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‘Good job, Dr Simpson. I’ll get him into the OR, patch up the skull fracture properly and repair the scalp incision.’
David peeled off his plastic apron and dropped it in the bin. The two ER nurses who were standing by exchanged smiles.
‘Could we get him up to the OR pronto?’ David asked. He removed his protective goggles and winked—winked!—at one of the nurses, who blushed furiously.
‘Thank you, Doctor,’ Olivia said stiffly. ‘We’ll get that organised.’
David indicated with a nod of his head that she accompany him outside. Olivia went with him, knowing if she didn’t he was likely to have his say in front of the staff.
But to her amazement he didn’t launch into an attack. ‘I meant what I said back there. Good work,’ he said. ‘You have the steady, delicate touch of a surgeon.’
Instinctively Olivia looked down at her hands. Did he guess that at one time she’d thought of being a surgeon? But that had been before Richard had become ill. Then the long hours and years the training would have required had been out of the question. She’d never regretted the decision, and when Richard had gone into remission and they’d decided to grab the chance to have a family, her dream of becoming a surgeon had faded into second place. The hours she’d worked in the ER had been long and hard enough as it was.
‘I wasn’t trying to argue with you earlier,’ she said quietly. ‘I was only wondering whether it would be better for our patient to wait until we got him to ER.’
His grin grew wider. ‘Hey, think nothing of it.’ He winked again, then his smile vanished and he lowered his voice. ‘Despite anything you might have heard about me, or will hear, I’m a bloody good surgeon. It is the one thing I take seriously. I expect we will brush up against each other in ER pretty often, so it is as well that you know.’
Brush up against each other! To her mortification an image of them brushing up against each other flashed into her mind. And it didn’t have anything to do with being in the emergency room. The blood rushed to her cheeks. Good God, did every pregnant woman’s brain turn to mush like this? Or was there something wrong with her?
‘I don’t intend to tussle with you every time we disagree about how to treat a patient,’ David continued. ‘Just as I won’t argue with you when you make an ER decision.’ He shot her a quizzical look but his eyes were glinting. ‘Hey, is it warm in here or what?’
‘They always keep the ER too warm,’ she said as nonchalantly as she could.
Candice came out of Resus and hurried towards them.
‘They say they’ll be ready for you in the OR in ten minutes, Dr Stuart.’
Without warning, an image of Mark’s exposed brain flashed back into Olivia’s mind, but instead of Mark she saw Richard on the operating table. To her mortification, her eyes filled. This damn pregnancy was playing hell with her emotions.
David seemed to do a double take and the smile left his eyes. ‘Damn. You’re crying. Is it something I said?’
Even more mortified, Olivia tried a smile. She blinked the tears away and pointed to her face. ‘Pregnancy hormones. Sorry. They’ve turned me into the oddest person—someone I don’t recognise.’
A strange expression crossed David’s face. Had she not known better she would have said it was regret, but just at that moment a white-faced woman carrying a toddler rushed through the doors and up to the reception desk. ‘I’m Mrs Lightbody. I understand my husband, Mark, is here. Where is he? Is he all right?’
‘Shall we have a word?’ David asked, tilting his head in the woman’s direction. ‘Or I can do it alone, if you need a moment.’
Olivia grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter and blew her nose. Then she looked him in the eye. ‘See! Back to a normal person. Told you it wouldn’t last. Let’s go and put Mark’s wife out of her misery.’
That evening Olivia left the ER later than usual. She was tired, and the thought of going home to her empty home held little appeal. She groaned as she remembered that she hadn’t been shopping for a while and ran a mental inventory of her fridge contents in her head. A couple of eggs, some stale bread and orange juice. That was it. Damn.
Although she wasn’t hungry, she had to think about the baby. Not for the first time, she sent a silent prayer heavenwards when she thought of the deli a few streets away from where she lived. It had a few tables and served delicious home-cooked meals. She ate there at least once a week.
As she stepped out into the car park, she saw a familiar figure bent over a bicycle. David was studying a flat tyre and looking around as if he expected a replacement wheel to appear out of nowhere. She’d passed him once or twice on her way into work and he had always been on his bike. It had surprised her. If anything, she would have expected him to ride a Harley-Davidson or a sports car. Maybe he did it for effect? He probably knew that he looked pretty damn sexy in his sleeveless T-shirt and cycling shorts. God! Now she was getting all hot under the collar again.
For a moment she was tempted to walk past as if she hadn’t seen him. She really was too tired to deal with someone as exhausting as David, but then good manners got the better of her. He’d helped her the other day, so she could hardly leave him to his own devices.
‘Problem?’ she asked. When he looked up her breath caught in her throat. He really was the most astonishingly good-looking man, despite the five-o’clock shadow that looked as if it were about to become a beard. Was he trying to grow one? That would be a pity. It would cover his face and she really didn’t like the feel of a beard against her skin.
Dismayed, she gave herself a mental shake. Where were these thoughts coming from? Hadn’t she told herself that she was not interested in David—beard or no beard—or any man, for that matter?
