only just begun my nursing. We were sheltered from quite a bit in our training. It’s different when you’re actually part of the team.’
‘Well, never be afraid to ask,’ Toni counselled. ‘You’re newly graduated. You’re not expected to know everything. I think we’re about finished in here.’ She did a quick inventory. ‘Anything you want to debrief about before we go?’
Harmony hesitated. ‘Will we be transferring Carol on?’
‘Not at this stage. Rafe is presently calling her cardiologist in Sydney. We’ll know a bit more later.’
‘I … guess she won’t be able to open her shop for a while?’
‘Not sure,’ Toni said. ‘She may have someone who could stand in for her. Carol has great stock. Have you bought anything there?’
‘I actually bought a dress for the Valentine dance.’ Harmony made a small face. ‘Carol was having it altered it for me. I was supposed to pick it up after work today.’
Toni was sympathetic to the younger woman’s obvious disappointment. ‘Have you something else you could wear?’
‘Nothing new.’ Harmony shrugged dispiritedly. ‘I so wanted this dress, Toni.’ Her cheeks went pink. ‘Justin’s asked me to go with him.’
Dating a doctor. Toni gave an inward wry smile. She’d done a bit of that in her time. And it had been fun—until she’d met Dr Alex Nicol. He’d come as a relieving MO to St Vincent’s in Sydney, where she’d been working in A and E. And she’d fallen for him, beguiled by his Geordie accent, his craggy looks, his sense of humour. He’d told her he was separated and getting divorced and she’d believed him. But then it turned out, he hadn’t been truthful …
Toni stifled the unproductive trip into past. It was water under the Harbour bridge. Gone. Like Alex had gone back to England. To his wife.
‘Hey, guys.’ Amy popped her head in. ‘Need a hand to clear up?’
‘We’re about done, thanks, Amy.’ Toni jerked back to the present, refolding the blanket she’d been holding.
‘What’s up?’ Amy had caught her air of introspection. ‘Carol will be all right, won’t she?’
‘Should be,’ Toni said. ‘But with Carol away from her shop, Harmony has a bit of a dilemma about her dress for tonight.’
Amy was all attention. ‘What’s happened, Harms?’
Harmony explained her difficulty.
‘I could lend you something.’ Amy gave the junior a quick assessing look. ‘We’re about the same size. And I got some amazing clothes recently when Leo and I were over in Singapore. Why don’t we hook up after work and go back to mine? If you like something, it’s yours. OK?’
‘Are you kidding me?’ Harmony’s blue eyes widened in happy disbelief. ‘That would so be totally awesome. I love your style, Amy!’
‘Oh, thanks.’ Harmony dimpled a smile. ‘Deal, then?’
‘Deal.’
Laughing, the two walked off together, heads turned towards each other, eagerly discussing the celebrations for the night ahead.
Toni smiled after them. It was good to see Amy so upbeat. Plus, professionally, she would be an excellent role model for Harmony.
Nice outcome. Somewhat thoughtfully, Toni made her way back to the station. There were good vibes all over the place. Had it all happened because of an armful of roses?
She wondered whether Rafe realised just what effect his gesture had achieved—if indeed the roses had been from him. But of course they had to have been …
And it was a bit daunting to think he’d been spurred into action because of something she’d said.
She wasn’t about to ask him.
But he had to know that she knew.
So where did they go from here?
Toni puffed out a little breath to stem her consternation. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. She hadn’t expected this complication on her first day back. Correction. She hadn’t expected it at all.
The afternoon ticked by. A few mild casualties trickled in that were handled competently by Justin and the nursing staff.
Liz had arrived back from the hairdresser, her hair sleek and shiny with little tendrils curling prettily from a loose knot.
‘Hair looks great,’ Toni said approvingly.
Liz sighed. ‘Wish I’d had time for a spray tan.’
‘Matt likes you just the way you are.’ Toni tipped her head enquiringly. ‘And the spark’s still there, isn’t it?’
Liz smiled mistily. ‘Oh, yeah …’
‘Well, then.’ Toni glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost the end of their working day. ‘Lizzie, will you hand over, please? I need to see Rafe about a few things before end of shift.’
‘Sure. See you tonight?’
‘If you’re there first, keep me a seat.’
Liz grinned wickedly. ‘I’ll keep two. You never know!’
Ten minutes later, Toni tapped on Rafe’s door and waited. Her eyes went heavenwards at his growled response, ‘It’s open.’ Suddenly her heart felt as though it was beating in all the wrong places in her chest. Had this been a crazy idea? Well, it was too late now.
Angling herself through the door, she moved across to his desk. ‘I pushed the boat out and got us an energy hit from the canteen.’ She passed the disposable cup across to him. ‘Hot chocolate for you, coffee for me.’
He eyed her a bit warily, seeming surprised and even a bit taken aback, and Toni wondered how long it had been since anyone had done a simple act of kindness for him. ‘Thanks. How did you know I needed this?’
‘Put it down to my powers of observation.’ Toni slid into the same chair she’d occupied that morning. Cradling her coffee between her hands, she asked, ‘What’s happening with Carol McKay?’
Rafe tilted his cup and took a mouthful of his hot chocolate. Seeming to enjoy it, he took another. ‘I had a video hook-up with her cardiologist. He’s of the opinion if there’s no further deterioration in her condition, she can be safely managed here.’
‘That should be less stressful for her anyway,’ Toni replied. ‘She can keep up with things at her business. Carol has quite a large customer base, most of whom have become her friends. They’ll be concerned for her welfare.’
‘Her son’s with her now in ICU. I imagine he’ll help her work out some kind of plan for the future.’
‘I expect so. She won’t want to lose trade if it’s at all possible.’
‘That’s
