Marrying The Boss (12 page)

Bill groaned. "I don't know, I seem to
attract trouble like dirt. Always in the wars, have been ever since
I was a kid and drove my Dad's truck into the creek. No helping it,
I guess."

"
Well, you can help Martha now by seeing
reason," Spencer said, in a brusque tone. "Both of you need help. I
know you like doing things the hard way, Bill. But things have to
change. If you want to stay living here with Martha."

"
I guess so. But I don't like it."

"
You don't have to like it, but you do have
to live with it." Spencer took the old man's arm to help him to his
feet and assist him towards the ambulance. "For Martha's
sake."

"
If I mend my ways, do you promise she's
gonna to be all right?" Bill swung back to Kate in blind
appeal.

She bit her lower lip, and then looked
across at Spencer. "Let's get you into the ambulance and you can
find out for yourself."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Women! Ya can't
trust 'em. They never give you a straight answer on
anything."

"
Maybe that's not such a bad thing."
Spencer's steady look once again held a shade of quizzical
questioning as he watched Kate.

She tried to read his expression. He
looked almost as if he had expected her to dismiss Bill's obvious
love for his wife. As if it was of little importance in the face of
more practical concerns. Kate chewed her lip.

Had his ex-wife
Katerina dismissed
Spencer's love in the same careless way? Did he now judge all women
as being made in the same selfish mold?

The distracting thought tumbled through her
mind without an answer. Kate ducked her head as together they
helped the old man climb up to be with his wife. But she knew the
decision about giving up the cottage had been made for her.

She simply couldn't live so close to
Spencer. It was too dangerous and far too tempting. To keep her
sanity she resolved to move as soon as possible.

"
I'm truly sorry, Dr. Martin." The estate
agent's voice was firm. "The Stelanos property was within your
price range. I'm afraid we've had a strong run on rental properties
recently, so there's nothing else currently available for rent. I
had hoped you'd be happy with the house."

"
No, I'm not unhappy there." Kate tried to
voice her unease, but the words wouldn't come. "The house is
ideal."

How could she explain that her unwanted
feelings for Spencer were deepening from the very time they first
met? That she needed to put some distance between them before she
ended up doing something she knew she would regret.

"
Good," the agent replied with
satisfaction. "Dr. Stelanos has been most generous with his rental
agreement. He could've asked a lot more. I know you work for him,
so I'm sure if you talked to him, made him aware of your concerns,
he would understand."

Tell Spencer Stelanos that she was
contemplating moving out because he disturbed her more than she
needed or wanted? Not in this lifetime.

"
Oh no, I don't see there's any need to
mention it to him." In the end she couldn't bring herself to ask
about moving into town. She enjoyed the tranquility of the old
cottage too much to leave.

"
I...thank you for your help. Since there's
nothing else, it would be better if we left things as they stand.
Goodbye."

She replaced the receiver with care. "So
much for trying to do the right thing."

She stared out of the window above her
desk. It was now Friday. She hadn't seen Spencer since Tuesday
afternoon, after they had returned to work from Bill Jackson's
accident. She surmised he had taken personal time off to deal with
his aunt.

His remaining appointments had been shared
out. Kate had covered the last two nights for emergencies.
Thankfully they had been quiet and she had managed to catch up on
some much needed sleep. But now the weekend loomed and she was
beginning to feel concerned.

"
Don't be foolish," she sighed roughly,
looking away from the view.

Spencer's
personal life was none of her
affair. Getting to her feet to see her next patient, Kate shook her
head. "And make sure you remember that."

A few hours later Cheryl entered the room
as Kate's last patient left. "I don't have any more for you
tonight, Dr. Martin. Go home and relax."

Kate rolled her shoulders. "Thanks,
Cheryl."

As she was finishing Jake Morgan walked
into the room. "I'm covering Spencer's shift for emergencies
tonight."

He sat down beside Kate's desk, pulling
down the knot of his tie and undoing the top button of his shirt.
"That's better. All right, any patients I need to know
about?"

"
Just two of them." Kate consulted her
notes.

She passed over a file. "You may get a
follow-up on Jane Pigott. I'm worried about her. She's only seven
years old and has been a mild asthmatic until a recent change in
her family's circumstances worsened her condition. Her parents are
only young themselves and say they're being forced by government
cutbacks to live in a derelict caravan in the local camping
ground."

Kate frowned over the details. "Jane
hasn't had any hospital admissions that I'm aware of. Her nebulizer
is the old type that's being phased out. I've started her on
steroids, given her parents a script for the new type of inhaler
and afterwards Jane felt well enough to go home. I told her parents
to make sure they increase her inhaler usage and to call the after
hours number if she doesn't improve. Her flow rate's in her
notes—not ideal, but better than expected."

"
Good," Jake nodded. "I'll keep her in
mind. Anyone else?"

"
Yes, one of Spencer's patients." Kate did
another quick scan of her notes. "Fifty-five year old woman with
influenza. She insisted she was well enough to go home." Kate
handed him the second file. "I told her husband to telephone if she
deteriorates."

"
Excellent." Jake's gaze became quizzical.
"So, any plans for the weekend, Kate?"

"
I think gardening will be about my speed.
It's been a long week, I need some down time."

Jake chuckled. "Well, Spencer should be
back some time this weekend. He'll be well rested. I'll tell him he
needs to give you some help."

Kate raised a denying hand. "No, please,
there's no need. I cope better on my own."

"
Maybe you cope too well sometimes? I've noticed
you like to keep to yourself."

