Surgeon in a Wedding Dress

Not really. She could eat the lot. ‘Sure.’ Sarah prodded the plate along the counter towards him, wondering what he hadn’t wanted Jill to mention in front of her. ‘So you come from a big family.’

‘Yep, and they’re quite useful at times.’

‘What he means is we all run round after him most of the time.’ Jill winked at Sarah.

They needn’t think she’d play that game. She’d come to run his clinic, nothing else. ‘How far from here is the house I’m staying in? I’ve got some directions but it’s probably quicker if you tell me.’

Wariness filtered into Dan’s eyes. ‘You can follow me shortly.’

‘I’d really like to go now.’

‘Soon.’ Then suddenly his eyes twinkled and he waved at someone behind her. ‘Sweetheart, there you are.’

Disappointment jolted Sarah. Of course Dan would have a wife. No man as good looking as this one would be single. Turning to see who he was smiling at, her heart slowed and a lump blocked her throat. The most gorgeous little girl bounded past her, her arms flung high and wide as she reached Dan.

‘Daddy, there you are. Auntie Bea brought me here. She made me some fries.’

‘Hi, sweetheart. Guess you won’t be needing dinner now.’ Dan scooped the pink and yellow bundle up and sat her on his knee.

‘You’re late, Daddy.’

‘Sorry, sweetheart.’ The man looked unhappy, as though he’d slipped up somehow. ‘I had to help Uncle Malcolm.’

Sarah stared at father and daughter. Their eyes were the same shade of blue. They had identical wide, full mouths, the only difference being the little girl’s was one big smile while Dan’s rarely got past a scowl. Except now, with his daughter in his arms. The lump blocking Sarah’s throat slowly evaporated, her heart resumed its normal rhythm. But she melted inside, watching the child.

Since when did children do that to her? Since her wrecked marriage plans had stolen her dream of having a family. Why hadn’t Oliver taken that test for the cystic fibrosis gene as he’d promised to do when she’d first told him she was a carrier? Had he been afraid he might find he was imperfect? Did the idea that they might have to decide whether to have children or not if he’d tested positive prove too hard to face? Whatever the answers, he could’ve talked to her, not gone off and played around behind her back.

‘Hello.’

Sarah blinked, looked around, caught the eye of Dan, and, remembering where she was, immediately shoved the past aside. ‘Hi.’

The child wriggled around on Dan’s knee until she was staring at Sarah. ‘Are you the lady who’s coming to stay with us?’

Definitely not. ‘No, I’m Sarah, a doctor like your father.’

‘Sarah …’ Dan eased a breath through his teeth. ‘Leah’s right. You are staying with us.’

‘What?’ Absolutely not. No one had ever mentioned such a notion. Perspiration broke out on her forehead. Had she missed something? No, she couldn’t have. Staying with the local surgeon would’ve been one detail she’d definitely not overlook. ‘The board arranged a hospital house for me.’

‘That’s right. The one and only hospital house. Where I live with my daughter.’

Her shoulders sagged. He meant it. She was staying at Dan’s house. With Dan. And his daughter. ‘Your wife?’

‘There’s just the two of us.’ His mouth tightened. ‘You’ll be comfortable enough.’

No way. She couldn’t, wouldn’t. What about her unprecedented attraction to him? How could she handle that when they were squeezed into the same place? Then there was the job. He’d always be asking how she was doing. Who had she seen? How was she treating them? Her voice sounded shrill even to her. ‘There must be somewhere else. I don’t mind a small flat or apartment.’

‘This is Port Weston, not Auckland. Rental properties are few and far between. When I say there’s nothing else then there’s nothing. Believe me, I’ve checked.’ Dan stood up. ‘I’m not happy about it either. Unfortunately we’re going to have to bump along together—somehow.’

Of course Dan didn’t want her staying with him. He didn’t want her here, full stop. Tiredness dragged her shoulders down as she stood up from the stool she’d been perched on. ‘I’ll get my case.’

Bump along together, indeed. Her eyes widened and her face heated up. In a fantasy world, bumping up against Dan might be a whole heap of fun. There were definitely some very intriguing ways. But not in the ho-hum kind of way he was suggesting. Right now she wanted to bang him over the head for letting this happen.

Swinging Leah down to the floor, Dan watched Sarah striding across the room in a second, clean pair of silly sandals. Her cheeks had coloured up, and her shoulders were stiff. Those amazing eyes were giving off sparks. Passion ran through her veins, he’d bet his job on it.

‘Sarah’s unhappy, Daddy.’ Leah wriggled down to the floor and grabbed his hand.

So was he. He didn’t need a sex siren in his home. Not when his body suddenly seemed to be waking up. But he couldn’t be blamed for the board crying off outlaying money for separate accommodation for her. It was part of his tenancy agreement that visiting doctors stayed with him. Of course, none of them came for more than a week at a time.

