by Joanna Neil
‘Thank you.’ The woman seemed to relax a little. ‘How long will he need to stay in hospital—do you know?’
‘It could be a few days. Children usually respond very well to the treatment.’ Ruby smiled at her. ‘I’ll leave you to talk to the nurse, and she will be able to explain anything you want to know and make any arrangements for you to be with your baby on our children’s ward.’
The woman inclined her head in acknowledgement and cuddled her baby to her while Ruby made preparations to set up the drip.
Some time later, when she had seen to it that the infant was settled and the treatment started, Ruby made her way back to the main area of A&E. Sam was there, arranging for a cardiac specialist to come and see one of his patients, but as soon as he finished dealing with that, he came over to her.
‘I was hoping we might get together some time to discuss plans for the fund-raiser,’ he said. ‘How are you fixed?’
‘Oh…I’m glad you’re going ahead with that.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘How about we do it now? I haven’t taken a proper lunch break yet, so I dare say we could go and have something to eat and talk it through. Or were you about to go off duty? You have to go over to the Heritage this afternoon, don’t you?’
‘That’s right, I do.’ He gave her a fleeting, assessing glance. ’There’s not much that escapes you, is there?’
‘Not a great deal. It’s all part of the job.’ She smiled at him. ‘So what shall we do? I know you’re always in a hurry, but even you have to eat sometimes.’
He gently cupped her elbow with his hand and turned her towards the door. ‘We’ll go and eat,’ he said. ‘You can tell me how things are working out for you with young Becky.’
‘Oh, she’s not doing too badly,’ Ruby told him. ‘She had another tooth come through, so she’s a little more settled now that’s over and done with. Of course, she’s missing her mum, and that’s a bit upsetting. She looks around for her every now and again, as though she knows something precious is missing, and then there are times when she’s fractious for no apparent reason…mainly when she’s tired.’
They left the department and headed towards the hospital restaurant. ‘You seem to be coping well enough,’ he commented. ‘Is she being looked after in the crèche at the moment?’
She shook her head. ‘My mother is looking after her today.’ Her mouth curved. ‘She likes to get in her granny time when she can—lots of cuddles and masses of spoiling.’
He looked at her oddly, and she tilted her head to one side, looking at him and trying to fathom his reaction. ‘Do you not find that your parents are the same with your brother’s children,’ she asked, ‘or even that your grandparents were like that with you when you were small? You said that they looked after your brother for a while, didn’t you, so I imagine they must have cared for you as well?’
He shrugged. ‘It was a long time ago, and generally my grandparents lived some distance away from the family home. I don’t see a lot of them, even now, though we get together for family occasions. As to my brother, he lives up in Scotland, so my parents go to see him whenever they can, but of course they’re away a lot.’
‘I can’t imagine that kind of lifestyle,’ she said. ‘My family have always been reasonably close by, and we’re always in touch one way or another. My grandparents are moving to live near the coast, but they won’t be too far away even then…an hour or so by car. We often spend weekends together as a family, and I can’t see that changing.’
They walked into the restaurant, and Sam picked up a couple of trays, handing one to her. ‘It has still been a problem for you with Becky, though, hasn’t it, even with close family to help. How have they all reacted to Sophie’s disappearance?’
She winced. ‘They’re very worried. They tend to think that she was ill as a result of her pregnancy, and maybe because of the shock of discovering that Becky’s father wasn’t going to be around for her. They want to support her in any way they can, and both my parents and grandparents have suggested that she might go to live with them once she comes home.’
She grimaced faintly. ‘I think Sophie felt that she ought to be able to manage on her own, but of course it didn’t work out. Now all we can do is hope that we manage to find her. I think the police tend to take the view that she’s an adult who made her own decision to leave. They suggested we involve social services to take care of Becky, but we declined that offer.’
Sam asked the woman behind the counter to add meat pie, potatoes and vegetables to his plate. ‘Sophie lived with you for a time, didn’t she?’ he said, throwing Ruby a sideways glance. ‘Was that your own house, or were you renting?’
‘It was mine. I can’t make up my mind whether to let it out or put it up for sale. I think I’m waiting to find out what happens with Sophie first of all, in case she comes back and needs to find a place of her own.’
She chose beef and vegetable casserole for her own lunch and added a cup of tea and a dessert of fruit and ice cream.
Sam was frowning as they went to find a table by the window. ‘So you’re definitely thinking of moving into your grandparents’ place, then? I thought perhaps you might find it a bit too much to handle, now that you’ve decided to come back to work.’
‘I didn’t realise that you knew about that.’ She sat down at the table and took a sip from her tea.
He made a half smile. ‘I know the general consensus is that I don’t mix too well or have any idea of what’s going on, apart from on the work front, but I do tend to absorb all the chatter that goes on around me. Just because I don’t always join in, it doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s happening.’
‘Ah…so you do have an idea about what people are thinking? They would really like for you to open up to them a bit more, you know.’
‘Yes, well, maybe I will, as soon as I’ve manoeuvred the department into its new, lean, less costly shape.’ He lifted his fork and slid it into a mound of creamy potato. ‘So, how are you planning to make things work if you take over your grandparents’ place?’
