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      To my brother Steve, who brought a wonderful woman into the family seventeen years ago.

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHAPTER SIX

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      CHAPTER NINE

      CHAPTER TEN

      CHAPTER ONE

      ‘IT’S time you were married, James.’

      James Berkley, known as J.D. to his friends, stared at his mother in open-mouthed incredulity. ‘You called me away from a patient to tell me that?’

      At once he turned to frown at Katie Alexander, a former emergency medical technician and a recent nursing school graduate who’d summoned him with an urgent message from his mother. The apprehension on Katie’s face as she’d poked her head into his cubicle had convinced him to come immediately.

      Expecting the worst, he’d hurried to meet his mother. And for what? To hear her tell him to get married.

      Katie, an average-sized brunette with a cheerful disposition, clearly disregarded his black look as she casually shrugged. ‘Hey, don’t blame me. She said it concerned Daniel and since your patient has to wait for X-rays I thought you’d want to hear what your mom had to say.’

      He started to object again, but Virginia broke in. ‘My conversation does concern Daniel. Indirectly.’

      J.D. shot her one of his quelling glances, but Virginia, true to the backbone of steel underlying her southern gentility, didn’t flinch under his intimidating gaze.

      ‘I don’t regret stretching the truth for the chance to see you before I left town,’ she said in her slow Texas drawl, ‘so don’t take your frustration out on the poor girl.’

      Katie grinned. ‘Yeah, Doctor. Listen to your mother.’

      J.D. pinched the bridge of his nose. There were times when he wished his relationship with Katie wasn’t so easy-going. She didn’t cower under his sharp-eyed gaze like most of the nursing staff.

      ‘As for myself,’ Katie continued, ‘I’m glad to hear that Daniel isn’t sick. It’s October and not uncommon for kids to catch a bug of one sort or another.’

      ‘I agree, but the ER isn’t the place for this particular discussion,’ he stated firmly, silently warning Katie of the ramifications if she didn’t keep Virginia’s opening statement under wraps. Sheer luck had granted them privacy. He thanked whatever fates had been responsible for orchestrating the feat.

      A bland expression crossed Katie’s face before she turned aside to rummage through a drawer for a fresh ink pen. ‘Don’t mind me. I didn’t hear a thing.’

      ‘May I please continue?’ Virginia interrupted. ‘I’ve spent the last few days with you and Daniel and while I’ve held my peace during the entire time I won’t any longer.’

      ‘Look, Mom,’ he said, allowing a note of desperation to colour his tone. ‘Why don’t we talk about this later?’

      Virginia shook her head, without dislodging a single blonde hair of her short, sleek hairstyle. She was a petite woman who dressed impeccably, as befitting a woman of her social status. She’d come from a family who could trace their roots to the Mayflower and who had possessed the luck and foresight to invest in oil-rich land.

      In spite of, or perhaps because of, her diminutive stature, she’d learned the fine art of command to get what she wanted. With several West Point and Annapolis graduates in her genealogy, her ability came naturally.

      ‘I’m sorry, but this simply can’t wait. The current state of affairs has gone on long enough. As you know, your father and I haven’t interfered in your life these past four years.’

      J.D. raised one eyebrow and she amended her statement. ‘At least, not much. However I refuse to stand by and say nothing while my grandson’s mental health is at stake.’

      He gritted his teeth, once again thinking of the patients needing medical attention. He didn’t have the time or the inclination to argue. ‘Daniel is a healthy, well-adjusted child. You’ve said so, yourself.’

      Expecting her to embark on a debate, he held up his hands to forestall it. ‘In any case, you voiced your opinion. Now you can go home in good conscience.’

      ‘I’m not leaving until you understand the seriousness of the situation.’ Virginia crossed her arms, looking as if she intended to stay for the duration.

      ‘Right now, I understand that I have patients waiting, Mother. You know, sick people?’

      ‘I’m well aware of the demands of your job, J.D.,’ Virginia said in her no-nonsense voice, her back ramrod stiff. ‘If you’d quit wasting precious time, you could return to work.’

      Katie closed the drawer and straightened. ‘The lounge is free,’ she offered, obviously trying to be helpful.

      ‘You’ll miss your flight,’ he said, ignoring Katie’s suggestion.

      ‘Then I’ll catch a later one,’ Virginia said, waving her manicured hand in careless abandon.

      His temples began to throb and he recognised the beginnings of a tension headache. Nothing short of an act of God would divert his mother’s attention until the bee in her bonnet had been shaken loose.

      ‘Fine. Let’s go to the lounge.’

      Wasting no time, he strode toward the employees’ private sanctuary, with Virginia following at his heels. He flung open the door and took a bracing breath, ignoring the odour of the baked cod someone had purchased from the hospital cafeteria.

      She spoke as soon as he closed the door. ‘You may not believe me when I say this, but Daniel needs a mother.’

      J.D. poured the last dregs of coffee into his mug and flipped the unit’s switch to ‘off’. He didn’t care if it was leaning towards being a solid rather than a liquid; he intended to fortify himself for an unpleasant conversation.

      ‘What brought on this revelation?’ he asked, hiding the fact that the same thoughts had run through his mind from time to time. However, he’d always dismissed them as easily as they’d come.

      ‘Before I left Daniel at his pre-school we stopped at the market where I heard the most awful gossip.’

      ‘That’s your problem, Mom. You’re listening to a bunch of old biddies who don’t have anything to do all day but