Awakening the Shy Nurse Read online

  Hugh scrawled his signature on the certificate. ‘How’s the waiting room looking?’

  ‘Still quite full. I’ve got someone with chest pain to do an ECG on now, but he’s a dancer in one of the cabaret acts and I suspect he’s pulled a muscle.’

  ‘It should start to slow down soon.’ Hugh handed back the piece of paper and smiled at Lisa. ‘You’re doing a great job,’ he told her. ‘Thanks...’

  She tucked the praise away as she went back to Jeff to give him his final instructions on how to look after his burn injury today and sort out an appointment for a dressing change tomorrow morning. Hugh’s words made her feel good, she decided, but they hadn’t undermined the relief of stepping back into the purely professional interactions between herself and her boss. If anything, they were giving what had happened in the early hours of today a dreamlike quality—as if that kiss couldn’t possibly have happened for real.

  The final patient that came in turned out to be the real test of whether things were back to normal. A tall, brusque Scotsman in his fifties, he was reluctant to admit to having anything wrong.

  ‘But if it gets any worse, I’m not going to be able to do any more of these tours, Nurse,’ he said as he limped from the waiting room. ‘I can barely put any weight on my foot now.’

  His anxious wife was by his side. ‘We’re supposed to be doing a tour of St Jean Cap Ferrat that includes lunch at that amazing hotel that was in a movie we saw recently. The Abolutely Fabulous one? It would be such a shame to miss out.’

  Lisa had a look at the sole of the man’s foot. He had a reddened area just below his middle toes that could be a deep blister.

  ‘Let me just run a couple of checks and then we’ll get the doctor to have a look.’ Lisa wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his arm. ‘You haven’t been doing a lot of walking in a new pair of shoes, have you? Going barefoot more than usual? Could you have had an injury that you might not have taken much notice of, like a stone bruise?’

  She went in with her patient to give handover to Hugh a few minutes later. ‘This is Gordon,’ she told him. ‘He’s presenting with nine out of ten pain when he tries to put any weight on the ball of his left foot. Vital signs are all normal. He had an injury two weeks ago when he was replacing boards on his deck and fell through a rotten part but he was treated in his local ED and discharged.’

  ‘Oh? What did they do for treatment?’

  ‘Cleaned out a small cut but it wasn’t anything to worry about.’ Gordon shook his head, dismissing the incident. ‘They X-rayed my foot, too, in case I’d broken something but they said it all looked fine. They gave me a tetanus shot and some antibiotics.’

  ‘And it’s only started to get painful again now?’

  ‘It’s been sore ever since.’ It was Gordon’s wife who spoke. ‘He’s just been putting a brave face on it but when he got up this morning it was suddenly a whole lot worse. He almost fell over.’

  Lisa had been about to leave Hugh to deal with his patient and go and finish up her own paperwork but he caught her gaze.

  ‘Could you set up the treatment room for us, please?’ he asked. ‘I think we’ll have a look with the ultrasound.’

  ‘Why would you want to do that?’ Gordon’s wife echoed Lisa’s first thought. ‘I thought ultrasounds were just for when you were pregnant.’

  Lisa had seen that kind of smile on Hugh’s face many times already but this time she noticed the crinkles around his eyes as well. It wasn’t that he was making fun of a layperson’s lack of medical knowledge in any way. This smile held understanding rather than amusement and it was also reassuring. Lisa knew that the people in front of him would be confident that he cared about them. That he was doing what he believed might help.

  ‘There are some things that don’t show up on X-rays,’ he told them. ‘It could be that there’s something in your foot, like a piece of glass or a splinter.’

  Sure enough, there was something to be seen on the screen as Hugh gently examined Gordon’s foot.

  ‘The entry wound’s healed over now,’ Hugh warned. ‘We’ll need to do a bit of minor surgery to open it up and see what we can find. Are you happy for us to do that or would you like a referral to an emergency department of a local hospital?’

  ‘I’d rather you did it, Doc. That way we can get it over with and we might make our posh lunch after all.’

