Czytaj książkę: «The Nurse's Twin Surprise»

CHAPTER ONE

FAKE IT TILL you make it.

Yes, sure. So easy. She did it all the time.

Try harder. Remember yesterday’s courier delivery.

The final lock had been undone. She was free. Single again. Two years of waiting for the legal process to finally be over. Today was the first day of the rest of her life, and it was going to be a doozy.

That was once she worked out how to proceed with a newer, wiser, not so damned cautious version of herself that yesterday’s delivery must shut the door on. Those baby steps she’d been making were fine, but the time had come to stride out, head high, wearing a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude. Starting now.

Molly O’Keefe pasted on a facsimile of a smile and turned to glare into Mr Nathan Lupton’s eyes. And gasped. Those burnt-coffee eyes were spitting tacks. At her?

‘What’s wrong?’

That’s your idea of don’t mess with me? Try again.

‘That phone call. Something I need to know?’

‘I’ve just spent valuable time ringing round to put specialists on alert at five-thirty in the morning for a patient who’s now been taken to another ED.’ His hands gripped his hips.

‘The man found lying by the train tracks?’ Surely not even he was blaming her? They weren’t friends, but this was ridiculous. The thumping starting up in her chest was deafening. No, he wouldn’t be, but he was angry.

Not at me. I can handle this.

Really?

Absolutely. Fake it till—

Yeah, yeah, she knew that line back to front. Still needed some practice, that was all. Beginning right now.

‘I wonder why the ambulance was redirected to another hospital when we’re closest.’

Nathan was staring at her, though she wasn’t certain he was actually seeing her. ‘That’s something I intend finding out. It’s not happening again.’ He was still angry. Who could blame him when they’d been flat out busy when the initial call had come through? So much for the patients tapering off in the early hours. ‘Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on Archie Banks?’ he barked.

Odd how on her first day in Sydney General’s emergency department when he’d growled at her to get the defib, which she’d already been in the process of wheeling towards the Resus unit, she hadn’t been afraid of him. Mightn’t like him much, though to be fair she didn’t know him except as a doctor, but she was never on guard around him or ever felt threatened by his grumpiness. Which said a lot. She’d think about that later. Right now an answer was required to placate him, because placating kept everyone happy—except maybe her—but it was an old habit she’d still not managed to dump. Game face, girl. Duh. Two seconds and her promise to herself had flown the coop.

‘I was coming to see if you’d take another look at him. His pain level is increasing, not decreasing.’ Nathan had administered a strong dose of painkiller forty minutes ago.

The anger softened. Of course it did. From what she’d seen around here Nathan adored children. ‘Anything from the lab yet?’

‘No, and I’ve only just checked,’ she added hastily, raising one of her grandmother’s glares in case he found fault with her. Another sign she might be getting her act together.

Dark eyebrows rose in that annoying manner of his that inexplicably riled her beyond reason. Then he swallowed and pulled up a smile. ‘Sorry. It wasn’t your fault the man was taken elsewhere after I’ve been chasing my tail preparing for his arrival.’

It wasn’t the greatest of apologies, but he had tried, and that was unexpected. ‘No problem.’ None he need know about. She had a list of them, but nothing to do with work. This was her safe place. ‘Archie?’

‘On my way.’ He strode off, his back ramrod straight, his jaw jutting out, yet she’d swear some of his tension had eased.

‘Good girl, not letting him rile you.’ Vicki nudged her, and brought her back to focusing on anything other than Mr Lupton.

‘You think?’ she asked around a tight laugh, her eyes still taking in the sight of Nathan despite trying to concentrate on what Vicki had to say.

‘I do.’ Her fellow nurse was also watching Nathan, now heading into a cubicle, and there was a thoughtful tone to her next question that unsettled Molly. ‘Still coming to breakfast?’

‘Wouldn’t miss it for anything.’ She meant every word, even after struggling with a strong reluctance to socialise and get too comfortable when she half expected to be nudged out of the way by people who wanted more from her than she was prepared to share. She had initially hesitated about accepting the invitation, then decided to give it a go. After all, Vicki had been friendly and helpful since she’d begun working in here two months ago.

A flicker of excitement warmed her. Look where faking it got her. Right into the middle of her colleagues, whose good intentions had brought her close to tears on occasion, even when she didn’t trust them enough to give back anything of herself. Getting out and about with this crowd might go some way to fixing the loneliness that filled her days and nights. Not being a team player had come at a price, one that needed to be dealt with if she was to be happy again.

