He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Don’t you trust me? You trusted me on Saturday night!’
It was herself she didn’t trust! ‘That…that was different. I didn’t know then that we’d be working together. Now things have changed completely. We’re colleagues—how could I concentrate on work if we…’
‘Had a romance?’ A slight smile quirked the side of his mouth. ‘Perhaps you’re right! We’ll have to keep sex and work well apart, then, won’t we?’
Rosie looked at him doubtfully—that wasn’t quite the answer she’d expected! Did Andy agree with her or not? He swung the car onto the road again and drove back to the surgery without further comment.
As they drew up in the car park she looked at him steadily, a frown of resolve on her face. ‘Perhaps we should be clear that our professional relationship starts right now!’ she said briskly.
‘Whatever you say, Dr Loveday—at least in working hours!’
She looked at him uncertainly for a second, then got out of the car quickly and walked towards the surgery.
Andy watched her with a wry smile. ‘Perhaps she’s right,’ he said wryly to himself. But it would be difficult—darned difficult to work closely with someone like Rosie Loveday and think of nothing but work!
Slowly he got out of the car and locked the door, twisting the key savagely in the lock. Fate, he reflected angrily, might have been more kind to him. It had been a long long time since he’d felt drawn to any woman, but as soon as he’d seen Rosie’s tall lissom figure and wide brown eyes he’d known it was more than an ordinary passing fancy. He was captivated by her—her looks, her manner—and he was well aware of the mutual crackle of sexual tension between them. If the phone call hadn’t come when it had, he’d have met Rosie for breakfast as they’d promised each other, and not jeopardised the progress of their relationship.
He sighed. His ex-wife had a habit of throwing his life off course just when he thought it was picking up. He shouldn’t be surprised—she’d done it so often before that he was beginning to think she had second sight! He walked slowly towards the surgery.
It was a quiet lunchtime. Maria was munching her sandwiches behind the glass screen of Reception and reading a health and beauty magazine with great absorption. Rosie went straight into her room and flung her briefcase onto her desk before sinking onto a chair. She could still hardly believe that the locum who was to replace Roddy Turner was the man she’d made passionate love with only two nights before! It was crazy, but it had happened, and she’d just have to make the best of it—forget that the most drop-dead gorgeous male was going to be working in the room next to hers!
She sat gazing before her rather glumly. Three days before she had been a young widow with no thoughts of romance or the future, beyond looking after Amy and working hard at her career. Suddenly everything had changed. It was almost as if Tony had given her permission to finish grieving for him that night and start life anew. And hadn’t she grabbed that chance? she thought ruefully. Why had she done something so out of character as to jump into bed with the first man she met?
‘Because I didn’t seem able to help it,’ she muttered savagely. ‘I didn’t expect to fall for anyone that night—but I did!’
The sudden sound of a child screaming outside in the reception area jolted Rosie back to reality. She looked up, startled, all thoughts of Andy Templeton melting away as the noise seemed to double in volume. What in heaven’s name was going on? Had there been an accident? She got up and almost ran to the door, flinging it open.
Maria was standing there, a mixture of amusement and alarm on her face. A woman with a child on her knee was behind her, sitting on one of the reception area chairs. The child’s screaming began to abate.
‘What’s happening, Maria? Has someone been hurt? It sounds as if a young child’s had an accident.’
Maria shook her head. ‘It’s not the child that’s in trouble, Rosie—it’s your childminder, Veronica! She’s hurt her finger. Amy’s here, but she’s fine—she just wants you!’
Rosie looked at her in surprise, then suddenly stiffened as a familiar little voice said loudly and demandingly, ‘Want Mummy—get Mummy now!’
Amy’s stout little figure toddled over to Rosie, her face wreathed in smiles, and flung her arms round her mother’s knees in delight.
‘What’s happened?’ asked Rosie, lifting Amy and kissing her fat little cheek, then turning towards Veronica. ‘Did you have an accident? Have you hurt yourself badly?’
Veronica’s round face looked embarrassed, and rather white. ‘I’m awfully sorry to bother you, Dr Loveday, but I trapped my finger in the sash window as I was trying to raise it. It’s so painful, I thought I might faint, and I didn’t think I could look after Rosie, feeling as I did.’
Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip, trying to keep herself from crying, then she rallied slightly. ‘I hope you don’t mind me coming when it’s lunchtime, but you’re only round the corner, and I just wondered if you could do anything about it…’
‘It must be agony,’ said Rosie sympathetically. ‘And don’t worry about coming to see us—you did the right thing. I don’t want Amy’s childminder collapsing! There’s no one here at the moment anyway. Let me just have a quick look.’
She put Amy down on the floor again and Veronica held out her hand, palm down, revealing a nail on her swollen middle finger that was dark purple.
Rosie winced. ‘Heavens—that looks nasty! I should think that’s throbbing a bit!’
Veronica nodded. ‘It feels really hot and tense—as if it’s going to burst!’
‘It’s an excruciating thing to happen, but I think we can do something to get rid of the blood that’s pressing against the nail—and you won’t feel a thing!’ she said quickly as Veronica blanched and clutched her hand protectively to her chest. ‘We’ll go into my room for a minute.’
Maria said helpfully, ‘Shall I take Amy to have a biscuit with me while you look at the finger? Would you like that, sweetheart? Come and help me pick out the best biscuits in the barrel and perhaps a little drink of milk!’
Amy danced up and down, her blonde curls springing round her head. ‘A biscuit!’ She beamed. ‘Lots of biscuits!’
‘So this is how we keep the patients happy, is it—bribery and corruption?’ An amused deep voice from the door made them all turn round. Andy was standing there, twirling his car keys in his hand. His eyes followed Amy’s plump little figure, now running round the adults with her arms out like an aeroplane.
‘She seems the picture of health,’ he observed with a grin.
‘She’s not the patient,’ said Rosie dryly. ‘She’s just here for the ride—and some biscuits—while I look at Veronica who’s done something nasty to her finger. Go on with Maria, darling, and I’ll be with you in a minute!’
Andy looked from Rosie to Amy and then back again, and his eyes widened in realisation. ‘So that’s it,’ he murmured. ‘It’s not hard to guess whose daughter she is—same hair, same eyes, same spirit—and I didn’t even know of her existence!’
Amy scampered off with Maria and he turned to Rosie and Veronica. ‘Perhaps I’ll be introduced to that young lady later!’
Rosie blushed. Why should she feel guilty about not mentioning to Andy that she had a child? She turned quickly to Veronica. ‘Show Dr Templeton your finger, Veronica.’
Veronica held out her hand and Andy gave a low whistle. ‘That’s a nice subungual haematoma you’ve got there—pretty excruciating for you.’
‘What’s a subungual…what you said?’ yelped Veronica fearfully.
‘You’ve squashed the tip of that finger and burst some blood vessels. The blood that’s collected under your nail is a subungual haematoma. That’s why it’s so painful—there isn’t much room for it to expand.’ He looked at her alarmed expression and smiled. ‘Don’t worry—it’s very sore, but it’s not life-threatening!’
‘I’m going to release the pressure before the blood clots,’ s
aid Rosie. ‘I’ve got half of the equipment,’ she remarked. ‘All I need is a match or a cigarette lighter!’
She walked into her room and, opening a drawer in her desk, took out a pin and a pair of small tweezers.
Andy followed her. ‘Let me assist with the rest of it!’
He felt in his pocket and drew out a cigarette lighter. ‘This is strictly for minor ops only—not because I smoke,’ he informed a pale-looking Veronica, who was viewing the proceedings with distinct nervousness.
‘Sit down, love,’ said Rosie. ‘Don’t worry—this is an easy procedure, and in a second you’ll be able to press a doorbell with that finger! Just turn round and face the window while I hold your hand steady and Dr Templeton deals with your nail.’
Veronica gave a little squeak of fright, but Andy moved behind her and flicked the lighter. Rosie gave him the pin held in the tweezers. Grasping them firmly, he placed the tip of the pin in the lighter’s flame until it glowed red. Then he pressed the tip firmly onto the fingernail. The slightest hiss and faint smoke appeared as the pin burnt through the nail.
