Sweet Christmas Kisses (26 page)

Daniel looked like a slightly tarnished version of Sean with dark blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. He probably had no trouble finding girlfriends to fuel his reputation as a womanizer.

"You're the bunny girl. I'm glad you and Sean got together. You'll be good for him."

"Thanks." She didn't know what Sean had told his brother, so she decided not to say much.

Daniel leaned forward to gaze around the OR. "Wow. Impressive. I thought you army medics operated in bombed-out buildings with equipment held together by string and rubber bands."

Kelly swallowed her laugh. To be honest, he wasn't far wrong. She'd worked in terrible conditions overseas.

"Not in the UK," she said with raised eyebrows.

"Obviously not."

"Sean says you're a plastic surgeon as well." Sean had mentioned his brother a few times with obvious affection.

"Yep. But I don't get to do anything nearly this interesting. At the moment I'm selling my soul for filthy lucre." Daniel glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I do nose jobs and breast implants for women who have more money than sense. I'm thinking of spreading my wings and following in my big brother's footsteps."

"Spreading your wings, as in joining the army?"

He nodded.

"Wow. That will be a change of pace for you." And a large drop in salary. According to Sean, Daniel was in partnership with their father in an exclusive London clinic. That's where Sean had started out before he joined the army. When he left, it had caused a family rift.

"I can recommend military medicine," she said with honesty. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her time in the army.

The soft murmur of conversation in the viewing gallery quieted as the patient was wheeled into the OR below, and transferred to the operating table. The rest of the medical team followed. She recognized Sean immediately from his tall, lean build, and his air of authority.

Her heart raced and then stalled at the sight of him in his green gown, masked, and gloved with magnifying eye loupes on. What a crazy stupid heart she had being turned on by that! It just proved she was a nurse to the core.

Sean glanced up and met her gaze. A grin tugged at her lips. Even with his face half covered, she could tell he smiled back. Her heart did a little dance and she raised a hand to wave, not caring if everyone thought she was another stupid female besotted with Colonel Fab. She was.

Both Radley and Sean wore microphones. Their easy banter made it clear they were good friends and comfortable working together. They started the operation, narrating the steps of the procedure, explaining their thoughts and actions while cameras filmed from three angles, projecting the images on screens in the gallery.

Silence fell as everyone watched, totally absorbed by what was going on below. Daniel leaned forward, his chin in his hand, eyes fixed on his brother.

Everything proceeded the way Sean had described to her with only a couple of hiccups. Kelly wanted to stay for the whole procedure, but after two hours, it was time to get the girls from the day care. She reluctantly stood and tried to squeeze past Daniel. He rose and headed out as well.

"You didn't need to come with me," she said when they reached the corridor.

He pulled out his phone and checked the screen. "Actually, I did. I have a flight to New York this evening. My phone vibrated a few minutes ago to alert me it was time to leave. I'll walk you out."

They headed to the elevator and climbed in. "So, what did you think?" Kelly asked.

Daniel nodded slowly. "I wish I could stay until the end. That's just the sort of work I should be involved in, using my skills to make a real difference. I feel like I'm coasting right now, not sure which direction to go. But I need to do something meaningful. I can't keep doing what I'm doing for the rest of my life or I'll go crazy."

"So you've decided to join the army?"

"Probably. I want to talk to Sean about it first. My father will go ballistic if I leave the London practice, but I can't live my life to please him. Sean was strong enough to make the break and follow his heart. I must as well."

The elevator's polite computerized voice announced the main floor. They stepped off and headed across the marble and stainless steel foyer to the exit.

"So, are you and Sean a hot item, then?" Daniel cast her a mischievous smile.

"I guess."

"You don't sound certain." A hint of disapproval crept into his voice. "Sean's been hurt badly. Don't mess with him."

"I'm not planning on doing that." If anyone ended up hurt, she was pretty sure it would be her. "The thing is, I'm not certain Sean's ready for a long-term relationship. Isn't he still in love with his wife?"

Daniel laughed without humor, the sudden harsh sound surprising her. "You need to ask him about Eleanor."

