The Nurse's Christmas Wish (The Cornish Consultants)

Louisa took one look at his grim profile and thought about refusing. Then she decided that she might as well face the music and followed him into the corridor.

‘I know, I know,’ she muttered. ‘You’re angry with me again.’

‘Louisa, you can’t just keep inviting total strangers for Christmas.’ He paced up and down the corridor, his tone exasperated. ‘I am not running some sort of hotel!’

‘Alice isn’t a stranger,’ she protested, ‘and neither is Hannah. And come to that, neither is Rick. He’s local. His wife left him, Mac. He’s struggling to have a family Christmas with his little girl. You can’t cook a turkey for two people. It just doesn’t work.’

Mac moved to one side as a nurse hurried past. ‘Neither does inviting everyone to eat ours!’ Aware that they were attracting attention, he lowered his voice. ‘That doesn’t work either. I’m not Santa! I don’t even know them.’

‘They live in the village,’ she pointed out. ‘If you had more time, I’m sure you’d know them. And you just saved his daughter’s life. By the way, you were amazing.’ Warmth flooded through her as she remembered just how calm he’d been. ‘I could feel myself starting to panic but you were so focused.’

A muscle worked in his lean jaw. ‘It’s my job, Louisa. And stop trying to change the subject.’

‘I’m not changing the subject. Well, maybe just a little.’ She gave an impish grin. ‘There are two things I probably ought to tell you so that you can get all your yelling over with in one go. The first is that Josh is giving me a lift home tonight. We’re taking a bit of a detour.’

His eyes narrowed suspiciously and he stopped pacing. ‘What sort of detour?’

Louisa braced herself. ‘I want to buy a Christmas tree,’ she said quickly. ‘I noticed that they have beautiful ones along the coast road where we found Hopeful.’

He was going to say no.

He sighed and jabbed his fingers through his hair. ‘You’ve already decorated my hallway. I don’t need a tree.’

‘But I do. It’s part of my Christmas fantasy, you see. Big tree, holly and mistletoe. And Poppy will expect a tree. Every little girl wants a Christmas tree.’

He rolled his eyes. ‘Who are you doing this for?’ His tone was exasperated and he started pacing again. ‘I don’t need a tree. It will drop needles and make a mess.’

‘Just a small one,’ she wheedled, ‘and there won’t be any needles. Trees don’t drop any more. Please? You won’t regret it.’

He shot her a look that spoke volumes. ‘That’s what you said when you landed me with a dog.’

She grinned. ‘Hopeful is going to love having a tree and Poppy is going to love Hopeful. That little girl is going to have a lovely Christmas.’

‘Louisa!’ Mac grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. ‘You can’t bring together a bunch of individuals who don’t know each other just because they happen to be lonely or hungry! We’re all virtual strangers with separate lives. We probably have nothing in common! You can’t just create the perfect Christmas by taking in waifs and strays! That isn’t how it works!’

She felt the strength of his fingers digging through the thin fabric of her uniform. ‘Why not?’

‘Because Christmas is about family—’

‘Not necessarily.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s about sharing. And friendship. And about no one being alone. I didn’t want Rick struggling on his own with little Poppy. I don’t want Poppy missing her mother. And I didn’t want Alice to be on her own in that big dark house surrounded by nothing but silence and memories. She needs noise and laughter and a big tree covered in lights. She needs people opening presents that they don’t want and getting irritated with each other for talking too loudly at all the wrong times.’

Mac closed his eyes. ‘This isn’t happening to me.’

‘It’ll be fine. I’ll choose a few presents to put under the tree,’ Louisa said soothingly, ‘so you’re not to worry about a thing. Just turn up and eat my turkey. All I expect you to do is carve. I can’t carve to save my life. I never could have been a surgeon.’

‘Louisa—’

She backed away quickly. ‘Thanks, Mac. Got to dash. Josh is waiting.’

And she didn’t want to give Mac the chance to say no.

* * *

Mac stared at the enormous tree in his living room and wondered what had happened to his life. Hopeful was running in circles around the sitting room, barking with excitement, every wag of his tail sending more pine needles cascading onto the floor.

‘Louisa...’ His voice was faint. ‘You said a small tree.’

‘Isn’t it fantastic?’ Louisa stood back, her eyes shining as she stared at the bushy branches. ‘It’s a fir. Josh spotted it. It’s a wonderful shape.’