by Lucy Clark
The arm was indeed in a bad way but after consulting the X-rays again she saw that the neck of humerus wasn’t fractured and so relocated the shoulder back into place.
‘Ooh, I hate those crunching noises you orthopods make. You know, Annie, for someone your size, I’m surprised you’ve got the oomph to do a lot of the heavy work involved in your speciality.’
‘Ingenuity, Paul. That’s all it takes.’
‘You should have chosen general surgery instead of orthopaedics.’ He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. ‘Then I could have…guided you.’
Annie laughed. ‘To where? Your bed?’
Paul laughed back and so did several of the staff. ‘Ah, Annie. You know me too well.’
‘We all do, Paul. Your reputation as the hospital’s worst flirt was determined years ago.’
‘Still having fun, Annie?’ Hayden asked from the doorway as he walked across to Annie’s side. Once more their gazes met above their masks and this time she saw a warning in his eyes. She frowned a little, wondering why.
‘Yes, and you’re just in time to join in.’
Hayden turned his gaze from hers to the man on the other side of the table. ‘You must be Paul Jamieson.’
‘That’s right.’ Paul nodded and then briefed Hayden on Hammer, the nurse making sure the relevant X-rays were up on the viewer for Hayden to peruse.
‘What have you got?’
Together they looked at the arm and managed to unmangle it. ‘We’ll need someone from Vascular to check this out,’ he commented.
‘Patient is stable from an orthopaedic point of view,’ Annie said. ‘Patient is all yours, Paul.’
‘Thank you, Annie, dearest, and you, Hayden. Sorry we’re not meeting under better circumstances.’
Hayden didn’t say anything but instead walked out of Theatre. ‘Next patient?’
‘Yes.’
They degowned and headed back to A and E. She was just about to ask him what was wrong when he said softly, ‘What’s going on between you and the blond giant?’
‘Pardon?’ She looked at him in surprise.
‘You heard me.’
‘Nothing. Why should I care about Paul Jamieson?’
‘You seemed quite…chummy with him.’
Annie laughed. ‘That’s just Paul. He flirts with anything in a skirt.’
‘You’re wearing trousers,’ he pointed out.
Annie stopped in the stairwell and looked at Hayden. ‘You sound…jealous,’ she ventured slowly.
‘No. Not jealous,’ he remarked as he continued down the stairs. ‘Just protective of my staff.’
Annie hid a knowing smile. ‘I’ll remember to let Wesley know.’
Hayden rounded on her as she came down the last step. ‘You know what I mean, Annie.’ He took a step forward, obviously trying to intimidate her, but she was too tired for games and stood her ground. They were almost nose to nose and slowly the smile she’d been trying to hide started to slip onto her lips.
‘You certainly sound jealous. It’s OK, Hayden. I won’t let it go to my head.’
‘You’re impossible in this mood.’ He turned and opened the door before walking out into the corridor.
Annie chuckled. ‘Oh, how you make my head spin with all these compliments.’
‘You’re fatigued, Annie. Perhaps you should take a break.’
‘I’m not fatigued. I’m releasing tension. There’s a difference.’
‘Teasing me is releasing tension?’
‘Hey, it’s working for me.’ He glared at her and she smiled back. ‘Now, I believe I had a patient waiting to see me a few hours ago. I’d better chase him up.’
An hour later the patients were still coming in.
‘What on earth happened at this party?’ Annie asked Natasha as they sat down for two minutes to quickly drink a much-needed cup of coffee.
‘A brawl, basically.’
The triage sister walked into the room. ‘You’re on, ladies.’
‘Thanks.’ Natasha stood. ‘So much for your quiet day driving.’
Annie glanced at the clock. It was just after eight o’clock and she felt as though she’d been in Theatre for ever.
‘You said it, my friend.’ Annie stood. ‘Let’s get back to the trenches.’
Soon she was back in Theatre, debriding another fractured leg before reducing the bone back into position with plates and screws. An hour later she started to close when a call came through to say Hayden needed her in theatre two with him.