  ‘Oh...’ His wife didn’t look so happy. ‘I can’t watch. Not if there’s going to be blood...’

  Hugh’s smile reappeared. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘We’ll get Janet to make you a nice cup of tea while you wait. Lisa and I have got this covered. We’re the A team, aren’t we?’

  Reopening a wound to explore it for the presence of a foreign body was a walk in the park compared to making an opening in someone’s neck to establish an emergency airway. Lisa found herself smiling back at Hugh in total agreement. They most definitely did have this covered and it could prove to be a very satisfying end to their morning clinic. Even better, it seemed that the awkwardness had finally evaporated.

  * * *

  This was fun.

  Minor surgery was an unexpected finale to an ordinary clinic but Hugh really was enjoying himself. He’d already known that Lisa was someone that he could rely on in a tense, emergency situation but this time he could relax and appreciate her skilled assistance even more. As he filled a syringe with local anaesthetic, he watched her setting up everything he could need on a tray and then swabbing the skin of Gordon’s foot and arranging sterile drapes to protect the area.

  ‘This is going to hurt, isn’t it?’ Gordon’s stoic expression slipped a little.

  ‘Not once the local is doing its job,’ Hugh assured him. ‘Bit of a sting just to start with. Lisa, can you hold Gordon’s foot steady, please?

  It wasn’t the easiest area of the body to be working on and it was frustrating to be able to feel the tip of whatever it was embedded in his patient’s foot but be unable to grasp it firmly enough to extract it. Hugh could feel Lisa watching him as he pressed a little deeper into the wound and opened the forceps a little wider. Then he took a grip and held it and this time he could feel something shift. The dark object slowly came out through the skin and just kept coming. With a silent whistle of how impressed he was, Hugh held up an enormous triangular splinter between the teeth of the forceps.

  ‘Look at that.’

  He didn’t need to tell Lisa to look. She was staring in disbelief that anyone could have been walking around with something that size buried in their foot. Her gaze only had to shift a fraction to catch Hugh’s, given that he was watching her reaction, and he wasn’t disappointed. Her astonishment morphed into delight. Or maybe it was just professional satisfaction but it didn’t matter because just watching the change was a joy. The note of connection might pale in comparison to the satisfaction they’d shared in getting a secure airway into Alex last night but this was significant in its own way because it felt like that awkwardness between himself and Lisa had gone.

  She certainly sounded happier. ‘You’re not going to believe how big this splinter is,’ she told Gordon. ‘You’ve been walking around with a log in your foot.’

  Hugh showed their patient what he’d pulled out and Gordon grinned. ‘That’s a piece of my deck, that is. No wonder it was a wee bit sore.’

  ‘I’m going to clean out the wound thoroughly now,’ Hugh told him, ‘and then we’ll get you patched up and bandaged. You might want to keep the weight off your foot as much as you can today but there’s no reason you can’t go and enjoy your lunch.’

  As he intended to enjoy his own. It was nearly two p.m. by the time Hugh had taken one of the tender shuttles to get into the port of Villefranche sur Mer and he was delighted to find that his arrangements for the afternoon were in place. He picked up the keys to the classic car he’d hired, and when the powerful engine of the gunmetal-grey ninete
en-sixties E-type Jaguar purred into life a short time later he just smiled and listened to it for a moment, before pulling onto the road.

  It was a sparkling blue day with that soft light and warmth that he loved about the French Riviera. He was going to put the roof of this convertible down and drive up towards the mountains and one of his most favourite restaurants ever. He might even indulge in a glass of the best champagne they had on ice.

  Lisa Phillips had never tasted champagne...

  The thought came from nowhere but with an intensity that let him imagine exactly what she might look like when she did taste it for the first time. He would see that surprise in her eyes and be able to watch it shift and grow and light up her whole face with the pleasure of something new and delicious. Kind of like the way he’d seen her satisfaction with her work but better somehow. More like what he’d seen in her eyes after that kiss? Until he’d ruined the moment by telling her how uptight she was.