‘Molly? Can you come here, please?’ Nathan had reappeared in the cubicle doorway, back to being calm and efficient.

Molly looked at the man and, hiding the uncertainty he created in her belly, nodded. ‘Need the phlebotomy kit?’ Her voice had returned to non-confrontational, Gran’s glare long gone. Situation normal. Previous normal. Lifting her shoulders, she reached for the bag of needles and tubes.

Nathan’s smile might be reluctant, but it actually seemed genuine. Meaning it was further unsettling. ‘Yes. I want liver functions done while we wait for the orderly to collect him.’

The boy, recovering from an appendicectomy last week, was back with pains in his gut and chest. Nathan suspected septicaemia and had started him on an array of intravenous antibiotics. They were now waiting for the children’s ward to collect him.

In the cubicle, she said, ‘Hey, Archie, I’m going to find you some dry pyjamas after I’ve cleaned you up.’ With the fever drenching him continually, the boy needed regular wiping down.

Archie was eyeing the kit with trepidation. No hiding what was coming from this kid. ‘I don’t want another needle.’

‘It’s annoying, isn’t it?’ Nathan said as he slid the tourniquet up the boy’s thin arm. ‘You’ll be able to tell all your friends how brave you are.’

Molly sponged Archie’s legs, in an attempt to distract him. ‘I hope you’re not ticklish.’ Not that she intended tickling him when Nathan was about to slide a needle into a vein. That would be taking distraction to the next level.

‘Mum tickles me.’ Archie’s eyes were on Nathan, apprehension blinking out of his big eyes.

‘There, all done.’ Moments later Nathan handed her the tube of blood to name and date. ‘Mark it urgent.’

‘Right.’ She headed for the hub to call for an orderly to take the blood sample to the lab.

Nathan had followed her. ‘How’re you settling in with us?’

‘Fine.’ I hope. ‘I really like the job, and the people I work with.’ Had she done something wrong he was about to mention? Wasn’t she good enough at her work? The usual worry over making herself stand out began chugging through her mind.

‘Good. We don’t like swapping staff too often.’ Then, ‘So what do you do when you’re not here?’ Nathan was being friendly? Abnormally friendly, since he wasn’t known for idle chitchat.

How to answer without giving herself away? ‘There’s always heaps of things needing attention where I live and people to check up on and shopping at the mall.’ Drivel spilled over her lips. ‘And I like going for walks.’ Definitely faking it. She rarely left the apartment other than to come to work.

He was regarding her like he was sorry he’d asked. Good, then he wouldn’t find any more questions for her. Wrong. ‘Sounds like your evenings are free so you’ll have time to come to our midwinter Christmas barbecue.’ Nathan was talking about the out of season party some Aussies celebrated that had come about because of English people living in Australia who missed a cold Christmas. He tapped a sheet of paper lying on the desk. ‘I don’t see your name here.’

That was because she had no intention of going. She wasn’t ready for that level of integration. An hour over breakfast was one thing, a full-on party quite another. Thought I was starting over, now that I’m free. ‘I haven’t thought about it.’ What excuse could she come up with? She tried to read the shift roster behind Nathan, but he was blocking her line of vision.

‘It’s a fortnight away but I like to know who’s coming well in advance. Bring a plate and your own alcohol. Meat provided.’ He was pointing a pen over his shoulder. ‘You’re not working that night.’

There went that excuse for not going. Little did he know about how hard it was for her to go anywhere that was attended by lots of people.

He hadn’t finished. ‘I encourage all the staff to join in. It’s good for morale, amongst other things.’

New beginnings, remember? Deep breath. Go for it. Taking the pen from his fingers, mindful of not touching him, Molly scrawled her name beneath Vicki’s and added Dessert next to it. ‘There. Done.’ And she hadn’t stopped too long to think about it. Definitely a first.

‘Good.’ His tone didn’t back his reply. Those toast-coloured eyes were focused on her as though she was a mystery he was trying to unravel. She’d probably surprised him by giving in so quickly when it was well known she didn’t go out with any of the staff to movies or breakfasts.

Amazed at how easily she’d signed up, she stood absorbing the slow wave of excitement rolling through her. She could do this. She really, really could. ‘Where’s the barbecue being held?’

‘At my place out in Coogee.’ He picked up a patient file and began reading the notes. Dark blond hair fell over his brow, making her itch to push it back in place.

