The Doctor's Cinderella

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Ryan wasn’t sure quite what to say. The elderly man was healthy for his age, with relatively few ailments, but his demeanour was another story. He behaved as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and nothing appeared to make him happy. Ryan had initially suspected a level of depression but that was quickly ruled out by a referral to a clinical psychologist. George had retired from his successful fishing charter business in the lower Eyre Peninsula town of Port Lincoln a very wealthy man. He had a very sweet wife, the two of them had taken numerous extended overseas holidays and were active for their age, and their four daughters had provided them with half a dozen healthy, happy grandchildren. If only, Ryan thought, there were a medication to remedy a glass-half-empty outlook on life. George’s cup was chipped, stained and the handle missing most days and he truly had no idea how fortunate he was to have the love and devotion of a woman as wonderful as Dorothy for over sixty years.

Ryan knew that he would never have that same unconditional love and, in his heart, he knew why. He would never trust anyone to get that close to him again.

* * *

Ryan walked back into his office leaving Dorothy Dunstan speaking with Molly. He hoped that she had listened to his instructions and would adhere to the strict diet, and the headaches would in time subside. There was of course a very good chance that the cause of her daily headache was George, and if that was the case there really was no medicinal cure. The only cure would be to leave him. And a woman like Dorothy would never consider that an option.

As he closed his door, Ryan’s thoughts unexpectedly turned from Dorothy to Molly. Molly, with her uncontrolled mop of brown curls and contagious smile. And feisty attitude. The agency had told him Molly Murphy would be temping at the office to replace Maxine, his office manager of six years who had slipped and broken her arm in her Zumba class. Immediately he had formed a picture in his mind of a pleasant and efficient Irish woman in her late fifties or early sixties to replace his very efficient but now injured gym junkie and almost sixty-year-old office manager. With an image of the Irish replacement having a love of home knits, wonderful cooking skills and a slight brogue accent, Ryan felt confident the woman would meet the needs of the family-focussed practice for four weeks. She would be the wholesome motherly figure like Maxine whom his patients would like and adapt to quickly.

Then Molly had arrived and she didn’t come close to his vision. In her mid to late twenties, she had no Irish accent, and she didn’t seem the type to sit home knitting. She had shot his clichеd assumptions out of the water. She certainly was a conundrum. And more than a little difficult to read. He had observed her open and comforting rapport with patients during the morning and decided that her chosen path in a medical support role matched her natural affinity with people and his patients would quickly warm to her, but there was something that didn’t add up. Her administration skills appeared more than competent but her medical expertise appeared more aligned to that of a doctor or nurse. He had overheard her speaking to more than one patient and the level of detail she provided exposed the true depth of her knowledge. The agency had not provided a rеsumе as his request had come at short notice but Molly came highly recommended and very quickly Ryan could see why.

He couldn’t deny he was curious about her. There was definitely more to Molly Murphy than met the eye.

At odds with her empathetic nature was a woman who had come out fighting like a cornered alley cat when he’d mentioned her dubious footwear. He was grateful that he hadn’t raised the matter of her arriving drenched to the bone with only minutes to spare.

He shook his head a little as he crossed to his desk and opened up the emails on his computer. Not many people surprised Ryan McFetridge any more. He treated most people with a level of distrust until they could prove otherwise and he believed that he could fairly easily and accurately sum them up. But he didn’t feel his usual level of confidence about his summation of Molly. He wasn’t sure what he felt but it did unsettle him that he felt something.

