Jenny glanced between them, puzzled. ‘We?’

‘Libby has evidently brought my two nieces to visit me,’ Alex said wearily, raking a hand through his dark hair and gazing at his sister in frustration. ‘You really must learn to ring first.’

‘Why?’ His sister’s gaze was disturbingly intent and Jenny suspected that there was something going on. ‘Am I interrupting something?’

Alex hesitated for only the briefest second. ‘No,’ he said finally. ‘But the nursery is already in use.’

Libby stared at him, momentarily struck dumb. ‘But no one ever stays here.’

‘Well, Jenny is staying here, with Daisy,’ Alex said irritably, ‘and you’d better get the girls out of the car, Lib.’

‘They’re asleep,’ Libby said absent-mindedly, her eyes still on her brother. ‘So are you saying there isn’t room?’

Jenny cleared her throat. ‘Of course there’s room,’ she said quickly. ‘We can all share the nursery. This is Daisy. I’m sure she’ll enjoy the company.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Daisy.’ Libby tickled the baby’s cheek and made noises that drew a chuckle from the baby.

‘I’ll get the girls.’

Alex strode out of the room, leaving the two women together.

‘I really, really didn’t mean to intrude,’ Libby said softly, her tone contrite. ‘I had no idea. Alex never invites women back here. If he invited you then you must be very special.’

Jenny closed her eyes briefly. What was she supposed to say?

She could hardly confess that Alex hadn’t invited her. That she’d landed herself on him together with a paternity suit and that life had never seemed more complicated than it was at the moment.

Fortunately Alex was back in the kitchen within minutes, carrying two little girls in his arms.

They cuddled against him sleepily and he dropped a kiss on each of their dark curls before handing them to Libby.

‘We really need to go to work. You know where everything is.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘I don’t need to tell you to make yourself at home because you always do. We’ll see you later.’

‘We?’ Libby was clearly consumed by curiosity and Alex let out a breath.

‘Jenny works in the same department as me. Now let it go, Lib.’

‘So you met at work?’

Jenny threw a helpless glance at Alex who rolled his eyes.

‘How we met is none of your damned business.’

Libby gasped and covered the older child’s ears. ‘Alexander Westerling, you shouldn’t use language like that in front of my four-year-old!!’

‘Then you shouldn’t bring her to stay with her wicked uncle unannounced,’ Alex drawled, but he stooped to kiss the girls. ‘See you later. We’ll go and play in the sand.’

The youngest one gazed up at him. ‘Thand castles?’

‘Definitely thand castles,’ Alex mimicked gently, reaching out to pick up his car keys from the table. ‘Have a good day and don’t get up to any mischief.’

* * *

The moment she’d dropped Daisy at the crèche Jenny went in search of Alex.

She found him in the treatment room, examining a wound that had come in to be redressed.