The Doctor's Pregnancy Secret
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Leah Martyn
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CHAPTER ONE
IT WOULDN’T be for ever, Fliss consoled herself, letting her gaze linger, before she finally closed the door on her inner-city high-rise apartment. But already she was beginning to doubt her sanity in making the decision to leave the lifestyle she’d grown to love and take a job in a country hospital.
Her mouth tightened. Damn Daniel. All these changes she’d been almost forced to make were down to him. Fliss suppressed a sigh. Calling her former lover ‘an opportunistic rat’ didn’t help. What was done was done. Now her best chance was to look forward and not back. And hope this change of direction would give her a sense of purpose again.
She’d let her apartment for six months and most of her furniture had gone into storage until she’d sorted out her living arrangements in Mt Pryde. Which at the moment looked like being the doctors’ accommodation at the district hospital.
Fliss gritted her teeth. She wouldn’t look back. The thought stayed resolutely with her as she began wheeling her suitcase along to the lift. Thank heavens, that was the last of it. Already her sporty little hatchback sedan was packed to bursting with the bits and pieces she couldn’t live without indefinitely.
Hauling her case across the concrete floor of the basement car park, she thanked her lucky stars she’d rejected the offer of a kitten last Christmas. At this rate, the poor creature would probably have had to travel on the roof!
At last, seated more or less comfortably in the driver’s seat, she belted up, settling her sunglasses across her nose and starting the engine. It was roughly a two-hour drive to Mt Pryde, which would make it around noon when she arrived there. She’d head straight to the McNeals’ place. Jo and Brady had invited her to lunch.
Fliss’s spirits began to lift as she hit the country highway. It was that tender time between summer and early autumn that went largely unnoticed in the city. But out here every paddock seemed ablaze with the sunny gold of wattle blossoms contrasting vividly with the soft opalescence of the sky.
A dry smile nipped her mouth. If she really went overboard with her imagination, she could easily place the whole picture within the pages of a tourist brochure.
Perhaps her move to the country wouldn’t be so bad after all. And it didn’t have to be for ever. Just until she had her head on straight again after the mortal blow Daniel had delivered her.
But she vowed it would be a long time before she’d trust a man again.
She made a sound of annoyance in her throat. She’d have to stop giving Daniel space in her head. He’d proved himself a cheat and a liar. But until the hurt went away, it would be so good to have Jo close by to lend a sympathetic ear.
Fliss smiled reminiscently. Jo was one of her dearest friends. Along with Sophie, of course. The three of them had shared an apartment when they’d done their medical internship, then their residencies. They’d had a ball. But they’d studied resolutely too and had encouraged one another through ruinously long hours at the hospital, finally celebrating hard when at last they’d become fully qualified.
And now it all seemed light years ago. But thank heavens they still kept in touch. They were more like sisters than best friends, Fliss decided.
And after Daniel, it was Jo who had helped her sort herself out and steer her life in this new direction. Fliss recalled one of the many phone conversations they’d had until she’d finally got herself together and acted.
‘I’m only considering this because I’m desperate,’ Fliss had maintained heavily.
‘All I’m saying is, apply for the job! You need to get out of that place, Fliss. I mean, do you really want to be at the sports clinic when Daniel shows up for his weekly massage?’
‘He wouldn’t dare!’ Fliss’s throat had gone dry at the prospect. ‘Would he…?’
‘If he’s got as much hide as you’ve told me, I think he would.’
‘But you’re asking me to come to the bush, Jo. What am I going to do there?’
‘You’ll work, of course, like everyone else here. And Mt Pryde is a reasonably sized country town, barely a two-hour drive from the city, and we actually do have running water and electricity,’ Jo had ended pithily. ‘Besides which, the hospital is crying out for senior medical staff with a bit of nous.’
Fliss had snorted. ‘I didn’t show much nous falling for that sleaze Daniel, did I?’
‘Water under the bridge, sweetie,’ Jo had said gently. ‘You weren’t to know he was practically leading a double life.’
‘Jo, I was gutted…’
‘I know…’ Jo was all sympathy. ‘But perhaps changing location and taking on a challenging job will give you a whole new outlook.’
‘I suppose it might. OK…’ Fliss’s sigh of resignation came up from her toes. ‘What do I have to do to get an interview?’