He closed his emails. There was nothing of interest, just a reminder about a medical association event he had agreed to attend the next evening and some pharmaceutical promotions. Running one hand through his short black hair, he opened the afternoon patient roster as he routinely did after every morning’s appointments were completed. He did a double take and, far from being annoyed, his interest was piqued when he saw changes to the layout of the next day’s patient listing. He hovered the cursor over the first name and the medical history and purpose of the appointment appeared. He tried it again on the next patient and again the function allowed him access to the notes of the previous three visits without going into each patient’s records. It was an abbreviated medical history with a link to archived notes. He smirked. Molly Murphy had been doing some upgrades. The reference to these details was an impressive feature and a function of the software package that he had never accessed because he hadn’t been aware it existed. Molly certainly knew the program well. And Ryan was more than impressed. He had not asked for improvements, nor had the busy schedule provided her with additional time on her hands to do this out of boredom. Molly had used initiative to make improvements. Again, she had surprised him and that never happened. Not any more.

Molly Murphy, he thought, you might just be the perfect for-ever woman...for my practice, he quickly qualified.

Ryan McFetridge had no need for a for-ever woman in any other area of his life. And particularly not a woman like Molly. She appeared very different from the women with whom Ryan kept company. Her manner with patients was genuine. The empathy showed a warm heart beneath her shapeless clothes. The women Ryan preferred wore clothes that hugged their shapes but underneath there was no sign of a heart. And that suited him. A night of mutual satisfaction with a woman who was not wanting or expecting more was all he wanted.

Because Ryan McFetridge had nothing to give. Nor did he want anything back.

He rested back in his large black leather chair, a touch of melancholy colouring his mood as he swivelled to look out through the rain-spotted window to the overcast streetscape. It was cold and miserable, with few people in sight, but for some inexplicable reason Ryan felt different. His mood was lighter. And Ryan had not felt anything close to that in a very long time. He brushed aside the coincidence of his mood lifting on the same day that Molly had started work. It was just that. A coincidence. It couldn’t be anything more.

His sole focus outside his work was his daughter. She was his motivation to keep going. To build a legacy to ensure she never needed or wanted for anything. That responsibility weighed heavily. And he would never let her down.

Or ever let anyone hurt her.

Ever again.

* * *

Swivelling back on his chair and returning his focus to his computer screen, he realised Molly Murphy knew her stuff and he couldn’t help but wonder about her background and her qualifications. And why she was working in a role that Ryan suspected was far less than her capability. He knew so little about her. He had to admit to himself he had noticed she was not wearing a wedding ring. He didn’t know why he’d even looked. But with Molly he was curious to know more. Although the absence didn’t mean there was no significant other in her life. And he reminded himself that she could potentially have children, although they would be relatively young.

But none of it mattered, he continued to remind himself. She was his office manager. Nothing more. Nothing less. But it still didn’t stop thoughts of her occupying his head. She was pretty in an almost fragile way but she had spunk and clearly knew how to take care of herself. And now his practice. There was something about Molly that reminded Ryan of the weather outside...unpredictable and challenging.

And Ryan McFetridge had always loved winter.

He drummed his fingers on the edge of his mahogany desk. It was inlaid with a deep burgundy leather and not in keeping with the rest of the more modern decor but it had been a graduation gift from his parents. As they had both since died not long after he’d opened his practice in Adelaide, he loved having something to remind him of them every day. His childhood had been happy and filled with love and encouragement and one of Ryan’s many regrets was that Lizzy had never met her paternal grandparents.

He rested his chin on one hand as he began to scan through his emails. He needed to get back on track and stop being distracted by random thoughts, especially those of his new staff member. Pondering the unknown was pointless and wasting time. He reminded himself firmly that Molly Murphy’s past, present or future after the immediate four-week placement was not his business. With common sense born from the realities he had faced over the years since Lizzy had come into his life, Ryan knew, no matter what effect Molly was or wasn’t having on him, he had to keep it purely business.

* * *

Despite her best intentions, Molly’s own curiosity continued to niggle at her new-found peace of mind. Lingering doubts were replaced by an unsettling and growing interest in knowing a little more about her temporary boss. As much as she also tried to push thoughts about Ryan away as she sipped on lunch, they kept returning. While she felt secure in the knowledge that she had ongoing employment for a month, she felt concerned about why she wanted to know more about her employer. And his daughter. She wondered if Lizzy was using her mother’s surname or maiden name. Not that any of it mattered. She was not naturally curious but now, for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to know more than was necessary to carry out her job.

