Читать книгу Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor - Margaret McDonagh - Страница 6
ОглавлениеCHAPTER ONE
‘SOMETHING’S WRONG, isn’t it?’
Midwife Chloe MacKinnon unwrapped the blood-pressure cuff from around Avril Harvey’s arm and tried to offer the anxious woman a reassuring smile. ‘Your blood pressure is rather high,’ she admitted, masking her own growing concern as she re-checked the notes and previous readings.
‘What about the other things?’ Tears glistened in Avril’s pale blue eyes, while her swollen fingers nervously shredded a paper tissue. ‘I’ve always suspected things weren’t right but the people at my previous practice in Birmingham told me not to worry. They said they were normal signs of pregnancy.’
Chloe took one trembling hand in hers and squeezed gently before returning to her chair. This was the first time she had seen Avril. The woman had moved to the small Cornish town of Penhally Bay in the last couple of weeks with her husband, Piers, both determined that their longed-for child would grow up in a better environment than the inner city. But this was Avril’s first baby. And at thirty-nine, being short in stature, underweight and with a history of migraines, she had a few of the risk factors that warned Chloe to be on her guard. Add in the symptoms she had presented with that morning, and Chloe was worried about Avril’s well-being as well as for that of her baby, suspecting that she had developed pre-eclampsia.
‘I always saw my GP at my old practice as well as the midwife.’ Avril paused and bit her lip. ‘Could I see one of the doctors here today?’
‘We’re more midwife-led here…’ Chloe hesitated as fresh tears spilled down the mother-to-be’s cheeks.
‘I don’t want to be a nuisance, and I don’t mean to doubt your expertise. It’s just that I don’t know anyone and I don’t know what to think. I’m so scared.’
Chloe smiled, wanting to put her at ease. ‘I understand, Avril, don’t worry. I’ll ask one of the doctors on duty to see you.’
The GPs left straightforward cases to Chloe and her colleague, Kate Althorp, but if it would set the distressed woman’s mind at rest to have the second opinion, Chloe wasn’t going to be awkward about it. Avril was alone in a strange place and feeling vulnerable, clearly on edge, her pale skin sallow, her short blonde hair lank. Time was of the essence. All that mattered was the safety of both mother and baby.
‘Thank you, Chloe.’ Avril gave a weary sigh, pressing the fingers of one hand to her temple. ‘I wish my husband was with me.’
‘Would you like me to call him for you?’
‘No, it’s all right. After dropping me here, Piers had to make the half-hour drive to St Piran for a meeting at the secondary school. He’s an art teacher and he’ll be working there when the new term begins,’ she explained tearfully. ‘We were looking forward to the summer to settle into our new home first and prepare for the baby. He won’t be back for another couple of hours.’
Nodding, Chloe reached for the phone and keyed in the extension number for Reception. She watched as Avril turned her head to stare sightlessly out of the window of the room on the first floor of the expanding Penhally Bay Surgery. Chloe had tilted the blinds to keep out the full effects of the merciless July sunshine and was grateful for the coolness inside the building.
‘Hello, Sue,’ she said when her call was answered by the head receptionist. ‘I’m with Avril Harvey for her antenatal appointment. Would you ask one of the doctors to pop upstairs for a few minutes? Thank you.’
The tone of Sue’s reply assured Chloe that the woman had grasped the seriousness of the situation and would respond swiftly to the request. Hanging up, Chloe returned her attention to Avril.
‘What made you choose to settle in Penhally Bay?’ she asked, trying to distract the woman from her worries.
‘We’ve been here several times for weekends and holidays—we even spent our honeymoon here ten years ago.’ A reminiscent smile lightened Avril’s expression. ‘We both love the friendly, peaceful atmosphere, and Piers finds inspiration here for his painting.’
‘Cornwall has always drawn artists. One of my friends, Lauren, is physiotherapist here, and she’s an avid painter, too. Some of her work hangs on the wall in the waiting area downstairs.’
