‘Uh…’ That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say but the fact that he’d asked her that particular question meant—what? What did it mean? That he was hoping something was going to happen between them? That he was checking—just in case? ‘Actually, no. I’m not involved with anyone. My…er…my last relationship didn’t end well.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ And his words were genuine, which surprised her.
‘You are?’
He shrugged one shoulder and shifted again, sliding one arm down the back of the lounge, his hand now resting near her back. ‘Everyone deserves to find happiness, Melody.’
‘True but I—’ She shrugged. ‘I guess happiness keeps eluding me.’
‘Was it serious?’
‘We were engaged.’
She’d been engaged? The thought had never crossed his mind. It also drove home just how little he knew about her. ‘Does he work here?’
‘No. He did, though. Thankfully, he left and moved to Germany.’
‘That’s a big move.’
‘Well—given the doctor he impregnated while cheating on me lives in Germany, it was logical.’ Melody couldn’t hide the pain she felt at Emir’s betrayal.
‘What a fool.’
‘To move to Germany?’
‘No. To cheat on you.’
‘Oh.’
‘You deserve better than that.’
‘I do, don’t I?’ She met his gaze, her eyes flicking to encompass his very near, very kissable mouth. She closed her eyes, needing to control her increasing attraction to him. ‘But it’s made me very cautious, George.’ She opened her eyes and stared into his.
Neither of them moved. Both were caught in the bubble of sensual awareness that only seemed to intensify every time they were alone.
The tea-room door opened and a nurse poked her head around. George instantly stood and picked up his coffee cup, carrying it to the sink. ‘Rudy Carlew’s films are available for viewing,’ she stated, pointing to the computer in the corner of the room.
‘Thanks.’ As soon as the door closed, Melody sighed and looked at him. ‘Fast moves.’
‘I’m too old for this and—I don’t want anyone to think there’s anything going on between us.’
‘There isn’t.’
‘But the gossips make up their own stories based on little fact.’
‘You’re worried about the gossips?’ She stood and headed over to the computer, entering her code so they could view the X-rays.
‘I am.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s not fair to you.’
Wow. Was he really that concerned about her? How incredibly sweet. She smiled warmly and beckoned him over. ‘The dislocation of the shoulder looks clean,’ she said as he joined her. He wasn’t as close as he’d just been and for that she was grateful. She needed to concentrate and she was finding it increasingly difficult to do so with George around. She clicked on the next image. ‘Ulna and radius, on the other hand, not so clean. It’ll require open reduction and internal fixation.’
‘You’ll need to reduce and relocate the Colles’ as well,’ George pointed out. ‘What do you think about bandaging and putting his arm in a splint?’
‘We just need to keep everything stable,’ she agreed with a nod.
‘If you insert a few K-wires here…’ George pointed up to the fracture site of Rudy Carlew’s right wrist ‘…that will hold the fracture in place.’
‘I’d need to restrict him in the length of time he is out of the splint and he’ll require a nurse to handle the bandaging.’
‘Absolutely.’
‘What do you think? An hour a day.’
‘At least for the first two weeks. Then once you get the check X-rays done, you may be able to extend that time frame or decrease it, depending on how things look.’
Melody nodded. ‘Could be a workable solution. Let’s see how we go in Theatre. And speaking of which…’ She walked to the phone on the wall and called through to the emergency theatres to see if one could be booked immediately.
‘We’re in luck,’ she told him as she finished putting in the verbal request. Next she headed back to her patient, who was now in one of the isolated rooms at the end of the recovery cubicles.
‘It looks as though we may have a solution to your problem,’ Melody told Rudy. ‘But,’ she added at his brilliant smile, ‘you’ll be under strict instructions as to how much you can do and, please, no more stunts! Use the stuntman next time.’
‘Yes, Doctor,’ Rudy said with mock remorse.