Page 33 of Trusting His Heart

“I am adding a new assignment for this semester. By now, you know my work has stood the test of the last ten years of challenge. You also have been privileged to hear from Professor Phillips and his work. Your assignment is to suggest what the next breakthrough will be. You don’t need the answers – those will come. What I want is a 1000-word question.”

Then Geoffrey turned off his microphone and strode from the stage.

The excitement in the room was palatable. Bec never experienced such enthusiasm during her university years however this room of students had hung onto his every word. They accepted his powerful performance, not seeing the shadows under his eyes, nor the pallor of his face. They saw the authority of the man, and didn’t notice how he grew more unsteady towards the end.

Her phone rang, “Well?” asked Layla before Bec said anything.

“I saw him, I hid up the back and he didn’t see me. Why would he want to? He broke up with me.”

“Did he look okay to you?”

“He looked hungover and tired.”

“He has an appointment with Dr Brook Davis.”

Bec gasped, “The same doctor from a month ago.”

“The doctor has been trying to get in touch with him, they spoke today and he has an appointment in an hour. The doctor suggested he have someone come with him.”

“I can’t,” Bec protested, all the memories of her husband came flooding back.

“He has no one else.”

“He broke up with me.”

“Miss Garran, if you don’t mind me saying, we both know why he broke up with you. He has spent the last month drowning in the bottom of a bottle because he would rather be passed out than face being without you.”

“That’s unfair and untrue,” Bec hesitated, “How bad is it?”

“Miss Garran, the doctor has been quite insistent I get him to return his calls. Today he said it was becoming life and death.”

“I ask again, what does that have to do with me – he broke up with me?”

“Miss Garran, he asked me to package up the painting of the dragon and send it to you. He said there is no point in slaying the dragon if the girl isn’t waiting at the end of the story.”

“Oh,” Bec heard her voice echo in the empty auditorium. Remembering the many times they made love in front of the painting, laughing at how she tried to outbid him. “I never got the painting.”

“Miss Garran, he will probably fire me for doing this, but you should meet him at the doctor’s at three.”

Bec threw the phone across the room and listened as it tumbled behind chairs.

He pushed her away, taking the decision from her. Now she needed to find the strength to watch another man she loved fight the dragon.

Geoffrey hesitated before entering the surgery. The tests were a month ago and he avoided the results until now. There was still time to run before the hammer came down on his life. All he needed to do was turn around and walk away, find the nearest travel agent and purchase tickets on the next flight to anywhere or cruise. Until he heard the words, cancer would never be real.

“Hi.” Her soft, husky voice caught him off guard and his first impulse was to take her in his arms before he remembered he couldn’t risk hurting her.

“I thought I could trust Layla -, obviously I was wrong.” Pointedly he said, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Of course, I should,” Bec laughed and opened the door for them, “You were about to leave. Where were you going? A bar? Plane?”

When he hesitated, Bec took him by the hand, her fingers closed around his familiar and comforting. “Come on, what’s the worse thing that could happen?”

“If you have to ask …” Geoffrey let her lead him inside. The soft, classical music meant to be calming and reassuring, as did the enormous fish tank in the corner.

Geoffrey didn’t know how to talk to Bec after the way he ended things between them. He wanted to protect her from the possibility of being hurt by his fight. Now she was here with him and he couldn’t turn her away.

He watched Bec flick through magazines and smiled as she made small talk with the receptionist. He needed her.

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