The Doctor's Lost-and-Found Bride. Kate Hardy

four years now since you split up. You’re both still single. That,’ Rosie said, ‘is extremely telling.’

      ‘And I think you’ve been teaching too much Romeo and Juliet,’ he said, still managing a smile. It was impossible to be offended with someone who so clearly wanted life to be happy. ‘A nice story.’

      She scoffed. ‘Of course it isn’t a nice story. It’s a tragedy, Max. They both die at the end!’

      ‘And it unites their families.’ He flapped a dismissive hand. ‘You know what I mean. Marina and I won’t be getting back together, Rosie. There’s way too much water under the bridge.’

      Rosie gave him a telling look, but to his relief she didn’t try to labour the point. ‘Marina didn’t tell me you were working here.’

      He shrugged. ‘I only started a couple of days ago.’

      ‘Hmm,’ Rosie said.

      ‘And neither of us knew the other was working here. It was a bit of a surprise for both of us.’

      ‘I’ll say,’ Rosie said drily.

      He ruffled her hair. ‘I have to go. Iris says you have to sit still and be good, or she’ll scalp me. Is it OK if I come back tomorrow?’

      ‘Of course it is.’ She frowned. ‘Why are you even asking me that?’

      ‘I don’t want to make things awkward.’

      ‘With Marina, you mean? Or the rest of my family?’ She patted his hand. ‘Stop worrying. Of course it’s not going to be awkward. If anything, they’ll be pleased I’ve got someone else to come in and nag me to rest.’

      He couldn’t help laughing. ‘Good.’

      She smiled at him. ‘Thanks for coming, Max. It’s been really good to see you again.’

      ‘You, too.’ He hugged her, and left for the emergency department.

      But he couldn’t stop thinking about what Rosie had told him.

       Marina didn’t date.

      He hadn’t dated much since he’d split up with Marina, either. Most of the time, he’d been too busy at work to bother with a relationship. But when he’d come back to England and had started dating again something had always been missing. He’d always ended up finishing a relationship before it had even got started.

      If he was honest with himself, he knew why: because nobody had ever matched up to his ex-wife.

      And Rosie had told him that there was nobody serious in Marina’s life, either.

      Quite what that meant, he didn’t know. Did Marina still have feelings for him? But, in that case, surely she would’ve talked to him and asked him to give their marriage another try, instead of sending divorce papers to him? Or maybe marriage to him had disappointed her so much that she wasn’t prepared to try again with anyone else.

      The only way to find out was to ask her.

      Though, it wasn’t the easiest of subjects to broach. Particularly as they had to work together. Right now, they had a guarded working-relationship; not an easy one, but a tolerable one. Asking the wrong questions at the wrong time could tip it over into being intolerable—which wouldn’t be fair to their colleagues.

      Last time, they’d rushed into things, and it had gone spectacularly wrong. This time, maybe he should try being patient.

      And when the time was right, Max decided, then he’d ask those questions.