Kelly stared at him, wishing he would elaborate.

"Seriously. Ask him," he said, stopping beside a very expensive sports car with the license plate FAB 1.

He obviously wasn't going to tell her about Eleanor. With a sigh, she admired the car.

"Very nice. Almost worth the price of your soul."

He chuckled. "I used to think so."

"Good luck with your career-changing decision," she said. "I really do recommend the army. I loved it and so does Sean."

With a burst of anticipation, she hurried across the car park to pick up the babies. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She couldn't wait to see the girls' cute little faces when they visited Santa Claus in the afternoon. Taking her children to see Santa was a fantasy of hers. Zoe and Annabelle might not be hers, but she was starting to love them as much as if they were.

****

Kelly leaned into Zoe's crib and tucked the little girl up, kissing her forehead. "Night night, sweetie. Sleep tight." As she crossed to Annabelle's crib for a final kiss, she heard the front door open downstairs.

"I hear your daddy."

So did Annabelle. She sat up, gripping the wooden bars of her crib, and shook the side. "Dada," she shouted.

"Hang on, poppet. I'll go and fetch him."

Buzzing with anticipation, Kelly headed for the top of the stairs.

Sean sat on the hall chair, pulling off his shoes. He stood, hung his hat in the cupboard, and ran his fingers back through his golden hair. She longed to charge downstairs and throw herself into his arms, but she didn't know how he'd feel after a big operation. Over the years, she had worked with many surgeons. Often they needed alone time to recover after a long and difficult procedure.

"Hello. You're just in time to say goodnight to your two little angels," Kelly said.

He glanced up, a smile on his face. "Wonderful. I hoped I'd make it home before they went to sleep."

"How did the op go? I had to leave halfway through, I'm afraid."

"As planned. It was a gamble, but it paid off. I'm relieved for the young patient."

"You're a brilliant surgeon." Kelly grinned down at him.

"Thank you. But I can't take all the credit."

He trod up the stairs in his socks, unbuttoning his jacket. "The whole team planned meticulously. Success is down to teamwork and good preparation."

"Which takes great leadership. As I said, you're a brilliant surgeon."

He wrapped her in his arms and she slid her hands inside his jacket to massage the tight muscles in his back. He kissed her and leaned his forehead against hers. "I am
so
tired. All the research and planning has taken its toll. I feel as though I could sleep for a week."

She tried to step back but he held on to her. Small lines formed between his eyebrows. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Of course not. I just don't want to crowd you. It sounds as though you need some space."

He laughed a low, amused chuckle that rolled across her senses. "Kelly, love, you
are
my space, you and the girls and this house. Just crossing the threshold helps me relax. I've always loved coming back to this house and the twins. Since you arrived, I can't wait to get home. The moment I leave in the morning, I start looking forward to seeing you again."

Kelly snuggled closer to his chest and pressed some kisses to his neck and jaw. He really was an easy man to live with.

"That's better," he whispered. "Now, let's say good night to my two angels."

He held Kelly's hand as he headed to the babies' bedroom, only releasing her to lean over Annabelle's crib and pick up the wide-awake baby.

"Aren't you sleepy, young lady?"

"Dada, Dada," Annabelle kept repeating.

"Daddy is very pleased to see both his beautiful girls." He smiled at Zoe, then kissed Annabelle's cheeks, making her giggle before he deposited her back in her bed. "Time to sleep now, munchkin."

He crossed the room to Zoe, caressing her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. She lay cuddling her teddy, her thumb in her mouth. "How are your teeth, angel? Are they better?"

"I think so," Kelly said. "Her temperature's returned to normal. I wouldn't have left her in the day care if she'd been fussy."

"Good night, angel. Sleep tight." Sean stroked the blonde curls back off Zoe's forehead, gave Annabelle another kiss, then put his arm around Kelly and led her from the room.

"I'll go and check dinner while you change," she said.

"Okay." He kissed her again, releasing her reluctantly. With a thoughtful glance over his shoulder, he headed to his bedroom.

Kelly went downstairs, checked the peanut chicken she had put in the slow cooker earlier, and set some water to boil for the rice.

