Marrying The Boss (3 page)

"
Just things," she replied evasively. "I
have things to do in the next couple of days."

"
Ah huh." The boy’s small face clouded with
doubt.

"
Come on, Jamie." Spencer grasped his son’s
shoulder. "We don’t want to wear out our welcome." He whistled to
the dog. "Lobo, let’s go home."

"
Can’t I stay?" Jamie begged. "I promise to
be good. Please, Papa."

"
Perhaps another time." Spencer crouched
down beside his son.

The unruly dark hair tossed back from his
forehead was suddenly within reach. Again Kate’s fingers were
seriously tempted and she shivered.

O
pening your heart could only led to
disaster. But the mass of thick dark hair looked so soft and
springy. She curled her fingers against the temptation to reach out
and thread her way through the rich strands. Loneliness closed
tightly in her throat.

The glinting wedding ring on Spencer’s
finger warned her off. Her hands would be better employed ripping
out weeds than being foolishly tempted to touch something she
couldn’t have or hope to keep. But she couldn’t prevent her raw
sense of loneliness seeping like ice through her veins.

Renewed bitterness sharpened in the back
of her throat as she said, "I’m not sure that’s a good idea at
all."

"
Maybe Auntie Kate could come to dinner,"
Jamie breathed, against his father’s listening ear. "If she wants
to. Please, Papa, ask her. Maybe she likes baked beans on
toast."

Kate held her breath, determined not to be
swayed. The boy’s innocent charm would melt the hardest heart and
her eyes stung with unshed tears.

Spencer was watching her over his son’s
head. Again his hard gaze moved over her face, his dark brows
drawing together. Aware he’d noticed her caught lip, her rapid
breathing and the sheen in her eyes, Kate looked away.

She heard his throaty
growl
. She
was grateful he didn’t press for an explanation.

"
Another time perhaps, Jamie." Spencer
cradled the boy into his arms as he straightened. "Perhaps Auntie
Kate will accept an open invitation to come over anytime." His dark
eyebrows arched. "When she’s settled in and organized herself. And
I’m sure we can do better than baked beans and toast."

"
Will you?" Jamie wanted to know, twisting
around in his father’s arms to stare down at Kate.

"
Thank you, I’d like that." Kate managed a jerky
nod.

"
Excellent. We’ll get going then." Spencer
stepped back. "Take care of yourself. Make sure you keep plenty of
that sunscreen handy. You're going to need it out here. Melamonas
are a real danger." Setting Jamie down, he whistled again for the
dog and turned to move away.

"
Bye." Jamie waved a hand before boy and
canine shot off at top speed, easily outstripping Spencer’s long
stride.

Kate watched the trio until they
disappeared among the trees. She sighed. The man sure liked to
order people around. That crack about the sunscreen was the final
straw. She was well aware of the dangers of too much exposure to
ultra-violet rays.

As soon as she got inside the
house, she
’d
find the telephone number for Spencer Stelanos and call to make her
polite excuses. She knew his wife wouldn’t be too pleased with an
unattached female turning up her doorstep, even with an open
invitation.

"
Besides, you don’t have time to be
social." She stared at the rambling garden. "You have your work and
all this to deal with. It’s more than enough."

A passing dark cloud dulled the heat of the
sun. Kate shivered in the sudden chill. She slipped her feet into
her sandals, retracing her steps towards the cozy warmth of the
cottage.

Strangely, now that the enigmatic Spencer
Stelanos and his small son had left her alone in the solitude of
her thoughts, she felt uncomfortably aware of her own state of
necessary solitude.

It was a deliberate choice she’d made, a
choice she would have to live with. For her own sake she needed
this new beginning.

The thought didn’t stop her wondering
suddenly if she’d made different decisions how her life could have
been so very different. Full to overflowing with unconditional love
and close family ties.

But then wishes never come true, do they?

Three days later, Kate slipped
quick
ly into
the Mountaindale Medical Center by the staff entrance. Her empty
stomach churned with nervous anticipation. Breakfast had been a
hastily brewed cup of black coffee.

Her
ability to sleep had been fitful and
she'd given up before the sun rose. She had good intentions, first
impressions mattered and she was here to work, not spend precious
time dreaming about gorgeous dark haired pirates.

She’d been interviewed over Skype by the
two junior partners in the practice, Dr. Edith Michaels and her
husband Kevin. Both senior partners had been called to a serious
road accident involving multiple vehicles and serious injuries.
Their generous offer of employment had been Skyed back almost
immediately.

"We can't afford to let the good
ones get away," Edith had
confessed candidly. "I know you'll love it down
here. Let us know the day and your flight number and we'll meet
you."

Kate had telephoned her
apologies soon after she arrived, blaming a flight scheduling
mix-up. Edith had accepted her explanation without comment, simply
glad she had arrived safely. Kate assured her she would be
available to begin
work on time.

Now t
he steady murmur of voices startled
her. A substantial crowd filled the center's waiting room. A tall,
slim woman, presiding over the reception area, looked up as Kate
walked in.

"
Good morning. I really hope you’re my new
Dr. Martin," she said, in an expectant tone.

"
Good morning. And yes, I’m Kate Martin."
She felt the tightness in her chest easing beneath the other
woman’s welcoming gaze. "I thought I would come in early. I wasn’t
expecting anyone else to be here at this hour."