‘Initially, put in a call to Queensland Health,’ Jo responded helpfully. ‘They’ll have all the rural vacancies on their computer files. Tell them the one you’re interested in and go from there.’
‘I mightn’t get it, of course.’
‘Flissy, you’ll walk it.’
‘Jo, I’ve worked in sports medicine for years. I’ve probably forgotten everything I ever learned about emergency medicine.’
‘Don’t you dare give up on this,’ Jo warned. ‘I’ve worked with you in Casualty. You’re a smart lady. You don’t go into paralysis when a quick decision has to be made. And workwise, think what a complete change it’ll be.’
Fliss groaned. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’
‘You’re too young to be afraid of change,’ Jo chastised her friend lightly. ‘Look on it as an adventure.’
‘Mmm.’ Fliss sounded less than impressed. ‘So, if I get the job at the hospital, where would I live? Can I rent a nice place in the town?’
‘Rentals are a bit tight at the moment apparently. As a stopgap you could possibly live in at the hospital.’
‘Oh, please!’
‘Actually, the accommodation’s not bad. Refurbished only recently. On the other hand, you could come and stay with Brady and me. We’ve a spare bedroom.’
‘No way, Jo.’ Fliss was adamant. ‘You’re only newly married. I wouldn’t dream of it.’
Jo and Brady had been married for only a few months. When they’d met, Brady had been a single father with a baby son and determined to go it alone. Jo had had other ideas and after a swift, intense and some times rocky courtship, the two had finally got themselves sorted, had had a lovely wedding and Jo had become small Andrew’s proud stepmum.
‘You’d be on hand to babysit for us sometimes,’ Jo said practically.
‘I’d be happy to do that anyway. That’s if I end up in your neck of the woods.’
‘You know, it might be fun,’ Jo encouraged.
Silence.
‘This is all so difficult for me, Jo…’
‘I know it is, sweetie,’ Jo commiserated quietly. ‘But, please, just take the first step. And Brady and I will be here for you, don’t forget that. You’ll be among friends.’
Fliss seemed to be thinking. ‘If I do get the job and come to live in Mt Pryde, you won’t go lining me up with odd men, will you?’
‘I don’t know any odd men!’
‘You know what I mean,’ Fliss warned.
‘OK, I promise. No odd men.’
‘All right. I guess I’ll give it a try, then.’
‘Good for you,’ Jo said warmly. ‘Now, keep me posted.’
‘I feel sick!’ Fliss wailed her unease.
Jo clicked her tongue. ‘Just do it, Fliss, OK? Life is meant to be lived, for heaven’s sake! Now, get off the phone and start living yours!’
‘You always were the bossy one, Josephine.’ Fliss managed a half-laugh. ‘Takes me back to our training days.’
‘Well, we’re all grown up now,’ Jo said dryly. ‘And I was never the bossy one. You were!’
For the first time Fliss laughed naturally. ‘I guess I was. OK, as of now, I’m taking charge of my life.’
‘Good,’ Jo said succinctly. ‘I can’t wait for you to get here.’
Now Fliss glanced at her watch. She was making good time. Another hour and she’d be in Mt Pryde. And about to experience whatever working in a rural hospital had in store for her.
* * *
Callum O’Byrne shifted his weight more comfortably into the base of his chair and began opening his mail. Frowning slightly, he extracted the contents from the large envelope that had arrived by express delivery.
‘Terrific!’ he muttered, when he saw the law firm’s name at the top of the page and realised he was holding his divorce papers. Kirsty hadn’t wasted any time in dumping their marriage. Not that they’d had a proper one in years, really.
Well, if that’s what she wanted, he wouldn’t hang about. It wasn’t as though they’d had to reach any kind of settlement. In the final wash-up, they’d wanted nothing in a material sense from one another. And what they should have given to each other emotionally, they’d let founder. And now it could never be reclaimed.
Unclipping his pen from his shirt pocket, he began signing where his solicitors had indicated, realising as he did so that he was severing the last link between himself and his former wife. But perhaps he should be looking at it in a more positive way. In simple terms, they were setting each other free.
Stuffing the newly signed papers into the envelope provided, he sealed the flap and aimed it across the desk into his out-tray. Maddie could shove it in the post with the rest of the mail when she got around to it. As if he’d conjured her up, his secretary-cum-everything knocked and came in.
‘Morning.’ She placed a mug of coffee on his desk. ‘Don’t forget you have a meeting over at the council offices at nine-thirty.’
