The Doctor's Longed-For Family

by Joanna Neil

  The children went on ahead, and Matt sent Abby an appreciative glance as they went into the sitting room. ‘You are breathtaking to look at—have I ever told you that? You make a pair of denims seem like paradise on earth.’

  She laughed. ‘Well, thank you for that.’ He looked good, too, and she noticed that he had changed into casual clothes; chinos and a fresh linen shirt that was open at the throat to reveal lightly bronzed skin.

  ‘I’ll show you around,’ he said. ‘Shall we start with the upstairs and work our way down?’

  ‘That sounds fine to me.’

  She was glad that the children went with them. Looking in on the beautifully laid out master bedroom, his room, and imagining him there, waking in the morning and padding barefoot along to the en suite bathroom, was enough to bring her out in a flush of heat. Jacob and Sarah’s presence thankfully took away some of the intimacy of the moment, and their happy chatter helped to ease her tension.

  Why was she so constantly aware of him? It didn’t make any sense at all.

  ‘There are three other bedrooms, so the children can sleep over whenever they like,’ Matt was saying, ‘and there are a couple more bathrooms so that we’re not overcrowded, even if Amy and her husband decide that they want to stay overnight.’

  The bathrooms were exquisite, gleaming with subtly patterned tiles and luxurious with glass and mirrors and gold fittings.

  Downstairs was every bit as perfect. ‘This is my favourite room,’ Sarah said, showing her into the study. The furniture was made of pale golden beech wood, with smooth surfaces and shelving with glass-fronted units that housed delicate Italian glassware, and there was a large window that let in plenty of light.

  ‘I like to sit in here and draw,’ Sarah told her, ‘because it’s warm and light, and the sun catches the glass and makes it sparkle. It’s so peaceful and calm…unless Jacob decides to come in and spoil things.’ She sent a testy stare in her brother’s direction and he stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation.

  ‘They’re always fighting,’ Matt said, his mouth curving. ‘I used to be the same with Amy, but we were the best of friends really.’

  ‘I’m not friends with Sarah,’ Jacob said. ‘Not when she won’t let me play with my toy soldiers in here.’ He turned his eager gaze on Abby. ‘They climb up on the shelves and hide in the cupboards, and sometimes I stretch a string from the top cupboard to the floor, so they can paraglide down to their base.’

  ‘That sounds like a real adventure,’ Abby said, her mouth curving. She glanced across the room at Matt and caught his smile.

  Sarah pulled open a drawer and took out some sketches that she had done. ‘This is the villa that my mum and dad want,’ she said. ‘I looked at some pictures and made this for them. They said this is exactly what they’re looking for.’

  ‘That’s absolutely lovely,’ Abby said, with genuine admiration. ‘I like that beautiful archway and the flower tubs on either side.’

  They spent a few more minutes looking through the drawings until Jacob became restless, and then they moved on. Matt put his arm around her, his hand lightly resting on the curve of her hip, as he showed her the restful sitting room that was tastefully furnished with comfy sofas and a wide, open fireplace as the focus of attention. She tried not to think about what his gentle touch was doing to her. All she knew was that rippling sensations started up in the region of her spine and travelled to her abdomen, where they settled in an effervescent pool of excitement.

  Over on the far side of the room, by the fireplace, there was a large recliner armchair with its own footrest, and she could imagine him sitting there of an evening, his long legs stretched out in front of him, one ankle crossed over the other.

  It was a satisfying picture that brought a faint tilt to the corners of her mouth until an errant thought occurred to her. Was he always alone, or were there other women who came here and shared his leisure time with him?

  ‘Shall we go and eat?’ he suggested, and the children nodded vigorously.

  ‘Yes, I’m starving,’ Jacob said. ‘Do we have to have lasagne first? Can’t we start with the chocolate pudding? I like that best of all.’

  Matt wasn’t having any of it. ‘All the more reason to save it for last.’