She finished suturing and then stapled the wound closed before walking from the theatre, ripping off her theatre garb as she went and dumping it into the specially marked bin. She was scrubbed and with him fifteen minutes after the call.
‘About time. I thought you’d never get here. It appears Mr Bouchard has indeed shattered his pelvis as well as most of his ribs, his scapula and his tibia.’
‘Are you going to leave the pelvis for a few days? See if it settles?’
‘Yes. He’ll be fine in traction until we return on Monday.’
Annie nodded and they started the operation. They applied an external fixator to the patient’s tibia and pinned his scapula.
‘Yes. I’d like to see him on Monday morning during ward round,’ Hayden remarked as they strapped Mr Bouchard’s ribs. ‘And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re in Theatre not long after that.’
‘I’ll take care of the paperwork,’ Annie replied. After Theatre, she returned to the female changing rooms, dredging up the energy from somewhere to shower and dress, very thankful that the early morning call was now over. She was attempting to comb her unruly curls into some sort of order when Deb came in.
‘I hear you and Hayden are off somewhere together this weekend.’
It was then Annie recalled Hayden saying he would look at the pelvic fracture once they’d returned on Monday. She wondered if she could try and save herself by stating that although both of them were rostered off for the weekend, that didn’t mean they would be spending it together.
‘Don’t bother to deny it, Annie,’ Deb held up a hand. ‘You look like a rabbit caught in a trap. I just thought you should know the gossip is spreading around.’
‘Like wildfire.’ Annie rolled her eyes and closed her locker.
‘Does going away for the weekend mean it’s serious between you two?’
Annie shrugged and looked at the nurse.
‘Come on, Annie. We’ve worked together for about ten years. I listen to the gossip, true, but most of the time I don’t put any faith in it. If I have a question, I’ll come right out and ask you—or the person involved.’
‘True,’ Annie replied. ‘It’s nothing special. We’re going to Sydney for his sister’s wedding.’
‘Woo-hoo. Meeting the family. You’re that serious.’
‘It isn’t like that.’ Although she wished it was.
‘Yeah? Well, why did he look as though he was ready to strangle Paul earlier?’
‘Were you in Theatre with Paul? I don’t remember seeing—’
‘No, but I heard about it.’
‘He wasn’t ready to strangle Paul. In fact, Paul was…you know.’ She shrugged. ‘Just being Paul.’
‘Harmless flirting,’ Deb stated, and looked down at her hands.
‘Yes.’
‘I don’t think our new professor liked it at all.’ There was a hint of something in Deb’s voice. It was strained and Annie suddenly looked at her, as though for the first time.
‘Obviously, he wasn’t the only one. Deb, are you and Paul involved?’
It was Deb’s turn to look pale. ‘Yes.’
‘Wow. How has this been kept a secret?’
‘With extreme difficulty,’ Deb replied. ‘And we’d like to keep it that way.’
‘So it’s serious?’
‘Yes.’
Annie smiled. ‘Good for you, Deb—and Paul. I thought he’d never settle down.’
‘We’re getting old, Annie.’
/> They both laughed. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow’s your birthday. Have a great time.’
Annie headed for the door. ‘I will, and thanks for the tip-off about the gossip.’ She walked out with a mild spring in her step. It was nearly ten o’clock in the morning and they still had a ten or so hour drive to Sydney to complete. She should be feeling exhausted!
She organised the paperwork for the possibility of Mr Bouchard going to Theatre on Monday before heading to the A and E nurses’ station to check that everything was all right. As she neared she saw Natasha deep in discussion with Hayden, and when her friend saw her she mumbled something and then Hayden turned to look at her.
‘Now, I know the rest of the hospital is gossiping about me but I thought you two were above that,’ she teased.
Natasha laughed and gave her a hug. ‘Drive safely,’ she said. ‘And don’t forget to call when you get there.’
‘I will, Mum,’ Annie promised. She looked at Hayden. ‘Are we free to go?’
