Breaking All Their Rules

Olivia shrugged. ‘We can’t be sure anything we say registers.’

‘You know her?’ Zac noted the odd angle of the nurse’s legs and checked for bleeding in case a blood vessel had been torn. ‘No major swelling indicating internal bleeding.’

‘I can read,’ Olivia muttered.

The name badge. Duh. Left his brain behind this morning, had he? With gentle movements he began assessing her hips and thighs for fractures. ‘Broken femur for starters. This knee has taken a thump too.’ His fingers worked over the kneecap. ‘Smashed, I’d say.’

Their patient groaned again and lifted an arm a small way off the ground.

Zac quickly caught her, and gently pressed her arm down by her side. ‘Amelia, try not to move.’

One eye opened, shut again.

‘At least she’s responding,’ he said.

‘Oh, my God. What’s happened?’ A man loomed over them.

Zac told him, ‘An out-of-control car hit her.’

The newcomer said, ‘I’m in Admin, but I can get help if you tell me what you need.’

‘Get us the emergency equipment and a bed. I told the driver to ring upstairs but you’re part of this hospital, you’ll know exactly who to speak to,’ Zac told him. Who knew if the boy had done as he’d said or taken a hike before everyone turned up and started pointing fingers?

Olivia was speaking quietly. ‘We’ve got a soft cranial injury, probably from impacting with the concrete. Left ear’s torn.’

Zac added to the list of injuries. ‘At least her chest appears to have dodged a bullet.’ His fingers were gently working over Amelia’s ribs. ‘The car would’ve hit her in the lower body.’ What had that kid been thinking, doing wheelies in here? He hadn’t looked old enough to know how to drive. Who are you to ask? You were eighteen and still got it wrong.

‘On my way.’ The admin man nodded at the vehicle parked with its nose caught in the side panel of a sedan. ‘That the car? It’s Maxine Sutherland’s.’

Olivia’s head shot up, horror in her eyes, but all she said was, ‘Can you run? This woman needs urgent help.’

With the man gone, Zac said, ‘Maxine must’ve left the car unlocked, unless…’ Had it been Maxine and Brent’s son driving? Shock rocked through Zac. No parent ever wanted to deal with something like this. He knew. He’d done it to his brother and parents, with dire consequences. They’d never forgiven him, blaming him for not looking out for his younger brother. Like they’d ever been there for either of their sons. But every time Zac saw his brother and that blasted wheelchair the guilt crunched his insides. Zac’s remorse would never go away, and was stronger than anything anyone else could lay on him.

‘Zac? You okay?’ A gentle hand touched his cheek.

His chest rose as he dragged in a lungful of air. ‘Yes.’ No. Now wasn’t the time to explain. If ever there was a right time. He tried to straighten Amelia’s right leg. ‘Her knee is also dislocated.’ He had to know. ‘Do you think the kid is Maxine and Brent’s boy?’

Distress blinked out at him from Olivia’s hyacinth eyes. ‘No. Couldn’t be.’ Her bottom lip trembled even as the truth pushed aside her automatic denial. ‘How dreadful for them if he is.’

‘He was in here, and only card holders have access.’

They were interrupted by the sound of people running and an emergency trolley laden with everything they needed being pushed at a fast pace between the cars. Guess the kid had fronted up for help.

As Olivia explained to the ED staff what had happened and her assessment of Amelia’s injuries, the anger Zac had put on the back burner roared to life. ‘That boy really has made a mess of things for her.’ Zac was equally worried for the lad. His life had changed for ever. ‘Where is he, anyway?’

‘Probably safer away from you.’ Olivia came to stand beside him and reached for his hand. ‘Calm down, Zac. You’re not helping an already tricky situation. I know he’s done wrong but let’s leave that to others while we help with the medical side of things.’

The last thing Zac wanted was Olivia telling him what to do. It took a moment for it to register in the red haze of his brain that he had an excuse to put distance between them. ‘The battery guy. I’ll go and wait for him at the gate.’ He needed to get away from what had happened before he blew a gasket. Amelia was getting all the attention she needed from Olivia and the ED doctor, while his attitude wasn’t helping anyone. He stomped off before Olivia could say anything more.