  They had tea in the big farmhouse kitchen, a lovely room with golden oak units and a dining area that looked out through French doors onto a landscaped garden.

  ‘I like eating in here because there’s a much more friendly atmosphere than in the dining room,’ Matt said. ‘To be honest, I very rarely use the dining room, unless I’m meeting some of the TV executives for a working lunch. There tends to be quite a number of us on those occasions, so we need the extra space.’ He made a wry smile. ‘I think they like to get away from the studios sometimes, so a visit to the Chilterns makes a change.’

  It was a happy, noisy meal, with everyone talking and sharing different experiences or reminiscences of good times. Abby was content, glad to be part of this loving family.

  Afterwards, in spite of being full from the tasty food they had just eaten, they kicked a ball about in the meadow grass that formed part of Matt’s farmland home. It was Jacob’s idea. He had energy to burn, and Abby thought the least she could do was help him burn some off.

  The phone rang when they were helping themselves to cold drinks from the fridge some half an hour later, and Matt went to answer it.

  Abby could tell straight away that something was not quite right. Matt was careful not to say too much in front of the children, but even though he half turned away from them and spoke in a low voice, she knew that he was talking to a woman.

  ‘I don’t understand what you’re saying, Kim,’ he murmured. ‘Slow down and say it again.’

  Then he listened and frowned, and said on a cautious note, ‘Are you sure? When was this? I don’t see how—’

  He broke off, intent on what the woman was saying, and then after a while he commented, ‘I’ll do that. I’ll call you back in a little while.’

  He replaced the receiver and stared down at the phone as though trying to make up his mind about something.

  Abby asked softly, ‘Is anything wrong?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ he said.

  ‘Was it anything to do with the hospital? You’re not on call, are you?’

  ‘No, it’s nothing like that.’ He appeared to be distracted, and it certainly didn’t appear as though he was about to tell her what was bothering him.

  ‘Is there any way at all that I can help?’

  ‘No…Thanks, all the same. I need to sort something out.’

  Was that something another woman? How could he change from being relaxed and glad to be with her one moment to this total abstraction she was seeing now, all in the space of just a few minutes?

  Her brow furrowed. He hadn’t continued the conversation with this woman. He was going to call her back, and that might mean that he didn’t want to talk in front of her. Why? Was she in the way?

  Abby didn’t know what to make of it. Was it possible that the woman who phoned him was a former girlfriend?

  ‘Perhaps it would be better if I started for home now?’ she murmured. ‘It’s getting quite late, and I don’t want to be in your way if there’s a problem. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?’ If he wanted her to stay, he would tell her so, wouldn’t he?

  ‘I’m sure. This is my problem. It needn’t concern you.’

  Abby stiffened. ‘I’m disappointed you should feel that way,’ she said coolly, affronted by his casual dismissal of her.

  Something in her tone must have seeped through to him, because he looked at her properly for the first time since the phone call. He frowned, but still he made no attempt to explain his remoteness.

  ‘I’m sorry to bring the evening to a close like this,’ he said briskly, ‘but something’s cropped up and I need to deal with it.’

  ‘Yes, I gathered that much.’ Her presence there was stopping him from doing what he wante
d. ‘Obviously you have a lot on your mind right now, and no doubt you and your friend will be able to sort things out between you. She clearly has your undivided attention, so I’ll leave you to it.’

  Tight-lipped, she turned away from him and went to say goodbye to Jacob and Sarah and then started to head for the front door.

  He sent her an odd look. ‘Abby, I think you must have got the wrong idea—’

  ‘Really?’ There was a frosty edge to the word. ‘I don’t believe I do.’ She hurried out to her car.

  ‘Abby wait…’ she heard him say, but by then she had revved up the car’s engine and she had no intention of stopping to listen to him. He was frowning as he watched her drive away.

