Children’s Doctor, Christmas Bride

by Lucy Clark

  ‘Two blocks from the hospital?’

  ‘Davies Street. Do you know it?’ She held up her hand before he could answer. ‘Sorry. Of course. You’ve already told me you know the streets of Ballarat like the back of your hand.’

  ‘And I know Davies Street as intimately as the hairs on the back of my hand.’ He held up his big, manly hand as if to prove it before looking over at Summer with a smile. ‘I live in Davies Street, too.’

  ‘Really?’ Ballarat really was quite small. ‘What number?’

  ‘Sixty-four. Apartment two.’

  ‘You are joking?’ Her tone was dead serious. ‘We live in apartment three. We’re across the hall from you.’

  He nodded slowly. ‘Sounds that way. I should have guessed. I was the one who told Admin there was an apartment vacant and I do recall seeing a moving van pull up yesterday morning as I rushed off to the hospital.’

  ‘So we’re neighbours.’ Summer sighed, not at all sure how she felt about that. Ever since she’d met Jason Daniels, she’d felt an instant pull of attraction towards him, like nothing she’d ever felt before. She’d told herself that it meant nothing, that she would be professional, work with him during their shifts and then go home to her apartment and her son. Now, though, even when she was at home, Jason would only be across the hall. So close. They’d bump into each other in the hallways, or when they collected their mail. He could come over at any time and ask her for a cup of sugar—if he needed sugar, that was.

  ‘You don’t sound too thrilled about it.’ Jason hadn’t been too happy either. How was he supposed to keep his distance when she would be everywhere he turned? Even now, sitting next to her, her fresh scent, which was a mixture of wildflowers and promise, was settling around him. It was alluring, as was the expanse of neck she was displaying. He wondered what she’d look like with her lovely blond tresses floating around her shoulders, framing her face.

  He stopped at a red light just outside the hospital entrance and forced his thoughts to stop as well. Imagining how Summer Hoyts looked with her hair down, being affected by her perfume, by her nearness wasn’t going to happen. He’d had enough heartache to last him for quite some time and he didn’t need another helping.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so…unenthusiastic. At least Tommy and I will know someone in our building. That’s a good thing when you’ve just moved to a new town.’

  The light turned green and Jason pulled into the hospital’s driveway. ‘Do you know anyone else here?’

  ‘No. Not a soul.’

  He turned off the engine before shifting in his seat to face her for a moment. ‘Then, if you don’t mind me asking, why Ballarat?’

  Summer shrugged. ‘The hospital needed a paediatrician. I’m qualified for the position and…’ She paused for a moment, not sure she should say anything else but decided it didn’t really matter. ‘And I needed to get out of Sydney.’

  ‘You needed a change?’

  ‘A big change. So did Tommy.’ At the mention of her son, Jason turned to look at the two boys, who were still chatting quite animatedly about the latest Porsche 911. Tommy had the same colouring as his mother—blond hair, blue eyes. But where Tommy’s were a light blue, Summer’s were darker, more intense and when he looked at her again, he saw a hint of the pain she’d no doubt been through.

  Unable to stop himself, he reached out and touched Summer’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry for your loss. I know, from your hospital file, that you’re a widow.’

  She gasped and for a second he wasn’t sure whether it was due to his words or his touch. He hadn’t missed the fact that every time they’d come into contact there had been an increasing awareness between them. He quickly removed his hand, having only meant to touch her in a compassionate way.

  ‘Yes. Cameron, my husband, died eighteen months ago.’

  ‘That can’t have been at all easy for you.’

  ‘Or for Tommy.’ She looked at her son. ‘This is the brightest I’ve seen him in such a long time.’

  Jason’s smile was natural as he watched the boys in his rear-view mirror. ‘That must help reassure you that your move here was the right thing to do.’

  ‘It does and you have no idea how many times I’ve questioned myself since we left Sydney the other day. I know we both still have a long way to go with the healing process but this is definitely a positive beginning.’

