Healing The Single Dad's Heart / Just Friends To Just Married?: Healing the Single Dad's Heart (The Good Luck Hospital) / Just Friends to Just Married? (The Good Luck Hospital)
What’s wrong?’
Lien was standing in front of him, her nose only inches below his, chocolate ice cream dripping down her hand.
He jerked back. ‘What?’ He felt a bit confused.
She gave him a curious smile and he noticed she was holding Regan’s hand. ‘The lights changed for us to cross, and you missed them. We had to come back for you.’
He flinched. Had he really been so lost in his own thoughts? Heat rushed into his cheeks. Not only was he embarrassed, he was angry with himself. What if something had happened to Regan?
He noticed the crossing lights change again behind Lien’s head. ‘Let’s go,’ she said easily, as if nothing had happened.
He sucked in a breath as he watched her slim figure in white loose trousers and a bright pink long-sleeved tunic walk in front of him. From the way the sun was striking her, he could see the outline of her body beneath the thin clothes.
They’d taken a hundred photos today. Some together, and some of just Regan and Lien.
He licked his lips as he tried to rationalise the blood racing around his body. She was good for him. She was good for them.
Of course, she was a colleague. It was quite likely she had a no-date rule for work. And that was fine. Because he had to deal with his feelings before he could even consider anything else.
This was the first time he’d felt this rush, this attraction, in for ever. At least it felt like for ever.
The only woman Regan had really had in his life since Esther had died had been Joe’s mother, and while she was great, it was nice to see him interact so well with someone else. He watched as they stopped at the other side of the street and Lien pulled some tissues from her bag so they could all wipe their sticky fingers.
She looked over the top of Regan’s head. ‘You okay?’ she asked softly.
It was almost like she knew. As if she’d read his mind.
His heart stuttered, partly because of the empathy she showed and partly from the thought that if she could read his mind, she might not be entirely happy with some of the thoughts he’d been having.
He gave a quick nod of his head. ‘I’m fine.’
He sucked a deep breath in and closed his eyes for a second, inhaling the scent from the nearby street vendor carts. As he opened his eyes again he took in the bright splashes of colour all around them, and his ears adjusted to the constant buzz of noise. He smiled. Vietnam. Something about this city was giving him a new lease on life.
The next two days were busy. No time to sightsee or do anything other than work. Lien liked that. It was normal for her. But she was conscious of the fact that Joe was used to more support back home. She also wondered how well he was sleeping. She’d noticed some dark circles under his eyes today. Her hand paused at the blue door, wondering if she should knock or not. She wasn’t being nosy but she hadn’t seen Regan for a few days.
From the smell wafting through the open window she could tell they’d already had dinner. Good. She wouldn’t be interrupting. She knocked at the door and pushed it open when she heard the shout telling her to enter.
Joe waved her inside. Regan was perched on the edge of the sofa and she could see they had an electronic tablet in their hands. ‘We’re just video-calling back home with my mum and dad,’ he explained. He moved over on the sofa. ‘Come and say hello.’
She shook her head quickly and backed up. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.’
‘Don’t go.’ He smiled and waved his hand, beckoning her inside. ‘Come. My mum and dad want to say hello.’
She smiled nervously. This definitely felt like an intrusion, but Regan waved her over too. ‘Come on, Lien, say hi to my grandma.’
Lien took a few steps and sat down nervously next to Joe. There was an older couple on the screen, waving at her.
‘Mum, Dad, this is Lien.’
Regan stuck his head across the screen. ‘She works with Daddy.’
Joe nodded to the screen. ‘Lien, this is Rob and Ann, my mum and dad.’
Lien laughed nervously and waved back.
The woman, Ann, stepped right up to the screen, obviously to get a better look at her. She clasped her hands together. ‘Lien, it’s so nice to meet you. Regan’s been talking about you and how you live in the house next door.’
Lien nodded. ‘Yes, that’s right. I’m next door.’
She’d spent her life talking to patients and relatives—usually complete strangers—and managed perfectly well. But right now she’d never felt so awkward. She had the strangest sensation of meeting a boyfriend’s mum when she was nineteen years old, and vowing not to set foot in that house again.
His mum had been nice, but it was clear she didn’t think anyone would be good enough for her son.
Ann kept talking. ‘How are they getting on? Regan says he likes the nursery, have you seen it? Does it have a good reputation? And Joe? Is he behaving? And how big is the laundry pile? Has he started wearing crumpled shirts yet?’
Lien’s head was buzzing, not least with the speed of the barrage of questions, but also with the broad Scottish accents. She actually started laughing.
Joe gave a casual shrug and rolled his eyes. ‘See, Regan? I told you. She doesn’t believe a word we say.’ He gave Lien a slight nudge. ‘Go on, back me up here.’
She turned from Joe to Regan and back to Ann. Rob stood in the background with his arms folded and his head shaking in amusement. It was clear he was used to all this.
Lien started to brush off the nerves. She shook her head. ‘Oh, no. I know how this works. I’m Team Ann.’
Joe’s mother’s face broke into a wide grin and the older woman held up her hand towards the screen. ‘High five!’ she said.
Lien returned the gesture. ‘High five.’ She shifted on the sofa. ‘So, the real story is, yes, your boys are doing fine. The nursery is great and Regan…’ she gave the boy an appreciative nod ‘…is mastering the language better than his dad.’ She gave Joe a quick glance. ‘As for Joe, well…’ she put her hand to her face ‘…where do I start?’
Ann started laughing and Joe leaned forward. He gave Lien a pretend shocked look. ‘What? No way?’
Lien shrugged. ‘Well, he seems to be doing okay in the doctor department but sometimes…’ she gave a slow nod and an amused grin ‘…he needs to be reined in.’
‘Oh, don’t I know it!’ declared Ann.
Lien pretended to look over the back of the sofa. ‘As for the laundry basket… I wouldn’t like to comment.’
Regan was laughing so hard he fell off the edge of the sofa and jumped back up again almost instantaneously. All four adults let out a yelp at once, and then a sigh of relief.
This time Rob stepped forward. He exchanged glances with his wife and put an arm around her waist. ‘We’re so glad to meet you, Lien,’ he said. She could see the genuine appreciation in his eyes. ‘We’re relieved there’s someone to keep an eye on our boys.’
Something panged inside her. They missed Joe and Regan. It was obvious. But there was something else too. Joe had told her that his mother had pushed him in this direction. She could almost see the older couple reaching through the screen and making a grab for the hopefulness they could see. She suddenly realised how this must look.
‘Everyone at the hospital is looking out for them,’ she said quickly.
Ann still had her gaze fixed