The Surgeon's Special Delivery

She smiled against a closed mouth, her lips compressing and her chest rocking as she stifled laughter. ‘You’re right. I’m exhausted and tomorrow will be huge.’

Relief trickled through him. Earlier this evening when they’d discussed going to Melbourne, he’d decided that Tess had a stubborn streak that ran long and deep. He hadn’t expected her to readily agree with him about taking over Vince’s care. She’d obviously come around on all fronts.

‘So we’re in agreement—excellent.’ He quickly calculated their estimated time of departure. ‘I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty in the morning. I think it’s best to wait until after the funeral to tell my parents—they sure don’t need that sort of distraction before the service.’ He shoved his hands deep in his pockets. ‘There’ll be hours in the car on the way to Melbourne to discuss everything and sort out the details.’

Her jaw tilted slightly and her shoulders straightened. ‘I’ll go to Melbourne on one condition.’

His hand automatically rubbed his forehead as he rested his bottom on the table and looked down at her. ‘And what would that be?’ The words rolled out on a sigh.

‘That you stay here and work in Narranbool.’

He heard the words but his brain refused to believe them. ‘That’s a ridiculous request. Narranbool doesn’t need me as part of its medical personnel.’

‘Yes, it does.’ Her sombre tone hung between them.

The serious light in her eyes, along with the tension clinging to her face, sent unease swirling through him. Slowly, through the fog that was his mind, realization dawned.

He absently rubbed the palm of his left hand with his right thumb. Tess was thirty-seven weeks pregnant and on call. There had been no reference by any of the staff of a registrar. Narranbool is very fortunate to have you on board now James has gone. He closed his eyes against the truth that bore down on him, hard and unyielding, like an avalanche. Forcing his eyes open, he met her gaze. Not even bothering to ask it as a question, he spoke slowly. ‘You’re the only doctor in town now.’

She nodded. ‘That’s right.’

The idea of working in a small town almost choked him. He’d go stark raving mad being a GP, listening to a catalogue of rambling woes and ailments, but no town deserved to lose all its medical personnel in the one week. Still, he needed Tess safe in Melbourne, needed to keep the baby safe.

He dragged in a resigned breath. ‘So you’ll go to Melbourne if I stay here? That’s blackmail.’

‘No, it’s not—it’s a choice.’ She folded her arms and even though she was sitting and he was standing, no way was she a powerless participant. ‘I refuse to leave my community without medical care. If you want Oscar born in Melbourne then this is the best solution.’

Every cell in his body railed at the idea. ‘What about me being in Melbourne for the birth of my nephew?’

‘I have three weeks to go until my due date and we’ll have organised another doctor by then.’ A slow smile washed over her face as her eyes glowed with keen intelligence. ‘Of course, if you can’t hack the slow pace of an outback general practice, I can stay in town and keep working.’

His gut rolled as personal need clashed violently with professional ethics. He didn’t want to stay in Narranbool, damn it, but he couldn’t leave the town without a doctor. He rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers hardly making a dent in the tight muscles. She had him well and truly over an ethical barrel.