Midwife's Mistletoe Temptation - Chapter 4
She liked to mix things up.
‘Is that a bad thing?’ she asked.
Her words were soft, the melodic tones flowing over him in a stream that made something flare in his gut.
Probably just indigestion. He hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. He should have ordered something besides coffee.
‘No. Just unexpected, like I said.’
‘In what way?’
‘I took you for a vanilla-and-whipped-cream girl.’
Her head tilted and she regarded him with a wary gaze. ‘And what would you have expected out of a vanilla-and-whipped-cream kind of midwife? A pushover?’
And without meaning to, he’d backed himself into another corner. One he wasn’t sure how to get out of. And actually, the drink she ordered told him that she liked to think outside of the box. Wasn’t that what she’d done on the occasions they’d clashed?
‘No. Just someone who likes to play it safe.’
‘Oh, I’ve never been one to play it safe. Just ask my parents.’ She shook her head. ‘Scratch that. I’d rather you not.’
Her tone had changed in an instant, becoming tight.
‘I wouldn’t, even if I could. I prefer to hear things directly from the person in question.’
Her posture relaxed in an instant. ‘Thanks. I like that.’
The waitress brought their drinks, setting cream and a variety of sweeteners on the table.
He regarded her. ‘So, as we work through things, I’d like you to do something for me.’
He realised how she could have taken that, but her expression didn’t change. His insides, however, had. They churned with possibilities that were never going to be realised. Not just because Holly was now going to be a colleague, but because he’d sworn off relationships ages ago.
Who’d said anything about a relationship?
Holly with her quirky list of coffee ingredients might not be into relationships either. After all, there was no ring on her finger. Not that that meant anything nowadays. Lots of people had partners or occasional lovers, rather than spouses.
They were not going to have sex either. Not because it wasn’t a possibility. But because it wasn’t wise. And because he was fairly certain she didn’t even like him.
Which was why they were in this coffee shop. Speaking of which, she was answering his question.
‘Give me an idea what it is, and I’ll let you know if I can do it.’
And that sent his mind in about a thousand new directions. Not one of them having anything to do with work.
He quickly answered, his way of keeping his mind off things he shouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. ‘I’d like us to work out any differences as they come, rather than letting resentments build.’
Like his ex had done? She’d become haughty and unapproachable. Nothing he did had ever been good enough once she’d reached her goals.
She regarded him for a long moment. ‘Can you promise you’ll give my ideas a fair hearing rather than just passing judgement immediately?’
‘I wasn’t aware I’d done that.’ He went back to one of her requests, which was to give a patient some M&Ms when policy dictated nothing was to be given by mouth in case surgery became necessary. She’d gone over his head and asked her attending obstetrician, who’d told her no as well.
‘Well, you have.’ Her chin lifted and he knew he was in for an earful.