‘Really?’ Nathan looked around in astonishment. ‘I don’t remember anything about it. What happened?’
‘The coach you were on was involved in a pile-up,’ Daniel replied, keeping it brief as the consultant had told him to do.
‘Weird. The last thing I remember is talking to you and Eleanor at the barbecue—how odd is that?’
‘It can happen sometimes when you’ve had a knock on the head,’ Daniel replied lightly, although he had a bad feeling about this.
‘S’pose.’ Nathan frowned. ‘Is Eleanor here? I have this funny feeling that I was talking to her.’
‘You’re right—she was here,’ Daniel agreed, feeling slightly better now that Nathan was starting to piece things together.
‘I thought so!’ Nathan sounded relieved. ‘So where’s she gone then?’
‘Oh...er...ahem... She went to fetch some coffee,’ Daniel replied then wished he had thought of something else to say. Nathan obviously had no concept of time and was going to wonder what was going on when Eleanor failed to appear.
‘Good idea. I could do with a cup. I’m parched!’
‘No coffee for you, young man. You’re getting water.’ Daniel filled the plastic beaker and inserted a drinking straw through the spout. Nathan grinned when he passed it to him.
‘It’s been a while since I had a straw!’
Daniel chuckled, heartened by the fact that Nathan seemed to be taking things in his stride. The last thing he wanted was him getting stressed when it would make the situation even more difficult. ‘I’ll buy you a pack next time I go shopping.’
‘Hmm, tempting, although I’m not sure it would do much for my street cred.’ Nathan drank thirstily then sank back against the pillows with a sigh. ‘I’m knackered. D’you mind if I have a sleep? Eleanor can keep you company when she gets back with the coffee, can’t she?’
‘Erm...yes.’ Daniel waited until Nathan’s eyes closed then left the room, feeling in a quandary. Nathan would think it very odd if Eleanor wasn’t there when he woke up and he wasn’t sure what to do. The consultant had been adamant about him keeping everything as normal as possible so as not to put any pressure on Nathan, so maybe he should phone Eleanor and ask if she would come to the hospital?
Daniel’s heart lurched. Part of him was desperate to have her there with him while the other part was just as desperate for her to stay away. If he was brutally honest, he wasn’t sure he could trust himself not to do something stupid when he saw her. Nathan’s relapse had shocked him to the core and his emotions were all over the place. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of what had happened on Saturday night.
It was hard to know what to do but in the end the need to make things appear as normal as possible for Nathan’s sake won through. He went outside to make the call, sheltering from the rain in the porch. When Eleanor answered he steeled himself to sound as impersonal as possible. This wasn’t for his benefit, he told himself sternly. It was to help Nathan and he had to make that clear from the outset. He couldn’t afford to let Eleanor know how much he wanted her there—it wouldn’t be fair.
* * *
Eleanor had just let herself into the flat when her phone rang. Hunting it out of her pocket, she felt her breath catch when she realised it was Daniel calling. Just for a moment she considered rejecting the call before she thought better of it. Daniel wouldn’t be calling unless it was urgent.
‘Hello?’
‘Look, I’m really sorry to phone you like this, Eleanor, but I have a problem.’ Daniel’s tone was brisk. ‘Nathan has regained consciousness but he doesn’t remember what happened leading up to the operation. I was warned this could happen and that under no circumstances must I try to jog his memory.’
‘I can see how worrying it must be,’ she agreed, her heart going out to him.
‘It is. He thought it was still Friday, straight after the barbecue. He does recall talking to you, however, because he asked where you’d gone.’ She heard him sigh. ‘I don’t know why but I told him you’d gone for some coffee. It was a really stupid thing to do as Nathan immediately latched onto it. I know it’s a lot to ask but is there any chance that you would drive over here? I just want to make things as normal as possible for him.’
Ellie wasn’t sure what to do. If it would help Nathan then of course she would drive to the hospital. However, was it really wise to get more deeply involved in Daniel’s affairs when she should be trying to keep her distance? She hesitated and Daniel obviously misinterpreted her silence.
