Priority Care

by Mary Hawkins

  'Oh, I thought you must have forgotten!' she exclaimed, and then felt the blush spread further as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

  'No, just running very late.'

  She looked hastily away and back at George. He had followed her glance, and was looking consideringly at Chris before turning back to wink unexpectedly at her.

  'OK, OK.' His eyes twinkled briefly before they closed, but she felt his grip on her hand tighten slightly as she went to withdraw.

  'I think we'd better let you rest now, Mr Macallister. Your niece also needs something to eat. She can come back tomorrow, and stay as long as you both want.'

  The words were gentle and accompanied by the smile that briefly lit up his entire face. Jean felt something deep inside her contract. A slight tug on her hand brought her eyes back to see George watching her quietly. There was an expression in his eyes she couldn't quite understand.

  She hesitated for a moment, and then gently disengaged her hand as she stood up.

  'He's right, George, dear. I'll be back in the morning.'

  As she bent over and kissed him again, she felt his hand tug at her hair a little harder. 'Ouch!' she exclaimed as she pulled away.

  'Not Jeanie!' George shook his head decisively.

  'You don't like it?' She couldn't help feeling disappointed, but tried to keep it out of her voice and expression.

  'Not Jeanie. OK?' This time there was a pause, and then the shock of white hair bobbed up and down as this time he nodded.

  'We'll see. It's my hair.' She grinned at him, as she deliberately reverted back to her old adolescent sparring words. Jean saw his lips twitch into a slight smile.

  Chris murmured his own goodbye and followed her from the room.

  'Did you understand what that was all about?' Chris sounded puzzled as they paused near the lifts. 'He sounded very confused.'

  'Oh, no,' she said quickly, 'he wasn't confused.'

  Several people joined them as the lift arrived, and nothing further was said until they were in the car park, where he paused.

  'Look, I don't know whether you raided the hospital dining-room for tea or not, but I'm starving. Could we go somewhere for a meal and talk at the same time?'

  'Dining-room?' She grinned up at him. 'This high-class hospital may be for private patients, but it doesn't have such a thing for visitors. Just a kiosk. A cup of coffee and a meat pie was enough for lunch, but certainly not for dinner. I'm starving too.'

  Suddenly he grinned back at her. 'Right. How about leaving your car here? I don't have to leave as early in the morning as I need to catch up on a mountain of paperwork, and I can drop you back here by ten.'

  'Fine by me,' she said cheerfully, but her heart was thumping as she found herself sitting beside him once again in his beautiful sports car. It had only been four days since they had met again, but suddenly he seemed very much like an old friend as they talked easily, staying off any mention of George until they were at last seated in a small restaurant about halfway between the hospital and their street.

  After they had ordered their main meal, Chris sat back and looked gravely at her. Suddenly the atmosphere changed. She tensed, wondering what he was about to say.

  She blurted out, 'George wasn't at all confused before. He meant I wasn't his "Jeanie of the light brown hair" any more.' She felt embarrassment bring warmth to her face as his eyes went to her profusion of black curls. 'I had a crazy fit the first week on holiday and visited a hairdresser.'

  When he didn't comment, she at last risked another glance at him. A small flame licked at her from the expression in his eyes.

  'You are very beautiful as you are, but I think I'd like to see George's "Jeanie" too,' he said very softly.

  Her startled eyes locked with his until suddenly the waiter was there with their cold drinks. Thankfully she picked up her drink and tried to hide the effect his sexy voice and penetrating gaze were having on her nervous system.

  'You said there were things that puzzled you the other night,' she rushed to say, thankful that the tremor in her hands was not reflected in her voice.

  There was silence, and when she ventured to look at him he was frowning down at his glass as he ran a finger idly around the rim.

  'You're so determined to take George home, but I don't understand why you've let Dan put the house on the market.'

  'What house?' she said sharply, but then realised the answer, even as his suddenly alert face warned her what he was going to say.

  'So your cousin's secretary was right. You don't know about this.'

  She stared with mounting fury at the brochure he thrust at her.

  The photographs were in clear colour. There was one of the imposing front entrance. There was one of the house showing the sweeping lawns and shrubbery from the water's edge. And one very familiar view. It was taken from her own bedroom window—the view she saw so many mornings. The various colours of the sails on the yachts glistened as they glided around the blue water of the lake on a perfect sunny day.

  The house, which had been built by her grandfather on four acres of land sloping down to the very edge of the water, was colourfully listed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a house right on the banks of the beautiful Lake Macquarie.

  It was just not simply another house Dan was trying to sell. It was their house. Her home.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jean's anger increased as she stared at the brochure. The name of Dan's firm was in large print across the top of the glossy sheet. She noted the words 'sole agent'.

  'Where did you get this?' she said through gritted teeth.

  'His secretary gave it to me while you were talking to them last Saturday. Said she wasn't absolutely sure you knew about it, as it had only been put on the market after you went on holiday. And apparently when he wouldn't take any of your calls she became even more suspicious.' He paused, and then added slowly as she screwed up the brochure angrily, 'I just can't understand why he would think his father would sign any contracts.'

