AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hi, Dino, don’t take this the wrong way, but would you consider…?
Meg rehearsed various ways of asking him as she walked through the main entrance of the hospital the following morning. As if she didn’t have enough pressure from her mother, now she had it from her son, too.
Why did she have to find a man? It was just nonsense. Jamie’s life was full of men. Just not one special man. And that was a good thing. Relying on one man could leave you flat on your face, as she’d discovered to her cost.
Jamie had already had one man walk out of his short life. She wasn’t going to allow it to happen a second time by encouraging him to spend time with a man as notorious for his unwillingness to commit to relationships as Dino.
They were doing fine, the two of them. They were a great team. She was the one in control of their future.
But she couldn’t shift the heavy weight of guilt and she’d hovered for an extra five minutes at the school gates, fighting the temptation to seek out Freddie and tell him to stop torturing her child. She’d stood and watched Jamie, a tiny figure, swamped by his warm jacket. The only boy in his class who wasn’t bringing a Dad to Dad’s Day.
She’d wanted to go into the school and yell at them for being insensitive, but Jamie had begged her not to. Now she was wishing she’d overruled him.
Should she have rung the school? Freddie’s mother? She worried about it all the way to work and was still worrying when she visited Harry in the observation ward. He was in a corner bed on his own. ‘Hey, layabout. I thought I’d say hi before I start work.’
His face brightened when he saw her. ‘Wolf-girl!’
‘Better not call me that. They’re funny about animals in hospital—they might throw me out. Here…’ Meg handed him a book she’d bought from the hospital shop, ‘I’ve no idea if you’ve read it, but I thought it had an interesting cover. Monsters ripping people apart. Perfect teenage reading.’
‘Thanks. Cool.’ Harry put it on his lap and reached for some chocolate from his locker. ‘Want some?’
‘At nine in the morning? No, thanks. I don’t mind being wolf-girl, but I draw the line at elephant-girl, and if I start eating chocolate for breakfast that’s what I’ll be. How’s your head?’
‘Hurts.’ Harry chewed. ‘But they did that scan thing and said my brain is all right.’
‘I know. No skull fracture. I rang last night to check up on you.’ She looked at his bedside table. ‘Who bought you the torch and the whistle? Your mum?’
‘Are you kidding? Mum’s never going to let me out of her sight again.’ He looked gloomy. ‘No, the torch and whistle were from Dr Zinetti. He dropped them off before he went off duty last night. Or it might have been this morning—it was definitely after midnight.’
He’d been at the hospital that late? Meg’s tummy gave a little lurch. ‘I suppose your mum was upset.’
‘She freaked out. I’m grounded. No more walks on my own. Dad went totally mental.’ He looked so forlorn that Meg took pity on him.
‘When you’ve healed, you can walk with Rambo and me.’
‘And me.’ The deep, male voice came from right behind her and Meg felt her heart bump against her chest. Was it the Italian accent? Or the fact that last night he’d got too close for comfort? Or was it just her mother’s fault for mentioning sex?
She closed her eyes briefly, feeling sick at the thought of telling him Jamie’s request. Imagining how he would interpret such an invitation, Meg slid lower in her chair. Could anything be more embarrassing?
‘Hi, Dr Zinetti,’ Harry grinned. ‘Thanks again for the torch and the whistle.’
‘Basic walking equipment.’ Dino sat down on the chair on the opposite side of Harry’s bed and helped himself to chocolate. ‘I’m going to run a survival course in the New Year. I’ve booked you on it, no charge.’
Harry sank back against the pillows. ‘No way will Mum let me go to that.’
‘Meg will speak to her.’ Dino winked at her. ‘Put in a good word. She’s going to be taking a session on training a search dog.’
Meg recoiled. ‘No, I’m not. No way am I standing up in front of a bunch of strangers and—’
‘You’re an important part of the MRT. We want you there.’ Railroading over her objections, he ate another piece of chocolate. ‘And you’re an expert at what you do.’
‘Yes, well, just because you’re good at something it doesn’t mean you can talk about it. I’m useless at speaking in public.’ She hated being looked at. Hated being the focus of attention. ‘My tongue ties itself in a knot.’
‘Does it, now?’ his gaze slid to her mouth and lingered. ‘I’m a doctor. I could look into that for you if you like.’
Was he flirting with her?
Meg felt her cheeks turn a fiery red. No, he wasn’t. Men didn’t flirt with her. They slapped her on the shoulders and offered to buy her a drink. She was one of the lads. Hating herself for feeling flustered, she scowled. ‘I can’t speak to large groups.’
