One Month to Tame the Surgeon by Carol Marinelli

Author:Carol Marinelli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-12-08T19:48:19+00:00

* * *

Pippa and Luke stood by the linen trolley, which was hardly private, but it would look as if they were just discussing work.

‘Thanks for the coffee, earlier,’ he said.

‘My pleasure,’ she said, and smiled begrudgingly. ‘Sort of.’

‘Well, it was much appreciated.’

‘It sounds as if it was pretty grim...’

‘Yep. Poor kid. He had this plaster on his knee...’

And even though he halted, Pippa understood exactly what he meant.

‘It’s the little things,’ she ventured. ‘They get to you sometimes.’

Luke said nothing, but he gave a small, weary nod.

He looked at her then. ‘It seems a long time since that night.’

Pippa gave a soft, slightly ironic laugh. It felt like an eternity, and while she knew he’d been impossibly busy, they’d parted without any promises or plans and she hated the uncertainty.

‘I think tonight’s a write-off,’ Luke said. ‘I’ll see, but...’

He’d see?

Had he not been so obviously dead on his feet, Pippa would have shot back a smart retort. Thankfully, he was saved from seeing her pursed lips, because Fiona returned, with a paper bag containing food and a large coffee for her boss.

‘Thanks.’

‘Do you want me to go to Surg One?’ Fiona offered. ‘Start the paperwork on the discharges?’

‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’ll do it. You head off to the debriefing,’

‘What about you?’

‘I don’t need a debrief. I didn’t work on the fatality.’ Luke shrugged. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Fiona. Thanks for your help—especially in Theatre this morning. You did an incredible job. It was touch and go for a while.’

Pippa had watched the exchange, and as Fiona walked off she saw him pull a face as he opened up the bag and pulled out a Scotch egg and a bag of crisps.

‘And I tell the patients not to eat junk!’

‘Do as say, not as I do.’ Pippa smiled, but it wavered. She could see his mind was elsewhere. ‘Nola said there were young twins involved,’ Pippa ventured. ‘Have you heard how the other one is?’

‘I’ve been focussing on the patient I had.’ Luke’s response was a touch curt, but then he seemed to check himself. ‘The other twin has a head injury. His father’s in a taxi on his way to him at St Bede’s now. I believe the mother’s on her way to Theatre.’

‘Gosh...’

‘Hopefully they’re all going to make a full recovery.’ He took a bite of Scotch egg. ‘Unlike my arteries.’

‘You prefer health food?’

‘Not really. I just prefer my eggs not to be wrapped in sausage meat and deep-fried!’ He shook his head, and then managed a half-wave as he went to walk off. ‘Ignore me. It’s been a long night...’

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