Why did he have to be so damned attractive and, from all appearances, a loving father? she thought as she pursed her lips. She gently blew on her spoonful of soup in an attempt to cool it slightly. She had not been interested in men since her engagement ended. And she had to keep it that way. He was a man giving her employment for a month. And in her financial situation it was not unlike a rope to a drowning man. A godsend. She couldn’t confuse gratitude for anything more than that. She couldn’t afford to romanticise the situation.

Molly felt sure that she had reconciled the situation in her head and definitely quelled any thoughts stirring in her heart. It was relief and gratitude turning her emotions upside down. Nothing more, she decided as she continued eating her lunch, glancing occasionally out through the rain-splattered window. The weather was still dismal and, on top of the rain, she had discovered when she’d dashed out to find lunch that the bitterly cold breeze had not abated. A patient had told her that falling branches and trees had knocked down power lines in the foothills. It was only slightly better in their location as a powerful gust blowing down the street cut through her thick coat during her mad dash out, once again chilling her to the bone. An arctic freeze, one patient remarked.

She was grateful she had taken the earlier dampness out of her hair with the hand-dryer in the restroom and borrowed an umbrella from Stacy or she might have brought the stirrings of a winter head cold back to the practice with her. But climate aside, Molly’s day had insurmountably improved from the rocky start. A month’s employment was everything she needed at that moment. She knew rent would be covered and she could save a little for unexpected bills. Finally, she could exhale if only for a few weeks and that brought her great comfort. As did her warm surroundings that she studied in a little more detail.

The lunchroom was brightly lit, with a round white wooden table and four matching chairs with red cushions and an arrangement of fresh red and yellow gerberas, which she knew must have been imported at that time of the year; a well-stocked wall-mounted magazine rack that was female friendly in choices; and the usual kitchen amenities, including a red enamelled espresso machine and red mugs. Molly had wondered if Lizzy might have had input into arranging the pretty room since there were many not so subtle splashes of red in the decor.

A few moments later Ryan made his way into the lunchroom, slightly startling Molly. She had assumed he had left the practice for his home rounds. There were five visits that afternoon and Molly discovered Ryan, unlike many GPs, didn’t use a locum service to meet his patients’ needs. He called in personally to monitor those who were housebound by various short-and long-term medical ailments, including those patients who had been admitted permanently to nursing homes. He seemed more like a country-style, hands-on GP.

‘Molly,’ Ryan said as he made his way to the refrigerator and collected milk. ‘I wondered if you might be in here.’

‘Just grabbing a bite to eat.’

‘Ah, soup,’ he said, peering into the bowl as he passed by. ‘Is it home-made?’

‘No, the local shop,’ she mumbled as she swallowed and pointed in the direction of the local bakery across the road. ‘I didn’t have time to think about breakfast this morning, let alone packing lunch.’

Ryan smiled in reply and made his way to the espresso machine. ‘I’m not much of a breakfast person, slice of toast on the way out of the door if I’m lucky, but I never go without my coffee. I’m addicted to caffeine, I can’t lie.’

‘It’s not a serious vice,’ she returned, happy their conversation was light and casual and he was on the other side of the room. Her emotions were in check and he was just a handsome doctor making chit-chat. It was easy, she told herself. She had clearly overreacted before to being in a new environment.

‘I agree, there’s worse,’ he said as he turned his back on the machine and faced Molly with his arms folded across his chest. ‘Before I head off for the afternoon, I wanted to say thank you for the changes that you made to the scheduling.’

‘You’re welcome. I like the software and you hadn’t been utilising all of the features.’

‘It’s great. I had no idea the software had that capability.’

‘I’ve seen it at a number of practices, and even some small country hospitals use it. The bigger ones not so much.’

‘So, you’ve done some country placements in admin too, then?’