Callum groaned. ‘I thought it was next Monday.’
‘Sorry. It’s today.’
The senior registrar turned his head up in a frowning query. ‘This is the one where I have to plead for extra funding for more residential places for our aged folk, isn’t it?’
Maddie nodded. ‘Someone from the department of Health and Ageing is supposedly attending and the mayor has asked for you to be ready with some facts and figures.’
‘Ah, yes. I’m going to have quite a bit to say about things in general. Now…’ He looked around blindly. ‘Where did I put my notes?’
Maddie pointed to the manila folder on the desk in front of him. ‘I typed them up for you on the weekend. I think I managed to sort out your shorthand. But have a quick read through them and make sure I haven’t missed anything.’
‘What would I do without you to cover my butt, Mads?’
‘Not sure.’ Madeleine Curtis gave the semblance of a long-suffering smile. ‘Probably you’d spend all your time out in Casualty and never set foot in your office at all. By the way, you haven’t forgotten you’ve a new MO starting today, have you? Dr Felicity Wakefield?’
Yes, he had. Completely. But he certainly remembered the lady herself. He frowned a bit, recalling a river of dark hair, a pair of big soulful brown eyes and a wide mouth that had looked made for smiling. But she hadn’t done much of that, if his memory served him right.
‘Of course I haven’t forgotten,’ he bluffed, raising a hand and kneading the back of his neck. ‘But perhaps I should run through her CV again. Do you have it handy?’
‘It’s all on your computer, Callum.’ Seeing his baffled look, Maddie shook her head resignedly. ‘Want me to show you again how to access the file?’
‘Please. Perhaps I should get one of those textbooks for dummies,’ he growled, moving aside so Maddie could reach out towards the keyboard.
‘It’s only practice. And when do you ever give yourself time for that?’
‘I’m a doctor, not a technocrat,’ he grumbled. ‘I hate these things!’
Maddie touched a few keys expertly. ‘There you are. And there’s something else…’ She hesitated. ‘Although it’s probably not a good time to tell you, with everything else you have on your plate.’
‘Not going to leave me, are you?’
Maddie clicked her tongue. ‘As if. The thing is, management have cut my hours back to three days a week.’
‘Oh, for Pete’s sake!’ Callum frowned in consternation. ‘Did they say why?’
‘Lack of funding. But at least I’m allowed to choose which days I’ll come in. We’d better have a chat about that later, I guess.’
Sweet heaven. Callum felt a surge of anger grate rawly in his throat as he swallowed. How did these bureaucrats expect rural hospitals to keep functioning when they persisted in slashing ancillary services all over the place? ‘How will you manage with a salary cut?’ His direct look spelt concern.
‘Jeff’s still full time with the ambulance base, thank goodness. But Sam and Jacob are out of their school uniforms again,’ she added frankly. ‘And being twins, it’s not like we can hand them down, is it?’
‘I guess not.’ Callum’s mouth turned down at the corners, his thoughts turning dark for a moment. He and Kirsty could have had a couple of kids by now, if only…He stopped the unproductive thought with a quick shake of his head, telling Maddie instead, ‘I’ll keep my ear to the ground. There might be an opportunity for some extra hours you’d be able to tap into.’
‘Thanks, Callum.’ Maddie gave a taut little smile and left quietly.
Nursing his mug against his chest, Callum stared into space. Life was a pain in the nether regions sometimes. He began draining his coffee slowly, his thoughts miles away. Finally, with a long sigh that was a mixture of cynicism and resignation, he put his mug aside and dragged his concentration back to the matter in hand.
His new medical officer.
He began speed-reading the screen in front of him. He wished now he’d had more of a chance to speak informally with her. But on the day she’d come for her interview, he’d been called to an MVA and had managed to be present for only the tail end of the proceedings.
And when he’d finally got there, he discovered the panel the Health Department had appointed had gone ahead and offered her the job in Casualty without even waiting for his input. And he’d had quite a bit he’d wanted taken on board.
For starters, the applicant’s background in sports medicine was light years away from emergency medicine. But, then, on the other hand, they were desperate for senior doctors in rural hospitals so could they really afford to be unrealistic in waiting to find exactly the right person to fill the vacancy? Lifting a hand, he stroked a finger between his brows, his mind full of speculation as he continued to absorb the contents of the file.
