Page 48 of One Night with the Doctor

Sebastian was sure that Geri’s regal matriarchal glare, unwavering in its intensity, scared the pants off most people. But he was not most people and he knew her well enough to see past her expressions. Also, he’d be a pretty lousy psychologist if he couldn’t see that Geri was lying.

Even if she was doing a fairly convincing job of it.

Had he not worked in the prison system for a decade, she might even have got away with it. But he was trained to read nuances and Geri’s subtle jaw clench gave her away.

And besides – the whole thing just didn’t make sense.

Employing a stare of his own that had broken hardened criminals, he dropped his voice. ‘Don’t bullshit me, Geraldine.’

Geri regarded him for a moment with pursed lips. ‘Okay, fine.’ She caved in but only, Sebastian suspected, because she thought it necessary. ‘She hasn’t gone away. She’s at home.’

Sebastian nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. ‘What’s wrong with her? Is she okay? Is this something to do with her not feeling well?’

A hundred worst-case-scenarios whizzed around his brain.

Geri shook her head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t. I’m not telling you anything else. This isn’t high school and I’m not here to pass notes for you both. Go and ask her yourself.’

Sebastian picked his keys up off his desk where he’d not long thrown them. ‘Fine. I have every intention of doing just that.’

Geri held up her hands in the universal signal to stop. ‘If you want my advice, you’ll give her some breathing room. Don’t hare over there now. Wait till after work. Give her a chance to… Give her some space.’

He blinked. A chance to what? Some space for what? But Geri had gone before he could ask the questions.

Sebastian threw the keys back down in disgust and snatched up the phone receiver, punching in her number which went to her voice mail. ‘Callie? I know you haven’t gone away. I’m worried about you… I’ll be round tonight after work, whether you like it or not,’ he growled as he banged the phone down.

Sebastian steepled his fingers and brooded, staring into space. What in God’s name had got into her? Had he done something wrong? Had she maybe wanted him to come over last night with a bunch of flowers and some hot chicken broth? Had she set him some kind of a test that he’d failed, and now she was sulking?

No, that wasn’t Callie. She didn’t play those stupid games.

Which was one of the best things about their relationship. No artifice. No lies. Just two adults enjoying each other’s company. Respecting each other.

Or so he’d thought…

By the time Sebastian arrived at Callie’s it was nearly eight o’clock. A last-minute crisis at Jambalyn had seen him tied up at the hospital, organising an emergency admission to the psych unit. Those things always took longer than anticipated.

He was tired and there was a knot of tension between his shoulder blades as big as his fist. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with Callie, lose himself inside her and forget about the entire day. Walking up the front steps, looking at the darkened house, that particular fantasy didn’t seem very likely.

He raised his hand and gave three hard raps against the wood panels of the door. He waited for a minute and rapped again. Another minute passed.

‘Callie,’ he called, knocking for the third time. ‘I know you’re in there.’

More silence greeted him and Sebastian felt a most unnatural urge to rip the door off its hinges. He thumped at the wood instead, pounding his fist on it.

‘Goddamn it, Callie. Open the door!’

He could use his key but that didn’t feel right in this situation and he didn’t think she’d appreciate the invasion of her privacy.

Finally he heard a voice. ‘Go away.’ It was faint but definitely her. ‘Leave me alone!’

Sebastian placed his palm flat against the wood. Her voice sounded feeble and the worry that had been gnawing at his gut all day intensified. ‘I’m not going to go away,’ he yelled. ‘I’m not going to leave you alone. You can push me away as much as you like but I’m still going to be here. Now, open the damn door or I will use my key.’

If he kept thumping like this someone would call the cops and that could turn into a whole other thing.

He pounded again feeling desperate now. ‘Callie!’

‘Okay, okay. Jesus…’

Sebastian clenched his fists by his sides as a huge well of relief made him light-headed. The outside light above his head flicked on and he heard the lock being sprung and then the door opened.