The Woman He's Been Waiting For

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Sorry. That was uncalled for. I know how busy you are, Grace, so I won’t waste your time. I wanted to ask you about the Clarke family. I assume you know them?’

  ‘Yes, I do, although they’re Miles’s patients really.’ She shrugged when he looked at her in surprise. ‘Although we operate an open-door policy, we divide up the list so that people can see one or the other of us on a regular basis. They seem to prefer the idea of continuity of care.’

  ‘I see. So Miles didn’t mention anything about Bethany Clarke when her mother brought her in at the beginning of December?’

  ‘Not that I can recall. Why? Is there a problem?’

  ‘Everything is pointing that way, I’m afraid. Bethany has been complaining that her legs hurt. Miles assumed it was some sort of minor viral infection when he saw her. Apparently, a lot of the children had gone down with some sort of a bug at the time.’

  ‘That’s right. It did the rounds of the infants and the junior school.’ Grace frowned. ‘You’re not saying that Miles misdiagnosed her, are you?’

  ‘Of course not. We both know that Miles is a damned fine doctor and I certainly wasn’t implying that he’d made a mistake.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Grace coloured as he glared at her across the desk.

  ‘Me, too. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat like that.’ Harry sighed roughly because he knew that he had overreacted. He had to stop looking for insults at every turn and just get on with the job.

  ‘Anyway, I examined Bethany again today and I wasn’t happy with what I found. Her legs are covered in bruises and the lymph nodes in her neck, groin and under her arms are massively enlarged. Her mother also told me that her gums have been bleeding and that she’s been too tired to play outside.’

  ‘You’re thinking it could be leukaemia,’ Grace said quietly.

  ‘Yes. I’m afraid it could be.’

  ‘I take it that you’ve ordered a blood test?’

  ‘Yes. I’ll get it sent off today. Hopefully we’ll have the results back before the end of the week.’

  ‘Mark it urgent,’ she advised him. ‘It costs more but it’s worth it if you’re right. We don’t want there to be any delay in Bethany getting the treatment she needs.’

  ‘I’ll do that. What I need to know now is the best way to tell the parents. Are they the sort of people who can handle the facts, or would it be better if I tried a more roundabout approach?’ He shrugged. ‘Breaking bad news to people is never easy, and I don’t want to make a mess of things.’

  ‘I think they would appreciate it if you explained the situation to them in simple, straightforward terms. They’re very down-to-earth people and not the kind who make a fuss. Obviously, if Bethany does have leukaemia, it will hit them hard, but they will cope with support from us and their families.’

  ‘That’s what I’ll do, then.’ He let out a huge sigh, unable to hide his relief. ‘I feel better now that I have an idea how they will react. Normally, I’ve had time to get to know people before we reach this stage. It makes it easier to decide how to proceed.’

  ‘It’s never really easy, though. Telling someone that they have an illness that is going to affect their whole life is one of the most difficult things about our job.’

  She smiled up at him, and Harry felt his heart race when he saw the sympathy in her eyes. In a blinding flash, he realised that she understood how he was feeling because she’d felt this way, too. To suddenly discover that Grace—prickly, feisty, oh-so-independent Grace—could empathise with him almost blew him away.

  He had never experienced this kind of closeness with anyone before. Oh, he had friends by the dozen, colleagues by the score, but nobody had ever connected with him like Grace had done just now. It made him see that there was a bond between them that he had never even suspected.

  ‘If there’s anything else you need, just ask. I’m happy to help any way I can.’

  Grace dredged up a smile but she could feel the back of her neck prickling with tension. She had never imagined that Harry would care so much about a patient. She had always assumed that he would be completely detached. However, there was no denying that he appeared genuinely concerned about Bethany and the effect her illness could have on her family.

  ‘Thanks, Grace. I appreciate that.’

  Harry returned her smile and she shivered when she felt goose-bumps break out all over her body. There seemed to be a new softness about his manner that she’d never seen before and, quite frankly, it scared her. She much preferred it when Harry behaved in the usual prescribed fashion because then she knew how to behave, too.