  And that was another reason why Jason should keep his distance. Not only for his own sake but for Summer’s as well. She was a grieving widow and no doubt wasn’t looking for anything else relationship-wise. He was a bitter divorcé who didn’t need to be thinking about his attractive but aloof new neighbour.

  Professional colleagues. Perhaps, given a little more time, they could become friends but it was obvious neither of them needed anything else. Besides, he doubted whether she’d be here for that long. She’d soon realise that the big-city lights, the parties, the fashion parades would be missing from the new life she attested to wanting. No. There would be no point in getting to know her better. No point at all.

  By the end of her first week at work, Summer knew without a doubt that she’d made the right decision to leave Sydney. It was a comforting fact to know she was not only capable of making such decisions on her own but that they also turned out to be correct. The knowledge certainly went a long way to boosting her flagging self-confidence.

  As far as medicine and treating her patients went, she always knew where she stood, but in her own personal life things hadn’t always gone as planned. When she’d told her friends that she was leaving Sydney, they’d all told her she was mad, that she was still too lost in the five steps of grieving to know her own mind. They’d told her she was a bad mother to be ripping her child away from everything he’d ever known to take him to some small town where he probably wouldn’t have access to high-speed Internet services.

  And that was just her friends! When she’d informed Cameron’s parents of her decision, they’d been furious. How dare she take their only grandchild away, especially given the fact that he was a Hoyts and as such he not only had responsibilities to the community at large but also to the future of the Hoyts company?

  As it turned out, Tommy had spent less time on the computer during the past week than ever before. Instead, he preferred to come to the children’s ward with her after school and play cars with Bradley and the other children on the ward. He was interacting more with children his age, talking more about his cars and eating and sleeping better than he had for the past year and a half.

  Bradley was due to go home tomorrow, his eye having healed well from the extensive laser surgery he’d undergone over a week ago.

  ‘He’s taken a little longer to recover than I anticipated, but his vision is good and altogether he’s been very lucky that there wasn’t any permanent damage to the eye,’ Jason remarked.

  Summer had read up on Bradley’s notes to discover the seven-year-old had been in an accident at school where a sharp object had pierced the eye. He’d been flown to Melbourne’s Children’s Hospital where, once the surgery had been performed, they’d sent him back to Ballarat for follow-up.

  ‘I think your Tommy has certainly helped with boosting Bradley’s spirits. Coming in before and after school to play with him. It’s been really good for Bradley,’ Jason continued as he stood near her at the nurses’ station in the paediatric ward. Summer was watching the two boys in the playroom.

  ‘And likewise Bradley’s done Tommy the world of good. He’s found a real friend. I just hope it continues once Bradley leaves here and returns to school.’

  ‘I’m sure it will but you know how it is when you’re young. You can change your best friend almost every week and still be happy within yourself.’

  Summer shook her head as she continued to watch her son, her words spoken in an almost absent-minded way. ‘Not my Tommy. He doesn’t make friends easily.’

  ‘Really? I find that hard to believe. He seems quite a personable boy
.’

  Summer turned to look at Jason, nodding her gratitude at the compliment. ‘He’s polite. He knows how to make small talk and that sort of thing. Enough to get him by, but making real, long-lasting friends…’ She looked at Tommy again and slowly shook her head. Jason watched her closely, wondering if she wasn’t also talking about herself.

  Summer had maintained her poise and calm during this first week and while she appeared quite relaxed with not only the staff in the paediatric ward but their patients as well, she’d been rather short, sometimes even blunt with him. Never rude but direct and to the point. It was as though with him she was all business. Nothing more.

  He knew it was wise not to be concerned about it. After all, he wanted to keep his distance from his intriguing colleague but her son also fascinated him. There was something about the boy that wasn’t quite right and to hear Summer say that he found it difficult to make friends only confirmed his thoughts.

  ‘He didn’t have close friends in Sydney?’

