by Lucy Clark
‘How did the operation go?’ Andy asked from across the round table.
‘Routine,’ Melody replied. ‘How did you know?’
‘George said you’d been called to Theatre. So it was nothing interesting?’
‘Not really. Dislocated shoulder, fractured ulna, radius and Colles’.’
‘Sports injury?’
‘No. Actually, the patient sustained a fall.’ As she spoke, George motioned to the waiter, who nodded in understanding and soon brought out a meal for Melody.
‘I had the kitchen hold a meal for you. I knew you’d be hungry after being in clinic and then Theatre,’ he told her when she looked at him with delighted surprise.
‘That’s so considerate. Thank you, George.’ His thoughtfulness touched her deeply. How was she supposed to resist him when he did such nice things? ‘I thought I might have missed out.’
‘I knew you’d be hungry,’ he told her softly, delighted that he’d impressed her. He felt himself preen like a peacock and couldn’t stop it. ‘After all, you’ve been going non-stop since lunchtime.’
‘I’m famished,’ she agreed, and tucked right in. He was pleased to see she had a healthy appetite and didn’t appear concerned about her figure. Veronique had been the same. In fact, Melody had many of the same qualities as Veronique and in a strange way it comforted him. Perhaps that was the reason he’d been drawn to Melody in the first place.
As far as looks went, they were like chalk and cheese. Veronique had been a bit shorter than Melody, who he guessed to be about five feet eight inches. Where Melody had long auburn hair, Veronique’s had been blonde and short. Melody had green eyes, Veronique’s had been brown.
Yet a lot of their mannerisms were very similar. The way they walked. The intelligence, which was reflected in their eyes, and the way they could both make him laugh. It was uncanny and nerve-racking at the same time. The main difference he could see was that Melody was a surgeon and, therefore, understood every aspect of his work. That hadn’t always been the case with his wife. The simple delight he’d felt standing at the operating table by Melody’s side, assisting her with a routine procedure, had surprised him. The knowledge made him feel guilty, as though he was cheating on Veronique because he could share a part of his life with Melody that he hadn’t been able to completely share with his wife.
Melody was a giving, caring and open person, just as Veronique had been. It stood to reason that he’d be attracted to a woman with similar qualities, but where his feelings for Veronique had grown over time, his immediate awareness of Melody had caught him completely off guard. He wasn’t being fair to himself or to Melody—his guilt for feeling as he did, for even thinking about moving forward with his life, was a huge obstacle between them and, quite frankly, Melody deserved better.
What awaited him on his return was the life he’d left, the life of a confused, grieving man. He had an empty house, an empty car, an empty life without his wife. All of those possessions, even his job, held no delight for him any more and that’s why he wasn’t looking forward to the end of the tour.
He shook his head slowly and glanced at Melody, watching her chat animatedly with her registrar. He wasn’t that man any more. While the tour had indeed been gruelling, it had helped him find perspective in his grief. He’d been to so many different hospitals, met so many different people from all walks of life. Veronique hadn’t wanted this tour to take place in only large teaching hospitals, she’d wanted George to give instruction and hope to surgeons in small hospitals in the developing world where the facilities might not have been state of the art but where the care for patients had been paramount.
He’d done all that. He’d helped people, providing those developing countries not only with new surgical techniques but leaving behind the gift of the device he’d invented, which could cut surgical time in half. He’d done all of those things, provided a lasting legacy for his wife, but what was he supposed to do on his return to Melbourne?
Melody’s laughter floated over him and he breathed in a calming breath. That sound, the brightness in her eyes, the way her lips curved—he liked them all. They made him feel alive again, not just a man who was trudging his way through the wilderness. His attraction to Melody may have been instant, it may have knocked him for six, but it had made him feel again, and for that he would be grateful for ever.
Still, until he figured out exactly what he wanted to do with his life, he was better off distancing himself. It wasn’t fair—to either of them—to trifle with their emotions. He looked at his empty plate, frowning unseeingly at it. He didn’t want to stop experiencing these emotions, he liked feeling alive again, but he also knew it was the right thing to do and he prided himself on always being the type of man to do what was right.