  'George isn't his father,' she snarled. 'He could never have sired a scoundrel like' Dan. He was my aunt's son born from her first marriage. She thought he was wonderful, and loved him dearly, but George never adopted him. I don't think he's ever trusted him. I certainly haven't. He's too mean-spirited and petty. He's also too fond of gambling. George had already set him up in his own business the year before I came to live with him. From what George has said from time to time, he did it mainly to get Dan out of his hair after Aunty died.' She stopped, staring off into space as she thought of something. 'I wonder if this is why . . . ?'

  The waiter arrived, and they remained silent until he had left. Jean was still absorbed in her thoughts, unaware of the little curl of her lips, and the gleam of mischief that gradually filled her eyes, chasing away the anger.

  'I hope this hasn't made you lose your appetite.' Chris's curious voice intruded on her deep thoughts.

  She looked blankly at him, and then gave him her one-hundred-watt smile.

  'Oh, dear, no,' she said very cheerfully. 'There are a couple of things my very nasty stepcousin Dan isn't aware of. But boy, am I going to have great delight in telling him one day—when the time is right!' she finished grimly. She picked up her knife and fork, and sliced fiercely through her well done steak Diane.

  After staring at her a moment longer, he too commenced his meal. They ate silently, both busy with their own thoughts.

  'Jean,' Chris said suddenly, 'where did you ring me from on your holiday?'

  'Airlie's Beach. I'd been away for a few days' cruise around the Great Barrier Reef.'

  'North Queensland! But why did you choose to go so far away for your holidays?'

  She carefully finished chewing, and then swallowed slowly, before lifting her head and looking across the table at him with a grim smile.

  'Dan and Alicia had this wonderful timeshare unit that they just didn't have the time to use. I was very tired, and they were so persistent. Then they involved George in
such a sneaky way that I ended up accepting it.'

  'You realise you and George have been set up in some way?'

  'Oh, yes, I certainly do. And they are not going to get away with it.'

  A gleam of amusement shone briefly in his eyes. 'I really would like to see you again when your mad is up. As long as it's directed at someone else.' She blushed furiously, and avoided his eyes as he continued musingly, 'I'm still not exactly sure just which thing I said made you so angry. I've been hoping all evening it's what I think it is. Even though that just might be wishful thinking.'

  She did glance up at him sharply then and opened her mouth to tell him the truth about Bill and Mrs Jones's vindictiveness.

  But his voice had lost its suddenly wistful undertones as he asked briskly, 'Do you think it possible that they deliberately neglected George so he would have to go to hospital?'

  She was still. He was scowling at the remnants of food on his plate. Then he put down his cutlery and looked at her.

  'I think Dan is more than capable of it, but I don't think Alicia . . .' she began slowly in a horrified voice. She thought about the genuine distress that had sounded in Alicia's voice. 'No,' she stated firmly, 'I think he may have known his wife's abilities more than I did, and known she would never cope, but I really think she was trying to help. He even cancelled the home nurse I'd organised. Alicia . . . she . . . she was jealous of me, though, I've just found out.'

  He rested his chin on his linked fingers and studied her consideringly. 'That's very foolish of her. Aunt Maud has told us how close you and George have always been. Perhaps closer even than most fathers and daughters.' His voice dropped. 'Tell me about him, Jean. I may be able to help more if I can understand him better.'

  She saw the real interest and concern in his eyes, and slowly she pushed aside her own plate.

  'Perhaps we've become so close because we know there's no one else in the world who cares about us as we do. George is such a warm, strong man.' Her voice became softer as her thoughts took wings.

  She began by telling him briefly the bare facts of the accident and her terror before George had appeared.

  Chris rarely interrupted as she talked. But without her realising it until much later that night, when she reviewed the evening, he subtly drew out of her more than mere words could reveal. He would not have been able to help picturing the frightened, lonely child who had been terrified until George had arrived and transformed her world from despair to hope and a wonderland of loving care. Restoring her sense of worth as a person had taken much longer.

  She barely mentioned her parents, but he gathered that she had been frightened of her mother, and had never known her father very well as he had been away so much. At the deep pain that filled her face he refrained from probing those wounds. He soon had her telling him about the early days settling into the big house and the many battles between two stubborn people during her adolescence. There had been one major row with George. She had insisted she did not want to go on to tertiary education on leaving school, despite her excellent results. Instead, she had trained as a machinist and she had met Julie.

  At that point, they both realised the restaurant had emptied out and it was time to go. There was a relaxed silence for a while in the car as they headed for home.

  Despite her awareness of her growing attraction towards this man, Jean could never remember feeling as comfortable with a man before, not even Tony. She couldn't help thinking of the last time Chris had driven her home. This time she was wide awake, but wondered if this evening would end as it had that time.

