by Karin Baine
‘We wouldn’t want that but, believe me, I’m still keen on that getting to know each other idea.’
Charlotte almost fell down the steps at Hunter’s insistence they pick up where they’d left off. Especially when his hand was at her back, escorting her towards the changing rooms and heating her skin with the warmth of his touch. She’d been stupid to think a few days and some distance from him would put any lustful thoughts out of her head. One glimpse of him, a promise of more of the same and her willpower had dissolved.
It had been all too tempting to ignore her duty to the players and the team in favour of spending time with him again. The very reason she’d beaten herself up over the last time they’d lost track of where, and who, they were. When she was with him nothing else seemed to matter and that was dangerous when she was putting her job at risk for a man she barely knew beyond how good his lips felt on hers. She didn’t know where they went from here and she certainly didn’t want to have to commit to anything if it left her position on the team vulnerable, so she was glad she’d been buzzed out of her reverie in the nick of time.
They were lucky that Gray hadn’t missed them either and they were able to merge back into the team preparations as if nothing had happened. On the outside at least. Her insides were having difficulty catching up with her logical brain, still fluttering and unsettled by being so close to Hunter.
At least being squashed in behind the bench as a stowaway on the away side meant they were most definitely in a crowd and close enough to the action to keep their minds where they were supposed to be—on the ice.
‘Anderson seems to have recovered form. Good job, you two.’ There was a brief nod from Gray as the player stretched his legs, skating rings around the opposition in the opening minutes of the game.
He didn’t ask what was behind the transformation, more concerned with results than the journey, and neither Charlotte nor Hunter volunteered the information. She knew from her subsequent conversations with him that he and Maggie were trying to work things out and that in itself had improved his mood and his play, but Anderson’s private life was exactly that and unless he chose to share the details of his recent troubles, they would remain confidential.
She and Hunter exchanged smiles over the pat on the back from their leader before he went back to discussing tactics with the rest of his men. Their joint effort with Anderson certainly appeared to have yielded favourable results and she could see Hunter stood a little taller with the recognition. She couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since someone had actually congratulated him on a job well done.
For a long time he’d probably endured nothing but negativity and scepticism over his work ethic and she was as guilty as everyone else who’d refused to give him a break. So wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings about how she’d been affected by his presence here, she’d given virtually no thought to the positive addition he’d actually been to the team. Perhaps it was self-preservation. She didn’t need any more reason to like him when he was already sidestepping around those work-colleague boundaries.
The volume levels of the crowd rose around her at a skirmish out by the Demons’ goal as they went all out to defend. It was hard to see what was going on through the throng of bodies vying for prominence. Suddenly there was a cry for the medic. As the crowd parted and anxious players called for help, it became obvious there was something seriously wrong. One body remained prone on the ice, the area around him rapidly turning scarlet with blood. It was Colton, the Demons’ winger.
Hunter swore, grabbed a towel and had vaulted over the bench before she’d even taken her first step onto the rink. Two Demons players arrived either side of her and escorted her quickly over to the scene so she didn’t slip on the ice.
‘Ambulance. Now!’ she shouted to the Cobras’ medical staff, who were making their way over too. The amount of blood spurting from Colton’s leg told of the severity of the injury and this was no time for territory marking.
‘It’s an artery.’ Hunter dropped to his knees and held the towel to the deep gash across the thigh, probably caused by the blade of someone’s skate in the melee.
‘Keep applying the pressure. Colton? We need to try and elevate this leg.’ In such circumstances there was always a chance of a patient bleeding to death as the blood was pumping so quickly from the heart and a cut artery was a time-critical wound. Everything she and Hunter did now to stem the flow of blood could determine whether or not he survived.
‘Charlotte?’ Hunter directed her attention to the once-white towel, which was now a bright red, infused with their patient’s blood. It would only take losing two pints of blood before he went into shock. There was no more time to waste.
‘Give me your belt.’ She didn’t even wait for a response and simply helped herself. Despite the adrenaline pumping in her own veins and the struggle to keep her breathing regulated in the midst of the drama, her fingers worked nimbly to unbuckle his belt.
She tugged him roughly towards her and whipped the strip of leather from around his waist. All the time he kept pressure on the wound without blinking an eye at her, as if having bossy women strip him was an everyday occurrence. Or he knew exactly what she was doing. The belt made a perfect tourniquet around the thigh and she pulled it just tight enough to hopefully slow the bleeding but not cut off total supply to the limb.
‘Nicely done, Doctor.’ Hunter offered his support with a smile and a wink. He was the one grounding source for her in the midst of the drama. It was a comfort knowing that she wasn’t in this alone.
‘You too, Mr Torrance. Now let’s get you to hospital, Colton.’
