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But you just got here.
‘Ignore them. They can talk amongst themselves.’
‘No, I need to hit the supermarket.’
Supermarkets didn’t close till ten at the earliest.
‘Fair enough.’
He should be glad she wasn’t going to hang about. He wasn’t. Reaching for the water bottle on the bedside table, he groaned as murky pain reminded him of why he was there.
Instantly Stephanie picked up the bottle and handed it to him. ‘Dry mouth? Anaesthetic will do that.’
Gulping mouthfuls of the cool liquid made him feel slightly more normal.
‘Glad to see you’re not lonely in here.’
Chris Stuart stood in the doorway.
‘It’s busier than the downtown train station at rush hour,’ Michael muttered. ‘But at least I’ll have a ride home with someone.’
‘That’ll be tomorrow at the earliest.’ Chris came to stand at the end of the bed. ‘You’re post-op and unable to get around. No way you’re going home tonight. Not even to stay with one of this lot.’
‘Why? There weren’t any complications?’
‘No, all’s good, but you won’t be walking on that leg for a few days. The wound was serious. Your femur was nicked. Get the picture?’
Chris raised an eyebrow, which Michael ignored, not liking where this was going.
‘That wrist needs resting too.’ Chris held his hand up, palm outward, as Michael went to make a retort. ‘You’re no longer a gung-ho rugby player. You’re more than ten years older than when you used to run around the rugby paddock.’
‘Have you finished writing me off? Should I be buying a unit in the old folks’ home?’
Chris grinned. ‘If you want to get around without too much trouble in the future you’ll do as I say.’
‘Good luck with that,’ Stephanie muttered. ‘He walked to the ambulance earlier.’
‘Now, there’s a surprise.’ Chris was enjoying giving him a stir-up. ‘Hi, Steph. Didn’t know you were back in town. How’s things?’
‘Good so far.’
So far? What was she expecting to go wrong?
‘You’re back in the ED?”
Now his pals were listening in, their ears like radar shields on a roof.
‘I’m a paramedic on the ambulances now,’ Steph told the nosy surgeon. ‘Which is how come I got to bring this ungrateful man in for you to fix up.’
Max started laughing. ‘She doesn’t take any of your crap. I like her already.’
He didn’t have to like her. She wasn’t a part of their scene—didn’t know their wives or kids, and wasn’t going to. But he couldn’t be down and out rude.
‘Stephanie Roberts, meet another scoundrel—Max. We’ve been mates for ever.’ And before Chris could add his piece he went on. ‘I’ll manage on my own at home’
But no one was listening. The other three men in the room were focused on Stephanie as she answered Chris’s questions about where she’d been over the last couple of years.
‘Now I’m home for good.’ Her gaze drifted in his direction, flicked back to a spot on the floor in front of her.
‘Since you’re unencumbered, you could move in with Michael until he’s back on his feet. Better than having him hanging around our place, where the baby is bound to keep him awake at night.’ Smugness rolled off Jock as he showed his true colours.
‘No!’ Stephanie shook her head abruptly.
‘Hang on, I—’ Michael tried.
‘That’s a great idea,’ said Chris. ‘If you did that, Steph, I’d be happy to discharge Michael tomorrow morning, after I’ve checked him out. Otherwise I’ll have to keep him in for a few days. He’ll overdo things if he’s on his own.’
‘Sorry, but I go to work—night and day shifts. I wouldn’t be there all the time.’ She was almost pleading. ‘And I’ve got a dog.’
‘A dog and Mike?’ Max grinned. ‘Perfect.’
‘The dog loves digging holes in the garden.’ Steph sounded desperate.
Michael tried again. ‘It’s okay. I don’t need you there.’
‘We wouldn’t have to worry about him,’ Jock added. ‘Or go round to make sure he hasn’t fallen on his face.’
Definitely not a friend.
‘Hello? I am here.’
Chris laughed. ‘Annoying, aren’t they?’
‘Who needs friends when I’ve got these guys in my face?’
Jock stopped laughing and turned to Stephanie—and Michael knew. She was lost before she’d even got started. Which meant so was he. His mate was about to work his lawyering magic on her and she wouldn’t be able to beat him at his game.
He sank back into the pillows and waited. This was going to be good—even if he would be the ultimate loser.
‘Here’s the thing, Steph. Mike’s more than welcome to come stay with me and my family, but he won’t. He’s stubborn like that—won’t want to be a nuisance.’
Stephanie’s face was a picture as it dawned on her that she was on a road to nowhere. She was a quick learner. The colour in her cheeks ebbed away as her gaze remained on his mate’s face.
‘Mike won’t go to Max’s for the same reason. He will go home alone, regardless what any of us want,’ Jock continued. ‘I concede that he doesn’t want you with him, any more than you want him to be there, but he wants out of here ASAP so it is the best option.’
‘Maybe for Michael, but not for me,’ she whispered.
Michael silently applauded her valiant effort, all the while knowing it wouldn’t make a jot of difference.
‘Give me a moment,’ said Jock, in that take-no-prisoners voice that won him court case after court case. ‘You’re a nurse, right?’
Close enough. Once a nurse always a nurse.
This could go on for hours, and in the end he and Stephanie were going to lose anyway. There was a gloating gleam in his pal’s eyes that would take a bomb to shift. Which meant he had to give in, didn’t he?
‘Give up, Stephanie. Jock’s not going to let up until you fold. We’ll make it work.’
He’d almost stopped breathing, watching her, thinking about that kiss. He would make it work for both of them. Or die trying.
Stunned eyes turned in his direction. ‘You want me to move in temporarily?’
No.
But if not her then who? Because the only way he was getting out of here was with someone at home to run around after him. There was no alternative. None that he’d like, that was.
‘Two days. That’s all it’ll take for me to get mobile enough to look after myself. As you said, you’ll be working most of the time. These oafs can check in on me occasionally.’
‘Which kind of negates me staying with you,’ she snapped, desperate to the end.
‘I get that.’
It was hard to know what was eating at him the most: the fact she didn’t want to stay with him or the unexpected hope that she’d capitulate. He didn’t want her in his house, where he could see her and hear that soft, sweet voice too much, where that honey scent of hers would permeate the rooms, the air, everything. But if anyone had to sit in his lounge and eat takeaways with him then Stephanie was his pick.
‘What if I promise not to move all day while you’re at work?’
Left corner rising... Then her mouth straightened again. ‘There are complications with that—unless you get a potty from ED.’ Her nose wrinkled in that funny, cute way.
‘I can keep your dog company—make sure he’s not lonely and digging where he shouldn’t. All from my chair, of course.’
‘Why have you changed—?’ She stopped, swallowed and drew a deep breath.
The room was suddenly silent, and sounds from the ward outside infiltrated as everyone waited for Stephanie to continue. Michael could feel his lungs tightening as he held his breath. Having her in his house wasn’t going to be easy, but having her stick to her guns was starting to rile him. He was flat-out annoyed that she didn’t want to spend time with him.
He must have hit his head when he went down, because none of this was making sense.
‘I’ll do it.’
It was barely a whisper crossing her lips, but he heard each word clearly, felt each one on his skin like a light summer breeze coming off the sea.
‘Thank you.’
Best leave it at that, or she might change her mind. It was suddenly imperative she didn’t. Which meant he should be booking into a hotel for the next week—not going to his house—paying a nurse to come in and change his dressings—not letting this one near him. Because Stephanie Roberts had sneaked in under his skin once more and now he had to be extra-vigilant. He was not getting involved with her. Not, not, not.
