters and my mother get to spend more time with you than me.’

‘That’s silly. I’m with you at work all day long.’

‘Yeah, on a ward round, or in theatre, or at clinic. That’s
hardly spending quality time together, Jen.’ He raked a hand through his hair.

‘We went to a concert just last night. Or did I dream that?’

‘No. You most definitely didn’t dream that, and neither did I.’

‘I had the best time.’

‘So you’ve said. More than once. But don’t think I’m complaining. I had a great time, too.’

Jennifer found herself gazing into his eyes once more and knew she’d never grow tired of it. Things were moving fast, faster than she’d anticipated. ‘Jasper, what if people at work find out we’re…you know.’

‘Interested in each other?’ He laughed. ‘Too late, Jen. They know.’

‘What? How?’

‘I think it has something to do with you calling me Jasper, rather than Eddie.’

‘Really? No. I’m sure other people in the hospital call you Jasper.’

‘Nope. Not one. Except for the new head of unit.’

‘Oh.’

‘Is that a problem? Do you think it will wreck your ice-queen status?’

‘No.’ She shook her head.

‘Good, and for the record I just told everyone that we have mutual friends outside the hospital. That cooled the wagging tongues.’

‘You did?’ Jennifer sighed. ‘Thank you.’

‘Why? Would it be so bad for people to think that we’re…more than colleagues? More than friends?’