‘Look, I’m sorry. I should never have phoned you, Eleanor. It was a really bad idea,’ he began.’
‘I’ll come straight over,’ she said, cutting him off. She would never forgive herself if she refused to go and something happened to Nathan.
‘Are you sure?’ The relief in Daniel’s voice was like balm and helped to calm her nerves.
‘Quite sure. Where exactly are you?’
‘Critical Care. I’ll tell them to expect you so just give your name in at the desk when you arrive.’
‘Right. I should be there within the hour,’ Ellie told him, opening the front door.
‘Thank you. I really appreciate this.’
Ellie didn’t say anything as she cut the connection and headed out to her car. Maybe it wasn’t the most sensible decision she’d ever made but she wouldn’t go back on it now. She drove out of the surgery, forcing herself to concentrate on the road rather than the mistake she might be making. Daniel had asked her to help his son and she couldn’t refuse. It was as simple as that.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ELEANOR ARRIVED AT the Critical Care unit just as Nathan was waking up from his nap. He grinned when he saw her coming into the room.
‘Hi, Eleanor. Good to know the old man’s had some company while I’ve been doing my sleeping beauty routine.’
‘I’m not sure the beauty bit is correct,’ she retorted, deliberately keeping her tone light. ‘That’s some bruise you’ve got on your head, young man!’ She glanced at Daniel and felt her stomach sink when she saw his expression. That he had misgivings about her being there was obvious, even though it had been his idea to ask her to come. For some reason the thought annoyed her so that her voice had a definite edge when she addressed him. ‘What do you think, Daniel?’
‘I’ve seen worse,’ he replied rather curtly.
‘He certainly has.’ Nathan laughed. ‘Remember the time the shed roof gave way when I was trying to get my football? I ended up with a massive bruise on my head. Mum tore a strip off you for letting me climb up there to fetch it.’
‘Mum hauled me over the coals, all right. She said I should have gone up and got it even though the roof would never have held my weight.’ Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘Apparently, that would have been a much better option in her view than you getting hurt.’
‘I remember,’ Nathan replied, grinning. ‘You were seriously not impressed!’
Ellie turned away, trying not to think about what a happy family they had been. It simply highlighted how devastating it must have been for them when Camille had died. How could anyone hope to replace Camille let alone replicate the kind of closeness they’d had? It was hard to put that thought out of her mind, even though she knew how stupid it was to dwell on it. Daniel hadn’t asked her to come here so she could step into his late wife’s shoes. Nobody could fill Camille’s role in either Daniel’s or Nathan’s eyes, and any woman who tried would only ever be second best. It was such a painful thought it was relief when the consultant arrived to examine Nathan and they were asked to leave. At least it provided a breathing space, time to get herself together. Daniel might have asked for her help for Nathan’s sake but that was all.
They stepped out into the corridor while they waited for the consultant to finish. Daniel sighed as he stared at the closed door. ‘The longer
the amnesia lasts, the less likely it is that he’ll recover that part of his memory.’
‘I thought you said that he’d remembered us being at the barbecue and me being here on Saturday,’ Ellie said quietly, her heart aching for what he must have been going through.
‘Yes, although I’m not sure he has the time scale exactly right.’ He ran his hand through his hair, his face grey with a mixture of fatigue and tension. ‘And what if there are other gaps in his memory and we know nothing about them? They might only surface later on.’
‘There’s nothing to say that’s going to happen, Daniel,’ she pointed out firmly. ‘Nathan could remember everything else perfectly well.’
‘Or he might have forgotten something important, maybe something to do with his college work.’ His tone was grim. ‘He’s worked so damned hard to get his act together. If something like that happens then heaven knows the effect it could have on him.’
‘Don’t go borrowing trouble, as my grandma used to say,’ she instructed. ‘It’s all ifs, ands and buts at the moment. There are no facts to base your assumptions on, are there?’
