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‘But what about the patients? Some of them might not want to see me. And that could harm the smooth running of the practice.’
Logan took a deep breath. ‘Gemma, do you think for one minute that every patient who comes into the surgery wants to see me?’ He shook his head firmly. ‘Julie knows the people who don’t want to see me. Some—because they’ve known me since I was a boy. Some—because I’m a male. And some because they just plain don’t like me. And that’s fine. That’s general practice for you.’ He laughed.
‘One woman doesn’t want to see me because she says my signature is like a five-year-old’s! We all have circumstances like these, Gemma. And it works both ways. Sam Allan has a list of patients he doesn’t want to see!’
Her eyes widened. ‘You’re joking, right? You’re just saying that to make me feel better.’
Logan shook his head. ‘Go and ask Julie. I guarantee you, she’ll tell you the same thing.’ He pulled her closer. ‘This will all pass. Today is just the worst day. Tomorrow it will get a little better.’ He pulled her even closer, running his fingers through her hair. ‘By next week it will mostly be forgotten.’
Her head turned towards his touch. He couldn’t let her go. He just couldn’t.
‘Do you really think so?’
‘I really think so. Please, don’t even think about leaving. I’ve only just started to get to know my new family.’
Her head jerked upwards. ‘Your what?’
He smiled. ‘My new family.’ He bent down and whispered in her ear, ‘Between you and me, I think they’re currently auditioning me, and my family, to see if we’ll be a good fit together.’
‘What are you saying, Logan?’ She smiled up at him, her brown eyes looking reassured for the first time.
‘I’m saying that I want to audition.’
‘For what role?’
He ran his finger down her cheek. ‘For the boyfriend role...’ his finger caught a lock of her hair and he twirled it around his finger ‘...maybe turning into a fiancé.’
She hesitated. ‘And what else?’ He could tell her voice was about to crack.
‘For a potential dad—only if I come up to scratch, of course, and then eventually, maybe, a husband. And a shot at being a dad again if it all works out.’ Then he dropped his head and whispered in her ear again, ‘Providing, of course, Isla lets us. Because we both know who the boss is.’
He could see the breath catching in her throat. He wasn’t letting her go. It had been hard enough to say the words, he definitely wanted to see her response.
His breath was caught halfway up his chest. His whole life rested on these next few moments.
Gemma blinked. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. ‘Why me, Logan? Why us? You’ve been a bachelor for years. What’s changed?’
His hand cradled the back of her head. ‘Who says I wanted to be a bachelor? Up until six weeks ago I just hadn’t met the right woman.’
‘And now you have?’
He nodded. ‘And now I have. Better than that. I’ve met two of them.’
‘How do you know, Logan?’ She wasn’t going to make this easy for him. And so she shouldn’t. She had a little girl to think about. And he knew that Isla was the most precious thing in the world to her.
He smiled. Nothing was more important than saying the right words. It was time to lay his heart on the line. Something he’d never done before. He’d never had reason to. Not like this.
He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. ‘I know because I wake up in the morning and you’re the first thing I think about. It doesn’t matter that I’ve spent most of the night dreaming about you. You’re still the first thing on my mind. I know because every time I have a conversation with Isla she reminds me so much of you. Every word, every characteristic, every expression.’
Gemma looked surprised. ‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘Really. She’s a complete hybrid. Like a cross between you and my mother. A lethal combination!’
Her brown eyes fixed on his. ‘And you want to take that on?’
He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘I want to take you both on. If you’ll let me.’
Gemma started to smile again. ‘Isla’s had a lot of change in her life recently—a new house, new friends, a new island. And she’s just about to start school. It’s a lot for a little girl.’ She let out a sigh. ‘I’m just thankful she missed out on everything today.’
He nodded. ‘So am I. And we’ll take things slowly. That’s why you should let me audition. You can both decide if I should get the role.’
Gemma heaved in a huge breath. He understood. He really did. After everything she’d been through she needed to feel in control. And that was fine with him.
She looked up at him through her dark lashes. There was a twinkle in her eye, as if she was finally satisfied with his words. Her arms wound up around his neck. ‘And what happens if I agree to let you audition?’
He smiled. ‘In that case, there are certain things we should start practising right away.’
‘Such as?’
‘This,’ he said, as he bent to kiss her.
EPILOGUE
‘ARE WE READY, Mummy?’
Isla was jumping up and down, her three-quarter-length dress bouncing around her ankles.
Gemma took one last quick glance in the mirror. Veil up or veil down? She still couldn’t decide. She pulled it back again at the last minute. She wanted to look Logan straight in the eye as they said their vows. There should be nothing between them.
Except, of course, a small bump, currently hidden behind a pale green sash around her cream gown. The colour had been picked by Isla, her dress the same colour as the sash. She was the only bridesmaid after all.
Two years. That’s how long she’d made him audition for. She glanced down at the diamond on her hand. It hadn’t taken him long to give her an engagement ring, but extending the house for them to stay in, along with the extra rooms they’d now need, had taken a little longer.
The doorbell soun
ded. They weren’t doing things the traditional way. She and Logan had decided to travel to the church together, with Isla, as a family.
She opened the door nervously, wondering what Logan would say. But his face was a picture and he swept her up into his arms instantly. ‘You look gorgeous.’ He bent to kiss her.
‘Careful, Logan, you’ll spoil Mummy’s lipstick.’
He leaned back. ‘Well, we can’t have that, can we?’ He picked up Isla. ‘Shall we go out to the car together?’
‘Is it a big car?’
He opened the door. ‘The biggest.’
Gemma smiled and picked up her bouquet of cream roses and pale green leaves. The church was so close they could have walked, but Logan had insisted they go in the ‘wedding car’ for Arran. An old Bentley owned by one of his patients.
It only took a few minutes and on this beautiful summer’s day it seemed as if half the population on the island had made their way to the local church.
Gemma stepped out of the car and gave a quick hug to Claire, her soon-to-be sister-in-law. She was so much better now and ready to start to explore the surrogacy option of having children. She already knew about Gemma and Logan’s little secret and had been delighted for them both.
Lesley was standing near the door, holding the hand of a chubby toddler. By her side was her soon-to-be husband. A definite improvement on Patrick.
Logan was by her side as friends and family shouted greetings to them as they walked towards the church. Everything was just perfect.
He turned around and held out his hand. ‘Ready, Mrs Scott?’
She smiled at his joke. ‘Ready, Mr Halliday,’ she countered, as she put her hand in his and walked towards her future.
* * * * *