  ‘He had friends…school friends…although I guess you could say they were more like acquaintances, but I’ve never seen him bond with anyone the way he has with Bradley.’

  ‘Why do you think that is?’

  ‘Why he’s so distant?’ Summer thought for a moment, a frown peppering her brow. ‘Possibly because his father was so distant. I’ve often wondered whether Tommy thought that was the way he was supposed to behave. Taking his cues from his father.’ She sighed. ‘Trying to act the same as his father in the hope of winning his approval, his attention.’

  Jason was surprised to hear her talk that way. It was the first inkling he’d received that perhaps not everything had been all sunshine and roses with her marriage. Or perhaps it was simply that Tommy and his father hadn’t bonded.

  Summer snapped out of it and shook her head. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to think out loud like that.’ Her smile was an embarrassed one but Jason waved her concerns away, trying not to focus on how incredible she looked when her smile was a natural one.

  ‘Don’t worry about it.’ It had been a moment, to show him that perhaps there was more to Summer Hoyts than he’d initially thought, and that wasn’t what he wanted. He was a man who needed distance from women like Summer. She wasn’t exactly the same as his ex-wife but he’d been fooled once and he wasn’t going to be fooled again. Even if he did dig a little deeper beneath Summer’s surface and find something other than pure ice, it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t getting back into the ring. He wasn’t risking his heart. Not again. Not for anyone. He and love didn’t mix and he’d learned that lesson the hard way.

  ‘Anyway, as you say, it’s good to see Tommy making such good friends with Bradley.’ He shifted some papers on the desk. ‘I’m sure when they’re back at school on Monday, they’ll be as thick as thieves.’ Jason looked at the clock. ‘We have about half an hour before Friday morning ward round begins. What time does Tommy’s school bus come?’

  ‘Oh, help. Is that the time?’ Summer burst into action and headed off to get her son. Jason watched the way she moved. It was with the same grace and poise he’d observed during the week, even though now she was rushing and a little agitated. It was good to see her feathers ruffled a little.

  By the time the ward round began, she was back, her working clothes, which consisted of a pair of three-quarterlength trousers and a knit top, looking uncreased and immaculate. She’d worn her hair up for work every day and Jason was now more than a little interested to see what she looked like with it down.

  At their apartment complex, they hadn’t even run into each other once. Of course, Summer had no doubt spent most of her non-working hours unpacking and getting things set up and out of the boxes, but he had to confess he’d been a little disappointed not to have even bumped into her now and then. He’d caught himself on several occasions wondering what it might be like to see her dressed more comfortably, more casually than the designer labels she seemed to prefer.

  What did she look like when she was cooking dinner? Sitting and relaxing? Reading a book? Did she ever relax back in her favourite chair and put her feet up on the coffee-table? What sort of food did she like? Was she a good cook or did she prefer to order in? There were so many questions he had about her and while he didn’t want to have them at all, he’d come to the acceptance somewhere around three o’clock that morning that he was indeed quite fascinated by his new colleague. He didn’t want to be, but he was.

  One question he often found himself pondering was what would she look like first thing in the morning, all tousled from sleep. And that sort of thought was of the dangerous variety because it bordered between a healthy curiosity and the line he’d drawn which shouldn’t be crossed at any point.

  He’d first met Amanda at a hospital function where she’d held the position of Miss Ballarat, brought in to cut the ribbon as they’d opened a new department. Jason recalled he’d been equally as intrigued by her as well, asking himself many of the same questions he was now asking of Summer. Now, though, he had all the answers where Amanda was concerned, and look how that first foray into the world of love had turned out.

  He forced himself to look away from Summer as she chatted with little Sally. The paediatric ward rounds were often longer and far less formal than on other wards because it was healthy for the children to want to interact with their doctors. Indeed, as head of department, Jason seemed to encourage it and Summer was pleased about that. The children’s mental well-being was vitally important and it appeared that she’d found another paediatrician who was on her wavelength.

