One Week to Win His Heart

She checked her phone several times to see if he’d sent her a message or if she’d missed a call but there was nothing. She knew he had a hectic schedule but surely he could have texted to confirm or something? Perhaps that meant he wasn’t coming. The knowledge deflated her.

She’d managed ward round and clinic without a problem, as well as getting a debrief from Andy on the status of Rudy Carlew. So far there had been no complications with his surgery and it looked as though he was going to make an uncomplicated recovery.

‘Apparently,’ Andy told her, ‘he’s quite impressed with our Evelyn. He’s asked her to stay on as his private nurse for the rest of the movie shoot.’

‘Good.’ Melody nodded sternly. ‘That way we can be sure his arm won’t be exacerbated. Evelyn knows what to keep an eye out for.’

‘Good heavens, Melody. Don’t you see the underlying meaning here?’

‘What?’ Melody frowned at her registrar, focusing on his face as his words started to sink in. ‘What’s the underlying meaning?’

‘That Rudy Carlew and Evelyn are a couple.’

‘Really?’ Melody was surprised. ‘So soon? They hardly know each other.’

‘That doesn’t matter. When it’s the right person, it’s just right,’ he pointed out. ‘That’s how it was with me and my wife. Bam!’ He clapped his hands together. ‘Like a bolt of lightning. Two months later we were married.’

Melody continued to think about what Andy had said for the rest of the day. She had been trying so hard not to think about George but perhaps she should? Perhaps she should consider that she’d been struck by lightning! When her phone rang, she immediately hoped it was George, calling to let her know whether or not he was coming, but instead the image of the caller on her phone screen indicated it was her brother.

‘Ethan. How’s everything going, big brother?’

‘Good. CJ’s back at work three and a half days a week and I get two whole days of being Mr Mum to my gorgeous Lizzie-Jean.’

Melody giggled. ‘I can’t believe you’re married with a little girl. After everything you’ve been through, you finally got your happy ending.’ As she was speaking, she felt tears choke her throat.

Before marrying CJ, Ethan had been married to Abigail and expecting his first child, but both his wife and his baby girl had passed away, leaving Ethan almost killing himself with work. Thankfully, Melody’s new sister-in-law, who had been left alone and pregnant, had saved her brother. Now the three of them were a family and she couldn’t have been happier for them. Everyone was getting their happy ending. Andy had found his wife, even Evelyn had found Rudy Carlew. What about her?

Images of George immediately came to mind and she gasped a little at how readily her thoughts turned to him. She cared about him and she always would. Closing her eyes, she whimpered as she realised she might have given her heart to a man who might not return her feelings—again.

‘Mel? Are you OK?’ Ethan asked.

‘What? Yeah. Why?’

‘Because you’re whimpering down the phone. What’s wrong, sis?’

‘Oh…well…everything.’

Ethan chuckled. ‘That narrows it down.’

‘Uh—I’ve sort of met someone.’

‘Sort of?’

‘Remember I told you about the visiting orthopaedic surgeon who was coming?’

‘Yeah. A week of lunches, lectures and dinners. You weren’t looking—’ Ethan stopped. ‘You like the VOS?’

‘Like? That may be a mild word for the way I feel.’

‘What? Wait. What’s this guy like? Do Dave and I need to come and meet him? We can come on Saturday and meeting this guy and—’

‘Whoa, there, over-protective brother. Steady on.’ Melody sighed and told Ethan what had happened over the past few days since George had burst into her life. When she finished, Ethan chuckled.

‘It sounds as though you’re definitely smitten. I remember feeling like that with CJ. I struggled against it but in the end I came to realise that although we hadn’t known each other long, we knew each other deeply. Sometimes, Mel, you just click with people and it sounds as though you’ve really clicked with George.’

‘But what am I supposed to do if he does come over tonight to watch these surgeries?’

‘If he does come over, Mel, I don’t think it’s going to be because he wants to watch the surgeries,’ Ethan chuckled.

‘Why? What does he want to do, then?’ She gasped, answering her own question. ‘Do you really think he wants to…?’ She spoke softly into the phone, a warm blush tingeing her cheeks. She was glad she was alone in her office.