  ‘Don’t mention it,’ she said briskly, standing up. ‘It can’t be easy, filling in for Miles. He’s a hard act to follow, so if you have any more problems, let me know. I don’t want you to feel that you’re out of your depth while you’re working here.’

  ‘Thanks, but I think I can just about handle the job at a push.’

  Grace hid her relief when she heard the edge that had crept back into his voice. It was good to be back on familiar territory once more. ‘Well, the offer’s there if you need it,’ she said sweetly.

  After he’d left she collected up the notes she’d used during surgery and took them to the office, thinking about what had happened. It had been unsettling to see this new side to Harry but she mustn’t let it upset her. So long as she maintained the status quo in the coming weeks, there shouldn’t be a problem, although a lot would depend on Harry, of course. If he continued to throw surprises at her, it would make it that much more difficult. Perhaps that was what he was aiming for.

  She frowned as she opened the office door. She had accepted his concern about Bethany at face value but had it been as genuine as she’d assumed it to be? Did she honestly believe that a self-serving, ambitious man like Harry cared two hoots about the little girl and her family?

  Grace’s mouth thinned as she realised how gullible she’d been. Leopards didn’t change their spots. That little scene had been nothing more than a cunning ploy to knock her off balance. Harry had deliberately tried to gain her sympathy so that he would have the upper hand in the future. She would be less likely to go for the jugular if she thought he was a caring, sharing human being, but she wasn’t going to fall for his tricks. Harry was Harry, and she wasn’t about to make the mistake of thinking that he had suddenly turned into a saint.

  She dumped her notes into the tray, scarcely able to believe that she’d allowed herself to be conned like that. Janet glanced up from her computer and grinned at her.

  ‘Oh, dear, something seems to have upset you. What’s happened?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m fine,’ Grace replied stiffly. Although she liked Janet, she didn’t intend to discuss Harry with her. Apart from the fact that it would be highly unprofessional, she couldn’t trust herself not to say something she would regret.

  ‘Well, it certainly doesn’t look like it to me,’ Janet replied cheerfully. ‘What do you think, Harry? Wouldn’t you say that Grace is looking rather stressed?’

  ‘Hmm, I’m not sure if I’m the best person to ask.’

  Grace swung round when she realised that Harry was standing behind her. He grinned at her as he deposited a pile of notes into the tray.

  ‘I have a knack of rubbing Grace up the wrong way, so I’m not really in a position to judge. She usually looks stressed when I’m around, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Really?’ Janet was obviously intrigued by the remark. ‘But I thought you two were old friends?’

  ‘I’d like to think so but I’m not sure if Grace would agree with me.’ He turned to her and Grace could see the challenge in his eyes. ‘What do you think, Grace? Are you and I friends, or what?’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  HARRY knew it was probably a stupid thing to do. Asking a question like that was simply courting trouble, yet he desperately wanted to hear how she would describe their relationship. How could he and Grace have communicated as they had when discussing Bethany if they didn’t even like
each other? It didn’t make sense.

  ‘You’ll be asking me next if I want to come over to your house for tea.’ She smiled sardonically. ‘Sorry, Harry, but I haven’t felt the need for a best friend since I left junior school.’

  ‘Really?’ He folded his arms and regarded her thoughtfully, knowing that he should let the subject drop. He’d sworn that he wouldn’t cause another argument so why was he pushing her? However, for some inexplicable reason, he knew that he needed to get to the bottom of what had gone on. ‘So there isn’t anyone you share your deepest, darkest secrets with?’

  ‘I don’t have any deep, dark secrets,’ she enunciated very clearly. ‘My life is very boring, and that’s the way I like it.’

  ‘I don’t believe that.’ Harry could tell that he was really pushing his luck. Grace was glaring at him now but he refused to give up. There had to be a logical explanation for the way they had connected before, and he wanted to know what it was.

  ‘Everyone has secrets, Grace—even you. Things they share with the people they trust most of all, their closest friends.’

  ‘And you’re hoping that I’ll share my secrets with you, are you, Harry?’

