The Blind-date Proposal. Jessica Hart

They shook their heads at the memory of it. ‘She never came out of the coma. Finn had to make the decision to switch off her life-support machine.’

      Sue sighed. ‘You can only imagine what it was like for him. He had Alex to worry about too. She was in the car as well, so she was in hospital too, although not so seriously hurt.’

      ‘She wasn’t much more than a baby,’ Elaine added. ‘Just old enough to cry for her mummy.’

      Kate’s hand had crept to her mouth as she listened to their story. ‘That’s…terrible,’ she said, feeling hopelessly inadequate.

      ‘Terrible,’ Elaine agreed. ‘Finn’s never been the same since. He closed in on himself after Isabel died. Alex is his life now, and he won’t let anyone else close. He kept the company going, but I’ve always felt that was more for all the staff here than for his own sake.’

      ‘We all hope he’ll remarry one day,’ Sue said. ‘He deserves to be happy again and Alex needs a mum. Maybe he’ll miss Alison while she’s away,’ she added hopefully. ‘I know she can be a bit cool, but that’s just her manner, and she’s very attractive, isn’t she?’ she demanded of Elaine, who nodded a bit reluctantly.

      ‘She’s always beautifully groomed.’

      ‘And she must know him pretty well after working for him for so long. I think she’d be a good wife for him.’

      It didn’t sound to Kate as if Alison was at all the right kind of wife for Finn. He was quite cool and efficient enough by himself. What he needed was warmth and tenderness and laughter, not practicality and good grooming.

      Not that it was anything to do with her, of course.

      Still, she couldn’t get Finn’s tragic story out of her mind all afternoon. She kept imagining him by his wife’s side, with the life-support machines beeping in the background, willing her to open her eyes, or trying to explain to his baby daughter why her mother couldn’t come.

      ‘No wonder he didn’t approve of me drinking last night,’ she said to Bella that evening, having told her about the disaster of her blind date and what she had learnt from Elaine and Sue. ‘I feel terrible now. I’ve been so nasty about him, and all the time he’s had to cope with all of that.’

      ‘Don’t do it,’ said Bella, handing Kate a drink.

      ‘Don’t do what?’

      ‘Don’t get involved.’

      ‘I’m not involved,’ said Kate a little defensively. ‘I just feel desperately sorry for him.’

      Bella sighed as she contemplated her friend. ‘You know what you’re like, Kate,’ she warned. ‘One tiny tug at your heartstrings, and you’re turning your world upside down to try and make things better, and sometimes you just can’t. You were desperately sorry for Seb, too, and look where that got you!’

      ‘This is entirely different,’ Kate protested. ‘Finn’s not trying to get anything from me. He hasn’t even told me about Isabel himself. I’m not sure he’d even want me to know.’

      ‘I just don’t want you jumping from feeling sorry for him to wanting to help him to falling in love with him,’ said Bella with a warning look. ‘You’ve got to admit it’s a bit of a pattern with you, and this time you really could get hurt. It would be much worse than Seb. You’d never be able to live up to a perfect wife like that, Kate. You’d only ever be second-best.’

      ‘Honestly, Bella!’ said Kate crossly. ‘Anyone would think I was planning to marry him! All I’m saying is that maybe I should be more understanding when he’s grumpy with me.’

      ‘Hhmmnn, well, just be careful. You didn’t like him when you thought he was happily married, and he’s exactly the same man. Being a widower isn’t really an excuse for being unpleasant to you, is it? You said it’s six years since his wife died, that’s long enough for him to be coming to terms with it. Don’t let him take advantage of your soft heart, that’s all.’

      Kate didn’t say any more—ER was on, and there were more important things to do—but afterwards she thought about what Bella had said. Her friend might seem the quintessential feather-headed blonde at times, but she could be very pragmatic when it came to relationships.