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'Only when I'm off,' said Mike. 'I can safely promise you that the next one will be a scorcher.'

When the children grew tired of watching the rain bounce off the patio, Billy asked Yona to show him how to make pancakes. Mary thought that was a wonderful idea so they all piled into the kitchen to watch.

The results were less than perfect, but they all got eaten at teatime.

Baths came next, and then the children's supper. 'I've never known a day pass so quickly,' said Yona, feeling quite tired when the last small Weston had finally fallen asleep.

When Mike said they really ought to be going, Mary wouldn't hear of them going without their supper.

'Have you enjoyed your day?' asked Mike when he and Yona were finally on their way back to the city centre just the right side of midnight.

'Very much,' she said. 'Such a lovely family—and Mary is a saint.'

'A very happy saint,' said Mike with a smile.

'Oh, Lord, yes—anybody can see that. She reminds me a bit of Meg Burnley.'

'Two perfect women,' he said firmly.

Well, he would think that, wouldn't he?

'Don't you agree?' he persisted.

'They're both obviously happy and contented,' she admitted.

'That's because they're both fulfilled.'

'You could be right,' she allowed, determined not to provoke another row—about anything. 'We turn off at the next set of lights, if I'm not mistaken...'

'You've got a very good sense of direction—for a woman,' Mike said indulgently.

'Thank you kindly, oh master,' Yona couldn't help replying. 'That'll come in handy if I ever find myself in general practice.'

'Meg's in general practice now—just part time, of course. Did you know that?'

'Yes. She told me so herself.'

'And she loves it.'

'She told me that, too.'

'What's the matter, Yona?' he asked when she'd parked the car in the garage at the flats.

'Nothing,' she insisted. 'Nothing at all. I think your friends the Westons are quite delightful.'

'More or less what you said earlier. And I'm so glad you were impressed. Something to aim at, wouldn't you say?' he asked softly, leaning across and pulling her close to be kissed long and lingeringly.

But Yona's mind was filling with doubts and her response was rather less warm than usual. After a few moments Mike said, 'Something tells me that you'll not be inviting me in tonight.'

'You're very perceptive—for a man,' she said. 'Actually, I've got some thinking to do.'

'So have I,' he said, surprising her. 'Let's hope we both come up with the right answers.'

Yona watched him walk awkwardly away in that clumsy plaster and her heart ached with longing. But was just wanting enough? She wasn't jealous of Fran any more, but could she be the sort of woman Mike so obviously wanted? She loved her work—it was desperately important to her. Giving it up would be like losing a limb.

Why the hell did he have to be so confoundedly old-fashioned?

'I'm really
sorry to land you with this,' said Ted for the third time over lunch the following Wednesday. He'd told Yona first thing that morning that he'd been summoned to an emergency meeting of the university court, which meant she'd have to manage without him at the afternoon's follow-up clinic.

'I honestly don't mind,' Yona repeated. 'You can't help it and it'll do Charlie good to get a bit of responsibility.'

'I feel bad about it all the same,' Ted insisted, getting up to go. 'Especially when you're looking so tired after a busy night on.'

If Yona looked tired, it was less to do with night duty— which had been light for once—and more because of worry about her personal life. She'd neither seen nor heard from Mike since they'd parted after their visit to the Westons last Saturday.

They'd agreed that some thinking was required—but this much? Each day that passed made it harder to decide how to bridge the gap.

'I
always
see the professor,' said the first patient of the afternoon, looking around as though expecting Ted to pop out of a cupboard.

'Sorry, Mrs Murphy,' said Yona, 'but he's at the university this afternoon.'

'Whatever for?' wondered the old lady, as though that was the last place a respectable professor ought to be visiting.

'Academic business,' Yona explained firmly. 'Now, tell me how you've been keeping since your last visit.'

Mrs Murphy had nothing significant to report. She wasn't the only patient to resent Ted's absence, although Mr Robinson did allow that Yona was probably doing her best.

'That was some marathon,' Yona remarked thankfully to the nurse when she thought the clinic was over.

'I'm afraid you've still got two more to see, Doctor,' returned the nurse. 'A couple of surgical follow-ups who can't manage to get to the regular clinic.'

