His Brother's Son

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘It helped to have a word with you, sir. Silvia and I have done our best to reassure them, but it’s a very worrying time for them. At least you have managed to set their minds at rest.’

  Felipe nodded, appreciating the fact that the younger man had seen fit to say anything. ‘Thank you, Domingo, but if there is any credit due, it must go to you. You did an excellent job on the child. If he recovers—which I am in no doubt that he will—it will be thanks to your skill.’

  ‘Gracias!’ Domingo sounded stunned. He was obviously overcome at being complimented twice in one night and looked relieved when his beeper sounded. He hurried off to A and E to deal with a new casualty while Felipe took himself to his office.

  He closed the door then looked around the room. Everything was exactly as he’d left it, his desk still neatly stacked with papers, his white coat hanging on the coat-stand, and yet it all looked different, strange, as though the few days he had been away had made him see it through new eyes. This had been his world for so many years yet all of a sudden he found himself wondering if it was all he wanted from life. Surely there should be more than this rather sterile existence?

  Unbidden, an image of Rebecca slid into his mind once again and he sighed because it was pointless trying to shut it out. He may as well think about her rather than fight it, remember how she’d looked last night with her feet bare and her blonde hair falling around her face, remember once again how sweetly sensual her lips had felt when they’d brushed his cheek.

  A pulse started beating low in his stomach and he shifted uncomfortably, but it didn’t ease. It just grew stronger, turned into the throbbing ache which he hadn’t felt for so long that it stunned him to feel it then. To feel his body growing hot with desire and know it was for the woman whom he had always believed had used his brother shocked him, but he couldn’t stop what was happening any more than he could have stopped breathing.

  He wanted Rebecca, wanted her as a man wanted a woman, wanted her in the basest yet the most wonderful of ways, and nothing he could do would stop this hunger growing inside him.

  Felipe took a deep breath, let it out slowly, did it all over again a dozen more times, and after a while the feeling began to recede. Moving around the desk, he sat in the big leather chair and thought about what had happened and what it might mean.

  Maybe he was sexually frustrated because it had been a while since he had slept with a woman, but he couldn’t in all honesty claim that as the explanation. He had encountered other beautiful women in the past but they hadn’t stirred him the way Rebecca did.

  That was the reason why he’d not gone to see her before he’d left London. He’d been afraid that she would guess how mixed up he felt about that kiss, afraid that she might use it to her advantage and his detriment. He might respond to Rebecca on many levels but he didn’t trust her, not yet, not until he’d found out why she had lied to him about the money. And it was the fear of what he might uncover that now caused him such anguish.

  He didn’t want to find a reason to hate her.

  The phone suddenly rang and he quickly reached for the receiver. He listened intently while Domingo outlined the new casualty’s injuries then brusquely interrupted him. ‘I shall be straight there. Get the patient ready for Theatre.’

  He stood up and if he felt a sense of relief at being spared any more soul-searching he made no apologies for it. He would be able to deal with Rebecca and the effect she had on him so much better if he got himself back on track.

  Josh had grizzled steadily throughout the flight. He was normally such a good baby that it was a surprise how fretful he had been that day. Becky had done her best but nothing had seemed to soothe him.

  Maybe he’d picked up on her own mood, she thought as the plane began its descent into Palma airport. She had been on edge for the past three weeks, waiting for this day to come, dreading its arrival. Considering this was the first step on the way to a new life for them both, she couldn’t claim that she felt happy about it.

  The plane finally landed and by that time Josh was screaming in earnest. Becky smiled her thanks when the man in the next seat helpfully carried her flight bag while she struggled to hang onto Josh.

  She made her way to the baggage reclaim area while Josh roared his disapproval. Fortunately, another person lifted her case off the carousel and put it on a trolley for her. She pushed it through customs, hoping there would be someone at the airport to meet her.

  She had sent a fax to the clinic, confirming that she would be on the flight, so hopefully Felipe would have arranged for a taxi to collect her. However, it wasn’t until she spotted him standing on the fringes of the crowd that she realised he’d decided to come himself.

  Becky felt her heart give the most peculiar jolt as she watched him striding towards her. He was wearing a light grey suit that day and he stood out from the crowd of casually dressed holidaymakers. She saw two young women turn and look at him as he passed, but he ignored them as he made his way straight to her.

  ‘Is there something wrong with Josh? I could hear him screaming while you were collecting your luggage.’