‘As a nurse, I accessed the software for patient notes and was impressed so I looked into it further.’ As the words slipped from her lips she realised she had said more than she intended. ‘Keep it simple and short’ had been her plan. Since the break-up Molly just wanted to keep her life a closed book. Information to be provided on an as-needed basis. But again, she felt safe. Ryan was just her boss and things were professional and she didn’t need to worry.

Ryan swung around to collect his coffee, then back to Molly. ‘Nursing background? Now it makes sense.’ He nodded to himself. ‘I heard you speaking earlier to a patient, Jean Burton, and the level of detail in answering her questions about her blood-pressure medication was so much more information than an admin assistant or receptionist would, or for that matter generally could, provide.’

‘You haven’t seen my CV, then?’

‘No. The agency told me you were highly recommended but no in-depth details. To be honest I didn’t have the time to look through CVs last week. With Maxine’s accident I just needed a replacement asap so I had to trust them...and I’m glad I did,’ Ryan said as he pulled up a seat and put his freshly made coffee on the table before him. His long, lean fingers were comfortably wrapped around the hot mug.

It was at complete odds with how uncomfortable Molly was suddenly made by his decision to sit down with her. Everything she had told herself about him having no effect on her was being negated quickly.

‘Are you a registered nurse?’

‘I’m... I’m actually an anaesthetic nurse.’

‘Any reason you specialised in anaesthesia?’

‘I did a Theatre placement during my second year and realised that was where I wanted to be after graduating, so that’s what I did.’

He sat back in his seat, releasing his hands from the cup. ‘Then you are a very long way from home, Dorothy.’

His smile was wide and Molly sensed genuine. But it was also making her pulse pick up speed. She had to get it under control. She wasn’t sure how but she suspected distance might help.

‘Not so far, really,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘I’m still working in the field of medicine...’

‘You are and, believe me, I’m not complaining,’ he cut in as he once again leaned forward.

To Molly’s horror he made the distance between them even less. His forest-fresh cologne brought a sudden tingling sensation to her skin.

‘Your medical experience is a huge benefit to my practice, but may I ask why you stepped away from Theatre?’

‘Long story and I won’t bore you. Just say that the temp hours suit me better.’

‘I shouldn’t imagine the remuneration would so much,’ he said matter-of-factly with a frown forming, replacing the previous light-hearted expression. ‘I suppose we stand a chance of losing you, then. I mean, if a better-paid gig came along in line with your experience, with the hours you want, then I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t, blame you for leaving.’

‘You don’t have to worry about that happening,’ she said, hoping her racing heart wasn’t making her blush. ‘If I make a promise or commitment I always keep it. This suits me just fine.’

‘In the interim perhaps, but long-term maybe not so much—’

‘Let’s not fudge words,’ Molly cut in, wanting to end the conversation. ‘I’m barely dry after four hours and my typing speed is twenty-nine words a minute. The average for a temp is over eighty. My strength is my medical background and you’re offering good hours. So, if you’re happy, I’m happy. It’s a great trade-off for both of us.’

‘I think you’re selling yourself short. While I have to agree you arrived a little soggy—I couldn’t help but overhear the hand-dryer running for ten minutes straight earlier on,’ he told her as he leant back on the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, giving her the space she suddenly realised she needed. ‘But I need more than a great typist in this practice and I think you’ll fit in extremely well. I’m astute enough to see what you’ve accomplished in a couple of hours. You’ve made changes I didn’t know were possible.’

‘It’s hardly rocket science but I’m happy you like what I’ve done. I’ve been here four hours so it wasn’t too difficult to make the changes. You had the software capability, it just needed to be utilised,’ Molly answered as she stood up. She had to create the space between them herself so she collected her bowl and cup, and made her way to the sink. She rolled her eyes at the way she had reacted having him so close. She dropped her bowl into the sudsy water in the sink. The unexpected effect he was having on her was absurd...and disconcerting. She wasn’t about to be swept off her feet. It was ridiculous. And risky. She had more to lose than gain by thinking that way about a man, let alone her boss, and she would never take a risk again.

