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That tight mouth wasn’t giving an inch. ‘I see.’
No, she didn’t. ‘Have you seen the news today?’
‘As if.’ Finally that mouth softened a fraction, and Sienna lifted her chin slightly. Definitely beautiful in a classic way. ‘What did I miss?’
‘One of the rescue helicopters went down this morning.’
She gasped. Now that tightness was taking a backward step. ‘With serious consequences I take it.’
‘The pilot died and the other pilot on board is in a serious condition in the ICU at Auckland Hospital. Fortunately they didn’t have medical crew or a patient on board or there’d be more casualties.’
Another gasp, and Sienna moved closer. ‘I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I didn’t hear about that.’
What did she do for a living? Take gym classes in a cave? That tee shirt and those fitted leggings highlighted a well-formed body with muscles in the right places and soft curves to add a sensuality that teased him. Like he needed this right now. But it seemed certain parts of his body were out of sync with the sadness roiling in his mind. They wanted action. They weren’t getting any.
Then Sienna added, ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry.’ Another step and she was beside the deck.
‘It’s been a huge shock for everyone. You understand I’m filling in at the helicopter rescue service?’
‘Yes.’ She leaned her tidy butt against the handrail post. ‘I haven’t been very neighbourly, but I’m hardly ever at home.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll be gone in a month.’
Sienna straightened again. ‘Anyway, I do need to get some shut-eye. My day wasn’t a lot better.’
Her frostiness did nothing to detract from her looks, but however much she needed some quiet his loyalties lay with those inside his apartment. ‘Maybe, but I’m giving these people the chance to de-stress before making sure they get home safely. You could join us and wind down from whatever upset you with a wine and some music.’
‘It would take a lot more than that.’
He had to ask. ‘What happened?’ Damn it, why couldn’t he just mind his own business? Now he’d have to listen to some story that barely registered compared to the crash, as well as be sympathetic.
‘I lost a patient. A six-year-old boy.’ Her bottom lip trembled.
Damned if he didn’t want to haul her into his arms and hold her until the trembling stopped. His fingers gripped the beer bottle as if his life depended on it. ‘That’s terrible. You’re a doctor?’ Not a gym instructor, then.
‘A paediatrician. The best, and the worst, job out there.’ Her voice was low and slow.
She’s a doctor?
That explained the hours she was away from home. Who’d have thought it? But then, why not?
We don’t all come with labels on our foreheads proclaiming our medical knowledge. And why can’t doctors be beautiful, and have stunning figures?
Just because he’d never met one quite as attractive as Sienna Burch, didn’t mean they didn’t exist.
Then she yawned.
Which got to him, made him want to soothe her to sleep. ‘The kids are the worst cases. They always get to me, even if only for a greenstick fracture.’
‘And the parents. They’re hurting as bad. They want to take the pain into themselves so their babies don’t have to suffer, and it’s torture when they can’t.’ Sienna lifted her head and stared at him, her own pain obvious.
She took her job seriously, but it was hard to find a good doctor who didn’t. Impossible. Thoughtlessly he reached across with one hand to touch her arm. So much for hanging on to his bottle as a shield. ‘I totally understand.’ Squeezing lightly, he hurriedly pulled away. But it was too late. Warmth trickled from her skin through his fingers and up his arm.
Sienna was upright—and uptight. ‘If you can’t turn the music off then at least lower the decibels.’
Sarah, one of the pilots, appeared on the deck. ‘I think everyone’s ready to head home now.’
Harry stood up and found his neighbour’s head came up to his chin. Not often that happened. ‘There you go. You should be able to get that kip soon.’
‘I appreciate it.’ Sienna turned and stumbled down the path, not so youthful in her movements now.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Somehow she’d woven her way under his skin while being the antithesis of the open, cheery women he usually went for. She hadn’t effused sympathy, nor had she been cold about what had happened, just contained. But then, she was used to other people’s pain. ‘See you,’ he called after her, the temptation to goad her just a little way too hard to ignore. If she could shake him up, then he could return the favour. ‘Maybe we’ll both be at home at the same time one night this week.’ Unlikely since he was rarely here and then mostly only to eat and sleep.
There was no reply, just a lengthening of the strides taking her away.
As he was unused to being ignored, his interest was piqued. Had it been entirely her bad day at work putting that exhaustion in her face, her eyes? Or was there more going on in her life causing problems? Harry huffed a bitter breath. Why did he even want to know? He didn’t do getting to know women beyond the obvious, yet within minutes Sienna Burch had got under his skin like a serious itch. Not a good look. Best he didn’t scratch. That was going to take some serious effort, for sure.