David smiled ruefully. ‘Thought it was a puncture and was about to fix it when I saw that the tyre has been shredded.’ He pointed to the tyre and Olivia saw what he meant. It looked as if it had been slashed. Perhaps the boyfriend of one of David’s conquests had decided on revenge?
‘I don’t suppose you happen to have a spare in that trunk of yours?’ Although he grinned, fatigue dampened the sparkle in his eyes. It was seven in the evening and, like most of the doctors in the hospital, he’d probably been in well before rounds at eight. So he had likely done at least a twelve-hour day, most of which would have been on his feet in Theatre.
‘No. I have everything in there—kitchen sink included—except a spare. But I can give you a lift if you like.’
He stood up and stretched. She’d forgotten how tall he was. He topped her five feet seven inches by at least half a foot.
‘Would you? That would be great.’
‘Jump in,’ she said.
She hid a smile as she watched him fold his long legs into the passenger seat. It would be an uncomfortable journey for him, but better than walking or waiting for a cab.
‘Where to?’ she asked as she pulled out of the car park.
He named a suburb that bordered the one where Olivia lived.
‘You’re not far from me. I live in Sea Cliff.’
He whistled through his teeth. ‘They must pay ER residents better than I thought.’
She decided to ignore his comment. ‘I have to make a short detour to pick up my dog, if that’s okay.’
‘Sure.’ He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and flicked through his contacts. ‘Will you excuse me for a moment?’ He threw a smile in her direction as he pressed the call button. ‘Have to cancel my date. She’s going to be as mad as hell, but by the time I get washed up we’ll have missed the first act.’ He grinned. ‘Opera’s not my style anyway. I would probably fall asleep before the first scene was over.’
She smiled briefly and concentrated on the traffic. His love life was no business of hers.
When he’d finished his call, which, judging by the one-sided version Olivia heard, didn’t go down very well until he promised to make it up to her—whoever she was—soon, he turned his attention to her again.
‘I suspect Melissa and I are heading for dumpsville. It doesn’t matter how often you tell people that your work comes first, they never quite believe it, do they? In that respect, it’s easier going out with another medic. At least they understand.’
His words made her think of Richard. He hadn’t been in the profession, quite the opposite. He’d been the CEO of a large multinational company, but he’d always understood how important her job was, just as she’d understood that he’d needed to work the hours he had. Perhaps, given their busy schedules, if they hadn’t met when they’d still been in college, they would never have ended up together. As it was, she could only regret the hours that they hadn’t spent with each other. If only they’d known their time together was going to be so short.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, it wasn’t until she pulled up outside the doggy day-care centre that she noticed at some point during the journey David had fallen asleep. God, she knew the need to nap wherever and whenever so well—most doctors learned the knack early on in their careers. In sleep he looked younger and, without the swagger, more vulnerable. He really did need a shave, she thought distractedly, trying not to notice that his lips were full, and even in sleep he looked as if he was on the verge of smiling.
Just as she was about to reach over and give him a small shake, his eyes snapped open and he was instantly alert.
‘God, I hope you weren’t in mid-sentence when I zoned out?’
‘How long were you on duty today?’ she asked.
He frowned. ‘Dunno. Last time I was home was yesterday morning. I stayed in the hospital last night. I slept in the on-call room for a couple of hours. Between two and four, I think it was.’
‘You were on overnight? And during the day too? That can’t be good—for you or your patients!’
He quirked an eyebrow. ‘Don’t you go all mumsy on me. I know my limits. As long as I get a couple of hours’ decent sleep, I’m usually fine.’
Mumsy? Had he just called her mumsy?
‘I won’t be a moment,’ she said, and hopped out of the car. When she returned with Bouncer, who looked dismayed to find someone in his seat, David was, once more, out for the count.
Bouncer barked at Olivia apologetically before jumping onto David’s lap.
‘What the hell …?’ David’s eyes snapped open again and he pushed at Bouncer, who was clearly not intending to move.
‘David, meet Bouncer. Bouncer, meet David.’ She grabbed Bouncer’s collar and tried to pull him off David’s lap, but the dog was having none of it. A bemused-looking David took hold of Bouncer, climbed out of his seat and deposited him in the back. ‘Stay there,’ he commanded.
To Olivia’s amazement, her dog, who would never do what she wanted unless bribed and coaxed, looked at David, blinked and lay down obediently.
‘How did you manage to do that?’
‘Dogs just need a firm hand, just like …’
Please, God, don’t let him say just like women and children.
‘Just like …’ He hesitated. ‘Just like horses,’ he finished, his eyes glinting. He yawned. ‘Think I might close my eyes again, if that’s okay?’
‘Sure.’ Olivia pointed the car in the direction of home and by the time she’d turned into her street David was asleep again.
When she pulled up outside her house, Bouncer leapt from the car. David opened his eyes and looked around sleepily.
‘Where would you like me to drop you?’ she asked.
‘Here’s just fine.’
‘Are you sure you don’t want me to take you all the way? You seem in urgent need of a good night’s sleep.’
David hid a yawn behind a fist. ‘I am. The truth is that the people I’m staying with—my friend and his wife—have a newborn baby. God! I never knew such a small thing could make so much noise. It’s just until I move into my own place. Trouble is that won’t be for another three weeks.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Do babies stop crying when they’re older? I sure hope so.’
