Falling for the Brooding Doc

by Annie Claydon

  Why was he doing this? It was a great deal of trouble, and he’d have been perfectly justified in just discharging Laurie from the clinic, on the basis that she was refusing treatment. But there was no part of him that could let her go.

  Not the lonely child who’d amused himself while his mother had worked all the hours she could to support them both after his father had left. Not the teenager, who’d spent much of his time alone, while his mother had worked. And not the husband, who had longed for a family of his own, but had been told that his chances of ever conceiving a child were somewhere south of one in a thousand.

  His marriage hadn’t survived, and he’d reconciled himself to the loss of his dreams, pouring all he had into the clinic. It had been his family when he’d been alone and hurting, and now it was Laurie’s last chance. Ross wasn’t going to let her lose it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  SHE WAS BEGINNING to feel that Ross was far too perceptive. Deep down, Laurie had known that she was sabotaging herself when she manoeuvred right instead of left and had rowed straight past the windows of the clinic. But it had taken Ross to put that theory into words.

  It was time to put her head down and work. Not to think about whether Ross was right or wrong, or any of the emotions he seemed to stir up so easily in her. She had aims. She wanted to get back to competitive fitness, and she wanted to help make a difference for Adam and Tamara. Ross wanted that, too, so where was the problem?

  Wanting the same things as he did felt a little risky. She’d spent the last few days treating him as if he was the enemy, and if Laurie was honest she’d prefer it that he was. If he started wanting the same things as she did, they’d be tearing each other’s clothes off before nightfall.

  Not going to happen. Ross might seem to have his life sorted, but he’d dropped a few hints that had made her wonder whether he wasn’t just as damaged as she was. And Laurie’s own damage ran deep. Deep enough that she didn’t want to re-create a family for herself when the one she’d had and left behind had almost crushed the soul out of her.

  She got out of bed, almost stumbling as the morning stiffness robbed her hip and leg of their strength for a moment. A few stretches would sort that out, and then she’d go to the gym for her morning exercise routine. Then she’d concentrate on spending the whole day avoiding Ross as much as politely possible.

  * * *

  Stumbling block number one. When Laurie entered the gym she heard the muffled clank of weights from one of the machines. She reminded herself that there was no way that Ross could be checking up on her, because he’d been here first. Before she could bang the door closed behind her to alert him of her presence, he sat up, catching up a small towel and wiping his face.

  Good definition. Really great definition. He wasn’t muscle-bound but he was strong. Sweating. Laurie suppressed the urge to march over to him and ask him what he was doing here, because it really wasn’t his fault that the male body held a particular allure for her when pumping weights.

  ‘Hey. Just finishing up.’ He got to his feet, obviously about to vacate the gym so that she could exercise alone.

  ‘Don’t rush away on my account.’ She smiled, trying to inject a note of polite warmth into her tone that didn’t sound too much like lust.

  ‘I’m running a bit late anyway. I’ll let you get on with...whatever you’re about to do.’

  His smile flashed an unmistakeable message. Ross had decided to back off. That was just as well, because when he passed her in the doorway she caught a hint of his scent. Raw sex, at its finest.

  ‘Do you have a moment later? I’ve got a few questions about structuring the gym time for Adam.’

  ‘Sure. Ten o’ clock?’ he called over his shoulder.

  ‘That’s great. Thanks.’

  Stumbling block number two. How to stick to her routine when the clamour of pheromones was urging her to either fight or fly. Maybe some relaxation and breathing exercises were in order before she started on her morning workout.

  * * *

  It had been two days and Ross had kept his interactions with Laurie down to the bare minimum. She’d been working on her treatment plans for Adam and Tamara, and he’d left her to it. He’d skipped his morning workouts as well, so that there was no danger of his being there when Laurie went through her own exercise routine. He was aching with curiosity, and not sure how much longer he could keep this up.

