The Taming of Dr Alex Draycott

‘Callum, please. Now, why on earth would I want to do that?’

‘That’s what I’m wondering. Only I was under the impression we were going to meet up in the treatment room a while ago. Didn’t you agree to that?’

‘Of course—though I believe what I actually said was that it was a good idea, which is not necessarily the same thing as saying I’d be there. You can’t guarantee anything in the hectic atmosphere of the A and E department.’ He searched among the papers in a wire tray and grasped one in triumph. ‘Found it,’ he said. He held it up to her. ‘My patient’s results.’

She stared at him in frustration. ‘Why is it that I have the feeling you’re playing games with me?’ she asked. ‘You haven’t actually completed the drug lists, have you? Or tried to catch up on filling in the waiting times on your casualty cards?’

He leaned back against the workbench, his long legs crossed at the ankles. ‘Actually.uh.no, you’re right. I haven’t.’ His mouth made a rueful shape. ‘As I said before, I’m much more of a hands-on medic than someone who concentrates on keeping his paperwork up to date.’

His gaze ran over her, appreciation lighting his eyes as he took in the shapeliness of her figure outlined by her classically styled dress. ‘I know you want to get on with updating your numbers and counting the financial cost of everything, but is it so essential that it’s done right this minute? You’ve only been here a short time. Surely you need to take some time to settle in? And how about giving everyone a bit of leeway? Give them a chance to get used to the idea of you being around. That way people would be so much more on your side.’

She sighed. ‘That would be so satisfying, wouldn’t it…just to let everything hang easy for a while, gain a little popularity and then sit back and enjoy the ride?’ There was amusement in her tone. ‘I hardly think that’s going to happen.’ Her grey glance meshed with his.

‘You don’t?’ He frowned.

‘I don’t. Why do you imagine I was brought in here? The executives were hardly going to appoint a pussycat to monitor things, were they?’ She didn’t wait for an answer. ‘The hospital budget is badly overdrawn and the trust has to make drastic cuts if the services the public want and expect are to survive.’ She drew in a deep breath. ‘So that’s where I come in. I have the task of auditing the department to find out where savings can be made…and if I don’t come up with the right answers, the whole emergency unit is at risk—so it’s not just my job on the line, but those of everyone who works here.’ She studied him. ‘You do understand that, don’t you?’

He lifted his shoulders. ‘Of course I do…it’s just that I don’t see why you can’t hold fire for a while. The trust has been overspending for years—a few weeks isn’t going to make much difference to the grand scheme of things, is it?’

She shook her head, causing her chestnut curls to swirl and shimmer under the overhead lights. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, I’m afraid. I have to report back to the board at the end of each month. They aren’t going to look kindly on me or the department if I show them an empty file.’

He watched the cloud of burnished hair drift and settle. ‘You realise, don’t you,’ he countered, ‘that the board will do what it wants, no matter what facts and figures you manage to produce? If they’re set on closing the department, then ultimately that’s what they’ll do. They just need you to give them the firepower.’

She regarded him steadily. ‘Well, I don’t think that way about it at all. I believe that I can make a difference. I believe we can make savings in lots of ways. In fact, going on my experience with a young patient this morning, I’ve decided I want to start a separate audit into the treatment of children with urinary infections…let’s see if we can’t cut down on the number of ultrasound scans, and choose our drugs more wisely, so that we’re not prescribing expensive ones where generic drugs will do better.’

She warmed to her theme. ‘It’s just a question of devising the forms for people to fill in whenever they treat a child—and at the end we’ll collate all the information and see what savings we can come up with.’

He looked at her, aghast. ‘Good grief, woman…don’t you have enough to do without getting started on audits that aren’t even part of your remit?’

‘But it all comes down to the same thing in the end, don’t you see? Savings are at the heart of everything.’

He relaxed, beginning to smile at her. ‘I can see why you got the job…and I have to admire your persistence. You’re so full of energy and enthusiasm—but there’s more to life than work, you know. Where do you find time in all that for a social life—that thing called ‘fun’—boyfriends, and so on?’

His glance drifted over her. ‘You’re a very attractive woman, and I’d have thought men would be queuing up to ask you out. Yet from what I’ve heard you don’t have a significant other, you don’t join the staff at the local pub—or even share lunch breaks with them. Isn’t there something missing from your life?’ His gaze became thoughtful. ‘Or perhaps you’ve been hurt…’ he said softly. ‘Maybe someone let you down?’

She stared at him blankly for a moment or two. So he thought she was attractive? He’d said it before, but even so, it gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling, hearing him say it again. But as to the rest, when did she have time to socialise? Any spare time she had at work was spent on visiting her brother and his wife, and after work she needed to take care of the children.

‘I see the hospital grapevine has been busy,’ she murmured. ‘Is nobody’s life private around here?’ She frowned. ‘Though I could say the same for you. Snatches of gossip I’ve heard tell me you don’t ever settle to a relationship—fear of commitment is how they put it, I think.’

He laughed. ‘I don’t see fear coming into it. Life’s too short, and I’m having a good time just as I am—being footloose and fancy-free. Why would I want to change things?’