‘No,’ he said slowly, then grimaced. ‘Sorry. I’m getting several steps ahead of myself, aren’t I?’
‘Yes. But it’s understandable.’ She touched his hand then realised immediately what a mistake it was when she felt a rush of awareness hit her. All of a sudden she was transported back to Saturday night, to how his skin had felt when she had touched him, and how his body had throbbed for hers. Her hand fell to her side but she could tell from his expression that he knew what she was thinking, feeling, knew because he was thinking and feeling it too. The thought shook her. It hadn’t ended on Saturday night. What had started then was still going on. The question now was what should she do about it? Assuming that she had a choice.
* * *
Daniel could feel the tension sizzling in the air. One minute he had been totally consumed by worry over Nathan and the next he was awash with feelings he didn’t know how to handle. When the door opened and the consultant asked them if they would come in, it took him a moment to respond. However, one glimpse of Nathan’s face soon cleared his head. His son looked scared to death.
‘Did you know that I’ve got a gap in my memory?’ Nathan demanded as soon as they stepped into the room.
‘I suspected you had,’ Daniel replied as evenly as he could. He glanced at the consultant, who nodded as though giving him permission to continue. ‘What exactly do you remember?’
‘I remember the barbecue and talking to you both there. And I have this vague impression of Eleanor being here at the hospital—’ Nathan broke off and gulped. ‘I don’t remember anything after that—passing out, going down to Theatre—none of it. It’s as though the days are all muddled up. I thought it was still Friday but the doctor says it’s Tuesday. Is that right?’
‘Yes.’ Daniel tried to sound reassuring, although it wasn’t easy when Nathan’s obvious distress was affecting him. ‘It’s quite normal to forget things after a head injury. More often than not the missing bits come back later.’
‘But what if they don’t come back? And what if I’ve forgotten other things and don’t know I’ve forgotten them?’ Nathan was sounding increasingly alarmed, which was the last thing Daniel wanted.
‘Then they may come back as well.’ Eleanor stepped forward, bending so that she could look into the boy’s eyes. ‘It’s early days, Nathan. You’ve just had surgery and, like any other part of your body, your brain needs time to recover. The best thing you can do is rest and try not to worry, although I can see how hard that must be.’
The advice had an instant soothing effect. Daniel was overcome with gratitude when he saw Nathan relax just a little. Somehow, Eleanor had managed to calm him down, succeeding where he himself had failed. By the time the consultant had added his endorsement to Eleanor’s advice, Nathan was looking a lot better. When the sister informed them it was time they left so that Nathan could rest, Daniel felt calmer too. Maybe this wasn’t going to turn out as badly as he had feared thanks to Eleanor. They left the Critical Care unit and made their way to the car park. Eleanor had parked next to him and Daniel stopped when they reached her car, aware that everything he was feeling must be clear to see on his face.
‘Thank you for what you did back there. You managed to do what I couldn’t and calmed him down. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here tonight, Eleanor.’
‘You’d have managed.’ She smiled up at him, her eyes filled with a tenderness that touched his heart. That she cared not only about Nathan but about him as well was clear to see.
‘Maybe,’ he said huskily. ‘But sometimes managing by yourself isn’t enough. Sometimes you need someone to help you.’
He drew her into his arms, feeling the softness of her body nestled against his. It felt like a homecoming, that he had found the place he wanted to be as well the person he wanted to fill it. Holding Eleanor in his arms, he felt whole, as though he was no longer missing some vital part of him. It was a revelation to realise it and yet it was a quiet revelation; it didn’t need a fanfare to herald its arrival when it filled him with such an intense feeling of happiness.
Tilting her chin, he kissed her, unable to hold back when every fibre of his being demanded an even greater closeness. He needed her so much! Needed her to fill his heart, his life, to give him peace. When she kissed him back, he could have shouted out for joy only his mouth was too busy to waste a single precious second when it could be better employed. The kiss ran on and on so that they were both trembling when they drew apart, both aware that they had reached a point of no return. They couldn’t go back. They could only go forward. Whichever way it led.
