by Tina Beckett
Off to the side, there was another wing, painted in sand tones. Each of the three-story windows had a wrought iron balcony and matching table and chairs. “Is that the clinic’s hotel?”
Sasha had heard it had added some accommodations that rivaled the island’s own five-star Harbor Hotel.
“Yes. As you saw, the trip here from Williamtown is quite a drive. We wanted relatives to be able to stay close and for patients to be able to convalesce nearby. Would you like to see one of the rooms after we check on our patient?”
She hesitated, before saying, “Sure.” It wasn’t like she could just say no without sounding ungrateful for what the clinic had done for Saint Victoria Hospital. And she had to admit, she was curious about what the facility had to offer.
They went in, and Nate checked in at the desk, then came back. “They put him up in ICU. They were able to dissolve the clot and are now working to get him stable enough to put a couple of stents in.”
“That’s wonderful.” She’d been half afraid he might have died en route. But surely Nate would have gotten a call, if that had been the case.
“Greg is really good at what he does.”
She knew he didn’t mean it as a criticism of the staff at Saint Victoria Hospital, but it was hard not to bristle all over again. She forced herself to breathe through it and gave him a smile. “I’m just glad that flying him over here gave him a good chance for survival.”
“It did. They expect him to make a full recovery, as long as something unexpected doesn’t happen. His family has arrived and will stay at the clinic’s hotel while he recovers.”
She didn’t want to ask, but felt she had to, since she didn’t want them to find themselves saddled with a huge bill. “Most of the islanders can’t afford to stay in fancy hotels. Maybe I can help pay for some of it.”
Nate’s brown eyes cooled, like they had at Saint Victoria Hospital. “They won’t be charged for staying. That’s part of what we’re here for.”
She’d offended him. Not what she’d meant to do at all. But after her experience with Austin... Well, he never once thought about the fact that not everyone could afford the luxurious things he had. Why had she ever thought her ex could fit in with the people on Saint Victoria? Not that there weren’t different socioeconomic levels here, like there were everywhere else. But only now did she realize how unequally matched they would have been.
It would be like her dating Nate.
The thought made her pause. Not that it was likely to happen. And since she’d made that mistake once before, she was now inoculated against men like him. One move in the wrong direction, and her immune system would come charging in to shut her down. Especially when it came to someone like Nate.
Although he seemed to understand the island in a way that surprised her. Warmed her. Her antibodies sat up and took notice and were readying themselves to intervene, should she do something stupid. She just hoped they arrived in time.
“I’m sorry. I just wasn’t sure how it worked.”
“The clinic is here for the island’s hospital, not to make money off it. The patients we bring in from the outside, along with the gala, are what keep us afloat and give us the ability to help those in need.”
Friends had told her time and time again that she had the wrong idea about the clinic, her friend Patty in particular, but she just hadn’t been able to shake her preconceptions. Maybe it was time to start listening.
“I haven’t been to one of the galas yet, but I’ve heard they’re quite elegant.”
“They are.” He glanced at her. “Why don’t you come to one of the planning meetings?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I’m not sure you’d want my opinion.”
He smiled in a way that made her stomach do a flip-flop. “I think your opinion is exactly the one we need. We actually have a meeting tomorrow night, if you’re free. It’s here in the conference room.”
“Please don’t feel like you have to invite me.” The last thing she wanted was to be the token islander.
“I don’t normally do things because I ‘have’ to. I truly do want to know what you think. Especially since you haven’t been to any of the previous galas.”
“I’ll think about it. What time?”
“Six-thirty. We’ll have dinner there, since a lot of folks will just be coming off their shift.”
So the committee was made up of people working at the hospital? Not some kind of outside party-planning organization? “How many people will be there?”
“I don’t know. We invite everyone.” He sent her a look. “From both Saint Victoria Hospital and The Island Clinic. Whoever wants to come is welcome. You didn’t know that?”
Modi. So it wasn’t even just the clinic that made the decisions. “I guess I never thought about it.”
“There are posters up at the hospital. I made sure of it.”
Sasha had blocked out so much of the stuff about The Island Clinic that she must have chosen not to read those posters. It also made her realize that his invitation wasn’t about Sasha being who she was, but about the fact that he wanted a wide range of ideas and opinions. Her knee-jerk reaction that told her to come up with an excuse not to be at that meeting fell by the wayside. “I’ll try to come.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”
They made their way up to the second-floor ICU, and Nate swiped his nametag across a keypad. The doors opened, and he waved her through. “You have to have security clearance to get in?”
He nodded. “We have everyone from high-ranking public officials to actors who come to the clinic. No one wants a picture of themselves at their most vulnerable flashed across the tabloids.”
“Of course not. I didn’t think about that.”
The intensive-care unit was ultrahigh tech, on a scale like she’d had at Beth Israel during her residency. “What’s our patient’s name?”
