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Because I love you, she wanted to say, but managed to stop herself in time.
'I suppose it's a fairly obvious concern,' she said quietly, 'but I'm not going to hurt her, Zach.'
'No? As you rightly said, you're getting close to her. I've never seen her respond to anyone the way she responds to you. What happens when you leave?' His gaze was direct. 'What happens when you take up this cardiology job you keep talking about?'
The cardiology job she wasn't even sure she wanted...
'Well, I'll stay in touch,' she said lamely, and he gave a long sigh and picked up his wine again.
'Try explaining that to a three-year-old.'
This was ridiculous. She didn't want to go anywhere. She wanted to stay with both of them. But there was no way she was telling him that. There was no way she was throwing herself at him again.
'Look, Zach—'
'Forget it, Keely.' His voice was rough. 'It isn't your problem. It's mine. I need to work out what to do for the best. Maybe you moving in wasn't such a good idea after all.'
Her heart thudded heavily in her chest. 'Are you saying you want me to move out?'
She held her breath as she waited for his answer, her fingers coiling into her palms. She couldn't bear to move out.
He stared into the fire, his expression remote. 'No. I'm not saying that. At least, not yet. I'm hoping I can think of another solution.'
She could think of another solution.
Instead of asking her to leave, he could ask her to stay.
But Zach would never do that. He'd loved his wife too much to make a commitment to another woman.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As Keely walked towards the staffroom the following Monday, Zach waylaid her.
'We've had a dinner invitation,' he said briefly. 'Sean and his wife have invited us over tonight.'
She swallowed. She had to spend a whole evening in Zach's company in front of other people? She'd never be able to do it without giving herself away.
She searched her brain for an excuse.
'Why don't I look after Phoebe for you?'
'She'll come, too.' Zach gave a tired smile and jammed his hands in his pockets. 'I probably ought to warn you that Sean's wife, Ally, is not particularly subtle when it comes to matchmaking attempts. And that's probably what this is. She's heard that you've moved in with me and she's hearing wedding bells.'
The woman obviously had a hearing problem, Keely thought wryly. There were certainly no bells ringing anywhere near Zach. Except maybe alarm bells.
'Right.' Keely gave him an awkward smile, not sure what to say. 'In that case, perhaps it would be best if I didn't come.'
'You've got to come,' Zach said dryly, 'or she'll smell a rat. Our only hope of escaping her well-meaning tendency to pair me up is to prove to her that we find each other totally resistible.'
And how on earth was she going to do that?
'OK.' She smiled with more conviction than she was feeling. 'Well, I'll just talk about going to London. That should convince them.'
'Yes. It certainly should.' Zach's smile faded and he glanced at his watch. 'I'll tell them we'll see them at seven, then.'
Keely watched him move down the corridor away from her and wondered how on earth she was going to spend a whole evening pretending to be indifferent to Zach.
It was a long and difficult day in A and E and by the time she got home she was totally drained. Goodness only knew how Zach would be feeling—he'd born the brunt of the trauma and tragedy they'd had to deal with in just one shift.