‘Are you OK?’ Melody’s soft words cut into his thoughts and he quickly pasted on a smile.
‘Yes.’
‘You were concentrating so hard on your empty plate that I thought you might be performing a secret male bonding ritual with it.’
George chuckled, feeling instantly better. ‘Close but no cigar.’
Melody’s mobile phone rang, bringing her back to reality. She quickly connected the call, frowning as she listened to the information. ‘I’ll be right there,’ she replied.
‘You don’t seem to be able to get through a complete dinner. It’s either the beginning or the end,’ George jested.
‘Anything wrong, Melody?’ Andy asked.
‘Not really. They want to transfer a patient out of the hospital.’
‘Now?’ Andy glanced at his watch. ‘It’s almost midnight.’
‘Makes sense,’ George replied with a nod. ‘They want you to check he’s all right to be moved?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who’s the patient?’ Andy asked, completely baffled.
‘Rudy Carlew,’ Melody replied as she stood and collected her bag.
‘Rudy Carlew! You operated on Rudy Carlew and you didn’t tell me?’ Andy asked incredulously.
‘Oh, not you too.’ Melody laughed. ‘Perhaps it’s just as well you weren’t in Theatre, Andy. We had enough trouble with the theatre nurses drooling over him. I’d better get going. Goodnight,’ she said, her gaze encompassing the table in general.
‘I’ll walk you out,’ George offered.
‘It’s all right, George,’ Andy said, quickly gulping his coffee and standing. ‘I’ll go with her. I’m not going to miss the opportunity of meeting one of my favourite movie stars.’
Melody met George’s gaze, a small smile on her lips. He returned the smile and shrugged one shoulder. Again, it appeared they were completely in sync with each other, having an unspoken conversation, but this conversation was one filled with regret at not being able to spend more time together. Even though they knew they shouldn’t, what they knew and what was continuing to develop between them were two very different things. ‘See you tomorrow, then.’
‘Of course.’ She took a few steps away, then turned and fixed him with a cheeky stare. ‘Uh—will you be there for ward round? I’m just asking—’ she hurried on, a teasing glint in her eyes ‘—so I know whether to start without you.’
George laughed. ‘Oh, you’re funny. I don’t think we’re scheduled for ward round but if there’s a change, we’ll let you know.’
‘Just so long as you do it before eight-thirty, otherwise you’ll have to join in whenever you get there.’ A few of the other people at their table laughed, knowing what had happened that morning.
‘We’ll do our best,’ George responded, and held out his hand to Melody. Deprived of spending a few minutes alone with her, he felt the need to touch her at least. Melody slowly slid her hand into his and held it firmly. Her skin was soft and smooth and George couldn’t resist stroking it gently with his thumb.
His gaze met hers and held for a split second. He saw a flash of longing enter her green depths and felt a stirring deep within. Conscious of the people around them, he reluctantly let go of h
er hand. ‘I hope you won’t be held up too long at the hospital.’
‘You and me both,’ she replied, and he was delighted that her tone was a little unsteady, indicating she was as affected by him as he was by her.
‘Ready, Melody?’ Andy asked, eager to leave.
Melody turned from George, cleared her throat and nodded at her registrar. As they walked out, Andy mumbled, ‘I still can’t believe you didn’t call me to assist you. Rudy Carlew!’
‘George was there.’
‘George assisted you?’
‘Yes. Problem?’
‘No.’ Andy frowned as they waited for the lift. ‘It’s just that he’s so…qualified, and a lower-limb specialist and yet there he was, assisting you.’
‘Oh, so I’m not qualified?’
‘Come on, Melody. You know what I mean.’
‘I do, Andy. George wanted to assist. Think about it. The last time he would have helped out in an emergency situation would have been before he’d started the VOS.’
‘I guess a change is as good as a holiday.’
