Page 117 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

‘Perhaps Ruth can make her see sense.’

‘I would prefer not to see the patient distressed...and taking into account her hospital phobia...’

The other medics nodded in agreement.

‘Of course she’s distressed—she doesn’t remember.’

And doesn’t know there is nothing to remember.

His frustration rose. If he could fill in the blanks things would go back to the way they were before.

‘We are simply asking that you do not put pressure on her...do not push.’

Joaquin sighed. ‘I don’t want to hurt Clemmie. I just want her memory to come back.’

‘Excellent! Then perhaps you could speak to her mother? I am afraid she has upset our patient...especially after she insisted that her daughtermustremember getting engaged.’

Thirty very uncomfortable minutes later, Joaquin stood between the two women who had at least stopped yelling.

‘So, this is settled?’ he said. ‘Clemmie will come home and return for tests on Friday?’

‘I’ve already had tests!’ Clemmie pouted.

Give me strength,Joaquin prayed, as he forced a calm smile.

‘And you have endured them with stoicism. However...’ He flashed a high-voltage smile at her mother. ‘As your mother has said, a full MOT will calm our collective nerves.’

Ruth hadn’t said any such thing, but she looked complacent.

Clemmie glared at them both and pushed her feet into the furry slippers on the floor as she stood up.

In the midst of his frustration and guilt Joaquin found himself smiling. Five feet two in her fluffy slippers, with her hair its usual spectacular fiery mess and her small chin lifted aggressively, she looked—

The half-smile faded from his face. She looked like the sexiest female he had ever seen in his life: strong, brave and in-your-face furious, but so, so incredibly sexy...

‘All right...’ Clemmie said slowly, dividing her killer glare between her mother and her...her fiancé?

Even the thought felt wrong—on several levels. The transformation felt as though she had jumped from newborn to teenager in one hour! And, actually, shehadhad a terrible short-lived crush on Joaquin in her teens.

It seemed weird to know they were engaged when she couldn’t even remember their first proper kiss, she mused, staring at the sexy curve of his mouth and feeling a quiver low in her belly.

She tried not to acknowledge it—then realised that she didn’t have to ignore it now; she was allowed to lust after him.

God, this felt as if she’d started reading a story in the epilogue and had missed all the chapters that led up to it.

Realising she had been staring at his mouth for a long time, she lifted her gaze. ‘It really is overkill,’ she said.

Seeing that maternal love was about to make Ruth explode into deadly ire, Joaquin intervened. ‘You’re probably right, but these medics...it’s best to humour them. Ruth?’ he said, adding a full thousand volts to his smile. ‘Am I being a total pain in wanting us to stay at the manor for the next few days?’

‘Where else would you go?’ she asked, looking offended.

‘And I can’t wait to meet your Harry. Clemmie has told me all about him.’

‘She has?’

Clemmie reached for her bag and watched Joaquin do what he did best and charm her mum. It appalled her, but it wassoconvenient. She was utterly exhausted—too exhausted for a fight. It took everything she had to move from A to B.

The doctors had warned her that fatigue was a normal consequence, post head injury, but this this leaden-limbed, buzzy head feeling was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

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