Joanna Neil - The Doctor's Family Secret

‘Laura, I’m here to support you in what you do.

‘If you have any problems, you should bring them to me. You’re not expected to manage things on your own.’ He turned his blue-grey eyes on her, his glance trailing over the oval of her face in such an intent fashion that she felt her cheeks flush with heat. ‘You’re a good doctor, and you should have confidence in yourself.’

Nick laid a hand lightly on her shoulder and turned her towards the doctors’ lounge. ‘Now, go and get yourself some coffee.’

Laura didn’t know what to think. She wasn’t used to having him quite so close, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to concentrate when his arm was draped around her like that. It was a totally innocuous gesture, but the warmth of his hand permeated the thin cotton top that she was wearing, and his gentle touch was doing unbelievably strange things to her insides.

Joanna Neil

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER ONE

‘WE SHOULDN’T have to wait for too much longer before we can get an X-ray picture of your leg, Lewis,’ Laura said gently, trying to encourage the fretful five-year-old in her care.

He wasn’t at all happy because of his sore limb, but at least she had done what she could to make sure that he was reasonably comfortable in the wheelchair.

‘I’m sorry that they’re not ready for us yet. Tell you what, we’ll go and have a look at some of the pictures in the corridor, shall we? It will help pass the time and I think you’ll like them.’

‘All right.’

Laura turned the chair and pushed it carefully into the corridor outside the X-ray department. At the far end of the passageway, a man came through the swing doors.

He was walking purposefully in their direction and she cast him a quick glance as she manoeuvred the chair into position. He was tall, dressed in an immaculately tailored suit, the jacket loose to reveal a pristine shirt, and as he came closer, her heart sank in quick recognition.

Nick Hilliard was the last person she’d expected to see, but it looked as though even down here there was to be no escaping him. The specialist registrar managed to get everywhere, didn’t he? Sometimes she couldn’t help wondering if he followed her around deliberately, just to annoy her.

Reaching them, he stopped to give her a quick nod. ‘Hello, Laura.’ Nick’s deep voice was rich and smooth, rippling over her senses like dark melted chocolate. Why did he always have that effect on her? It put her at a disadvantage, when she would much rather keep a clear head.

Nick turned his attention to the child. ‘Hi, Lewis,’ he said, his smiling glance travelling over the little boy. ‘Are you all finished here and ready to go back to A and E?’

Lewis shook his head miserably. He squirmed in his seat, but couldn’t move very far because his left leg was stretched out in front of him, supported by a padded footrest. ‘They’re not ready for me yet.’

‘They’re not?’ Nick’s blue-grey eyes darkened in a frown. ‘You’ve been down here for quite a while, haven’t you?’

Lewis nodded. ‘I was getting fed up, so Dr Brett brought me out here to look at the pictures in the corridor while we wait.’

‘I see.’ Nick turned his gaze on Laura, and she stiffened a little, tightening her grip on the wheelchair.

‘It’s only been a few minutes really,’ she murmured. ‘It just seems longer, that’s all.’ She looked around for something that would distract Lewis.

There was a beautiful appliquéd tapestry decorating the wall in front of them, and she moved the chair so that he would be able to see it properly. Perhaps the colourful scene would take his mind off things for a moment. The poor boy had enough to put up with, suffering pain and discomfort, without having to wait around in total boredom.

Nick followed her movements, his gaze narrowing on her as she reached over to set the brake. The stretchy cotton top that she was wearing rode up with the movement of her arm, and suddenly she worried that it might be just a little too clingy. Her skirt, too, was a snug fit, hugging the curve of her hips like a warm caress. She had raided her wardrobe this morning, searching for clothes that would be comfortable and easy to wear, but right now she was beginning to doubt the wisdom of her choice.

To her relief, though, Nick turned his attention back to Lewis.

‘Mum’s gone to phone my dad and tell him what’s happening,’ the child confided.

‘That’s a good idea,’ Nick said. ‘At least he’ll know that you’re all right, and in good hands.’

The boy shifted restlessly in his seat. ‘Mum says I might have to stay here for a few days.’ He chewed disconsolately at his bottom lip. His fair hair gleamed under the overhead lights and Laura noted that his cheeks were faintly flushed with fever. His leg was obviously distressing him, and the reddened, swollen area around his shinbone was plain to see. Understandably, he was feeling uncomfortable and out of sorts.

Nick gave him a thoughtful look. ‘I know this is upsetting for you, Lewis, but we’ll get you sorted out as soon as we can. In the meantime, I’m sure that Dr Brett will look after you, and your mother told me that she’s going to stay close by, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.’

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he drew out a small plastic box wrapped in Cellophane and then crouched down beside the boy so that he was at his level. As he leaned towards the child, Laura found herself staring down at the faintly bronzed nape of Nick’s neck. Her glance strayed. His black hair was attractively styled, cut short in clean lines, and rays of sunshine slanted in through the window behind him, picking out iridescent lights.

‘Here you are,’ he said, softly, handing the box to the child. ‘You can have this, if you like.’

‘What is it?’ Lewis looked curiously at the small package.

‘It’s a kind of puzzle,’ Nick explained. ‘You fit the pieces together in different ways to make lots of funny-looking people. If you’re feeling up to it, you might want to play with it for a while.’

Lewis’s eyes widened. ‘Thanks.’ Intrigued, he pulled at the wrapping, then opened the box and began to sort through the cards that were in there, his mouth gradually quirking into a smile.

Watching the boy, Laura’s mouth softened. She had seen Nick do this kind of thing before, and she had to admit that he was very good with children. He had a way of putting them at ease, and she guessed that he must have a store of small games and puzzles that he produced to distract children whenever they had to sit and wait for a diagnosis or treatment.

Seeing that Lewis was preoccupied, Nick straightened up. He looked at Laura and frowned, drawing her to one side. ‘What’s going on here?’ he demanded, his voice low and terse.

‘I thought it best if I brought Lewis down to X-Ray myself.’ The mass of her bright curls tumbled around her face, lightly brushing her shoulders in its usual unruly fashion. In a defensive gesture, she pushed back a coppery strand of hair from her cheek. ‘We aren’t too busy in A and E at the moment, and I was due for a break. He seems more settled with me around, so I thought I would bring him here and then go and grab some lunch.’