Sydney Harbour Hospital: Evie's Bombshell. Amy Andrews

her. She was used to it regarding her and anything of a remotely personal nature. But not his job.

      She’d never thought she’d have to convince him to come back to work. She’d just assumed he’d jump back in as soon as he possibly could.

      Just how long had his hand been recovered for?

      ‘So don’t do it for him,’ she said battling to keep the rise of desperation out of her voice. ‘Or for the money. Do it for the prince.’

      ‘There are any number of very good cardiac surgeons in Sydney.’

      ‘He doesn’t want very good. He wants the best.’

      Finn turned to face her, propping his hip against the railing. ‘No.’

      Evie turned too, at a complete loss as she faced him. ‘Please.’

      She seemed to always be asking him for something he wasn’t prepared to give. Saying, please, Finn, please. And she was heartily sick of it. And sick of being rejected.

      And if she wasn’t carrying his baby she’d just walk right away. But she was. And he needed to know—whatever the fallout might be.

      She opened her mouth to tell him. Not to bribe him into doing what she wanted but because she could see his mind was made up, and before he sent her away for the last time, he had to know.

      But Ethan striding out onto the veranda interrupted them. ‘Finn—’ Finn looked over Evie’s shoulder. ‘Oh … sorry … I thought I heard the car leave,’ Ethan said, smiling apologetically at Evie as he approached.

      ‘It’s fine,’ Evie murmured.

      ‘What’s up?’ Finn asked, dragging his gaze away from Evie’s suddenly pale face.

      ‘What’s the name of that agency you were telling me about?’

      Finn frowned. ‘The medical staffing one? Why?’

      ‘Hamish’s father-in-law had a heart attack and died two hours ago. He’s taking two weeks off. I’ve been ringing around everywhere but no one’s available and I can’t run this place without a medico on board, it’s a government regulation.’

      ‘For God’s sake, Ethan,’ Finn said, his voice laced with exasperation, having had this conversation too many times before. ‘I’m a doctor.’

      Ethan shook his head firmly. ‘You’re a client.’

      Finn shoved his hand on his hip. ‘These are extenuating circumstances.’

      Ethan chuckled. ‘No dice, buddy. Them’s the rules.’

      ‘You never used to be such a stickler for the rules.’

      Ethan clapped him on the back. ‘I wasn’t running my own business back then.’

      Evie was surprised at the obvious affection between the two men. Surprised even more at the spurt of jealousy. Finn wasn’t the touchy-feely kind. He maintained professional relationships with his colleagues and he’d been known to sit at the bar over the road from the hospital and knock back a few whiskies with them from time to time but he was pretty much a solo figure.

      He and Ethan, a big bear of a man with a grizzly beard and kind eyes, seemed to go back a long way.

      ‘Problem?’ she asked, at Finn’s obvious frustration.

      Finn shook his head then stopped as an idea took hold. He raked his gaze over her and knew it would probably be something he would come to regret, but choices were limited in the middle of nowhere.

      Maybe the current pain in his butt could be Ethan’s silver lining. ‘Evie can do it.’

      ‘What?’ she gaped, her pulse spiking. ‘Do what?’

      Ethan smiled at Evie apologetically. ‘I’m sorry. He’s not very good with social nuances, is he?’

      ‘She’s a fully qualified, highly trained, very good emergency doctor,’ Finn continued, ignoring Ethan’s remark.

      ‘You can’t just go springing jobs on people like that and acting like they have no choice but to take them,’ Ethan chided, his smile getting wider and wider. ‘Not cool, man. Maybe you should try asking the lady?’

      Finn turned to Evie, his palms finding her upper arms, curling around her biceps. ‘I’ll come back and do Khalid’s surgery. But only if you do the two weeks here first.’

      Ethan crossed his arms. ‘That’s not asking.’

      Evie felt her belly plummet as if she’d just jumped out of a plane. She wasn’t sure if was due to his snap decision, his compliment over her medical skills or his touch but she couldn’t think when he looked at her with need in his eyes.

      Even if it was purely professional.

      ‘C’mon, Princess Evie,’ Finn murmured, trying to cut through the confusion he could see in her hazel eyes. ‘Step outside your comfort zone for a while. Live a little.’

      ‘You suck at asking,’ Ethan interjected.

      Evie swallowed as she became caught up in the heady rush of being needed by Finn. Not even the nickname grated.

       Why not?

      It would kill two birds with one stone—Khalid got his op and she bought herself some time. And her father had told her to do anything to get Finn back.

      ‘Okay,’ she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky as it felt leaving her throat.

      Finn nodded and looked at Ethan. ‘You’ve got yourself a doctor.’

      Ethan looked from one to the other, his bewildered look priceless. Like he couldn’t quite believe that in less than a minute his major problem had been settled.

      Neither, frankly, could Evie.