Their Very Special Marriage Read Online Free PDF Page A

if it doesn’t work. And if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to divide the flexor retinaculum to decompress the nerve.’
    â€˜We can do it by keyhole surgery,’ Oliver said.
    She shook her head. ‘I know endoscopic techniques—’ keyhole surgery ‘—mean that patients recover faster, but there’s less risk of a complication with the open technique, and more chance that you’ll release the carpal tunnel fully. Half the time with endoscopic techniques you can’t see well enough and you have to convert it to an open technique anyway.’
    His turn for a peace offering. ‘Want me to refer her to you?’ He knew Rachel didn’t get to do as much minor surgery as she’d like.
    Rachel nodded. ‘Please. Not that you’re a bad doctor. She’s just really, really scared of needles. Lucy—’ the midwife for Hollybridge and the next village ‘—gave up in the end and sent her to me to do the antenatal blood tests.’
    â€˜Then you’d be the best doctor to calm her down. She’s used to you and she trusts you.’
    â€˜She trusts you , Oliver. Everyone does.’
    Did they? He wasn’t so sure. Especially where his wife was concerned. ‘Rach, what you were saying yesterday...’
    â€˜Hmm?’
    â€˜About us. I’ve been thinking.’
    She looked nervous; her brown eyes suddenly went very, very dark. ‘What about us?’
    â€˜You’ve got a point. We don’t ever talk about us any more, only about work or the children.’
    She nodded. ‘Maybe we should—’
    But before she could finish, Rita, the practice receptionist, put her head round the door. ‘Rachel, sorry to interrupt, I’ve got the hospital on the phone. Says it’s urgent.’
    â€˜Hell. I’m expecting some test results. If they’re calling, that means bad news,’ she said. She gave Oliver an apologetic smile. ‘Sorry, I really need to take that call. Catch you later?’
    â€˜Sure.’
    Though he couldn’t help wondering. What had she been about to suggest? He had no idea. He didn’t know what Rachel was thinking a lot of the time nowadays. Maybe they could try again and talk tonight when the kids were in bed.
    Maybe.

CHAPTER THREE
    E XCEPT things didn’t work out quite as Oliver planned. Surgery overran and the florist was closed when he got there, so he had to make do with what was left at the supermarket. Not the ideal choice, but the thought was what counted, wasn’t it?
    â€˜Thank you,’ Rachel said politely when he handed her the huge bunch of carnations. Then she gave him a suspicious look. ‘What are they for?’
    What did she mean? He’d bought them because he knew she liked flowers. ‘Do I need an excuse to buy my wife flowers?’ he demanded.
    â€˜No-o.’
    But she didn’t sound that sure. He tried to remember when he’d last bought her flowers—except for birthdays and anniversaries—and drew a blank. Hell. No wonder she looked leery. She probably thought he was going to tell her that he’d promised to cover someone else’s shifts and he’d bought the flowers out of guilt.
    Well, he had bought them out of guilt.
    â€˜I thought maybe we could, um, spend some time together, tonight. Talk,’ he muttered.
    â€˜Oliver, I can’t. It’s the school PTA committee meeting tonight and I have to be there—I’m the chair. I can’t just back out at the last minute and let everyone down.’ She sighed. ‘It’s been booked for weeks. You know I write everything on the calendar.’
    The one that hung by the phone. The one he never really took any notice of.
    â€˜Why don’t you ever look at it?’ she asked, almost as if she’d read his thoughts.
    Because, if there was anything important, Rachel always reminded him. She hadn’t bothered this morning. So it