‘Will you come home with me?’ Daniel didn’t try to couch his needs in euphemisms—there was no point. They both knew what he was asking so why bother? Eleanor looked into his eyes and he knew what she was going to say before the words left her lips, and shuddered. She wasn’t going to pretend either.
‘Yes.’
* * *
They spent the night at the flat. It wasn’t a conscious decision to stay there because they didn’t discuss it; it just felt right. Here, at the newly decorated flat that held no reminders of the past, they were free to be themselves. When Daniel took her in his arms, Ellie knew that it was what she wanted more than anything. Maybe she didn’t know what the future held in store, but at that moment this was what she needed, Daniel’s arms around her, his heart beating in time with hers. They made love with an intensity and passion that moved them both to tears but they weren’t embarrassed by their feelings, by the fact that they cared. Even if they didn’t know what was going to happen, they needed this, needed each other.
They fell asleep still wrapped in each other’s arms and woke the next morning way before the day had dawned, feeling both sated and content. Raising herself up on her elbow, Ellie brushed a kiss over Daniel’s brow. ‘That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages,’ she told him, smiling into his eyes. ‘You, Dr Saunders, have a magical touch.’
‘Hmm. Good to know, although I suspect the magic only works for selected people.’ He brushed her mouth with a kiss, kissed her again when she responded, and groaned. ‘I could do this all day. I just wish I had the time but I need to go home and get changed. I want to get to the hospital early to see how Nathan’s doing this morning.’
‘Of course you do,’ Ellie agreed, simply, because no way was she going to put pressure on him to stay with her. Nathan’s health was his number one priority and everything came second to that, herself included. Just for a moment the old thoughts about being second best came rushing back before she drove them out of her mind. Daniel needed her help, he needed her support, and no matter what it cost her, she would give it to him.
They showered together, laughing and giggling like teenagers as they squeezed into the stal
l. When Daniel offered to soap her back, Ellie agreed because it was easier than trying to do it herself. However, it soon became apparent that his interest wasn’t wholly focused on matters of hygiene. She shuddered when she felt his hands smoothing the lather over her buttocks. Everywhere he touched, her skin was tingling. When he turned her around and lathered her breasts, she closed her eyes, too awash with sensations to remonstrate with him. They made love again right there in the shower, the water raining down on them as they loved each other with a desperation that was in total contrast to the night before. However, it was equally stirring, equally moving in its own very special way. They wanted one another. Needed one another. And there was no escaping that fact.
Daniel left after downing a quick cup of coffee, leaving Ellie to get ready for work. She dressed with care, suddenly wishing that she had something prettier to wear than the sensible trousers and shirt. She sighed as she studied her reflection in the dressing table mirror, understanding only too well why she wanted to look attractive. She wanted this—whatever it was—to continue, but would it? Could it? Should it? Daniel hadn’t made any promises. He hadn’t made a commitment either. He had held her, loved her and shown that he’d needed her, but that was all.
Ellie bit her lip as she looked at herself in the mirror. She might be what he needed right now, at this moment, but there was no guarantee his feelings would last. She must never allow herself to forget that.
* * *
It was the strangest time of Daniel’s entire life. As one week flowed into the next, he found himself adrift. Nathan had been moved to the neurosurgical unit and he spent as much time as possible there with him. Amazingly, Bernard Hargreaves had come up trumps for once, which meant he could take time off without feeling guilty. Work could wait. He needed to be there for Nathan, now more than ever.
Worryingly, it soon became clear that there were other gaps in Nathan’s memory, little glitches that caused the boy immense concern. It was very frustrating: one day he would recall something that had happened and the next he’d realise that he had forgotten something else. All Daniel could do was try to reassure him but he was worried to death that it wouldn’t be enough. If the pressure became too great and Nathan went off the rails again...
The Boss Who Stole Her Heart Page 13