CHAPTER THREE

      PENELOPE knew she ought to be feeling guilty.

      Here she was, heading out on a date with a man who had no idea of the part he was playing in Plan B. But Penelope wasn’t feeling guilty at all. In fact, Mark’s company was so relaxing she could forget about Plan B and the frustration in her life that had led to its creation. Even the weather was doing its bit to add to a pleasant afternoon. The dark clouds and squalls of heavy spring rain had cleared to leave only cotton-wool puffs scudding across a brilliant blue sky. The stiff breeze was still chilly and Penelope was glad she had chosen to wear her red jumper again—this time with the warmth of a shirt underneath. Woolly socks and trainers on her feet might not be as sexy as the summer sandals she had considered briefly but, then, this wasn’t a real ‘date’. Merely an outing. A helpful gesture towards a new colleague who was turning out to be very pleasant company.

      Mark was driving Penelope’s small hatchback car. It had been his own suggestion and Penelope had been happy to hand over the keys. Now she could really relax and enjoy whatever the afternoon had to offer. She loved the drive around the harbour and one of the houses Mark had lined up to view was quite remote—right out past Scorching Bay.

      ‘You need to get into the right-hand lane here,’ she directed. ‘We want to go through the Mount Victoria tunnel and then follow the main road down to the harbour.’ Penelope watched as Mark checked the rear-view mirrors and indicated their lane change.

      ‘It would be at least a twenty-minute drive to the hospital from Scorching Bay,’ she warned Mark. ‘Probably a lot more in heavy traffic. Won’t that be a hassle?’

      ‘Could be worth it,’ Mark responded. ‘It’s not as if we’re on call and have to come in to work at a moment’s notice. We have set shift hours. Sometimes you need to be able to put real distance between home and work. Especially in a department like ours.’

      Penelope agreed readily. Emergency medicine was usually full on. Huge numbers of patients could often take a heavy toll on both professional and personal resources.

      ‘What do you do, Penny? To switch off from work?’

      ‘Sleep mostly.’ Penelope laughed. ‘And spend time with friends.’

      ‘Any particular friends?’ Mark’s query was casual but Penelope sensed he was sounding out whether she had a man in her life. She suppressed the pang of guilt firmly.

      ‘Only Bindy. Belinda Scott,’ she elaborated in response to the questioning expression Mark gave her. ‘She’s a nurse in Emergency, too. Tall. Long, reddish hair.’

      ‘Oh, yes.’ Mark nodded. He had noticed Belinda. Of course he had. Any man would have noticed Belinda.

      ‘She’s my flatmate.’

      ‘Where do you live?’

      ‘We share a townhouse tucked up on Mount Victoria. Right on the border of the park. One of the walkways goes past our back door. Bindy often drags me out running. She’s an exercise freak.’

      ‘And you’re not?’

      ‘Not really,’ Penelope confessed. She looked down at her sturdy, denim-clad legs and her laugh was self-deprecating. ‘Can’t you tell?’

      ‘No,’ Mark responded promptly. He flashed her a sideways grin. ‘I’m a bit of couch potato myself. You look just fine to me. Are we still in the right lane here?’

      ‘Yes. There’s a big roundabout coming up. We go left and that’ll take us onto Shelly Bay Road. Just keep the harbour on your left after that and we can’t go wrong.’ Penelope stole a glance at her companion. There wasn’t much wrong with the way Mark looked even if he was a couch potato, which was doubtful. He wasn’t particularly tall—maybe five nine or ten—and his shoulders were broad for his height so he couldn’t be considered lean, yet the impression he gave was one of nice proportions. Maybe it was his colouring that was appealing. The black hair and very dark green eyes. Or maybe it was his laid-back manner. Quiet but confident. Friendly but thoughtful at the same time. Penelope had the feeling that Mark’s loyalty might not be given easily but once it was given it would be there to stay. She liked that. Mark had the makings of being a good friend.

      The silence between them was quite comfortable but Penelope wanted to talk. She wanted to learn more about him.

      ‘I’ve got a sister in Wellington as well. Rachael. She’s the only one in my family left here so I try and see her as much as I can.’ Penelope made a mental note to call her sister when she got home. She hadn’t tried very hard lately to spend time with Rachael but it hadn’t been until her conversation with Belinda yesterday that she had realised why she had been unconsciously avoiding contact. Jealousy was a poisonous emotion and Penelope had no intention of letting its tentacles gain any more of a hold on her life. ‘Rachael’s a vet,’ she told Mark brightly. ‘She’s three years younger than me and she’s expecting her first baby next year. She and Tom are very excited.’

      ‘I can imagine.’ Mark’s smile looked almost wistful. Penelope wondered if he had yearnings for a family himself. Or did he already have one? An ex-wife and a few children tucked away somewhere? He hadn’t needed reminding of the direction to take at the roundabout. They headed out along Shelly Bay Road.

      ‘That