‘That,’ she answered, scooping up a forkful of succulent vegetables, ‘is what I still have to work out. It’s just that the opportunity was too good to miss, and it’s a beautiful old house, rambling, large, full of light, and with masses of land where children can run and play…so it would be good for the future—if ever I get as far as having a husband and children, that is.’
He sent her a thoughtful look. ‘How would you feel if your prospective husband doesn’t share your love of the place?’
Her brows drew together, and she wavered for a moment, her fork poised in the air as she pondered that. ‘He’d obviously be the wrong man for me. What’s not to like about that lovely farmhouse?’
She grinned. ‘Of course, coming from your background, you’d probably find lots that was unsuitable…all that clutter and mess. Even the stream and the pond are haphazard and meandering, and as to the meadows—all those broken-down fences and ancient stiles must offend your sense of order. The trees are old and gnarled, and the apple orchard tends to be filled with fallen fruit in the autumn. I expect your country estate is all manicured lawns and neat gravelled drives, with not a weed to be seen anywhere.’
He raised a dark brow. ‘Weeds? With all those gardeners employed to tend to the grounds week in and week out, I should think not.’ His mouth made a crooked shape, and soft light glimmered in his eyes. ‘Anyway, the house is a charming example of fine Georgian architecture, beautifully symmetrical in style, and it has certainly stood the test of time. I’m really quite taken with it. It isn’t mine, of course, though it has been in the family for generations.’
‘No. I understand that.’ She frowned. ‘Have you never thought of getting a place of your own?’
He gave a negligent shrug. ‘Not really. Up to now I’ve usually rented apartments because I’ve been on the move, going wherever promotion took me. I suppose now that I’m on the board of the hospitals trust, I ought to consider finding somewhe
re, but it seems a waste when my parents are away so much and I already have a wing to myself in the family home.’
‘Will your parents object to you setting up a fund-raising event on the estate? That is what you plan to do, isn’t it?’
‘That’s right. No, I don’t see them having a problem with that. The grounds are extensive enough for us to take over one of the fields, maybe a second one for the car parking, and we should be able to provide everything we want within that area.’
‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Well, that’s the question.’ He leaned back in his chair and gestured with his hands to show a wide-open expanse. ‘I’m open to suggestions. I thought a few stalls—cakes, bric-a-brac, plants and a raffle. Maybe some horse riding experiences for the youngsters…I haven’t really thought much beyond that.’
She finished off her last forkful of carrots and sent him a questioning look. ‘Where would you find the horses?’
‘In our stables. We have several thoroughbreds that run regularly on the racing circuits, and there are grooms to attend to them, but we also have other horses that are gentle enough for untrained riders.’
She raised her eyes heavenward. ‘It’s another world out there, isn’t it? How on earth did you ever come into medicine with that background?’
He chuckled. ‘I think I was impressed by the medical profession from an early age. My parents set up facilities abroad, and sometimes they took me with them, so I was able to see how they were progressing. I was very taken with how people valued the chance to receive medical help, and I was touched by how much difference a doctor’s intervention could make in someone’s life. The actual decision to take up medicine as a profession, though, came while I was away at school.’
‘You put me to shame,’ she said. ‘My medical career had quite mundane beginnings. I stuck plasters on my dolls and bandaged up my teddy bears, and they always miraculously recovered from whatever ailed them, so I was convinced from a very young age that I had the healing touch.’
He laughed. ‘And I’m sure you do. You’re very good at your job.’
‘Thanks. I just hope we can keep this department going so that I still have a job to come to in a few months’ time.’ She drew the dish of fruit towards her and picked up her spoon. ‘So what are we going to do about this fund-raiser? I suppose we could have a dog show. Those sorts of things tend to bring in a good crowd, don’t they? Unless you have any objections to something like that?’
‘Not at all. And, thinking about events that people can watch, I could ask the local tae kwon do team if they’d like to do an exhibition. They would be glad to take part, I think, to drum up support for their club and gain new members.’
‘There you are…we’ve practically sorted it, haven’t we? Shall I print out some posters? We could ask for volunteers at the village institute.’
‘Yes, that would be good.’ He began to eat his pudding, a stodgy treacle sponge that made her feel full up just looking at it.
‘Do you want a taste?’ he asked, picking up a fork and getting ready to offer her a sample.
‘Uh…no thanks,’ she murmured hastily. ‘I’m fine with what I have. In fact, I’m already wondering if I haven’t overdone it. My waistband feels as though it’s expanded a couple of inches.’
‘I’m sure that won’t matter at all,’ he said, his gaze travelling over her in appreciation. ‘You look gorgeous: all soft, womanly curves, enough to make a man’s pulse shoot into orbit. It’s just as well that you’re a paediatrician because if you were to give your tender loving care to the adult males who are brought in here, they’d probably keel over from their hearts going into overdrive.’
‘Oh,’ she said, looking at him in astonishment, her lips parting a fraction.
He groaned. ‘Please don’t look at me like that. It’s difficult enough to keep my distance as it is, but when you give me that wide-eyed look, it pushes everything else out of my head and just makes me want to kiss you. That’s not good at all, not when I have to go back to work and concentrate on the job in hand.’
