by Joanna Neil
‘Yes. He strikes me as being a serious man, a businessman through and through.’ She picked up a patient’s file. ‘Perhaps he thought you should be at home, studying, the way he used to. He put a lot of store by qualifications, didn’t he?’
‘You’re probably right. It used to irritate him that I’d sneak out of the house when I should have been working on a project of some sort.’
She smiled inwardly. The fact was, Ross was a natural when it came to his studies. He didn’t need to work at it. The knowledge was always there, at his fingertips. It came easily to him.
‘I think at first I was relieved that he was away so much,’ he said, ‘but after a while I started to question it. He often left me to be looked after by relatives while he was out of town, and then one day he introduced me to the woman who was to become my stepmother, and I was shocked, through and through. I couldn’t accept her. As a child, I felt they were being disrespectful to my mother’s memory.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said softly. She ran her hand lightly over his arm in an intimate, warm gesture, and immediately he moved closer to her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. She faltered, realising how she had inadvertently let her guard down. ‘But you get on well enough with Stephanie nowadays, don’t you?’
‘I do.’ He smiled. ‘She was very patient with me.’
‘That’s good.’ Her gaze was thoughtful, pondering. ‘Perhaps she might act as the bridge between you and your father so that you could come to an understanding?’
He chuckled. ‘You never give up, do you?’ he said, giving her a quick squeeze and sending her an amused glance. ‘I think that must be one of the reasons I’m so fond of you, Katie—you’re very straightforward, you never give up on something you believe in and you seem to have a deep-seated need for people to get along with one another.’
He studied her contemplatively, his eyes smokily blue. ‘What a pity you can’t take things that one stage further where you and I are concerned. We would do so well together.’
His expression was so intense the breath caught in her throat and she averted her gaze so that she wouldn’t see the fierce glitter of his eyes. It was too unsettling and made her think about what she wanted deep down, of her heart’s desire, and that was completely out of the question. He might promise her the earth, but who could tell how soon it would be before he moved on to some other fancy?
‘I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,’ she said flatly. ‘I’ve learned from my mistakes, and one thing I’ve realised is that I need a man with commitment and staying power, among other things, and that’s not what you’re about, is it? From what I’ve heard, you’ve never had the slightest urge to settle down with one woman for any length of time.’
She thought about that for a moment or two. Hadn’t he admitted that he was afraid of being hurt? If he were to give his heart and soul to a woman, only to have her reject him, wouldn’t the pain be as great for him as it had been when he’d lost his mother?
But there were other forces at work here, too, she suspected. ‘Perhaps somewhere along the line, by taking up with Stephanie in what you thought was too soon after your loss, your father’s given you the wrong idea about relationships.’
‘You could be right about that,’ he murmured. ‘I’ve no doubt my father has a lot to answer for. But it doesn’t have to mean that you and I can’t have some fun, does it? You’ve always been very special to me, Katie.’
She lifted a brow. ‘As the one that got away?’
‘You’re such a cynic. As the woman I’d most like to date,’ he countered. His smile was rueful.
She wished that could be so but wasn’t the truth that Ross liked to keep his options open?
‘I think you’re forgetting you’re my boss now,’ she said. ‘And it wouldn’t be at all professional for you and I to get involved, would it? Even if I was inclined to entertain the idea,’ she hastened to add.
‘I mean, people would talk, and I’m pretty sure that sooner or later they’d probably start to complain that we’re in cahoots over any new strategies you decide to introduce. Or, heaven forbid, they might think you’re favouring me in some way. You know how things work in hospitals once the grapevine gets going—all sorts of rumours and speculations get bandied about.’
He bent his head towards her. ‘I’ve never paid much heed to what people think I should, or shouldn’t, do. And as to favours...’ he chuckled ‘...I don’t need much incentive where you’re concerned.’ His warm glance drifted over her.
Her cheeks flooded with hot colour and she moved away from him. ‘I’m serious about this,’ she said in exasperation. ‘I can’t think why I’m wasting my time standing here, talking to you. I’ve patients to see. Perhaps you should go and check on some of the other children going through triage? There might be a really important case you need to deal with.’
‘You’re right,’ he murmured, giving her one last, appraising glance before he switched his attention to the list of patients on the white board. ‘And I’m headed for the assessment rooms right now. I’m sure some of these small patients would be better treated by nurses rather than doctors—that’s the first of the strategies I’m about to introduce. It would free up the doctors’ time and allow them to concentrate on the more serious cases. Excuse me...’
Too late, she realised that she was standing in his way, but with a smile he brushed past her, leaving her in a state of utter confusion. Their bodies had touched for a fleeting moment, his hands resting for a fraction of a second on her hips as he’d sought to steady her, and yet that searing contact had had quite the opposite effect. Her limbs had turned to jelly and she was left to stare after him and wonder how it was he managed to do that to her.
It was only as she walked over to the treatment bay to see her next patient that she realised he had been talking about starting up a nurse-led unit. His first day here and he was already working out ways that would disrupt her carefully organised system. She pressed her lips together. It just wasn’t going to work, was it, the two of them working in the same unit?
