abdomen. She already knew he’d had no time for her pregnancy. The changes in her body, which had so delighted her, had left her late husband cold. She tried to imagine him enfolding a child, their child, in his arms.
That picture wouldn’t come.
Suddenly she needed to see Luke with Allie, to see that affirmation of pure, unconditional love. Her feet carried her past the curtained cubicles to the door of Allie’s room.
There they were. She rested her fingertips lightly on the glass of the window and felt the tension in her chest ease.
They were going to be okay, this father and daughter who had each carved a niche in her heart.
As she watched, Allie’s arms came up to wrap around Luke’s neck. The scene in the room blurred. Terri lifted her hands, pressed her fingers to her eyelids as she willed away the unexpected rush of moisture.
The moment between parent and child was infinitely precious. They’d been through some very tough times, but they would get through it together and be even closer on the other side.
As though he’d felt her presence, Luke’s head lifted and looked straight at her. Her pulse gave a treacherous leap.
He smiled crookedly, tilted his head in an invitation to join them.
Terri swallowed then opened the door.
‘Hi,’ she said softly. Her smile felt wobbly.
‘We’ve got something to ask you, haven’t we, Allie?’ Luke’s voice was husky.
‘Yes.’ Allie grinned. Her cheeks were tinged with pink and the strain had faded from her eyes. She looked like a normal happy ten-year-old. ‘Please, will you come to the nursery with us when we chose the plant for Mummy? Please say you will. Please.’
‘Of course. I’d be honoured. When’s the big day or haven’t you got that far in the planning yet?’
‘There’s no school tomorrow.’
‘I think Sunday week perhaps.’ Luke touched his daughter on the nose. ‘Terri and I are rostered off then and it’ll give your granddad a chance to decide where he wants the garden.’
Terri blinked in surprise. He knew her roster that far ahead? She stifled a foolish glow of warmth. He probably knew everyone’s shifts-it wasn’t as if they had a huge medical staff.
‘Sunday week, then,’ she said.
Luke smiled. ‘We’ll let you know what time.’
‘Okay.’ She slid her hands into the pockets of her coat. ‘I’d better get back to work. I just wanted to look in and see how you were.’
‘We’re good. Aren’t we, Dad?’
‘We are indeed.’ His eyes were filled with light and warmth and something more. Something that made Terri’s heart lurch. ‘I’ll catch up with you before you go off duty, Terri.’
‘Sure,’ she managed. ‘I’m off at five, all being well.’
‘I know.’ His slow smile sent a hot shaft of excitement sizzling along her diaphragm.
‘It’s a pleasure, Edith,’ Terri said as she opened the door to let her last patient out. ‘Keep off that foot as much as possible and we’ll see you again next week.’
‘Next Friday. Thanks again, dear.’ Leaning heavily on her walking frame, the woman hobbled a couple of steps then stopped in the doorway. ‘Oh, Luke. How are you?’
‘Good, thanks, Edith.’ His smile seemed tense to Terri’s eye but he stopped to exchanged pleasantries with the elderly woman. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I need an urgent word with Terri, with Dr Mitchell.’
‘Of course, dear. We’ll chat another time.’
‘Absolutely.’ He nodded. A muscle rippled in his jaw as though he was keeping his emotions on a tight leash while he chatted with Edith. He stood aside so she could move through the door. ‘You can count on it.’
As soon as the patient had gone, he shut the door. The latch snicked loudly in the silence and he stood for a moment with his hand on the doorknob.
Terri’s mouth went dry. ‘Luke. Is there a problem with Allie?’
‘No. No. Just the opposite.’ His voice was gruff as he turned.
Terri found herself scooped into a tight hug. For a split second she froze as sensations tumbled into her brain. The feeling of his solid body aligned with hers, the heat and strength of his arms wrapped around her. The fresh essence of him, faintly tangy, masculine and clean. She flattened her hands on his back, feeling the hard ridge of muscle on either side of his spine.
She shut her eyes, savouring the contact as her knees turned rubbery. The embrace felt wonderful and for a magical instant his touch erased her sorrow and filled empty places in her spirit. In his arms, she felt more whole than she had for a long, long time.
After a moment, he held her at arm’s length, his eyes burning down into hers.
‘Thank you.’ His throat worked as he struggled to speak. ‘I owe you more than I can ever repay.’
‘Oh, Luke.’ This glimpse into his vulnerability was wrenching. Terri ached for him. She reached up to cup his cheek.
He brought his hand up, held her fingers more firmly to his face. The very faint roughness of his clean-shaven jaw tingled on her skin. Her heart squeezed.
‘You saved my daughter’s life and you’ve performed a miracle by getting her talking to me.’ His head dipped and his lips touched her palm for a tiny thrilling moment.
She sucked in a quick breath at the caress, reminding herself that it meant nothing. Luke was naturally demonstrative and this moment was an emotional one for him. His love for his daughter and his relief at their reunion was spilling over into his actions. But her stubborn heart somersaulted wildly, refusing to listen to common sense.
‘You’ve given her back to me, Terri.’
With her senses so overloaded with physical awareness, she struggled to bring her mind back to their discussion.
‘Was I? Thank you.’ His grip tightened on her hand briefly when she tried to withdraw her fingers. After a moment he released her and a grin lit up his face. ‘She hugged me.’
‘Yeah, she did.’ Terri’s smile felt quivery. ‘I saw.’
He sobered. ‘My poor baby. Thinking her mother’s death was her fault. I didn’t see it. I still don’t know how she could have believed it.’
‘Children have their own view of the way the world works.’ She curled her fingers into her palm, as though by holding tight she could lock the sensory memory of his skin on hers. Maybe part of the reason she had been able to tap into Allie’s feelings was because of her hyper-sensitivity to the girl’s father. ‘They sometimes feel responsible for things in a way that an adult wouldn’t consider.’
‘Yes.’ He paced away from her, lifting one hand to his forehead. His fingers furrowed through his hair, leaving endearing tufts standing in their wake.
Terri allowed her gaze to stray over his broad shoulders. The soft woven fabric of his white shirt showed off his powerful torso to perfection. With the sleeves rolled up to elbow level, she could appreciate his muscular forearms. She smiled wryly. She’d always had a weakness for nice arms and hands.
And firm thighs and posteriors. She sighed. The navy denim of Luke’s jeans fitted him very well indeed.
He spun around and his eyes drilled into hers. Heat crawled into her face as though she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
‘No wonder I couldn’t reach her. I should have listened to you the other day when you suggested she was punishing herself.’ He moved restlessly to the side again and Terri released the breath caught in her lungs. ‘She was so ill. I can’t get the picture of her struggling for breath out of my mind.’
‘Luke-’
He looked back at her fiercely. ‘I nearly lost it in the emergency room.’
‘But you didn’t.’
‘Only thanks to you treating me like a raw intern.’
‘Allie is your daughter. Of course it was difficult for you.’
‘I don’t know what I’d have done if-’
‘Stop this. Right now.’ She knew too well how he’d have felt. She might not be a parent in the full sense of the
