* * *
Harry strolled into the general ward of Auckland Central Hospital at ten the next morning. Why he was going to visit Sienna was beyond comprehension. So much for thinking he knew himself well. Getting the keys to her SUV which he’d forgotten last night wasn’t the main reason for being here, more of an excuse to see her. ‘Morning, Sienna.’ Damn, but there was little colour in those soft cheeks, and the sparkle hadn’t returned to her eyes, the vivid blue now an overcast sky shade. He would not acknowledge the tightening in his chest, nor the urge to pick her up and hold her close until she smiled properly.
‘Harrison. What are you doing here?’ Flat-mouthed didn’t suit her, even if he was more used to seeing that than the smile which tightened him in places best not remembered at the moment.
‘Come to take you dancing.’ One corner of that wide mouth lifted enough to know he’d hit the mark. ‘Or we could book that jump off the Sky Tower for after lunch.’
‘I won’t be eating for hours before I go leaping off any building,’ came her retort. And yes, a half-smile now.
Unbelievable how good that made him feel. How scared, too. ‘So you’ve had a gourmet breakfast care of the hospital kitchen?’
‘Something unrecognisable.’
‘Any doctors been to see you this morning?’ Highly unlikely, it being Saturday, but then everyone had fallen over backwards to attend to her last night. Seemed she was a very popular paediatrician. No serious injuries had turned up but Amy Roberts still insisted Sienna stay in overnight so they could keep an eye on her mild concussion.
‘Amy just left. I’m allowed to go home whenever I’m ready.’
Phew. No ongoing problems from that knock on the head, then. ‘I came to collect the keys to your vehicle, so I can give you a lift before Connor and I go collect it if you like.’ It hadn’t taken any persuasion to get his off-sider to go with him. Someone else who thought Sienna was the bee’s knees.
‘You’ve got this all under control, haven’t you?’ The smile had disappeared.
What’d he done wrong now? ‘I’m only helping you out.’
Sienna glanced up at him. ‘I know. Thank you.’ A sigh rippled across her lips, and tightened his gut. ‘I’m not used to people stepping up for me.’ Shock registered on her face, as though she’d admitted something huge.
‘It’s no big deal.’ He didn’t want her thinking he might keep popping over the fence to do things for her. ‘How were you planning on getting home?’ So much for not putting his hand up to help further.
‘I phoned my friend and left a message, but she’ll be at the market, then going for a run, so who knows when I’ll hear from her?’ Again Sienna glanced up at him. ‘I guess that’s a yes, please. Thank you, I’d like a ride home. If it’s still on offer.’
‘Unless you want to stay in your hospital gown, you’re going to have to squeeze back into those tight leggings.’ Could hurt a bit, what with all the bruises she’d collected. By the time they’d got her to the ED she’d been black and blue from head to toe.
Her chin shot forward and he’d swear her teeth were clenched tight. ‘No problem.’
‘Then let’s get this done.’
‘You can wait outside.’ More jaw-tightening going on.
‘You’re going to need help.’ And he was a doctor. He’d seen it all before. Yes, but he hadn’t seen Sienna, and he’d spent a lot of time fantasising about her in the early hours of that morning.
‘Not from you, thanks all the same.’ She swung her legs over the side of the bed, grimacing as those bruised muscles did their job. ‘You can go find me a nurse.’
His hand lifted of its own accord, took her elbow. ‘Let’s make this as easy as possible.’
‘Sienna, what have you done to yourself? I couldn’t believe it when I saw your text. Why didn’t you call me last night?’ A tornado in the form of a tiny woman dressed in sports shoes, shorts and top spun into the room. ‘Are you all right?’
Harry immediately stepped between the newcomer and Sienna to prevent those widespread arms slamming around her. ‘Careful.’
‘Anna, I’m fine.’
The woman skidded to a stop, her hands dropping to her hips. ‘You look anything but fine. A cycling accident? What happened? Did an irresponsible driver cause this? Want me to talk to the police for you?’
A genuine, full-blown smile appeared on Sienna’s face, lighting up her eyes, softening her cheeks.
Harry’s stomach dropped to his toes. I want one of those. No, he didn’t. Or shouldn’t. They were dangerous. He’d be pulled under, have to fight his way back to the surface. Might never make it.
Sienna was talking. ‘Take your law hat off, Anna. The accident was all my fault.’ So why did she look sideways to him for a moment? ‘I phoned to ask you to give me a lift home.’
‘Seriously, Si, are you okay? No broken bones or anything?’
‘I was very lucky.’ Again she glanced at him.