‘Oh,’ she said again, her eyes growing even wider, so that he pushed his dish away and got to his feet.
‘If you’ve finished,’ he murmured, ‘perhaps we should go before things run out of control. I need to collect some files, and then I have to drive over to the Heritage and do my stint there.’
He held out a hand to her, and she slid her palm into his, allowing him to draw her to her feet. His grasp was warm and firm, and it was just as well that he was holding her because for a moment or two the world seemed to be out of kilter, and she had no idea why she was experiencing such a heady rush of heat from her toes to her face. She was sure her cheeks must be burning, and all she wanted right then was to get out of there, away from the restaurant and prying eyes.
Not that anyone would have noticed, she realised as she went with him out into the corridor. They were all far too busy refuelling themselves after a busy morning, and any feelings of embarrassment were entirely her own.
She walked with him back to A&E, and all the time he retained his hold on her hand, and she did nothing whatever to change that. He keyed the security code into the door panel and ushered her into the unit, draping his free arm around her waist, as though he knew she might crumple to the floor if he was to let go of her.
‘Okay, then,’ he murmured. ‘I’ll go and find those files.’ They reached the door of his office, and he hesitated for a moment, pushing the door open and glancing at her as though he was going to invite her in.
‘Yes, of course.’ She looked at him, all too conscious of his palm still resting in the small of her back, aware of the subtle pressure that was gently coaxing her to come and join him.
‘I should go back to work,’ she said, and he gazed at her for a second or two, reading her indecision, and waiting hopefully for her to give in to his tender persuasion.
Instead, she took a small step backwards, and he reluctantly let his arm fall to his side, allowing her to go. Released, she finally began to breathe more easily. It would not have done for her to take him up on that unspoken invitation. She was far from immune to his masculine vibes, and just being near him was playing havoc with her senses. How did he manage to do this to her, to make her feel as though her whole body was yearning to have him hold her close?
She turned and walked away from him, pulling in a slow, deep breath, trying desperately to get herself together once more.
‘Are you all right?’ Michelle asked, her gaze following her as Ruby went to rummage through the stack of lab reports at the desk.
Ruby nodded. ‘Of course. Why do you ask?’
‘I saw you coming back from lunch,’ the nurse said. ‘You looked as though you’d been hit by the aftershock from a quake.’
‘Did I?’ Ruby blinked. ‘We don’t get those around here, do we?’
Michelle gave a short laugh. ‘We do if Sam Boyd is around. I think it’s known in some circles as the Boyd effect. Women have been known to fall for him, big time, according to the gossip in the nurses’ quarters, but it never pays to think that you’ll be the one to crack the code. They say he always moves on, especially if things start getting too serious.’
‘Do they?’ Even as she asked the question, Ruby had to accept that she knew it was true. Hadn’t Sam told her as much himself? He had warned her that he didn’t have time for commitment, for long-term relationships with strings attached, and perhaps there was more behind that than simply a desire to put all his energy into his chosen career. Maybe he was afraid of becoming emotionally involved. Why else would he steer clear of any deep and lasting attachment? ‘Are some of the nurses suffering from broken hearts?’
‘Not as far as I can tell, but you know how these things are bandied about. There are people who know people…and then the rumours start.’
‘Well, thanks for telling me, but I wasn’t actually planning on getting involved.’
‘Maybe not.’ Michelle’s express
ion became serious. ‘But it happens sometimes, and I wouldn’t like to see you get hurt.’
Ruby sent her a quick, rueful smile. ‘Thanks, Michelle, but I’m sure you’re worrying unnecessarily. I don’t have the time or energy for romance right now. I have enough on my plate at the moment with all the worry about my sister and having to look after Becky while at the same time trying to hold down a job. Besides, Sam and I have nothing whatever in common.’ She went back to studying the lab reports.
It was true what she’d said, wasn’t it? Sam was attracted to her, and he was more than ready to explore the various places where that could lead, but he lived in a different world from Ruby, and even if she’d been tempted by the lure of his sensual magnetism, she was far too sensible to allow herself to be pulled into his force field, wasn’t she?
Chapter Seven
‘WHY can’t people take the time and trouble to refill the coffee pot when they see it’s running empty?’ Ruby said grumpily as she contemplated the dregs of coffee grounds in the filter. She picked up the filter paper and tossed it into the nearby bin.
The staff lounge was empty right now, except for herself and Sam, because there had been an influx of patients in A&E, and everyone was working at full tilt. Ruby had already been on duty for several hours, dealing with the usual crop of accidental injuries, respiratory difficulties and acute illness that brought people here during the weekend. Now, as this Saturday afternoon wore on, they were dealing with the aftermath of all-day drinking and injuries from fights that had broken out. The waiting room was full to overflowing, and there were a number of intoxicated, garrulous people waiting to be seen.
‘Because it takes time and trouble, I would guess,’ Sam said, throwing her a quick, assessing glance. ‘What’s wrong? You’re not yourself today, are you? I’ve noticed you’ve had a tendency to be quite short-tempered at times. Is it the drunks taking over A&E? Are they beginning to get to you?’