Page 21

‘I’m sure you could have.’ Liv felt herself flush, embarrassed by the praise, but secretly pleased that Callum found her so indispensable. Though she quickly quashed that thought. Her role here was temporary. She’d known that when she agreed to provide cover, but it was still nice to feel needed and valued. Really, really nice.

‘Well, I’d have thrown something together. But it would have taken me a lot longer, and probably wouldn’t have been as good as what you came up with. Your idea of extending the surgery and increasing the procedures we can provide was far bolder than anything I would have imagined.’

‘I hope it’s not too much of a stretch.’ Liv bit her bottom lip, suddenly wondering what on earth she was doing. Did she really have any right to be pushing Callum to follow such a risky idea? The surgery was so important to him and his family — they’d created it from nothing, and now she was encouraging him to take massive risks. It wasn’t her home or business being put at risk.

‘I think it’s perfect.’ Callum interrupted her thoughts. ‘I’ll email the proposal to my parents — they’ll need to sign off the final submission — and Evelyn who will probably have some more to add on the community re-enablement as that’s her background but—’ he took a swig of his beer — ‘I’ve already run the ideas past them, and they liked them. To be honest, I think we were all a bit relieved with your ideas.’

‘Relieved how?’

‘We’ve been trying to figure out a way to survive these cuts for months. Then you come in with all these brilliant suggestions that might just be the IV infusion we need.’

‘Do you really think so?’ Liv was thrilled to have played such an important role in resuscitating the surgery.

‘I know so.’ Callum reached for her hand, and Liv had to stifle a gasp at the sensations that such a simple gesture caused. She watched their entwined fingers as Callum stroked his thumb across her knuckles, sending goose pimples racing up her arm. She tried not to think about the sensations those fingers could produce on more sensitive parts of her body.

She forced her mind away from those dangerous thoughts. Pleasure and sexual tension alone — however strong — weren’t enough. She’d already learnt that the hard way, and knew following that road would only lead to more pain. She’d had enough hurt recently to last her the rest of her lifetime.

Reluctantly, she slowly pulled away her hand. ‘I’m glad you think it’s got potential.’

‘You—’ Callum gave her a warm smile — ‘are a breath of fresh air. You’ve brought a new perspective to the surgery, and the patients are loving it. Do you have any idea how many compliments I’ve had about you?’

Liv shook her head, feeling embarrassment creep up her throat and warm her cheeks. ‘I’m sure you’re exaggerating.’

‘I’m really not.’ Callum traced a pattern in the condensation on his bottle. ‘The staff adore you as well.’

Liv’s flush rose higher as she wondered if Callum was including himself in that adoration. She’d like to think so. ‘I’m glad. Community practice is so different to working in a hospital, especially A&E.’

‘But you fit in perfectly . . . like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle.’

Liv laughed, nearly choking on her drink. ‘Wow, that was incredibly cheesy.’

‘Yeah.’ Callum laughed at himself. ‘I have to admit, that one sounded better in my head. Well, it’s a good thing we’re just colleagues, and I’m not trying to impress you. Like if we were on a date or something.’

‘Hmm. I guess so,’ Liv replied quietly, silently disagreeing. After allowing herself a few seconds of wallowing, she downed the last inch or so of her drink.

‘Can I get you another?’

Liv shook her head. ‘You bought the first round, so it must be my turn. Same again?’ She waited for his nod before heading towards the bar.

* * *

Callum watched Liv as she walked away, her skirt flipping around her legs and emphasising the sway of her hips. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, almost regretfully. If he were any other single guy, he would have taken one of the dozen or so cues Liv had given him over the past weeks and gathered her up against him and kissed her thoroughly. Again. Or pushed her against the nearest wall, or desk. He’d even had inappropriate thoughts about the examination table in his surgery.

But he wasn’t any other single guy. He was a father, and protecting Sarah from any more harm was far more important to him than sating his own libido. Even if his fingers tingled with the desire to stroke Liv’s bare legs, and push that flirty little skirt out of his way.

He watched as Liv leaned over the bar to speak with the barman, and gulped hard as the damn skirt rode even higher, revealing acres of toned, creamy skin. His attention was so focussed on Liv that he was barely aware of the argument breaking out near her as a couple of young men, who had clearly had too much to drink, started to squabble.

It was only when the squabble turned into an argument, and Liv got involved that Callum stood. Liv said something that he couldn’t make out, and rested a placating hand on the large guy’s arm.

Callum watched in horror as the guy spun around angrily, throwing Liv’s hand away and knocking her off balance. Though Callum all but sprinted across the small bar, the distance between them seemed phenomenal as she wobbled, lost her footing, and toppled backwards. She smacked her head against a nearby table before crumpling to the floor where she lay, scarily small and still.

Chapter Four

The panic Liv had been fighting for months bubbled up in her throat, choking her and stealing her voice. Her head ached and as the room spun around her, the memories she’d worked so hard to bury took hold and pulled her back to A&E and that awful night.

She curled into a small ball trying to protect herself from being hurt more as she fought against the remembered pain. Her wrist throbbed and her lower abdomen ached in sympathetic remembrance as she tried to hold still, not wanting to attract further attention and injury.

‘Don’t touch her. Give me some space to work, please.’ The familiar voice sounded far away, and Liv couldn’t quite place it. Gentle hands reached for her, but she shied away, still terrified.