The Surgeon's Family Wish (8 page)

There was an empty bed where Jack, the boy with ALD, had been. He'd been temporarily discharged until such a time that a bone-marrow donor could be found, but with the seriousness of the illness there was a strong possibility that he would be back before then.

Annabel looked across and caught Aaron's glance on her. He smiled and suddenly the curvy little teacher, the ward and the assortment of sick and well children became a blur.

She was in love with him, she thought as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. It wasn't just physical attraction or lust. She loved Aaron for what he was. Caring father, loving son, dedicated doctor. And if he never looked at her again she wouldn't forget how he had made her come alive.

But she was still the woman who'd slept with someone else's husband, albeit unknowingly.

There was a question in his eyes now and she realised that he must be puzzled by the intensity of her gaze. He
wasn't to know that it was as if she was seeing him for the first time...

She'd been aware of his attractions and his dedication to the children in his care before, but now she was seeing him as the man she loved, and after the happenings of recent months it was as if a bright light had broken into her darkness.

‘What's wrong?' he asked in a low voice above the heads of their small visitors.

‘Nothing,' she mouthed back, and it would have been true if she could have taken him to one side and told him how much she cared for him, but there was something else he needed to know first and that was the problem.

The tour was over. Lucy's prestige was intact amongst her school friends and the children were being served light refreshments in the restaurant before their teacher took them back to school.

It seemed that they'd enjoyed the novelty of it and so had Nicola Edwards if her expression was anything to go by. But Annabel had a feeling that it was the doctor rather than his young patients that had put the smile on Nicola's face.

Within minutes of them leaving she was in Theatre and Aaron was preparing for his afternoon clinic. The visit from the school children had taken a slice out of their busy day and now they must make up for it.

In Annabel's case a child had been brought in with a suspected haematoma after a sign had fallen on him in a shopping mall. X-rays had shown that there was indeed bleeding inside the skull and surgery had been needed.

For Aaron the clinic was the usual run of sick and suffering children and when the door had closed behind
the last one he let his thoughts go back to those moments on the ward.

He hadn't been able to take his eyes off Annabel. Why, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was because today had brought back memories of their first meeting and the circumstances of it. Or maybe it was just the case that every time he saw her it felt right.

He knew that Lucy's teacher was interested in him. They'd met on several occasions at school functions and when he'd suggested today's visit she'd been only too willing to fit it into the curriculum.

He knew what was in his mother's mind. She thought that Nicola's resemblance to Eloise might kindle some interest in him. So it looked as if she'd given up on Annabel, but
he
hadn't.

It was strange, almost as if her disinterested attitude was making him feel challenged. Yet he knew it wasn't that. He admired everything about her. Her acceptance of the solitariness that surrounded her. Her absorption in the job, and the way she was so good with Lucy. The only thing he wasn't too happy about was the way she was treating him.

Back there on the ward there'd been something in the atmosphere. He didn't know what, but she'd observed him with such a fixed stare that he'd felt as if she'd been trying to tell him something. But after the children and their teacher had gone and they'd had a moment to themselves, she'd had nothing to say, even though that same look had been there in her eyes.

He shook his head. Why after all this time did he have to be attracted to an enigma such as Annabel Swain? The little teacher was an uncomplicated soul. Why couldn't he fancy her instead of a leggy brunette, who
was as closed as a clam when it came to what went on in
her
life?

But there were patients' notes to be written up from the clinic, various appointments for surgery to be made and a last round of the two wards before he went home. With Annabel in Theatre he doubted that he would see her again today.

But he was wrong about that. He hadn't been home long when the doorbell rang, and when he went to answer it she was on the doorstep, looking serious and uncomfortable.

‘Can you spare a moment?' she asked as her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him.

‘Of course. Come in. You look very solemn. Is something wrong?'

She was wearing a sheepskin jacket, tight-fitting beige trousers and soft leather boots to keep out winter's chill, and looked every inch the career-woman who was keeping him at bay.

‘Is your mother in?' she asked in a low voice.

‘No. She's gone to her bridge club. Why? Did you want to see her?'

She shook her head. ‘No. It's you I came to see.'

‘Really? Then let me take your coat.'

He sensed that she was feeling awkward and wondered what had brought her to his home. He was pretty sure that it wasn't as a follow-up to that night at her flat.

When Annabel was seated Aaron stood with his back to the fireplace, looking down at her, and when she didn't speak he said, ‘So, to what do I owe the honour of your presence?'

The remark was meant to be jokey but she felt that there was sarcasm behind it.

‘I've come to tell you something that was told to me
today,' she said levelly. ‘I may be making too much of it, but I think it's something you ought to know. If I'm speaking out of turn, I hope you will forgive me.'

‘You sound very mysterious. I'm all agog. What is it that you have to say?'

She wished she could say, I've come to tell you that I'm in love with you. Would he be ‘agog' to hear that?

‘A cardiac consultant from the Infirmary came to Barnaby's just after you left this evening. He's new and wanted to have a look at what we were offering in paediatric care. I take it that you didn't know he was coming.'

Aaron frowned. ‘No, I didn't, otherwise I would have been there.'

‘He remarked that his secretary left much to be desired, which I took to mean she'd forgotten to tell you he was coming. He said he would get back to you and only stayed a few minutes.'

Aaron still wasn't pleased. ‘I take it that there is a purpose to what you're saying.'

‘Yes,' she said quietly, wishing that there wasn't. ‘The cardiologist said that he was looking forward to meeting you and that he'd had the pleasure of making your mother's acquaintance some weeks ago...at his room.

‘You may already be aware of that and I'm making a nuisance of myself. But I thought that she might have some concerns about her health that could be at the root of her worries on your behalf. Obviously I didn't question him at all, and if I had I'm sure he would have reminded me about patient confidentiality.'

