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'Yes, you are.' Zach looked at her steadily. 'Adam's right. You're incredibly good with children. You know just what to say and what to do to get the best out of them. You're great at averting tantrums and you seem to be able to coax a smile from the most moody, miserable child.'
She stared at him, stunned by his praise, and then Adam cleared his throat.
'So, on the strength of that reference, Dr Thompson, maybe you should be applying for a job as a paediatrician. What is it you're planning to do when you finish here?'
Keely licked dry lips. 'Cardiology.'
'Well, it's a waste,' Adam said cheerfully. 'You should definitely go into paediatrics. Don't you agree, Zach?'
There was a brief silence while Zach watched her. 'I think she should do whatever she wants to do.'
Keely turned away quickly and busied herself making the coffee. She wished they'd change the subject. She really didn't know what she wanted to do, or how she felt about her career.
She passed Zach a coffee and for a brief moment their eyes meshed. And she knew. Knew without a doubt that there was one thing she was sure of. She loved Zach Jordan.
She always had done, and she always would do.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was her turn to cook supper.
Keely let herself into the house, said goodnight to Barbara, who'd been in charge all day, then played a game about body parts with a giggling Phoebe.
'Nose.' Phoebe put a little hand over her nose and then touched Keely's nose.
'Eyes.' Keely pointed to her eyes and then her chin. 'What's this?'
'Chin.' Phoebe clambered onto Keely's lap and buried her face in her chest. 'Bosoms. Nice. Soft.'
Keely's chuckle turned to a blush as she glanced up and saw Zach standing there. 'Oh!' her voice was an embarrassed squeak. 'We didn't hear you.'
He didn't even try and hide his laughter. 'Obviously not.'
Help! Why did he make her feel so hot and bothered? And why, when she was dying to see the man laugh, did it have to be at her expense?
'Well, now you're home you can take over and I'll make supper. You did it last night.' Keely stood up and handed him his daughter, her face still burning with mortification.
'Neck.' Phoebe reached out and wrapped her arms around her father's neck, and Keely slunk out of the room before the child picked out any more embarrassing bits. Next time she'd just play a quiet game of hide and seek.
She concentrated her attentions on the supper and by the time Zach reappeared, having put Phoebe to bed, she had herself under control again.
'Adam was right. You're so good with small children,'
he observed, leaning forward and helping himself to some olives she'd put on the table.
Keely laughed and gave the casserole a stir. 'Don't tell me—you think I should be a paediatrician, too.'
He sat back in his chair. 'What I think doesn't matter— you should be what you want to be.' His tone was even. 'Why do you want to be a cardiologist?'
Her hand froze and for a moment she stopped stirring. The honest answer was that she didn't know that she did want to be a cardiologist. But she couldn't tell him that. Zach was like the rest of her family, ferociously intelligent and aiming for the top of his profession. He wouldn't understand her doubts. Wouldn't understand if she confessed that she wasn't sure she wanted any sort of hospital career.
'Why do I want to be a cardiologist?' She started stirring again and fished around in her brain for the sort of plausible answer one might give at an interview. 'All sorts of reasons. I find cardiology fascinating, I like the intellectual challenge, the variety, the research opportunities—loads of things.'
She tasted the casserole, added more salt and then placed it in the centre of the table.
'This smells delicious.' Zach leaned forward and gave an appreciative sniff. 'So, have you applied for anything?'
'Not yet.' She handed him a spoon and watched while he served himself. 'There's a post coming up in London that Dad wants me to apply for. It's with Professor Harding.'
