“Are you okay, Dawn?” Sophie asked quietly.
With one last look at the baby, Dawn turned and smiled at Sophie. “I’m fine, she’s a beautiful baby. I’m sure Alex is already doting on her.”
Dawn had to laugh as Sophie rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it, he’s already told me that he’s not going to let her date until she’s finished with college. I just agreed with him. I’ll break it to him gently when she’s on her first date at sixteen that he was being delusional.”
Dawn could imagine Alex saying those words. She sat down on the soft sofa that Sophie indicated. In front of her, set out on the coffee table, was a pot of coffee and some cake and cookies.
“You didn’t have to go to this trouble, Sophie. I know what it’s like to have a small baby.”
Sophie waved off her concerns. “Believe me when I say it was no hardship to put the coffee machine on and open the packets on the cake and cookies. Alex is still trying to insist we get someone to cook, but I’ve told him we don’t need it. I’m going to make sure my daughter grows up knowing that she can be independent and not need to depend on anyone. I couldn’t breathe without some member of staff asking me if I needed anything when I was growing up. It was stifling.”
Dawn was surprised that Sophie had shared some insight into her childhood. There had been gossip around the hospital about how her father hadn’t been happy with his daughter’s choice of career. In Dawn’s opinion the world was lucky to have such a caring nurse like Sophie.
“So,” Sophie said as she bit into a cookie. “What brings you here? Not that I’m not really happy to see you, but I can see something is on your mind.”
Dawn wasn’t sure where to begin. On the way to the house, she’d gone over in her mind what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. But now that she was seated across from Sophie, her thought processes had shut down.
“How about I take a guess as to why you’re here,” Sophie said as the silence between them had grown. “You want to stop doing night shift?”
Dawn was shocked that Sophie had known exactly what she wanted to talk about. “Yes, but how did you know that?”
Sophie laughed and patted Dawn’s hand. “Phoebe mentioned something to me about a certain ‘hot’ paramedic. But Alex commented that a lot of people were saying that you seem happier. You can’t hide anything in the ER.”
“You and Alex managed to,” Dawn grumbled, feeling mortified that she was the brunt of the gossip around the water cooler. “But essentially, yes, I’m here to talk about possible changes to my shifts and what that will mean to the department.”
“I think I told you months ago that if you ever wanted to change your shifts that I was happy to accommodate you. I knew that, eventually, you would come out of your grief.”
“But I know that you rely on me to make sure the nursing side of the department runs well in the evenings.”
“Sure, but I want you to be happy, and I can see that in your demeanor you are. You are in a much better place than you were when I left. We can work something out. It’s about time some of the other nurses stepped up. I’ve appreciated everything you’ve done, but now it’s time to spread the load. And if the staff complains, well, they can go look somewhere else. But I don’t think they will, because everyone is just so happy to see a lightness in you again, Dawn.”
Dawn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sophie was telling her that it wouldn’t be a problem for her to change her shifts. That it didn’t matter what the staff said about the change. Realistically she knew no one could really object to her request, but sometimes the mind didn’t want to accept the obvious.
“I don’t know what to say. I didn’t think it would be that easy. What’s Admin going to say?”
“Well, it is that easy, and Admin, well, Alex and I will chat with them, but they can’t demand you not be allowed to change your schedule. It would be completely unreasonable, not to mention unethical of them.” Sophie took a sip of her coffee and then leaned forward. “Actually, I wanted to run something past you.”
“Anything.”
“Well I’ve been talking to Alex about my maternity leave. I had planned to only take the full twelve months and then return to work. But … ” She paused and gazed over at her sleeping baby. Dawn saw her face soften with love. “I don’t want to miss anything so I’m looking at resigning.”
Dawn was shocked at Sophie’s statement. She knew Sophie loved her career. “But why? You love your job.”
“I do, but we want more kids and, well, to be truthful — I love my daughter more.”
“I can understand that. It was so hard to leave Brody, but we needed the extra money as Tom had lost his job and was only picking up the odd job here and there.”
“I know. I’m very lucky not to have to work. Although it is going to be hard not to get up and go into the hospital after working for so long. Maybe I’ll do the odd shift every now and then.”
“I thought we agreed you weren’t going to work at all, amore.”
Dawn looked up as another voice joined the discussion. She was surprised to see Alex standing behind the chair that Sophie sat on.
Sophie laughed up at him and accepted his kiss before Alex moved towards Louisa to place a gentle kiss on her sleeping form. “I said maybe, Alex, not definitely.”
“Perhaps I should go,” Dawn said.
Alex raised his hand in a staying motion. “No, no, I only came home to collect a file I left on my desk. Besides, Sophie has been waiting for your visit.”
“And I haven’t told you what I wanted to propose to you,” Sophie said.
“Okay, but if you’d prefer to leave it for another time, I’m fine with it.”
“No, please stay, Dawn. We need to come up with a plan of action anyway to present Admin with regards to your request for a change. As I said they can’t deny it. Can you imagine the can of worms it would cause if they told everyone they couldn’t change their shift preferences?”