‘I’ll start ordering taxis, shall I?’ Sarah nudged his arm with her shoulder. ‘For most of this lot anyway.’
Sarah had been trying to get his attention, as in up close and personal, from the day he’d started at the rescue service, and he’d been putting out the thanks-but-no-thanks signal to no avail. It would do wonders for his tired soul to lose himself in a woman tonight. Which was blatantly on offer, if he was reading Sarah correctly, and he had no reason to think otherwise. But he had a hard and fast rule—no sex with colleagues.
Sienna isn’t a colleague.
His gaze tripped sideways to the other drive leading up to the adjacent apartment and the woman stepping onto an identical front step. Short-tempered, not overly concerned for others needing an outlet for their grief, a different kind of woman. Intriguing. Irritating. To be ignored, forgotten about. If that was possible. It had better be. He turned to his co-worker. ‘Make sure everyone gets a ride home. Everyone,’ he repeated in case his message hadn’t got through. Boy, wouldn’t he like to scratch that itch with Sienna.
His temporary neighbour had ruffled his feathers. He couldn’t remember the last time a female had done that. Probably when he was fifteen and keen for just about any girl willing to join him in a bit of fun. His gaze remained on the neighbouring apartment, noting lights turning off, another going on—in the bedroom. Bedroom, bed, sheets, or not. Go, damn it. Just focus on that temporary bit and he’d be fine, wouldn’t succumb to the sudden craving filling him.
I won’t. I really won’t.
Would he? Could he call her a colleague because they were both doctors? It’d be a stretch but something to hang on to if this itch got too strong.
CHAPTER TWO (#u097dfc34-06d5-5fea-80f0-e933de4426dd)
‘WE’VE LANDED ON the roof of the hospital, Felicity,’ Harry told his young patient. ‘You’ll soon be inside where the doctors can take good care of you.’ He checked the belts holding her on the stretcher.
She pushed the face mask aside. ‘I don’t want to be here. I wanted to stay on the island.’ Petulance didn’t suit her.
Gently putting the mask back in place, he said in his best friendly doctor voice, ‘You need checking out by the specialists.’ He could understand that petulance but she’d nearly drowned. With lungs in the condition of hers because of the cystic fibrosis, that was bad. ‘You coughed up a lot of water.’
The mask was again shoved away. ‘You don’t get it,’ griped the fifteen-year-old. ‘This was the end-of-year trip that all year tens in science have been slogging their guts out for. Me included. And on the first day you bring me back to Auckland. Thanks a bundle.’
His heart softened for this angry girl. People with her condition didn’t get a fair bat at life. But as a doctor there was no way he could’ve left her on Great Barrier Island. They might’ve cleared the water from her lungs, but all of it? Secondary drowning was always a risk, especially with her condition. Close attention was required for the next twenty-four hours.
‘Ready?’ asked Connor, his off-sider, standing on the ground waiting to take one end of the stretcher.
‘Sure am.’ Harry nodded to Felicity. ‘I’m sorry I had to bring you home.’
She blinked and tears spurted out of the corners of her eyes. ‘It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t blame you. If Tony Wilcox hadn’t leapt on my back I wouldn’t have gone under water. I know not to. At least not for as long as I was down there. I got stuck on a rocky ledge for a bit.’
Again he replaced the mask, certain she’d remove it any minute. ‘You give him a hard time when you both get back to school.’ With practised ease he and Connor quickly had the stretcher out and rolling towards the sliding door decorated with red and gold tinsel that gave access to the hospital emergency lift. Staff in scrubs were waiting for them. Presumably a doctor and nurses. Wait. The serious demeanour on one face was familiar. The slam as his stomach hit his toes was not. ‘Sienna? You work at Auckland Central?’ Duh, obviously. It made sense, given that she lived not too far away.
An abrupt nod in his direction as though he was immaterial to this scene had his blood more than heating—it was boiling. Down, boy. Not the time or place. For confrontation, or getting friendly. What was it with her that already his body was reacting so blatantly? She really had worked a number on him. Bet she had no idea either. Damn it.
‘Hi, Fliss. This is a bummer, isn’t it?’ Sienna was focusing on their patient almost as if she hadn’t acknowledged him while everyone prepared to transfer the girl over to the hospital bed and change oxygen supplies.
