A Life Less Lonely (21 page)

“He’s not mine,
Kirsty!” Andrea bit her lip. “At first I assumed he was married but he’s actually divorced.”

“
Keir told you that himself?”

“His friend Pierre spilled the beans while we were having lunch together in Montreal.
Keir has spoken to me about his failed marriage since though.”

“Let me get this straight. When you kissed him back that time after the lecture, you were still under the impression he was a married man?”

Andrea shifted in her seat. “Um, yes, I suppose so.”

“That tells me the attraction between you two must be pretty darned powerful. Unless you’ve been concealing a secret scarlet woman persona, you’re just not the type to go round snogging other women’s husbands.” Looking smug,
Kirsty folded her arms over her bump.

Andrea didn’t laugh. “I felt sure my reaction was all down to the rebound thing. I didn’t want to complicate my life any more than I had to. While we were in Montreal, I realised - and this sounds terrible – I realised how much I wanted to go to bed with him.”

“I’ll make us something to drink.” Kirsty levered herself up from the chair. “But I want to hear more. I can’t believe you’d have reached such a huge decision as sleeping with this man unless he was pure gold. Your judgement was certainly spot on with Greg,” she added gently.

Left alone, Andrea recognised the truth in what her friend said. She also knew what
Kirsty would say once the whole episode had been related. Kirsty would tell her she was crazy to allow Moira Haynes to muddy the waters. Kirsty would tell her she was crazy not to give Dr Keir Harrison one more chance. At least let him explain his own version of events.

In the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil,
Kirsty heard the beep of a text message arriving. The sound came from Andrea’s short-sleeved white linen jacket, hanging on the back of a chair. She slipped her hand in the pocket and drew out her friend’s mobile, weighing it in her palm and staring at the little screen. Could this be a message from the man they’d been discussing? Dare she access it? Ring him back and tell him to get the hell over here and talk some sense into the unhappy woman sitting under her lilac tree?

Kirsty
shook her head and placed the phone on the drinks tray. She might believe her friend was a knucklehead but no way should she influence her very important decision. No way did she believe Andrea really doubted Keir’s sincerity. It was the understandable instinct for self-preservation making her pull back from the possibility of further hurt and disappointment. Pull back from what seemed to be the promise of a wonderful happy ending for both Andrea and Keir.

She made a single mug of coffee and poured herself a glass of orange juice before returning to the garden and handing over Andrea’s phone.

***

Keir
dumped a pile of grass cuttings behind a bush laden with fat fuchsia blossoms. The job was done, despite the man who lived next-door waylaying him to talk about the English cricket team before he’d even switched on his mower. He needed a shower, a cool drink and something to eat, but not necessarily in that order.

Sweaty and hot, he walked through the back door into the kitchen just as his landline shrilled. He hurled himself at the phone, willing it to be Andrea on the other end. It had to be her.

“Keir Harrison.”

“
Keir! How are you?” Richard’s voice.

Keir
swallowed his disappointment, closed his eyes briefly and muttered something in response.

“Good, good. Louise wants to take advantage of this lovely weather. I get the job of ringing round.
Would you be free to come to our house around six o’clock? A few drinks and nibbles. She’s already made a quiche the size of a cartwheel. We don’t usually do impromptu – must be the sunshine getting to us.”

Keir
swallowed his dismay. He didn’t much like parties. But what about Andrea? Surely she would be invited? Richard and Louise were close friends of hers. All of a sudden it seemed to be a no-brainer.

Richard picked up on his silence. “The guests are a mix of old friends plus a handful from your team. So you won’t be among strangers.”

“That sounds very good,” said Keir. “Shall I bring a bottle?”

“No need, but thanks for the offer, old chap. Got a pen handy? I’d better let you have our address.”

Richard closed the call and padded back into the kitchen where his wife had another job waiting. “Keir’s accepted our invitation. I hope we’re doing the right thing here.”

“By not telling him we’ve invited Andrea? We still haven’t heard back from her though, have we? She may not be able to make it.” Deftly, Louise stretched cling-film over a bowl of rosy radishes.

“She hasn’t responded yet. I do wonder if, by inviting the pair of them,” her husband said thoughtfully, “they’ll think we’re matchmaking.”

Louise shook her head in exasperation. “Oh, come on! They were thrown together on that trip to Canada. If those two happen to be attracted to each other, they’ve got plenty of opportunity to meet without waiting for chance invitations to arrive.” She reached for a whisk. “We’d have invited Andrea and Greg if he’d been around, wouldn’t we?” She paused. “Oh dear, that sounds so flippant. I should have said, in other circumstances.”

“It’s all right,” said Richard, moving round the table to give her arm a little squeeze. “I knew what you meant.”

“Anyway,” Louise spoke in a brisk tone. “I’d like to get to know
Keir better. He seems a lovely man.”

“He’s a great bloke and my respect for him isn’t in question.” Richard sneaked a radish before his wife could
clingfilm the second bowl. “But I very much doubt Andrea’s ready for another man in her life just yet. Even a squeaky-clean one like Keir.”

“Squeaky-clean doesn’t always do it for a woman, you know,” said Louise,

But Richard didn’t respond.

***

Only after Keir put the phone down did he start wondering whether Moira Haynes’ name might be included on the guest list. Could he cope with that? Maybe he should take the defensive option, ring Richard back and pretend he’d totally forgotten another engagement. He frowned. No. No way would he allow the woman to interfere in his personal life any more than she already had. A bit of company would be good for him and stop him brooding. And if Andrea did happen to be there, he’d find a way of cutting through the barbed wire. After all, it would be difficult for her to spend the whole evening avoiding him.

***

“It’s an invitation.”