Saying our gave it an intimate feeling for some reason, even though she’d used that phrase countless other times. It had to be because she’d been so resistant to meeting Nate...to working with him.
“Bill Waddel. He’s in the second room on the right.”
They moved toward the door, which was closed. Nate opened it and peeked in, then nodded to her that it was okay.
The man was asleep, but unlike so many who probably filled these rooms, he wasn’t intubated and the number of tubes was minimal, given what he’d been through. She went to the head of the bed and noted his lips were no longer as ashen as they’d been when he was at Saint Victoria Hospital. And the heart monitor was showing a nice sinus rhythm. The T-waves weren’t as tall or pointed. “I’d say the damage to his heart was surprisingly small, given what it could have been.”
The situation could have become catastrophic if they hadn’t transported him. His family might be sitting in a very different kind of room than the fancy hotel that adjoined this building.
“I agree. Greg thinks the stents he’ll put in will keep the blockage from happening again. He’s hoping to do the procedure tomorrow.”
“That’s great.” The man’s family wasn’t here at the moment. “He’s allowed to have visitors in here, isn’t he?”
“Yes. His son went out to the beach to meditate, according to the front desk.”
The lone figure she’d seen staring out over the water? Maybe. She looked at Nate. “Thanks for lending a hand today. The outcome might not have been the same, if you hadn’t been there.”
He frowned. “The hospital knows they can always refer anyone to us.”
That might be so, but Sasha was ashamed to admit that she might not have been so quick to send him over. Not out of pride or arrogance, but because it simply would not have crossed her mind to call for the helicopter. But it would from now on. She didn’t have to like Nate. Or The Island Clinic. But she would be negligent if she didn’t take adv
antage of every opportunity afforded her patients. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind. Thanks for letting me see him.”
He smiled again. “All you have to do is call the front desk. I want there to be collaboration between our facilities. No turf wars. Okay?”
She laughed at how well he’d read her. But maybe that wasn’t such a funny thing. Hopefully he hadn’t read the small jolts of attraction she’d felt from the time he showed up at Saint Victoria Hospital. Surely not. Even she hadn’t been sure of what she was feeling. “Okay.”
“Do you want to see the rest of the clinic?”
“I’d love to.” And for once she meant it.
* * *
By the time they reached the wing with the hotel, Sasha’s senses were swimming. If The Island Clinic had been here when she’d been ready for her residency, she could have probably done it here. And then stayed here to work afterward. But she’d learned a lot at Beth Israel and wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. Or her time at Harvard, even if it had resulted in a broken heart and a vow to never be duped so easily again.
In reality, she hadn’t been duped so much as dumped by a man who’d placed a lot less value on their relationship than she had. He was rich enough to have women standing in line to have a chance with him. She wasn’t sure why she’d thought she was any more special than those others. Except the fact that she’d been young and naive of the way things worked in Austin’s sphere.
He’d seemed so caring. So willing to take on the world. At least at first. But all his talk of coming to Saint Victoria had been just that. Talk.
The experience had left her cynical and untrusting, painting everyone with the paint dipped from her ex’s bucket.
Including Nate? Almost certainly, since she’d avoided him like the plague for the last three years.
“Lydia said Room 201 is vacant.”
“Sorry?”
He frowned. “I was going to show you one of the rooms.”
“Oh, of course.”
She was being ridiculous. What had she thought he meant? That he was taking her there for reasons other than showing her around?
No, she’d learned the hard way that she was nothing special. Nate could have his choice of sleeping partners.
And given the chance, would he choose to sleep with...?
No. He wouldn’t. And neither would she.
She followed him down a hallway painted in muted greens with pendant lights that were modern, but elegant. Her shoes sank into luxurious carpet, her toes curling as they wondered what it would feel like on her bare feet.
Decadent.
Just like the clinic’s founder.
Even her manman, who believed in simple tile that was easy to clean, would be amazed at how this felt. “Do you rent rooms to tourists, as well?”
“No. The island already has a hotel that does that. I wouldn’t want to take business from them. This is just for patients and their families.”
“I see.” She mentally ticked another box on the list of things that surprised her. “Do you have enough patients to fill this up?”
“At times. But it’s not something we’re aiming for. For the most part our patients have come to us as a result of word of mouth. Or if they hear about the gala and attend. We do house attendees here, if they choose to go that route. It’s one of the few times we’re at capacity.”
“I can imagine.”
They found Room 201, and Nate again used his key card to open the door. “Does that get you in anywhere you want?”
He glanced at her, that same crazy half smile curving his lips. “No. Not anywhere.”
Something about the way he said that made her shiver. Her toes curled again, and this time, it had nothing to do with the carpet.
He pushed the door open and motioned her to precede him. She did and was surprised when he didn’t shut the door behind them. She was grateful, though, since her thoughts had been ricocheting into some pretty questionable territory.