‘It’s not fair, is what it is,’ grizzled the once again maskless girl. ‘You told me I’d be all right for a few days, Doc Sienna.’
‘I’m sorry, Fliss, I guess I was wrong.’ Nothing but compassion in her voice.
Sienna was taking the blame for something that was totally out of her control? Miss—make that Dr—Frosty? He really had read her all wrong last week. Or was it only in her medical capacity she managed to show warmth towards others? ‘I take it Felicity’s a regular patient of yours?’ Harry looked to Sienna.
‘Yes. We’ve been working towards this stay on the island for weeks now.’
Sympathy radiated out of those eyes he now saw were vivid blue, the colour of Lake Tekapo on a summer’s day. A lake he’d spent a day on trying to catch trout the first time he worked in New Zealand. It had been a fantastic day and despite the lack of fish he’d never forgotten how relaxed the stunning mountainous scenery and the bouncing waters had made him feel. It was a place he intended to revisit, if he ever found himself with a couple of spare days. The lake would be warmer than Sienna was towards him. Why the chill? Could that explain this overreaction to her? She was a challenge? It couldn’t be that he wanted to get to know her better, except maybe physically, and by the steely glint in those eyes that wasn’t happening.
‘Can I have the notes?’ A hand with rose-pink, perfectly manicured nails highlighting long, slim fingers waved in front of him.
Harry shook his head to rid the thoughts his overheated brain conjured up of those nails tripping over his hot skin. This was his unfriendly neighbour. Doc Frosty would never be interested in running her fingers anywhere near him. Not unless she was going to use them to impale him for not turning down the music the moment she’d requested he do so. The following morning she’d barely managed a nod in his direction as she’d left for work when he’d gone out to the four-wheel-drive that came with the apartment.
‘Excuse me, the notes?’
Focus, man. Passing over the required information, he explained, ‘The school first-aid officer managed to get Felicity to bring up a lot of water before we arrived, but she’s still coughing up fluid intermittently.’ A lot of that had to do with the mucus clogging her lungs, but still there was danger in residual salt water wreaking havoc with her breathing.
‘I’m glad the first-aid officer knew what to do.’ The frost melted a little as she studied Felicity.
‘I agree.’ Harry nodded before filling Sienna in on more details. Then he crossed to Felicity. ‘You take care, now; get back on your feet quick smart. Don’t let Tony Wilcox win this one.’ He got a watery smile in return.
‘Who’s Tony Wilcox?’ Doc Frosty asked from right beside him in a not so chilly tone.
‘The guy who caused Felicity to have her head under water too long.’
‘He didn’t mean it,’ their patient interjected, with a red flush going on in her cheeks.
So that was how this went. Young Felicity was keen on Tony and didn’t want to show it. ‘I’m sure he didn’t.’ Harry grinned, then turned to Sienna, his mouth still curved upward. ‘Might see you later, Doctor.’
As in, I could drop in to your place with a bottle of wine.
And probably get thrown out on his butt, because that had to be the dumbest idea he’d had in a long time.
Once again he didn’t get any acknowledgement from Sienna as she headed into the lift, all her attention on their patient. He couldn’t fault her for that. Felicity came first, but it irked that she hadn’t taken a few seconds to give him a nod. Yet the woman had apologised to her young patient for her trip going horribly wrong. The doc did have a heart. She might keep it buried deep, but he certainly couldn’t fault her for that. He did the same. It saved getting too involved and then having to bail when things got too intense. But still, he wouldn’t have minded a smile: a warm, tender one like the smile she had for her patient.
* * *
Sienna held her breath until the door to the lift closed off the view of her neighbour. Her very sexy neighbour. It didn’t make sense. Harry wore red one-size-fits-most overalls and he looked hot beyond belief. There again, she’d been out of the dating circuit for years so could be that a four-foot-nothing, overweight goat would look sexy in the right circumstances.
A hand was tugging at her sleeve. Drawing in air and shutting out Harry, she turned to her patient. ‘Hey, Fliss, I hear you took seawater on board. That won’t make your lungs happy.’
The face mask was snatched away and words spewed out. ‘It’s not fair. I worked so hard to go on the trip. It’s the first time Mum’s let me go away without her and now I’ll be a prisoner in my own home again.’
‘Put this back on.’ As the lift jerked downward Sienna slipped the mask over Felicity’s face.