Melody chuckled. ‘Something like that.’ As they rode the lift down to the ground floor and waited for the valet to retrieve her car, Melody wondered whether her own feelings towards George were because having him around this week was like she was on holiday from her usual schedule. Ordinarily, she’d have clinics, elective surgery, lectures, meetings and the on-call roster to deal with, but this week a lot of things had been postponed to accommodate the VOS schedule. Was that why she was experiencing these emotions towards George? Because it was similar to the sensations of a holiday romance?
Usually, when two people were attracted to each other they would spend an hour here or an hour there, slowly getting to know each other. With George and herself, they’d spent so much time together during the past two days that if she was to proportion out the actual hours, it was as though they’d known each other for at least a month and a half.
The problem was, while she was enjoying the attention, while she was delighted with the way George could make her feel, she knew it couldn’t last—but the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted it to. Surely it was good that she was moving forward when it came to her romantic life? That she was willing to accept the attentions of a man and to know that he wasn’t out to use or debase her? It was scary, it was mind-blowing and it was…exhilarating.
Once again, Melody had to force thoughts of George from her mind when they arrived at the hospital, especially as it was to find Rudy’s manager, Astrid, in a complete tizz. ‘Finally! You’re here. We need to move him now,’ she stormed. ‘The fans have all gone home and if we don’t do it soon, they’ll be back and annoying him again.’
‘Isn’t that the price of fame?’ Melody commented as she started her examination. Andy, who she’d thought might turn into a groupie fan, was the consummate professional.
‘You’re showing no signs of any complications,’ she told Rudy, ‘but it’s still too early to tell. Where did you say you’d be going?’
‘To a hotel,’ Astrid answered for him. ‘He’ll have a private doctor and private nurses to take care of him. So, please, save us all some time and sign him over or he’ll just discharge himself.’
Melody clenched her teeth but forced a smile. ‘I’ll need to talk to the doctor who’ll be taking over his treatment,’ she said. ‘And the nursing staff.’
‘Well…we haven’t actually employed anyone yet. We just need to get him moved!’ Astrid huffed before flipping open her bag and taking out a cigarette. Melody watched her in disbelief.
‘Astrid,’ Rudy said tiredly, ‘put that away. This is a hospital.’
‘What? Oh.’ Astrid looked at the cigarette in her hand as though she had no idea where it had come from. ‘Sorry,’ she replied softly, and it was then Melody realised the other woman simply ran on nerves.
‘Listen, why don’t we sit down and discuss the best course of action for Rudy? He needs to be monitored for the next twenty-four hours at least. I think I might be able to help out in recommending a nurse. As far as a doctor goes, how about Andy…’ she gestured to her registrar ‘…does a house call twice a day? It would only be for the next few days and after that you’ll be fine with weekly or fortnightly check-ups.’
Rudy nodded. ‘Sounds fair. What do you think, Astrid?’
‘As long as it means we can move you now, I don’t care.’
‘Which hotel will you be staying at?’ Melody asked, and wasn’t surprised when he named the hotel where George was staying. After all, it was Sydney’s finest.
‘Hey,’ Andy remarked, ‘we’ve just come from there. We had a dinner there this evening. Food was fantastic.’
‘Good to hear.’ Rudy sighed and closed his eyes. Melody realised he was exhausted—and rightly so.
‘Do you have transport organised?’
‘It’s all ready to go,’ Astrid replied, her impatience returning. ‘So can we move him now?’
‘Let me arrange the nurse first,’ Melody replied, and headed to the nurses’ station to use the phone. She motioned for Andy to follow her. ‘I’d like you to monitor him tonight. Is that all right with you?’
‘Sure. Wow! I get to be orthopaedic doctor to Rudy Carlew.’
Melody smiled. ‘Quite a feather in your cap, eh?’
‘I’ll just head over to the residence where I keep a change of clothes and meet you back here,’ he said, already starting out the door.
Melody sat down and called Switchboard. After obtaining Evelyn’s home number, she gave her a call.
‘Hi, Evelyn. Sorry to wake you,’ Melody said.
‘I’m not on call,’ Evelyn told her with a yawn. ‘I don’t even work there now. Remember?’
