Surgeon in a Wedding Dress. Sue MacKay
ambulance crew. ‘Hi, there, again.’ Kerry hunkered down beside Dan. ‘What’ve we got this time?’
While Dan relayed the details Sarah stood and stretched her calf muscles, arching her back and pulling her shoulders taut. Dan’s gaze followed her movements as he talked to the paramedic, sending a thrill through her. Those eyes seemed to cruise over her, as though they could see right through her to things she never told anyone. Which was plain crazy. How could this man, a stranger really, see through her façade? See beyond the clothes to her soul? He couldn’t. Could he?
‘Here …’ Jill waved across the punters’ heads. ‘Sandwiches and a coffee. Or would you like something stronger?’
‘Coffee’s fine.’ Grateful for the food, Sarah swallowed her disappointment at the mug of murky instant coffee being slid across the counter towards her. ‘Do you still need a hand in the kitchen?’
‘I’ve got it covered. Bea arrived while you were in the shower, and she’s happy as a kid in a sandpit out there cooking up fries.’
‘Bea?’
‘Dan’s sister.’
‘Is everyone around here related to him?’ Biting into a thick sandwich filled with ham and tomato, Sarah told her stomach to be patient, sustenance was on the way down.
‘Not quite.’ Dan sent Jill a silent message before turning to Sarah. ‘You want to share those?’ He nodded at the sandwiches.
Not really. She could eat the lot. ‘Sure.’ Sarah prodded the plate along the counter towards him, wondering what he hadn’t wanted Jill to mention in front of her. ‘So you come from a big family.’
‘Yep, and they’re quite useful at times.’
‘What he means is we all run round after him most of the time.’ Jill winked at Sarah.
They needn’t think she’d play that game. She’d come to run his clinic, nothing else. ‘How far from here is the house I’m staying in? I’ve got some directions but it’s probably quicker if you tell me.’
Wariness filtered into Dan’s eyes. ‘You can follow me shortly.’
‘I’d really like to go now.’
‘Soon.’ Then suddenly his eyes twinkled and he waved at someone behind her. ‘Sweetheart, there you are.’
Disappointment jolted Sarah. Of course Dan would have a wife. No man as good looking as this one would be single. Turning to see who he was smiling at, her heart slowed and a lump blocked her throat. The most gorgeous little girl bounded past her, her arms flung high and wide as she reached Dan.
‘Daddy, there you are. Auntie Bea brought me here. She made me some fries.’
‘Hi, sweetheart. Guess you won’t be needing dinner now.’ Dan scooped the pink and yellow bundle up and sat her on his knee.
‘You’re late, Daddy.’
‘Sorry, sweetheart.’ The man looked unhappy, as though he’d slipped up somehow. ‘I had to help Uncle Malcolm.’
Sarah stared at father and daughter. Their eyes were the same shade of blue. They had identical wide, full mouths, the only difference being the little girl’s was one big smile while Dan’s rarely got past a scowl. Except now, with his daughter in his arms. The lump blocking Sarah’s throat slowly evaporated, her heart resumed its normal rhythm. But she melted inside, watching the child.
Since when did children do that to her? Since her wrecked marriage plans had stolen her dream of having a family. Why hadn’t Oliver taken that test for the cystic fibrosis gene as he’d promised to do when she’d first told him she was a carrier? Had he been afraid he might find he was imperfect? Did the idea that they might have to decide whether to have children or not if he’d tested positive prove too hard to face? Whatever the answers, he could’ve talked to her, not gone off and played around behind her back.
‘Hello.’
Sarah blinked, looked around, caught the eye of Dan, and, remembering where she was, immediately shoved the past aside. ‘Hi.’
The child wriggled around on Dan’s knee until she was staring at Sarah. ‘Are you the lady who’s coming to stay with us?’
Definitely not. ‘No, I’m Sarah, a doctor like your father.’
‘Sarah …’ Dan eased a breath through his teeth. ‘Leah’s right. You are staying with us.’
‘What?’ Absolutely not. No one had ever mentioned such a notion. Perspiration broke out on her forehead. Had she missed something? No, she couldn’t have. Staying with the local surgeon would’ve been one detail she’d definitely not overlook. ‘The board arranged a hospital house for me.’
‘That’s right. The one and only hospital house. Where I live with my daughter.’
Her shoulders sagged. He meant it. She was staying at Dan’s house. With Dan. And his daughter. ‘Your wife?’
‘There’s just the two of us.’ His mouth tightened. ‘You’ll be comfortable enough.’
No way. She couldn’t, wouldn’t. What about her unprecedented attraction to him? How could she handle that when they were squeezed into the same place? Then there was the job. He’d always be asking how she was doing. Who had she seen? How was she treating them? Her voice sounded shrill even to her. ‘There must be somewhere else. I don’t mind a small flat or apartment.’
‘This is Port Weston, not Auckland. Rental properties are few and far between. When I say there’s nothing else then there’s nothing. Believe me, I’ve checked.’ Dan stood up. ‘I’m not happy about it either. Unfortunately we’re going to have to bump along together—somehow.’
Of course Dan didn’t want her staying with him. He didn’t want her here, full stop. Tiredness dragged her shoulders down as she stood up from the stool she’d been perched on. ‘I’ll get my case.’
Bump along together, indeed. Her eyes widened and her face heated up. In a fantasy world, bumping up against Dan might be a whole heap of fun. There were definitely some very intriguing ways. But not in the ho-hum kind of way he was suggesting. Right now she wanted to bang him over the head for letting this happen.
Swinging Leah down to the floor, Dan watched Sarah striding across the room in a second, clean pair of silly sandals. Her cheeks had coloured up, and her shoulders were stiff. Those amazing eyes were giving off sparks. Passion ran through her veins, he’d bet his job on it.
‘Sarah’s unhappy, Daddy.’ Leah wriggled down to the floor and grabbed his hand.
So was he. He didn’t need a sex siren in his home. Not when his body suddenly seemed to be waking up. But he couldn’t be blamed for the board crying off outlaying money for separate accommodation for her. It was part of his tenancy agreement that visiting doctors stayed with him. Of course, none of them came for more than a week at a time.
Charlie had also stressed the importance of keeping Dr Livingston happy during her time here. And then they put her in with me? Dan bit off an expletive.
Everyone in the district knew that Dr Livingston had to be looked out for. There’d be a concerted effort to make sure she wanted for nothing. The board had a plan. One where the locum would fall in love with Port Weston and its hospital and want to stay on when the contract was up. The plan was doomed from the start. By all appearances Sarah would not stay one minute longer than her contract stated. But the relief that knowledge should engender within him wasn’t forthcoming.
Did he want her to stay? No.
Did he want to cut back his working hours permanently? Maybe. If it all worked out with Leah. If he learned how to give her what she needed and didn’t fail her like he had last time he’d tried to be a hands-on solo dad. If. If. If.
Then he had to think about those little mistakes he’d begun