But not before he saw the shock in those beautiful eyes. Yes, he had his secrets, just as he suspected she had hers. Secrets neither of them wanted to share. His definitely held him back from having a complete and fulfilling life. Was it the same with Olivia? Could that be why she’d walked out on their affair? She hadn’t wanted to keep going in case they grew close?

There was nothing for it. They had to take that trip. Time together, talking, relaxing, getting to know each other on a whole new level, was becoming imperative.

Which really meant he should sign up for every orthopaedic surgery coming up at his clinic for the next six months.

CHAPTER EIGHT

OLIVIA POURED BOILING water over the tea leaves. Earl Grey Blue Star. ‘Bliss.’ She sniffed the air.

Every bone in her body ached with weariness. Her head pounded, her muscles drooped, and it felt as if there was grit in her eyes. The long soak in a very hot shower probably hadn’t woken her up at all. Seven o’clock on Saturday night and she couldn’t wait to crawl into bed. How pathetic could she get?

Her stomach was crying out to be fed. She hadn’t eaten since brunch—the incident in the hospital garage and the resulting investigation by the traffic police had taken up a lot of the day. The pizza she’d ordered would arrive at the front door within the hour. She licked her lips in anticipation and tasted tea.

Her sitting room felt cosy, and lounging in pyjamas and a baggy sweatshirt in front of the fire she’d lit earlier felt decadent. A rare treat to be so sloppily dressed, and she’d die if anyone but the pizza delivery girl saw her in this state.

Right now a holiday would be perfect. There’s one on offer. Had she been too hasty turning it down? Not going to think about it.

Picking up the remote, she turned on the TV, volume low, and flicked through the channels. Nothing interested her, not even the spunky guy showing how to swing a golf club. Not that sport of any kind interested her. It required energy she didn’t like expending getting sweaty.

At the moment the most energetic she wanted to be was lying on a beach, getting a tan. Fiji would do that every time. She sighed. Fiji with Zac? What was wrong with her? She should be grabbing those tickets and packing her bag.

The doorbell rang loud in the quiet house. Someone out there must be looking out for her because that pizza was early. She went to get her dinner.

‘Hi, Olivia. I hope you don’t mind me dropping by.’

‘Zac.’ Her stomach growled while her heart lifted.

‘Is that a good “Zac”, or a go away “Zac”?’

‘Take your pick.’ She stepped back, opening the door wide.

Zac walked in quickly, as though afraid she’d change her mind.

She probably would’ve if she’d had the energy to think about the consequences of letting him into her home. ‘Along here.’ She led him into the sitting room.

When his gaze landed on her tea he asked, ‘Got anything stronger? Scotch on the rocks?’ He sank onto the couch and stared into the fire.

‘Sure.’ That was one spirit she did have, kept for her delight

ful elderly neighbour who liked an occasional tipple when he dropped in after a lonely day at home.

Returning with a glass, ice and whisky, Olivia placed everything on the coffee table she’d spent weeks sanding and varnishing to make it beautiful. Taking her mug to the other end of the couch, she sat with her feet tucked under her bottom and flicked glances at her visitor.

Something was going on. He’d been furious when Amelia had been knocked down by that car. No, as he’d told her angrily, it had been the boy who’d banged the car into Amelia. The car was not at fault. Couldn’t argue with that.

His anger had been more than she’d have expected, but there hadn’t been an opportunity to talk to him about it. When they’d realised it might’ve been their colleagues’ son doing wheelies in the garage Zac had turned pale and charged outside to let the battery guy into the car park. Later she’d seen him standing beside her car, hands on hips, staring up at the rain-laden sky, impervious to everything going on around him. When he’d joined her and the police, he’d gained some control over his emotions but hadn’t been able to look her in the eye. After they’d finished telling the cops what little they’d seen Zac had been quick to drive away, leaving her none the wiser about what had been going on. Now here he was, looking badly in need of some quiet time and a big hug.

She’d give him the quiet time by waiting until he was ready to talk, but she’d hold back on the hug in case she’d read him wrong and he took it as more than she intended.

Zac reached for the bottle, slopped more whisky into the glass, and leaned back, his head on the top of the couch, his eyes closed.

It was far too tempting. Placing her glass on the coffee table, she leaned over, pulled him against her, and wrapped her arms right around him. Zac didn’t resist, instead shuffling closer to lay his head on her breast.