‘Yes. Triage Sister and Brenton have announced the situation is under control. We’ll leave the ward round to Wesley and sneak off while we can.’ Hayden was making no effort to hide the fact that he and Annie were leaving together and she felt a strange sense of…empowerment wash over her. He obviously wasn’t concerned at the two of them being gossiped about and she decided that for the moment she wouldn’t care either.
They walked out of the hospital together. ‘We’ll pick up our bags, then get under way.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘Excellent.’
They reached the inner roads of Melbourne just past eleven o’clock, with rush-hour traffic well and truly over. ‘Well, at least we got that bit right,’ Annie murmured as she settled back against the comfortable headrest. ‘What a morning.’
‘Not exactly what I’d had in mind.’ Hayden laughed. ‘Sleep if you can because we will be changing places later.’ He switched on some music and with the soothing strains of Vivaldi swirling around her, Annie closed her eyes.
She managed to doze, feeling a little self-conscious at first but then exhaustion hit and she slept soundly.
‘Hey, sleepyhead.’ Three hours later Hayden stopped the car, unbuckled his seat belt and turned to look at the woman beside him. Annie looked gorgeous as she slept, her pillow up against the window, her face cushioned at an odd angle. Her curls were tangled, her body was relaxed and he felt an imperceptible tightening in his gut. She looked young and vulnerable and he couldn’t believe she was almost forty.
‘Annie?’ Even the sound of her name on his lips felt right. He reached out a hand and gently touched her shoulder. She slept on. Leaning a little closer, not wanting to give her a fright, he worked hard to resist the urge to kiss her awake, even though her delectable mouth was begging for his touch.
‘Wake up, sleepyhead.’
Still nothing. Her lips parted as she sighed dreamily, and the control he’d been exhibiting snapped.
With his heart tattooing a wild and stimulating rhythm, Hayden leaned even closer and pressed his warm mouth to hers, savouring the forbidden contact.
She stretched langorously and opened her mouth beneath this. She moaned and shifted, deepening the kiss, opening herself up to him completely, abandoning every scrap of self-preservation she’d gathered around her.
Never, in his life, had he been kissed with such…honesty.
His good intentions, his plans, his ideals disappeared in the sensual haze that was Annie Beresford. He felt himself going down for the count.
Once, twice, three times, and then Hayden felt it.
The fine hairline crack through the thick ice that surrounded his heart.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HAYDEN hadn’t even realised Annie had made it over the wall that protected the ice…but she had. Somehow she had. He felt invaded but as his mouth moved over hers once more, the warmth of her pressed against him, he knew it was an invasion he’d unconsciously authorised.
‘Mmm.’ Annie shifted in her seat, breaking the kiss to allow a yawn to escape her luscious pink lips. ‘Nice dream,’ she murmured before turning a little and opening her eyes a fraction. ‘Hey, there.’ She smiled at him and he felt his heart fill with pleasure—pleasure he knew he had to somehow control.
She stretched her arms up to the soft top before flexing her cramped neck. The way Hayden was looking at her took her completely by surprise. It was the look that said he wanted to kiss her for the rest of her life, but she knew she was mistaken because Hayden didn’t believe in happy ever after. She clamped down on the hope that had sprung up—probably due to the dream she’d had where he’d been kissing her with a depth she’d never felt before.
Self-preservation, she reminded herself quickly.
‘Wha—?’ Her voice stuck and she cleared her throat. Where are we?’
‘Wangaratta.’
‘Wow. What’s the time?’
‘Almost two o’clock.’
‘You made good time.’ She moved in her seat and Hayden thankfully leaned back. The scent of him had been driving her senses crazy, along with the closeness of his body. All of this, in the confines of the car, were perfect inducements to a nice romantic moment—one they were not going to share.
Was Annie aware that he’d just kissed her awake? He wasn’t sure. Hayden cleared his throat. ‘Hungry?’
She thought for a moment and then nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘Good. Natasha told me this was a good place to eat.’ He pointed to the café they’d stopped beside.
‘Yes. As a matter of fact it is.’ She climbed from the car, glad of the opportunity to stretch properly while she waited for him to walk around the car to her side.