Sean wandered in wearing faded jeans and a polo shirt, and sat on a stool at the kitchen island. Kelly poured two glasses of wine, setting one in front of him.

"Thanks." He took a sip. "So, you sat beside my disreputable brother today. Did he flirt with you?"

She grinned. "I know you said he has a reputation with the ladies, but I like him."

"So do I. We've always been close. He's my best friend as well as my brother."

Kelly tipped the rice in the boiling water and placed a lid over the pan, then turned, her arms wrapped around her middle. Speaking of Daniel reminded her of what he'd said about Eleanor. She didn't want to upset Sean, but she had to raise the touchy subject.

"He mentioned your wife."

Sean twirled the stem of his wineglass between his fingers on the granite countertop. "What did he say?"

"That I should ask you about her."

He nodded. "Okay."

Kelly waited while Sean took another sip of wine. The fire crackled and the lights on the Christmas tree sparkled, reflecting off the dark windows.

Her instinct was to speak, to fill the awkward silence. Instead she held her tongue, giving Sean time to think.

He glanced up thoughtfully. "The only person I've told the full story to is Dan. Until now." He dragged in a breath and blew it out. "The truth is, Eleanor walked out on me before she died."

"Oh!" Kelly pressed a hand over her mouth. So what she'd heard was right; Sean and Eleanor hadn't been happy together.

"Two weeks after the girls were born, she announced she was leaving me for a wealthy Swiss guy who'd bought some of her paintings. I think she'd been seeing him for a while. I'm not sure. To be honest, all I could think about was losing the twins."

"Oh, Sean, that must have been awful." An inane thing to say, but she couldn't summon anything better with her mind racing to take this in.

"The worst few weeks of my life." He knocked back the rest of his wine and refilled his glass from the bottle. "I had my lawyer working overtime trying to stop her taking the girls out of the country. I was frantic. Then her boyfriend called me. Eleanor had been hit by a taxi outside their hotel and pronounced dead at the scene. He wanted me to come and get the babies.

"I was at work. I walked out of the hospital in a daze, still wearing my scrubs, and drove to central London. Both the girls were hungry and had dirty diapers. The guy wouldn't even touch them. I was numb after hearing about Eleanor, but so unbelievably happy to have my children back."

Kelly's heart pounded in distress imagining how upset Sean must have been at the prospect of losing the two babies he obviously doted on. "Eleanor was going to take them to Switzerland?"

"Yes."

"So you wouldn't have been able to see them."

Sean shrugged. "She told me I was welcome to visit them in Switzerland."

"Why did you keep it a secret that she left you?"

"I was desperately relieved she couldn't take the girls away." He scrubbed a hand over his face and screwed up his eyes. "I felt so bad, so guilty for being pleased to get them back that way."

Rounding the island, Kelly wrapped him in her arms. He turned into her embrace, resting his forehead on her shoulder. She stroked back the sleek golden strands of his hair, willing him to gain comfort from her love and compassion.

"It wasn't your fault she died." Despite her words, Kelly could understand his feelings. What a horrible situation to be in.

"I swore I would never marry again. I won't ever give a woman that sort of power over me and the girls."

Disappointment flashed into Kelly and gripped her heart. She'd been right. He wasn't ready for a relationship. Although she could hardly blame him after what he'd been through.

He lifted his head and ran a thumb across her cheek, staring into her eyes. "You've made me reassess. I like having you here, Kell. I like coming home to you, but I want to take things slowly."

"That's okay with me." Kelly's heart raced, her fingers tracing the soft hair on his nape. She'd keep Sean and his little girls in her life any way she could.

"I'd like to start by dating, but I know you're planning to work overseas. Perhaps we can stay in contact and see each other when you're in this country?"

Kelly's emotions swung all over the place. Despite his earlier comment that he liked coming home to her, he obviously didn't want her living here.

"Why don't I ask the charity if I can work in the UK?"

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. I'd love to see you and the girls regularly."

"That sounds great. When Monique comes back we'll be able to spend more evenings out, just the two of us."