The Millionaire Plan

by Karen King

  The air echoed with the sounds of birds, flying, squawking, chirping. They were everywhere. Amber recognised a couple of puffins nesting on a cliff, birds she’d only ever seen on TV or in books, and understood why this was a nature reserve. Some of these birds were probably quite rare and had to be protected.

  Then she realised Jed was watching her in undisguised amusement, his arms folded across his chest.

  ‘Like it?’ he asked.

  ‘I love it!’ She waved her hand in a sweeping gesture to encompass her surroundings. ‘It’s incredible.’

  ‘I hope you’re just as enthusiastic after the climb.’

  She stared at him. ‘Climb? What climb?’

  ‘Well, in case you hadn’t noticed this is a rather small beach. The rest of the island is up there.’ He pointed to the top of the very steep cliffs.

  She swallowed as she gazed up at the cliffs.

  ‘They’re … high …’

  ‘Over three hundred feet in some places,’ he agreed.

  ‘That high?’ She gulped, scanning the cliffs for jutting out rocks they could use as footholds. She could make out a few but they were scattered here and there. And if you slipped there was a sheer drop to the beach below. She looked at Jed but his expression was impassive. Was he serious?

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got rock-climbing equipment on you, have you?’ she asked. She was sure she’d have noticed if Jed had been carrying rope, pick-axes, and the other paraphernalia rock climbers had to take with them to ensure that they stayed alive. Mind you, that huge rucksack he’d brought with him could hold anything …

  ‘Nope, but then we don’t need it …’

  ‘What!’ She gasped incredulously. ‘Are you seriously suggesting that we try climbing those cliffs without rope, protective hats or anything?’ Not that she’d attempt to climb them with those things anyway, but there was no need for him to know just how scared she was.

  ‘Well, you can go up that way if you want. I’ll take the easier route.’

  He was openly laughing at her now. Damn him! So they didn’t have to climb the cliffs after all. She looked around again, but couldn’t see any steps. ‘What route is that?’ she asked.

  He picked up the heavy rucksack as if it was feather light, put it on his back, then pointed over to the cliff at the left of them. ‘That way. There’s a path going up the rocks. Or so I’ve been told,’ he said. ‘Let’s see if we can find it.’

  Amber followed him and as they got nearer to the cliff she saw to her relief that it wasn’t so steep on this side and there was some sort of rugged path running up it. It still looked too precarious for her peace of mind, although she was relieved to see that a slip would send her plunging into a rough gorse bush rather than to her death. Thankfully, she’d had the presence of mind to wear trainers with a fairly good grip and her shorts. There’s no way she could have attempted this path in the sundress and sandals Callie tried to persuade her to wear, saying she should look her best at all times because she never knew who she’d bump into. Mind you, she wished she’d brought a small rucksack she could carry on her back. It was going to be difficult to climb with this shoulder bag. She decided to wear it diagonally across her chest, like she used to do with her school bag, so put the strap over her head and rested the bag under her right arm. There, that was more secure.

  Jed watched her, thoughtfully. ‘Think you can manage it?’ he asked. ‘According to the warden it’s a safe route and takes about fifteen minutes to get to the top.’

  She nodded. ‘Well if the warden says it’s safe that’s fine by me.’

  ‘Let’s go then.’

  He started up the path and she followed him, willing herself not to look down. Although she wasn’t exactly scared of heights, she didn’t think she could cope with the view down until she was safely at the top. Jed seemed to sense this, as he kept turning around to check she was OK and, on more than one occasion, stopped to help her up a particularly difficult part. Something she was quite sure Randy would never have done. In fact, she couldn’t imagine Randy coming to an island like this to photograph rare birds. Randy, although only a couple of years younger than Jed, struck her as immature, a good time guy whereas Jed was more thoughtful and caring. The sort of guy you could lean on in a crisis.

