Snowbound: Miracle Marriage (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 8)

Stella frowned, concerned. ‘Is there someone at home for you?’

‘My flatmate. I suppose I’d better call a taxi. I don’t want to lose my licence on top of everything else. Thanks for stitching me up, you delicious doc.’ She gave Daniel a sultry smile and scribbled her phone number on a scrap of paper. ‘Any time you want to play doctors and nurses—call me.’

Daniel lifted a hand and refused the paper that she was thrusting at him. ‘Thanks, but I don’t want to be struck off just yet.’

The girl gave a good-natured smile and stuffed the paper into her pocket. ‘Oh, well, you can’t blame me for trying.’ She slid her arms into her coat. ‘Have a good Christmas. Whenever I watch those medical soaps on TV, I think it always looks really exciting. There’s usually some sort of major accident or something, isn’t there? Drama, drama, drama. Someone held at gunpoint, or a train crash.’

‘That’s TV. They’re competing for viewers. In real life we’re hoping for a really uneventful Christmas,’ Stella said hastily, handing her an information sheet and urging her towards the door. ‘I want to eat mince pies, not spend the day sticking people back together.’

But she had a feeling that she was going to spend Christmas Day avoiding Daniel.

Since looking after Patrick’s children, everything seemed worse. Up until then Daniel had managed to convince her that he’d be a terrible father, but she knew now that it wasn’t the case. He’d be a wonderful father. The best.

That precious time they’d spent together had given her a tantalising glimpse of a future more perfect than anything in her dreams. And that glimpse had left her impossibly sad because Daniel still didn’t see it the way she did.

Chapter Nine

STELLA sat in the back of the taxi, having a moment of doubt.

She shouldn’t have come.

It was a Christmas party, for goodness’ sake, and she wasn’t very good company.

She frowned crossly. Who was she kidding? The reason she didn’t want to go was because Daniel was going to be there.

‘Are you going to sit there all night, love?’ The taxi driver was watching her in his rear-view mirror. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Can you take me back home again?’ Stella slid down slightly in the seat, hoping that no one would see her. ‘I’ve changed my mind.’

The taxi driver looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Man trouble?’

‘Sort of.’ Stella didn’t want to admit that she was still in love with a man who had broken off their engagement two years previously. That made her nothing more than stupid, didn’t it?

‘Take some advice from me—if it’s a choice between sitting indoors feeling sorry for yourself or going out and meeting people, always go out.’ His voice was gruff. ‘I remember after my Lydia died, I didn’t want to go anywhere. Didn’t want to do anything. But my mates dragged me out all the time. And eventually I started to enjoy myself. And I met Beth. Life moves on, love. But it isn’t going to move on if you’re on your own on the sofa.’

Stella blinked. ‘Well, I—’

‘What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going talk to a few people and be bored. Maybe you’ll slip on the ice and break something.’ He shrugged as if that was a matter of no consequence. ‘Either way, it’s got to be a step up from sitting on the sofa feeling sorry for yourself.’

Stella laughed. ‘

Breaking something is a step up from watching TV?’

‘You can’t be lonely in hospital, and you might meet a gorgeous doctor.’

Stella didn’t tell him that it was the prospect of meeting one gorgeous doctor in particular that was putting her off. ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’ She pulled her purse out of her bag and handed him a note. ‘Merry Christmas. And thanks for the advice.’

He was right, she thought to herself as she stepped out of the car onto the icy ground. A night spent alone in front of the television feeling sorry for herself was the coward’s way out. All right, so it was hard not being with Daniel. But life was hard. She needed to get a grip.

If her mother could manage a world cruise at her age, then she could manage a hospital Christmas party.

‘Stella!’ Ellie slithered over to her, her hand in Ben’s. ‘Isn’t it a perfect evening?’

Ben looked at his wife with incredulity, ‘El, it’s below freezing and it’s starting to snow.’

‘Precisely,’ Ellie said happily. ‘Perfect for skating. We almost don’t need a rink. Come on. We’re already late. If we don’t get a move on, they’ll have drunk all the mulled wine.’

Stella tucked her arm through Ellie’s and walked under the pretty arch that had been created from fairy-lights. A few brave people were already venturing onto the rink, holding the side and moving forward gingerly to the accompaniment of raucous shouts of encouragement from the outdoor bar.