‘Oh.’ The heavy pounding in her chest had returned, and her mouth began drying up like an overbaked sponge. Why hadn’t she noticed before that Nathan was disgustingly good looking? Probably her massive hang-up about getting close to men had kept the blinkers on until today, when she’d made the promise to move on, get a life. Did that mean finding love? Thump, thump, thump. It couldn’t. That’d be going too far, too soon. Molly had learned Paul’s lessons well. An absolute charmer, he’d sworn his undying love for her and wooed her completely. One year into their marriage the real Paul had come to light when he’d started hitting her whenever she’d disagreed with him, which was a sure-fire way of making her keep her mouth shut. Suddenly noticing Nathan as more than a doctor was scary. Wasn’t it?

‘Problem with that?’ Nathan asked without looking up.

‘Hell, yes.’ She wasn’t ready. It was too soon—wasn’t part of the plan to move on.

Puzzlement blinked out at her. ‘Why? It’s usual to go to someone’s house for a party.’

Embarrassment rose. She’d answered her question to herself out loud. This man was rattling her, which made no sense when, because of his self-assurance, she’d pretty much ignored him in the two months she’d worked here, unless it was to discuss a patient or argue over small things, like where the order for more syringes had got to. It’d been years since desire had lit her up, but if this tightness in her stomach and heat in her veins were any indication, she might be making up for lost time right now, in the middle of the ED. ‘Um, of course. I didn’t mean that. It’s fine. I’ll be there.’

The alarm sounded. Code one. Relief had her racing to Resus and the man sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

‘Cardiac arrest,’ Vicki said, her clasped hands pushing down regularly on the exposed chest.

Molly grabbed the electro pads, handed them to Nathan, who was right behind her. Next she snatched up the ventilator in preparation of a good outcome before kneeling down next to him.

‘Fill us in on the details,’ Nathan said as he prepared to administer a shock.

‘Geoff Baxter, forty-eight, chest pains, readings show a minor cardiac arrest an hour ago,’ Vicki intoned. ‘He was getting stroppy and didn’t want to stay on the bed. Started getting up and collapsed on the floor.’

‘Clear.’

On Nathan’s command everyone moved away from the patient. The lifeless body jerked. The line on the monitor remained flat. Vicki started back on the compressions and Molly squeezed the oxygen bottle when she reached thirty.

‘Clear.’ Nathan gave a second shock.

The line blipped, rose, then fell into an erratic pattern.

‘That’s better,’ Molly nodded. ‘Not perfect, but we’re getting there.’ She put the ventilator aside and got up to get the scoop stretcher so they could lift the man off the floor and back onto the bed.

Another nurse, Hank, attached an oxygen mask, then began wiping a bleeding abrasion on Geoff’s forehead. ‘He hit the floor hard.’

Nathan leaned close to the man. ‘Geoff, can you hear me?’

Geoff opened his eyes briefly.

‘You’ve had a cardiac arrest. We’re going to keep you in here for a while, then you’ll be admitted to the intensive care unit.’

Geoff shook his head once. ‘No.’

‘That’ll be a yes, then.’ Nathan gave one of his megawatt smiles.

Molly’s stomach stirred, and he hadn’t even been looking in her direction. He’d often smiled at her, particularly whenever he’d wanted something unpleasant dealt with, but not in that full-on, cramp-her-stomach way he saved for others. Not that she’d given him reason to. Unless working hard and caring deeply about their patients counted, and apparently it didn’t. That was expected of her, no reward given—or required.

Would a man ever again look at her and think, She’s lovely? One without hard fists? Did she want a man to notice her, get to know her? This new idea had to be part of moving forward, didn’t it? It was funny how in a previous, happy-go-lucky life she’d had her pick of gorgeous men, never had a problem finding a date for the glamorous occasions that came with being her entrepreneurial mother’s daughter. Not funny, really. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw no one to frighten her. Not that she expected to, but there were still times she just had to check, even though Paul would be in jail for many years to come. She’d lost a lot, but she was free.

Hold on to that. And, yes, think about maybe one day falling love.

Vicki nudged her. ‘Time to knock off, day shift’s here.’

Another night done and survived without too much drama amongst the patients. She could relax, except her muscles weren’t playing the game. The old tension tightened her stomach and neck, while her shoulder blades tried to meet in the middle of her back. Because of the past? Or did she put this down to the rare heat in her veins, stirred up by Nathan Lupton? Yeah, like that’d be a blast. It might be. As if. He’d have to get a lot friendlier first, though he had made an effort earlier. Were things looking up all round? Smiling at Vicki, she asked, ‘Which shoes are you wearing this morning?’