‘Whether it’s been four hours or four weeks, you instinctively searched for ways to make improvements. It was like a four-hour quality-improvement audit. I never asked you to do that and no previous office manager has, no matter how long they were with me. But it was exactly what I needed. You, Molly Murphy, are exactly what I need and I would like to make it worth your while. In fact... I have a proposition for you.’

CHAPTER FOUR (#u26dbf2a9-5eb8-5723-9132-6906afe4525c)

A PROPOSITION?

Molly’s eyes darted about as she repeated the words in her head. What on earth could he be talking about? She felt quite sure it wasn’t the type of proposition that her body might be silently willing, if he got too close again.

It had to be business, but what? She had a job for a month. Once Maxine’s cast came off she’d return to work and Molly would leave. The practice was busy but not enough to warrant two in administration.

She turned around knowing she wore a curious look but she couldn’t hide it. His expression appeared serious and, damn, it made him look even more handsome. He was making her question so much about him and herself and it didn’t make sense. She was becoming even more unsettled and didn’t trust her reaction so she turned back to the sink. Grabbing for the sponge, she washed her cup and her bowl before she rinsed them both and placed them in the otherwise empty dish drainer. She needed something else to keep her busy and delay her turning back to him. Reaching into the warm shallows of the sink, she searched under the bubbles with her fingers for her spoon. Finding it quickly, she washed it thoroughly and rinsed it with the same attention before she put it in the drainer with the other things. Unfortunately, there was nothing else to wash and nothing else to do. There was effectively no way to stall.

She had no choice but to turn back around to the man who was stirring emotions she forgot she could feel. And those she never wanted to feel again. Hoping the feeling was fleeting and born from a mix of her initial job insecurity and gratitude to be in the role for a few weeks, Molly had hoped it would disappear as quickly as it had appeared. But looking at Ryan she knew it hadn’t gone or even dampened. It was still there. It felt a little like butterflies...and a lot like...she wasn’t sure. But she was confused. It didn’t make sense. She barely knew the man and she had sworn herself to a life without one. Men, particularly handsome, confident men like Ryan, brought only trouble into her life and she didn’t need any more. She also knew how bedraggled she appeared but for some reason the way he looked at her at that moment made her feel unexpectedly beautiful.

She quickly decided her mind was playing tricks on her. How could she possibly see something in Ryan other than as her boss within a matter of hours of meeting? That didn’t happen in real life. That was the stuff of movies. He and she were so very different. He was clearly established and on track with his life, and hers had derailed and she wasn’t sure when or even if it would ever truly be travelling in the right direction. Thanks to the man who she had planned to marry.

And she didn’t need to have her heart broken again.

Once was more than enough.

She noticed his jaw flick as his eyes slowly pulled away from hers. She sensed he hadn’t wanted to look away and that made her confusion grow and those damned butterflies in her stomach flutter manically. It was more than ridiculous. He was her employer, for goodness’ sake. Molly had noticed the absence of a wedding ring although she didn’t know why she’d registered that fact. She no longer cared about a man’s marital status. They were all off-limits in her mind. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her. There was only room in her life for one man and that was Tommy. He had to be her sole focus. No one would ever get close enough to ruin their lives again. Her mind was racing and she appeared to have no control over her thought process.

Without warning, and with purposeful steps, he moved closer to the exit.

‘Molly, I can see you’re preoccupied, and I’ve got to get to my home visits, but I want to let you know that I’m proposing a thirty per cent pay increase immediately, I’ll call the agency from my car and let them know. And they’re not getting a cent of it—it’s all yours. You earned it and I hope that might keep you on board and not headhunted. I think you could make a real difference here. If I have anything to do with it, and if I can stop you from getting bored, you might just be with me long after this assignment.’