The familiar smell of antiseptic greeted him as he stepped out of the lift and he inhaled deeply. He had missed this. Missed the smell. Missed the buzz. Missed the adrenaline rush that came from saving lives under the most difficult of circumstances. Neurosurgery was one of the most demanding specialities. It needed strong nerves and steady hands and he possessed both—or he had done until the skiing accident that had partially severed one of the major nerves in his arm.
Vincenzo flexed his fingers as he opened the scrub-room door. Although he was ninety-nine per cent certain that he had regained full use of his hand, there was still that tiny doubt, that one per cent of uncertainty. Until he was completely confident about his prowess, he wouldn’t operate. He would use the time instead to sort out this business with Lowri and the baby.
Heat flowed through him at the thought of how he would like to sort it out and he paused, wanting to be in control when he saw his team. There was no point thinking that he would prefer it if they conceived this child the old-fashioned way; Lowri would never agree. However, he knew that it was one of the reasons why he hadn’t been able to sleep. Every time he had closed his eyes his mind had conjured up pictures of them together. Although he had tried not to think about that night they had slept together, the memories had obviously lodged in his brain and all it had needed was an excuse to unleash them.
A shudder passed through him as he suddenly found himself recalling how smooth and silky her skin had felt when he had run his hands over it and how firm her breasts had been as he had caressed them...
A burst of laughter issuing from behind the partly opened door brought him back to the present and he frowned. He couldn’t remember his team laughing like that; he would definitely have discouraged them if they had. He was about to enter the room and remonstrate with them when he heard someone speaking and recognised the voice as belonging to his second in command, Jack Wallace.
‘Now, now, settle down, guys. You know our beloved leader wouldn’t appreciate it if he thought we were having fun.’ Jack’s voice changed, his American drawl replaced by the parody of an Italian accent. ‘The work we do here is far too serious to joke about.’
More laughter greeted this. Vincenzo felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him when he realised that they were laughing at him rather than at Jack’s abysmal attempt to mimic him. He let the door swing shut, stunned that he should take any notice. What did it matter if he was a figure of fun? Why should he care if people thought he was too strict? He was a damned fine surgeon and he achieved the kind of results that most surgeons could only dream about. He didn’t need their approbation or their love!
Swinging round, he made for the lift. Five minutes later he was in his car and heading back to his apartment. He parked in the underground garage then took the lift to the penthouse and let himself in. It took a mere ten minutes to pack himself a bag and that was it.
Glancing around the elegant, designer-styled rooms, he gave a dismissive shrug. There was nothing here he needed, nothing that he would miss either. They were merely things, purchased to create the right impression. He had no emotional attachment to anything in the apartment. No emotional attachment to anything in his life, in fact, and all of a sudden he hated it. Hated the apartment, hated the way he lived, although he had no idea what he planned to do about it.
Vincenzo picked up his case and left. He was going to take the first step towards changing his life and simply see where it led him.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘SO THAT’S JUST about it. How’s Megan? I bet she’s thrilled to be home from hospital, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, she is.’
Lowri dredged up a smile, not wanting her co-worker Helen Graham to see that her comment had touched a nerve. Megan had been very tearful when Lowri had left her with Cerys that morning and she couldn’t help feeling guilty. However, the nursing manager had been very good about letting her take time off while Megan had been in hospital and Lowri knew that she couldn’t keep on expecting preferential treatment. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the staff on the paediatric intensive care unit to have to cover for her.
‘She’s really excited because we’re going to choose her a wig tonight when I get back from work.’ Lowri laughed, trying not to think about the last time she had told this tale. She couldn’t afford to think about Vincenzo and the plans they had made or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. ‘Apparently, she wants a bright pink one, just like her favourite doll.’
‘Good for her.’ Helen laughed. ‘I wouldn’t mind a change of hair colour either, although my hubby would have a fit if I came back sporting bright pink locks. Hmm, might be a good enough reason to do it. He needs a bit of a shake up to stop him getting too complacent.’