  But this morning she’d found her way to his office. The dark blue of her trousers matched her sleeveless top exactly, and she’d teamed that up with a pair of bright red sandals. He noticed that her fingernails were painted exactly the same shade as her shoes. He reminded himself that Laurie set store by dressing appropriately for any occasion, and that he was simply looking for clues, rather than appreciating the overall effect.

  ‘Good morning. I was wondering if you had some time to see me today.’

  Always. Particularly when she looked so good.

  ‘Would now suit you? I was about to go and get some coffee. Would you like one?’

  ‘Yes. Thanks.’

  He fetched the coffee and found her waiting in his office, her laptop placed in front of her on his desk.

  ‘What’s your email address? I’ll send my proposals through to you...’ Clearly she just wanted to get down to business.

  Ross reeled off his address and heard his computer chime. As he opened the document attached to his email a thought occurred to him.

  ‘Have you chosen the costumes yet? Sports day is next Monday.’

  ‘Ah, yes.’ She smiled. ‘I’m going as the chicken.’

  The chicken costume was great. Covered in yellow feathers, and lots of fun. If Laurie had been looking for the most embarrassing costume in the clinic’s collection, she’d chosen it for herself, but he imagined she’d carry it off beautifully.

  ‘And me?’ He tried to maintain an air of innocence.

  ‘Not the Mad Hatter.’ She glanced down at her hands. ‘You’re going as the egg. Or rather Humpty Dumpty.’

  Right. As costumes went, the egg wasn’t so bad. The kids had loved it last year when Mike had worn it, and it was difficult to feel awkward when you were almost entirely obscured from view inside a large papier-mâché egg. It was, however, a little difficult to go anywhere at a speed faster than walking pace, and the two eye-holes cut in the front didn’t give a particularly wide field of vision. If Laurie had wanted to clip his wings, she’d done a fine job of it.

  ‘Great. The chicken and the egg, then.’ He refused to allow her to see his reservations. ‘Who comes first?’

  Laurie chuckled. ‘We’ll have to see about that, won’t we?’

  * * *

  Three hours and two cups of coffee later, he’d been through Laurie’s treatment strategies and they were very good. She’d obviously been talking more to Adam about his likes and dislikes and spoken to Tamara about what she wanted from her stay here. Ross had just one reservation.

  ‘You’ve put a note here that you feel that Tamara might like to try rowing...’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What do you see as the specific benefits of that?’

  ‘At the moment her prosthetic isn’t fitting exactly right. I know you’re doing something about that, but in the meantime it would be nice to get her moving.’

  Ross thought hard. ‘But rowing involves flexing your legs. Tamara’s prosthetic hurts her when she puts too much pressure on it, and we need to correct the imbalance that’s causing. Won’t rowing make it worse?’

  ‘Yes, competitive rowing. I was thinking more in terms of a Sunday afternoon scull around on the lake. Just put some oars in her hands and see how she does with them.’

  ‘That’s fair enough.’ Ross wondered whether Laurie was actually capable of taking a Sunday afternoon scull anywhere. He supposed he’d find out soon enough.

  ‘But how do you get out
onto the lake in the first place? You’ll have to row her, won’t you.’

  Laurie shot him an exasperated glance. ‘Look, I know what your reservations are. You think I’d do anything to get back out on the water and from your perspective...well, I can see how you might come to that conclusion.’

  ‘So convince me.’ Ross decided to give her a little more rope.

  ‘You have excellent physios and doctors here and there’s nothing I can add to what they can do for these kids. So I tried to think about something I could bring. My own unique selling point, if you like.’

  ‘Go on...’

  ‘For Adam, I want to bring an understanding of how frustrating it is to be injured, and how it can eat away at your own belief in yourself. And for Tamara... I just want to give her the feeling of power and speed that she once had when she was running and that she will have again.’

  It was a different way of looking at the problem. But this was why he’d asked Laurie to do these treatment plans.

  ‘Okay. I’ll buy it. We can take Tamara out this afternoon if that’s something she’d like to do.’