  ‘He’s probably upset because of the change to his routine,’ she replied, trying not to let him see how aware of him she was. It was three weeks since she had seen him and now she was struck by how tall he was, how imposing, how very handsome. It was hard not to stare at him but not for the life of her would she let him guess what was going through her mind.

  ‘Are you sure he isn’t sick?’ he asked worriedly, laying a gentle hand on Josh’s forehead. ‘He feels very hot.’

  ‘That’s because he’s got himself into a real tizz,’ she replied, shifting the baby onto her other hip. He was getting heavy now and it was quite tiring, having to carry him.

  ‘A tizz?’ Felipe repeated uncertainly.

  ‘Grumpy, angry, fretful, all sort of mixed up together,’ she explained, then looked at him in surprise when he laughed.

  ‘Ah, I understand exactly how he feels, pobrecito.’

  Becky frowned because she wasn’t sure what he’d meant by that. She looked at him questioningly and was surprised when she saw a little colour darken his cheeks before he briskly took charge of the trolley.

  ‘This way. I managed to park near the entrance so it isn’t far to walk.’

  She followed him in silence, wondering why her heart seemed to be playing hopscotch across her ribs all of a sudden. Had that been a reference to the fact that Felipe himself had been feeling grumpy and mixed up, perhaps?

  She sensed it was so and also guessed that the reason for his mood owed itself to something she had done. Had it been that kiss? Had it caused him as many sleepless nights as it had caused her? Frankly, she couldn’t believe how one chaste kiss could have caused such havoc, for him as well as her.

  The sun was brilliant when they stepped outside. Josh let out a shriek as the bright light assailed his eyes and Becky hastily shook off the moment of introspection. He buried his face in her shoulder, screaming harder than ever when she tried to console him.

  Felipe shot the baby a worried look as he unlocked the car. ‘Does he want a drink, perhaps, or something to eat?’

  ‘Probably both. He wouldn’t have anything on the plane, but maybe he’ll have some juice now. It’s worth a try.’

  She tried to retrieve the bottle of fruit juice from her shoulder-bag, but it was hard to unzip it with the baby clinging to her. Felipe quickly stepped forward and took Josh from her, jiggling him up and down in his arms while she found the bottle.

  Becky smiled when she heard him talking to the child, telling him that he would soon be home and that there was no need to cry. It was doubtful if Josh was listening to a word he said as he roared his displeasure, but that didn’t seem to deter Felipe from trying. Frankly, she was touched by his obvious concern for the little boy. There would be few men who would willingly try to calm a screaming infant the way he was doing.

  ‘Get into the car and I’ll pass him to you,’ he ins
tructed when she had found the bottle. ‘I’ve had a baby-seat fitted into the back and he will be safer in that than on your knee.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she replied, grateful for his thoughtfulness.

  She took Josh from him and quickly strapped him into the comfy little seat. Taking the top off the bottle, she let a few drops of the juice dribble onto the baby’s lips. He stopped crying immediately and reached for the bottle.

  She let him hold it, keeping a careful watch on him while Felipe got into the car and started the engine. He turned on the air-conditioning so that within minutes the interior of the car felt blissfully cool. She sighed in relief.

  ‘That’s better! Even Josh is starting to feel a bit better now, aren’t you, sweetheart?’

  She buzzed the baby’s downy cheek with a kiss then looked up and found that Felipe was watching her in the rear-view mirror. She felt herself blush because she couldn’t help thinking about the way she’d kissed his cheek. What made it worse was that she knew he was remembering it as well.

  It was a relief when he looked away and busied himself with pulling out of the parking space. They left the airport and he turned onto a busy main road. It was midday and a lot of holiday flights had landed. The road was crowded with taxis and coaches ferrying people to their hotels and apartments.

  Becky stared out of the window, thinking about the last time she’d travelled this route on her way back from the Clinica Valdez after that first unhappy meeting with Felipe. She had never imagined that she would be making a return trip, certainly hadn’t expected to be living on the island a few weeks later. Had she done the right thing by coming here?

  Just for a moment she was assailed by panic before she forced herself to calm down and consider the facts. She would never have got hold of the money to pay Tara if she hadn’t agreed to come to Mallorca. She had deposited a cheque for twenty thousand pounds in the woman’s bank account, and as far as she was concerned that was the end of the matter, although she doubted if Tara saw it that way.

  Tara would, no doubt, make more demands at some point, but now she wouldn’t know where to find her and Josh. Becky had taken care not to leave a forwarding address at the flat and had told nobody, apart from the people she worked with, where she was going. Of course, there was always a chance that Tara would go to the hospital and ask for her new address, but she would deal with that problem if it arose. For a few months, at least, Josh would be safe.

