‘Take a seat, Carla.’ Mario parked his backside on the edge of the small table. ‘This is Miss Prendergast. You’ve heard about her and she’ll be part of Tommy’s medical team from now on. She’s very experienced and Tommy couldn’t be in better hands.’ Hell, Tommy was getting excellent care in his hands.

Glancing around, he found Alexandra’s eyebrows lifting ever so slightly as she listened to him, amusement blinking back at him from those emerald eyes. Had he gone overboard with his compliment? With a shrug, he got back to the main reason they were all shut in this airless room. ‘Do you recall the conversation you and I had when Tommy was first admitted? About what to expect at this stage of Tommy’s disease?’

‘Yes, but I hoped you were wrong. No, I prayed you didn’t know what you were talking about. They didn’t put it so bluntly in Auckland. I’m sorry.’ Carla sagged further.

Mario winced. There was nothing to be gained by keeping a patient’s family in the dark. But then Carla and her son had been dealing with another tragedy, and anything else might’ve overwhelmed them at the time.

Alexandra took the empty seat beside the woman and reached for Carla’s hands. So here was Miss Prendergast’s softer side. ‘It’s very understandable for you to hope for better. I’d probably do the same thing if I was in your situation.’ She shook Carla’s hands gently. ‘But as doctors we don’t have that luxury. We have to be prepared for anything to happen so that we can do our very best for Tommy.’

Carla lifted her pain-filled eyes to Alexandra’s face. ‘Thank you.’

Mario watched as Alexandra talked softly, explaining the situation once again, having gone from confused to kind and compassionate in a flash. Amazing how her own priorities had been put aside for a suffering parent. He was impressed. This was the soft caramel specialist he’d heard about.

Alexandra said to Carla, ‘What you can keep believing is that we’re doing everything possible for Tommy.’

Carla’s bottom lip trembled but she blinked hard and held herself very straight. ‘I do, but I’m afraid of losing him.’

Mario murmured, ‘Sì. It is very hard for you. But Tommy’s fighting hard. He won’t give in. I’ve seen it in his eyes.’

He noted Alexandra listening as carefully as Carla. Sussing him out? Making sure he was up to speed on the job? That rankled. He’d worked in some of the best hospitals in England and Italy. He had an excellent reputation as a surgeon for the little ones. This hospital board had been more than happy to accept his qualifications. Miss Prendergast had to accept him, like it or not. Starting now.

He stood abruptly. The desperate need in Carla’s eyes to see her son gave him the perfect excuse to cut this conversation short. Carla probably couldn’t take in any more right now anyway. Taking her elbow he said, ‘Come. We’ll visit your son.’

He accompanied the woman to Tommy’s room where he spent time checking the boy over again. Finally he stepped back and left Carla gripping Tommy’s hand and talking soothing mother things while watching her precious son as though he was about to vaporise into thin air.

His heart stuttered. Sophia’s mother had never been there for her child. Too busy having a good time to want to be tied down by her daughter. How the hell had she not loved sweet, lovable Sophia? What he wouldn’t do to tell Lucy exactly what he thought of her.

As a father he connected with Carla’s emotions. The two times Sophia had been severely ill he’d taken her hands in his and hung on for dear life, willing his own life source into her, urging her to come back to him. It had drained him completely, taken days to recover from, but he was her father and fathers gave their all to their bambinos. So should all mothers.

‘Have you got time to join me on the ward round?’ Alexandra spoke quietly from beside him. ‘Or do you want to stay with those two a while longer? I don’t mind waiting if you do.’

When he turned his head and looked down he met the direct but empathetic gaze of this enigmatic woman. ‘They don’t need me at the moment. Probably better off having time alone. Let’s go over patient notes in Kay’s cubbyhole she proudly calls her office. I’ll bring you up to speed.’

‘Right.’

Right. That’s it? Did that mean she was accepting his presence? Did she realise he’d been doing her job while she was away? Not to mention filling in for Liz. ‘Right,’ he snapped back, suddenly tired of this, wanting to clear the air between them now, not after they’d completed their round. But the interns were waiting, grouped around the nurses’ station, reading notes, and pestering the nurses. His teeth ground on a curse. He’d have to wait.

At Kay’s door he stood back to allow Alexandra to enter first, and as she passed he drew a lungful of sweet spring air that reminded him of freesias. On a freezing winter’s day? What was wrong with him? It was as though his brain had gone to hell in a wheelbarrow, leaving him delusional. It certainly wasn’t because he was attracted to this woman. Absolutely not. He liked his women pliable and fun, not to mention tall and blonde. Fun especially didn’t seem to fit Alexandra. Maybe he could show her some? Bah! Dumb idea. Perturbed at the direction his thoughts were heading he studied Alexandra from behind.

The shapeless white coat did not enhance her figure, but neither did it detract from her attributes. Her slim neck and cute ears poking from above the crinkled white collar appeared delicate. Nothing like the real Miss Prendergast at all.

‘Hi, Mario. How’s Sophia this morning?’ Kay grinned at him.

‘As quiet and good as ever.’ Sadness struck as he thought of his daughter and her fear of doing something naughty. At times he almost wished she’d throw a tantrum or refuse to do what he asked of her, instead of her quiet sobs in the night and her need to behave perfectly so no one would growl at her. It wasn’t normal to be so good. He’d probably never know everything that had happened to her before he’d come into her life. And for now it was more important to help her overcome the past, not make an issue of it. The only way he knew how to do that was to provide stability and loads of unconditional love, things she’d never experienced in her short and sad life.

‘I found some of my boys’ books and brought them in for Sophia. I hope they’re not too young for her but I was thinking that as she’s learning to read they’d be a good place to start.’

‘I’m sure Sophia will enjoy them. She loves all sorts of books. Just like her dad.’ His chest swelled, while at the same time he squashed a pang of annoyance. It was his place to provide everything Sophia needed. If he just had the time to go shopping.

Alexandra’s eyes were flicking back and forth between him and Kay, puzzlement darkening the green to the colour of pine needles. ‘Sophia’s my daughter,’ he informed her. Maybe telling her something personal would soften her attitude towards him. ‘She’s four years old.’

‘She’s gorgeous,’ added Kay, making his heart swell more.

‘Of course she’s gorgeous.’ She’s mine.

Alexandra’s eyes widened but she only said, ‘Let’s take a look at the patient files, shall we?’

‘Sì.’ Antagonising this woman wouldn’t help anyone, least of all him. He had no intention of finding another specialist position in another city. Nelson was where he belonged, where Sophia now belonged. They were here to stay—forever.

So buying a ticket to Mars was not an option, even if, at this very moment with Alexandra eyeing him up like something the cat had dragged in, all that isolation seemed like bliss.

As Kay handed Alexandra the first file she said in an aside to him, ‘I also brought in a chicken casserole for you to take home tonight. I made far too much for us to get through.’

‘You’re as transparent as glass.’ Mario smiled. ‘Thank you, but I really wish you wouldn’t. I do cook for Sophia every day.’ No need to admit that more often than not he heated up something from the freezer, or that often by the time he did have food ready Sophia had fallen asleep on the sofa in front of the TV.