  ‘We?’ Laurie raised her eyebrow and Ross nodded. It was time to step forward again and be a bit more hands on, because he needed to know that this was really right for Tamara.

  ‘If I come along, you won’t have to do any rowing.’

  She looked at him thoughtfully and then nodded. Maybe this last two days had convinced her that he wasn’t simply meddling in her life for the sake of doing so.

  ‘Okay. Can you row?’

  ‘Not as well as you, but I’ve lived next to a lake for most of my life.’

  She gave him a bright smile. ‘I’ll go and ask Tamara if she’d like to do that then, and come back to you. What time’s good for you?’

  ‘About three?’

  ‘Great. I’ll let you know.’ Laurie snapped her laptop shut, put it under her arm, and left his office without a backward glance. Ross was already looking forward to this afternoon, and hoping that Tamara would say yes.

  He got to his feet, looking out at the lake. It had been his confidante as a boy, its ever-changing moods a source of endless fascination for him. When he’d come back here a newly qualified doctor, it had been the witness of bright new love, and then of disappointment and heartbreak. But now, staring out over the rippling expanse gave him no answers. Perhaps it had changed sides—those still waters knew that Laurie loved them and had allied themselves with her.

  Nonsense. It was a large quantity of H2O, not a sentient being. He was on his own with the question of how he would convince Laurie that he really was on her side, and although he’d taken a first step, there was still a way to go.

  * * *

  Ross had voiced his reservations about this, but he hadn’t turned the idea down flat. He seemed to be making an effort to give her some room and she appreciated that. She had asked Tamara about it carefully, not wanting to sway her with her own enthusiasm or her wish to show Ross that she was right. And Tamara had liked the idea and agreed. Laurie had lent her a windcheater and given the girl one of her favourite caps to wear, which bore the insignia of the England team.

  They walked slowly down to the small jetty by the side of the lake, Ross helping Tamara over the uneven ground. Then together they guided her into the sturdy boat that would carry three with ease, and Tamara sat down in the stern.

  ‘Okay, so watch carefully, Tamara. Ross is going to row us out a bit and then you can have a go.’

  ‘All right. We’re not going to sink, are we?’

  Ross grinned at Tamara. ‘Nah, we’ve got a professional on our team. I’m going to be following Laurie’s instructions to the letter.’

  The chance would be a fine thing. The thought of having Ross do exactly as she told him shimmered through her imagination, starting off with the professional and then branching out into what she might ask him to do by candlelight. It was an intriguing thought but probably better left for later, when she was back on dry land.

  ‘Let’s hope so, eh?’ Laurie shot Tamara a mischievous look and the girl laughed.

  The lighter oars for Tamara were stored in the bottom of the boat, and Ross sat on the bench between the heavier pair, swinging them out into the water.

  ‘This feels a bit different...’

  ‘Yes, I adjusted the oar outriggers. You’re tall so you need them a little higher.’ Laurie turned to Tamara. ‘See how the oars are mounted on those triangular shaped brackets that stick out from the sides of the boat. That gives Ross better leverage, so we go faster.’

  ‘Yeah, gotcha.’

  ‘Right, then.’ Laurie settled herself on the bench next to Tamara. ‘Off we go.’

  He started to row the boat out from the jetty. Three strokes, and then he stopped.

  ‘What? You’re looking at me as if I’m doing this all wrong.’

  ‘No! You’re doing fine.’ She probably shouldn’t interfere.

  ‘I know you have a few thoughts about how I could do better, though.’

  Laurie shot him an apologetic look and slid forward. ‘Maybe put your feet a little closer in, then you’ve got room to bend your knees a bit more.’

  ‘Like this?’

  ‘Bit more...’ Laurie shifted closer, gripping his leg and putting it in the right spot. Good calves. Very good... ‘Back a little straighter.’

  Ross squared his shoulders. Nice. ‘How’s that? Comfortable?’

  He nodded, taking another few strokes with the oars and then stopping again.