‘Those orange, thin-strapped ones you were green about last week.’ Vicki was a shoeaholic, with an incredible collection that made Molly envious—and that was only over the shoes she’d seen at work.

Molly laughed. Twice in one morning? Go for it. ‘Clothes are my go to when the urge to have some R and R in the malls beckons. Shoes always come second. Maybe I should try the shoe shops first next time because those ones are amazing. When you’re sick of them you know which locker’s mine,’ she said. ‘Let’s go change.’ As well as her trousers and blouse, she needed to put her game face on.

Nathan turned from the specialist taking over Geoff’s case. ‘You all right?’

‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ There were a million reasons, but he knew none of them, and never would.

‘Because you look ready to bolt.’

Make that one million minus one reasons. Except this morning that had been the last thing on her mind. Disconcerting. She’d been laughing and he’d thought that? She hated that nearly as much as she’d hate him to see the truth. ‘Actually, I’m working on how to nab Vicki’s shoes without her noticing.’

His expression softened. ‘Good luck with that.’

‘I reckon.’ Unbelievable. They were having a normal conversation for once.

‘By the way, you were good with Geoff.’

Surprise stole the retort off her tongue. She hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary, and yet he was saying that in front of the other nurses? She looked around at Vicki, then Hank, before locking eyes back on Nathan.

He got the message fast. ‘So were you two.’ He nodded. ‘Right, get out of here while you can.’ This time he was talking directly to Vicki.

Molly knew she could relax now that Nathan was no longer focused on her, but it wasn’t happening. Instead her body was winding up tighter than a ball of twine, and just as rough. Why did this man in particular make her feel a little lighter in the chest, as though hope was knocking? Hope for love one day? Sadly, never for family. That dream had been smothered as a wet sack would a flame by a fist in her belly that had stolen her baby and quite likely any chance of another.

She looked at Nathan as he laughed with Vicki over something, and her heart dropped. If only she had the courage to let a strong, confident man close enough to trust. Until now it never occurred to her to want the things Paul had stolen. But it couldn’t be this man waking her up. They were mostly civil with each other, but it took more than civility for a relationship to succeed. Or maybe it didn’t. There hadn’t been any of that going on in her now defunct marriage.

Flip-flop went her heart. Her stomach softened as the tension started backing off. As though her body was telling her it was ready to have fun. Had certain parts of her anatomy forgotten the pain of the past? It wasn’t wise. Or safe. But very tempting. And eye-opening. One thing this newer version of herself had in common with the last one was that it needed a man who had his own world sussed and wasn’t afraid to stand up and be counted. As long as he didn’t hurt her.

Nathan knew he’d overreacted to Molly O’Keefe’s false smile about the barbecue, but he’d had enough of those. Two months and not once had she joined the staff for a meal, let alone anything else, despite everyone trying to persuade her. Whether she thought she was too good for them, or she believed she wasn’t good enough, the jury was still out.

Yet she’d been quick to sign up for the barbecue. Part of him questioned whether she’d actually show up; another suggested maybe Molly didn’t back down once she’d taken a stance. Despite working alongside her, often in trying circumstances, he didn’t know her at all, which was unusual given the work they did. She didn’t fall over backwards to get on with him. That might make him egotistical, but nothing added up. He got on well with most folk, and socialised enough not to return to being the hermit he’d become after Rosie’s death.

Molly’s a challenge.

He stumbled, righted himself, his eyes seeking out the woman doing this to him. Did he want her to like him? Now, that sounded needy. Hardly true when he had his pick of friends, even women. His gaze cruised across the department to the locker-room door from where a burst of laughter came. Vicki was doing her best to be happy on her thirtieth birthday, but her heart was sad because Cole was supposedly deployed offshore with the army.

He couldn’t wait to see her face when he dropped his best friend off at their apartment this afternoon. It would be a big surprise, one he couldn’t justify when he saw the sadness lurking in the back of Vicki’s eyes. He’d prefer to tell her the truth, and have her meet Cole, but he’d given his friend his word, and promises were not to be broken.

Molly appeared in the doorway, a rare genuine smile lighting up her face and causing those emerald eyes to sparkle, though she’d glared at him earlier. He shouldn’t have pushed her buttons but, hell, it’d been impossible not to when he was exhausted after eight hours dealing with what felt like half of Sydney coming through the ED’s doors.