Lowri laughed as Helen gave her a wink and left. Helen and her husband were about to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary so whatever they were doing, it was obviously right.
She sighed as she picked up the patients’ list. She hadn’t even made it to the altar let alone started celebrating anniversaries. Although she’d had several relationships, none of them had worked out. When she had met Jonathan, she had honestly thought that she had found her ideal partner at last but look how wrong she had been. It made her wonder if she could trust her judgement even if she did meet someone else.
The thought reminded her of meeting Vincenzo and she frowned. She had never been the kind of woman who jumped into bed with a man at the drop of a hat so why had she slept with him? They had met by accident, literally, when he had bumped into her in the street.
Lowri had gone to Milan for a break, needing to get away from the situation she had found herself in. Discovering that Jonathan was married had been a massive shock. She might never have found out either if she hadn’t answered his phone one day when he had been in the shower. She wasn’t sure who had been the most surprised, herself or his wife as the poor woman had had no more idea what had been going on than Lowri had done.
When Jonathan had told her a short time later that he and his wife had separated and had begged her to take him back, Lowri had refused. He had tricked her, betrayed her, and all she had wanted was to put the whole unhappy episode behind her.
She had flown to Milan, intending to spend a few days there sightseeing before moving on to the Italian Lakes. She had been coming out of one of the more exclusive stores when Vincenzo had cannoned into her. He had been speaking on his phone at the time but he had immediately ended his call and insisted on taking her back into the store and buying her coffee.
Coffee had led to lunch and lunch to dinner at an exclusive little trattoria where the menu hadn’t mentioned anything as vulgar as prices. Lowri had asked him to order for her, wary of choosing the most expensive dish, and when the food had arrived it had been superb. Whether it was because she had been in the mood to be reckless, but when he had asked to see her the following night, she had agreed.
They had got on so well together, she thought. There had been no uncomfortable gaps in the conversation, none of those uneasy pauses that could occur between strangers. He had told her he was a surgeon and had seemed pleased when she had explained that she was a senior sister on PICU. Whether that had created a bond between them, she wasn’t sure, but talking to Vincenzo had been remarkably easy, the hours she had spent with him some of the happiest she could remember.
In a way, it was to be expected that they would end up in bed together, especially after he had told her about his divorce and she had told him about Jonathan’s betrayal.
Lowri pulled herself up short. She was wasting time standing here thinking about all that. Taking the list with her, she started her rounds, reacquainting herself with her young charges. All the children in the unit were very ill. Some had been sent there following surgery, others had been admitted via A and E. Their needs were complex and varied and she focused solely on them as she went from bay to bay. Visiting hours were strictly regulated as the children needed to be kept quiet and there were no parents about
apart from little Poppy Meadows’s mum and dad.
Nine-year-old Poppy had been admitted following an RTA. She had been knocked down by a truck and suffered a serious head injury. She’d had a large blood clot removed from her skull and was being kept in a drug-induced coma which, hopefully, would allow her brain to heal. Now Mrs Meadows grabbed hold of Lowri’s hand.
‘How is she doing? I asked the other nurse but she said it was too early to tell.’ The woman’s voice caught. ‘I’d much prefer to know the truth even if it isn’t good news.’
‘What Sister Graham told you was the truth,’ Lowri explained gently. She patted Sarah Meadows’s hand. ‘We won’t know anything more until Poppy wakes up, I’m afraid.’
‘The consultant said there could be brain damage,’ Adam Meadows put in dully. He looked at Lowri and she could see the plea in his eyes and understood. He wanted her to tell him that it wouldn’t happen, that his little girl would be fine, but she couldn’t do that, couldn’t raise his hopes and maybe have to dash them. That would be too cruel, as she knew from experience.