  It was only when she arrived back at the cottage that she realised she had done it again. She had acted on impulse and let her irritation get the better of her. When would she ever learn to keep herself under control?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ‘HOW is the young girl who came in with the heart valve problem this morning?’ Abby asked, as she and Sam were going through his case notes together. ‘Her condition was similar to the patient Matt was treating the other day, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, she had a mitral valve prolapse, but her condition wasn’t as severe as Matt’s patient, so she didn’t need to go for surgery. I thought it would be best to treat her with anti-arrhythmic therapy.’

  Abby checked his patient’s chart. ‘Yes, that’s good. She seems to be responding to the medication very well. Did Matt advise you on that?’

  Sam nodded. ‘I asked his opinion because he’d asked me to assist with his heart patient the other day. I went with that patient to Theatre, because Matt thought it would be helpful to me to see her case through, and he was right. The surgeon was absolutely brilliant, and once the girl’s recovered from the operation she stands a good chance of leading a normal life.’

  ‘It’s always thrilling to get a result like that, isn’t it? I’m glad Matt was able to show you the latest techniques. Cardiac cases seem to be one of his specialist areas, as well as his knowledge of emergency medicine. He’s a real asset to have around.’

  ‘I know.’ Sam’s mouth curved. He gave her a mischievous grin. ‘You and he make a great couple. Not just from a medical standpoint.’

  She raised a brow. ‘Are you suggesting there’s another?’

  Sam laughed. ‘You can’t be serious. Don’t you know about the gossipmongers around here?’

  ‘You shouldn’t take any notice of them.’

  ‘If you say so.’ Sam was irrepressible. ‘Did you see his medical notes programme on the television last night? It was terrific viewing.’ He clearly had a lot of respect for the latest addition to their team.

  Abby shook her head. ‘No, I missed it.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘I had lots of important things to do, like catching up on the laundry and making sure my carpets didn’t disappear under layers of dust.’

  Truth to tell, she had made a point of not watching the programme. She had been sorely tempted to flick the switch on the television set, but then she recalled how distant he had been with her over the last couple of days, and she had steeled herself to resist the impulse. She was becoming more and more aware of him with every day that passed, and it was worrying how much she craved his winning smile or a crumb of affection. There had been scant supply of either of those of late, but perhaps she had brought that on herself with her hasty, ill thought-out words.

  Ever since she had left his house the other day, he had been remote in his manner, and she couldn’t help wondering if it was more than their disagreement that had set them apart. Maybe he had moved on from her in his mind. Perhaps her indifference to him in the beginning had captured his interest, and she had become a challenge, simply another notch to be added to his belt.

  ‘You missed a treat,’ Sam enthused. ‘He invited the surgeon onto the show, and it was really interesting to hear what they had to say to each other. You’d think something like heart surgery for children would be a subject you’d want to leave alone, but they made it into compelling TV, not just for medical students or doctors but for people whose children are sick, too.’

  ‘I don’t know how he finds the time to fit everything in,’ she murmured, ‘but I suppose he must have recorded the programme a while back.’

  ‘Yes, I think he did.’

  Abby finished going through the case files with Sam and then went to catch up on the rest of her work. Matt was examining a patient in the trauma room, and she made up her mind to avoid him as far as possible over the next day or so. People were already linking them together as a couple, and she would be foolish to let that situation go on.

  Her good intentions were knocked for six when one of the nurses came to find her an hour or so later. ‘The four-year-old who came in a few minutes ago is in trouble, and we need a team to work on him.’

  ‘The boy who fell from the window?’

  ‘That’s the one. We think he has a fracture to the back of his skull. Matt is taking care of him. The parents are frantic with worry.’

  ‘I’m on my way.’

  She hurried along to the trauma room, expecting to find alarm and chaos all round, but instead everything appeared calm. Matt was talking to the parents as he put a drainage tube in position so that he could monitor the boy’s intracranial pressure. ‘This will help us to remove any fluid that might cause pressure on his brain,’ he said, ‘and it will give us an indication of what action we need to take to keep his condition stable.’