"
Oh, don’t worry, this is normal," the
woman replied, shaking her head. "I’m Kris Leach, the senior
receptionist. Welcome to the regular Monday morning stampede. I
think word got around and they all want to have a good look at you.
Make sure you’re up to scratch."

She cast an affectionate glance over the
waiting patients. "My other doctors aren’t in yet. But we could
sure use you right now. When can you start?"

"
How about immediately?" Kate returned her
smile. "I’ll just need a quick run-down on where you keep
everything."

"
Excellent. All right, let’s see." Kris
scanned her stack of patient notes. "Mrs. Jackson was first. She’s
a sweetie, you’ll like her. We don’t want to scare you off on your
first day."

"
I don’t scare easily."

"
Good. Then, please follow me. Your rooms
are this way."

"
Thank you, Kris." Kate followed the other
woman to a set of rooms on the eastern side of the building. Bright
sunlight streamed through the colorful leadlight windows.
Everything looked new and the walls had been painted in warm
neutral colors.

"
Now, if you need anything, please ask."
Kris stood aside to let her enter the first room. "Everything’s
marked. You shouldn’t have any difficulty. The other doctors will
start arriving in about half an hour. I think we can cope until
then."

Kris
opened a window. "Your practice
nurse, Cheryl, will be getting Mrs. Jackson prepared. So when
you’re ready, just pop next door. Here are her notes and you’ll
find anything else you need on the computer."

"
Thank you." Kate accepted the sheath of
papers. "I’ll just need a couple of minutes to read
these."

"
Of course," Kris replied, closing the door
quietly behind her.

Sitting down at the desk, Kate switched on
the computer before making herself familiar with the notes. They
were simple and straightforward.

She stood up.
M
oving to
live in Mountaindale was the best decision she'd made in a long
time. Avoiding all but necessary contact with Spencer Stelanos and
his engaging son shouldn’t be too difficult in the weeks ahead. She
would be far too busy to be social anyway.

When she found a house of her
own she'd
be
free of any obligations as a tenant. Free to reshape her future.
She opened the door to the second consulting room with a lighter
heart.

Martha Jackson was a frail, elderly lady
suffering from chronic angina. She was experiencing increasing
attacks and feeling increasingly exhausted with no obvious reason
for this.

"
Your attacks are occurring more
frequently," Kate remarked. "But the prescribed amount of
medication seems to be relieving your symptoms. So, first we need
to do another electrocardiogram and then we’ll compare the results
to your previous ones to ensure there are no changes."

"
Thank you, Dr. Martin," Mrs. Jackson
replied, in a breathy voice.

The ECG read-out showed there were no
changes. Once the old lady sat down again Kate leaned forward in
her chair to take her thin hand.

"
I really do think it’s a case of you
needing more rest. You look worried. Is there anything else that’s
bothering you?"

"
Well, there are a couple of things. My
husband’s a stubborn old fool who wants to do everything. I worry
about him."

Kate nodded slowly. "And you don’t think
he can cope?"

The old lady pressed her lips together.
"No, he can’t. Not any more."

"
Well, we’ll have to see what we can do to
help you then." She needed to gather more information. "But first
I’ll talk to one of the senior partners and ask what can be
organized for you in the way of home care. In the meantime, try not
to worry and you must rest as much as possible."

"
Oh, thank you." She squeezed Kate’s hand.
"You’ve so very kind. I liked you the moment I saw you."

"
Not at all." Kate felt her cheeks warm.
"It’s the least I can do. You do need to take better care of
yourself."

Later in the morning Kate’s practice nurse
popped her head around the door. "How about you take a break for
coffee. It’s after eleven. The other doctors can cope with the rest
of the morning’s list. You deserve a break."

Kate stretched her arms above her head.
"Thanks, Cheryl. Coffee sounds wonderful." Her stomach was feeling
decidedly hollow.

"
Come down to the kitchen, then. It’s at
the end of the hall beyond reception. Kris has brought in one of
her famous carrot cakes. You’d better get in before the rest of
them devour every crumb. You can also meet both the seniors as they
come off for their breaks. They’re very keen to meet you. Edith
said your resume was very impressive."

"
And I think it’s about time I met them."
Kate placed her stethoscope on her desk and rose to her
feet.

Despite the success of her first
consultations, the unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach
returned. This was the moment she had been anticipating all
morning. She had kept herself busy flitting swiftly between rooms,
gaining in both her confidence and her bearings. Kris was right;
most patients had come in with minor complaints, obviously to check
her out.

Now it was time to face
the two men who
would judge her on both her competence and ability. Her references
were impeccable, but in her experience, most doctors also went on
instinct when it came to hiring juniors.

Despite Edith’s assurances, she knew to
expect a grilling on her knowledge of the latest procedures. "Thank
goodness I’ve kept my reading of the current medical journals well
up to date."

Leaving her rooms, she walked with her
head down, going over in her mind every recent or new procedure she
could think of. The reception area was still crowded, awash with
many layers of conversation. She murmured an apology, stepping
quickly sideways around a tall, well built man striding briskly
across the reception area before something disturbing halted her
steps.

Lifting her eyes, her startled gaze moved
over polished shoes to long powerful legs, a crisp shirtfront
before finally colliding with his fathomless blue eyes. She felt
her newly won sense of security go tumbling into oblivion. The
painfully familiar sensation of being trapped flooded through her
senses.

"
Hello, Kate."

"
You!
" she gasped, taking an involuntary step
backwards. Her stomach dived to her toes and stayed there. "I...why
are you here?"