Dawn knew Sophie had a point and she realized that she had the right to request her employment options.
Alex strode back into the room to hear the end the conversation. “Dawn, Sophie and I will accommodate your request. We have a great team and we will make the necessary arrangements to keep it running smoothly.”
“Thanks, Alex and Sophie, that means a lot.”
“Dawn, you’ve been a godsend to the department with your willingness to work the night shift.” He leaned down again and gave Sophie another kiss, this time a little longer. “And on that note, I will let you ladies talk.”
Alex disappeared down the hallway, and Dawn saw the look of longing on Sophie’s face. Clearly she wanted him to stay.
“You’re really happy, aren’t you?” she asked Sophie.
“Yes, I never thought I could be this happy or feel this complete. Alex and Louisa are my everything.”
Dawn wanted that. She knew she had been Tom’s everything, but he hadn’t been hers. Brody had been her everything. Now she wanted to be Andrew’s everything, because he had been her everything all those years ago and he still was. She was about to make a big decision for the sake of their relationship.
She pulled herself from thoughts of what might never be and back to the present to hear what Sophie had to tell her.
“So do you think now you can tell me what your proposal is?” Dawn asked.
“I want you to replace me as Nursing Unit Manager,” Sophie said.
Dawn didn’t know what to say — it was the last thing she’d expected to hear come out of Sophie’s mouth.
“I’ve shocked you, haven’t I?”
Dawn took a sip of her coffee to try and moisten her dry throat. “Being asked to take over from you is a big shock. I didn’t come here expecting this.”
“So will you consider i
t?”
“Yes, I will definitely consider it. When are you planning on handing in your resignation?”
“I’m thinking next week.”
Another thought hit Dawn: there was a process that this all needed to go through. Even though she might be Sophie and Alex’s replacement choice, she might not be Admin’s. Even though she was one of the most senior nurses in the department. Phoebe was another person who would be a perfect candidate for the job.
“Before you make this decision, are you sure I’m the right person for the job? What about Phoebe? What about Rona, the one who’s replacing you at the moment? Wouldn’t they be front runners for the job?”
“I spoke to Phoebe, and she’s not interested.” Sophie sighed and Dawn figured there was more happening with Phoebe than she was aware of, but at that moment she didn’t need to know. “And Rona, she was always temporary. She’s competent, but doesn’t fit in with the rest of the team.”
“Well then I’d be more than happy to take over from you, but while you and Alex may recommend me, Admin may not agree. They may want to advertise the position.”
Sophie nodded as if she had already considered this prospect. “It’s true, but I think they would want as seamless a transition as possible. Besides, you’ve basically run the nursing department on the night shift for the last two years. They know you can do the job.”
Sophie’s words boosted her confidence and she couldn’t wait to share her news with Andrew.
A sound rented the air and Dawn knew it was time to go. The baby was waking.
“I believe that’s my cue to leave,” Dawn said on a small laugh.
“Well, thanks for stopping by, let me just grab Louisa, and I’ll see you out.”
Everything in Dawn urged her to run for the door. Even though she was embarking on a relationship with Andrew, she wasn’t sure she was ready to see an awake baby. It had been different while Louisa was asleep — she’d looked like a doll.
She didn’t have a chance to even get out of her chair before Sophie had moved and picked up Louisa, soothing her cries with one touch.
“I’m really glad we had a chance to talk, Dawn,” Sophie said as she walked towards the door. “I’ll let you know once I hand in my resignation. But in the meantime, let Admin know that you will be changing from nights to days.”
“Well, I’m happy to do the odd night shift rotation too. I’m not sure that I can totally break off my connection with some of the night crew.”
They reached the door and Sophie deftly moved the baby and opened the door for her. “I’m sure everything is going to work out. And can I say that I’m really happy you’ve found someone who brings light back to your life.”
Dawn leaned in and gave Sophie a quick hug, careful not to disturb the baby.
“Thanks, Sophie, for everything.”
“You’re welcome. We’ll chat soon.”
Dawn nodded then walked down the steps towards her car. She wanted to get on the phone and call Andrew to let him know about her visit, but she knew she’d have to wait until later that afternoon, as he was at work. Maybe she could call him, but not yet — she wanted to enjoy the sensation of being offered such a wonderful job opportunity.
• • •
Andrew checked his phone again and there still wasn’t a missed call, voicemail, or even a text from Dawn. He knew she was meeting with Sophie and he hoped that seeing Sophie with her baby wouldn’t upset her too much.
As he looked at his phone again it rang, Dawn’s name flashing up at him. He wanted to press the connect button immediately, but decided to let it ring a couple of times.
“Hey there, how are you?”
“Hi,” her voice bubbled through the line to him. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders. At that moment he hadn’t realized how tense he had been waiting to hear from her.
“You sound happy. I take it you had a great visit with Sophie?”
He smiled as he heard her laugh. “Oh, Drew, it was the best. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.”