Aaron had been listening to what she was saying in amazement. It fitted in, he thought incredulously. Why hadn't his mother told
him
if she had health problems? And what were they.

A few weeks ago she'd complained of pain in her arms and general tiredness. So he'd employed a cleaner as well as the housekeeper who came in each day to assist.

He'd taken note that her colour was good and that she was eating well, and he hadn't made a fuss when she hadn't let him examine her, but this was something totally unexpected and it was no wonder that Annabel was embarrassed at having to point him towards what was under his nose.

‘Did you know your mother was seeing a heart specialist?' she asked hesitantly.

‘No. I didn't,' he said tersely. ‘It explains why she's been trying to marry me off, bless her. She's thinking that if anything happens to her it won't be easy for me with the sort of job I've got and Lucy to care for. That's what my mother is like. Always putting Lucy and me before herself. Hence what she said to you and her comments about Lucy's teacher. I hope there aren't any more that I don't know about.'

‘Yes. She must have felt she was scraping the bottom of the barrel when it came to me,' Annabel said drily.

He was observing her with the dark intent gaze that she was beginning to know so well as he said slowly, ‘What do you mean?'

She laughed, but it was without amusement. ‘Well, I'm not exactly a cuddly blonde, am I? I don't dress to kill, I live in a box of a flat and basically have very little going for me as regards the opposite sex.'

‘Why are you putting yourself down like this?' he asked abruptly. ‘Don't you ever look in the mirror? You've got good bone structure, wonderful eyes and legs that seem to go on for ever. And with regard to where you live, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I know I've gone
on about it a bit, but it was only because I was concerned about you. I thought you deserved better and now you're doing something about it without any prompting from me.

‘Regarding marriage, most women are married before they're thirty. You are different. You have a touch-me-not attitude that to someone with less determination than myself might be quite offputting. What happened between us the other night was an example. I'd no sooner touched you than you shied off. Surely you've had
some
experience with my sex.'

Aaron didn't understand, she thought bleakly. Her childhood had been blighted with the constant feeling of not being wanted and it had spilled over into adulthood.

‘Yes, of course I have,' she told him stiffly. ‘I dated guys when I was at college. But none of it was serious. I was more interested in my career.'

‘And of late?'

‘Of late I've had my fingers burnt. Shall we leave it at that?'

He sighed.

‘Yes, if you say so. But, remember, if ever you need someone to talk to, I'm available. And now back to the reason for your visit. I'll speak to my mother when she gets in and take it from there. If there are problems of any kind in her life, I want to know. We have always helped each other through the bad times and this will be no different.'

His face was sombre in the softly lit room, and she ached to tell him that
she
wanted to share the bad times, too, if he would let her. But Aaron already had opinions about her lack of warmth and the last thing he would expect from her was the tenderness that was making her feel weak at the knees.

She turned to go. Having reluctantly butted into a private family matter, she'd done what she'd come to do, and now the polite thing was to depart and leave Aaron to his thoughts.

The next time she saw him she would know if her intervention had been warranted and she had a sinking feeling that she would find that it had.

‘Thanks for taking the trouble to put me in the picture,' he said as he held her coat from behind while she pushed her arms into the sleeves. ‘It couldn't have been easy being the bearer of such tidings.'

Her smile was rueful. ‘It wasn't, but I had to make sure that you knew. Even if you thought me nosy and interfering.'

‘Never would I think that of you,' he told her with a dry laugh, and as she swivelled to face him Annabel found herself in his arms.

‘You can interfere in my life any time you want,' he said as their glances met, ‘but when you do, make sure that it's what
you
want, too. Don't mess me about, Annabel.' And brushing her cheek with his lips, he pushed her gently towards the door.

Because she knew that it would all fall apart if she stayed, she went, out into the winter night, back to the life that was empty compared to his.

* * *

After he'd closed the door behind her Aaron went to stand by the window and watched Annabel drive away, but just outside the gate she stopped and he wondered why. Only to have the question answered when Richard from next door appeared at the side of her car.

He could see him in the light of the streetlamp, bending over to talk to her through the car window, which she'd wound down on seeing him. What was all that
about? he wondered. Was Rick trying to push the sale of his house? Or had he other ideas in mind? It would be just like his friend the charmer to get through to Annabel where he couldn't.

Whatever the other man was up to, it didn't last long. Within minutes she was pulling away and Richard was going back into his own property. Aaron told himself he had other matters to concern himself with, more pressing than anything Richard was involved in. When his mother arrived home at just gone ten o'clock he was waiting for her.

‘Yes. I have been to see a heart specialist,' she admitted when he told her about Annabel's visit. ‘I had a word with our GP and told him I was having chest pains. He checked me over and recommended I see someone.'

‘And why wasn't I informed?' he asked gently. ‘It makes me look silly when you're involved with two members of the medical profession and I know nothing about it.'

‘I didn't want to worry you. It's as simple as that. Remember, it's not so long ago that we nearly lost Lucy. I didn't want to put any more stress on you, Aaron.'

‘And is that why you've been sounding out the unattached women of the parish?' he asked with a smile.

‘It might have been.'

‘And so what did the cardiologist have to say? That's the main thing.'

‘He said that the strangling sort of chest pains I've been having were due to coronary artery spasm. Apparently my blood vessels narrow suddenly for a short period and then go back to normal. He also mentioned it can be connected with stress and both you and I had our share of that when Lucy was hurt. He has prescribed a nitrate drug to increase the flow of blood through the
heart muscle and says that as long as I lose weight and avoid stress I should be all right. So, you see, I did the right thing in not worrying you.'