Felicity Wakefield’s credentials were impeccable. He couldn’t dispute that. But one had to wonder why the lady had left her state-of-the-art city clinic to come and work in a permanently underfunded country hospital.
Well, maybe she’d shape up and maybe she wouldn’t. Callum blew out a sigh as he clicked off the file. It went without saying, though, he’d have to keep an eye on her. But with his present workload, how on earth was he going to find the time…?
A discreet knock on his door cut short his train of thought. ‘It’s open,’ he called, and brought his head up with a swiftness that bordered on impatience. ‘Ah, Dr Wakefield.’ She was early, he thought, waving an arm and beckoning his new medical officer in. Scooting his chair back, he rose to his feet and held out his hand towards her. ‘Glad you could make it.’
Fliss blinked and blinked again. Lord, he was as big as she’d remembered. At least seven or eight inches taller than her five feet six. And with a rugged set of facial features that was intensely masculine.
With her training in sports medicine, Fliss had an eye for musculature, and O’Byrne measured up. Really measured up. Ignoring the odd twist in her heart and reminding herself she was off men at the moment, she lifted her chin and met the senior registrar’s assessing cobalt blue eyes as coolly as she could. ‘Dr O’Byrne. Hello again.’
‘It’s Callum.’ A dark brow arched impatiently. ‘Take a seat. Are you all settled in?’
Almost defensively, Fliss pulled back from the intensity of his gaze and cursed the awareness that feathered right up her backbone. She ran her tongue around the seam of her lips. ‘In the doctors’ accommodation for the moment.’
‘Anything you need?’
Got a couple of years to listen? she felt like saying but sanity prevailed and she responded instead, ‘Everything’s fine.’
But far short of what she was used to, he’d bet. Leaning back in his chair, Callum folded his arms and narrowed his gaze over her. She was a looker all right. Very easy on the eyes. But today all that dark hair had been gathered up and swept into a braid that draped neatly over one shoulder. He’d liked it better flowing free…
Oh, for crying out loud! Since when had he noticed what women did with their hair? He held back a bark of self-derision at his adolescent ogling.
‘The accommodation’s fine,’ Fliss said thinly, missing nothing of his blatant scrutiny. Please, heaven, don’t let him be another sleaze, she pleaded silently. ‘And I imagine I’ll find a house or a flat in time. Where do you live?’ she asked boldly, matching him stare for stare.
‘Out of town a bit, on acreage.’ He snapped his gaze away and rocked his body forward, placing his hands precisely on the desk in front of him. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t here for the whole of your interview. I had an emergency.’
‘Yes, I knew that. Motor vehicle accident, wasn’t it?’
He seemed surprised she’d remembered. His eyes narrowed and darkened. ‘Three teenagers. One dead at the scene.’
‘Oh.’ Fliss winced. ‘How awful for the families involved.’
‘And for the medical officer who had to break the news to them.’ Callum’s mouth moved in a grim twist. ‘Welcome to emergency medicine, Felicity. Think you’ll be able to cut it?’
Fliss felt the nerves in her stomach tighten. It seemed Callum O’Byrne had already assessed her capabilities and found her wanting. Without the semblance of a trial. ‘I’m here to pull my weight,’ she said, the faintest challenge in her voice. ‘I don’t expect any special treatment.’
‘We understand each other, then.’ Callum’s gaze ran clinically over her again, before he abruptly swung up from his chair. ‘I’ll give you the tour.’
‘No need,’ Fliss had some satisfaction in informing him. ‘I was here quite early. Jess and Anita showed me where everything is.’
Thank heaven for his senior nurses. He nodded. ‘We have a pretty good staff here at the moment. But folk come and go a bit, especially the MOs.’
Fliss sent him a cool look. ‘How long have you been here?’
‘A bit over a year.’
‘So you must like the place—or the place likes you?’
His chuckle was unexpected and a bit rusty. ‘And maybe it’s because I have nowhere else to go just now.’
Oh, that sounded sad. Fliss put her head on one side. Perhaps O’Byrne was in some way a refugee from circumstances, just as she was. Almost covertly her eyes slid over his hands. No wedding ring and no telltale shadow where one might have been recently. Oh, well, life happened and perhaps he had a story. Like her. ‘We have a couple of residents, I believe.’
