Commitment

Part 30

The following Friday, Regan came home after doing a shift at the centre to find the dining room had been set for four. The room looked beautiful. The place settings were elaborate and clearly the work of Loretta, given there were flowers and candles artfully arranged. The lighting in the room muted, it was what had caught her eye as she left the car. The curtains weren't drawn and she'd had a glimpse through the window as she'd headed for the door. Intrigued she had gone straight to the dining room, not even bothering to take off her coat, or put her bag down.

It had been her turn to do a shift, and knowing that it often overran she had not signed up to do a locum that evening. She was looking forward to the night at the farm. It had been simply ages since she'd been home for a significant period of time, early enough and long enough to enjoy the place. And she knew she was tired. She needed to recharge her batteries. She planned on getting an early night.

But to come home and find that they'd gone to all this trouble, for her, that made her heart smile and her tiredness vanish. Obviously last week was a turning point. She stood in the doorway looking at the opulence and the thought and care that had gone into the settings and she felt suddenly very, very happy. It was beautiful, she thought as she took in the little details. They'd gone to a lot of trouble.

It was just gone 6.30, but she thought they'd wait a few minutes while she took a shower and freshened up. If they'd gone to all this trouble, the least she could do was make an effort too. She would change. Dress up for the meal. Put on some make up. With a smile on her lips and in her eyes she turned ready to head for her bedroom, and bumped straight into Gray.

"Oh, sorry." She smiled in absolute delight that was both automatic and appreciative as she looked into his gorgeous eyes and gushed, "This looks amazing." She gestured behind her. The table settings were beautiful. Obviously Loretta had a hand in that. The table clearly hinted at a special meal ahead given the preparation. There was soft lighting, the damask tablecloth and folded napkins had been layered to give it that edge, and her best china was well laid out. Regan was pleased to see it being used. It had been her treat to herself when she had qualified as a medic years ago, and she had used it just the once, when she had had a dinner party with Lucy, Jenny, and their parents. So it was good to see it being used for another special event. It would hold good memories.

Gray frowned and taken by surprise blurted out exactly what he was thinking. "What are you doing here?"

And even as the question emerged he realised that the light in her eyes made her simply enchanting. He did not understand why he found her attractive. She was everything he didn't like in a woman. She cared little for what she had. She expected others to do the hard graft while she enjoyed the spoils. She was tight with money, unless it came to herself, then she seemed to spend it on expensive clothes. She was self-centred.

He did not understand why he was physically attracted to her. But he knew he had no intention of acting on the attraction. Not when what went on below the surface with her was all about vanity. Her clothes were designers, and she only spends money on her, not on her farm.

Her eyebrows winged skywards at his blunt question. Obviously she'd taken him by surprise. He looked concerned. Nervous almost. Obviously she had ruined their surprise for her. A surprise for her. Amazing what a surprise can do for your mood, she thought. She smiled.

"I live here." She teased him, still smiling with happiness. This was a great surprise. The fact he had arranged this, for her. When was the last time someone had gone to this trouble for her? She was tempted to cry with happiness! Her concerns vanished in an instant, to be replaced by contentment. A wonderful surprise. She looked at the table setting and appreciated the beauty. Someone spent a lot of time on this, she thought. Not fussy, just elegant and, well, just beautiful, the words rattled around in her brain.