‘Not actually having had a baby, or any nieces and nephews, I can’t tell you that.’ She was clearly in the mother category, as far as David was concerned. Why that should bother her as much as it did, she had no idea.
David stretched languorously. ‘Just as well I stayed in the hospital last night, though. Meant I was on the spot to deal with a brain injury from an RTA.’ He opened the door. ‘Thanks for the lift but I’ll run the rest of the way from here. At least being on the move will keep me awake and hopefully by the time I get home the little critter will have gone to sleep. But I sure could do with something to eat first. I don’t suppose you know of a place between here and my street?’
Olivia hesitated. She really didn’t want to spend any more time in this man’s company than she had to. But she recognised a starving, exhausted doctor when she saw one. Whatever and however he made her feel, he was a colleague. He needed food—just as she did—and then bed.
‘Look, I was planning to grab some dinner at a place I know just along the road a bit.’ She pointed towards the bay. ‘How about joining me? I’ll give you a lift home after we’ve eaten.’
‘No one waiting for you?’ David replied, looking puzzled.
Olivia faltered. She hated having to explain about Richard’s death and how she had come to be pregnant with his child, so she’d become adept at sidestepping people’s curiosity. ‘No, not any more.’
David looked at her searchingly and for a moment she thought he was going probe further. She returned his gaze steadily, willing him not to ask her any more questions. Almost imperceptibly, his intelligent eyes flickered, as if he’d read her mind. And then his by now familiar, lazy grin was back.
He turned his gaze in the direction she had pointed. ‘Does this place do steaks? I could murder a T-bone.’
Of course he was a steak man. Could he really be anything else?
‘No steaks, but they do a mean chicken pie.’
CHAPTER THREE
OVER dinner, chicken pie for him and a salad for her, and with Bouncer snoozing at their feet, they chatted about Mark. David was optimistic that he would make a full recovery.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair. ‘Coffee?’
‘Not for me. I’ll have a herbal tea.’
‘Herbal tea! Does no one in this state eat normal food? The Californians don’t know what they’re missing.’ However, he called over the waitress who had been smiling and dancing attendance since they’d walked in the door—the very same waitress, Olivia noted sourly, who normally had to be summoned at least three times before she deigned to attend to her. Unsurprisingly, their drinks arrived only moments after David had ordered them.
‘Anything else?’ the waitress asked, placing her hand on her hip and smiling directly into David’s eyes.
‘Thank you, but no.’
Olivia hid a smile at the waitress’s obvious disappointment. No doubt she’d been hoping to be asked for her number. The look she gave Olivia was less than friendly.
‘So,’ Olivia asked, ‘what made you move from New York, seeing as you like your steaks so much?’
‘The job here. I’d have to wait a year for an attending post to come up in New York.’
‘This is your first attending position?’ She was surprised. He seemed so self-assured when dealing with his patients.
‘Yep. Thought I may as well work in sunny Frisco for a year.’ As he took a satisfied gulp of his coffee, Olivia couldn’t help but notice his long, slim fingers. For a split second she imagined those same hands skilfully dancing along her skin and was instantly horrified. What in God’s name was she thinking? She forced herself to concentrate on what David was saying.
‘You’re not from these parts either, are you? English, I’m guessing. So what brought you to the US?’
She shifted in her seat, still feeling slightly unbalanced by her thoughts of a few moments ago. ‘I still have the accent, huh? Even though I’ve been here for years. My folks came over from London when I was a little girl and settled in Boston. That’s where I went to med school.’
‘Good choice.’ He tipped his head to the side. ‘They’ve got some of the best teaching hospitals. And then you moved out West?’
‘That’s about it.’ Olivia made a show of looking at her wristwatch. ‘It’s getting late. I’d better get home and Bouncer fed.’
David leaned forward. ‘I’m sure Bouncer won’t mind waiting another five minutes. What happened after med school?’ His eyes held hers, all signs of his earlier fatigue completely gone.
‘It’s a long story.’
‘I have time, and I’d like to hear it.’
Olivia raised her eyebrows. ‘Sure you’re not stalling just so that you don’t have to go back to your friend’s apartment with the crying baby?’
‘Well, that’s part of it, sure.’ His lips twitched when she pretended to look shocked. ‘Look, if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine by me.’
Olivia studied the man sitting opposite to her. Could he really be interested?
Yet the need to talk about Richard and their life together was strong. Maybe it was the intense way David was looking at her, as if she was the most fascinating woman he’d ever come across. It was dark outside and they were the only people left in the deli. The waitress had dimmed the lights and was huffily tidying up, making it clear that she thought it was time for them to go.
‘My husband—Richard—and I got together when we were both at college. We dated and then got married. I was doing my residency and, as you will know from your own experience, working all hours. As was he. He joined a large company and was put on the fast track. It meant we spent little time together, but we were happy. Richard, as expected, shot up the corporate ladder. I got a job at the hospital and I guess we continued as before. We moved to San Francisco when Richard was promoted to CEO of his company.