Her visitor’s head shot up and he was being stared at. ‘I’m Anna McIntosh. Of McIntosh, McIntosh and Brown.’ She underscored her name. ‘Who are you?’ Like, don’t fool with her friend or there’d be trouble.
‘Anna, this is Harrison Frost, the doctor who came with the rescue helicopter.’
He presumed that was a law firm Anna had mentioned, one that everyone should recognise, and, being new to town, he didn’t. He put his hand out. ‘Pleased to meet you, Anna. While I work for the Rescue Service, I’m also temporarily Sienna’s neighbour,’ he added for a bit of mischief, not wanting to be fobbed off as the medic and nothing else. But what else was he? Apart from a man who got tight in the groin every time he saw Sienna? And the guy who’d suggested taking a bottle of wine over to her place?
Anna’s handshake was firm for someone so slight, her scrutiny of him just as telling. ‘Just when did you get Sienna to hospital?’
If he could have avoided answering he would have, because this woman was putting two and two together and he didn’t like the accurate answer. But Sienna was as capable of answering as him, so he told the truth. ‘Seven forty-five last night.’ Now the questions would really start. Like why was he here this morning, did he have a wife and kids somewhere, was his job permanent? He knew them all and this woman most certainly had Sienna’s back, which had to be good. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have a résumé covering his dating habits and status in his back pocket, because he too had Sienna’s back—he just mightn’t be as comfortable with that as her friend was.
‘Enough, Anna,’ warned Sienna.
‘To put your mind at ease, Sienna fell about sixty feet through scrub and came to a halt against a tree which saved her life. And because she wore a helmet she got mild concussion, no major brain trauma.’ Harry paused. In his haste to stop those questions he was speaking out of turn by mentioning Sienna’s injuries, but a quick look to Sienna showed she had no issue with that. In fact she gave him a nod, so he continued. ‘Apart from the concussion she has major bruising and the ligaments on one side of her ribcage are torn. That’s very painful and only taking it easy will help.’
Anna reached over and gave her friend a gentle hug. ‘I’m so glad you didn’t do any permanent damage, Si. You don’t need any more trouble.’
He knew it. He’d seen worry in her eyes last night as she evaluated the injuries she might have got. But he’d also felt there was lots more going on behind that frosty look she did so well and which no longer cooled him at all. The need to protect her rose higher, surprising in its intensity. He looked out for family and patients. Sienna didn’t fit either category, no longer being a patient and never going to be anything remotely like family.
‘Tell m
e about it.’ Sienna looked around the room and back to her friend. ‘My next consideration is, do I replace the bike or do I stop riding and play safe?’
‘Thought we’d decided over dinner the other night you’d done with playing safe,’ Anna answered.
So Sienna was a cautious woman. With her choice of sports, or was her heart overprotected as well? And why was he even wondering?
Sienna stared at Anna, confusion darkening her gaze briefly. ‘No, you came up with that idea. I never agreed. Not totally.’ Then she grinned. ‘But you never take any notice of anything I say, so no surprise there. Since you’re here, can you help me get dressed and then drop me off at home?’
A thoughtful look came over Anna’s face and Harry found himself under a kind of scrutiny that had the power of a high-calibre X-ray. ‘I’ll help you get dressed, but I can’t take you home, sorry. I’ve got something to do in the city and,’ she waved a wrist encircled with a top-of-the-range watch, ‘I’m going to be late. Since Harrison’s your neighbour, he can give you a lift.’
‘What have you got to do?’ Sienna demanded in her annoyed voice.
So he wasn’t the only recipient of that tone. Harry would’ve laughed if he wasn’t getting edgy over Anna leaving her friend with him. Sure, he’d said he’d drive her home, but it was the scheming gleam in the lawyer’s eyes that rattled him.
‘See a dog about a bone,’ Anna answered with a little smile.
‘You don’t have a dog,’ Sienna snapped as it dawned on her she was being set up.
‘Nor a bone,’ the other woman laughed. ‘Now, where are your clothes? Harry, can you leave us for a few minutes, please?’
He found himself out in the corridor without realising he’d moved. That was one powerful lady. Anyone on the other side of the bench when she was prosecuting stood little chance. Behind the closed door Sienna’s voice had risen, only to be overridden by her friend’s calmer one. Whatever Sienna wanted—he suspected a ride home with her friend and not him—it wasn’t happening.
Harry’s stomach sucked in, and his hands tightened. He had offered Sienna a lift, and meant it with every fibre in his body. To be told he had to do it rankled. But not as much as Sienna trying to avoid him. Now was when he should be running down to his four-wheel-drive and heading out of the city for the day.