‘Geronimo!’ said Andy with satisfaction as he drew the pin away. ‘The blood has somewhere to go now!’
Veronica watched blood ooze through the hole in her nail with disbelief. ‘Is that all you do?’ she said incredulously. ‘I thought I’d have to go to hospital—that’s amazing! It doesn’t hurt at all now!’
‘I told you!’ Rosie laughed. Her eye caught Andy’s and he winked at her.
‘When it comes to medical emergencies, we don’t make a bad team, do we?’ he murmured, holding her gaze.
There was something in his tone that seemed to be more than a professional comment. Rosie coloured slightly and quickly took a gauze pad from a cabinet and wound it gently round the nail.
‘The pinprick in your nail will heal very quickly—I’ve just put this on to protect it for a few hours.’
‘Thank you so much, both of you,’ gabbled Veronica, her face a much healthier colour than when she’d come in. ‘I’ll collect Amy from Reception now.’
‘You’re sure you’re OK?’
‘Oh, yes, I’m fine. It’s like a great big throbbing balloon’s gone from my finger! It’s really comfortable—I just can’t believe it. We’re going to the park now to feed the ducks and see the farm animals—Amy loves doing that!’
They all walked out to Reception and Maria brought a rather chocolate bedaubed little girl to the front.
‘Amy definitely likes the chocolate biscuits best, don’t you, love?’
Amy’s little cheeks dimpled. ‘More?’ she said hopefully. ‘Just one?’ She looked longingly after Maria as she went back behind the glass in Reception.
‘I don’t think so, Amy.’ Rosie chuckled. ‘Why don’t you go with Veronica—her finger’s all better now—and tell the ducks in the park where you’ve been?’
Amy grabbed Veronica’s hand and nodded eagerly. ‘Come on, ’Ronica, see ducks!’
Andy bent down to the toddler’s level. ‘Would you like to take this little doll to see the ducks as well?’ he asked, taking a small knitted woollen doll out of his pocket. ‘She’s never seen the ducks before!’
A chubby hand reached out to take the toy, and shining eyes looked up at him. ‘Yes!’ Amy shouted happily. Andy ruffled her hair affectionately and, watching him, Rosie had the sudden illogical feeling that he would make a wonderful father, the kind of father Tony might have been for Amy if he’d lived—kind, loving and gentle. She swallowed hard, suppressing an unwarranted feeling of tears prickling at the back of her eyes, and watched Amy toddling happily out with Veronica, cuddling the little doll to her body.
‘That was kind,’ she murmured. ‘Do you keep a supply of those?’
Andy laughed. ‘An elderly patient used to knit them for me—I have quite a stockpile!’ He folded his arms and leant against the wall. ‘Amy’s a little sweetheart—you must be very proud of her.’ He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, then added softly, ‘Any more little secrets you’ve kept from me?’
Rosie looked up at him sharply. ‘What do you mean?’ She frowned. ‘Amy’s not a secret—I didn’t tell you about her because—’
‘Because it might have frightened me off—or you didn’t want to be reminded of your responsibilities?’ A half-smile played around his lips.
‘I don’t know what you mean. It…it just never occurred to me, that’s all.’ Her voice sounded defensive, and embarrassed. She brushed a tendril of hair from her eyes. Wasn’t it true that those thoughts had floated round her head that evening they’d met? She’d wanted to be fancy-free that night—a single unencumbered girl once more!
‘I…I just didn’t think it necessary to tell you everything about me,’ she added carefully.
He nodded and said softly, ‘I understand—really, I do.’
A flush of anger touched her cheeks. ‘No, you don’t,’ she said heatedly. ‘I adore Amy. She’s the centre of my life—not that it’s any business of yours anyway. The day we met was the first time I’d been to a function by myself for a long time, and sometimes it’s good to forget about one’s home life for a while.’ Then she added with more spirit, ‘Anyway, why should you be interested in the trials and tribulations of bringing up a child alone? Occasionally it’s refreshing to think of yourself for once, even though you love them so much. But you couldn’t possibly appreciate that!’
