Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad

Joey turned his head slowly to one side and back.

‘Okay, I’m really dumb, aren’t I? You’re six.’

Again the head moved from side to side. Then Joey blinked. His mouth opened enough for him to whisper, ‘I’m five.’

‘Go on, you’re not.’

‘Am so.’ The whisper was now a little stronger.

‘A schoolboy. Wow. Cool bananas.’

‘I like school.’

Kieran tapped her on the shoulder. ‘We need to get Joey out of his clothes and into a hospital gown. Robyn’s getting a warm blanket. I’m surprised he’s not hypothermic.’

A middle-aged man spoke from the corner of the cubicle. ‘When I found him he was curled up in the washing basket amongst the clean washing so he probably kept warm throughout the night.’

‘Thank goodness he went to your place and didn’t hide outside, or we could have a whole different scenario on our hands,’ Kieran acknowledged, before nodding to Abby to follow him out where he spoke quietly. ‘You’re doing great with Joey. That’s the most we’ve got from him so far. Can you stay with him while we sort out what’s going to happen next?’

‘Of course.’ Try and keep her away. This child needed her.

‘Joey’s undersized for his age. Hopefully the paediatrician will admit him for a full assessment.’

‘Then what? He’ll go home to more of the same.’ Abby couldn’t help the despair breaking through her resolve to be totally professional with this case. How could she be? That gorgeous little boy was hurting, inside and out. He needed loving, not beating.

‘Unfortunately we have to hand him over to the system.’ Kieran’s finger touched her cheek briefly, his eyes full of the same emotions she felt. ‘In the meantime, let’s make him as comfortable as possible and show him not everyone’s a monster.’ Digging into his pocket, he withdrew some money. ‘I’m sure there’s something in the cafeteria that little boys love to eat.’

‘Definitely far more exciting things than what the main kitchen will come up with.’

‘You want to go and get something before relieving Robyn?’

‘On my way.’ Abby snagged the note from his fingers and smiled at Kieran. ‘You’ve got the right instincts when it comes to children. You know that?’

‘Not a clue, but with you enlightening me all the time I’m sure I’ll catch on eventually.’

Cheeky so-and-so. His smile warmed her to her toes, and she nearly whistled as she hurried to the café, all thoughts of Joey’s situation momentarily on hold. Once again her mind returned to Kieran’s kiss. A toe-tingling, spine-bending kiss that had blanked her mind and teased her body.

Idiot. She grinned to herself as she bagged a chocolate cake in the café. Idiot, idiot. She was supposed to be keeping Kieran at arm’s length. But it was getting harder by the minute to ignore the effect he had on her. She felt more alive than she had in years. Perhaps she should just enjoy Kieran, have some fun, and make the most of whatever happened between them. The problem with that brainwave would be how to get over him when he left again. But her grin stretched further. She couldn’t even get over last night’s kiss.

Dale Carlisle, Joey’s mother, and the social worker arrived simultaneously, the mother causing pandemonium as she ranted and raved at the top of her voice about neighbours poking their noses where they shouldn’t. Kieran offered his office to the social worker but Dale refused to accompany her, insisting on staying with her son, then verbally abusing Abby when she tried to take Joey to Radiology.

Kieran intervened, standing between Abby and Joey’s mother. ‘Dale, please don’t talk to my staff like that. We’re only looking after Joey.’

Abby appreciated the protection, although she didn’t need it. Having Kieran stand up for her felt good.

Dale sagged into the chair beside Joey’s bed and tipped her head back. The hood of her sweatshirt slid off her face, revealing bruises on her forehead and cheek. So Joey hadn’t been the only one to take a beating last night.

Abby shivered. It was impossible for her to imagine living with a thug. She knew she wouldn’t stand for it but, then, she hadn’t been ground down by a lifetime of beatings and bullying.

Kieran tried again. ‘Joey needs X-rays. Then he’s going to have a cast put on that arm before being admitted to the paediatric ward for a few days.’