  The boy was unconscious and already had an endotracheal tube in place to assist his breathing, and Matt was giving him beta-blockers to prevent his blood pressure from rising to dangerous levels.

  He glanced up as Abby entered the room. ‘Good, I’m glad you’re here. I could do with an extra pair of hands.’

  ‘You have them. What do you want me to do?’

  ‘Put in a nasogastric tube and perform suction while I check for other injuries. He’s been vomiting and I’m worried about seizures. As soon as we get him stabilised I want to send him for a CT scan.’

  ‘OK. I’m on it. I’ll give him the anticonvulsant first.’ She quickly set to work. ‘Have you called for the neurosurgeon?’ she asked, keeping her voice low.

  ‘Yes, he’s on his way. The sooner we can send the boy up to Theatre to have the damaged blood vessels repaired, the better his chances of recovery.’ He, too, used a quiet tone in order to avoid upsetting the parents.

  The neurosurgeon arrived a few minutes later and checked the child over. ‘He’s as stable as he can be for now,’ he said. ‘Let’s get him over to CT scanning right away. I’ll take him up to Theatre from there.’

  The parents went with their child, and the surgeon answered their questions as they hurried along the corridor.

  Abby watched them go, experiencing the familiar ache of anxiety in her abdomen. Would the boy come through this unscathed? The next few hours were critical.

  ‘You did a good job,’ she said, turning to Matt as she tossed her surgical gloves into the disposal bin and rinsed her hands at the sink. ‘You kept the parents calm and you went on tending to your patient the whole time. You didn’t miss anything.’

  ‘It’s the end result that matters,’ he said. He was drying his hands on a paper towel. ‘All we can do now is rely on the skill of the surgeon and pray for a good outcome.’

  She nodded. ‘When I see a child in such a desperate state it makes me wonder if I would ever want to put myself through that. How could anyone love a child and nurture him and then see him suffer in such a way?’

  ‘The key is not to think about the negatives.’ His gaze rested on her, his blue eyes warm and sympathetic, so that her spirits lifted a fraction for the first time in days. ‘I tend to think you would make a wonderful mother. You have that caring instinct, and you’re a natural when it comes to talking to children. That’s why Jacob and Sarah took to you so well.’

  ‘I’m glad we all got along.’ Talk of m
otherhood had brought a slow tide of dismay that threatened to engulf her. Perhaps her contact with other people’s children was the nearest she would ever get to anything maternal.

  She glanced around the room, and it dawned on her that she was alone with Matt for the first time in days. The knowledge that he had been so withdrawn in his attitude towards her lately made her wary.

  ‘I suppose they must have gone back home by now,’ she murmured. ‘Did your sister and her husband find the villa they were looking for?’

  A shadow crossed his features. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t heard from them.’

  She frowned. ‘What do you mean? I thought they were due to come home two days ago?’

  ‘They were, but something must have happened to them. No one’s had sight or sound of either of them since they went over to one of the islands.’

  ‘Are you saying that there’s been an accident?’ Abby was growing more concerned by the minute.

  ‘It’s possible. They were out on a boat when there was some kind of freak storm, and they didn’t get to where they were going. I’m still waiting for news.’

  A shiver of cold ran down her spine. ‘Oh, Matt, that’s dreadful. How long have you known?’

  ‘Since the evening before they were due back. I had a phone call from an estate agent friend of theirs who lives in Greece. She wanted to let me know what was happening.’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Without thinking, she moved towards him, sliding her arms around him and hugging him close. ‘That must have been so awful for you…and for the children.’

  Was that what the phone call had been about when she had been at his house that evening? She had misjudged him and stormed off, letting her doubts override her judgement.

  ‘Do they know what’s going on?’ She glanced up at him, her fingers closing around his arms, keeping the warmth of contact. It seemed the natural thing to do, to comfort him and let him know that he wasn’t alone in this.