  A tingle of anticipation increased her awareness of him. He probably knew more about her now than anyone except George. She had carefully avoided any mention of her father's business interests, and suddenly tensed as she wondered what he would think if he knew about the money. The knowledge of her fortune had several times hindered her from being as open with men over the years as she would have liked. And then Tony had brought home to her how wise she was to keep silent about the money.

  She suppressed a sudden insane desire to share her turmoil of feeling about so much money with him. But she resisted the urge. After all, they barely knew each other. And only once before had she been on the verge of telling anyone. And she had thought she had known him well enough, loved him and trusted him enough, to be sure he was going to ask her to marry him the very night she had planned to tell him.

  Instead, it had ironically proved to be the night Tony had regretfully told her that he had been mistaken about his love for her, and had fallen in love with someone else.

  In the mind-numbing pain of the days and weeks that had followed, she had discovered that he was more in love with his future father-in-law's money, which could help an ambitious young doctor, than the unfortunate girl.

  Jean had matured quite a bit since then, although George had still warned her she was rather naive at times. And how right he had been when even Dan and Alicia had fooled her!

  Chris parked his car in his driveway, and walked her across to her front door despite her feeble protest. He seemed to be as reluctant as she to end the evening.

  'What's your aunt doing about her house, Chris?' she asked, as she searched in her bag for her key.

  'I'm thinking very seriously of buying it.' Her heart leapt at his words, and then continued racing as he caught her by the arm and turned her towards him. 'Only I'm becoming less and less sure about the wisdom of being only your next-door neighbour,' he ended very softly, as he pulled her unresisting body into contact with his own.

  As his lips settled firmly on hers, that well remembered fire started to spread through her again. Her hands went up of their own volition to linger in the soft hair at the back of his neck. Her lips parted on a gasp as he suddenly hauled her even closer until she felt as though there was not one part of her body that was not being singed by its contact with his. Even her mouth was invaded as the kiss deepened. And then she was kissing him back.

  It was timeless. It was as though their two bodies blended together. Her knees suddenly lost their strength and she sagged against him.

  At last he withdrew from her, and she realised he was trembling too as she let her head fall forward on to his shoulder. A groan was wrenched from the depth of him as she felt her lips touch the soft skin at the base of his neck. She raised her head blindly to expose her face. Felt the magic touch of his lips as they moved gently over her face. And thought she must be in a dream. His shaky voice was murmuring how very beautiful and caring she was.

  Then he went still. Before she could move he was pushing her slightly away.

  'I must be mad,' he muttered.

  She froze, and a vivid picture of the expression in his eyes after he had kissed her that first time flashed into her mind. She was glad the outside light was not on and she couldn't see his face this time.

  She tried to step back from him. He let her go when she muttered something frantically about dropping her keys and bag. Then he stooped to help her search for them. He found her bag at the same time her hands touched the cold metal of her keys. Her hands were shaking so much that she fumbled badly, but eventually managed to fit the right one in the keyhole. As the door swung open, he grabbed her by the arm and turned her towards him again.

  'No,' she said sharply. 'No more.'

  His fingers tightened on her arm, but she managed to wrench it away. He stood perfectly still, and then gave a harsh laugh.

  'I was only going to tell you I'd be over at nine-thirty in the morning to pick you up,' he said scornfully, and turned away.

  She stumbled into the house, slamming the door behind her, then leaned back against it breathlessly, her eyes closed. Her experience with boyfriends had been practically nil during her teens. She had never really enjoyed any of the clumsy kisses that had been thrust on her a few times.

  There had only ever been one man she had been attracted to before Tony. She had started going out on dates with him during her second year as an apprentice at the c
lothes factory where she had met Julie.

  He had been so handsome, so much fun on the few times she had gone out with him. He had also been one of her bosses, and much older than she. He had also been very married, she had found out just in time from a very worried Julie. When she had challenged him, he had merely shrugged it off and said simply, 'But my wife has never been one of my priorities.'

  She had stared at him in disgust, recognising for the first time traits in him that had sickened her in her father. Not a word had she said. She had just turned away, collected her things and never gone back to the factory. The next year she had been accepted into the university to do her diploma in nursing, and in her second year fallen in love with Tony, and since then refused all dates using the excuse of study.

  But never had she even dreamt a mere kiss could be so devastating.

  And not until she was waiting very nervously for Chris the next morning did she wonder which would be more difficult—if he acted again as though it had never happened, or if he tried to talk about it.

  His 'good morning' was polite. Courteously he held the car door for her until she was seated.

  'Perhaps it would be a good idea if you told me more about how much Mr Macallister had been able to do for himself until you went on holiday.'

  It was as though her whole world had never been turned upside-down the night before by this reserved, quietly spoken doctor, now only showing interest in his patient. There were no bursts of speed this time as the car headed towards the hospital.

  She answered him in a carefully controlled voice. The questions continued. Had she had help from local community nurses? Had she continued with any speech and physical exercises over the last few months? Had there been any improvement at all in his co-ordination and planning of speech and movements?

  She soon found herself relaxing considerably, even found herself asking him about the sleeping tablets.