The room was furnished with the same deep carpeting. Two large beds, covered in what looked like down comforters, were housed in a surprisingly large space. The air conditioning was set cooler than what she was used to, but if it was true that they had A-list patients, they would probably expect no less—especially with those warm bed coverings.
He didn’t say anything, so Sasha went over to the window and looked out. The room had a spectacular view of the sea and the beach. There was no sign of the man who’d been there when they’d arrived. Was he back in his hotel room with his family? Or were they with Bill?
She didn’t even know if that was the same man Nate had been referring to.
“This is gorgeous.”
“Yes. I agree.”
His voice was a little closer than it had been. And for a second time, she was glad that door had been left open. Not because she was afraid he might try something, but because she was afraid she might lose sight of what lay outside that room. Because in here, everything felt magical. Unreal. As if fairy tales might actually exist in real life.
She’d thought that once before. But it had turned out to be a lie.
“Sometimes you don’t realize how things look to people who aren’t from here. But this view... It’s like something out of a magazine.”
“Saint Victoria is beautiful. It’s easy to become blind to the beauty around us, when we see it day after day.”
“Yes. It is.” She glanced back to see him watching her. “Is it okay if I go out onto the balcony?”
“Yes. Of course.”
She unlocked the door with fingers that were shaking slightly. Because of him? Or the view? Maybe a little of both.
The balmy sea breeze slid over her face, beckoning her closer. Going over to the rail, she laid her arms on the black ironwork. The scent of salt and all that lived in the water was intoxicating. She leaned her head back and breathed deeply. She could only imagine the battle between worry and being bewitched by this locale families might experience. Maybe even Bill’s son. This would be the perfect place to meditate. To relish being alive. Nate came beside her and leaned a hip on the railing as he turned to look at her. “It’s a nice spot, isn’t it?”
“I think nice might be the understatement of the year. It’s amazing. I’m so glad The Island Clinic was able to build here.”
She was surprised to find it was the truth.
“Really? I got the feeling you weren’t all that thrilled with us being here.”
“Dr. Edwards, I just—”
“Nate. Please.”
The way he said it, made her heart twist. She really was being unreasonable about it. And in her attempt to maintain her distance, she could see that she’d probably come off as ridiculous.
“Okay. Nate...” Except saying his given name...out loud...made whatever she’d been about to say vanish. So she just stood there, taking in his casual clothing that was now rumpled in a way that was somehow wonderful. The hard lines of his body were more visible now, and she was having a difficult time looking away. Her gaze trailed up his face, noting there were dark circles under his eyes, probably from the stress of the day. She imagined he put in long hours most every day. A little far removed from the lap-of-luxury living she’d pictured him in over in this corner of the island.
“Not so hard, after all, was it?”
“W-what?” Had he read her thoughts?
“Saying my name.”
Her senses went on high alert as an image of her whispering his name in an entirely different way scurried through her head, only to run away when she tried to catch it and banish it. Instead, the two beds in the room behind her seemed to taunt her, to remind her of how long it had been since she’d been with anyone.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe I was being a little silly when we met. I’d just heard stories...”
“Stories
?” His frown was back. “Such as?”
Um, not happening. Because the words delectable and delicious had been interjected time and time again. “Nothing bad.”
That line in his face played peekaboo. “I find that rather hard to believe.”
“That nothing bad was said?”
He made a sound of assent. “Are you saying you’ve never had an unkind thing to say about me?”
Ugh. She’d had lots of unkind things to say. Patty had called her on it numerous times. But then again, her friend was a newlywed, still caught up in the early stages of love.
Her lips twitched. “Maybe you’ll have to work on changing my mind.”
“Is that a challenge... Sasha?”
The shock of hearing her name on his tongue washed over her like the waves of the sea. Warm. Sensual. Snaking up her calves, edging over her hips and making her nipples tighten.
Some dangerous part of her brain sent the word “Maybe” from her mouth before she could stop it.
And when his hand moved from the railing and slid up her forearm, she was powerless to stop from leaning toward him, her eyes closing.
“That’s one challenge I might have to accept.” The low words made the sensuous fog that was slowly enveloping her body thicken.
Kiss me!
Thank God she hadn’t said the words aloud, but she’d definitely sent them out into the stratosphere. But his mouth didn’t cover hers. After several agonizing seconds, she opened her eyes.
She found him staring at her, a muscle working in his jaw. Then he let go of her arm. “I’m sure you’re tired, especially since this was supposed to be your day off.”
“I—I...” Her mind scrambled for something witty to say. Something that didn’t make her look as much of a fool as she felt. “I am. I should probably head home.”
“You’ll still come to the meeting?”
That was about the worst thing she could think of at the moment. Her reaction to him had been electric. Crazy. She’d been so sure he was going to kiss her.