  Why had he done that? It was almost as if he’d been trying to push her away as a form of self-protection but that was ridiculous. Even if Lisa had been completely his type of woman, he had absolute control over how involved he ever got with anyone. He wasn’t about to make the mistake of falling in love again.

  But, hey...maybe he could bring a bottle of champagne back with him as a way of making up for being a bit of a jerk.

  Or...

  Maybe there was a way he could not only make it up to Lisa but reassure himself just how in control of his own feelings he was.

  He was moving slowly down the street now, towards a new group of people who’d just been ferried from the cruise ship by the tender. Heads were turning to admire the car he was driving but he was focused only on the solitary figure amongst them. Lisa was wearing a pale yellow T-shirt, jeans that were rolled up to mid-calf, and sensible-looking shoes on her feet that would be just right for a lot of walking as she explored the medieval centres of either Villefranche or Nice. She was clutching her shoulder bag as if she expected a pickpocket was already following her and, as Hugh got closer, he saw her pause and look around. He could even see the way she was taking a deep breath as if she might be a little overwhelmed by the prospect of a solo adventure but he could sense her determination as well. She was going to make the most of whatever new experiences were in store for her in the next few hours.

  His foot pressed on the brake as he made the decision to go with that flash of inspiration he’d just had. The car was right in front of Lisa as he stopped, and Hugh leaned across the empty passenger seat to open the door. Then he put on what he hoped was his most charming smile.

  ‘Perfect timing,’ he said. ‘Hop in.’

  He couldn’t see the expression in her eyes because she was wearing sunglasses but he knew it would be surprised. Possibly shocked. Definitely hesitant.

  ‘You won’t regret it.’ He caught his own sunglasses, pulling them down enough that she could see his eyes. ‘I promise...’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LISA OPENED HER mouth to say, Thanks, but, no thanks.

  Getting back to a working relationship that wasn’t full of lingering tension had been hard enough in a professional environment where there’d been any amount of distraction. Spending time with Hugh when he was looking like some celebrity about to do a photo shoot with a vintage sports car would take her right back to square one when she’d just been kissed senseless and hadn’t known which way was up.

  The words didn’t emerge from her mouth, however, because another thought occurred in the same instant. Maybe spending time with Hugh could do the opposite and reassure her that she wasn’t someone who ever lost total control. There seemed to be a tacit agreement between them that they were both going to pretend that kiss had never happened after all.

  Or...and it was quite hard to silence that naughty whisper in the back of her mind that was wondering if accepting this invitation might actually lead to another one of those extraordinary kisses. Trying to stifle that whisper made Lisa take hold of the open door of the car, ready to push it shut. It would be far less stressful to go exploring on her own.

  But now Lisa could actually hear Abby’s voice in her ear. And see an imaginary message that could be her sister’s response to news of what her day out had involved.

  You went driving around on the French Riviera in a vintage sports car with the roof down? With that gorgeous man driving? That’s more like it, Lise... Live the dream...and remember...don’t send me a photo unless you’re with him in some romantic French café. Preferably drinking champagne...

  She’d want to know about every detail and it would make her so happy. It might even go a long way towards finally erasing some of that guilt that Abby could never quite let go of—that she had somehow held Lisa back from doing what she really wanted to do in life.

  It wouldn’t hurt to live the dream just for an afternoon. As a bonus it would give her enough to tell Abby about that her sister wouldn’t be able to pick up that Lisa was keeping something to herself as she had no intention to confessing anything about that kiss. Or letting it happen again, despite that whisper. She was in control. She’d learned very early in life to stay in control and not be seduced by anything because that was where danger lay.

  If she hadn’t stopped to gaze dreamily at that doll in the toyshop window that day, she would have been holding onto Abby’s hand far more tightly. The toddler would never have been able to pull away with a gleeful chuckle and run straight onto the road...

