see the silent switch—the move back into doctor mode. ‘Yes, I think he is. His wound is healing well. We’ve done a few other tests—an ECG and an ultrasound of his heart. There’s been no sign of any problems.’ Her face became serious and the smile disappeared for a few seconds.
‘Right now I’m assuming that Drew’s situs inversus in straightforward. But I understand you might want to talk to someone about it. So, even though I don’t think Drew will need any kind of follow-up, I’ve asked for one of the other consultants who specialises in genetic conditions to give you an appointment so you can discuss any concerns that you have.’
Callum pulled back a little. ‘But why? Can’t I just talk to you?’ The words she was saying made sense, but that didn’t mean that he liked them.
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. I performed Drew’s emergency surgery, but I probably have a conflict of interest here.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘A conflict of interest, what does that mean?’
‘You know what that means, Callum.’
‘But you must have treated a friend’s kid before?’
She nodded slowly and stepped a little closer, lowering her voice and glancing in the direction of Drew. He’d become bored by their chatting and was now doing a jigsaw at one of the nearby tables.
‘Yes, I have treated children of friends before—but usually only in an emergency. I wouldn’t willingly be the paediatrician for any of my friends’ kids. It crosses too many boundaries—complicates things and leads to confusion all round.’ She tilted her head to the side and gave him a little smile. ‘I’m sure you understand.’
‘Actually, I don’t.’ He folded his arms across his chest.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Friends. Is that what we are?’
‘Of course.’
He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all. It didn’t matter that the concept of only being friends with Jess had circulated in his mind for days.
In the cold hard light of day he didn’t like that.
He wanted more.
He wanted to be more than friends.
The kiss had started something.
No. That was rubbish. Something had started more than thirteen years ago.
There was unfinished business between them.
‘What if I don’t want us to be friends?’
Her head shot up. ‘What?’ There was that fleeting look across her face again. She was hurt. But she wasn’t getting his implication. She was thinking he didn’t even want to be friends. Not that he wanted something more. It was time to put that right.
He stepped closer and placed his hand on her hip. ‘What if I wanted us to be more than that?’
Her pupils widened and her tongue shot out and licked her lips. Her eyes darted to the side, obviously to see if anyone was watching. He pressed his fingers a little more firmly into her hip, pulling her closer to him.
Drew hadn’t even noticed what they were doing, he was still engrossed in his jigsaw.
‘I’m not entirely sure what you mean,’ she murmured.
‘Truth be told—neither am I.’
His other hand settled on her other hip, feeling the wool under his fingertips, along with the outline of her hip. He still had to find out what was going on with Jessica. He was no closer to that than he’d been a few weeks ago. She played her cards close to her chest.
But Drew was happy. He’d warmed easily to Jessica. He liked her. She made him smile. And after what he’d witnessed today he was willing to take some baby steps.
‘But let’s find out.’
She lifted her hand and touched the side of his face, her hand trembling. She bit her lip. ‘What if I’m not sure?’
‘Then we take it slowly. We find out together. Are you willing to try that?’
His heart was thumping against his chest wall. An answer had never seemed so important. He wasn’t even entirely sure what he was asking. This was all new territory for him. New territory for them both.
He glanced over at Drew. ‘How about a date? A family date?’ He’d never done that before. It wasn’t just a step for him—it was a leap. But maybe now was the time to find out.
He could see something fleeting pass through her eyes. A moment’s hesitation. Did she want to say no? Did she want to walk away?
There it was again. Her tongue licking her dry lips. What kind of effect was he having on her?
‘Let’s embrace the time of year. I promised Drew I would take him to see Santa at Cullen’s Garden Centre in Largs on Saturday. They usually have a huge play park and real live reindeer for the kids to see. Do you want to come along?’
A nervous smile came across her face. ‘A play park? Is that really a good idea after an appendectomy?’
He pulled her body next to his and gave a sexy smile. ‘Oh, I think we’ll be fine,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘We’ll have medical supervision.’
The smile on her face seemed genuine now. ‘I guess you will.’
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