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ning on her heel and moving towards the reception doors as a car pulled up outside. ‘Come on, Viv, let’s see what’s arrived.’
Viv shot a little smile at Luke before sliding off the desk and heading to the door.
But Luke had stopped paying attention. He was oblivious. Who was Reuben? He leaned his elbows on the desk and put his head in his hands. It had been one hell of a day. He glanced at his watch—it wasn’t even dinnertime yet. It had been eight a.m. when he’d got the call about Dr Blair. He had already been up since six, preparing to go and present a paper at a conference. A paper that was now lying in a crumpled heap in his bag. Seconds after he’d got the call one of the sleek black secret-service cars had pulled up, whisking him away to a helicopter pad bringing him to Pelican Cove and Abby …
Was she living with someone? Engaged? Married? Or maybe even just a boyfriend? After all, why would a girl who looked as good as Abby be single? He slapped himself on the forehead. She’d asked him if he was married when they’d been in the changing room together. After that kiss. But he hadn’t asked her. He hadn’t asked her anything. He’d just assumed.
A chill slipped down his spine. Abby had always wanted a family. It was the reason they were no longer together. She loved kids, she’d wanted to work with them and have a whole brood of them herself. A requirement that Luke couldn’t meet. He hadn’t even been able to bring himself to contemplate thoughts of a family. In the end he’d told Abby he just wanted to focus on his career. And kids didn’t fit into that.
He knew he’d broken her heart. She’d asked him to reconsider, told him that somehow they could have beautiful children together, and that had broken his heart even more. Because he didn’t think he’d ever be ready for that. He’d already filled the role of a parent to his brother Ryan—and failed miserably. He just wasn’t cut out for parenthood. Not after what had happened to Ryan. Not after the responsibilities he’d had to shoulder when Ryan had got sick and his parents had continued to spend their time on ‘mercy missions’ overseas or in other parts of the country. When the reality was, they should have been there, acting like parents to their two sons.
And, as much as Abby loved him, she wouldn’t give up her dream of having a family. There had been no tears, no hysteria—that wasn’t Abby’s style. She’d just walked away, literally, into the sunset on top of that Washington hill. When he’d gone back to their apartment a few hours later, she was gone. And the empty drawers and wardrobe had haunted him for weeks.
Suppose Abby had her family now? And the husband to match? Was that who Reuben was, her husband? Although her body seemed unchanged, she could still have a whole brood of children at home. The thought of Abby, with her husband and children, living in her white-picket-fenced house, made his blood run cold. He closed his eyes and tried to pull the memory from his dimly lit mind. Was there a ring on her finger? When they’d been in the changing room and she’d traced her finger along his scar, had there been a ring on that hand? Try as he might, he couldn’t remember. And it was killing him.
‘Dr Storm?’
Luke started to attention, pulling his head out of his hands. James Turner was standing over him in that slightly ominous way that he did so well.
‘Oh, Mr Turner, I was just going to ask you about where we were going to stay tonight.’
It was the first time Luke had seen anything resembling an expression on the man’s face. A slight quirk of the mouth. ‘My men will stay here, Dr Storm. We are the First Lady’s security detail. We have to be available around the clock. You … can stay anywhere you like.’
Great. James Turner hadn’t included him in the plans. He heard voices in the nearby corridor and turned to see Abby and Dr Fairgreaves obviously finalising a few things on the ‘list’.
‘Abby?’
She gave a final nod to David Fairgreaves and walked over towards them, holding out the list to James Turner. ‘Everything and everybody I need. If you get them here, by the grace of God, we can deliver this baby safely.’ She handed the list over and James Turner disappeared silently down the corridor, talking into his lapel pin and holding his earpiece. ‘What’s up, Luke?’
And there she was. Gone was the flustered, hot-under-the-collar woman from the changing room. Gone was the little sparks of jealousy he thought he’d seen in the canteen. This was his Abby. The woman he’d always known and admired. Calm, controlled Abby Tyler. He’d seen her stop at the scene of an accident and treat multiple victims, with no equipment whatsoever, speedily and competently. While he’d been stuck hanging onto the back end of car to stop it catapulting off the edge of a cliff. She’d disappeared from his side one day in the supermarket aisle and he’d found her moments later, resuscitating a man who’d had a cardiac arrest at the checkout. No panic, no stress, she’d just looked at him calmly and asked, ‘Do you want to do the chest compressions or the mouth-to-mouth?’
What he’d never seen was how she’d been in the changing room.