  He shrugged nonchalantly, hoping she couldn’t tell how much the thought appealed to him. ‘If you want to.’

  ‘I don’t. Even if I had any secrets, you would be the last person I would share them with.’

  She spun round on her heel and marched out of the room. There was a small pause before Janet said weakly, ‘Oh, dear. That didn’t go down too well. It’s not like Grace to be so short with people.’

  ‘It’s my fault for winding her up. I knew it was the wrong thing to do,’ Harry confessed. He sighed when Janet looked expectantly at him. ‘Grace and I have a bit of a history, you see, and we usually end up sparring with each other.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Janet smiled. ‘I thought it was odd for Grace to be so prickly. But if you two were an item at some point, then, that explains it. Still, I expect you’ll work things out while you’re here. And who knows what could happen?’ she added archly, whisking the files out of the tray. ‘You could discover that you still have feelings for one another.’

  She disappeared into the back office before Harry could respond. He groaned as he sank down onto the chair she’d vacated. Janet obviously believed that he and Grace had been romantically involved at one time—an ‘item’, she’d called it—and nothing could be further from the truth.

  He knew that he should go after her and explain, but he was afraid that he might cause more harm than good. Janet might think that he was trying to cover up his and Grace’s supposed affair and that was the last thing he wanted. It might be better if he left well enough alone and simply hoped that Janet wouldn’t say anything to Grace.

  He groaned again because he could just imagine how Grace would react if she found out.

  ‘I’d like you to come into the surgery for a proper check-up, Mr Bibby. These angina attacks are getting worse and I think we need to send you back to the hospital to see the consultant.’ Grace rolled up her stethoscope and smiled at the elderly man. ‘There’s no point putting up with this level of discomfort if something can be done to help you, is there?’

  ‘The pain has been getting worse,’ Fred Bibby admitted. ‘My Jeannie wanted me to pop in and see you before Christmas but I don’t like to make a fuss. I know how busy you and Dr Farrington are. How is he, by the way? Mrs Roberts told me that he was taken poorly last night. Nothing too serious, I hope.’

  ‘Angina, would you believe?’ Grace explained, marvelling at how quickly the news about Miles had spread. Several of the people she’d been to visit that afternoon had asked after him so no doubt the whole village would know by teatime.

  ‘Really? Why, he’s just a young man. I must be double his age. I thought it was only old fellows like me as suffered with a dicky heart.’

  ‘Unfortunately, a lot more younger men and women are experiencing heart problems,’ Grace told him, trying not to think about the discussion she’d had with Harry the previous night on this very subject. She didn’t want to think about Harry at all after what had happened in the office. She was still smarting from their last conversation. If Harry Shaw was the last man on earth, she wouldn’t share any secrets with him.

  ‘It’s all this running around the young ones do. They seem to think they can work all the hours the good Lord sends then party all night.’ Fred shook his head. ‘I’ve heard what my Jeannie’s lad gets up to and he runs himself ragged, I can tell you.’

  ‘Is David still working in London?’ Grace asked, relieved to direct her thoughts towards something other than Harry.

  She closed her case and sat down on the settee. Fred had been on his own since his wife had died the previous year. Although his daughter, Jeannie, visited him every day, Grace knew that he was lonely. She made a point of spending an extra few minutes with him whenever she visited him, although undoubtedly Harry wouldn’t approve. His interest in a patient probably only extended to their physical health, she thought scornfully.

  ‘Aye. He’s just bought himself this fancy apartment. Jeannie brought some photos round to show me. I suppose it’s all right if you like that kind of thing but I’m too fond of my comforts. I don’t much care for bare floors and all that white paint on the walls.’

  Grace hid her smile. One glance around the cluttered farmhouse was enough to tell her that Fred’s taste was vastly different to his grandson’s. ‘It sounds as though he’s doing well, though. You must be very proud of him.’

  ‘Oh, I am that. He’s a good lad, never forgets to send me a card for my birthday and Christmas, and he phones me, too.’ Fred sighed. ‘I just wish he was interested in the farm. Once I go there’ll be nobody to carry on running the place.’