‘It’s possible,’ she said quietly, trying not to think about how she had clung to every shred of hope before Megan had been diagnosed with leukaemia. In her heart she had known that it was something serious but she had kept dreaming up new reasons for the bruises, the tiredness and repeated chest infections, and it had made it that much harder to face the truth. ‘However, we won’t know for sure until Poppy wakes up. All I can say is that you must try to remain positive. Poppy has come through the operation and that’s something to hold onto.’
She patted Sarah’s hand again then left the couple to sit with their daughter. Although some people claimed it was a load of nonsense, she firmly believed in the power of positive thought. Having both her parents here might be just what Poppy needed to help her pull through.
Lowri frowned. Would it have helped Megan if Vincenzo had been there when she’d been in hospital? she found herself wondering. She had never thought about it before; there had been no point. However, she found herself mulling over the idea as she went into the office. She had concentrated all her efforts on persuading Vincenzo to have another child but maybe it would also help Megan if he visited her?
She sighed, wondering how he would feel about the idea. He had made his views on fatherhood perfectly clear and there was no reason to think that he would agree to see Megan. Nevertheless, she decided that she would ask him anyway. He could only say no and if he did then she would have lost nothing.
Would she?
Lowri stilled. For some reason, she knew that she would feel deeply hurt if he rejected the idea of spending time with their daughter. In a funny kind of a way, it would feel as though he was rejecting her and what they had shared that night.
She bit her lip. Maybe they hadn’t slept with each other out of love but there’d been something there, something deeper and more meaningful than mere sex.
* * *
Vincenzo checked into his hotel, although he didn’t bother going up to his room. Leaving his bag with the concierge, he left again, nodding when the doorman asked if he needed a taxi. He gave the driver the address then sat back and watched the streets rushing past. He had never been to Liverpool before and he was surprised by how impressive the city was, the modern, high-rise towers sitting cheek by jowl with the famous Liver Building. The waterfront had been awarded World Heritage status and he could understand why because it really was spectacular.
He could happily live here, he decided, and was stunned by the thought and by the one that followed it: he could happily live here and spend time with his family.
Vincenzo closed his eyes, shutting out the view. He didn’t want to be tempted into making a decision he would regret. His life was in Italy and it was madness to think of uprooting himself. There was too much tying him to his home country like his work, for instance, and... What?
His mind stalled. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think of another reason why he needed to remain in Italy. Although he had many acquaintances there, he had very few friends and most of them he saw only infrequently. They met for dinner or a drink once or twice a year at the most. They wouldn’t really miss him if he moved away; he wouldn’t miss them either and that seemed like the most damning indictment of all. There was no one on this earth that he would really and truly miss.
Except Lowri.
Vincenzo’s eyes flew open, his heart racing as he stared out of the taxi window. He had barely spared Lowri a thought in the past five years so why in heaven’s name did he imagine that he would miss her? And yet, deep down, in that place where his heart resided, he knew it was true. He would miss her if she disappeared from his life now, he would miss her an awful lot too.
* * *
Lowri was about to go for lunch when there was a crisis in PICU. Poppy Meadows’s sats plummeted, setting off the alarm on her monitor. Lowri hurried to the bay. Amy Dempster, the staff nurse, was already there so Lowri asked her to escort Poppy’s parents to the relatives’ room. The last thing they needed was terrified parents getting in the way.
She placed an oxygen mask over Poppy’s face but it didn’t help very much. The child was still having problems breathing so as soon as Amy came back Lowri asked her to page Simon Rivers, the surgeon who had operated on the child. She sighed when Amy came back to tell her that Simon was in Theatre and couldn’t leave his patient. How typical that this should happen when the consultant was unavailable.
‘He’s sending Cameron Howard instead,’ Amy informed her, and grimaced. Cameron was one of the registrars and highly unpopular on the unit. He had an overbearing manner that didn’t go down well with either the staff or patients.