Charlie had also stressed the importance of keeping Dr Livingston happy during her time here. And then they put her in with me? Dan bit off an expletive.

Everyone in the district knew that Dr Livingston had to be looked out for. There’d be a concerted effort to make sure she wanted for nothing. The board had a plan. One where the locum would fall in love with Port Weston and its hospital and want to stay on when the contract was up. The plan was doomed from the start. By all appearances Sarah would not stay one minute longer than her contract stated. But the relief that knowledge should engender within him wasn’t forthcoming.

Did he want her to stay? No.

Did he want to cut back his working hours permanently? Maybe. If it all worked out with Leah. If he learned how to give her what she needed and didn’t fail her like he had last time he’d tried to be a hands-on solo dad. If. If. If.

Then he had to think about those little mistakes he’d begun making at work because he’d become exhausted. Thankfully none of them had been serious. Yet. He’d been doing horrendously long hours and Charlie had been right to start looking for another surgeon to share the load. Those long days had been an excuse to avoid going home and facing the truth that Celine was never coming back. He’d worked until he was so tired he could fall into bed and sleep.

He should be grateful to Sarah. She hadn’t forced this holiday on him, he had. By all accounts, she appeared to be the perfect locum, despite being an arrogant ‘suit’ from Auckland. Okay, not totally arrogant, but she was going to have difficulty fitting in here with those city mannerisms.

His eyes were riveted on the way her legs moved as she negotiated the crowd. Long, long legs that he imagined going— Get a grip. She was a colleague, not some female to be drooled over as though he was a sex-starved teenager. He winced. He was sex-starved. And only now beginning to notice. It had been so long he could barely remember what making love was like.

Now was not the time to find out. Which was another reason to wish Sarah on the other side of the planet.

Reaching her, he leaned down for her case at the same moment that she grabbed the handle.

‘Let me,’ he said quietly. And tried to breathe normally. The skin on the back on her hand was soft, smooth. Strands of blonde hair settled on her cheek. His heart stuttered. Such a mundane and delightful thing.

‘I can manage,’ she retorted.

‘I know, but let me.’

Her mouth fashioned a fleeting smile. ‘Thank you.’

This close he could see the dark shadows staining her upper cheeks. ‘Do you feel up to driving, or would you rather come back for your car in the morning?’

‘What, and have you hauling all those cases between vehicles?’ She managed another almost-smile. ‘I’ll follow you. Is it far?’

‘About five kilometres, on the other side of town.’ Thinking of the short street of shops, mostly farming and fishing suppliers, he knew Sarah would be shocked. There was one, surprisingly good, café run by a couple who’d opted for the quiet life after many years of running a business in Christchurch. Hopefully their coffee would be up to this woman’s expectations.

Sarah pulled the outside door open. ‘Allow me.’

‘Oh, no. After you.’ Dan gripped the edge of the door above her head.

She shrugged and ducked under his arm, out the doorway, bang into a throng of people crowding the steps. Leah danced along behind her. Fishermen crowded the porch, gathering to celebrate the rescue operation’s success.

‘Careful, lady!’ someone exclaimed. ‘Those steps are slippery.’

Sarah teetered at the edge of the top step. She put a hand out for balance but there was no railing to grab. Tripping, she made a desperate attempt to regain her footing. The heel of her sandal twisted, tipped her sideways and she went down hard, crying out as she thumped onto the concrete.

‘Sarah.’ Dan dropped her case, pushed through the men to crouch down beside her. ‘Don’t move. Let me look.’

She was on her backside, one leg twisted under her. ‘I’m fine. Just help me up, please.’ She put a hand out to him.

‘Wait until I’ve checked your leg.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s my foot that hurts. Probably bruised.’ Putting her hands down on either side of her hips, she tried to stand, but couldn’t. ‘Are you going to give me a hand, or do I ask someone else?’

‘Sit still.’ Those sandals weren’t helping. ‘How do you expect to be able to stand up on that narrow spike you call a heel?’

‘Typical male. Women are born to walk on heels,’ she retorted through clenched teeth. Leaning to one side, she straightened her leg out from under her bottom, and bit down on her lip.

He gently felt her ankle, then her foot. The tissue was soft, already swelling, and her sharp intake of breath confirmed his suspicions. ‘I think you’ve broken at least one bone. An X-ray will verify that.’

He’d call the radiology technician on the way to A and E. Technically a fracture in the foot could wait until the morning, but he didn’t want this particular patient finding their small hospital lacking.

‘That easily? That’s crazy.’ Sarah shook her head at her foot as though it was responsible for her predicament, and not those ridiculous shoes.