Interest momentarily chased the shadows from Avril’s eyes. ‘I noticed those. She’s very good. Piers’s paintings are more abstract. He’s hoping to have time to develop and sell his work alongside the teaching.’
‘So your move was both personal and professional?’ Chloe encouraged.
‘It seemed ideal when the job came up in St Piran. We never expected to have a child after such a long wait, but when we discovered I was pregnant, we both wanted a different kind of life for our family. I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to my baby.’ A sob escaping, she rested one palm over her stomach.
Rising to her feet, Chloe pulled another tissue from the box she kept handy, then rounded the desk, squatting down to put a comforting arm around Avril’s thin shoulders. ‘Try not to imagine the worst-case scenarios. Even if there is something amiss, it doesn’t mean you won’t have a perfectly healthy baby. We’re going to do all we can to help you,’ she said reassuringly, handing over the fresh tissue.
‘Thank you.’ Avril blew her nose and dabbed at her tear-stained cheeks. ‘I’m sorry to be so silly.’
‘You’re not being silly. It’s an emotional and worrying time.’
Before she could continue, a brief knock sounded and the door opened. Chloe glanced up, barely suppressing a groan as Dr Oliver Fawkner strode into the room with his customary swagger, exuding self-confidence and blatant sex appeal. Oh, no! Why did it have to be him? Dressed in dark grey chinos and a crisp white shirt, he looked cool and unruffled, the shirt’s short sleeves showing off tanned, olive-toned skin and leanly muscled forearms dusted with dark hairs. Straightening, Chloe stepped round the far side of her desk, self-consciously putting a solid barrier between them.
Oliver had been working as an extra GP at the practice since mid-June as cover for the surgery’s increasing workload, the busy holiday season and while Lucy Carter continued her maternity leave. No one could deny what an excellent doctor Oliver was. But for reasons she couldn’t explain, he made her feel acutely nervous. He was just too…everything. Too masculine, too much the playboy, too outrageous, too sure of himself. And far too devastating in the looks and charm departments for any woman’s peace of mind. Especially a woman like her. One who shied away from male attention and anything that made her feel uncomfortable.
Nothing and no one made her feel more uncomfortable than bad boy Oliver Fawkner.
‘Chloe. I heard you wanted me.’
The rough-edged, smoky voice sent a shiver rippling down her spine. Despite being five feet seven, Chloe had a long way to look up Oliver’s ruggedly athletic six-foot-three-inch frame before she met the gleam of amused devilment in brown eyes as sinful and dangerous to the health as the finest chocolate. Chloe forced herself not to react when he sent her a cheeky wink. The man was a rogue. And he never missed an opportunity to tease her, flirt with her, disturb her, which only made her more tongue-tied and feeling like a gauche country bumpkin.
‘Dr Fawkner, this is Avril Harvey,’ she said, trying to hide her uneasiness and maintain her cool professionalism as she gave Oliver the personal details he needed about their patient’s age and circumstances.
Stepping forward with his trade-mark smile, Oliver shook the woman’s hand. ‘Hello, Avril, it’s good to meet you.’
‘Th-thank you, Doctor.’ Avril managed a teary smile in response. ‘I’m sorry to be a bother, asking to see you.’
‘You are not a bother. What seems to be the problem?’ he asked, and Chloe tensed as that warm, molten gaze held her captive once more.
Clearing her throat, she dragged her gaze free and stared down at the notes. ‘This is Avril’s first appointment with us after moving to Penhally with her husband. She is in her thirty-second week, and until now has been attending her previous practice in Birmingham for her antenatal checks.’
‘They said I was worrying for nothing,’ Avril commented, continuing to shred the tissue, revealing her anxiety.
‘Avril’s been experiencing headaches, which are not uncommon for her with her history of migraines, but she has also had episodes with her vision, including floaters. Then there is the oedema—and lack of weight gain,’ Chloe explained, meeting Oliver’s gaze again, glad to see he was now in full doctor mode and all signs of teasing had vanished. ‘I did the routine checks today and there is some protein in Avril’s urine. Her blood pressure has spiked, too. The notes show it has been irregular in the past, but while the last reading recorded was 145 over 85, two weeks ago, today it was 190 over 110, the highest ever.’
