Playing the Playboy's Sweetheart by Carol Marinelli Read Free Book Online Page A

Emily’s years of nursing it had never happened. Well, once an uncle had had a hip replacement, but she’d been expecting to see him.
    This, though, was completely unexpected and Jessica wasn’t even a relation.
    She had once felt like one, though.
    Today, had she been scrubbing in, as was her usual, Emily might not have even know that the patient was the Jessica she had known all those years ago. Thirteen years was a long time and with the different name and with her eyes closed, as they would have been in Theatre, Emily might not have even recognised her.
    Emily pushed back the wave of emotion that threatened to knock her off course and walked over to the young woman. ‘How are you?’ Emily said, and then gave a little laugh. ‘Well, that’s a silly question, given that you’re about to have surgery.’
    ‘I’ve been dreading it,’ Jessica said. ‘I’m so scared of having an anaesthetic.’
    ‘A lot of people are.’ Emily squeezed her hand. ‘Rory’s on today and he’s amazing, he’ll take such good care of you. Have you met him?’
    ‘He came and saw me this morning.’ Jessica looked over at Rory and then back at Emily. ‘Will you be there?’
    ‘I’ll be with you while you’re put to sleep,’ Emily said, and then bit her bottom lip as Jessica looked at Hugh.
    ‘Emily and I were sisters...’
    Hugh smiled back, though of course he didn’t really understand. He was pleased to see his patient looking a lot more relaxed but right now he was more concerned about the nurse because Emily’s face was chalk white and he watched as Jessica turned back to Emily. ‘I’ve looked you up a few times,’ Jessica admitted. ‘I was going to friend you on Facebook but I didn’t know if I’d be welcome...’
    ‘I’ve tried to look you up too,’ Emily said, ‘though no wonder I didn’t get very far, as that your surname’s changed.’
    ‘Mum married again and I took Mike’s surname.’
    Emily hesitated. She didn’t really want to know how Katrina was doing and yet there was a small part of her that did. ‘How is your mum?’
    ‘She’s good,’ Emily said. ‘She’s happy. Well, I think she is.’
    Does she ever mention me? Emily wanted to ask. And does she ever give me so much as a passing thought?
    Tears were starting to sting at the back of Emily’s eyes and she quickly turned away and busied herself with the medicines she had already pulled up—she certainly didn’t want to add to Jessica’s difficult morning with her own gush of emotion.
    Thankfully Hugh seemed to realise that Emily was struggling and he started chatting away to Jessica, telling her that it wouldn’t be a long procedure and he’d see her again when she woke up.
    Hugh went to go. Rory had administered a stronger sedative, but the emotion in Jessica’s voice in the moment before she went under had Hugh pause at the door. ‘I missed you so much.’
    Emily stared into her eyes and was honest in her response. ‘I missed you too.’
    Oh, how she had.
    They had been weekend and holiday sisters and losing Jessica and even Katrina had been a hurt that had gone unacknowledged by all. And there had been many more losses since then.
    Emily held Jessica’s hand as she slid under and then helped wheel her through to the theatre and onto the operating table.
    She glanced over to Hugh, who was scrubbing up, and he gave a small nod that said he’d take good care.
    He always did.
    Hugh worked on smaller procedures himself yet more and more he was honing his skills and was ready for that next step.
    As he performed the procedure, an investigative laparoscopy for recurrent abdominal pain, Emily was the furthest thing from his mind.
    He carefully checked the abdominal cavity and organs. Jessica had undergone many investigations and all had come back as normal.
    As was this.
    * * *
    With the procedure over and Jessica being moved to Recovery, Hugh headed over there to check on Ernest.
    ‘He looks terrible...’ Hannah, his wife, was by