The Italian Doctor's Wife

They shared a look of understanding, each knowing that, even in the most capable hands, operating on a child’s heart always carried a risk. The challenge was balancing the risk of the operation with the risk of not correcting the defect in the heart.

It was midmorning when there was a sudden bustle on the ward and a group of doctors arrived, looking round expectantly.

‘Is Mr Santini here yet?’ Greg Wallis, the surgical registrar, glanced into the office and Abby shook her head.

‘If you mean the new consultant, no, not yet—he’s been meeting the team on CICU and he’s due here any minute.’ She frowned slightly and looked at Greg. Had she heard correctly? ‘What did you say his name was again?’

‘Santini. Domenico Santini. Why?’

Abby shook her head slightly. It couldn’t be…

‘I knew a Domenico Santini once,’ she said lightly. ‘I went to school with his sister. But it can’t be him. He’d be too young.’

‘Oh, this guy is young,’ Greg told her, a trace of bitterness in his voice. ‘I used to think my career was going well until I read his CV. His rise to stardom had been positively meteoric. The guy is a genius by all accounts. His nickname in the theatre is “Iceberg” because he’s the coolest surgeon anyone has ever seen.’

Abby felt her heart thud uncomfortably in her chest. Could it be him? Lucia’s brother?

As an impressionable young teenager she’d been thoroughly in awe of her friend’s older brother. She was well aware that he was considered the ultimate catch by all the other girls in the school but on the few occasions that she’d met him she’d found him monumentally intimidating.

Fortunately he’d never even known that she existed.

She gave a slight smile at her own expense.

And why should he have noticed her? She’d been an awkward, leggy, painfully shy teenager with a brace on her teeth, glasses and hair that never behaved itself. There had been absolutely nothing about her that had been memorable. Especially compared to her peers.

The exclusive Swiss school which had been her home from the age of sixteen had attracted the children of the rich and famous from all over the world. Appeasing their consciences by selecting what they’d seen as the best, her parents had somehow found the money to send her there without considering whether Abby would fit in socially.

For the first term she’d been utterly miserable and painfully conscious of the differences in circumstances between her and the other girls.

She’d tried to shrink into the background to avoid attention and if it hadn’t been for the flamboyant and boisterous Lucia Santini, her schooldays would have been a nightmare. As it was, the Italian girl had befriended her and made her life just about bearable.

Shocked that Abby’s parents never visited, Lucia frequently invited Abby to stay with her own family but Abby declined, too awkward and embarrassed to accept hospitality which she knew she could never repay.

She also refused Lucia’s invitations to join her on trips out with her older brother, knowing that such an outing would have been social torture. She never knew what to say to men anyway, let alone a man like Lucia’s dark and dangerous brother. She must have been the only girl in the school that didn’t try to attract his attention. Totally overwhelmed by his aggressive masculinity and cool self-confidence, Nico Santini made her thoroughly nervous. Carlo, the younger of the two brothers, seemed slightly more approachable, which was why she agreed to go to him for help so many years later.

She gave a sudden frown as an uncomfortable thought occurred to her.

Would the Santini family have discussed Rosa? Could Nico be aware of Rosa’s history?

Greg cast her an odd look. ‘Are you all right? You’ve gone really pale.’

‘I’m fine,’ she muttered, flashing him a wan smile and giving herself a sharp talking-to.

There was no way he could know. Everything that happened at the clinic was confidential, she assured herself. And even if Lucia had been so indiscreet as to mention it to her older brother, there was no reason why he should be in the slightest bit interested in her life.

It was highly unlikely that he’d even remember who she was.

Applying logic and reason but still feeling uneasy, she gave a start as the ward doors opened again and Dr Gibbs, the paediatric cardiologist, walked briskly down the corridor, accompanied by the rest of the team and a tall, powerfully built stranger.

Abby recognised him immediately and against her will her stomach flipped over as her eyes skimmed over the broad shoulders and long, muscular legs. Nico Santini had always been breathtakingly good-looking, but maturity had given his looks a lethal masculine quality which had a critical effect on her pulse rate.

Which just proved that, despite her protestations to the contrary, she was as shallow as the next woman, she thought with a resigned sigh.

But maybe it wasn’t entirely her fault.

The man was devastating.

There were five male doctors in the group but he drew the eye, not just because of his impressive physique but because of the air of cool command which he wore with the same effortless ease as his impeccably cut grey suit.

Nico Santini was more of a man than any other male she’d ever met and Abby felt her face flush slightly as she scanned his handsome features.

Iceberg.

The description suited him, she thought wryly, remembering just how cool and in control the man had been even in his twenties. Lucia had adored her older brother but she’d also been more than a little afraid of him.

Observing from a safe distance, Abby had always believed that he was very hard on Lucia who could certainly be a bit silly sometimes but had a very kind heart.

She hadn’t seen him for at least six years.

Would he recognise her? Should she say something?

She almost laughed aloud at the thought. He absolutely would not recognise her and there was no way she was going to say anything. The mere thought was laughable.

Hello, remember me? I was the shy little mouse at school with your sister who never said a word whenever you were around….

Jack Gibbs was introducing him to everyone and finally it was Abby’s turn and she lifted her chin and met that penetrating dark gaze head on, determined not to be intimidated.

Reminding herself that she was now a grown woman with a child, she forced herself to look composed, at least on the outside, and held out a hand.

It was a mistake.

Just touching those long, strong fingers was like connecting with a powerful electric force field and she felt her insides tumble unexpectedly.

‘Abby is one of our best paediatric nurses,’ Jack was saying, his expression warm, ‘and we’re very lucky to have her. When everyone else is in a panic you can rely on Abby to be the voice of calm. She has an amazing way with the children and the parents. We doctors fight over her. If we have something difficult to say to a family then we make sure we have Abby with us.’

Startled by the praise and unsettled by Nico Santini’s unrelenting grip on her hand, Abby gave Jack a fleeting smile and took a step backwards, deliberately removing her hand from the pressure of those long fingers.

‘I’ll remember that.’ He spoke in a deep, masculine purr that held just a hint of an Italian accent. Not enough to cloud his enunciation but just enough to make his voice unbearably sexy. ‘Are you the nurse who is looking after the Wood family?’

Abby nodded, wishing that he didn’t have such a powerful effect on her. She hated the fact that she was as vulnerable to his particular brand of scorching masculinity as the rest of her sex. She would have given anything to have been indifferent to him.

Not wanting to dwell on the effect he had on her, Abby quickly turned to the subject of work.

‘His mother is very worried and has lots of questions, but she’s afraid to ask them. I think it would be helpful if you could find time to talk to her.’ The expression in her blue eyes was slightly challenging as they met his. From the little she knew of him it was highly unlikely that he would have the time or the skills to show much sensitivity to parents.

‘Why is she afraid to ask them?’

His brusque question took her by surprise. ‘She thinks you’re very busy and doesn’t want to disturb you.’