Oliver frowned with concern, squatting down beside the mother-to-be, talking quietly to her as he examined her hands and assessed the level of swelling in her legs and ankles. Gently he rested a hand on her belly, and Chloe suspected that the smallness of the baby and Avril being underweight had not escaped his attention. He was very good with patients. Chloe just wished she felt as secure and untroubled when working with him as she did with the other male doctors in the practice, none of whom affected her the way Oliver did. Her awkwardness around him disturbed her as it was not something she had ever experienced before.
‘Avril, I don’t want you to worry unduly,’ Oliver told the woman, continuing to hold her hand. ‘But I agree with Chloe that your symptoms are more serious than your previous practice believed.’
‘Oh! I knew it. What’s wrong with me, Doctor? Is it the stress of the move?’
Oliver glanced up and Chloe nodded for him to continue. She wasn’t territorial about her role when a second opinion was beneficial, and she worked well in partnership with the GPs to deliver the best possible care to her patients. As Avril was new and nervous, and seemed to trust Oliver, Chloe was happy to take a back seat for now.
‘We suspect you have a condition called pre-eclampsia,’ Oliver explained, and Chloe, impressed again with his patient care, noticed how he was respectful to include her and not take over completely.
‘That’s dangerous, isn’t it?’ Avril’s voice rose with alarm. ‘Is my baby going to die?’
Oliver was swift to reassure her, without scaring her unduly, about the dangers to her own health, which Chloe knew was of concern at this point. ‘Not if we can help it, Avril. Preeclampsia affects about one in ten pregnancies and is caused by a defect in the placenta.’ He glanced up and sent Chloe a quick smile, inviting her to participate.
‘That’s right. The baby receives nutrients and oxygen from the mother through the placenta,’ she explained to Avril. ‘That’s why it is so important to have regular antenatal checks because the symptoms don’t always show up in the early stages. Today we’ve seen signs that you could be affected. You have protein in your urine, your blood pressure is considerably elevated, and you have swelling in your hands, legs and feet, plus the headaches and visual problems. If we catch things straight away, there is every chance that both you and your baby will come through this without further ill-effects.’
Avril was clearly struggling to absorb all the information. She turned her anxious gaze back to Oliver. ‘What will happen? Can you give me something to make it go away?’
‘No, I’m sorry, Avril, but there isn’t a medical cure as such.’
‘But my baby!’
Chloe handed over another tissue, which the woman took in her free hand, the other one still clasped within Oliver’s. ‘I know it’s distressing, but you need to keep as calm as you can. Chloe will refer you to the hospital in St Piran and—’
‘Is that really necessary?’ Avril interrupted.
‘I’m afraid it is.’ Oliver’s tone was firm but gentle. ‘They’ll monitor your symptoms, keep a close eye on your blood pressure and the levels of protein in the urine. It may be that after a day or two you can go home on strict bed rest, but they will advise you what is best.’
‘Once you are lying down, especially on your left side, it is possible that your blood pressure will come down. It’s a question of how effectively they can keep you settled and stable,’ Chloe added.
‘And if they can’t?’ Avril fretted.
Oliver remained calm and persuasive. ‘They’ll do some tests, check your blood, and they’ll listen to your baby’s heart with a foetal monitor. You’ll also have an ultrasound to check on the condition of your baby. Depending on what they find, they may suggest you have a steroid injection to help the baby’s lungs, and you may have some other drugs for your blood pressure, and maybe some magnesium. Ultimately, the best way to protect you both would be to carry out a Caesarean and deliver your baby straight away, but that is something your doctor and midwife at the hospital will discuss with you.’
‘Oh, my goodness.’ Tears trickled from Avril’s eyes as she sat back on the chair. ‘I’m only thirty-two weeks along.’
‘Everything will be done in the best interests of your baby’s health and your own,’ Chloe reassured her.
