Dr. Dark and Far-Too Delicious (15 page)

‘No.’ She looked up at him and she was too scared to admit it, because he meant so much more than she dared reveal. They’d agreed they were going to take things slowly and, yes, they were back on track, but maybe once he got to a big hospital, maybe when things were more difficult, when Simon was sick and he was on call and it all became too hard to have a single mum as a girlfriend who lived a good hour away, maybe then things would go wrong for them.

‘It’s been a hell of a week.’

‘And now it’s over,’ Jed said. ‘Now you can enjoy being spoiled.’ He gave her a smile. ‘Come on, tell me, how come Penny’s looking so pleased if she didn’t get the job.’

Jasmine closed her eyes. ‘Actually, come to think of it, it’s a good job that you’re going to Melbourne Central. I’m not breaking my sister’s confidence.’ She looked at him.

‘Fair enough.’

‘She’s family.’

‘I’m not arguing.’ Jed grinned. ‘I think you want to, though.’

‘I don’t.’

Jasmine didn’t. She didn’t want anything to spoil this night. ‘So...’ She forced her voice to be upbeat. ‘When do you start?’

‘Four weeks,’ Jed said. ‘It’s going to be fantastic—it’s a great hospital.’

‘Good.’

‘It’s everything I want.’

He pulled her into his arms and he was smiling. She would not ruin this night, would not nit-pick, but how come he was so happy to be leaving? How come he had been so tense all night? Though he wasn’t tense now, he was
delighted
with his good news, thrilled to be moving an hour away, and she swallowed down her tears.

‘I can’t wait to start,’ Jed said. ‘And tomorrow I thought I might go and look for somewhere to live.’

Some bachelor city apartment, Jasmine thought bitterly, but she kept her smile there.

‘The staff there seem really friendly,’ he added.

She thought of Hannah, who was gorgeous and flirted like crazy, and Martha, and the wild parties they often had, and he would be there and she would be home with Simon.

‘And I can’t wait...’

‘Okay.’ Her lips were taut with smiling. ‘I’m thrilled for you.’

She reached for her glass as she did not want to argue; she took a sip of champagne and swallowed down a row, but it was fizzing. Yes, she was happy for him, yes, she was thrilled, but... ‘Do you have to keep rubbing it in?’

She didn’t get why he was smiling.

‘Sorry?’

‘Do you have to keep telling me how
thrilled
you are to be leaving, how fantastic it is to be moving away?’

‘Come on, Jasmine.’ He grinned. ‘Don’t spoil tonight with a row.’

‘I want one!’ She did. For the first time in her life she wanted her row and stuff it if it was an expensive one. So what if she was spoiling a wonderful night? Did he have to be quite so insensitive?

‘Go for it.’

‘I will,’ Jasmine said. ‘I’m thrilled for you. I really am, but do you have to keep going on about it?’ She just said it. ‘Do you have to keep telling me how delighted you are to be going away and all the parties...’

‘I never said anything about parties.’

‘Oh, but there will be.’

And he just grinned.

‘And I’ll be home with Simon and you’ll be an hour away and, yes, I am happy for you and, no, I didn’t expect you to take Simon and me into consideration, but I can’t keep grinning like an idiot when the fact is you’re moving away.’ She started to cry. ‘And I don’t understand why you’re laughing.’

‘Because I love how you row.’

And he pulled her into him. ‘I’ve been goading you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because.’

‘Because what?’

‘I want just a smidge of obsession.’

‘Well, you’ve got it.’ And he kissed her and it was lovely. She’d said what she thought, had had a good row and no one was any the worse for it. Then he stopped kissing her and looked at her for a very long time.

‘I am pleased for you. I honestly am. I know you’ll love it there.’ And she realised then what Hannah had meant when she’d said that she’d see her around. If she was going out with Jed she’d be with him at times. ‘I’m just sad you’re leaving, that’s all.’

‘I have to,’ Jed said. ‘Because I’m not working alongside a woman who turned down my proposal.’ And he took out a box containing a ring but she didn’t even look at it properly, just looked straight back at him. ‘And if she doesn’t turn it down then I’m working in the same department as my wife and sister-in-law. That would be way too complicated and I already have trouble enough concentrating on work when you’re around. So which one is it?’

‘The complicated one,’ Jasmine said, and watched as he put a ring on her finger.

‘It won’t be complicated for long,’ he assured her. ‘I’m taking time off before I start my new job and for the next few weeks I’m going to take some time to get to know that son of yours and you’re going to get to know me properly. We’ll go to Sydney and meet my family. We’ll just take some time. I don’t want you to feel you’re being rushed into anything again. We’ll wait as long as it takes for you to feel okay with it.’

‘I already am.’ She had never been more sure of anything in her life. ‘And I don’t feel as if I’m rushing into things this time. I know.’

‘I know too,’ Jed said. ‘And you’re coming to look for somewhere to live with me. Midway, maybe? Or we can just carry on as we are and I’ll sort out the travel, but I promise you that you and Simon will always be my first consideration.’

She believed him, she really did, and her heart filled not just for her own happiness but because her son was going to have such an amazing man to help raise him, for all the happy times to come.

‘Mum’s going to have another heart attack when she finds out.’

‘She already knows,’ Jed said. ‘What, do you think I’d ask you to marry me without asking for her permission?’

‘You asked her?’ So that was what her mum had been banging on about not dropping her hours or losing her career—she already knew.

‘Of course I asked her.’

‘You’re an old-fashioned thing, aren’t you?’

‘Yep,’ Jed said. ‘But I’m filthy-minded too. I want to do you in your wedding dress.’

She blinked.

‘I’m sure you will.’

‘I mean this one.’

She just about died of embarrassment, right there on the spot. ‘You knew?’

‘Your mum told me.’ He smiled, and then pulled her back into his arms. ‘And now, seeing as I’m almost family, you can tell me what’s going on with Penny.’ She started to, but he stopped her.

‘Not yet.’ He was kissing her face, kissing her mouth, and making her feel wanted and beautiful in her wedding dress for the very first time, as he told her just how much the future was theirs. ‘We’ve got ages.’

* * * * *

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ISBN: 9781460316269

Copyright © 2013 by Carol Marinelli

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