an alteration. The mandibular advancement, Troy Reeves, has cancelled. Influenza. I’ve rescheduled him for the twentieth of the month. With any luck you’ll finish surgery by six tomorrow night.’
‘Christina, this is Sara,’ Tom said, as he reached for the amended list. ‘Sara, this is Christina, my secretary.’
Both women smiled courteously.
‘Christina, if you’ve done your bit, go on home,’ Tom told her. ‘I really appreciate you coming in on a weekend. I’ll make it up to you.’
‘Don’t be silly, Tom. I’m happy to help out under the circumstances and I’ll see you around seven.’ With that she headed back to the open door. ‘Nice to meet you, Sara.’
Sara smiled and with equal grace said goodbye before the door closed.
‘Don’t know what I’d do without her,’ Tom remarked casually. ‘She’s a remarkable woman.’
Sara felt an unexpected ache in her heart when she heard him talk that way about another woman. And they had plans at seven. They had a date. It was ridiculous to be feeling anything other than elation. But she didn’t. She felt jealous. It was insane. Why should she care what he thought of or, for that matter, did with other women? Tom could date other women. And now he’d signed the divorce papers he could marry another woman. As long as she didn’t want children. It wasn’t her concern what he did.
You wanted a divorce and now you have it within your reach. And don’t forget it, she reminded herself as she tried to pull her thoughts back to the situation at hand.
Before Sara had a chance to open her mouth, the door burst open again. She spun around and found herself being hauled into the arms of a tall, rather robust man with a bushy beard. She felt dwarfed by his stature. He hugged her ferociously and then stepped back.
Sara had to steady herself. It took a moment for her to register just who was on the giving end of the exuberant embrace.
‘Sara,’ he said. ‘You’re looking great. How long has it been?’
‘Stuart!’ she managed to return, realising it was her old friend hiding beneath the thick facial hair. His trademark mop of russet curls hadn’t changed at all, now she took stock of him, neither had his twinkling brown eyes in rimless glasses. ‘Gosh, it must be three years or more. Last time I saw you would’ve been...at...um...your...’ She stumbled over her words.
A cough echoed from across the room. ‘I think Sara’s trying to say it was at your anniversary party just before we went our different ways,’ Tom interjected. ‘And by the way, Stu, it would’ve been nice of you to let me in on the fact Sara was filling in for you. I had no idea.’
Stuart just shrugged his shoulders. ‘Should’ve read the memo I left on your desk in the office.’
‘Maybe you should have just told me.’
‘I’m not your secretary, Dr Fielding. We’re partners!’
Sara smiled at the banter. They were like bickering children.
‘It’s lovely to see you again, Stu,’ she cut in, to change the subject before it escalated further.
‘Just wonderful to see you, gorgeous. You haven’t changed a bit. Stunning as always,’ he said, stepping back. ‘I’m sorry I was delayed in ICU. I wanted to be here when you arrived and talk through everything but since Tom is here I’m sure he can run you through my caseload and his as well. He’s going to take over my day at the hospital and you will cover his day there. It’s easier than trying to have you cover at the hospital for me. Way too much paperwork in this place,’ he said, rolling his eyes.
‘Okay, I’m happy to fit in where I can,’ Sara said after hearing the update. She’d had no idea she would be covering for anyone else, let alone Tom, but it did make sense.
‘I’m glad I got to thank you in person before I leave. You’re a trouper. Dana and I can’t tell you how much it means to us.’
‘It’s my pleasure. Are you looking forward to your time off?’
‘It’s not exactly time off for the sake of it. I’m taking time out to be with Bonny. She was hurt in an accident up on the farm. The tractor lost its grip on an embankment. It rolled into a ditch where Bonny was playing.’
‘Oh, my...’ Sara’s hand instinctively covered her mouth. ‘When did that happen?’
‘A few weeks back. She’s okay. She’s out of hospital now. I mean, all things considered, she’s doing really well. It was a dirty great tractor and she’s so tiny and it could have been much worse. Thankfully there were huge great boulders that took the full weight of the tractor. It fell sideways and Bonny got injured when the metal toolbox lost its moorings and landed on her. She was knocked unconscious and her leg was pinned underneath the exhaust pipe.’ The pain in his eyes couldn’t mask the distress he was feeling at retelling the story.
Sara was horrified at the thought of Bonny pinned beneath the tractor. She felt her own spine rush with cold and then tears begin to build. She blinked them away.
‘I didn’t want to guilt you into coming so I didn’t mention Bonny when you offered to fill in. It would’ve been unfair to put that sort of pressure on you.’
‘It wouldn’t have been pressure. You know I would do anything for you and Dana. I’m just so incredibly sorry to hear about all of this,’ Sara told him truthfully. ‘I’m glad I’m here, and I hope you can just focus on Bonny and get her better even sooner.’
‘She’s up and walking but still in a frame,’ Stuart told her. ‘But she’s determined to get back on those little feet of hers. I know she can do it and I think she’s going to get better that much sooner with me home full time to help her through the physio. I’m usually home three days a week then here in Melbourne, consulting, the other four.’
Sara watched as Stuart looked pensively down toward his hands and nervously twisted his wedding band back and forth. She felt helpless to ease the almost tangible pain he was suffering.
‘She hasn’t regained her speech yet,’ he began, in little more than a dying whisper.
Sara reached for his hands and encircled them in her own.
‘If she’s anything like you, little Bonny will be back on her feet and telling you off before you know it.’
He coughed to clear his throat and slowly pulled his hands free of hers and stepped away from her. Sara suspected it was some sort of male strategy he was using to keep his emotions in check.
‘I know she will. It’s Dana that needs convincing. The specialists have told us with family around her full time she’ll be racing ahead. I originally organised a nurse to help out with the twins so Dana could spend time with Bonny, but now, thanks to you taking over for the next month, we can keep it just the family and I know it will make all the difference to her recovery.’
Stuart wrapped one arm around her shoulder and pulled her close again in a bear hug. ‘Dana sends her love and hopes you can visit us at the farm soon. We’ve had it for two years now. Dana really wants you to meet the twins. They’re nearly one and, of course, Bonny’s almost seven now.’
Sara felt a twinge of guilt for not returning to Melbourne to visit Stuart and Dana. The four of them had shared some wonderful times together, but after the separation Sara had felt the need to stay away from risk of seeing Tom. She’d emailed often and called occasionally. She’d sent them a basket filled with toys and baby gifts when the twins were born. But for the last few months she had been too focused on planning the trip and hadn’t spoken to them. Obviously because of the accident and their priority being Bonny, they hadn’t reached out to her either.
‘It has been far too long since I saw you,’ she began. ‘I really would love to visit you and Dana on the farm when Bonny is up to it.’
‘Of course, Dana would love it,’ he