Free Partners by Contract by Kim Lawrence Page A

but kill, no...

CHAPTER FOUR
    P HOEBE actually had her hand on the doorhandle when she turned back.
    ‘Why, Con?’ The words exploded from her as she pinned her resentful eyes on his face. ‘Why encourage Will with all that partner nonsense?’
    ‘Who says it’s nonsense?’
    Phoebe’s eyes widened incredulously. ‘Anyone with an ounce of common sense!’ she exclaimed. ‘Including Ellen,’ she added waspishly. ‘Very little I do seems to meet with her approval,’ she replied in response to the quizzical quirk of his eyebrow.
    ‘Is that all?’ Connor’s indulgent smile made her want to throw something at him. ‘I can talk Ellen round.’
    ‘I never doubted it.’
    ‘And I’m sorry if you mind, but I told her.’ She didn’t want him running away with the idea that she was deliberately sabotaging his romance.
    ‘About what?’
    ‘That you were married to Pen and she was my sister. If that makes things awkward for you, I’m sorry. I thought you might want to tell Will yourself.’
    ‘I already have.’
    Phoebe’s jaw dropped. ‘You have?’
    ‘Well, it’s not some state secret, is it?’
    ‘No, of course not. I just thought... But you hadn’t got around to telling Ellen.’
    ‘Is there any special reason I should have?’ he asked mildly.
    Phoebe bit her lip. ‘No, I suppose not,’ she admitted huskily. ‘Though other people might find it odd that we didn’t mention it earlier. With any luck,’ she reflected gloomily, ‘I’ll be gone before everyone finds out.’ Gone and I’ll never see him again.
    She wasn’t about to fall apart just because he was saying he didn’t think their past relationship—with the emphasis on the past—was important enough to discuss with his girlfriend.
    ‘I wouldn’t rely on that—the bush telegraph here is a very efficient device. Your time here might go more smoothly if you made an effort to like Ellen. She has the best interest of the practice at heart, you know. She’s very protective.’
    Oh Ellen was protective all right, but not of the practice! ‘I’m sure you’re right.’
    ‘No, you’re not.’
    Phoebe shrugged. ‘We’ll have to agree to differ on this one. It’s hardly worth arguing about. The fact remains that we can’t work together. It would be most...’
    ‘Uncomfortable?’ he suggested helpfully.
    ‘It’s all very well for you to joke!’ she accused, eyeing him with growing resentment
    One expressive brow arched. ‘Do you see me laughing?’
    A choking sound escaped the confines of her throat. Her mouth opened and closed several times. His persistence was totally baffling.
    ‘It would serve you right if I accepted Will’s offer!’ she yelled, wagging her finger in front of his masterful nose.
    Head on one side, Connor regarded her thoughtfully. He didn’t seem suitably intimidated by her dire threat.
    ‘I reckon,’ he announced after due consideration, ‘that we could lick you into shape. There are bound to be teething problems, of course... Speaking of which, in my positionas senior partner in this practice I have to concern myself with any complaints...’
    His words stopped her dead in her tracks. It had been the last thing she’d expected him to say. ‘You’ve had a complaint? About me?’
    ‘Don’t look so devastated. It happens to the best of us.’
    Connor wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know, and in Phoebe’s experience good doctors all had one important thing in common—they were able to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes. The suggestion that she had made a mistake was something she would normally take in her stride, but this wasn’t normal...this was Connor and she was hypersensitive to any criticism from him.
    ‘You’re enjoying this,’ she accused, her stiff figure vibrating with antagonism.
    Deep down she knew Con was just doing his job. She also knew she should be discussing the problem rationally and calmly. Knowing you were being unreasonable was one thing.