It was promptly torn off. ‘Why bother? I don’t have a life anyway. Not one I like.’ Tears were tracking down her sallow cheeks as she gasped in tight lungfuls of air. Short, sharp gasps that wouldn’t give her anywhere near enough oxygen. ‘What happens if I don’t get home for Christmas, huh?’
To run with the physical problem, or the real issue behind this? Like other children with cystic fibrosis, Felicity had missed out on a lot over the years. ‘Your mum only wants what’s best for you.’ Sienna drew a breath. Yvonne Little also had a son with the same condition and was raising the children on her own, her husband having thrown in the towel saying he couldn’t cope. As if Yvonne cruised through everything. ‘I know you want more than anything to be doing what your friends are, but we both understand that’s not always possible.’
‘Doesn’t mean I have to like it.’
‘No, it doesn’t. As for Christmas, you’ll be home well before then.’ Fliss could also be back in here with yet another of the massive chest infections she was prone to, but Sienna wasn’t bringing up that subject. The girl knew it as well as she did.
‘My grandparents are coming in two weeks. I don’t want to be in here then.’
This discussion could go round and round endlessly. Sienna gave her a smile. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up, and start monitoring your obs. If everything’s all right, you should be able to go home tomorrow.’ She’d been about to say ‘go back to Great Barrier Island’ but realised in the nick of time it wasn’t her place, that Yvonne didn’t need her adding to her problems.
‘Whatever.’ Felicity tugged the mask back over her face, closed her eyes and turned her shoulder towards Sienna.
Sienna made a mental note to talk to the children’s clinical psychologist before leaving at the end of the day. Felicity needed help beyond her scope.
Early that afternoon Sienna hung seven-year-old Andrew Dixon’s file on the hook at the end of his bed and turned to his parents. ‘Andrew’s responded well to his surgery. His bloods are back to normal, indicating there’s no more infection.’ The burst appendix had temporarily knocked the boy for six. ‘As for his appetite, it’s coming on in leaps and bounds.’
‘When can we take him home?’ asked his exhausted father.
Sienna smiled. ‘Tomorrow morning after I’ve checked to make sure everything’s still going how it should.’ She loved giving out the good news.
Andrew’s mother was on the verge of tears. ‘Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. I hate to think what would’ve happened if we hadn’t got him here in time.’
‘Don’t torture yourself with that. You did get him here, and soon he’ll be creating mayhem at home and you’ll be trying to shush him up.’
‘Thank goodness for the rescue helicopter. The pilot’s great and the doctor awesome. He was so calm even when it was so serious.’
Sienna’s heart leapt. ‘Who was your doctor?’
‘Harry someone. I’m going to write to the head of the rescue base saying how good he was.’
‘That’s always a nice thing to do.’ Harry won people over so easily, no doubt his charm and smile coming into play. He hadn’t won her over. No, but she’d hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him all week. Sienna studied these two in front of her. ‘Andrew’s going to sleep for a while. Why don’t you take a break?’ They’d sat at his bedside most of the past two days and nights. ‘Go to a café and have a decent meal. Not a hospital one that’s unrecognisable. I’ll be here and the nurses will keep a close eye on your boy.’
‘But what if he wakes and asks for us?’
‘Your phone numbers are on file.’ And the nurses were adept at calming upset children. ‘Go on. Get out of here and have some couple time.’
‘Couple time? What’s that?’
Don’t ask me.
‘Remember you’re about to return home to three boisterous kids,’ Sienna said. She’d met Andrew’s siblings yesterday, and the ward hadn’t been quite the quiet haven it was supposed to be while they were here. ‘Time to yourselves is what you both need.’ Sienna all but shooed them out of the room.
Andrew’s father nodded as he passed her. ‘You’re right. A short spell to ourselves will do wonders. We’ll be at that café on the corner if anything changes.’
‘It’s not going to.’ Sienna watched the couple walk away and for a moment wished there was someone special in her life to go have a meal and coffee with, to help her let go of all the hang-ups from a normal day on a children’s ward. Someone like Harry? Definitely not. He was too sure of himself for her liking. So if she wasn’t liking him, why this sensation of slipping on ice whenever she was near him? She’d seen first-hand how caring a doctor he was with Fliss, and that always scored points with her. He just wasn’t such a caring neighbour. Was that a big deal? They might’ve got off on the wrong foot, and a simple conversation could correct that. Did she want to fix it? She was single for a reason, wasn’t prepared to risk the hurt of being dumped again. Her life was contained, probably too contained, but it was comfortable. Safe. Boring?
