Page 111 of Doc Defence

“Shit.” She pulled out of his arms, dumped her lunch box, and dashed to the bathroom, Frost’s laughter travelling in her wake.

When Hel peered in the mirror, she saw he was right. She couldn’t go to work like this, it looked like she had been thoroughly kissed. Grinning to herself, she washed the lipstick off and didn’t bother reapplying it. When she checked her watch, she grimaced. Crap, she really was going to be late now.

“I have to go,” she hollered as she sprinted for the front door.

Frost stood right next to it, holding out her lunch. “I know.” He handed her the box as she passed.

“Love you,” Hel shouted as she rushed to get into her car, grinning when Frost called back to her.

“Love you too. Stay safe, see you tonight.”

As Hel put the car into gear and drove away, she glanced in the rearview mirror to see Frost standing outside, watching her go. She still pinched herself that he was her man.

Hel sat in the stands at the Burra Wombats last game of the season. Her attention wasn’t entirely on the ice, it was more on the player’s box where Frost was as he shouted at his team.

She could see the new team doctor down there too, chatting with some of the benched players—she had offered to do the job again, which Frost turned down, telling her she was already overworked and he wouldn’t be adding to that burden.

Much to the disgust of the young and single team members, the doctor they found was sixty and male. Although he redeemed himself as he loved hockey passionately and would enthusiastically talk about the game with the players and compliment them on their skills.

At least now, when she came to a game, she could follow it a bit as Frost had explained all the rules of hockey. Not that she could recall more than two of them.

“This is literally the worst idea I’ve ever had,” Hel said quietly to Clara, Sadie and Gloria, who were all sitting with her.

“Darling. This is the best idea you’ve ever had,” Gloria declared as she sipped on her champagne—Which was a new addition to the snack stand after Gloria told the manager of the ice hockey rink they needed to stock champagne and if they didn’t, she would bring her own and pay the fine.

Hel stared straight ahead, her eyes unfocused as the clock counted down until the end of the game. Unable to cope any more, she leaned across, plucked the glass out of the older woman’s hand and took a large gulp.

“I want some too,” Clara complained.

“Well, my grandchild doesn’t want you to have any.” Gloria reached over and patted Clara’s bulging belly.

“If anyone else did that, I’d bite them,” Clara said grumpily.

Hel reached over and did the same, giggling as she touched Clara’s pregnant belly. Who responded by growling and snapping her teeth at her friend.

Sadie leaned in. “She bit me the other day.”

“You deserved it,” Clara sniped back.

“What did she do?” Hel rolled her eyes. Sadie definitely did something.

“She took hold of my belly, shook it and said it was made of jelly,” Clara groused.

“It was funny,” Sadie said, trying to defend herself.

“You are never funny,” Clara replied seriously.

Hel began to giggle. She was glad she had brought her friends along tonight. She wasn’t sure at first why she had done it, but now she was. There were very good distractions from what she had decided to do.

“I’m going to leave you all to your discussion about who is allowed to touch Clara, which, by the way, should be neither of you. And I’m heading to the ice.” Hel got to her feet and squeezed out of the row.

Usually, she sat right behind the player’s bench, but today, she had sat up in the stands as Frost thought she was working at a Midnight Thunder concert.

“Good luck,” the women chorused.

Hel had already arranged with the announcer to go out onto the ice at the end of the game, and she waited by the boards for the final play to end.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Burra Wombats win against the Darwin Dingoes, four to two.”

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