Page 22 of New Year, New Guy
‘I was going upstairs to do some ironing anyway.’ Laura backed him up.
Ironing?
‘I’ll carry your bag.’
Hunter considered protesting but enough people were being churlish and infantile without him joining in. ‘Thanks.’
‘You can’t go.’ Polly grabbed Laura’s arm.
‘I most certainly can. You can’t rope me in every time you and Johnny argue.’ She eased away. ‘I’m always here for you butthe real question is if the two of you are mature enough to get married?’
‘What bloody right do you have to talk to us that way? Do you seriously think we’re taking marriage advice fromyou?’ Johnny groaned. ‘Oh hell sorry, Laura I didn’t . . . I mean . . .’
‘That’s okay.’ Shrugs supposedly conveyed indifference, but he guessed hers covered up a world of hurt. ‘Come on, Mr McQueen. Let’s get you to bed.’
‘Sure thing, nurse.’ He threaded his hand through her arm and steered her into the hall. ‘I might come over all faint.’
‘Don’t lay it on too thick,’ Laura hissed.
‘No, ma’am.’
‘Johnny was right. The idea of me giving anyone marital adviceisa joke.’
‘Don’t be so damn hard on yourself. Your ex-husband is obviously a jerk. I only needed those few minutes around him to suss that one out.’
Laura sighed. ‘You need to go to bed.’
Hunter considered admitting the truth about his attacker but recognised the seam of vulnerability running through her exhaustion. ‘Yeah, I know.’
‘I bet it’s the first time you’ve given in that willingly.’
‘At least since Charge Nurse Leo Painter threatened me with solitary confinement.’
Laura eked out a smile. ‘I’ll come up with something for our dinner later if those two haven’t torn my house and each other apart before then.’
‘Don’t fret about feeding me. I can rustle myself up a meal. You’ll be off to the Greek place.’
‘Why are you so sure?’
‘They love each other. They’ll come to their senses.’
‘I really hope so.’ She nibbled at her lip and gave him a strange look as if deciding how honest to be.
‘I’m a good listener.’
‘That’s what I’m afraid of. Off you go.’
Hunter almost cracked a joke about her keeping him company but kept his mouth shut. Staying out of everyone’s way was his wisest move.
Chapter Thirteen
How could a person be so dog tired they couldn’t put one foot in front of the other but their brain whirred in a ceaseless round of activity?
Laura struggled to prioritise her worries. She forced to the top of the list whether the stomach virus sweeping the Plymouth area would ease off soon and, as a responsible older sister, slotted in next her concerns about Polly and Johnny. But the only problem she seemed capable of really caring about was lying on the other side of her bedroom wall.
Laura could pinpoint his scent. Clean. Warm. Overlaid with a whisper of cedar and a hint of cinnamon. She’d made a fool of herself over Mike Russell and it wasn’t happening again. Raised voices and footsteps thudding up the stairs shook her back to reality.
‘If you don’t get rid of Hunter right now, I will.’ Polly stalked into the bedroom followed by a grim-faced Johnny. ‘Poor Johnny has told me everything and we’re good again but that man has to go. I refuse to have our wedding spoiled and it will be if he’s there because every time I set eyes on him I’ll remember what he did to my sweet man.’