Oliver released Avril’s hand and rose to his feet. ‘Can your husband come and collect you to drive you to the hospital?’
‘He’s already gone to St Piran. I don’t know what to do,’ Avril cried.
‘I can take you.’ Chloe glanced up from writing a note to the midwife and doctor at the hospital. ‘I’m free until after lunch when I have a couple of house calls to make before my afternoon clinic. One of those calls is halfway between here and St Piran, so it won’t be a problem. We can phone your husband, Avril, and have him meet you at the hospital.’
The woman sank back in relief. ‘That is so kind of you. I wouldn’t like to go on my own in a taxi or something. Are you sure you don’t mind?’
‘Not at all,’ Chloe assured her with a smile.
Her nerves tingled as she felt Oliver watching her, and her gaze was drawn to his against her will. Dark eyes focused intently on her making her shift uneasily on her chair. How did he do that? What was it about this man that made her so edgy? Thick, lustrous, over-long dark hair brushed the collar of his shirt and framed a face that was far too handsome. The straight, well-proportioned nose, sensual mouth and chiselled, masculine jaw, combined with those wicked chocolate eyes to complete the playboy package…the wealthy, devil-may-care doctor who, according to rumour, loved to surf and live the high life. A life totally opposite from her own. Shaking her head to rid herself of her unwanted thoughts about him, she mustered her reserves and kept her voice controlled.
‘Thank you for your assistance, Dr Fawkner.’
A knowing smile curved his mouth. ‘Always a pleasure, Chloe. I’ll organise an outside line so Avril can contact her husband while you write your notes for the hospital. Then I’ll help her downstairs.’
Chloe wanted to decline, to send him away, but she had to place Avril’s needs above her own. ‘All right,’ she conceded, her evident reluctance widening Oliver’s smile, a boyish dimple appearing in his left cheek.
Focusing on her task, she tried to ignore the masculine rumble of his voice, followed by Avril’s tearful but brief conversation as she explained developments to her husband.
‘He’s going directly from the school to the hospital,’ Avril confirmed, once again holding Oliver’s hand as he helped her to her feet.
‘That’s good news. Chloe, I’ll take Avril down in the lift and meet you by your car.’
‘Thanks.’
Chloe gathered up her things and hurried down the stairs, stopping at Reception to explain what was happening and to collect the notes for her home visits. She was ready to head outside when the lift doors opened and Oliver gently guided Avril towards the exit. Once Avril was settled in the car, her seat belt in place, Chloe walked round to the driver’s side, disconcerted when Oliver followed her. She opened the door, but the light touch of his fingers on her bare arm made her jump, and she paused, looking at him in confusion, alarmed at the way her skin burned from his touch.
‘Let me know how things turn out?’ he asked, and his genuine concern warmed her.
‘Of course. I can check in with you later.’
‘I’ll look forward to it.’ He hesitated a moment and Chloe fought not to reveal her discomfort when he leaned across her, making her all too aware of him as he ducked his head through the open door to talk to their patient. His body brushed against hers, and she sucked in an unsteady breath, only to find herself inhaling his unfamiliar, earthy, male scent. ‘Good luck, Avril. I wish you and your husband a healthy baby. Now I’ll leave you in Chloe’s capable hands. She’s a terrific midwife—you can trust her to give you the very best care and advice.’
Chloe was still reeling from Oliver’s praise when he straightened, held her gaze for an endless moment, then stroked one finger across the tip of her nose. ‘Drive carefully, babe,’ he instructed, his voice soft but husky, before he stepped back to let her slide behind the steering-wheel and close the door.
Fighting down a fresh welling up of confusion, trying to ignore the way her nose prickled and her arm still tingled from the caress of his fingers, Chloe strapped on her seat belt with shaky hands and started the car. She backed out of her parking space and eased onto Harbour Road. As she headed towards the curve of the seafront and the turning to Bridge Street in the centre of town, which would take her along the side of the river and out towards the St Piran road, she glanced back one last time in her rear view-mirror.
The image that stayed with her was of Oliver, hands thrust into his trouser pockets as he stood outside the surgery, watching her go.