Kirsty
looked across at Andrea. “Don’t sound so thrilled. If it’s from that hot guy who played Mr Rochester in that TV series, I shan’t speak to you ever again.”

Andrea didn’t come up with a jokey response. “Richard and Louise are having a party this evening. I’d better give them a quick ring to say I can’t make it.”

“Excuse me? Do you have some other bash to attend after you leave here?”

“Well, no, but I can’t possibly get a sitter for Josh. Impromptu’s great for those two – not so great for someone with a young child.”

Kirsty steepled her fingers and glared at Andrea. “So why not leave Josh with us? He’s already got a toothbrush and jim-jams here. It’ll do you good to go somewhere where you can chat to people without keeping an eye on the clock.”

Andrea bristled. “I’m always chatting to people at work. Plus I’ve just had that trip to Canada.” The thought of certain events related to that trip silenced her for a moment.

Kirsty cleared her throat.

“Besides -”

“Besides what, Andrea?”

“Richard might have invited
Keir.” Andrea’s words were almost a whisper. “I don’t really want to see him outside of working hours. Not at the moment.”

“Why not?”

“Everything’s topsy-turvy. You’ve saved Josh from disappointment about his cancelled sleep over. I just need some quiet time tonight.”

“Prolonging the misery?”

“The two of us meeting in public could be very embarrassing for him.”

“For him or for you?”

Andrea inspected her nails as if she’d never noticed them before. “What if he’s there and he brings that woman?”

“Ah. What if he rubs your nose in it, you mean?”

“Yes.” Andrea suspected she sounded like a small, hurt child. Surely, all the mean, adult experiences of loss and single-motherhood were worse than this. Why was she scared, all of a sudden?

Kirsty
picked up her orange juice and swirled the glass gently so the ice clinked against the sides. “You know, from what you’ve said, I think Dr Keir Harrison seems way too nice a guy to behave in such a despicable way. Can you put your hand on your heart and tell me you really believe he’s a Jekyll and Hyde character? I’m thinking back to that time he rescued your mum when she waltzed off with those plants.”

“Don’t remind me,” Andrea wailed.

But Kirsty’s logic was relentless. “I think I should remind you. He went out of his way to look after Rosemary. And that was a huge confidence boost he gave you, insisting he wanted you to attend the conference with him. From what you said, he couldn’t have done more to make you feel at ease.”

She watched her friend’s cheeks turn fondant pink.
“Hmm. You came back with an open invitation to go and stay with those friends of his. How lovely is that?”

“Of course it’s lovely. I can’t argue with anything you say. But this evening, I’d really rather head for home around seven o’clock.”

“Really, really?”

“Yes. Now, excuse me while I ring Richard and make my apologies. Then you can tell me what needs doing about lunch while you sit there, making the most of being able to keep your feet up. It’s the least I can do.”

***

Keir
didn’t totally relax again until his hosts began serving supper. Clearly, neither Andrea nor Moira could be expected to turn up after that. It wasn’t the kind of party where people piled in, drinking from cans of lager, after the pubs closed. He left Richard and Louise’s house at around nine o’clock. He’d enjoyed the food, drunk a little wine and accepted a lift halfway home from a pleasant couple he’d spent time talking with.

He walked the couple of miles on to his place and let himself in. There was no
tell-tale red light on his house phone. He usually switched off his mobile on the rare occasions when he got into his sparklies but as the screen returned to life, nothing claimed his attention. He hadn’t switched off his computer before going out but on sitting down to check his mailbox there was only one personal email and that was from Rhonda Pierce in Montreal. Its subject line was Decisions, decisions!

Keir
frowned and sat forward in his chair, wondering what all that was about.

Hi
Keir. Hope all’s well with you. This is to say I’ve handed in my notice at the hospital. The board are anxious to commence interviewing applicants for my job like yesterday. What’s keeping you? May I expect your CV? I’m attaching the job description and with apologies, a very detailed application form, hopefully to speed things up. Of course your salary would be between you and the big cheeses. When you come out for the interview, you must have dinner with Patrick and me.

Regards, Rhonda

He sat back and gazed at the screen. Was this what Fate had in store? He got up and walked through the kitchen for a drink of water. He’d thought Fate had brought Andrea into his orbit for a purpose. He’d never imagined the kind of happiness they’d so recently shared ever being his again and, hey presto, he’d been proved right about that. The hours spent in her company once they’d got over that initial barrier had been like an oasis. Then he’d gone and blown things. The whole thing was a farce but Andrea appeared to have made her decision. Now it was time for him to make his.

Keir
called up his CV from his personal file and realised he needed to do a quick makeover to include details of the position he held at Hartnett General, of course specifying how he’d got the trials up and running. He could see no reason why his team shouldn’t cope without him, and if he got on with things and offered an interview date soon, he could take a few days’ leave and be back at Hartnett well before the next stage of the trial commenced. Living overseas wasn’t something he really wanted to do but he could probably rent out his house and Pierre would help him find somewhere to stay in Montreal until he adjusted to his new position. Providing, of course, he got the job.

He groaned as a thought struck him. Andrea had seemed delighted when his Canadian friends offered her an invitation to go and visit. He wouldn’t want her to miss out on such an opportunity. But that was thinking too far ahead. It was unlikely their paths would cross because he’d make it plain to Pierre and his wife that no way would Andrea wish to make up a foursome should she decide to visit Montreal after
Keir took up residence.

His PA always emailed him his appointments list on a Friday. When he saw her on Monday, he’d ask her how the next few weeks were looking then mention the possibility of his taking a few days off to catch up with family matters. He could tell a little white lie. If Montreal did as Rhonda insisted they would and called him for interview, he’d be foolish not to accept.