  Whoa, what was she doing thinking of Jed like that? He’s just a friend, she reminded herself, even if he did make her heart flutter a bit – which was hardly surprising. Any red-blooded woman would respond the same way –he was an incredibly sexy bloke. In fact, if you had a sexual magnetism scale he’d go right off the top of it, whereas Randy would be hovering somewhere near the middle – there was no way his bland good looks and little boy charm could compete with Jed’s all- male sex appeal.

  ‘Oww!’ She stumbled on a rock, slipped, and screamed as she started to slide down the cliff but Jed grabbed her and pulled her back up.

  ‘Don’t panic, I’ve got you!’ He hauled her up so she was standing on the narrow path besides him. ‘Are you OK?’ His voice was soft, gentle, full of concern.

  ‘Thanks.’ She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She should have been concentrating on climbing up the steep and rocky cliff path, not thinking about Jed. And now he was looking at her with those gorgeous eyes of his and her heart was fluttering again, but this time it wasn’t with fright. ‘I’m fine, honest.’

  ‘OK, well, maybe you should go in front,’ he suggested. ‘At least that way I can keep an eye on you.’

  ‘Big mistake to tell her to walk in front, Jed’ he thought as Amber walked up the cliff path ahead of him in her tight white shorts. The sight of her lovely, shapely legs sent goose bumps down his spine and what was even more arousing was he knew she wasn’t aware of the effect she had on him. He’d met women who pouted, wriggled seductively, and batted their eyelashes all the time, fully aware of the effect it had on men and quite prepared to use it to their advantage. But Amber was completely guileless. With him she was totally natural and at ease and he hated to think how mixing with Randy and his rich set would change her. Hated to think of her beautiful, sweet, innocent face becoming hard and false, of her learning to scheme and manipulate, using people for her own ends. It’s her life. Her decision to marry for money, leave her to it.

  That’s what I should have done in the first place, he thought grimly. There was no need for him to get involved. He’d only met the woman a couple of days ago and already she was intruding on his thoughts far more than he was comfortable with. Whatever had possessed him to invite her along today just so she could get a bit of sailing experience and impress that creep Randy and his no good friends? It wasn’t his problem if she was too innocent for them, too naïve, too sincere. He should have left her to it. And that’s exactly what he was going to do as soon as they got back that evening. Tomorrow she could go sailing with Randy and when she returned he’d be gone, on his way back to America. Then he could get on with his life and forget she ever existed.

  Chapter Four

  Rule number 4: Act cool and let him do the running

  ‘We’re here!’ Amber yelled enthusiastically. ‘We’re at the top and – Oh, Jed, it’s beautiful!’

  Jed stepped up onto the cliff besides her, smiling at the rapture on her face as she gazed around at the wild, untamed landscape. She was right, it was beautiful. Rugged terrain stretched out in front of them, partly covered in long grass from which the occasional riot of colour heralded the welcome intrusion of a bunch of wild flowers. Birds flew overheard while others nested on the nearby cliffs. His experienced eye quickly spotted herring gulls, skylarks, and water pipits and he itched to take his camera from out of his rucksack and start capturing it all on film. But he stopped himself. It was best to see the warden first, find out what areas, if any, were out of bounds. Then he could take all the photos he wanted.

  ‘It certainly is,’ he agreed. ‘Let’s introduce ourselves to the warden then we can have a look around. That’s his house over there.’ He pointed to a sto
ne cottage in the distance. ‘With a bit of luck he’ll be in.’

  They walked over to the cottage in companionable silence. Amber was constantly looking around, her face enthralled as if she was entranced by it all. Which surprised Jed, as he would have thought a city girl like her would find a remote, uninhabited island a bit boring. He found it far from boring. He almost envied the warden living here, away from the pressures of the world, no business deals to negotiate, no targets to meet, no wheeling and dealing. Just living in peace and tranquillity, looking after the animals and birds. It seemed idyllic. But he was realistic enough to realise that living in a place like this would have its own problems. Isolation, the battle with the elements, the longing for human company to mention just a few.

  ‘Is he married?’ Amber asked.

  ‘Sorry?’ Jed dragged himself out of his thoughts to look at her.

  ‘I was wondering if the warden was married. It’s beautiful here but it must be lonely for him with no one to talk to.’