Despite a busy surgery, the afternoon dragged by and Oliver had a tough time concentrating and putting invasive thoughts of Chloe MacKinnon from his mind.
‘Keep off that leg as much as possible for the next few days, Linda,’ he advised the young tourist, having strapped up her sprained ankle.
‘I will,’ she promised with a rueful smile. ‘No dancing for me for a while.’
Oliver handed a prescription for some painkillers and antiinflammatories to the girl’s companion, reminding them again of the best course of action. ‘Rest, ice, compression and elevation. If you have any problems don’t hesitate to phone or come back and see me.’
‘Thanks, Doctor.’ The young man grinned at him, appearing to relish his role of nursemaid to his pretty girlfriend, helping her out of the room as Oliver opened the door and followed them through Reception.
‘The pharmacy is the next building along Harbour Road.’ Oliver stood with them outside the surgery entrance and pointed them in the right direction. The late afternoon heat radiated off the tarmac and sunlight shimmered on the waters in the harbour opposite where fishing boats and assorted pleasure craft bobbed on the gentle swell. ‘They’ll sort out the medication while you wait.’
Oliver watched for a moment as his final patient of the day hobbled along beside her boyfriend, then he went back inside and, after exchanging a few words with the receptionists, he returned to his desk in the consulting room that had been made available for his use while he was there. The previous occupant, Lucy Carter, married to Ben, an A and E consultant at St Piran, and daughter of the surgery’s senior partner, Nick Tremayne, was on maternity leave.
Sighing, he set about the task of updating his patient notes and dealing with the ever-present pile of paperwork, but his attention wandered in a predictable direction. To Chloe. Whose room was immediately above his own. His gaze lifted, as if somehow by staring at the ceiling he could see her, will her presence. She was all he seemed to think about these days. And she scarcely appeared to know he was alive. It was a novel and not very pleasant experience.
He had only been in Penhally Bay a short time, but he had been drawn to Chloe from the moment they had met on his first day in his new job. And he meant what he had said earlier. Chloe was an excellent midwife…the best he had worked with. He admired her skill, her kindness, the way she always went that extra mile for the mums-to-be who meant so much to her. Like today, accepting Avril’s need for another opinion and putting herself out to drive the obviously panicked woman to hospital. Perhaps he had been working too long in an impersonal big city practice. His time back in Cornwall had opened his eyes again to the true meaning and enjoyment of proper community medicine.
London had been a blast. At first. He’d had the brains to breeze through medical school, had enjoyed a successful career and an active social life since qualifying and, thanks to his family’s success, he’d had the money to live life to the fullest. A cynical smile tugged his mouth. There had been good times, but his lifestyle had had its downsides, too. He was tired of those who were impressed by the family name, the bank balance, the exaggerated reputation. Tired of being used. He wanted to be seen for himself, the person he was, and not for the added trappings or as a prop to give someone else a good time. He had become mistrustful, dubious of people’s—women’s—motives.
He had grasped the opportunity to come back to Cornwall, his home county. His family was here, although thankfully far enough away from Penhally to allow him privacy. He loved them. They loved him. They had just never understood him. Never understood his need to make his own way and not be swallowed up in Fawkner Yachts like his grandfather, his parents, his brother and his sister. It had always been medicine that had drawn him, excited him, not the family business.
Being back in Cornwall had added benefits. He could indulge his passion for surfing and jet-skiing on an almost daily basis. And already he felt reconnected, enjoying his work in a way he had not done in the cut-and-thrust impersonal world London had become for him. Having made a conscious decision to change his life, the plan had been to settle in Penhally Bay and lie low while he established himself. He had no experience of long-term relationships, had never lived with a woman, but it was one of the things he most wanted…to find a nice girl, to settle down, to have a family. Eventually. What he had not anticipated had been meeting anyone who interested him so soon. And Chloe MacKinnon more than interested him.
