City Surgeon, Small Town Miracle

was reading a book on the patio. His fingers paused on the pawn he’d been about to move as he strained to hear his daughter’s mumbled response. He picked up his father’s black knight and left his piece on the square.

Not deterred, Megan chirped, ‘It’s time for some girl stuff. Let’s go and see if Terri’s home.’

Terri. A hot thrill streaked through him before he could suppress it. Sharp angles on the chess-piece dug into his palm as his fingers clenched around it. God, he had it bad if just her name being spoken unexpectedly could affect him like this.

‘I don’t know if Dad will let me.’ Allie sounded bored and sulky.

‘You won’t know unless you ask him, will you, bunny? Come on. He’s just inside playing chess with Dad.’ Megan stuck her head around the corner of the French door. ‘Hey, Luke, I’m going down to see Terri. Okay if Allie comes with me?’

His daughter’s head appeared beside Megan’s, her face anxious. Was she worried about going? Or worried he wouldn’t let her? Everyday life required the skills of a wiser man than he.

‘Do you want to, Allie?’ he asked, keeping his tone neutral.

‘I guess, sure. It’s not like there’s anything else to do.’ She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but he’d seen the gleam of interest in her eyes. More than he’d seen in a long while.

‘Okay, then,’ he said, letting her comment slide. ‘Don’t stay too long.’

‘Thanks, Luke.’ Megan grinned as she turned to Allie. ‘See. What did I tell you?’

Luke watched them go, his silent daughter walking beside his ebullient sister. It should have been the other way around-the teen with the world-weary attitude and the ten-year-old with the naive enthusiasm.

He was failing her in some way that he couldn’t understand. The things he’d tried to reach her fell dismally short of success. He was beginning to wonder if they needed a counsellor to help them through this patch. But if Allie stead-fastly continued to refuse to talk, then the sessions might just cause more of a problem than they solved.

What would Terri make of his unhappy child? This week, he’d found out that she was great with children of all ages. Maybe she could see what was troubling his daughter’s spirit. He would ask.

Perhaps when the girls came back he could wander down to the beach cottage.

Yeah, right. And perhaps Terri would see through him.

‘She’s not settling, is she?’ said his father.

Allie?’ Luke said, earning himself a quizzical look. ‘No, she’s not.’

‘Maybe you should have planned a day out with her today.’

He met his parent’s faintly critical gaze. ‘I did. She didn’t want to go.’

‘Ah.’ His father nodded sagely and turned his attention back to the board.

Luke contemplated the elegantly carved black and white chess pieces. White was in a hopeless position. The defence was shot and he had no offensive pieces in good positions. In short, no matter what he tried now, he was going down.

His thoughts drifted back to Allie. Every approach he’d tried had been grimly rebuffed. He’d hoped the move to Australia might have ultimately sparked some interest in her. He’d know it wouldn’t be easy but he hadn’t expected it to get so much worse. He had to do something soon. He couldn’t stand by while his daughter sank into depression.

His father made a move, taking the white queen with his remaining knight. ‘Well, maybe she needs some female company. Meggie and Terri might sort her out.’

‘Maybe.’ He hoped so. ‘Megan’s been great since we’ve been here.’

His father grunted. ‘Wants to be a nanny. Did she tell you?’

‘No, but she’d be good at it.’ He castled, without much hope of salvaging his position. ‘She got Allie moving, which is more than I can do these days.’

‘Your mother and I have christened her the relentless angel.’ There was a small pause.

Luke looked up to catch the thoughtful narrow-eyed look his father gave him over the top of his glasses.

‘So, how are you finding Terri to work with? I hope you’re cutting her some slack after the way the board treated her.’

‘Terri doesn’t need any slack to be cut from anyone, least of all me. As you well know.’

‘Well, just so long as you’re doing the right thing by her,’ his father said gruffly. ‘I don’t want the hospital to lose her.’

‘Neither do I.’ And his concern wasn’t just for the hospital.

‘She’s been through a lot, that girl.’

‘Yes.’ Luke looked back at the table. ‘Has she told you what happened to her husband?’

‘Just the basics. She’s not much of a talker.’

‘No.’ So it wasn’t just him that she was shutting out, thought Luke grimly.

‘Hell of a tragedy, losing someone that way.’

‘Yes.’

His father grunted then leaned forward to move his queen. ‘Checkmate.’

‘Hey. Got time for a couple of pests?’

‘Always.’ Terri looked up to see Megan walking around the side of the cottage. A moment later, to her surprise, Allie followed. ‘Out for a walk?’

‘As far as your place,’ Megan said with a cheeky smile.

‘I see.’ Terri grinned back. ‘In that case, let me finish planting the last of this punnet then I’ll get us something to drink.’

‘Cool,’ Megan said.

Terri was aware of Allie’s solemn eyes following her every move as she and Luke’s sister chatted. The child was much too quiet, even allowing for natural shyness. Megan’s irrepressible bubbliness wasn’t succeeding in drawing her into the conversation.

‘Do you like gardening, Allie?’ Terri asked when there was a small silence.

Allie shrugged.

‘These are herbs. When they grow bigger, I’ll be able to use them for cooking.’

‘Mummy has some.’ Allie’s toe dug into the dirt as she muttered, ‘Had some.’

‘Did she?’ Terri patted the earth into place around the last seedling as she thought about Allie’s slip and then correction. ‘What did she have?’

Another shrug.

‘You don’t remember?’

Allie shook her head.

‘When these little guys grow up, they might look more familiar.’

‘I won’t be here then.’

‘Well, if you are. They don’t take long to grow. Now, about that drink I promised.’

Terri led the way into the kitchen and went to the sink to wash her hands. When she turned, Allie was standing by the hutch. One tentative finger was stroking her old china soup tureen.

‘Do you like that, Allie?’

The girl snatched her hand back, her cheeks tinting. ‘Mummy’s have the same pattern. I can’t remember what it’s called.’ Her expression was infinitely sad and Terri’s heart ached for her.

‘It’s the willow pattern. My great-great-grandmother brought a whole dinner set over to Australia with her on the ship when she came from England.’

‘Same with Mummy. Not the ship. But it was from her great-, um, grandmother,’ Allie said. ‘I think they’re pretty.’

‘I think you’re right.’ Terri smiled and was rewarded with a tentative smile in return. She was about to ask if Allie’s mother had the full set when an urgent beeping broke the moment.

Megan dug in her pocket for her phone. ‘Uh-oh, it’s my study partner. She wants to go over our English Lit. assignment-we’re presenting it next week.’

The teen’s vivid blue eyes pinned Terri with a speaking look. ‘Is it okay if I leave Allie here with you?’

‘Sure.’

‘Thanks.’ Obviously feeling that she’d delivered whatever message she’d been silently sending, Megan bounced to her feet. ‘See you later, Allie cat.’