  ‘I’ve no idea but I shouldn’t think so. I can’t imagine any woman being happy enough to live here,’ Jed replied. ‘No shops, no neighbours …’

  ‘I don’t know. If you were with the man you loved that wouldn’t matter, would it? Just the two of you on this island,’ she sighed wistfully. ‘It’s tempting, though I guess I’d miss people after a while.’

  ‘I’m sure you would,’ Jed said dryly. ‘Not to mention shops, clubs, the theatre and parties.’

  ‘Probably’ she admitted. ‘But it would be lovely to have a holiday home over here so you could come and chill out whenever the pressure of life got too much for you.’

  ‘Well, if you marry someone rich enough you can buy your own island and fly over whenever you feel like a bit of solitude. I’m not sure that Randy’s in that league though. Maybe you ought to set your cap higher.’ The words were out before he could stop them and he could see by her face that they’d hit home.

  Her face clouded over and her eyes looked troubled. ‘I guess you have a pretty low opinion of me. I know I must seem like a gold-digger to you but I have to do this. Besides,’ she said defensively, ‘I’m not hurting anyone.’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s your life.’

  Why should he care? He pushed away the tempting thought of living in the quaint stone cottage with Amber which had crept uninvited into his mind and strode purposefully on. The sooner this day was over the better.

  Jed could hear a dog barking as they approached the cottage.

  ‘A dog must be good company on a remote island like this,’ Amber said as they waited for the warden to open the door. ‘Everyone needs something to come home to. It’s a wonderful place for a dog to be, too. No traffic or neighbours to worry about, free to roam wherever it wants.’

  ‘Well, it seems like the dog hasn’t been left free to roam today,’ Jed said, when a few minutes had passed and there was still no sign of the warden despite the dog’s loud barking. ‘Mike must be out. I’ve got his mobile number so I’ll give him a ring, let him know we’ve arrived and check if any area is out of bounds. I don’t want to go anywhere I shouldn’t.’

  Amber watched as Jed took his mobile phone out of his pocket, flipped it open and phoned the warden.

  ‘I can’t get through. Either he’s somewhere he can’t get a signal or his battery’s dead.’

  She could hear the dog whining pitifully on the other side of the door and felt instinctively that something was wrong.

  ‘That isn’t a normal bark. The dog sounds upset about something,’ she said. ‘And why would the warden leave a dog locked inside on such a lovely day? Surely he’d take it with him or leave it out to roam around?’

  Jed slipped his phone back in his pocket. ‘You could be right. Maybe we should check that inside. Mike could be lying injured or something. It’s best to be on the safe side.’ He reached for the door handle and turned it. ‘Just as I thought, unlocked. I guess there’s no reason to lock your door when you live on a remote island like this.’

  As soon as Jed opened the door, the dog’s barking got more frantic. Amber stepped back nervously.

  ‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, after all,’ she said. ‘That dog could think we’re breaking in and go for us.’

  ‘We’ll just open it a fraction and shout to see if Mike’s there.’ Jed pushed the door open a little further and called out.

  ‘Mike! Are you there?’

  Immediately, a black nose wriggled through the gap and its doggy owner barked and whined as it tried to get out.

  ‘Give it enough room to put its head out so we can reassure it,’ Jed said.

  He opened the door further and the head of a black and white border collie appeared through the opening. The dog looked more worried than threatening and Amber immediately felt sorry for it. She patted it gently on the head to reassure it.

  ‘Hello. Who are you then?’ she asked softly.

  The dog immediately quietened down. It wriggled its head and shoulders through the opening and nudged Amber’s hand with its head.

  ‘Oh look, isn’t it sweet?’ Amber said.

  ‘I think we’re quite safe, it’s definitely not a guard dog,’ Jed said, smiling. He pushed the door wide open. ‘Mike! Are you there?’

  The dog ambled out and Amber saw at once that it was heavily pregnant.

  ‘Oh, poor thing, it looks like it’s about to have pups any minute,’ Amber said, bending down to stroke the dog. ‘Perhaps that’s why the warden left it behind?’