  ‘What now?’

  Her face must have betrayed her. ‘That’s a great deal better. Only the ends of the oars should go a little higher in the water. You’re not stirring a Christmas pudding.’

  ‘You getting all that, Tamara?’ He grinned broadly.

  Laurie heard Tamara giggle behind her. At least she was enjoying this. And Ross seemed to be as well, so it was just Laurie who felt unaccountably nervous. She shifted back again, resuming her place in the stern.

  ‘All right, then. Give it a go... Great. Good rhythm...’ Laurie bit her tongue. That sounded like innuendo, but neither Ross or Tamara seemed to notice. Maybe it was just because a pair of good shoulders in action always turned her on.

  ‘What do we do?’ Tamara nudged her.

  ‘We could sit here and trail our fingers in the water.’ Laurie grinned. ‘Let Ross do all the work.’

  ‘No! I want to have a go.’

  Ross shot her a smile. That was obviously the reaction he’d hoped for as well.

  ‘All right. Watch how Ross is doing it for a minute. If he had a sliding seat, then he’d be powering his strokes from his legs and back, but with a fixed seat like that he’s using his shoulders more. So you shouldn’t need to push with your legs.’

  ‘Right. So the prosthetic won’t hurt?’ Tamara pressed her lips together. Laurie knew that every step she took was painful at the moment.

  ‘It shouldn’t do, but honestly I don’t know. We’re trying things out at the moment, and we may need to adjust your seat and the outriggers before we get it exactly right, okay?’

  Tamara nodded. ‘Okay. Let’s do it.’

  She was so brave. Willing to try new things and looking at what she could do, not what she couldn’t. Laurie wondered again whether Ross had deliberately chosen these kids to make her feel ashamed of herself. If so, he’d succeeded.

  She helped Tamara forward onto the seat in front of Ross’s, carefully shifting her own weight so that the movement didn’t rock the boat. Pulling her own rowing gloves from her pocket, she gave them to Tamara.

  ‘Put these on, it’ll stop the oars from rubbing your hands. We don’t want you getting blisters.’

  Tamara pulled the gloves on, and Laurie fastened them for her at the wrists. Then she lifted the oars up from the bottom of the boat and fitted them into the rowlocks, b
efore sliding back into her own seat.

  ‘Try the movement a couple of times without dipping the oars into the water. Forward...now back... Good. That’s very good. Are you comfortable doing that?’

  Tamara nodded. ‘Yes, that’s fine.’

  ‘All right. Let’s give it a go, shall we? Try just one stroke.’

  Tamara repeated the motion, dipping the oars into the water this time. The boat moved forward a little and she turned the corners of her mouth down.

  ‘We didn’t go very far.’

  Laurie grinned. ‘That’s because you haven’t built up any momentum yet. We’ll try it again, yes? A few strokes this time.’ She caught Ross’s eye and he nodded. As Tamara pulled on her oars, he replicated the movement.

  ‘See, that’s better. Keep going... No, don’t look round at Ross. It’s my job to make sure he’s doing it right...’

  Laurie called out the strokes, and Tamara started to get into the swing of it. Ross was following her, and the boat began to move a little faster. ‘That’s really good. Well done. You okay, Tamara?’

  ‘Yes. This is great!’ Tamara was grinning broadly.

  ‘Okay, I’m going to pick the speed up. Follow my count. Keep your back straight, Tamara...’

  The two of them were rowing in perfect synchronisation now. Ross was doing more than his share of the work, but Tamara would still be feeling the resistance of the water against her oars, and the sensation of pushing forward. The boat started to move faster and she whooped with delight.

  ‘Yay! I like this...’

  ‘Keep your concentration... Good. Very good.’

  They rowed in a more or less straight line, until they began to near the deeper waters at the middle of the lake. Laurie showed Tamara how to manoeuvre the boat around, and she managed it without too much help from Ross. When she began to look a little tired, they pulled for the shore.