  ‘Maybe he’ll change his mind,’ Grace suggested, not wanting him to start feeling depressed.

  ‘I can only hope. Anyway, enough of my problems. What about you, Dr Kennedy? How are you going to manage while Dr Farrington is poorly? Have you got another of them there locums to help you?’

  ‘Actually, we’ve been extremely lucky. A friend of ours has offered to fill in while Miles is recuperating. Dr Shaw works in one of the big London hospitals. He’s head of clinical care there, so we’re very fortunate to have him on board,’ she explained, doing her best to paint an attractive picture of her new partner.

  The word ‘partner’ sent a jolt of alarm scudding through her and she frowned. She had never thought of Harry like that before, although that was what he was. He would act as her partner until Miles was well enough to return to work and the thought made her feel very on edge. There was something rather too personal, too intimate about the idea of having Harry as her partner.

  She stood up, deciding it was time to bring her visit to an end before she got sidetracked. ‘Ask Jeannie to bring you to the surgery, will you, Mr Bibby? I’ll do an ECG and arrange for you to see a consultant.’

  ‘Right, I’ll do that. Thanks for coming, Dr Kennedy. It’s much appreciated.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  Grace saw herself out and hurried to her car. The weather had been bad when she’d set out at lunchtime and it had got steadily worse as the afternoon had progressed. Snow had been forecast for this part of Cumbria so she was glad that Fred Bibby was the last patient she had to see. Once the weather started to close in, the roads around the village became very treacherous, so it was a relief to be heading back to the surgery. She started the engine then groaned when her mobile phone rang. She could tell from the number on its display that the call was from the surgery, and that could only mean that Janet had another call for her to make.

  ‘Hello, Janet, what’s happened?’ she asked briskly.

  ‘It’s not Janet, it’s Harry,’ a male voice announced.

  Grace felt her heart bounce painfully against her ribs before she managed to bring it under control. She wasn’t going to get all steamed up because Harry had phoned her, she told herself st
ernly.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ she asked, pleased to hear that her voice sounded completely normal.

  ‘Could be. We’ve had a call from Hilltop Farm. Apparently there’s been an accident there. Janet has phoned for an ambulance but it will take almost an hour for it to get there.’

  ‘I’s not easy to get to the farm,’ she agreed. ‘And in weather like this, it could take even longer.’

  ‘Which is why I’ve decided to go over there myself. We can’t afford to wait for the ambulance if there’s going to be a long delay. You know as well as I do that the first sixty minutes following an accident are crucial. Janet is worried that I might not be able to find the place, though. She suggested that I phone you so you could point me in the right direction.’

  ‘Of course.’ Grace was all business as she checked the clock on the dashboard. ‘It’s 3.15 now. I was just about to leave my last call and head back so I’ll meet you on the bypass. There’s a lay-by near the turn-off to the village. It should take me roughly ten minutes to get there. It’s probably best if I go with you because I doubt you’ll find the farm on your own.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll see you there.’

  Grace put the phone back in its cradle. She had to admit that she was concerned about what Harry had told her. Hilltop Farm was a difficult place to get to even on a good day and if the ambulance didn’t arrive, they could have a real problem on their hands.

  A shiver ran through her and she quickly turned the car’s heater to its highest setting before she set off. It was the chill that was getting to her, that was all. It had nothing to do with the thought of working with Harry. They might be partners but it was purely a temporary arrangement. In a couple of weeks’ time he would return to London and she would carry on doing the job she loved here. Their lives would be restored to order and she, for one, would be glad to get back to normal.

  The truth was that she much preferred it when Harry was at one end of the country and she was at the other. It was when he got too close that the problems started. What had he said to Janet earlier, that he rubbed her up the wrong way. Well, it was true. After a few minutes of Harry’s company she was ready to do battle, and it wasn’t like her to behave that way. She’d met other people she’d had little in common with but she’d never reacted to them the way she did to Harry. Was it just the fact that he reminded her of her errant father, or was there perhaps another reason why she behaved so completely out of character when he was around?