‘You’ve been here before?’
‘Yes. Natasha used to live here, and a lot of her friends still do. Kelly and Matt Bentley are doctors in Bright, which is about forty-five minutes that way.’ She pointed in the relevant direction.
Hayden smiled at her as they went inside the café. ‘I know where Bright is, Annie.’
‘Good. Perhaps on the way back, if we make good time, we can arrange to stop in and see them.’
He thought for a moment. She wanted him to meet her friends? Was that a good sign or one that meant she was getting too close? He shrugged. ‘We’ll see.’
Annie noted his reluctance. It had only been a suggestion and one which she’d made off the top of her head. ‘I usually try and drop in when I’m around this area.’ She tried to keep her tone nonchalant as they were shown to a table. ‘We don’t have to.’
She was making him feel guilty now, and it was the last thing he wanted. He picked up the menu and studied it intently.
While they ate, the atmosphere was a little strained to begin with but slowly they found the camaraderie they usually enjoyed. When they were finished they went outside and Hayden tossed Annie his car keys.
‘My turn?’ She couldn’t contain her excitement.
‘It’s what you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it?’
‘You betcha.’ She climbed into the driver’s seat. ‘Fasten your seat belt, mate. I’m gonna show you what this car can do.’
‘You also get to pay for any tickets.’
‘Deal.’
Before she started the engine, Annie turned to him and asked, ‘Do you trust me with your car?’
Hayden smiled, realising that he did. It surprised him. ‘I wouldn’t let you drive it otherwise.’
‘I see. I thought you were letting me drive so you could take a break.’
‘That, too.’ He watched as she rubbed her hands around the steering-wheel almost caressing it. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Taking my time. Getting to know him.’
‘Her.’
‘Pardon?’
‘The car, it’s a her. All cars are female.’
‘Says who?’ Annie took a breath and started the engine. The purr was faultless and, after adjusting and checking the mirrors, she
pulled carefully out into the traffic.
‘Says everyone.’
‘Says every male, you mean.’
‘It’s just a fact, Annie. That’s why guys can spend so much time with their cars. They never nag, they never complain, they’re always there when a guy needs them.’
Annie threw back her head and laughed. ‘Sounds boring,’ she retorted. ‘Besides, I wasn’t talking about the car.’
‘When?’
‘When I said I was getting to know him.’ She glanced across and laughed. ‘Don’t look so horrified.’ She laughed again and pointed to the pillow. ‘Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ll need to keep your mental strength up if you’re going to successfully avoid all the probing questions I have for you.’
‘I think I’d better stay awake and keep an eye on you. Who knows what crazy things you’ll do while I’m asleep?’
‘Aw, come on Hayden. I thought you trusted me.’
‘With the car, Annie. With the car.’
She laughed and so did he. They talked for a while and she was glad of the company, but after half an hour or so Hayden rested his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
‘Sing to me, Annie.’
‘What?’ His request startled her a little.
‘Sing to me. You have a lovely voice.’
‘How do you know?’
He smiled but didn’t open his eyes. ‘The wall between our apartments is rather thin.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.’
‘Not at all. I’ve enjoyed each and every tune I’ve heard.’
‘Quite an eclectic mix, I’m afraid.’
‘Nothing wrong with that.’
‘OK. What would you like? Country? Rock ’n’ roll? Ballad?’
‘Ballad, please.’
Annie thought for a moment, going through a selection of tunes in her head before settling on one of her favourites. She sang clearly and with passion, enjoying herself long after Hayden had dropped off to sleep.
She allowed herself to daydream…to pretend that she and Hayden, as a couple, were driving to Sydney to see the family. Their children would be in the back, lulled asleep by their mother’s singing, just as their father had been.
She sighed and shook herself, dismissing the notion. A tear welled up and slid down her cheek. It wouldn’t do for her vision to blur while she was driving so she forced herself to think about something else. Something uninteresting and benign—like Mr Bouchard’s impending pelvic surgery.
