City Surgeon, Small Town Miracle

told him it wasn’t his fault. That he only behaved that way because he was so ill.’

‘Yes, but that’s not why he didn’t want to come to see you.’

‘Then there was another reason?’ She suppressed a squeak of surprise when Luke took her by the elbow and ushered her towards the door.

‘Nina, we’re going for a bite of lunch at home. Page us if you need us.’

‘Sure thing, boss.’

‘I’m…I don’t know if I want to eat lunch with you.’ Feet still moving in the direction he was guiding her, Terri looked back over her shoulder at the grinning nurse.

‘Sure you do. I make a mean cheese omelette and we’ve got the kitchen to ourselves today as Mum’s taken Dad into Melbourne for a check-up. And besides, you want to know why Mick’s been to see me.’

‘Yes, I do, but will you please stop making a spectacle of us by dragging me around the hospital?’

He muttered something under his breath and released her. He stopped when she did, a muscle in his jaw rippled giving the impression of tightly leashed emotion. They stood alone on the pavement between the hospital and his parents’ house.

‘Terri, Mick is fifty five years old.’

‘I know.’

‘So don’t you think that he might be a little uncomfortable getting his first routine prostate check from someone who used to run around in the backyard with his own children?’

‘Oh.’ She swallowed, feeling like an idiot. She was dimly aware of his hand in the small of her back ushering her down the path. ‘Of course. How stupid of me.’

‘It’s thanks to you that Mick was in here getting the check-up today,’ Luke said evenly. ‘He said, apart from the hiccup after the races the other night, he’s never felt better. There might be something in this prevention is better than cure rubbish.’ He opened the back door of the house and gently steered her into the kitchen. ‘That’s a direct quote.’

‘Oh.’

‘His coming to see me had nothing to do with lack of faith in your ability, Terri.’

A quick expression flitted across her face. If he’d had to define it he’d have said it was pain. Her vulnerability punched him again.

‘Well, that’s…good, then.’

He saw the faint frown on her face as she stood in the kitchen, looking around. She looked lost, almost as though she wasn’t sure how she’d got there. God, he wanted to look after her, protect her, smooth out the bumps in her life for her. He’d set himself a hard task. Terri Mitchell was fiercely independent.

At least, with the surprise of Mick’s visit, there hadn’t been a chance for her to feel any awkwardness after last night. He’d wondered how their first meeting would go this morning. One bump had been avoided but it had created another that he didn’t understand.

‘Now, cheese, onion, mushroom?’ He turned to the fridge and put the items on the bench as the reeled them off.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘For the omelette I’m making you for lunch.’

‘You don’t have to make me lunch.’

‘Here’s the grater for the cheese. We don’t need much,’ he said, pleased when her hands automatically began the task he’d set for her. He started breaking eggs into a bowl. ‘This is a good opportunity for us to talk.’

‘Actually, you’re right. We do need to talk.’ She stopped grating. ‘What on earth were you thinking when you told Nina you were taking me home for lunch? She was grinning like the Cheshire cat. Heaven only knows what rumours will have started circulating by the time we get back to work.’

‘I don’t care.’ He wiped the mushroom caps then sliced them thinly with a sharp knife.

‘What do you mean, you don’t care. This isn’t London,’ she said tartly. ‘We’re doctors in a small community. You have to care.’

‘Nope. Do you want to cut up the onion for me?’ He looked at her hopefully.

‘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?’