  Lisa had tested her resolve to stay in control countless times since then. This might be another test for her, but it was nothing more than a friendly gesture on Hugh’s part because, clearly, he’d already dismissed as unimportant what had led to their awkwardness this morning. Or maybe it was even an apology that it had happened in the first place? If Lisa declined the offer, that awkwardness might be there again the next time they had to work together and she didn’t want that to happen. The hand Lisa had been about to use to push the door of this extraordinary car shut pulled it further open instead and she settled herself onto the smooth, red leather of the passenger seat.

  ‘Hold on to your hat,’ Hugh told her. ‘You’re about to get blown away.’

  * * *

  He wasn’t wrong. Lisa was blown away by far more than the wind in her hair. It seemed that Hugh knew these mountains and their villages like the back of his hand and Lisa was whisked from one amazing view to another until they finally stopped, hours later, in a walled, medieval town that sat high on a hilltop with what looked like a view of the entire Côte d’Azur. Ancient stone walls gave way to rippling acres of forest and, in the misty distance, the deep, deep blue of the Mediterranean. The same stone was underfoot on the terrace of the restaurant Hugh took her to. Vines scrambled overhead to provide shade and frame the view from what had to be the best table available. Lisa shook her head.

  ‘So, is this what usually happens when you rock up in a car like this? You get the corner table with the best view? Even if you’re with someone who’s wearing jeans and whose hair must look like a complete bird’s nest after being out in the wind like that?’

  Hugh just laughed. ‘You look great,’ he told her. ‘This is a very relaxed place and they only care about providing the best food and wine. Plus...’ He winked at Lisa. ‘I booked this particular table. I’ve been here before. Several times.’

  Lisa could believe that. She could also believe that he hadn’t been here alone on his past visits and, without warning, she was aware of a beat of something that felt like...envy? Jealousy, even?

  No. How ridiculous was that? She was only here as a colleague of Hugh’s but, even if she had been here in a far more intimate capacity as his date, it would be stupid to feel jealous of other women in this man’s life. There must have been dozens of them in the past and there would no doubt be dozens more in the future because Hugh obviously liked to play hard. He loved dining out and dancing. Cha
mpagne and...sex...

  Oh, help...

  Lisa could feel her cheeks heating up. Looking around for a distraction—any distraction—she found herself watching the maître d’ of the restaurant approaching with a white cloth over his arm, a bottle in one hand and two fluted glasses in the other. A waiter was following with an ice bucket.

  A short time later, Lisa found herself holding her very first glass of real French champagne.

  ‘Chin-chin.’ Hugh held up his glass. He took a sip of the wine but he was watching Lisa over the rim of the glass. Waiting to see her reaction?

  She closed her eyes as the bubbles seemed to explode on her tongue and then almost evaporate before she could swallow the icy liquid. As her eyes flew open in astonishment she saw amusement dancing in Hugh’s steady gaze.

  ‘I knew you’d look like that,’ he murmured. ‘Tastes nice, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Unbelievable.’ Lisa took another sip and then she had to reach into her bag for her phone. ‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I hate it when people take photos of what they’re eating or drinking but Abby’s not going to believe this without some proof.’

  It was exactly the photo she’d requested, wasn’t it? The romantic café. The “cute doctor”. The champagne.

  ‘Abby?’

  ‘My sister. Well, she’s my half-sister, actually, but we’re...um...really close. And I know how much she would love this place.’

  ‘You’ll have to come back one day, then, now that you know where it is. You can bring your sister.’

  How amazing would that be? Lisa would give anything for Abby to have the joy she’d had today of cruising mountain roads in a spectacular car, exploring cobbled streets and vibrant marketplaces and cooling off in the shadows of an ancient cathedral or two. How much harder would it be to do that in a wheelchair, though? Lisa had to blink to clear the sting at the back of her eyes as she took a photo of the frosty flute beside the bottle of what she suspected was a very expensive—probably vintage—champagne. Hugh had already told her, politely but firmly, as they’d come into the restaurant that she was here at his invitation and that this was his treat and he would be highly offended if she offered to pay for any of it.