Ross understood. She’d reached out and found that he’d been there all along. Laurie’s heart did a back-flip in her chest.
‘You said you had a brother?’
Two actually. But Laurie never talked about her older brother. Even now, it was too painful and she didn’t know what to say.
‘You’ve heard of the tennis player Ben Sullivan?’
‘Yes, of course. He retired a couple of years ago, didn’t he?’
‘Shattered knee. Due to over-training probably. He stayed on with my father as his trainer, even after he had the opportunity to find someone else. He’s a year younger than me. I didn’t see him for a long time, he testified against me at my court hearing.’
‘That must have really hurt.’
Laurie shrugged. ‘There was a time when I would have done the same kind of thing myself, I wanted my father’s approval so badly. I didn’t speak to Ben for years, but when he retired he got in touch. He’s living with his girlfriend now, and seems to have found some sense of normality.’
‘Came to the same conclusion as you?’
‘I think so. We don’t talk about it much, there’s a lot of hurt there still.’
‘Some wounds never really heal. We just cover them up and keep going.’
‘You think?’
Ross didn’t answer. His arm was slung on the cushions of the sofa, behind her back, and Laurie slid a little closer to him. That warmth wasn’t so confronting now.
‘This is a little out of my remit, too.’ Clearly not too far, because Ross didn’t move away.
‘I think we’re bot
h very clear that you’re not my doctor any more.’
He looked down at her, humour in his eyes. ‘Yeah, we’ve covered that one very comprehensively. You do, however, work at the clinic.’
‘And you’re my boss.’ Laurie pursed her lips. ‘But I’m not on the clock at the moment. And this is nice.’
‘Yeah.’ He chuckled. ‘Maybe we make an exception, then.’
She felt his arm around her shoulders and snuggled against him. No one could possibly have said for sure that this wasn’t friendship and concern. If she disregarded her racing heartbeat and the cool scent of his body, Laurie might almost believe it herself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
IT HAD BEEN the first time in a very long time. Sitting, talking aimlessly, watching a bit of TV. Ross had almost forgotten what it felt like to have the warmth of a woman’s body next to his. To feel cocooned in the quiet of the evening, knowing that someone else was there with him.
He’d been careful. Careful not to hug her goodnight or to kiss her although he’d wanted to do both very much. But something had happened last night. He’d known that Laurie’s childhood must have been difficult, but not how much she’d been starved of the warmth that he took for granted. And in that understanding the first threads of trust had started to weave them together.
It wasn’t enough. He couldn’t allow himself to want more, because fate was both unpredictable and capricious in its cruelty. That was one thing he could never allow himself to trust.
She appeared in the doorway of his office the following morning. He beckoned her inside, watching her movements carefully as she sat down.
‘You’re looking better.’
‘I’m a little stiff, but there’s no real damage done. Thanks for being a friend last night.’
Unless he was very much mistaken, that was a statement of intent. Laurie couldn’t be unaware of the chemistry that fizzed between them, but she’d settle for friendship. It seemed that was something they could both handle.
‘What can I do for you?’
‘Sam said you were going into town this afternoon. Can you give me a lift?’