‘I know, which is why I called. As you were in Theatre for Rudy Carlew’s surgery, and are already familiar with the case, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind being his private nurse for the next few weeks.’
‘Did I hear you right? No. I must still be asleep and this is a dream.’
Melody laughed. ‘You heard me right, Evelyn. His manager wants him out of the hospital tonight.’ Melody gave Evelyn the details of where he was staying. ‘We’ll be moving him there within the hour.’
‘Is Rudy showing any sign of complications?’
‘Not yet.’
‘Well, you only operated on him a few hours ago so it’s too soon to tell,’ Evelyn mumbled.
‘So will you do it?’
‘You’d better believe it,’ the nurse replied with a laugh.
‘Good. Now, with your nursing agency, you’ll need to—’
‘I’ll take care of it.’
‘OK. I’ll see you at the hotel.’
*
Rudy was collected from one of the back entrances to the hospital, after a security sweep by his bodyguards had revealed no fans to be found. Andy rode in the luxurious limousine with Rudy and Astrid, while Melody followed them in her car. At the hotel, Melody met Evelyn by the lifts. ‘Oh, good,’ Melody said. ‘Thanks for doing this at such short notice.’
‘Are you kidding?’ The nurse giggled. ‘This is just the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So where is he?’
‘Being brought in through the back entrance.’ They took the lift up to the fourth floor, which was where a number of fancy suites were located. Astrid had told her the room number but as there were bodyguards standing in the corridor, Melody surmised that they’d beaten Rudy there.
A door marked ‘Staff Only’ opened and Rudy was brought through in a wheelchair. He was just being taken into the room when a door along the corridor opened. Melody looked around and saw George, dressed in faded denim jeans, a white T-shirt and with damp hair, come through the door.
He stopped when he saw her. ‘Melody!’
‘George!’ Her surprise equalled his. She drank in the sight of him. Dressed in casual clothes and fresh from a shower, the man was even more devastatingly handsome than she’d thought possible. Her heart rate i
ncreased and her mouth went dry. The butterflies in her stomach took flight and her knees turned to jelly. Melody leaned against the wall for a moment, feeling slightly dizzy. The man had actually made her swoon!
‘Are you all right?’ he asked, taking a few steps together her, but one of Rudy’s bodyguards intercepted him.
‘No. It’s all right,’ she said quickly, and held up her hand to stop him.
‘Ma’am, security has to be kept tight,’ the bodyguard replied.
‘No. You don’t understand. This doctor assisted with Mr Carlew’s surgery earlier this evening.’
Astrid came out of the suite. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked, and then spotted George. ‘Oh, hi again,’ she said. ‘It’s all right.’ Her last comment was directed to the bodyguard. ‘Has that other equipment come up yet?’
The ‘Staff Only’ door opened as she spoke and the equipment, which had been hired from a private hospital, was wheeled through. ‘This way,’ Astrid instructed. The bodyguard followed her and waited for Melody.
‘Uh… I’ll be there in a moment. Tell Andy to get things started,’ she ordered, and the bodyguard shut the door behind him.
‘Doing a little private consulting?’ George asked, his tone husky. He didn’t move. They simply stood there, staring at each other. Melody’s gaze raked over him again and she realised his feet were bare. He looked so…different out of his suit. Relaxed, gorgeous and dangerously sexy!
CHAPTER NINE
HER HEART HAMMERED wildly against her ribs and she was positive he could hear it. Melody tried to swallow but found her throat completely dry. ‘I…um…hope the…um…’ She trailed off as he took a small step towards her. Her breathing increased and she parted her lips to allow the air to escape more easily, her gaze never once leaving his.
Again, he moved, slowly closing the distance between them. Melody took an involuntary step backwards, only to encounter the wall once more. He was like a lion stalking his prey—slowly, cautiously. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to. She was mesmerised by him.
With a few more steps he was standing before her. In her high-heeled shoes, their gazes were almost level. Her gaze flicked to his lips and saw them part.