She was unlike anyone he had ever known. He had never felt like this about a woman before and he was wary, unsure of venturing into the unknown. In the future, he wanted something different, someone different, and from all he had seen and heard so far, Chloe fitted the bill in every way. Just thinking about her made him smile and sent the blood pumping faster through his veins, a curl of heat flaming in his gut.
Chloe was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Wholesome, in the nicest way, she had an earthy, natural beauty, something she seemed completely unaware of. She seldom wore make-up—she didn’t need it. Her skin was smooth, almost translucent, while her eyes, a stunning moss green, shone between long, dusky lashes. Luscious, rosy lips begged to be kissed. At work she kept the luxuriant waves of her long ebony hair restrained in a braid, knot or ponytail, but he ached to see it loose in all its wild glory, to run his fingers through it, bury his face in it, to breathe in the lingering scent of fresh apples and sunshine that always clung to her.
Restrained was a word that could apply to Chloe in general. Serene and intelligent, she had a quiet humour that appealed to him and a sense of fun that came to the fore when she was relaxed with her friends. He had seen how she devoted all her energies to her mums-to-be and to the newborns she appeared to love with passion. She would make an amazing mother. But it was her other passions that sparked his interest and made him curious. From what he had discovered, Chloe’s life outside work was a closed book—aside from her loyalty to her female friends and the evenings out she spent with them, he had no idea where she went, what she did, or who she did it with.
No doubt about it, Chloe intrigued the hell out of him. She seemed so together, so content, but she was a very private person and he had found it an uphill struggle to get close to her. At first he had assumed she must have a husband or boyfriend, for sure, but he had been amazed to discover that Chloe had no one special in her life. Furthermore, she was content that way. Why? It didn’t make sense that someone so lovely and smart would be alone. But it left the field open for him. Not that he was making any headway. Chloe kept her distance from him and his own uncertainties about the timing and his suitability for a relationship made him cautious about pushing too fast.
Completely without artifice, Chloe had an air of innocence about her, one that surprised him, yet soothed his jaded spirit. He was used to women flaunting themselves and making obvious advances—it came with the territory. The Fawkner name and money drew women like iron filings to a magnet. For a time he hadn’t minded. Hell, he had been young and carefree, and he had made the most of the opportunities that had come his way. But he wanted something different now—he wanted Chloe MacKinnon. He just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon and wasn’t sure he was ready. Yet he wasn’t able to keep away from her.
Not that it had got him very far. For the first few days Chloe had treated him with the same friendly professionalism she bestowed on all her colleagues, but when he had made his personal interest in her known, she had been endearingly and puzzlingly shocked. He might have found her reaction amusing had it not led to her cooling noticeably, turning formal and businesslike, and clamming up more tightly than a bank vault.
Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair, an image of Chloe vivid in his mind. She had a body to die for, but she had no notion how sexy she was. Even in the short-sleeved white tunic and loose navy blue trousers she wore to work, she turned him on as no other woman ever had. Her figure was stunning. A classic hourglass shape, with lush, full, feminine curves…soft and mouth-watering. His fingers itched to touch, his mouth to taste. But he could never get within a foot of the skittish Chloe and that was beginning to frustrate him no end.
It was a new experience for him to have to work so hard to gain a woman’s attention, to get her to even speak to him outside work, let alone go out with him on a date. But despite her reserve and his own caution about getting involved with someone so soon, he wanted her more and more each day. The simmering desire nagged at him, refusing him respite, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. Which meant that he somehow had to find a way past those prickly defences. Especially if he ever hoped to take her to bed. The very thought of having her naked, laid out for him, those long, inky-black tresses tumbled over his pillows, that voluptuous body arching under him as he loved her, was enough to make him harder than he’d ever been and so burning with frustration he thought he might go up in flames.
A knock on his door made him jump. For a moment he imagined it was Chloe—longed for it to be her—even if she had just come to tell him how things had gone with Avril at the hospital.
‘Come in,’ he called, his voice rough with desire, his heart racing in anticipation.
