From Single Mum to Lady by Judy Campbell Read Free Book Online

a quieter time? How long are they going to be?’
    ‘About twenty minutes, I think.’
    ‘That’s ridiculous! This needs to be done immediately—surely there should be a procedure for urgent cases?’
    Jandy sympathised with him. It was incredibly frustrating to have treatment blocked for the patient, but she also noticed the implied criticism of the hospital. Poor old Delford General wasn’t awash with funds for any more X-ray machines.
    ‘I’m sorry, there’s not much I can do about it. There’s only one machine at the moment for a lot of patients.’
    ‘I’m not accusing you of causing the hold-up,’ he said tersely. Then his tone softened. ‘I’m sorry—I’m not knocking Delford, believe me.’
    He looked at her steadily then left the room, and she blushed at his accurate reading of her thoughts. Actually, she agreed with him that somewhere along the line there had been inefficiency. Perhaps she was being a little too prickly where Patrick was concerned!
    Karen bustled up to Jandy, her pale blue tunic top straining slightly over her full figure, her face pink from exertion. Jandy often wondered why Karen was so plump as she seemed to run everywhere, and had an inexhaustible supply of energy.
    ‘Ah, there you are,’ she puffed. ‘I think we’re under control now. Dr Vernon’s booked the head injury into the neurological ward for obs, and Brenda Evans will be prepped for Theatre later.’ She shot a look at her watch. ‘Time for the handover soon and then home, sweet home, thank goodness!’ Her voice dropped. ‘By the way, I’m rather impressed by Patrick Sinclair—aren’t you? As I said before, he seems extremely capable!’
    ‘Yes,’ allowed Jandy cautiously.
    He seemed extremely everything—wonderful with his patients and a good clinician. But she still had reservations about this self-assured man and his drop-dead handsome looks—she would see how he performed over the next few weeks! Men like him tended to be arrogant, everything dropping into their laps very easily, and she could see how he might break some poor girl’s heart if he was free. What a good job it was that he was a family man and a no-go area—she’d learned from her own experience that loving a married man was not an option.

CHAPTER THREE
    ‘I DON’T believe this,’ muttered Jandy, looking at the huge tailback of vehicles round the car park. For the third time that month the car-park barrier had jammed and from her experience it could take at least three quarters of an hour to sort out. Nothing for it but to get the bus and leave the car in the car park—she hated to keep Pippa waiting when she was due to pick up Abigail. It had been a gruelling week and she was tired—although her fears about working with the new registrar had been groundless.
    After two weeks she was beginning to realise that Patrick Sinclair was not only a good doctor but surprisingly easy to work with. She didn’t know much about his family—he never talked much about his life outside the hospital, but he could be a laugh. In fact, she admitted as she trudged to the bus stop, she actually looked forward to coming to work with him. Once she’d even caught herself wishing that he’d been unattached, fantasising about how different her attitude toward him might have been if he was single—but, then, of course, there would have been a deluge of women waiting to snap him up!
    It started to rain as she waited hopefully by the bus stop, then a car drew up in front of her and the passenger window was lowered.
    ‘Can I give you a lift?’ said a familiar voice. ‘It’s getting very wet.’
    Jandy bent down to see who it was and found herself looking into the blue eyes of the very man she’d been thinking of! Patrick was right—the rain seemed to be getting harder all the time and she could feel rivulets of water making their way down her back. It was ridiculous how her heart started thumping at his invitation—it was only a lift in his car,