He was sucking her in. Into the life here at the clinic, the way everyone looked after everyone else as if it was an extended family. Tempting her to depend on him, to accept his judgement as sound. All the things that felt so hazardous.
She’d escaped the sticky tendrils of her own family. Escaped her father’s heavy-handed attempts to control every aspect of her life, her training and her career. She couldn’t give anyone control over her life like that again. Particularly not Ross, because it was so darned tempting to let him.
So she challenged him. Every time, and at every turn. Even that seemed to bring out the warm mischief in his eyes, and Laurie suspected that he didn’t much mind. That was just as well because she wasn’t going to stop any time soon.
If that meant choosing the most embarrassing costume she could find for him then so be it. It might be classed as petty, but it was a lifebelt in stormy seas, something to buoy her up and allow her the self-determination she’d fought so hard to attain.
CHAPTER FOUR
ROSS HAD BEEN wondering what Laurie was doing ever since their train had arrived at London Euston Station and they’d gone their separate ways. Whether she would really just go home or whether she had another secret agenda. Ross told himself that Laurie could have as many agendas as she liked, as long as she did the job he was paying her for, and worked towards healing her own injury. Secret was far too emotive a word, everything else was her own business.
The minicab drew up outside the small block of flats in London’s docklands, at ten to two. The driver opened a newspaper, nodding abstractedly when Ross told him he might be a little w
hile.
Being ten minutes early was just a matter of the London traffic being lighter than usual, but if he’d thought that he might catch Laurie unawares then he would have been disappointed. She answered the door of her top floor flat wearing a pair of dark slacks and a white top, the neutral colours accentuating the vibrant red of her hair and her tawny eyes. It wasn’t so very different from the attire he’d seen her in for the last week, but presumably this was what Laurie classed as her ‘doctor clothes’.
It all became a little clearer when she beckoned him inside, asking him to wait in the living room while she checked that all the windows were closed before she left. There was an almost military neatness about the place, with none of the piles of books and mementos that adorned his own sitting room. Just space, and light, and everything in its own place. This was how she’d managed to juggle a career as a doctor with her sporting achievements, with the kind of ruthless organisation that made sense of having different clothes for her two different identities.
He walked over to the window. There was a magnificent view of St Katharine docks, with small boats moored by the old dockside and a couple of white sails scudding past in the distance.
‘Tempting view, eh?’ Her voice sounded close behind him, and Ross jumped.
‘I can see why you like it. How long have you been here?’ Ross wondered whether the tidiness might be just as the result of having just moved in.
‘Six years. It’s a very handy location as it’s close to where I work, and my rowing club is nearby too.’
Ross nodded, trying not to scan the rest of the room for clues about Laurie’s life. There wasn’t much to be had from it anyway.
‘You’re ready to go, then?’
‘Yes, all set.’ She walked out into the hallway, grabbing her suitcase and ushering Ross out of the flat.
* * *
He’d deliberately not given Laurie any more details than the ones included in the file, wanting to see how she would handle her first meeting with Adam. The minicab drew up outside a comfortable semi-detached house and Laurie’s suitcase was retrieved from the boot. Ross paid the driver and led the way up the front path.
‘Dr Summerby. It’s so nice of you to come.’ Adam’s mother, Ann, answered the door.
‘Ross, please,’ Ross reminded her as he stepped inside. ‘This is Dr Sullivan, she’ll be helping with Adam’s treatment.’
‘Also known as Laurie.’ Laurie let go of her suitcase, leaning forward to shake Ann’s hand. There was none of the suspicious caution that characterised all her interactions with the staff at the clinic, and the warmth of her smile left Ross in no doubt that it was genuine.
‘Adam’s in the conservatory.’ Ann beckoned them to follow her. ‘Still cultivating the grumpy teenager vibe, I’m afraid...’ Ann lowered her voice.
Adam hadn’t said much when Ross had seen him last, but he’d met grumpier teenagers. He heard Laurie chuckle.
‘I’m told that grumpy teenagers of all ages are Ross’s specialty.’ She leaned towards Ann slightly as if confiding an important piece of information, then shot Ross a mischievous glance.
She was charming. Entrancing. And there was no doubt that her joke was partly aimed at herself.
‘I’ve been known to have some success...’ He glanced back at her, seeing a quirk of humour pull at her lips. Laurie was slowly picking his wits apart, leaving them in adoring shreds at her feet, and he made an effort to pull himself together.
‘How does Adam feel about his injury?’ Laurie turned her smile on Ann, who puffed out a despairing breath.
‘It’s difficult for him. He loves running and he’s really good at it. Our other son is more academic, and this is the thing that Adam excels at.’
‘You have a coach for him?’