So much for Sarah taking over his practice this week. He should be pleased he’d be going to work. But even he understood his promise to Leah was meant to be kept. It didn’t matter he was terrified he wouldn’t measure up as a full-time dad for three months, and that Leah might revert to the disconsolate little girl he’d finally handed over to his family to help. He’d promised to try. Now, before he’d even started, their time together had to be postponed. He might’ve resented Sarah coming here, but right now he’d give anything to have her back on both feet and eager to get started.

CHAPTER THREE

SARAH hobbled after Dan as he carried a sleepy bundle of arms and legs into the weatherboard house. Leah had been tucked up in Jill’s bed when Dan had finally had time to pick up his little girl on the way home from hospital.

Guilt for keeping this tot out late swamped Sarah. Due to her clumsiness Leah hadn’t been with her dad when she should’ve been.

‘Make yourself comfortable while I tuck Leah into bed,’ Dan snapped over his shoulder, not easing Sarah’s heavy heart.

He had every right to be annoyed with her. As had the other people whose time she’d intruded upon. Jill had driven her car here and someone had followed to pick her up. The radiology technician had gone into the hospital especially for her. And then there was Dan, who hadn’t bothered to hide how he felt about this development.

Injuring her foot was a pain in the butt for her, too. If she hadn’t been so intent on putting some space between her and Dan, it wouldn’t have happened. The X-ray showed two broken bones. Her foot was twice its normal size and hurt like crazy. Thank goodness for painkillers.

Ignoring his order, Sarah followed Dan down the hall. Was he a good dad? Inexplicably she wanted to watch him tuck the child into bed, wanted another peep of Leah looking so cute with a blanket hitched under her chin and a bedraggled teddy bear squashed against her face. ‘She’s gorgeous,’ she whispered, afraid of waking the girl, worried Dan might tell her to go away.

‘Especially when she’s asleep.’ Dan’s soft smile made Sarah’s heart lurch. His big hand smoothed dark curls away from Leah’s forehead. ‘Actually, she’s gorgeous all the time but, then, I’m biased.’

‘So you should be.’

Dan placed feather-light kisses on his daughter’s cheeks and forehead. ‘Goodnight, sweetheart.’

From deep inside, in the place she hid unwanted emotions, something tugged at Sarah. A reminder of how much she’d been looking forward to having a family of her own when she and Oliver were married. That man had taken a lot from her.

‘Are you all right?’ Dan stood in front of her.

‘Yes, of course.’ Or could these emotions come from something else? An image of her own father tucking her into bed floated across her mind. As if. That was a fantasy. Dad had always been at work at her bedtime. No, she was overtired and getting confused.

‘Your room is at the end of the hall. You’ve got an en suite bathroom so you won’t have plastic toys to trip over.’ Dan turned back towards the kitchen. ‘I’ll bring your cases in.’

‘Thank you. I’ll put the kettle on. Do you want a hot drink?’

‘If you wait a few minutes, I’ll get that. Go and put your foot up.’

‘Dan, I am not incapable of boiling water.’

Loud knocking prevented Dan from answering, which by the tightening of his mouth and the narrowing of his eyes had saved her a blasting. Sarah trudged after him, her gait awkward because of the clunky moonboot clipped around her injured foot.

Dan growled at the visitor, ‘Charlie, come in. I take it you’ve heard the news.’

‘Three times since I got home from the river.’ A dapper man in his sixties stepped into the kitchen. ‘How is Dr Livingston?’

‘I’m fine.’ Sarah made it through the kitchen door and went towards the visitor with her hand out. ‘Sarah Livingston.’

‘Charlie Drummond. I’m sorry about your accident, lass.’ Warmth emanated from his twinkling eyes.

She shrugged. ‘Bit of a nuisance but nothing I can’t deal with.’

‘It changes everything.’ Dan frowned. ‘I’ve already told the nanny I’ll need her for at least a week.’

Charlie shook his head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t. You’re on leave. That’s non-negotiable.’

‘For goodness’ sake, Charlie. There is no one else.’ Dan’s voice rose a few decibels. ‘Until Sarah’s back on her feet I’m your surgeon.’

‘I’ll ring around, see who I can find. Might don some scrubs myself.’

‘It took months to find Sarah. You haven’t got a chance in Hades of finding someone quickly, if at all.’

Sarah winced. ‘Excuse me, but there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.’ She’d made a mess of things so she’d sort it. ‘Or my brain. I’ll be at work tomorrow.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Dan snapped.

No one talked to her like that. ‘Maybe late in the morning but I will be there. Trust me.’ Sarah braced as a glare sliced at her, but when Dan said nothing she turned to the other man. ‘I’m really sorry this has happened but it won’t affect the board’s plans too much.’