'Does Mr Preston know about this?' Yona asked carefully.

'Yes—he arranged it—but I'm told he's been delayed.'

'All right, let's get the first one in, then—at least I can check on her medical condition.'

'Remember me, Doctor?' asked young Karen, the prospective bride who'd been so keen to get her hip replacement before her wedding.

'I certainly do,' Yona answered with a big smile of welcome. 'And there's no need to ask if you're feeling the improvement. I can tell right away from your walking.'

'And it's not just my walking that's better, Doctor,' confided Karen with a saucy wink. 'Roy can get at me ever so much easier now.'

'I can guess.' Yona was chuckling as Mike tapped briefly on the door and came in.

'Where's Ted?' he asked when he saw Yona alone at the desk.

'Not you, too,' she sighed. 'Patients have been asking me that all afternoon. He's got a meeting at the university.'

'Too bad,' he returned briefly, before turning his attention to Karen. 'So, how's it going, then, young lady?'

'Wonderful, Doctor. I was just telling Dr MacFarlane how much easier Roy's finding it.'

Mike frowned heavily. 'It's only a month since your op, Karen—I hope the high jinks haven't been too energetic.'

'Oh, no—we both remembered what you told us.'

'Everything seems to be OK,' said Mike when he'd examined her, 'but we'd better have a check X-ray—just to make sure. When's the wedding?'

'On Saturday week. Will you be able to come, Doctor?'

Mike said he'd have to see about that. 'Isn't that a lot sooner than you told us, though?' he asked.

'Yes—but, what with getting my op so soon and then getting the chance of a nice ground-floor flat, we thought we may as well bring it forward.'

Mike gave her another warning, spelling out the consequences of dislocating her new hip. 'Just don't get carried away, that's all,' he wound up.

Karen promised faithfully to remember his warning.

'Do you really think she will remember?' asked Yona when Karen had gone.

'If she doesn't then she'll be very sorry—and I'll be furious,' he answered grimly.

'Of course, but newly marrieds... It is asking rather a lot.'

Mike cocked a derisive eyebrow. 'That's not what I'd have expected from you,' he said reproachfully.

'And I'd have thought you'd be more sympathetic.'

'I'm very sympathetic. I'm also more aware than you seem to be of the disastrous consequences of dislocating that hip. It's a great pity that Ted wasn't here to put the brakes on. She listens to him.'

'That's precisely why I told her to come back next week,' Yona told him crisply.

'Next week could be too late,' he answered doggedly.

'Why did you not admit her, then?'

'I almost wish I had,' he told her. 'Who's next?'

'Mrs Norma Brown—knee replacement. Yon saw her first back in March—on my first day here,' she recalled. 'Almost two months ago,' she murmured, half to herself.

'Is that all? It seems much longer,' Mike remarked. 'Ah, there you are, Mrs Brown. So, how's it going?'

'Just wonderful, Mr Preston. It's glorious to be pain-free.'

It was soon apparent that she'd made a textbook recovery, but Mike wanted to see her again in six weeks' time. 'Or sooner, if you have any problems,' he added.

'I'm sure there won't be,' she said confidently, 'but anything you say. I'm fair delighted with it—and so grateful.'

'Then it's all been worthwhile,' he told her, with one of his special smiles.

An awkward silence fell when Nurse had ushered Mrs Brown out and Mike and Yona were left alone. Has his thinking been as chaotic and useless as mine, then? she wondered with her eyes fixed anxiously on Mike's strong profile as he bent over the notes he was making. She only just managed to be looking elsewhere when he looked up.

'Well, that's it,' he said gruffly. 'Just one or two things to check in the wards and then I can go home.'

'Same here,' agreed Yona, before suggesting offhandedly, 'I could give you a lift if you like—to save you getting a taxi...'

'Thank you, but I hired an automatic yesterday,' he told her in the same gruff way. 'Can't think why I didn't think of it before.'

'Perhaps you had other things on your mind,' Yona suggested, but too late.

Mike had left the room with a brief 'Be seeing you.'