‘You can’t keep him here. His dad’ll go ballistic. The kid’s coming home with me.’ Dale’s eyes flicked left and right, left and right, her agitation growing. ‘I want to take Joey home now. He’s not seeing no social worker.’

The little boy curled up tighter than ever on the bed, one small hand clutching at Abby’s uniform. Her heart squeezed for him. His gaze seemed fixed on a spot on the wall behind her, as though his mind had gone somewhere that didn’t include anyone in this room.

Kieran remained calm in the face of the woman’s tirade about hospitals and busybody social workers who didn’t have lives of their own so had to interfere in everyone else’s. But Abby could see his fingers tightening by his sides. He waited quietly until Dale stopped for air, and then said, ‘Listen to me. Nurse Brown is taking Joey to Radiology now.’

Abby swallowed her angst at the young mother. After all, Dale was a victim, too. ‘Dale, I’ll stay with Joey until the X-rays are taken. He’ll be fine with me, I promise.’

Dale muttered something under her breath as an orderly pushed the bed out of the cubicle, but she didn’t prevent them going.

When Abby returned from Radiology she looked around for Kieran.

‘He’s taken a five-minute break,’ Sally told her.

‘That’s not like him.’ Abby wondered where he’d gone. He never left his post.

At least the department was quiet so he’d chosen a good time to disappear. Had the Joey incident affected him more than he’d let on? She wasn’t going to find out standing here, so she’d make everyone a drink. ‘Coffee, anyone?’

Stirring mugs of coffee, she was so absorbed in wondering about Kieran that she didn’t hear him approaching until he said, ‘Is one of those for me?’

The teaspoon rattled against a mug. ‘Gees, you’re doing that creeping thing again.’ She turned, her breath catching in her throat. He was that close. If she just leaned forward a little, her lips would touch his. Like that. A soft touch. A loving kiss.

A loving kiss? She jerked away, turned back to the coffees. Reached for another mug to make one for Kieran. Anything to concentrate on other than the effect he had on her. Sugar spilled over the bench. She bit her lip. Hard.

Kieran reached for her

hand, took the spoon and shovelled sugar into the mug while his other hand rested on her shoulder. If he couldn’t feel her trembling then he had to be dead.

‘I went down to the crèche,’ he murmured. ‘I needed to check on the children. Something inside me had to see them, touch them.’

Again she turned, only to find herself within the circle of his arms. ‘Because of Joey.’

‘I mightn’t think I’m any good at parenting but I’d never, ever hit my son. Or my niece. Or anyone’s child.’

She touched his lips, this time with her forefinger. ‘You’re not telling me anything I didn’t already know. But I’m glad you felt compelled to go see them. It shows you’re thinking like a parent.’

Kieran’s pager beeped before he had a chance to answer her. Disappointment warred with common sense. They were at work, and any moment now someone would come to see what had happened to the coffee. Abby sighed and picked up three of the mugs. ‘Want to grab the others?’

‘Sure. There’s a call for me from Radiology. Probably about Joey.’

At the nurses’ station, Abby pulled up a chair beside Kieran as he dialled the number on his pager.

‘Two fractures in Joey’s arm, but nothing else,’ Kieran informed her when he’d hung up.

‘Well, at least his head’s okay.’

Time to change the subject. Abby said to Kieran, ‘Did you bring togs with you from Dublin? Or do you have to go shopping before Saturday’s barbeque?’ She tamped down hard on the image of Kieran naked apart from swimming shorts.

‘Togs?’ His forehead creased in puzzlement.

‘Swimming gear. Shorts.’

‘Swimming? Me? I don’t think so.’

‘You can’t go to the beach with children and not get in the water.’ She grinned wickedly. ‘Plenty of surf shops in town where you’ll find something.’ Please don’t buy skimpy Speedos. Her tongue flicked across her bottom lip. There’d be no accounting for her reaction if he did.

Kieran grinned back at her. ‘You’ve got a very expressive face.’

Then he headed toward a cubicle where an elderly lady was being admitted with chest pains, leaving her staring after him in amazement, her cheeks blazing. He couldn’t have read her mind. She crossed her fingers.