Jake's
eyes moved over her face, as they did
the first day they met. Kate watched him taking frowning stock of
her features. Again she puzzled over why everyone kept staring at
her, but she had no answer.

Jake finally looked away, shaking his head
as he stood up. "I'll get out of your way. Let you get finished.
Enjoy your weekend."

Kate wasn't letting him escape. "Dr.
Morgan, please, what is it? What do you see when you look at
me?"

"
See?" Jake looked back from the doorway.
He passed a hand over the back of his neck. "Sometimes you remind
me of someone I once knew." He dropped his hand. "Maybe it's
because I need glasses for reading like Spence. Or maybe I'm just
getting old." He grinned. "My wife Maddie, keeps telling me I'm too
short sighted. I'm beginning to think she's right."

Kate could see she wasn't getting a
straight answer to her question. She sighed and stood up. "I'll see
you on Monday then."

"
Fine. Enjoy your weekend." Jake quickly left the
room.

"
I will." Kate stared after him.

She got the distinct feeling he wasn't
telling her the truth. She didn't like secrets. But short of
chasing after Jake and demanding that he confess, what could she
do?

"
So, your first week is finally over."
Cheryl bustled into the room. "You must be relieved. We got through
them all and it's only five fifteen. Do you have any plans for
tonight?"

Kate finished tidying her desk. "No, no
plans."

"
Well, I know it's really short notice, but
my boyfriend and I are going out for a meal and then we'll take in
a nightclub or two. You're welcome to join us. If you're at a loose
end, that is." She paused. "I hope you don't mind, but Dr. Michaels
said you lived alone. I mean, I know what it's like, arriving in a
new town and you don't know anyone."

"
I don't mind you asking." But going out
with Cheryl to play third wheel in her romance? "Thanks. It was
sweet of you to ask." She felt touched. "But, I think I'll grab an
early night. I'm going to need it."

"
Okay, but the offer's there. Anytime you
feel like you need some company."

"
Thank you. I'll keep it in mind." Kate
watched the nurse leave the room. "What I need is ten hours of
solid sleep." She straightened her arms above her head, stretching
them out and down.

At least she had the whole weekend free.
She wasn't on call. She had two whole days to spend whipping the
cottage's garden into some semblance of order. Perhaps the physical
exercise would finally clear her mind of the unsettling distraction
caused by one tall, dark haired man and his little boy and the
worrying thought that nobody was willing to tell her the whole
truth.

Kate sat back on her heels. The
early afternoon sun was becoming almost too hot. But she
didn't want to give
up and retreat inside until she'd finished this last bed. It was a
personal challenge she'd set herself.

However she was beginning to feel a little
light headed. Perhaps it was time to quit. She pushed her wide
brimmed straw hat off her head, reaching for the bottle of mineral
water in the cane basket beside her.

"
Not nice." She pulled a face. The liquid
was warm and tasted of plastic, but it was very welcome to her
parched throat.

She looked around with satisfaction. Three
large flower beds were now free of weeds and the soil turned ready
for replanting with annuals. She'd found a measure of contentment
in the hard, backbreaking work.

Straightening to her feet, she tossed the
bottle of water aside before placing her hands in the small of her
back, arching her spine. Despite the day's activity, she couldn't
relax, or concentrate. Her senses were constantly tuned for the
sound of the telephone or any sign of Spencer.

Any hint of his return.

It wasn't right. She was becoming addicted
to seeing him. Making sure he was all right. Had she learned
nothing about becoming too closely involved with a man?

Despite her misgivings, an hour later it
was almost a relief to hear the deep barking of Lobo as he came
running into the garden. Kate stood, dropping her gardening tools
into the basket at her feet.

In almost an action replay of their first
meeting, Jamie came next in the procession of gorgeous Stelanos
males, his small legs pumping away at the pedals of his bicycle.
Seeing Kate he waved one hand in greeting, coming perilously close
to falling off the bike. He pedaled onto the paving stones between
the beds, stepping off the bike, letting it fall sideways into the
nearest bed.

"
Hey, Auntie Kate." He stripped off his
bike helmet and swiped a small hand across his damp forehead as he
flopped down in the long grass in the shade of a nearby tree. "I'm
really bushed."

"
Here." Kate bent into the basket beside
her, picking up an unopened bottle of water. "It's warm and it
doesn't taste very nice." She held the bottle out. "Do you want
it?"

"
I s'pose so." Jamie reached to take it
with a shy smile and a murmured thank you.

Lobo circled back from his investigations to
flop down at her feet with a hopeful woof, his long tongue
hanging.

"
Okay, I get the message." Kate laughed,
reaching to discard the remains of her lunch from its square
plastic container into the basket and held it out. "Jamie, could
you go inside and fill this with water for him?" She handed the
make-shift bowl to Spencer's son.

"
Come on, Lobo." Jamie called and together
boy and dog went inside the cottage.

"
Hey! What about me?"

The plaintive question brought Kate's head
around sharply. The tip of her nose nearly connected with the broad
expanse of Spencer's naked chest. The heated, masculine scent of
him engulfed her senses, touching off a riot of clamorous need. As
she fought it down, Kate felt her equilibrium tilt alarmingly, her
knees threatening to buckle beneath her.

"
Careful." Spencer's hands shot out to
fasten on her forearms as she nearly lost her balance. He frowned
down into her face. "Too much sun?"

"
No!" Kate faltered. "No. I'm sorry. I just
didn't see you there."