Fairytale With The Single Dad. Alison Roberts

be ten minutes and I’ll drive you both back.’

      ‘No—no, it’s fine! I can’t disrupt your workday, that’s ridiculous. I’m okay now. Besides, that would annoy your patient. I’m fine.’

      He stood up to prove it, but swayed slightly, and she had to reach for him, grabbing his waist to steady him.

      ‘Honestly. I just need to get some air for a moment. I could go and sit down across the road at the surgery, maybe. Check my blood pressure. Have a cup of sweet tea. It’ll pass—it always does.’ He smiled broadly, to show her he was feeling better, even though he wasn’t.

      She let go of him. ‘You’re sure?’

      No.

      ‘Absolutely.’

      He saw her face fill with doubt and hesitation. ‘Maybe Anna could stay here with me. She could look after the animals in the back. Give them cuddles, or something.’

      Anna gasped, her smile broad. ‘Could I, Daddy?’

      He didn’t want to impose on Sydney. He could see it had been tough for her to offer that, and she was working. Anna should be his responsibility, not someone else’s.

      ‘Er… I don’t know, honey. Sydney’s very busy.’

      ‘It’s no problem. Olivia used to do it all the time.’ She blushed and looked away.

      Her daughter.

      ‘Are you sure?’

      ‘I’m sure. You’re clearly unwell today. She can stay with me for the day and I’ll drive you both home when I finish. Around four.’

      Anna was jumping up and down with joy, clapping her hands together in absolute glee at this amazing turn of events.

      He really didn’t want to do this, but what choice did he have? Sydney was right. And hadn’t he wanted to move to a village to experience this very support?

      ‘Fine. Thank you.’ He knelt to speak to his excited daughter. ‘You be good for Sydney. Do what you’re told and behave—yes?’

      She nodded.

      Standing up, he felt a little head rush. Maybe Sydney was right. Perhaps he did need a break.

      He was just having a difficult time letting someone help him. It irked him, gnawing away at him like a particularly persistent rodent. How could he look after his daughter if he was going to let a little dizziness affect him? And this was just the start of his condition. These were mild symptoms. It would get worse. And already he was relying on other people to look after his daughter—Sydney, of all people!

      ‘Perhaps she ought to stay with—’

      Sydney grabbed his arm and started to guide him towards her exit. ‘Go and lie down, Dr Jones.’

      Nathan grimaced hard, then kissed the top of his daughter’s head and left.

      It had been a delight to have Anna with her for the day. The invitation to look after Nathan’s little girl had just popped out. She’d not carefully considered exactly what it would mean to look after the little girl before she’d said it, and once she had she’d felt a small amount of alarm at her offer.

      But Anna had been wonderful. She was sweet, calm with the animals, with a natural affection and understanding of them that those in her care gravitated towards, allowing her to stroke them. The cats had purred. Dogs had wagged their tails or showed their bellies to be rubbed. And Anna had asked loads of questions about them, showing a real interest. She’d even told Sydney that she wanted to be a vet when she was older! That had been sweet.

      Olivia had liked being with the animals, but she’d only liked the cuddling part. The oohing and aahing over cute, furry faces. Anna was different. She wanted to know what breed they were. What they were at the vet’s for. How Sydney might make them better. It had been good to share her knowledge with Nathan’s daughter. Good to see the differences between the two little girls.

      Once they were done for the day, and the last of the records had been completed, she smiled as Lucy complained about her sore back after cleaning cages all afternoon, but then sat down to eat not one but two chocolate bars, because she felt ravenous.

      They sat together, chatting about animal care, and Anna listened quietly, not interrupting, and not getting in the way.

      When she’d gathered her things, Sydney told Anna it was time to go.

      ‘Thank you for having me, Sydney.’

      She eyed the little girl holding her hand as they crossed the road to collect Nathan. ‘Not a problem, Anna. It was lovely to have you. Let’s hope your daddy is feeling better soon, hmm?’

      ‘Daddy always gets sick and tired. He pretends he’s not, but I know when he is.’

      ‘Perhaps he is just tired? He does a very important job, looking after everyone.’ But something niggled at her. The way Nathan had been, and the nonchalant way Anna had mentioned that ‘Daddy always gets sick and tired…’

      Was Nathan ill? And, if so, what could it be? Just a virus? Was he generally run-down? Or could it be something else? Something serious?

      They quickly crossed to the surgery and collected a rather pale-looking Nathan. He insisted he was feeling much better. Suspecting he wasn’t quite being truthful, she got him into the car and started the engine, glancing at Anna on the back seat through the rearview mirror.

      Anna smiled, and the sight went straight to Sydney’s heart. To distract herself, she rummaged in the glovebox to see if she had any of Olivia’s old CDs. She found one and slid it into the CD player, and soon they were singing along with a cartoon meerkat and a warthog.

      Driving through the village, she found herself smiling, amazed that she still remembered the words, and laughing at Anna singing in the back. It felt great to be driving along, singing together. She and Olivia had always used to do it. It was even putting a smile on Nathan’s face.

      Much too soon she found herself at Nathan’s house, and she walked them both up to their front door, finally handing them Lottie’s carrier.

      Nathan smiled broadly. ‘Thanks, Sydney. I really appreciate it. I got a lot of rest and I feel much better.’

      ‘Glad to hear it. Anna was brilliant. The animals adored her.’

      ‘They all do. Thanks again.’

      ‘No problem. See you around.’

      She began to walk away, turning to give a half wave, feeling embarrassed at doing so. She got in her car and drove away as fast as she could—before she was tempted to linger and revel in the feeling of family once again.

      It felt odd to be back in the car, alone again after that short while she’d been with Anna and Nathan. The car seemed empty. The music had been silenced and returned to the glovebox.

      By the time she got home her heart physically ached.

      And she sat in her daughter’s old room for a very long time, just staring at the empty walls.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      SOMEHOW IT HAD become December, and November had passed in a moment. A moment when natural sleep had continued to elude her, but her strange, mixed feelings for the new village doctor had not.

      She’d listened as her own clients had chatted with her about the new doctor, smiled when they’d joked about how gorgeous he was, how heroic he was. Had she heard that he’d saved lives already? One woman in the village, who really ought to have known better, had even joked and blushed about Dr Jones giving her the kiss of life! Sydney had smiled politely, but inside