‘Why indeed?’ She smiled wryly. ‘And much the same goes for me. I’m far too busy to even contemplate getting involved with anyone right now. Let the gossipmongers make of it what they will.’

‘And they will, believe me.’ He studied her. ‘Why don’t we fox them all and make a date for dinner—this evening, maybe? You should take time out, let yourself unwind a little.’

Unwind, with him? The thought had a dizzying effect on her. ‘Thanks, but I really can’t do that right now.’ All the same, she conjured up a vision of the two of them together, taking a walk in the moonlight after a romantic meal at a restaurant, and all at once heat began to pool in her abdomen.

She couldn’t let the idea take hold. It was impossible. She wasn’t about to get involved with anyone, especially him, a man who seemed so laid back he made it seem as though she was positively racing through life in contrast. Anyway, she had far too much on her plate. The children relied on her to be there for them, her family life was chaotic, and, besides, he was simply trying to divert her, possibly even disarm her into the bargain, wasn’t he?

His gaze flicked over her. ‘That’s a shame. Maybe some other time, then? I’m sure you’ll feel all the better for a little rest and relaxation.’

She had the idea this was something he wouldn’t give up on easily. ‘I’ll feel a whole lot better when I have your drug expenditure forms laid out on my desk,’ she retorted swiftly. ‘Along with a list of agency staff employed by the department over the last three months.’

She ignored his muffled groan as she made her way to the door. ‘Any time in the next twenty-four hours will be fine.’

She was still debating how best to deal with Callum Brooksby when she made her way home later that day at the end of her shift. He was a thorn in her side, a devious, happy-go-lucky, aggravating man who gave the impression of being as difficult to catch as thistledown. Every time she had him within her sights, he somehow managed to whisk himself away, out of reach.

‘Look what we’ve found,’ Sarah said excitedly, greeting Alex as she went to collect the children from her neighbour’s house later that day. Sarah led the way into the kitchen. ‘Auntie Jane showed us how to collect honey from the beehives in the orchard. We’ve been putting it into jars. It smells of flowers.’

Alex sniffed at the glass pot Sarah thrust under her nose. ‘So it does,’ she said. ‘I expect the bees have been visiting the apple blossom and the bramble bushes. That should make for good fruit later on in the season.’

She looked at Jane, who was standing by the fridge, looking pale and tired. ‘You’ve been busy. Are you sure you should be taking on all this work? I feel bad enough that I’m asking you to watch the children for me.’

‘Oh, I like having them around. Anyway, I volunteered to have them after school, and it’s no trouble to collect a bit of honey.’ Jane smiled. ‘I expect you had no idea what a wealth of treasures you were gaining when you bought the property next door. Of course, I didn’t let the children go near the hives when I collected the honeycombs, but they loved seeing the end result. They were fascinated.’

‘It tastes funny,’ James said, screwing up his nose. ‘Yuk.’

‘I like it,’ Sarah said happily. ‘We had some on pancakes and they were scrumptious.’

‘It sounds as though you had a lot of fun.’ Alex watched the children as they carefully spooned the golden honey into scrupulously clean jars. Jane sat down by the table and let them get on with it for a while.

‘How have you been feeling, Jane?’ Alex asked, giving her a long, thoughtful look. ‘Have you been back to see your doctor?’

‘Not yet.’ Jane shook her head, and at Alex’s small murmur of protestation she added, ‘I know…I keep putting it off, and I shouldn’t, but what’s he going to do for me but give me more tablets? Nothing’s working, so I might as well put up with things as they are.’ As she spoke, she absently rubbed her back. ‘The only that really gets to me is this pain, but I suppose I can take painkillers for that.’ She sighed. ‘But I guess that’s old age creeping up on me.’

‘I don’t think so, Jane. I think it’s something that needs to be investigated.’

She might have said more, but there was a brief tap on the kitchen door just then, and a moment later it opened, as a visitor stepped into the kitchen.

Alex pulled in a sharp breath.

‘Hi, Aunt Jane,’ Callum Brooksby said, going over to Jane and giving her a hug. ‘How’s my favourite aunt?’

‘Oh, it’s so good to see you,’ Jane said, smiling. She looked at him with genuine affection. ‘I was hoping you’d come round.’

He nodded. ‘I know I’ve left it a little bit longer than usual. It’s been a busy time lately, what with work and overseeing the builders at home.’ Then he straightened and looked around, interested in seeing who had come to take tea with her.

His gaze met Alex’s and they both stared at one another in shock.

‘Alex?’

‘Callum?’ She blinked.

Callum frowned, his dark brows drawing together in a straight line. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’

‘I…I bought the house next door,’ she said, stumbling a little over the words, still in shock. ‘That’s how I came to know your aunt—she’s been good to me, looking after the children while I’m at work.’

‘Children?’ His expression became incredulous as he turned his attention to James and Sarah, happily spilling honey over the scrubbed pine table and the assembled jars. ‘Good grief.’ He looked back at Alex. ‘I don’t know you at all, do I?’