It was only as they rushed off the ice towards the waiting ambulance that the uneasy silence around the arena became noticeable. Everyone had been waiting with bated breath to see the fate of the injured player. It didn’t matter what side he was on when there was a life at stake. She was glad she hadn’t felt that weight of expectation on her shoulders as she’d worked and that had been down to Hunter’s assistance. It wasn’t that she couldn’t treat this sort of injury solo—after all, that was the nature of her job here. No, it was simply...reassuring for someone to have her back.
She relayed all the relevant information to the paramedics so they could radio ahead to the hospital and prep for surgery. With Hunter still taking charge of wound pressure, they both climbed into the vehicle alongside their patient.
‘We need oxygen, double cannula and get fluids started.’ She was talking to herself as much as anyone else in the vicinity so she had all bases covered.
The back of an ambulance made for a small workspace and she couldn’t help but brush against Hunter with every bump in the road as she inserted the cannulas into Colton’s hands.
‘Sorry,’ she said as they went around a corner and she was forced to brace herself against Hunter’s frame to steady herself. It was more important to get the IV and much-needed pain relief up and running than continue her ill-conceived avoid-body-contact-with-Hunter plan.
‘No problem.’
She didn’t take her eyes off her patient but she could feel the warmth of Hunter’s slow grin on her back. It made her shiver all the same.
‘Will I make it back for the final period, Doc?’ The pale Colton was trying to sit up and displaying that hockey-player spirit that demanded to see the game out, no matter what. On this occasion she was definitely going to have to disappoint him.
‘I’m afraid not. You’re going to have to go straight into Theatre to have that artery stitched.’ She wasn’t even sure if they’d finish the match after that scare.
‘Even Gray should understand you missing the rest of the game. I don’t think he’ll be docking your wages this once.’ Hunter attempted to soften the blow and she appreciated it. It probably aided Colton’s compliance to have a kindred spirit on board, someone who knew from personal experience how it felt to
be left on the sidelines.
‘But I’ll be okay to play in the finals?’ The pleading eyes were begging for reassurance but Charlotte didn’t have it in her to lie, even to a seriously injured man.
‘Don’t worry about that for now. First things first. We need to get you into Theatre. We’re almost at the hospital now.’ They’d done as much as they could for Colton but her mind would be much more at ease when she knew the surgeon was doing his bit to save his life too.
‘I’ll phone Gray as soon as we arrive and let him know you’re keen to get back ASAP.’ Hunter wasn’t making him any promises other than to relay a progress report but he was providing that extra reassurance she was beginning to realise she could count on. Even though they both knew Colton was probably finished for the season, there was no need to give him more reason to worry before he went into surgery.
It wasn’t until they’d handed over their patient into the hands of the hospital staff that Charlotte was able to take time for some deep fortifying breaths. She could only watch, her stomach in knots, as he was stretchered away down the corridor at high speed, her part in ensuring his survival over for now.
‘Wow. That was a rush.’
It seemed she wasn’t the only one coming down from the adrenaline high as Hunter let out an unsteady breath next to her.
‘Not one I’m in a hurry to experience again, thanks.’ Now she had time and space to think about events, the enormity of the undertaking was beginning to hit home.
A chill penetrated her bones and set her knees trembling. She practically fell into one of the chairs lining the corridor.
‘Your first life-or-death emergency?’ Hunter landed in the seat next to her with a heavy thud and she could see he wasn’t unaffected by the drama either. It was a comfort to see her reaction was totally normal.
She nodded. Her eyes were already beginning to well up as emotion built inside her and she didn’t trust herself to talk without her voice cracking. They’d very nearly lost one of their own tonight and the responsibility of keeping him alive had rested heavily on her shoulders. It was the nature of the path she’d chosen but her work in sports therapy tended more towards joint and muscle problems than life-threatening crises. Tonight had been a sobering reminder of the serious commitment she’d made to her career and the team.
‘Mine too.’ He reached across and squeezed her hand. It was the closest she’d get to the hug she needed right now.
She swallowed the unprofessional tears away since she was the one who’d actually trained for this and focused on the fact Colton was alive.
‘You certainly seemed to know what you were doing back there.’ As she recalled, he’d applied pressure to the wound area before she’d even told him to.
‘Well, I do have some training in the field. I was at medical school briefly before I decided to toss it all in for hockey.’
Her eyes widened at that new information. ‘Ah. So the physiotherapy didn’t totally come out of left field? You could easily have been Dr Hunter Torrance?’
‘Medicine was definitely something I was interested in pursuing. Actually, I’m not sure which career was more about rebelling against my parents.’
‘Your relationship with them was that strained?’
He nodded solemnly. ‘I was adopted and always made very aware of the fact. Told I should be grateful they’d taken me on. At eighteen I decided to find my birth parents, only to be rejected again. They didn’t want me any more then than when I was born. Becoming a doctor would’ve stuck it to those who thought I would never amount to anything but the idea of being a hockey player...well, it was glamorous and exciting and something I knew they’d envy. Until I screwed it all up, of course.’
It was her turn to squeeze back. ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. We’ve all had our struggles. Yours just happened to be very public.’