* * *
She was still smarting over the changes he had in mind when she drove home at the end of her shift. The sky was overcast, dark, and threatening rain. It seemed to match her mood perfectly.
The minor injuries unit was only the first of several plans, she’d learned that day, and it seemed as though everything she’d set up was about to be thrown into disarray. ‘Don’t take it to heart,’ Ross had said when she’d tackled him about it. ‘It doesn’t mean that your practices are being abandoned—I’m making small adjustments here and there, that’s all. It’ll all work more smoothly in the end, you’ll see.’
‘Will it?’ Sparks had flown as she’d turned her gaze on him. ‘So taking my nurses away is going to make life easier, is it? For whom? You should try working in A and E when members of staff are off sick, or on holiday, and you have to rely on agency nurses to fill the gaps. Do you know anything at all about the shortage of nurses these days?’
He was completely unruffled by her outburst. ‘There’s the thing, you see, people don’t like change, especially when they’re comfortable with what they’ve been doing for years on end—but once you get used to it, you’ll see the advantages.’
‘Or so you hope. There’s something to be said for altering the status quo, but you don’t have to throw out everything. Just because it’s the tradition to do things a certain way it doesn’t mean it’s all bad.’
‘I agree with you, and that’s why I think we should work together on this,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I respect the fact that you were a strong contender for this job, and I’m sure we’ll make a good team. I’m relying on you to let me know when you think I’m taking a step too far. In this case, though, I’ve a clear idea what I want to do.’
Obviously her words had no effect on him whatsoever.
He was determined to go ahead with his plans. She had been so annoyed that she’d turned away from him and had gone to find her next patient before she’d completely lost her cool.
She hadn’t seen him again before she’d set off for home, and perhaps that was just as well. He was the boss now, and it wouldn’t do for them to be airing their differences in front of the rest of the department.
Jessie was still at work when Katie walked into the farmhouse kitchen and set her bag down on the table. She carefully laid her jacket over the back of a chair and glanced towards the corner of the room where Baz had his bed. He had been curled up in there, fast asleep, but now he jumped up to greet her, his tail thumping madly.
‘Have you missed me?’ she said, gently tickling his ears. ‘I wonder what you’ve been up to today?’ She looked around and saw the remains of what had originally been a rubber dumbbell scattered on the tiled floor. ‘I think I can guess. What’s this, has Finn been buying you some new toys?’
He trotted away to fetch his favourite ball from his box in the corner of the room, and came back to circle round and round against her legs, eager for her to stroke him, his tail going ten to the dozen.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘We’ll go into the garden and I’ll throw your ball for you. But not for too long, I’m afraid, because I have to put the supper on and, besides, it looks as though it’s about to rain.’
She looked at him, a brown and white bundle of energy, so different from the waif and stray he’d been just a short time ago. Somehow he managed to lift her spirits in a flash. What did he care about hospital budgets and patients’ waiting times and targets and so on? Lots of playtime and plenty of food were the only things on his agenda, apart from cuddles from all and sundry. Life was bliss, as far as he was concerned.
It started to rain later as she was chopping up onions for the casserole she was making, and she glanced up at the ceiling, where a dark patch had begun to form because of water that had been seeping into the plaster over the past few months. There was still no sign of a workman who would come and fix the leak in the roof. This part of the house was a single-storey extension, and she guessed some of the roof tiles needed to be replaced.
‘They’re all too busy,’ Jessie said, interpreting her glance as she came into the room and shook the raindrops from her coat. ‘I’ve rung them several times, but I think the job’s too small for them—we keep getting pushed to the back of the queue.’
‘I guessed as much.’ Katie finished putting together the casserole ingredients and slid the dish into the oven. ‘How was your day?’
Her sister sat down on the floor, next to Baz, teaching him to sit and stay and offering him a treat whenever he did the right thing. ‘It was okay. Dad’s thinking of making use of some overgrown areas of the estate, and I’ve been helping him with the plans, in between stints in the gift shop.’ She looked at Baz. ‘Do you know, he’s so clever, he’s very easy to train.’
Katie smiled. ‘That’s because he gets to eat loads of goodies in the process. But you’re right. He’s house-trained already. We haven’t had one accidental puddle in the last couple of days.’
They talked for a while, and then she started on her chores while the casserole cooked in the oven, working her way through a stack of ironing, while Jessie ran the vacuum cleaner over the carpets upstairs.
The doorbell rang as she was getting the puppy’s supper ready, and he looked at her anxiously as she left his bowl on the worktop and went to see who was there. ‘It’s all right, I’ve not forgotten about you,’ she told him, but a frown creased his soft brow as he saw the prospect of dinner fading away before his eyes.
‘Forgotten about me? I should hope not,’ Ross said, as she opened the door. ‘I know it’s been a few hours since we were last together, but even so.’
‘Oh,’ she murmured, her eyes widening. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’ She stared at him in shock, wondering what he was doing there. Realising how ungracious she sounded, she said quickly, ‘I was talking to the dog. I mean...hello. What are you doing here?’ Then, before he could answer, she pulled herself together and started again. ‘Would you like to come in?’