‘How long will he be?’ Lowri asked, adopting a neutral expression. Cameron had become rather a nuisance lately. He had asked several of the single nurses out and she had a nasty feeling that she was next on his list, seeing as they had all refused. She sighed. She could only hope that he wouldn’t start pestering her today. She had enough to cope with without thinking about dating him or anyone else.
The thought immediately reminded her of Vincenzo and she felt heat flow through her. As she checked Poppy’s sats again, Lowri could feel her heart racing. As soon as the DNA results came back, they would have to proceed to the next stage in her plan. Whilst part of her wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, another part balked at the idea of what needed to be done. It seemed so cold-blooded to conceive this child through artificial insemination and yet what was the alternative? That she and Vincenzo should sleep together, turn what was in truth a practical solution to this problem into a romantic assignation?
Lowri snorted in disgust and saw Amy look at her in surprise. Fortunately, there was no time for the nurse to ask any questions because Cameron had arrived. He came striding into the unit, brimming over with self-importance.
‘Problems?’ he demanded, stopping by the bed.
Lowri quickly outlined what had happened, quashing the thought that he could see for himself what was going on if he cared to look. However, if Cameron enjoyed the feeling of power it gave him to have her explain, then so be it. He nodded when she finished, adopting his gravest expression, the one they all believed he practised in front of his mirror: brilliant young doctor graciously sparing the time to educate the minions.
‘Hmm, it looks as though something has gone wrong. I’ll need to send her for a scan, of course, before I can determine exactly what.’
‘Of course,’ Lowri agreed dryly, wondering if he honestly thought she hadn’t worked that out for herself. ‘I’ve phoned Radiology and they can fit her in right away.’
‘Have you indeed?’ Cameron didn’t look happy about her taking the impetus from him. He frowned. ‘It might be best to wait a while, see if her breathing settles down, rather than rush things.’
‘I don’t think we can afford to wait,’ Lowri protested. She glanced at the monitor and shook her head. ‘Her sats are already low and we don’t want th
em dropping any further.’
‘I shall be the judge of that, Sister Davies,’ Cameron said repressively. He looked up when Donna Wilson, one of the newest additions to their staff, appeared. ‘Yes? What is it, nurse? If you have a message for me then be quick about it. As you can see, I’m extremely busy.’
‘I...um... It’s not for you,’ Donna said hurriedly. She turned to Lowri. ‘There’s a gentleman asking to speak to you, Lowri. He said it was urgent or I wouldn’t have interrupted you.’
‘Oh. Right. Did he give you a name?’ Lowri asked, wondering who it could be, unless it was the parent of one of their young charges, of course.
‘Lombardi...or at least I think that was what he said,’ Donna told her, and blushed. ‘I may have got it wrong, though. Sorry.’
‘No, it’s fine.’ Lowri only just managed to stop herself blushing too. What was Vincenzo doing here? she wondered as she turned to Cameron. They’d already agreed that he would telephone her when he received the DNA results so it couldn’t be that. What did he want? Unless he was having second thoughts and had come to tell that he wouldn’t be going through with their plan after all.
The thought was more than she could bear. Ignoring the annoyance on Cameron’s face, she tersely informed him that she would be back shortly and hurried to the office. Vincenzo was standing by the window when she went in and he turned when he heard her footsteps. Just for a moment his expression was unguarded and Lowri felt her breath catch. Why was he looking at her that way, as though he had never really seen her before? She had no idea what it meant and before she could attempt to work it out, the shutters came down again.
‘I thought I should let you know that I was in England,’ he said curtly, moving away from the window.
‘I...ehem... So I can see.’ Lowri took a quick breath and used it to chase away any more such fanciful notions. Vincenzo hadn’t looked at her any differently from how he had looked at her when they had last met, she told herself firmly, yet, oddly, the reassurance had less effect than it should have done. In her heart she knew that something had changed.
Saving His Little Miracle (Mills & Boon Medical) Page 4