His gaze was fixed on the door as it slowly opened and he almost couldn’t breathe as he waited for Chloe to enter his room. When he saw, instead, that his visitor was senior partner Nick Tremayne, he struggled to swallow the wash of bitter disappointment.
‘Oliver, do you have a few moments?’
‘Of course, Nick.’ He summoned up a smile. ‘What can I do for you?’
In the short time he had been in Penhally, Oliver had come to admire the older man. He was an excellent doctor, knowledgeable if a bit aloof, but there were tensions he had yet to understand, especially between Nick and Kate Althorp, the former practice manager who had returned to her career in midwifery and now worked alongside Chloe in the practice. He suspected that Nick was a difficult man to get to know, one who felt deeply but who found it hard to share those feelings, a man who shut himself off and stuck stubbornly to a rigid point of view. Thankfully, Oliver had rubbed along well with his enigmatic boss…so far.
Exuding impatience, Nick strode across the room to gaze silently out of the window before he turned and moved back to the desk. Looking troubled, Nick folded his tall frame to sit in a chair opposite, his dark hair showing signs of grey, his gaze restless as it darted around the room.
‘Is something wrong, Nick?’ Oliver probed after a moment.
‘What?’ The older man looked up in surprise, as if disturbed from his private thoughts. ‘Oh, no. No, just a lot on my mind. How are things with you? Settling in all right?’
Oliver leaned forward and folded his arms on the desk. ‘Very much so. I’m enjoying my time here immensely.’
‘Good. I’m glad,’ he murmured, drifting again as if considering something.
Waiting patiently, Oliver reflected on the snippets of gossip he had heard. He didn’t know the history between Nick and Kate, but it was clear that something had happened between them recently as they were barely speaking. At least, Nick was barely speaking to Kate, Oliver amended. Kate looked stressed and unhappy, while the tension whenever the two were near each other was palpable.
‘So, Oliver,’ Nick said, apparently having come to a decision. He rubbed his palms together and shifted on the chair. ‘I have a favour to ask of you.’
‘I’ll be pleased to do what I can to help.’
Nick nodded, sitting back, his expression serious. ‘I noted from your CV that you’ve had a special responsibility for antenatal services in a previous practice.’
‘That’s right,’ Oliver confirmed, wondering where this was going.
‘I have some extra duties coming up in the next weeks, working with the town committee regarding the twinning of Penhally with a small town in Normandy. It would be of great assistance to me if you could take over my antenatal role. Just for the time being.’
Regarding his boss closely, Oliver wondered if the twinning committee thing was a ruse. He suspected Nick wanted an excuse to avoid Kate. Frowning, he considered the request. While he didn’t want to become embroiled in practice politics or take sides in whatever dispute had occurred between Nick and Kate, he couldn’t deny that taking on the extra duties had an appeal. Saying yes would mean more time working closely with Chloe. And the more time he could spend with her, getting to know her, easing past her defences and deciding if there was something worth pursuing, the better as far as he was concerned.
‘No problem, Nick.’ There was no way he was going to turn down an opportunity to be near Chloe. ‘I’ll be happy to cover for you.’
The older man’s relief was evident. ‘Excellent. Thank you, Oliver. I’ll fill you in on things and if it’s not too short notice, perhaps you could start by attending the next meeting with the midwives?’
‘Sure.’ Oliver pulled his diary towards him and opened it. ‘When is it?’
‘Actually, it’s in about half an hour. I, um, have to leave early,’ he finished, having the grace to look uncomfortable at the lame explanation.
Hiding a smile, Oliver nodded. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
He listened and made notes as Nick went through the salient points he needed to know, a shiver of anticipation fluttering inside him at what lay ahead. The prospect of breaking the news to Chloe and Kate that he would be replacing Nick for the immediate future was an unappealing one. He imagined that each woman would have her own reasons to be unsettled by the change. But he wasn’t going to shy away from the challenge. This unexpected turn of events could work in his favour. He was wary about the timing, unsure where any relationship might go, but instinct told him there could be something interesting between them. And desiring her as he did, he now had the perfect chance to try to woo Chloe MacKinnon.