Her heart broke for his younger self who’d so obviously been hurting and searching for acceptance. She was able to see that explosive behaviour in a different light now she knew it had been more than bad temper at play and forgave him every wrong he’d done in her eyes. Not only had he been dealing with that loneliness and isolation of his personal circumstances but he’d been demonised by the press and disappointed fans. Even when he’d shown up, full of remorse, she’d clung onto her own grudge and dismissed his claims. It only added to the injustice done to him and to the guilt she was feeling as a result.
If she imagined her trials and tribulations with her parents playing out in arenas around the country she doubted she would have recovered as effectively as he had. When he’d turned up professing to have changed his life she’d assumed sports medicine was second best, the closest he could get to the ice without playing again. That the Demons’ medical staff was the consolation prize when it had been the jackpot to her. To find out he had that calling to help others ingrained in him after all challenged her preconceived ideas about his character and stripped away some of those fears about getting involved with him.
She was fast running out of excuses to avoid her feelings, leaving only the outright terror at the thought of putting her heart on the line again. What if she gave it away only to find it cast aside like an unwanted toy when something, someone better came along? She hadn’t been enough for her father to stick around and she didn’t want to put herself in the position again of letting someone else have so much control over her emotions or her life.
The only certainty she had with Hunter tonight was there would be no escape from these growing feelings for him until they knew for sure Colton had pulled through.
CHAPTER FIVE
HUNTER WASN’T USED to being the one receiving pats on the back or hand squeezes and he couldn’t decide if the squirming in his seat was because he was uneasy over it or too comfortable with it. It seemed as though he was finally finding his feet as part of the team. More than that, he and Charlotte had formed their own partnership. Not so long ago professional courtesy would’ve been all he’d wanted from her but they’d gone way beyond that point. He wouldn’t have shared details of his personal life with the same woman who’d turned her nose up at him when they’d first met. There had definitely been a shift in their dynamic and it wasn’t only down to the random bouts of kissing.
‘You didn’t do so badly under the spotlight tonight. Actually, you were kind of amazing out there.’ The way she’d handled the situation so calmly and efficiently had shown everyone this was so much more than a job to her. She was dedicated to the team but also a medical professional whom any man could trust with his life. Maybe even with the knowledge of his son.
‘We’re good together.’ Her coy smile suggested she was thinking about more than their time in the cramped confines of the ambulance.
‘That we are, and if I recall there was a promise made about getting to know each other a little better.’ It was as important to him to be upfront and honest about what this was as it was for her. A relationship for him now was always going to include someone else and he was done with secrets.
‘Well, we’ve made a start. I had no idea about your time in medical school.’
‘That makes it your turn for the Q and A. Let’s start with an easy one. Why the Demons? What made you join the team?’ He wanted to know everything that made her tick so he could work out what it was that kept putting obstacles in their path. Even if he ignored the comings and goings of the staff and patients flooding through the emergency department and stole another kiss from her, he knew she’d be running again by tomorrow.
‘I’ve been into hockey since the arena opened.’
‘A real fan, then?’ He knew she enjoyed hockey nights, he’d seen it, but he hadn’t realised her love of the game had come before her role on the team.
‘You could say that,’ she muttered under her breath, but he could see no reason why she’d be embarrassed by it.
&nbs
p; At a time when most young girls would’ve been more interested in fashion and make-up, she’d committed her time to a sport that wasn’t for the faint-hearted. It explained so much about her character.
‘That must’ve been around the time I played here?’ He did the mental calculations. The chances were he’d seen her in passing at one time or another.
‘Yeah.’ Her embarrassment continued to flare a crimson contrast to her porcelain skin, the same flushed look she had every time he kissed her.
‘It’s kinda hot, knowing you’re a real hockey fan.’ He wanted to reach out and tilt her chin up to look at him and make that connection again but he didn’t. An invisible barrier had been hastily erected since their last moment of weakness but he thought he could break it down again with a hit of honesty. Hockey had been his life and it was a new experience having someone who understood that commitment and passion.
He’d screwed up his own career but his love of the game had never diminished. That was why he’d jumped at the chance Gray had given him to work here. He could’ve come over, set up his own practice and eventually built up a client list, but as the Demons’ physio he got a chance to recapture that passion. Now he could do that with Charlotte too if she would only let him.
‘I’m a Demon through and through.’ She sighed as if it was a bad thing when he’d seen her loyalty as a positive. It gave them more common ground other than this mutual attraction they were having difficulty with.
‘Good. I’m sure Gray’s glad he’ll never have to worry about losing you to a rival team.’
‘You don’t understand,’ she said, her downcast gaze giving him sudden reason for concern. He wasn’t used to her being so cagey with him. Usually she was very vocal with her opinion.
‘So why don’t you tell me what it is that’s bothering you?’ He wanted to understand so they could move past whatever was causing this stumbling block between them. If she couldn’t share this obviously personal problem with him, it was going to be very difficult to confide in her about his son. Trust was a two-way street for him.