‘Sarah, get real.’ Dan dragged a hand through his damp hair, making the thick curls stand up. Cute. Mouthwatering. Totally out of bounds.

Parking her bottom against the edge of the table, Sarah repeated, ‘I’ll be at work tomorrow.’ She had to take control of the situation before Dan took over completely. ‘Is there any surgery scheduled?’

Charlie smiled. ‘It’s a public holiday, remember? You’ve got a light week, emergencies not withstanding.’

‘I’d planned on taking you in to meet any staff on duty, check out the theatre, and go over patient notes.’ Dan shook his head in despair.

‘Then there’s no problem. We’ll decide how to deal with emergencies if and when they arise.’ Dan would be the last person she’d call for help. Having caused him enough trouble already, she was unusually contrite. ‘If I have to, I can operate sitting down. It won’t be easy but it’s possible. Let’s leave tomorrow’s plans as they stand.’

And she could spend the night hoping she’d be fighting fit in the morning.

There was a speculative look in Dan’s eyes as he regarded her, his arms folded over his thought-diverting chest.

‘What?’ How would it feel to curl up with him, her head lying against that chest? Protected and comforted? Huh! The last thing Dan Reilly was was comforting.

He shrugged. ‘We’ll see.’

‘Sarah, I appreciate you coming down here at such short notice. I’m sure we can make this work until you’re fully recovered,’ Charlie said.

Dan grunted.

Sarah gripped the edge of the table tight as she sucked back a sharp retort. No need to aggravate Dan more than she already had. But hell if it wasn’t tempting.

Dan was dog-tired. Every muscle ached. His head throbbed. He’d performed urgent surgery for a punctured lung following a car-versus-tree accident at three that morning. When he’d crawled into bed afterwards Leah had been grizzly so he’d had a squirming child to keep him awake for the remainder of the night. Then the nanny had been grumpy when he’d woken her for breakfast. Throw in a near-drowning, Sarah’s arrival and accident, and he was almost comatose.

He peeped in on Leah. Lucky kid, dead to the world, unaware of the drama that had been going on and how it would affect the holiday he’d promised her.

Sarah’s assumption that she’d be able to take over tomorrow wouldn’t work, but he was fed up with arguing. Women. When they were in the mood they knew how to be difficult. It came naturally, like curves and bumps.

He sucked a breath. What was happening to him? He didn’t usually give women more than cursory glances. Truth, with most of them he wouldn’t even notice that they were female. But Sarah had woken him up in a hurry. He didn’t know how. He just knew she had. Why her, of all people? Because she was one damned desirable lady.

She was one pain in the neck.

They were opposites: syrup and vinegar.

Opposites attracted.

He shouldn’t be thinking about her except in her professional role. Not possible when they were going to be sharing such close living quarters. So how was a man to cope? How could he ignore what was right in front of him? Even with one foot strapped in that ugly moon boot she was more distracting than was good for him.

‘Daddy?’ Leah murmured in her sleep.

Gorgeous, that’s what Sarah had called his little girl, and she was right. Beautiful, innocent, and in need of a mother figure. Someone special she could call hers; not all the aunts and cousins who were there for her. Someone to call Mummy. Someone he wasn’t ready to bring into their lives.

‘Go back to sleep, little one.’ He tucked the blanket over her tiny shoulder. When she was like this he believed himself capable of being a good dad. It was the bad times when she hurt or cried that undermined his confidence. He loved how Leah trusted and loved him without question. He certainly didn’t deserve it. Not when she spent most of her time in day care or with various other people while he ran around being busy and avoiding the issues that threatened to swamp him.

‘You’re so beautiful, my girl. Just like your mother. She’d be proud of you just for being so special and funny and adorable.’ But would Celine be pleased with the way her sister and mine are bringing you up for me? More like she’d be disappointed in the way I’ve ducked for cover every time the going’s got tough. He kissed Leah’s soft cheek, his throat tightening at the feel of her soft skin. ‘I love you.’

He stood gazing down at his child, the most important person in the world, and his heart swelled to the point it hurt. He mightn’t have done much of a job of it yet but being a dad was so different from anything else he’d ever tried. Now he had to work hard to make up for lost time, learn to be there for Leah all the time. Where to start? What to do? Ask Bea and Jill. They wouldn’t hold back in telling him, or coming to his rescue. He shuddered. No, it was time to stand on his own two feet.

Back in the lounge he dropped into a large armchair and studied the other female in his house. The enigmatic one. The more he saw of Sarah, the more she piqued his curiosity. Why had she been available to come here at such short notice? He’d read her CV, knew she held a partnership in some fancy, private surgical hospital with her father and some other dude. So why’d she been available?

‘Does Leah sleep right through the night?’ Sarah spoke in her lilting voice, now tinged with exhaustion.

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