Unlocking the Doctor's Heart. Susanne Hampton

it had worked. After graduating from high school, Charlotte had decided against university and chosen to become a fitness instructor. Beth remembered the loud conversation that had occurred that night.

      ‘Fitness instructor?’ her father had questioned Hattie.

      ‘And what may I ask is wrong with that?’ she’d said with her eyes widening and, in Beth’s opinion, becoming scarier by the minute.

      ‘Nothing, absolutely nothing,’ he’d replied, wishing he had never opened his mouth, but having done so he continued, ‘It’s a perfectly good career, but she’s never shown an interest before. In fact, Charlotte has never had a gym membership to my knowledge. It seems a little out of the blue and I wonder if it isn’t just a phase?’

      ‘Don’t be ridiculous, George,’ Hattie had retorted. ‘Charlotte has always wanted to be a personal trainer.’

      The second storey of their home was immediately filled with every known piece of gym equipment but Charlotte failed to finish the course and dust began to settle on the large, expensive purchases. Pride wouldn’t allow Hattie to admit George was right, so she climbed on the elliptical every second week for ten minutes and now and then lifted a two-pound weight and told everyone how marvellous she felt after her workout.

      Charlotte decided to move into the retail sector, and with her perfect skin and stunning face she found employment with Dior in Harrods. After three weeks, and with enough skin-care purchases to open her own salon, she decided that standing all day was not her cup of tea, so she travelled abroad for two years, all paid for by her generous stepfather. George didn’t question why she needed to travel first class and stay in five-star accommodation in order to ‘find herself.’ It wasn’t worth the argument and days of silence that would follow. Hattie had set Charlotte’s standards very high and George had grown accustomed to covering it all.

      Finally, Charlotte returned from Paris and announced she was launching a career as an event planner. Beth felt enormously sorry for any poor brides who used her services for the entire planning process would no doubt centre around Charlotte and the brides would come in a poor second. Beth certainly knew how that felt.

      Beth had tolerated Hattie and Charlotte but she was a little tired of hearing about Charlotte’s accomplishments when her own top marks at school and later in medical school seemed to go unnoticed. When Beth graduated, she enjoyed a nice lunch with her father but that was it. There was no family celebration. She knew that Hattie was demanding and her father was trying his best to keep her happy by doing everything he could for his stepdaughter, but it hurt to be ignored.

      She wanted a life where she wasn’t last in line for pretty much everything. She didn’t want expensive trips overseas, neither did she expect to be the child favoured by her father, but equal now and then would have been nice. It became unbearable the year after graduation. Charlotte was never happy, Hattie was always complaining and George was always busy trying desperately to appease them both. Beth had endured enough so she applied for a medical exchange to Australia.

      In her heart, she knew her father had been proud of her over the years, and although he never said a lot around his new wife he often smiled and gave Beth an encouraging pat on her shoulder. The warm hugs she’d received him when she’d been a small child had disappeared when the ice queen had moved in. Beth had learnt to be her own best friend, and not expect any praise for her efforts, but it made her miss her mother even more.

      Tucking the quilt up to her face, she snuggled in the warmth of her bed. She was happy to have a much-needed break from her step-family. Maybe the incorrigible Dr Harrison would be both a challenge and a distraction, she reflected. And maybe, given time, her father might even miss her.

      Beth thought back to the timing of Matthew’s apology. When she’d reacted badly to the addict, he could have berated her for allowing her emotions to come into play at work, reminding her of the need to remain detached, but he had chosen not to. Instead, he’d offered compassion and an apology. Beth suspected that hidden within the aloof Dr Harrison was a kind heart. He was obviously complicated, but that didn’t faze Beth. He was also a complex man but so handsome and charismatic. In fact, lying in the warmth of her bed, Beth admitted to herself she was a little infatuated with him.

      Then her practical nature reminded her starry-eyed side that it was a little too soon to think about him in a romantic way. She still had a career to get on track and a relationship wasn’t really in her plans. It hadn’t ever been. The endless study hours she had put in to make the grade in medical school had ruined any chance of long-term romance. She had dated a fellow medical student in her second year but with the heavy study load and part-time jobs they’d both had, it had fizzled out after a few months. The times they had slept together had been awkward and the earth had never moved for Beth.

      It hadn’t been a heartbreaking decision to end it, as there had been no passion or real love. It had been a friendship that had crossed the line, and in hindsight they’d both admitted they were better as friends.

      Beth had returned to her books, focused on being a doctor, and put love on hold. And now here she was, alone in the darkness of her room, entertaining the crazy idea of romance with a man as complicated as Dr Harrison. With his charisma and confidence she doubted there would be anything awkward about his bedside manner.

      Beth smiled wickedly at that thought then plumped up her pillow and turned over once again. She drifted off to sleep wondering what punishment awaited Tom for leaving his little sister alone. It definitely wouldn’t be pleasant when his parents finally caught up with him.

      Morning came too quickly, bringing with it the shrill sound of the alarm. Wearily Beth climbed from bed, showered and prepared for her second day at the Memorial.

      It wasn’t by chance she chose to wear a slim navy skirt and soft wrap blouse of pale blue. She draped a soft cotton cardigan over her shoulders as the weather seemed slightly cooler than yesterday. Beth tried to convince herself that the extra attention to details had nothing to do with a certain A and E consultant. After all, she was very serious about her job and definitely not wanting to flirt.

      Up until now she had always had an aversion to unpredictable men and equally she had never experienced any thrill in speed. But during her drive home last night, she’d found herself warming to both. And this morning she was surprised by the excitement she felt at the prospect of seeing Dr Harrison again. It was crazy and she knew it but there was something about the man that gave her butterflies. He had gone out of his way to take her home, and she wondered if there might have been more to it than just being polite. She liked the way he made her feel. He had asked her questions on the drive home and he had listened. She doubted it had been paying lip service, he’d seemed genuinely interested. But he was so handsome and she had seen his date.

      As she sat in her sunroom enjoying her breakfast, reason was fighting her romantic thoughts when she suddenly spied the focus of her daydreams. Through the lace-draped window she watched Matthew striding purposefully up the garden path of her maisonette. Even more astonishing was the enormous bouquet of flowers in his arms.

      She wiped her mouth with a napkin as her mind ran the gamut of emotions. Control yourself, Beth, she thought folding the napkin with shaking hands. You’re a grown woman, so show some degree of reserve. You have to play hard to get, her pride reminded her, but all the while her heart raced as she thought anxiously about the possibility of Matthew Harrison having feelings for her. She had never thought it was possible to feel this way about a man so soon after meeting him. Beaming, she crossed to open the door just as he knocked.

      ‘Good morning,’ she greeted him.

      ‘Lovely morning, isn’t it?’

      ‘Perfect,’ she replied, trying to keep her eyes from blatantly admiring the gorgeous blooms.

      ‘These are for you.’

      ‘They’re beautiful, but you shouldn’t have,’ she said as she took the flowers.

      ‘I didn’t,’ he said, stepping back with a frown knitting his brow. ‘The parents of the hit-and-run girl sent them to my office for you and I decided to bring them