‘Why do you think that, Rosie?’
She frowned. There was something about his tone that caught her attention momentarily. She shrugged. ‘I just mean that you can’t have any idea of the joys, yes, and the heartbreak there are in being a parent.’
‘Perhaps I do have an inkling, you know…’
Rosie looked at him sharply. ‘Well, I just assumed that as you don’t…’
‘Have any children?’ he finished off for her. He bunched his fists into his pockets and smiled faintly. ‘Well, you’re wrong in your assumption.’ He paused for a second, then added slowly, ‘It so happens I do have a son who means more than anything else in the world to me—so I think I know something of what you’re talking about!’ He added dryly, ‘I used to have a wife as well, but she and I are no longer together.’
A blush of embarrassment rose up Rosie’s face. How could she have been so arrogant as to suppose that she was the only one who had any knowledge of the trials of bringing up children and of being a lone parent?
‘I…I’m so sorry…I hadn’t realised…’
Andy laughed. ‘Why should you? Obviously we both wanted to feel “free”, as it were, the other night, and not admit to our other lives. And why shouldn’t we forget our responsibilities for a short time, and keep our backgrounds to ourselves?’
The phone jangled loudly in Reception and at the same time a troop of people came through the surgery door for the baby clinic in the afternoon. Maria leaned over the counter and called, ‘Dr Loveday—your first patient’s arrived!’
Andy looked down at Rosie, a wry smile on his face. ‘Maybe the reception area isn’t quite the right place to have a heart-to-heart. We’ll have to save that episode for another time—perhaps over a bottle of wine in more private surroundings!’
Rosie watched him as he walked out through the door. She wasn’t sure that having a cosy tête-à-tête with Andy was wise, but she longed to find out more about his background, intrigued about his little boy and the child’s mother. Her assumptions about him had been so naı¨ve—she might have known that an attractive man like him would have someone in his background who would always come first.
She sighed. Although she’d made it clear to Andy that socialising was out of the question now that they worked together, suddenly she wanted to know very much indeed about everything in this man’s life!
CHAPTER FOUR
LOOKING for a birthday present for Aunt Lily wasn’t easy in a seething department store, where every counter seemed to have long queues—especially when one’s mind was distracted! Pashminas an
d scarves danced before Rosie’s eyes, mixed with thoughts of Andy and revelations about his son.
She picked up a beautiful scarlet pashmina which she was sure Lily would love, and sighed crossly. Why was the man crowding her thoughts so much? Since the first day he’d joined the surgery, it had been a shock to realise that, despite their unfortunate start, she could be attracted to a man so forcibly again, and to feel once more the erratic lurches of emotion she’d felt when she’d first met Tony.
‘Do you want this gift-wrapped, madam?’ The assistant’s face swam into focus and for a second pushed out the image of a tousle-headed man with incredible sexy blue eyes.
Rosie shot a look at her watch—she had to cram as much as she could into her free afternoon before picking Amy up.
‘No…no, I’ll do it later myself, thanks.’
She paid for the pashmina hastily, and made her way through the crowds towards the lifts. If she was quick she’d have time to go to a little boutique round the corner and perhaps indulge herself in a new trouser suit for work. No point in getting anything for after-hours, she thought gloomily. The only person she truly 71 wanted to ask her out was off-limits now they worked together, and she’d told him that in no uncertain terms!
The lift was rather full but Rosie found a small space at the side. Just as the doors were closing, a figure hurtled in, squashing close against her—a familiar tall figure, far too large for the amount of space left. She stared incredulously at Andy as he squeezed in beside her, and drew in a sharp breath as their bodies jammed together in the crowd, the roughness of his chin almost grazing her forehead. He seemed to have sprung from nowhere!
‘Ah!’ he murmured breathlessly. ‘At last I’ve caught up with you. I’ve been trailing you for ages since I saw you across the store, but you were rather elusive!’ He smiled at her, his blue eyes dancing a few inches away from hers. ‘Wanted to organise that evening together I mentioned the other day. We have some talking to do. What do you think?’
Tempting Dr. Templeton Page 6