Andrew looked at his watch — he only had another half an hour left on his shift. “I can’t wait to see you either, I’ll text you when I’ve finished so you can come over and tell me all about it. I’ll even cook.”
“Sounds perfect, and if you cook, I might bring a nice chocolate cake to share with you.”
“I was thinking of sharing more than chocolate cake,” he said suggestively.
“Oh, trust me; we will be doing more than sharing cake. I’ll see you soon. Bye, Drew.”
“I can’t wait to see you. Bye, my Dawn.”
He clicked the disconnect button and slipped the phone back into his pocket; he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. She didn’t say it in so many words, but his gut was telling him she was going to be able to amend her schedule. There was no guarantee, but they had a better chance of synchronizing their schedules if Dawn had more flexibility. He couldn’t wait until he could talk to her. And do other things.
“You got that silly grin on your face again, Holmes. If you’re not careful, when the wind changes it will stay for good. Why you smiling so much anyway, you getting lucky?”
Andrew laughed at the good-natured ribbing he was getting from his partner. “Riggs, your concern is touching, but I’ll take my chances on the wind.”
It was such a different atmosphere than crewing on a boat. Even though they dealt with traumatic situations on a daily basis, they managed to keep it light. Although, they supported each other when tragedy struck and they had bad shifts. Crewing on the boat had been intense and often tempers had flared — a little mistake could cost them winning a leg of a race. But like his paramedic crew, when disaster befell the boat, they stood together and worked hard to right the situation.
“I’ll take the non answer that you are getting lucky.”
Andrew threw the cloth he was using to wipe down the gurney at his partner. “Seriously, Riggs, you need to get your own life or pick someone else’s life to live vicariously through.”
“I’m very happy, thank you very much. But seriously, man.” Riggs paused and Andrew looked up at him. “I hope it works out. I like working with you and I’d hate for you leave because you get your heart broken.”
“Oh now, Riggs, don’t go girlie on me,” Andrew chided, but was touched by the sincerity coming from his partner. “But same here, mate. Same here.”
Andrew went back to wiping down the gurney and Riggs walked away. It was a weird discussion, but he appreciated the unspoken comments made — no matter what happened, he’d always have a friend in Riggs. He didn’t plan on anything happening with him and Dawn, even though he’d been getting numerous calls from Dean. Part of him wanted to answer the phone calls. The part that occasionally told him that he’d get bored living on the land for the rest of his life. The part that urged him to find out more about the race Dean had mentioned to him. That same part had roared back to life when he’d been surfing the six-foot waves in Margaret River. After almost getting drowned by a king wave, being able to face the waves and conquer them had felt exhilarating. But he wouldn’t let the urge overtake him. He’d given up that part of his life. There was too much to lose if he let that adrenaline junkie part of him control his life again.
• • •
Dawn had gone home to freshen up and change after she’d spoken to Sophie. She had wanted to look nice for Andrew when she’d told him of Sophie’s offer. She didn’t know why, she didn’t think Andrew would mind whatever she wore. But she took care with her appearance and after her recent shopping trip, her dresser drawer was full of matching lacy bra and panties sets.
Giving her appearance another quick once over she went towards the front door and her car, which she’d left in the driveway. She pulled opened the door and came up short when she saw Andrew standing there.
“Umm I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” she said breathlessly as the shock from seeing him started to dissipate.
“I know, but … ” He didn’t finish what he was saying, he just stepped through the doorway and framed her face with his hands. Before she had time to think, his lips had captured hers. The surprise of his touch caused her mouth to open and he took advantage. She reveled in the sensations that were filling her from the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers. She pulled Andrew further into her hallway and when she heard the slamming of the door she pulled at his shirt. Once she got him free of his shirt, she had no time to trace her fingers over his muscles. Andrew scooped her up in his arms and walked down the hallway to her bedroom.
“I could get used to this sort of hello,” she murmured into his neck as she nibbled on the flesh below his ear.
“Believe me when I say I plan on making this a regular occurrence,” he said as he laid her down on the bed. She went to reach for him again, but he moved away. With his eyes not leaving hers his hands reached for his belt buckle and undid it, sliding it through the loops of his pants. He dealt with his pants and boxers in quick movements. He then lay down on the bed beside her. He totally naked and she still fully dressed.
“I’m feeling a bit overdressed here,” she said somewhat self-consciously.
“You won’t be for long, trust me.” Andrew then leaned forward and captured her lips again. She surrendered to his touch, to the sure movements of his hands as they traced over her breasts. They tightened and her nipples peaked against the two layers of fabric. As his hands moved lower, she squirmed against him, wanting to be as naked as he was so they could be flesh to flesh with each other.
She reached behind her and pulled at the zipper of her dress — she got it halfway down before a pair of masculine hands covered hers and helped her track the metal down. His fingers brushed the skin of her back, fire was spreading through her from his touch. She wanted more.
“Take it off,” she demanded and sat up to help the process. “And I mean take it all off.”
Lovers Unmasked: The Complete Series Page 32