all makes me thankful that it didn’t happen to my own family. Though I guess I have Gemma to worry about now.’
Kneeling beside him, Saffi laid a comforting hand on his arm. ‘You did the right thing, taking her to hospital. I’m sure they’ll get to the root of the problem before too long.’
‘Yes, I expect so.’ He looked at her hand on his arm and overlaid it with his own. His fingers gently clasped hers and his gaze was warm as it touched her face softly ‘You’re very sweet, Saffi. It’s good to have you here.’
She smiled in response, but they broke away from one another as Ben urged them to look at his creation.
‘That’s great,’ Matt told him. ‘I think we can say it’s actually finished now, can’t we?’
‘It’s wonderful,’ Saffi said.
She sat back and watched Matt and Ben, their heads together, admiring their handiwork.
A tide of warmth ran through her. What was not to love about Matt? she was drawn to him despite her misgivings. He was everything any woman could want…and yet instinct told her she had to steel herself against falling for him.
Didn’t she have enough problems to contend with already? He wasn’t the staying kind, he’d more or less said so, and the last thing she needed was to end up nursing a broken heart.
CHAPTER FOUR
S AFFI HEARD A rustling sound behind her and turned around to see that Ben had come into the garden. He stood, solemn faced, just a few yards away from her.
‘Hello,’ she said with a smile. ‘You’re up and about bright and early. Are you ready for school?’
He nodded, not speaking, but watched as she tended the flowers at the back of one of the borders. It was breakfast-time, but she’d wanted to get on with the work before the sun became too hot.
‘I’m putting stakes in the ground so that I can tie up the gladioli,’ she told him, guessing that he was interested in what she was doing but unwilling to talk to her. ‘See? I’ve wrapped some twine around the stem.’
He stayed silent but seemed content to stay and watch her as she worked, and she wished there was some way she could bond with him, or at least reach out to him. What could be going on inside his head? Of course, he must be missing his parents. The disruption going on in his family was a lot for a four-year-old to handle.
‘Sometimes the flower stems get too heavy and fall over,’ she told him, trying to include him in what she a doctor to remember was doing, ‘or they might bend and break. Tying them like this keeps them standing upright.’
He nodded almost imperceptibly, and they both stood for a while, looking at the glorious display of flowers on show. There were half a dozen different colours, and Saffi was pleased with the end result of her work.
‘It’s time we were setting off for nursery school, Ben.’ Matt came to find his nephew and smiled at Saffi. ‘Hi.’ His gaze was warm and in spite of her inner warnings her heart skipped a beat as her glance trailed over him.
‘Hi.’
He was dressed for work in his role as the man in charge of A and E and the trauma unit, wearing a beautifully tailored suit, the jacket open to show a fine cotton shirt and subtly patterned silk tie.
‘It’s looking good out here,’ he said, glancing around. ‘You definitely have green fingers.’
Saffi glanced down at her grimy hands and made a face. ‘In more ways than one,’ she said with a laugh. ‘I suppose I’d better go and clean up. I need to make a trip to the shops to get some food in. The cupboard’s bare.’
‘Uh-huh. That won’t do, will it?’ His glance drifted over her, taking in her dark blue jeans and short-sleeved top. There was a glint in his dark eyes. ‘We can’t have you fading away and losing those delicious curves.’
Her cheeks flushed with heat, but he added on an even note, ‘I can give you a lift into the village if you like. But we need to leave in ten minutes.’
‘Oh…’ She quickly recovered her composure. ‘Okay,
Kneeling beside him, Saffi laid a comforting hand on his arm. ‘You did the right thing, taking her to hospital. I’m sure they’ll get to the root of the problem before too long.’
‘Yes, I expect so.’ He looked at her hand on his arm and overlaid it with his own. His fingers gently clasped hers and his gaze was warm as it touched her face softly ‘You’re very sweet, Saffi. It’s good to have you here.’
She smiled in response, but they broke away from one another as Ben urged them to look at his creation.
‘That’s great,’ Matt told him. ‘I think we can say it’s actually finished now, can’t we?’
‘It’s wonderful,’ Saffi said.
She sat back and watched Matt and Ben, their heads together, admiring their handiwork.
A tide of warmth ran through her. What was not to love about Matt? she was drawn to him despite her misgivings. He was everything any woman could want…and yet instinct told her she had to steel herself against falling for him.
Didn’t she have enough problems to contend with already? He wasn’t the staying kind, he’d more or less said so, and the last thing she needed was to end up nursing a broken heart.
CHAPTER FOUR
S AFFI HEARD A rustling sound behind her and turned around to see that Ben had come into the garden. He stood, solemn faced, just a few yards away from her.
‘Hello,’ she said with a smile. ‘You’re up and about bright and early. Are you ready for school?’
He nodded, not speaking, but watched as she tended the flowers at the back of one of the borders. It was breakfast-time, but she’d wanted to get on with the work before the sun became too hot.
‘I’m putting stakes in the ground so that I can tie up the gladioli,’ she told him, guessing that he was interested in what she was doing but unwilling to talk to her. ‘See? I’ve wrapped some twine around the stem.’
He stayed silent but seemed content to stay and watch her as she worked, and she wished there was some way she could bond with him, or at least reach out to him. What could be going on inside his head? Of course, he must be missing his parents. The disruption going on in his family was a lot for a four-year-old to handle.
‘Sometimes the flower stems get too heavy and fall over,’ she told him, trying to include him in what she a doctor to remember was doing, ‘or they might bend and break. Tying them like this keeps them standing upright.’
He nodded almost imperceptibly, and they both stood for a while, looking at the glorious display of flowers on show. There were half a dozen different colours, and Saffi was pleased with the end result of her work.
‘It’s time we were setting off for nursery school, Ben.’ Matt came to find his nephew and smiled at Saffi. ‘Hi.’ His gaze was warm and in spite of her inner warnings her heart skipped a beat as her glance trailed over him.
‘Hi.’
He was dressed for work in his role as the man in charge of A and E and the trauma unit, wearing a beautifully tailored suit, the jacket open to show a fine cotton shirt and subtly patterned silk tie.
‘It’s looking good out here,’ he said, glancing around. ‘You definitely have green fingers.’
Saffi glanced down at her grimy hands and made a face. ‘In more ways than one,’ she said with a laugh. ‘I suppose I’d better go and clean up. I need to make a trip to the shops to get some food in. The cupboard’s bare.’
‘Uh-huh. That won’t do, will it?’ His glance drifted over her, taking in her dark blue jeans and short-sleeved top. There was a glint in his dark eyes. ‘We can’t have you fading away and losing those delicious curves.’
Her cheeks flushed with heat, but he added on an even note, ‘I can give you a lift into the village if you like. But we need to leave in ten minutes.’
‘Oh…’ She quickly recovered her composure. ‘Okay,
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