Dr Dark and Far-Too Delicious. Carol Marinelli

to have a chat.

      ‘They were really accommodating, though I think Lisa might have had something to do with that.’

      ‘How old is your child?’

      ‘Fourteen months,’ Jasmine said. ‘His name’s Simon.’

      ‘And is this your first job since he was born?’ He actually did seem to want to talk her. Jasmine had expected that he’d soon jog off, but instead he walked along beside her, his breathing gradually slowing down. It was nice to have adult company, nice to walk along the beach and talk.

      ‘It is,’ Jasmine said. ‘And I’m pretty nervous.’

      ‘You worked at Melbourne Central, though,’ he pointed out. ‘That’s one hell of a busy place. It was certainly buzzing when I went for my interview there.’

      ‘Didn’t you like it?’

      ‘I did,’ Jed said, ‘but I was surprised how much I liked Peninsula Hospital. I was sort of weighing up between the two and this …’ he looked out to the bay, ‘… was a huge draw card. The beach is practically next to the hospital and you can even see it from the canteen.’

      ‘I’m the same,’ Jasmine said, because as much as she loved being in the city she was a beach girl through and through.

      ‘You’ll be fine,’ Jed said. ‘It will take you ten minutes to get back into the swing of things.’

      ‘I think it might take rather more than that.’ Jasmine laughed. ‘Having a baby scrambles your brains a bit. Still, it will be nice to be working again. I’ve just got to work out all the shifts and things.’

      ‘What does your husband do?’ Jed took a swig from his water bottle. ‘Can he help?’

      ‘We’re separated,’ Jasmine replied.

      ‘Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.’

      ‘It’s fine,’ Jasmine said. She was getting used to saying it and now, just as she was, it would be changing again because she’d be divorced.

      It was suddenly awkward; the conversation that had flowed so easily seemed to have come to a screeching halt. ‘Storm’s getting close.’ Jed nodded out to the distance.

      Given they were now reduced to talking about the weather, Jasmine gave a tight smile. ‘I’d better go in and watch my paint dry.’

      ‘Sure,’ Jed said, and gave her a smile before he jogged off.

      And as she turned and headed up to her flat she wanted to turn, wanted to call out to his rapidly departing back, ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to run—just because I don’t have a partner doesn’t mean that I’m looking for another one.’

      God, talk about put the wind up him.

      Still, she didn’t dwell on it.

      After all there were plenty of other things on her mind without having to worry about Jed Devlin.