Keli sighed. ‘I’m glad she’s not dramatic or prone to overreacting.’
‘Only where we’re concerned and just because we’re lovable,’ Noah joked, sensing an edge of irritation in Keli’s tone that surprised him. She was usually the most laid-back and easy-going of them all and being the youngest, she had an especially close bond with their mum. Must be having an off day.
Keli didn’t skip a beat. ‘You’re not wrong. I’ll give her a buzz this afternoon. I’ve just been stacked with work and…’
‘Dating websites?’
She elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Definitely not dating websites.’
‘You’ve met someone new?’ Noah asked, with a hint of teasing. Keli had always shared the stuff that was going on in her life but she’d been surprisingly coy lately. Over the last few months he and Tress had been sure she was seeing someone, but Keli had refused to confirm, deny or elaborate. Noah had just accepted that she’d tell him when she was ready.
‘No. Yes. It’s a long story.’ She promptly changed the subject. ‘Anyway, sorry, why are we talking about me today? How are you doing? How’s Tress?’
Noah paused to allow the automatic doors at the staff entrance to the building to open. ‘I think she’s okay. I popped in this morning to have a birthday breakfast with Buddy. That kid is amazing. He definitely helps us all keep it together and focus on the good stuff.’
Keli went through the door first into the foyer. ‘I have a birthday pressie for him so I’ll call Tress or I’ll bring it over to you later. I take it you’re still going to Mum’s for dinner?’
‘I’m not sure I have a choice in the matter,’ he said, grinning. ‘So yeah. How about you?’
‘Two birds, one stone. It stops Mum hunting me down and we get great food. I’d be a fool to refuse.’ Keli pushed her arm through her brother’s as they crossed the reception area. ‘Anyway, you didn’t tell me how you’re doing. Today can’t be easy…’
Noah’s shoulders sagged a little. He wasn’t going to lie, but at the same time, he didn’t want to acknowledge the anniversary of the accident. Not here. Not now. Preferably not ever. Two pills of denial, taken with water, and he’d be feeling better in no time. ‘I’m just doing a really good job of trying not to look backwards. As long as I don’t think about it, I’m…’
‘Noah?’ The voice from the sofa over in the staff rest area cut right through his thoughts, and for a second, he thought he’d imagined it. Maybe misheard. Perhaps it was mistaken identity. Another woman with an American accent that had a twang of Scottish brogue because she’d lived here for years. Yep, that was it. He must have mistaken another half American, half Scottish woman for his ex…
He turned his head to see, and the answer was there. No mistake. Definitely his ex-wife. Anya was sitting on the edge ofthe sofa, hands clasped on her lap, looking at him with a mixture of trepidation and something else. Hope?
She stood up and walked towards him.
‘Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.’ That came in a hissed whisper from Keli, followed by, ‘You don’t have to speak to her. Say the word and I’ll tell her to go.’
In any other setting, Noah would be touched that his little sister was trying to bail him out, but right now he was too shocked to process the words, so he didn’t have time to reply. His gaze was locked on Anya until she reached them and stopped right in front of him.
‘Noah, can we talk?’
He’d thought that today was going to be the day that he put the past behind him.
Now he saw that it was going to be the day that his ghosts came back to haunt him.
4
KELI CLARK
Keli had told herself that she wasn’t going to think about it today. Today was such a significant day for Noah. It was little Buddy’s birthday. It was the anniversary of Tress’s heartache. Yet, just like every other day for the last week or so, it had been the only thing on her mind since the moment she woke up after another fitful night of sleep.
Her mother’s psychic powers were scarily accurate as always. Keli wasn’t okay. She was so far from okay. And she had no idea what she was going to do about it. For a moment, she’d thought about saying something to Noah, asking him for help. There was no doubt that he’d do anything for her, but she couldn’t,wouldn’t, add more onto his shoulders than he was already carrying. And besides, her former sister-in-law, Anya, showing up had just detonated a bomb in his life that he could do without. She had desperately wanted to stay downstairs by Noah’s side, but he’d made it clear he needed to deal with Anya on his own. Keli made a mental note to check on him when she got off shift, to make sure he was okay and find out what Anya wanted. As if she hadn’t done enough damage. Anya’s actions had devastated them all. She’d been another sister to Keli and the loss hadstung, but she’d put her own feelings to one side and focused on supporting Noah, just as he would do for her. So no, she wasn’t going to add her own sister drama to his woes now. She had to deal with this herself. And right now, the way she was going to do that was by filling her day with distractions and trying not to think about how her whole life was on the brink of falling apart.
Keli changed into her uniform and made her way up to her ward, half an hour early, so that she could grab a green tea and get her head into work mode before starting her shift.
In the staffroom, her friend Yvie, queen of multitasking, was simultaneously making tea, eating a biscuit and humming to the Taylor Swift song that was playing on the radio. Keli waited until the end of the chorus before interrupting, with, ‘Not sure Taylor Swift has ever sung “Cruel Summer” while eating a Hobnob.’
Gorgeous, voluptuous, huge-hearted Yvie swung round, grinning. ‘Well, more fool her. I highly recommend it.’ Still multitasking, she carried on dancing and stirring her tea, while asking, ‘I thought you were off today? Did you get your days mixed up?’
Keli shook her head. ‘No, Sima called me at eight o’clock this morning and asked if I could cover her for a few hours. She’s on ten till six, but Karim has a dentist appointment she completely forgot about, so she’ll be in after she drops him back at school.’ It was one of the reasons she loved working on this ward. It was a great team that went above and beyond to support each other. ‘I was happy to help out. I wasn’t doing anything today anyway.’
‘You mean other than fretting, beating yourself up about your choices and generally questioning the rest of your life?’ Yvie replied, perceptively close to the truth.
‘Yep, other than that. Thanks again for coming over last night. I appreciated the company and the chat.’
