The Army Doctor's New Year's Baby by Helen Scott Taylor

dogs
immediately came to lie at his feet. "I'm not sure what I've done to
deserve such adoration." He laughed.
    Without
commenting, Megan stared up at him from beneath her lashes, a knowing smile on
her face.
    Out on the
slopes when they'd been having fun together, it was much easier to get close to
Megan. Being at Kindrogan with her was like stepping into a more genteel world.
All his usual flirtatious small talk seemed frivolous or inappropriate.
Normally if he was attracted to a woman, he knew how to behave. The people in
his circle understood how the relationship game was played. For the first time
in many years, he was unsure how to proceed.
    "I'm
tired," she said, letting her head rest on the chair back. "It's been
a long day."
    "I
enjoyed the skiing this morning."
    She smiled.
"Me too. It's a shame we were interrupted."
    "My
thoughts exactly." He sipped his cocoa, enjoying the kick of the whiskey
as it reached his stomach.
    For a
moment, he recalled lying in the snow with Megan, the anticipation of the kiss.
Then his thoughts drifted on to the fallen climber, and to Kieran Smyth. His
pleasure dimmed slightly. The poor kid had a tough time ahead of him.
    "I'm
worried about the Smyth boy. You know that after the hospital warmed up his
hand, they just dressed it and sent him home with a few painkillers? The
presenting symptoms might not look like much now, but there's a strong risk of
necrosis. The poor boy might end up losing some of his fingers. They should
keep him in for observation and pain management."
    "You're
not in the ivory towers of private practice anymore. Welcome to the real world
of budget cuts and bed shortages in the National Health Service." Megan
heaved a resigned sigh.
    She scooped
back her silky hair and let it fall over her shoulders in a mesmerizing
red-gold cascade that distracted Daniel from the conversation.
    He cleared
his throat and gathered his thoughts. "When I trained, I did the usual
rotation in the National Health hospitals like you did."
    "Well,
you've forgotten the reality, then."
    "I
guess you're right." This was exactly why he'd wanted to get his feet back
on the ground and really help people, rather than cater to the whims of the
über wealthy.
    "By the
way, you did a great job noticing the lad was injured. I was so occupied with
the father, I would have missed it."
    Daniel
shrugged. "You focused on the serious casualty. I'd have done the same if
I were on my own."
    As they were
talking, it seemed like a good time to ask a question that had been bugging
him. "By the way, what's the deal with you and Lyall? Are you dating or
something?"
    She burst
out laughing, spitting drips of cocoa down her front. "Now look what you
made me do." She pulled a tissue from her pocket and mopped herself.
    When she'd
finished, she leaned back with an amused sigh. "Lyall's like a brother to
me. He's Angus's son. We grew up together. I can't wait to tell him you thought
we were dating. He'll have a good laugh at that."
    No, he
won't, Daniel thought. The poor guy was obviously in love with Megan and she
had no idea. Daniel almost felt sorry for him.
    Tapping his
fingers on the arm of the chair, he watched her finish her cocoa and set the
cup aside. He longed to kiss Megan, but first he wanted to romance her, to make
her feel special. He wanted to make up for hurting her feelings after the New
Year's ball.
    An iPod
docking station sat on a chest beside a stuffed fox. Setting his mug aside,
Daniel pulled out his phone and selected a romantic track, one they could dance
to. He rose, stepped over the dogs, and slotted his phone in place, pressing play .
    The soulful
strains of a slow song filled the air. He extended a hand towards Megan.
"Will you dance with me, sweetheart?"
    Her eyes
widened in that deer-in-the-headlights look she did so well, looking cute and
vulnerable rather than startled. As she stared at him, he had a tense moment
when he feared she might refuse. Then she rose to her feet and slid her