don’t?” He beat a tattoo on the steering wheel. “All right, then I’d better spell it out. His reason for quizzing me - and I understand his motive, given the closeness he hopes the team will generate and of course, this Canadian conference you’ll be attending - his reason is that he wondered whether you and I were an item, so to speak.”
Andrea gasped. “Does the man watch too many TV hospital dramas? Didn’t you tell him that you and Louise are godparents to my son? Did you explain how I’m still in bits after the devastating loss of my … my …”
“I put him right, gently but firmly,” said Richard. “Told him our working relationship was one hundred percent professional. Yes, outside of work, we sometimes socialise, and that includes other family members. But it’s not my business to tell Keir Harrison anything about your personal circumstances. Unless of course you instruct me to do so.”
“Thank you.” Andrea felt a rush of relief. She’d overreacted. No way did she want the consultant pussyfooting round her in case he made some gaffe that might upset a recently bereaved wife. It was a bit of a nerve, Keir having made that assumption about her and Richard. But it underlined her suspicion. Dr Harrison was a perfectionist. It proved his aim for his team to be not only squeaky-clean in their workplaces but also in their personal lives. Pick the bones out of that, Sister Moira Haynes! She felt a sugar rush of triumph.
“I wish we could offer to look after Josh for you while you’re away but Louise has plans to take her mother to the coast. You did say late May, didn’t you?”
“I did. Thanks, Richard but my friend is happy to have Josh while I’m away. You remember Kirsty and Rafa? Our boys are good mates.”
“That sounds just the ticket. Much better idea.”
“I have no doubts about Josh having a wonderful time,’ said Andrea. As for herself, she still wasn’t totally certain as to whether she’d made the right decision about the conference. If Kirsty hadn’t been able to help, she’d unhesitatingly have refused the invitation. Now Josh kept asking if it was time for him to pack his case. Andrea was still trying to work out why she’d agreed to fly thousands of miles away from her little boy even though she knew how many career-enhancing boxes she’d be ticking.
As for Keir Harrison and an attachment to children, not for one moment did she imagine him as anything but married and probably the proud father of two or three high-achieving, shiny-panted children.
Chapter Four
Keir leaned back in his high-backed office chair and stretched his long arms towards the ceiling.
“Would you like these notes transcribed today?”
He locked his hands behind his head and peered at Lyn. “Not if it scrambles your schedule. Aren’t you finishing early? Rosie’s music exam is this afternoon, isn’t it?”
“How you remember stuff like that always amazes me, Keir. I could slot these in and probably email them to you before I leave at three.” She hesitated. “Unless you need that long report first?”
“That can hold ‘til you’re ready. So today’s notes might be with me sooner than I thought? What would I do without you?”
“My other half says that too.” She grinned. “In his case, I remind him he could always part-exchange me for two eighteen-year-olds.”
“He’s not daft enough to contemplate any such thing. But, if you were headhunted, what would you recommend I did?” Keir looked at her expectantly.
She kept a straight face. “You could buy a coffee machine. How about an Italian steam punk job with a sloe-eyed Signorina to manage it? And there’s always a voice recognition package. That should do the trick.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think so. I’ve already got one at home, don’t forget. Voice recognition package, I mean,” he added hastily. “The darned thing insists on turning my dictation into something resembling lumpy mashed potato.
Andrea gasped. “Does the man watch too many TV hospital dramas? Didn’t you tell him that you and Louise are godparents to my son? Did you explain how I’m still in bits after the devastating loss of my … my …”
“I put him right, gently but firmly,” said Richard. “Told him our working relationship was one hundred percent professional. Yes, outside of work, we sometimes socialise, and that includes other family members. But it’s not my business to tell Keir Harrison anything about your personal circumstances. Unless of course you instruct me to do so.”
“Thank you.” Andrea felt a rush of relief. She’d overreacted. No way did she want the consultant pussyfooting round her in case he made some gaffe that might upset a recently bereaved wife. It was a bit of a nerve, Keir having made that assumption about her and Richard. But it underlined her suspicion. Dr Harrison was a perfectionist. It proved his aim for his team to be not only squeaky-clean in their workplaces but also in their personal lives. Pick the bones out of that, Sister Moira Haynes! She felt a sugar rush of triumph.
“I wish we could offer to look after Josh for you while you’re away but Louise has plans to take her mother to the coast. You did say late May, didn’t you?”
“I did. Thanks, Richard but my friend is happy to have Josh while I’m away. You remember Kirsty and Rafa? Our boys are good mates.”
“That sounds just the ticket. Much better idea.”
“I have no doubts about Josh having a wonderful time,’ said Andrea. As for herself, she still wasn’t totally certain as to whether she’d made the right decision about the conference. If Kirsty hadn’t been able to help, she’d unhesitatingly have refused the invitation. Now Josh kept asking if it was time for him to pack his case. Andrea was still trying to work out why she’d agreed to fly thousands of miles away from her little boy even though she knew how many career-enhancing boxes she’d be ticking.
As for Keir Harrison and an attachment to children, not for one moment did she imagine him as anything but married and probably the proud father of two or three high-achieving, shiny-panted children.
Chapter Four
Keir leaned back in his high-backed office chair and stretched his long arms towards the ceiling.
“Would you like these notes transcribed today?”
He locked his hands behind his head and peered at Lyn. “Not if it scrambles your schedule. Aren’t you finishing early? Rosie’s music exam is this afternoon, isn’t it?”
“How you remember stuff like that always amazes me, Keir. I could slot these in and probably email them to you before I leave at three.” She hesitated. “Unless you need that long report first?”
“That can hold ‘til you’re ready. So today’s notes might be with me sooner than I thought? What would I do without you?”
“My other half says that too.” She grinned. “In his case, I remind him he could always part-exchange me for two eighteen-year-olds.”
“He’s not daft enough to contemplate any such thing. But, if you were headhunted, what would you recommend I did?” Keir looked at her expectantly.
She kept a straight face. “You could buy a coffee machine. How about an Italian steam punk job with a sloe-eyed Signorina to manage it? And there’s always a voice recognition package. That should do the trick.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think so. I’ve already got one at home, don’t forget. Voice recognition package, I mean,” he added hastily. “The darned thing insists on turning my dictation into something resembling lumpy mashed potato.
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