November Harlequin Presents 2(16)

Phil straightened and his blue eyes sparkled. ‘You’re a refreshing thing. With that lead up, I was half expecting you to ask me what I thought of Maverick’s offer. But yes, my second son is called Sam. He’s a doctor with Médecin Sans Frontières.’

‘I knew it! Sam’s a wonderful man and a great doctor, just a natural with the children. The people love it when he visits. You must be very proud of him and the work he’s doing.’

‘Good God, girl! Don’t tell me you’ve been out to some of those godforsaken places he works in?’

‘Oh,’ she said, bringing herself up as she remembered who she was supposed to be. Morgan had never been to Africa, let alone anywhere near a refugee camp. ‘Actually no, not exactly, but I’ve heard all about him. My sister was with GlobalAid and got to work closely in the refugee camps with him. She was always telling me how wonderful he is, with the kids especially.’

‘Well, you know, that’s just so good to hear. Because he’s a hopeless correspondent. We might hear from him once or twice a year. Drives Doris and me batty. We never know what he’s up to.’

‘Then, if it’s any consolation, he’s doing really well,’ she said. ‘I know my sister saw him a month ago just before she left the country, and she said he was looking great and loving the work but still missing home and family all the same—especially as it gets closer to Christmas time again.’ In fact Sam had been the doctor who’d agreed to her discharge. They’d had a long chat about the Gold Coast and how he envied her going home.

Phil looked at her for a while, shaking his head slowly, his expression contemplative. Then he sighed. ‘I don’t know what to say. That’s wonderful to hear. Just wonderful. And your sister told you all this, you say?’

Tegan threw up a silent prayer for forgiveness. She didn’t mean to lie, but what else could she do? ‘She just came home after three years away. It all just spilled out. Everything about her life there, and everyone she met. She loved it all.’

‘Well, I don’t think I have to tell you that you’ve made my day,’ he said. ‘Doris will be so happy to hear the news. She worries, you understand, as do I. It’s the risk, you see. We don’t know what he’s going through. And naturally we fear for what might happen to him.’

Tegan nodded, understanding only too well. When she’d come home, Morgan had threatened her life and limb if she ever thought about going away and leaving her again. It was hard on family, she knew. ‘Not knowing is the worst,’ she agreed. ‘But, if it helps at all, I know that the way my sister and a lot of her colleagues rationalise it—they understand there are risks, and do their very best to minimise them, but at the same time they also believe that there are simply times you have to step outside your comfort zone and take a risk if you want to make a difference in this world.’

He seemed to consider her words for a moment before placing one hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. ‘Wise words, young lady. Very wise words indeed.’ Then he fished a card out from his wallet and handed it to her. ‘This has my personal details on it. Call me when your sister’s free and we’ll arrange a time she can come and talk to us about life in the refugee camps—and what our son’s been up to. And thank you again, I can’t tell you how thrilled Doris is going to be when I tell her. Now, you better drink your coffee. It’ll be getting cold.’

Oh hell, she realised, not her coffee. Maverick’s coffee. And it was stone cold.



What the blazes was she doing up there? Maverick scowled through the cloud of legalese going on around him and watched. And what the hell could they be talking about that made her smile like that? She’d certainly never flashed a smile like that in his direction.

Then he saw Rogerson reach out an arm and drop it on her shoulder, and his blood pressure spiked. When he saw Rogerson hand her something, his hackles went up twofold.

‘Maverick, did you want to add something?’

He looked around to the expectant face of his senior legal counsel, and realised he’d given voice to the growl that had rumbled through him.

‘No. Carry on,’ he assured them, surprised at the extent of his reaction. It’s just the deal, he told himself. If she’d done or had said anything that threatened this deal and Rogerson’s acceptance of his guarantee then she’d pay. And given the strange mood she’d been in lately…

His coffee appeared before him—finally. He looked up to acknowledge its receipt, but her features betrayed no trace of the friendly familiarity he’d seen her sharing with Rogerson just a minute or so ago. Instead it was like she’d pulled down shutters over her face, banishing her smile and removing all trace of interest from those changeable hazel eyes.