‘Ah, yes.’ Callum snapped himself back to attention. ‘Nick Rossi and Simon Gallant. They’re both shaping up well, Simon especially. Nick needs to start stretching himself a bit more. But we’ll lose them after their residencies unfortunately. They’ll go after positions in the city to gain more experience. But at least I hope they’ll have found their time with us here worthwhile.’
Fliss touched a finger to her chin. ‘I’m afraid I never felt the urge to do a stint in the country before now.’
‘I gathered that from your CV.’ Callum lowered himself to the corner of his desk. ‘We do the best we can with limited facilities. Max Birrell is our general surgeon and most of the GPs have visiting rights at the hospital. But, of necessity, the staff of the ED have to be the backbone of the place. We try to be flexible with time off but sometimes we have to go the extra mile for our patients.’ He looked moodily at her. ‘All things considered, it might be best if you stick close to me for the first little while.’
And maybe she’d just surprise him where that was concerned. Fliss’s mouth tightened. She’d headed up her own department in her last job, for heaven’s sake!
‘Have you had breakfast?’
‘In the canteen,’ Fliss said, stepping quickly through the door while he held it open. ‘The food was very good.’
‘We’re gradually getting there with the hospital’s entire refurbishment,’ was the SR’s dry reply. ‘I eat there quite a bit myself.’
‘And there I was imagining you out in your bush retreat, cooking up a storm on your Aga.’
He actually laughed. ‘Sorry to disappoint you but I have a modern electric stove. And when the mood takes me, I bake bread.’
Fliss had her wide-eyed look. ‘Probably a new way to get rid of stress, is it—all that pounding of dough?’
‘Gives you strong wrists,’ he asserted with a deadpan expression. ‘It’s a fascinating process. I’ll show you some time, if you’re interested.’
This was a ridiculous conversation, Fliss thought, with the man who was technically her boss. And surely he wasn’t serious? For a few embarrassing seconds she delayed answering. And then realised she wouldn’t have to answer at all—Charge Nurse Anita Lloyd was hurrying purposefully along the corridor towards them.
‘Emergency call from the ambulance base, Callum,’ Anita said without preamble. ‘A steel beam’s fallen on one of the workers out at that new factory development on the Emerald Hill Estate. Jeff Curtis is there with the ambulance but he wants the workman assessed before they move him.’
‘Nick can go,’ Callum said, referring to their resident.
‘He’s in the middle of a suturing job on one of the workers from the cannery.’
‘Simon?’
‘Not back on until tonight,’ Anita said. ‘You’re it, I’m afraid.’
‘Damn.’ Callum glanced at his watch and frowned. ‘I’m due at a meeting over at the council offices shortly. It’s imperative I be there. I’ve got to put the case for funding for more places for our aged folk.’
Fliss took in the situation in a glance. He was obviously torn. ‘I’ll do your meeting.’
‘You?’
Fliss’s small chin came up. ‘I’m quite capable of deputising for you. Either at the meeting or at the accident site.’
‘No. I’ll go to the accident,’ he offloaded quickly. ‘Don’t want to throw you in at the deep end on your first day.’
‘So I’ll do the meeting.’
He hesitated for a second, as if deliberating whether or not he could let her loose on this very important mission, and then said gruffly, ‘OK, then. Thanks, Felicity.’
‘Fliss.’
Callum felt his pulse tick over. Fliss? Of course, Fliss. ‘Take my notes,’ he said, his voice carefully neutral. ‘Maddie will get them for you. Better still, she’s up to speed with everything so take her with you.’ His eyes clouded for a moment. ‘You’ve met Madeleine Curtis?’
‘When I came for my interview.’
‘Just don’t let the bureaucrats ambush you,’ he emphasised. ‘We need this money.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll get your money. If all else fails, I’ll resort to girl power.’
Callum tore his gaze away from her smiling mouth, feeling his hormones tuning up like the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Oh, good grief! The ink on his divorce papers was barely dry. Lifting a hand, he scrubbed lean fingers impatiently across his cheek-bones. ‘Whatever works,’ he said shortly, before he turned and began moving swiftly away up the corridor.
But as he quickened his steps towards the casualty department, he was dogged by an awareness, a longing that had lain dormant for longer than he cared to remember. He yanked his thoughts up short with a barely discernible shake of his head.
Hell, after all this time he’d probably be like a bull in a china shop. A very large bull at that and in a very delicate china shop.