She’d been angry with him. Or had it been frustration? It had been the first time they’d kissed in five years and he’d acted on instinct. From the first time he’d seen her that morning he’d felt as if someone had punched him square in the solar plexus. Abby Tyler with her feet up on the desk and her eyes closed, enjoying a moment of calm. He’d been stuck in his worst nightmare and she’d been the calmest woman on the planet.
Jennifer Taylor had been impressed. She’d called Luke into her room earlier to ask him what he knew about her. She was one smart lady and it was obvious she’d picked up on the undercurrents between them. She’d poked and prodded until Luke had finally confessed they’d once been an item.
‘Silly boy,’ she’d said as she’d lain back against her pillows with a smug look on her face.
‘What do you mean?’
‘She’s gorgeous. And she’s obviously a good influence on you. You’ve stopped flapping, you’re calm. She seems like a beautiful, intelligent woman and you’ve been a fool to let her slip through your fingers. What age are you? Twenty-nine? Thirty?’
He’d nodded. ‘I’m thirty.’
‘No one should live their life alone, Luke. I was the highest flyer of them all, but meeting Charlie was the best thing that ever happened to me. You need someone to share things with, the good and the bad, someone who’s always in your corner no matter what. A career is a career, but a life? Now, that’s worth living.’
Luke had been momentarily stunned by the frankness of her words. But then he’d asked himself why. Jennifer Taylor was known as a woman who pulled no punches. That’s why she was so highly regarded. The story of how she and Charles Taylor had met had been widely reported in the past. She absorbed in her work; he in his politics. And when they’d met—kaboom! It had been a true partnership. She’d blossomed into a beautiful, fiercesome human-rights lawyer and he into a leader among men. So why was he surprised? And why was he feeling a little disappointed that Miss Cool and Controlled was back? He’d liked the new version of Abby. He’d liked the new shouting, passionate, even jealous version of Abby. The added spark made her even more sexy than normal.
Something hit him on the side of his head. He bent to pick it up. The most sorry excuse of a paper airplane he’d ever seen. He smiled and looked up. Abby was leaning over the desk towards him.
‘What are you so deep in thought about?’
‘Why do you want to know?’
‘Because I remember that look and it usually means trouble.’ She walked around the side of the desk and sat down next to him. ‘I think James Turner’s going to get me everything on that list,’ she whispered.
He bent towards her ear. ‘I think he is too.’ Her face was only inches from his.
‘He’s a little scary, isn’t he?’
Luke nodded and smiled. He didn’t want to move. If he leaned forward just the tiniest bit he could kiss her on the nose. His eyes flickered around him as he noticed a number of pairs of eyes on them. Somehow, when he was with Abby, it seemed as if it was just the two of them.
She reached over and touched his hand. ‘Thanks for looking after my patients while I did the list, Luke. It must have been a bit strange, being an ER doc.’
Luke looked at her hand as he felt the warmth travel upwards, causing the hairs on his arm to stand on end. Relief, no ring. He allowed himself to enjoy it as the warmth spread across his chest. ‘Mmm, Abby, can I ask you something?’
‘Sure.’ She sat back in her chair, breaking the spell between them and making him feel as if somewhere a barrier had just came crashing down between them. His eyes hadn’t left her and he watched as she tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.
‘Can you recommend a good guest house to me?’
‘A guest house? What for?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘It seems that James Turner didn’t include me in the accomodation arrangements when organising where everyone would stay. So I need to find a guest house close by. Or do you have on-call rooms?’
She smiled sympathetically. ‘We do, but unfortunately they’ve been commandeered by the Black Brigade.’
‘Aah, so that’s where they’re staying.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘How on earth are they all going to fit?’
‘Apparently they’re going to sleep in shifts.’
‘Ugh.’ he shuddered. ‘I don’t even want to think about that.’
‘You can stay with me.’ The words were out before she’d even had time to process the thought, or the practicalities. But it was just what Abby would always do—help out a friend in trouble. And that’s what she was doing, wasn’t she?
‘What? No, Abby. I can’t expect you to do that.’
But she’d stood up and was wiping her hands on her scrubs. ‘Of course you can. We’re old friends, aren’t we? And you’ve been landed here in the middle of … unusual circumstances. The least I can do is help you out.’
‘That’s really nice of you, Abby. But won’t it be a little awkward?’
This was it. This was when she told him she was married with ten kids. She hesitated, just for a tiny second, but he saw it and felt as if he’d been kicked in the guts.