Was this the end of their fraught whirlwind relationship? It certainly seemed so and Yona knew she ought to be glad when there was nothing between them but a strong physical attraction. Even their shared profession divided rather than united them as Mike had such a violent dislike of successful career-women. 'Who'd be a woman?' she burst out, just as the cleaner came in, dragging a heavy vacuum cleaner.

'Nobody with any sense, love, and that's a fact,' she responded. 'Me, I'm coming back as a man—or else a dog with a good home, like our Tozer.'

'That's the first sensible thing I've heard from anybody all day,' Yona told her from the heart. 'Well, goodnight, Mrs Finch—and thank you for cheering me up!'

Mike left the hospital before Yona did. She knew that because from a window on her unit she saw him go. There was no sign of Fran today—as if that made any difference.

She turned back to her patient. 'As I told you earlier, Mr Potts, that was just a mild bout of indigestion—and definitely not anything the matter with your heart, so don't you be losing any sleep over it.'

'It's more likely this damn knee that'll be keeping me awake, Doctor,' he said.

'Then for goodness' sake don't be so obstinate about taking the painkillers—you need your sleep. I shall leave a note for the night staff about that. Right?'

'Right, Doctor. You're the boss—except when Sister's about,' he added with a sly wink.

Lying on Yona's hall floor when she got home, along with the usual daily ration of junk mail, she found a neatly folded note.

'If you want to talk, I'll be in all evening,' it ran. 'If not, I'll not be pressuring you. I've done too much of that already. Mike.'

She leaned against the wall, weak with relief. He didn't want to end it—he wanted them to continue. What else could it mean?

Her first instinct was to rush round straight away and fling herself into his arms the minute he opened the door, but he'd suggested talking—something they'd not been terribly good at so far. Better to wait and get her thoughts straight first...

She popped a ready snack meal from Marks & Spencer in the oven and took a shower while it was heating up. She was just sitting down to eat when the phone rang. She sensed who was calling before she picked it up.

'Just wondering if you got my note,' Mike said gruffly.

'Yes, I... Yes. I was just going to ring...'

'You were late getting home,' he assumed.

'Later than you, I guess...' Why couldn't she think of something sparkling to say?

'Have you eaten?' he was asking.;

'No, not yet. I—'

'I've got enough for two here—if you're interested.'

'Sounds great,' said Yona, even though he hadn't told her what he was offering.

'I'll keep it hot, then,' said Mike, sounding relieved.

Yona leapt up from the table, grabbed her keys and made for the door, then backtracked to brush her hair and take the shine off her nose. Then she looked round for something to take and found a jar of peaches in brandy.

'My contribution to the feast,' she said, holding it out to him as he opened the door.

'You didn't need to,' he said, 'but thanks anyway...' He stood aside to let her in.

'May I offer you a drink?' he asked formally as he ushered her into his living room.

Yona said that a small dry sherry would be lovely.

Mike poured two dry sherries and sat down when she did, though not too close to her.

'This is nice,' she said desperately after a moment.

'A present from a grateful patient,' he told her, thinking she meant the sherry.

They talked earnestly about patients, grateful and otherwise, until Mike said he'd better go and look in the oven.

After a minute Yona followed him to the kitchen. 'In case I can help to carry things,' she explained.

'I was just going to call you,' he said, and she noticed that the table was already set. 'It saves all the trailing to and fro if we eat here,' he added. 'I hope you don't mind.'

'Of course not—it's very kind of you to—to entertain when you're hampered by that wretched plaster.'

'It's no trouble,' he said. 'I have to eat anyway...'

They ate a selection of baby vegetables with a delicious beef casserole which was definitely home-made and Yona wondered where he'd got it.

'You're a very good cook,' she offered afterwards, as a way of finding out.

'Any fool can follow a recipe,' he said, but he sounded pleased all the same.

'I've known plenty of reasonably bright folk who couldn't—me included,' she admitted.

'I don't believe that,' said Mike. 'It seems to me that you generally succeed at anything you want to.'

'Far from it,' denied Yona, thinking what a mess she'd helped to make of their relationship so far. 'Anyway, is that so bad—to be fairly successful?'

'How could it be?' asked Mike unhelpfully.

'You tell me,' she invited gently. 'After all, we are supposed to be—be talking...'