surgeon. I can take a look at your shoulder.”
“I’m a surgeon too,” he said. Although he didn’t practice any more. He kept to the physical therapy side of sports medicine. Since his right shoulder repair had been botched the strength in his arm and hand came and went.
He wouldn’t risk a patient’s life on uncertainty.
“Let me look.”
He sighed. “Anything to get my shirt off, eh?”
“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “Be in pain.”
“It’s just a pulled muscle.”
Liar.
He could’ve had Dr. Haole fix it, but again, he hadn’t got around to it. Training Jack to make the World Surfing Championship was all that mattered. He didn’t have the time to go under the knife, recover and then go through physical therapy.
He didn’t have a year or more to waste.
What was done was done. It was a good reminder.
Besides, he didn’t want Lana touching him. If she touched him he knew it would test his control. Since he’d first laid eyes on her he’d thought about her in a way he shouldn’t.
This had to be an uncomplicated marriage.
He had to keep his hands to himself, as much as he didn’t want to.
“Fine,” she snapped.
“I have rounds to make.”
She nodded, avoiding eye contact. “Me too.”
“I guess I’ll see you at this farce of a wedding in a week.”
“I think before then. You want people to believe we’re in love and you just announced it to the whole hospital that we’re getting married.”
“Not the whole hospital.”
“You blabbed it to all the heads and chief residents that were in that meeting. You might as well have told everyone.” Then she smiled a sad smile. “Word gets around fast here.”
He chuckled. “You may be right on that one. So, would you like to go on a date tonight?”
“A date?”
“Yeah, we might as well have one, seeing how we’re getting married and everything.”
“Okay. That sounds...” She was cut off when her phone started ringing. “Dr. Haole speaking. Yes? How far out? Okay, I’ll be down there in five.”
“What was that?” Andrew asked.
“The emergency room. Incoming trauma; they need an orthopedic surgeon and I’m on call. I forgot. We’ll have to do that date another night.”
“I’ll meet you down in the ER. I’ll lend you a hand.”
“You’ve never done an ER rotation since you got here,” she said, astounded. “What about training?”
“The training can wait tonight. Jack will understand.” Jack probably wouldn’t, but Andrew didn’t care. He wanted to be in that ER tonight. Show a united front to their upcoming wedding so it was believable.
He might not have surgical privileges, but he was still a doctor.
He could still help when it came to trauma.
LANA RETREATED TO the quiet calm of the operating room to repair a broken femur. She stood by, waiting as the trauma surgeon worked on stopping the blood flow in the major artery. She was just glad it wasn’t David because he’d ply her with questions about Andrew.
Poor, pathetic, heartbroken Lana couldn’t move on from him.
And she remembered how many times David and she had worked in the OR together. He’d been a fellow when she was a fourth year resident. She should’ve known—that was a red flag when he’d paid attention to her—but she’d craved the attention. The love and affection she’d never had.
Yeah, and look where that got you.
She shook her head and focused on the surgery. Once the rate of blood loss was managed she could go in and repair the femur. Piecing one of the strongest bones in the body back together.
As she waited she glanced up into the gallery, where residents were waiting to observe the surgery, and she noticed Andrew standing, watching. His arms were crossed and he looked pensive as he stared down into the OR.
Their eyes met and a small smile played across his face and she felt warmth flood her cheeks, but she was thankful that the surgical mask covered her face. She was still in shock and slightly angry that her father was so happy about the marriage.
Of course he didn’t know it was a marriage of convenience, but after David she’d thought he wouldn’t be so happy. And she was annoyed that her father was elated that she was finally taking his advice to settle down, implying that her life was worthless because she wasn’t married or involved with anyone.
It wasn’t that she repelled love. She’d been blinded by it. Hurt by it. So now her career was her first love. It never let her down.
After David she’d sworn to herself that she was going to get married for only the truest, deepest love. Her parents had married because they’d had to and they’d never been happy, which was why they were divorced.
And the moment her mother had been free from her father, she’d left.
Lana hadn’t seen her mother since the day she’d graduated from medical school. And she doubted that she would see her at her wedding.
No doubt her mother wouldn’t approve of her marriage to Andrew.
It’s not real and you’re not pregnant.
“Dr. Haole, we’re ready for you now,” the scrub nurse said.
“Thank you, Vickie.” Lana took her place next to the trauma surgeon, Dr. Aeolia, who had been working on controlling the blood loss from the shattered femur.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Dr. Aeolia said as she began to formulate her game plan for repairing the femur in her head.
“Pardon?” Lana asked, not really listening to what Dr. Aeolia had to say.
“Your engagement. I was in the conference room when Dr. Tremblay announced it.”
Oh, God.
This was exactly the kind of thing she wished she could avoid. She didn’t like to be singled out, to have the attention drawn to her and as the words slipped out of Dr. Aeolia’s mouth she could feel the gaze from all of those in the operating room fixed on her. Just like when David
