A Family This Christmas Read Online Free Page B

warming her where she didn’t want to be warmed. Right around her heart.
    ‘Right.’ Angus became brisk. ‘Let’s get this under way. The anaesthetist should be here any minute. I’ll head over to Theatre and wait for you there.’ He flicked the curtain wide to stride out.
    Cam took his cue. ‘I’d better go and check on those boys of mine, see what other mischief they’ve managed to get themselves into.’
    She called after him, ‘Thanks for dropping by. I’ll sort out what to do about my car when I’m a bit more mobile. I’ll give you a buzz some time tomorrow. Is that okay?’
    ‘It can stay where it is for weeks, if necessary. Call me if you want anything else.’ He was only being helpful to a stranger for whom his boys had caused trouble. It was there in his eyes, in the now flat smile he gave.
    ‘Thanks.’ Suddenly she didn’t want him to go. Her fingers picked at the sheet covering her. The idea of being anaesthetised made her feel tetchy. All the what-if scenarios popped into her mind. Surgery was not without its risks.
So talk to Cam, ask him questions about anything at all to keep him here for a bit.
    ‘I can hang around until Sheree gets here.’ So he read minds.
    ‘Sheree?’
    ‘The anaesthetist on duty this weekend.’ His butt sank back onto the edge of the bed. ‘In what field of medicine do you practise?’
    The down side of having him stay was fielding the unwanted questions. ‘Emergency.’
    ‘You feel weird, being an ED patient?’ Those eyebrows rose again.
    Kind of cute when they did that. Did
he
like the ‘cute’ word? Why was she even asking herself that? The man had a family, wasn’t available. But it had been a long time since she’d been interested in a man that way. ‘Not weird, just scary being on the receiving end of all the attention.’
    ‘I had keyhole surgery for appendicitis ten months ago. If it hadn’t been for the pain and knowing how fast the whole thing could’ve turned bad, I’d have bailed out of having the operation. Call me a wimp, but I knew everything that was going to happen, and that made it worse.’
    ‘You mean you understood what could go wrong.’ Like she did.
    A big, warm hand covered hers. ‘You’ll be fine. Sheree and Angus know what they’re doing. The worst of this will come afterwards, when you can’t get around easily. I could send my boys in to be your slaves for as long as it takes to get back on your feet.’ His brow crinkled. ‘They’re not very good at cooking, or cleaning, or making decent coffee. Great at fetching and carrying, though.’
    Surprised he could joke with her, the nervousness took a step back. ‘You make them sound like puppies. Fetch, Booboo.’ The warmth seeping into her from that small contact made her relax even more. Then she tensed. Tugged her hand free.
He has a wife
. ‘Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. Really.’
    Cam’s gaze cruised over her face, studying her intently. Looking for what? Then with a brief nod he stood up. ‘I can hear Sheree talking out there. I’ll head away. Take care.’
    She stared at the curtain long after he’d gone. What would it be like to have Cameron Roberts to come home to at the end of a busy day in the department?
Excuse me, you don’t work in an ED any more. You don’t work at all. As for coming home to that particular man, you must be high on laughing gas. He’s taken, remember?
    A girl was allowed to dream, wasn’t she?

CHAPTER THREE
    J ENNY WOKE TO a nurse pumping a blood-pressure cuff wrapped around her arm. ‘Did I miss the party?’
    The nurse frowned. ‘Party?’
    ‘The dry mouth and fuzzy head.’
    An easy smile. ‘The revolting after-effects of anaesthetic. Your blood pressure’s normal. I need to take your temperature.’ A thermometer was slipped into her mouth as the nurse continued to talk. ‘Breakfast will be along shortly. You’ve got visitors, too.’
    ‘Visitors?’ Jenny spluttered around the glass stick between her lips.