Molly rattled him in ways he couldn’t believe. He was not used to having his libido captivated by a woman who wasn’t interested in him. What libido? Since Rosie’s death there’d been little going on in that department, and when there was it was for relief, not involvement. He couldn’t imagine being lucky enough to find love for a second time, hadn’t been ready to consider it because who got that lucky? Yet today Molly had him questioning that.

Nathan shrugged. So there might be more nous behind Nurse O’Keefe’s non-confrontational looks and that beautiful, heart-stopping face than he thought. He should’ve wound her up weeks ago if the flaring temper in her expression was the result. Far more interesting than quiet and mousy, as he’d believed. A shiver ripped down his spine, but not because her haughty glare daunted him. Not a bit. Instead it gave him a sharp awareness of the woman behind the glare.

Molly was waking up his body, which he preferred to leave in sleep mode until he decided otherwise. The sense of being slightly off balance had come out of left field the day she’d started in the department, and now he’d had enough of feeling out of whack. This morning it’d been time to push her boundaries over not joining in staff events so he could get relief from these frustrating sensations. This reaction confused him, and made him feel more than annoyed. Yeah, frustrated. But as in sexually or more? He didn’t have a clue.

‘You all going to spend the day in there?’ he called out. No way did he intend heading to the café without making sure Molly didn’t do a runner, because, say what she liked, she had looked edgy for a moment. Vicki liked her a lot, so Molly doing an about-face wasn’t happening.

‘Pretty much. How come you waited?’ Molly’s enticing shoulders had returned to their normal, slightly sloped position and her chin had softened back to quiet and mousy.

Except he no longer trusted his interpretation of that look. There was more to Nurse O’Keefe than met the eye. Deep down, had he always suspected so? And reacted accordingly by keeping his barriers in place to protect himself? For better or worse, there was a need ticking inside him making it impossible to look away, or deny how she intrigued him, or pretend he did not want her in his bed, underneath him. Or on top if she preferred. Jeez. He scrubbed his hands down his face. What was wrong with him?

‘You run out of words?’

Something like that. ‘I’m making sure no one gets lost.’

Her smile didn’t slip a notch. ‘I told Vicki I’d be there, and I never go back on my word.’ Then doubt—or was it guilt?—slid through her sharp gaze and she looked away.

‘Glad to hear it.’ What was that about? Had she let someone down? In a big way that had come back to haunt her? Behind his ribs a sense of confusion lurched and an unreal feeling of protectiveness crept over him. For Molly? Hardly. There was definitely far more to this woman than he’d realised, but why spend time wondering what made her tick when it was obvious she wouldn’t have a bar of him? She was a challenge. And causing a pool of desire to settle in his gut.

Could be hunger for food doing a number on him. Not Molly. He’d missed snack breaks throughout the night—always a bad thing. But nothing was dispelling that softening sensation in his belly as he watched her. Without even trying, she was doing a number on him. Bet he was the last person she wanted to spend time with, even if only over coffee. Was it time for a change? On both their parts? Could be it was time for him to step outside his secure bubble and poke at life, see where it took him.

As long as it wasn’t more than he was prepared to give. More than he was able to give. He’d given his heart to Rosie, and she’d taken it to the grave with her. Or so he’d believed, until—until now and the thin ray of hope beginning to pierce his long-held belief that he couldn’t be that lucky.

He and Rosie had been childhood sweethearts and so in love it had been unreal at times. Except reality had got in the way of their plans for a house and babies in the form of leukaemia. From the first day Rosie had complained of lethargy and swollen, sore glands they had been on a one-way road to hell. It had been a short trip, lasting little more than three months. He’d been glad for her sake it was over quickly, but for himself he’d only wanted her never to leave him, taking his dreams away for ever.

The disease that had taken Rosie’s life had a lot to answer for. He used to picture them together, raising their kids, having a great life. The past four years had been long, and lonely in a way he wouldn’t have believed before she’d died.

‘Nathan?’

He pulled out of his reverie to find Vicki watching him with amusement forming crinkles at the corners of her eyes. ‘Yes?’

‘Lead on. We’re all good to go.’ Her wink was slow, and downright mischievous, reminding him how she and Cole thought it was time he came out of his cave. Grabbing his elbow, Vicki strode ahead of the group, tugging him along with her.

‘I’m hangry,’ he warned around a smile. His friends cared about him so he let them off their interfering ways.

Vicki only laughed. ‘I heard you giving Molly a bit of a roasting this morning about the winter party. One she didn’t deserve, by the way.’