Chapter Twenty-Four

Early in April after Holly had taken a patient down to the operating theatre she was heading back to the ward when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Plastering a polite smile to her face, she turned, but when she saw who it was, her mouth gaped open in delight.

‘Richard! You’re back!’ They were in the middle of a very busy hospital and it was all she could do to stop herself from launching herself into his arms. ‘But why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

He chuckled. ‘I didn’t know myself till the middle of last week and I wanted to surprise you. I was going to come round to the flat this evening if I didn’t bump into you at work.’

Her eyes were glued to his face. ‘And your exams?’

He shrugged. ‘Waiting for the results. They should be through by the end of next week but I thought while I was waiting for them I may as well come back to work.’

‘Oh, I’m so glad you did.’ From the corner of her eye, she spotted Matron coming along the corridor so she told him quickly, ‘I’d better get back to the ward but hopefully I’ll see you in the canteen at lunchtime.’ She turned and walked on very sedately, although her heart was hammering with joy in her chest.

That evening she cooked them both a meal at the flat: his favourite lamb chops followed by a rhubarb crumble and custard she had made herself. When they had eaten she ignored the dirty pots and they curled up on the sofa together to catch up on all they had done since the last time they’d been together, not that there was much they hadn’t already told each other in their letters. Holly had dressed in a pretty blue dress and left her fair hair loose, as he had always said he liked it, and now as he ran his hands through it she shuddered with delight. At last she could understand why Ivy had succumbed to Jeremy’s embraces. Love was a heady feeling, but even though they had shared some very passionate kisses, they had managed to stop themselves from going any further.

‘I’ve missed you so much,’ she murmured as he covered her face in feather kisses and his hand stroked her back leaving trails of fire in its wake.

‘Not as much as I’ve missed you,’ he responded throatily.

She giggled. ‘I bet you didn’t even give me a thought with all those pretty nurses about.’

‘There could never be any as pretty as you.’ Suddenly he sat up and straightened his tie. ‘I, er … think it’s time I was going. You’re making me forget myself,’ he told her with a grin.

Long after he had gone she floated around the flat washing pots and tidying up with a smile on her face. She knew now without a shadow of a doubt that Richard was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and she prayed that he felt the same way about her. But only time would tell. For now she was content to spend as much time as they possibly could together really getting to know each other.