Read Online The Honourable Army Doc by Emily Forbes - Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Forbes
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was greeting more guests, the school mothers, Ali supposed. Every adult female in the room had experienced motherhood, excluding her, and with that realisation her sense of loss intensified. She’d thought she was dealing with it but obviously she was only managing to ignore it.
Somehow she smiled and chatted and pretended she was enjoying herself but it was a struggle. The only thing that kept her from fleeing was Quinn. She escaped to the kitchen by offering to make cups of tea but her seclusion was short-lived. ‘Let me take over for you,’ Tracey said as she came into the kitchen. ‘Julieanne has asked to speak to you.’
Ali had no idea what Julieanne would need to talk to her about but she could hardly refuse. She returned to the lounge area and sat on a couch opposite Quinn’s ex-wife.
‘I wanted to thank you for giving Quinn a job,’ Julieanne said.
‘That was my mother’s doing but it’s working out well for all of us, I think. Quinn is an extremely competent doctor.’
Well done
, Ali congratulated herself,
you’ve managed to keep things professional
.
‘You like him, don’t you.’ Julieanne made a statement, not a question.
‘I…’ Ali had no idea what to say. What was the right etiquette for this situation?
‘It’s okay,’ Julieanne reassured her. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at him. He’s a very likeable man and he’s going to need people soon. More than he realises. I was hoping I was right about you, I was hoping your feelings might work in my favour.’
‘I’m not sure I’m following you.’
‘Quinn will need a full-time job eventually. Would it be a possibility to stay on at your clinic?’
‘I guess so.’ Ali frowned. As much as she liked the sound of it and she knew that her mother was hoping for that outcome, it wasn’t her decision. ‘But what about the army?’
‘His return of service is up at the end of this year, which means he can quit the army. He’s been trying to decide what to do. I don’t want him to stay in the army, it’s not good for the girls and he’s going to be raising them alone. I want him to stay here. He’s going to need my mum’s help or vice versa. Neither of them can do it alone once I’m…’
Julieanne didn’t need to say anything further. Her meaning was self-explanatory.
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
What else could she say?
Eliza and Beth rounded the guests up to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Quinn and Ali was pleased to have a reason to end the conversation. The girls dragged Julieanne to the end of the table to stand beside Quinn. Eager to put as much distance between them and herself, Ali stood at the opposite end of the table. Unfortunately this put her in the perfect position to become chief photographer and at the girls’ insistence she had to take several shots of Quinn, his daughters and his ex-wife. Ali’s heart satheavy and sad in her chest as she looked at the image of the Daniels family through the viewfinder. At the perfect family portraits. She snapped one last photo of Quinn as he blew out the candles. As she watched him cut the cake, she could only imagine what he wished for.
The twins passed plates of cake around to the guests. It looked delicious but could have been cardboard for all Ali noticed. She was ready to go home. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more happy family moments, even though she knew Quinn would tell her it was all for the girls’ benefit.
Fortunately it became obvious to all that Julieanne was tiring quickly and when she excused herself to lie down the guests began to leave. Ali offered to help Quinn clean up but Helen shooed them both out of the kitchen.
‘It’s Quinn’s birthday, I’ll do the dishes and, Quinn, you can see Ali to her car.’
‘I didn’t drive. I walked, it’s only a few blocks,’ Ali said as she collected her basket and her red swing coat.
‘I’ll walk you home, then,’ Quinn told her. ‘I need some exercise after all that sugar, not to
Somehow she smiled and chatted and pretended she was enjoying herself but it was a struggle. The only thing that kept her from fleeing was Quinn. She escaped to the kitchen by offering to make cups of tea but her seclusion was short-lived. ‘Let me take over for you,’ Tracey said as she came into the kitchen. ‘Julieanne has asked to speak to you.’
Ali had no idea what Julieanne would need to talk to her about but she could hardly refuse. She returned to the lounge area and sat on a couch opposite Quinn’s ex-wife.
‘I wanted to thank you for giving Quinn a job,’ Julieanne said.
‘That was my mother’s doing but it’s working out well for all of us, I think. Quinn is an extremely competent doctor.’
Well done
, Ali congratulated herself,
you’ve managed to keep things professional
.
‘You like him, don’t you.’ Julieanne made a statement, not a question.
‘I…’ Ali had no idea what to say. What was the right etiquette for this situation?
‘It’s okay,’ Julieanne reassured her. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at him. He’s a very likeable man and he’s going to need people soon. More than he realises. I was hoping I was right about you, I was hoping your feelings might work in my favour.’
‘I’m not sure I’m following you.’
‘Quinn will need a full-time job eventually. Would it be a possibility to stay on at your clinic?’
‘I guess so.’ Ali frowned. As much as she liked the sound of it and she knew that her mother was hoping for that outcome, it wasn’t her decision. ‘But what about the army?’
‘His return of service is up at the end of this year, which means he can quit the army. He’s been trying to decide what to do. I don’t want him to stay in the army, it’s not good for the girls and he’s going to be raising them alone. I want him to stay here. He’s going to need my mum’s help or vice versa. Neither of them can do it alone once I’m…’
Julieanne didn’t need to say anything further. Her meaning was self-explanatory.
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
What else could she say?
Eliza and Beth rounded the guests up to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Quinn and Ali was pleased to have a reason to end the conversation. The girls dragged Julieanne to the end of the table to stand beside Quinn. Eager to put as much distance between them and herself, Ali stood at the opposite end of the table. Unfortunately this put her in the perfect position to become chief photographer and at the girls’ insistence she had to take several shots of Quinn, his daughters and his ex-wife. Ali’s heart satheavy and sad in her chest as she looked at the image of the Daniels family through the viewfinder. At the perfect family portraits. She snapped one last photo of Quinn as he blew out the candles. As she watched him cut the cake, she could only imagine what he wished for.
The twins passed plates of cake around to the guests. It looked delicious but could have been cardboard for all Ali noticed. She was ready to go home. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more happy family moments, even though she knew Quinn would tell her it was all for the girls’ benefit.
Fortunately it became obvious to all that Julieanne was tiring quickly and when she excused herself to lie down the guests began to leave. Ali offered to help Quinn clean up but Helen shooed them both out of the kitchen.
‘It’s Quinn’s birthday, I’ll do the dishes and, Quinn, you can see Ali to her car.’
‘I didn’t drive. I walked, it’s only a few blocks,’ Ali said as she collected her basket and her red swing coat.
‘I’ll walk you home, then,’ Quinn told her. ‘I need some exercise after all that sugar, not to
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