  She said as much as the ward round finished and they headed off to the public day clinic, which was in the next building. ‘It’s a very friendly department.’

  ‘Do I detect a note of surprise, Dr Hoyts?’

  ‘It’s a good surprise.’

  ‘Your hospital in Sydney was more formally run?’

  ‘You could say that. Everything by the book for every department as decreed by Administration, unless you have a department head who’s willing to buck the system and, of course, no one is willing to do that because they’re all too afraid they’re going to lose their jobs.’

  ‘Let me guess, your head of department didn’t want to lose his job.’

  ‘No. Add to that fact that he kept thinking I was there to spy on him, to report him if he stepped out of line, and some days it wasn’t the nicest atmosphere to work in.’

  ‘Why? Why on earth would he think you’d do that?’ Jason held open the door to the clinic for her. Summer looked around briefly but her thoughts were centred on Jason’s question.

  ‘Because before my husband’s death, he was the hospital’s administrator.’ Summer said the words with a frown, then picked up her first set of case notes and called her patient through to the waiting room.

  She saw two children who had otitis media, three who she diagnosed with asthma and another few who presented with suspicious rashes. There was also a child with a suspected fractured thumb whose mother hadn’t deemed it necessary to take him to the A and E department. Summer sent them to Radiology with X-ray request forms and then quickly scanned the patient’s notes in case it gave her any clues as to the boy’s previous medical history.

  The last few entries had been written in Jason’s neat and legible handwriting which stated he wanted the boy—Ashley—to be closely monitored and any further bone breaks or incidents to be reported both to himself and Social Services.

  Summer picked up the notes and headed down the corridor to Jason’s consulting room. She knocked twice and when he called for her to come in, she was pleased to find him alone.

  ‘Hi. How’s it going?’ he asked as he stood and stretched his arms up and over his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Summer watched as the white cotton shirt pulled tight across his long, firm body and she couldn’t help but admire his physique. He didn’t wear a tie and the collar of his shirt was unbuttoned and open, the bottom of his shirt was starting to come untucked, his trousers
riding a little lower on his hips.

  She swallowed, astonished to find she couldn’t look away. The man had been on her mind more often than not this past week and that was something she hadn’t expected. She found herself listening near her front door for sounds coming from across the hall but given the apartment had been built with strong, sturdy walls, she hadn’t been able to hear anything. It was ridiculous. It was silly and schoolgirlish but even now, watching him stretch like this, Summer was starting to realise that she really was attracted to Jason, rather than simply being intrigued by him, as she’d initially thought.

  ‘So. What can I do for you?’

  She closed her eyes, wondering if he’d seen her staring at his body before deciding she’d better ignore the entire thing, wipe the vision from her mind and get on with her job.

  ‘Are you all right, Summer?’

  Her eyes snapped open. ‘Yes. Fine.’ She held out Ashley’s case notes to him. ‘You’ve written that you wanted to be notified.’

  ‘Ah. Ashley Jones. Right. Thanks.’ He quickly scanned what she’d written. ‘Did his mother actually take him to Radiology?’

  ‘I sent her down there.’

  Jason quickly picked up the phone and dialled the other department, relaxing a little when it was confirmed that the patient was indeed there. ‘Send an orderly back to the clinic with them to ensure they return for further consultation,’ Jason instructed, before replacing the receiver and dialling Social Services. When that was done, he looked at Summer. ‘Do you mind if I sit in on the rest of the consultation?’

  ‘Not at all. If you’d prefer to take the case over, I don’t have a problem with that at all.’

  ‘No. Chances are Mrs Jones asked specifically to see you because you’re the new doctor and wouldn’t know what was going on.’

  Summer nodded. ‘I’ve seen this sort of ploy before. How many other doctors has she taken Ashley to in the hope of covering her tracks?’

  ‘I don’t think it’s her tracks she’s covering. The family only moved to town six months ago and Ashley’s older brother has been arrested twice for unruly public behaviour.’