  ‘You’re probably right,’ Jed said. ‘He’s obviously not in and we’ve no right intruding like this and unsettling the dog in its condition. I’ll put a note through the door to let him know we’ve arrived and we’ll take a look around.’

  The dog fixed its gaze on Amber, barked, then walked back inside the cottage, stopping to turn and bark again, before heading off down the hall.

  ‘It wants us to follow,’ Amber said. ‘Something’s wrong, Jed!’

  As if it heard, the dog turned around and barked even louder.

  ‘I think you’re right!’ Jed pushed the door wide open and stepped in.

  Amber was close on his heels as he followed the dog down the hall, through the lounge and into a bedroom. Jed paused for a mere nanosecond at the bedroom door and Amber caught him up. She glanced over his shoulder and saw a man, writhing in agony in the bed. The dog was sitting beside him, one paw on the duvet. It barked at Jed and Amber, as if asking them to help. The man feebly raised his hand to place it on the dog’s head and muttered something.

  ‘Mike!’ Jed covered the room with long, urgent strides and knelt down by the bed. ‘It’s Jed. Jed Curtess. Can you tell me what’s wrong?’ He held the man’s wrist and expertly took his pulse.

  ‘Appendix, I think.’ The warden’s voice was little more than a whisper. The sweat was dripping off his face, and it was obvious he was in severe pain.

  Amber knelt down on the other side of the bed, a knot of worry forming in her stomach. She knew that a burst appendix was fatal if it wasn’t treated quickly. So, apparently, did Jed. He was already dialling the emergency services on his mobile phone.

  ‘Air ambulance, please,’ he said briskly. ‘It’s an emergency.’

  The man was sweating profusely. Amber hurried to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, put it under the cold water tap, wrung it out, then took it back to the bedroom, placing it over his forehead. Mike mouthed his thanks, his eyes etched with pain.

  She squeezed his hand. ‘You’ll be OK,’ she told him.

  Jed had now finished his call. ‘The Air Ambulance is on his way,’ he said, bending down by the bed so Mike could hear him. ‘They’ll soon have you in hospital. Just hang in there a bit longer.’

  ‘Thanks.’ The word was little more than a whisper. A spasm of pain crossed his face and he shut his eyes.

  The dog sat patiently at the side of the bed, resting its chin on the bedclothes and watching Mike with soulful eyes. Amber patted the dog gently on the head
. ‘He’ll be OK, girl,’ she said, softly.

  Why hadn’t Mike phoned for help himself as soon as the pain got bad? He’d obviously guessed what was wrong with him, so he must have had first aid training. Then she spotted the mobile phone by his pillow and, picking it up, saw that the screen was blank. So that was it, he’d forgotten – or been too ill – to charge it up.

  Mike opened his eyes again and looked at Amber. ‘Tess,’ he gasped. ‘Can’t leave Tess. Pups due any time. Phone … relief warden.’

  The dog pricked up its ears at the sound of its name.

  ‘Don’t worry, we’ll look after Tess until another warden arrives,’ Amber assured him.

  ‘Promise.’

  She could see the effort it cost him to speak. ‘I promise.’

  His eyelids flickered then closed.

  Tears pricked Amber’s eyes. Mike was in so much pain yet his first thought had been for his dog. She blinked as her eyes filled. What if he had died? Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting.

  ‘He’ll make it,’ Jed said, softly.

  Amber looked up at him, her eyelashes wet. ‘He looks so ill.’

  ‘If the appendix has burst, peritonitis could have set in and there’s bound to be bacterial infection,’ Jed told her. ‘That’s probably what’s giving him a fever.’

  ‘And how long before …’ She couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

  ‘A few hours if left untreated. But don’t worry, he’ll soon be in hospital. He’ll be fine.’

  Fortunately, the helicopter arrived in record time. It landed as near to the cottage as possible and Jed went out to meet the medics. Amber shut Tess in the kitchen thinking it might be too upsetting for the little dog to watch its master being taken away.