City Surgeon, Small Town Miracle

‘No, damn it, I don’t want to cut up your blasted onion.’

‘Pity. Okay, I’ll do it.’ Suppressing a smile at her palpable frustration, he began slicing the vegetable thinly.

‘Luke. Are you listening to me?’

‘Absolutely.’ He leaned down and got a frying-pan out of the cupboard and put it on the stove over a low heat. ‘You’re worried that the hospital grapevine has got us over here indulging in a bout of hot sex.’

A quick glance showed him that she was standing with her mouth open. He would be willing to bet that it wasn’t because she was speechless. Much more likely that she had too much to say and didn’t know which scathing retort to fire at him first.

‘Knives and forks in that drawer, salt and pepper on the worktop.’ He whisked the eggs and tipped them into the warm pan. Using a spatula, he lifted the edge of the mix to stop it from sticking.

With the eggs cooking gently, he risked another look at Terri. ‘Don’t you think the people you’ve worked with for six months have a better opinion of you than that?’

‘Maybe.’ She sighed. ‘Probably.’

He spread the chopped and grated filling over the top of the egg and reached up to grab a couple of plates out of the cupboard. With a deft flip, he folded the omelette then cut it.

‘Let’s eat,’ he said, carrying the laden plates across to set them on the table.

Terri followed slowly and slipped into the chair opposite his. ‘Thank you.’

‘Bon appetit.’ He reached for the pepper. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her pick up her utensils.

They ate in silence for a few moments.

‘You’re right, you do cook a mean omelette,’ she said. ‘It’s delicious. Thank you.’

‘My pleasure.’

Feeding her filled him with a warm glow. Basic, instinctive. Primal. He was surprised how much he wanted to provide food and shelter for this woman. Get close to her, to pet her and love her. To have her return his feelings.

He waited until she took the last mouthful of omelette. There was no easy way to start this discussion so he may as well plunge right in. ‘If we’re going to have a relationship, we need to set some ground rules up front.’

She stared at him, her mouth stopping briefly in mid-chew, then he could see her trying to force the food down her throat.

He got up to fill a glass with water then took it back to the table and held it out to her. ‘Here.’

She waved it away. ‘A relationship? Are you crazy?’

‘No, not at all.’ He put the glass on the table. ‘We agreed last night that we’re attracted to each other. There’s chemistry between us.’

She gave him a hunted look and pushed away her plate. ‘Yes.’

‘Good.’ He let out his breath. For a moment he’d thought she was going to deny him, but she was no coward.

‘Luke, this is a small country town. We work together. You’re my boss. Any sort of entanglement outside work has disaster written all over it.’

‘We’ll go slowly, be sensible. Start off with normal social interaction. Everyday, routine stuff. See where it takes us.’ He watched the expressions flit over her face. ‘I’m not suggesting that we flaunt it with public displays of extravagant affection but neither do I want to hide it away as though it’s a furtive hole-in-the-wall affair.’

‘What if we get down the track and realise it isn’t working?’

‘We’re adults, professionals. We deal with it.’

She looked at him sceptically. ‘What about Allie?’

‘She’d be delighted. My daughter thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread. I know you care about her and I know that wouldn’t change.’ He leaned his elbows on the table and looked into her eyes. ‘Even if you thought her father was the biggest swine this side of the black stump.’

She gave a snort of surprised laughter. ‘And is he?’

‘He tries hard not to be.’

Terri was still looking at him doubtfully, but Luke sensed he’d crossed some invisible boundary with her.

He smiled. ‘So how about it?’

‘Slow and sensible?’

‘As you want.’ And may the powers give him the strength to keep his word without causing him physical injury.

A loud discordant beep made her start. She reached for the paging unit on her waistband and looked at it. Tucking it back into position, she got to her feet. ‘I’d better go.’

Hell. Was she going to leave him in limbo? Luke swallowed and stood to pick up the plates. Surely she wouldn’t be so cruel.

A second later she looked him squarely in the eye. ‘All right, then. Yes. Slow and sensible.’

He stifled the yell that threatened to rip out from gut level and managed a moderate ‘Great.’

She nodded. ‘See you back at work.’

‘Yes.’

As soon as the door closed behind her, he let his smile escape. Yes! Now all he had to do was get the balance right. He didn’t want her to feel crowded or stampeded by him, but he did want them to spend as much time together as they could.

Terri’s heart somersaulted wildly. She’d just agreed to have a relationship with Luke Daniels. Should she applaud herself for bravery for taking the step or chastise herself for being foolish? Apologise to Luke for leading him on? For not telling him all the reasons why he shouldn’t get involved with her?

She was too weak. The love that shone between him and Allie beckoned her closer. Made her want to catch some of the warmth for herself. Was it so wrong of her?

Somehow she would find the courage to tell him what he had a right to know. Soon. Before they got too deep. First she would store precious bright moments in her memory.

She shivered as she walked through the warm spring afternoon. Was she fooling herself?

Everyday routine stuff, he’d said.

She was very much afraid that the normal, everyday could be addictive with Luke.

CHAPTER TEN

FIVE days since Terri had agreed to a relationship with him.

Five days of caution and restraint.

Five whole days.

Not long in terms of world affairs. Not even a week.

In terms of self-control, it was an aeon.

Luke looked across to where Allie was showing Terri the information tag on another nursery plant. At his daughter’s behest, Terri obediently bent to sniff a white bloom. Helpless to resist, he watched the way her red shorts clung to the curve of her buttocks as she leaned forward. A familiar tug of desire caught him low in his gut and he suppressed a groan. Frustration was his constant companion these days.

He’d played it cool all week, not making any overt moves, not giving Terri any excuses to retreat, to change her mind. The first few times he’d joined her for coffee in the staff tea room, he’d felt her wariness. As though she expected him to say something, do something, in front of the other staff. As though she’d known how hard he’d had to tether his need to stake a public claim on her.

By the end of the week she’d almost relaxed and he congratulated himself that his softly, softly approach was working.

Allie flitted to another plant like an overly fussy worker bee. Her face radiated enthusiasm as she turned over the tag, read it, then moved on. He smiled. She’d inherited her mother’s love of gardening.

His eyes slid back to the woman who followed a pace behind his daughter. Long dark hair formed a thick