‘If that’s okay with you?’ He gave her a quizzical look. ‘You’re still speaking to me, then?’
She frowned. Sooner or later they had to find a way to get along with one another. ‘I wasn’t in the best of moods earlier, was I? It all came as a bit of a shock, what you were saying, I’ll admit.’ She shrugged. ‘But I’ve talked it through with Baz since then, and he seems to think, what the heck, as long as we get three square meals a day—or four, in his case—it’ll all come right in the wash.’
He laughed. ‘It sounds as though you and he are getting along just fine.’ He walked with her to the kitchen. ‘Actually, he’s the reason I’m here. I’ve brought some more food for him. It’s in the boot of the car—a big bag of puppy meal and some tins of meat. Is he allowed meat yet?’
‘If he had his way, he’d eat whatever’s going.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘But, yes, we’ve been giving him small amounts. I guess he likes it, because he always licks the bowl clean.’
The puppy gave a mournful gulp and she quickly put him out of his misery and gave him his supper. ‘You didn’t have to buy his food, you know,’ she told Ross. ‘I said I’d see to everything.’
‘I know you did, but I think it’s only right if I pay. We’ve imposed on you enough as it is.’
‘I’m glad to do it. My only worry is that I won’t want to hand him back when the time comes.’ She waved him to a chair by the table. ‘Sit down and I’ll make us a drink. Would you like tea, or coffee?’
‘Tea would be great, thanks.’ He sat down and looked around the kitchen, admiring the décor, while Katie checked the casserole in the oven. It was almost ready.
‘I’m about to serve up dinner,’ she said, wondering if she ought to invite him to stay. Jessie would be aghast if she let him go without doing the neighbourly thing. As long as she kept him at arm’s length, it wouldn’t matter, would it? ‘It’ll easily stretch. Would you like to stay and eat with us?’
‘Ah, I couldn’t help noticing that wonderful smell.’ His brow furrowed. ‘I don’t want to impose on you, though. I only came to see how things were with you, and how Baz was doing...and to bring the food, of course.’
‘You’re very welcome to stay.’
‘Then thank you. I’d like that.’
She gave another wry smile. ‘Anyway, Jessie will be glad to see you.’
‘She’s here? I didn’t realise that.’ He tickled the puppy as he came over to him for some fuss, stroking his head and running his fingers over Baz’s chest when he rolled over on his back in a submissive pose.
‘She’s busy upstairs at the moment, but I expect she’ll be down in a while. I’ll start to serve up the food.’
‘Can I do anything to help? I could lay the table if you like.’
‘Thanks. Cutlery’s in the drawer over there.’
He washed his hands at the sink and then looked around admiringly. ‘Have you done up the kitchen yourself, or was it already like this when you moved in?’ he asked as he started to set out knives and forks. ‘It looks really good. Very homely. I like the colour scheme and the glass-fronted cupboards. And the oak shelving is a lovely contrast.’
‘I’m glad you like it. I did it when I first moved in here. I wasn’t sure before I started if I was doing the right thing, choosing a colour that was a mixture between pale blue and green, but I think it turned out all right in the end.’
He nodded. ‘It looks great.’
‘Hmm.’ Her expression was rueful. ‘Except for the damp patch on the ceiling. There’s a leak somewhere, either from the tiles or in the roofing felt or both. I just can’t get a workman to come out and fix it.’
He studied the area she pointed out. ‘A
fter we’ve eaten, I’ll have a look in the attic for you to see if I can find out where the problem is.’
‘Oh, but you don’t have to do that, really. I’m sure I’ll be able to sort something out, it’s just that it’s taking a while. We’ll be okay as long as the plaster holds.’
‘It’s no problem,’ he said with a smile. ‘Besides, if you’re going to feed me, it’s the least I can do, especially since I seemed to upset you earlier today. I didn’t mean to do that, you know. I just have so many ideas about how to run things, and I may tend to get carried away with them sometimes. It’s just as well that you’re able to point out some of the pitfalls to me, like the nursing situation, for example. We’ll have to find ways of getting around the problem.’
His expression sobered. ‘Are you very disappointed about not getting the job? Will it make you think about moving on and applying somewhere else? I’d hate that to happen.’
‘I was upset, of course.’ She gave a light shrug. ‘Until you came along, I was foremost in the running to get it. It’s what I’ve worked for and I would have enjoyed the challenge and the responsibility. But once I knew you had applied for the post, I was pretty sure you would be taking over.’ She took warm plates from the grill and set them out on the table.
Jessie came into the room and exclaimed with delight when she saw Ross. ‘Hi, there,’ she said, giving him a beautiful smile. ‘I’m so glad you dropped by. Katie told me that you got the job she was after—is that going to cause trouble for you two?’
‘I hope not.’
‘Possibly. Who can tell?’
Ross and Katie both answered at once, and Ross gave a wry smile. ‘We’ll have to find a way to sort things out between us,’ he said.
‘Hmm. If it doesn’t work out for you, I’m always here to lend an ear. I’m a good listener.’ Jessie was in a teasing mood, and Katie left her to chat to Ross while she fetched the casserole from the oven.