  ‘He seems to have settled down now.’

  She looked up when Felipe spoke, once again feeling her heart surge when she saw him watching her in the mirror. ‘Um…yes. He’s worn out, poor little scrap.’

  ‘It will take a few days for him to adjust to his new surroundings,’ he said levelly, returning his attention to the road. ‘He is bound to be a little fractious at first.’

  ‘Probably. I suppose I’ve been spoilt really,’ she said, gently easing the bottle out of Josh’s hand. His eyelids were drooping and it was obvious that he was about to doze.

  ‘Why do you say that?’ Felipe asked, his deep voice filled with curiosity.

  ‘Because Josh has been such a good baby right from the start. He rarely cried even when he was just a few days old, and especially not when Antonio was looking after him.’

  She smiled as she brushed a wispy curl off the baby’s flushed little cheek. ‘I think he sensed that his daddy was ill and he wanted to help him.’

  ‘Do you think a child is capable of sensing things like that?’ he asked, and she frowned when she heard how gruff his voice had sounded. Did he think she was crazy to suggest such a thing? she wondered, shooting him a wary glance.

  It came as a surprise when she realised that there wasn’t a trace of scepticism on his face. It was only when his eyes met hers in the mirror that she could see the emotion they held and realised that he’d been deeply moved by the idea.

  ‘Yes, I do. Babies are very receptive to mood. Everyone knows that they react to anger and laughter so why shouldn’t they respond to other emotions? It’s only as we grow older that we develop a need to hide our feelings.’

  ‘Maybe we come to realise that it can be dangerous to show how we feel, Rebecca. There are always people who are ready to take advantage of our weakness.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness to show one’s feelings,’ she protested.

  She frowned because she sensed that the comment had been a personal one rather than a general statement. Had something happened to Felipe in the past that had taught him not to show his emotions?

  It might be the key to understanding Felipe better if she found out the answer. Without stopping to think about what she was doing, she leant forward in the seat.

  ‘Did somebody take advantage of you, Felipe? Is that why you try to distance yourself from people?’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  FELIPE felt a nerve start to tick in his jaw. He knew that Rebecca was waiting for him to answer, but for the life of him he didn’t know what to say.

  He had never spoken about his hurt when he’d found out how Teresa had deceived him all those years ago and would have denied that it had influenced his behaviour in the intervening years. But suddenly he could see the effect it had had on him.

  Discovering that his fiancée had been having an affair with his best friend had been a shock, even though he’d realised eventually that he had been partly to blame. He had been so busy with his work and looking after Antonio that Teresa had grown tired of being ignored and had sought consolation elsewhere.

  He had learned a valuable lesson from the experience, though, and had made up his mind never again to mix love with the demands of his job. The breakdown of his relationship with Teresa had affected everything he did. It was the reason why he needed to be in control all the time and the motivation for choosing the kind of life he led. If he hadn’t let it affect him, surely he would have had more in his life by now than just his work at the clinic?

  ‘I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have asked you a question like that. I didn’t mean to be rude.’

  He heard the apology in her voice but it didn’t disguise the concern he could hear in it as well. The nerve in his jaw beat all the harder. Rebecca cared—really cared—about what had happened to him, and it touched his heart to realise it.

  It was on the tip of his tongue to pour out the whole story when a taxi suddenly cut in front of him, causing him to swerve sharply to avoid a collision. He heard Rebecca gasp with fright and little Josh give a great wail as he was jolted awake.

  Drawing in to the side of the road, he turned to look at them both, and felt his heart swell with tenderness when he saw how Rebecca was fussing over the baby and ignoring the fright she’d had. She was such a good mother, kind and loving, always putting the child’s welfare before her own. The thought shocked him to the core so that it was an effort to respond when she looked up.

  ‘He’s OK. He just had a bit of fright, didn’t you, poppet?’ She kissed the baby’s chubby little fist then blew a raspberry on his palm, smiling when Josh gave a reluctant chuckle. Lifting the hem of his blue T-shirt, she blew another raspberry on the child’s tummy and laughed when Josh gurgled with delight.

  ‘See, you’re fine now, aren’t you, darling? And it won’t be long before your Uncle Felipe shows you his beautiful clinic. Won’t that be fun?’

  Felipe found himself smiling as he listened to her. Josh couldn’t possibly understand what she was saying, but the child responded to the tone of her voice. She was a good mother and there was no denying that, even though it caused him some anguish to admit it.

  If Rebecca was such a good mother and such a caring person, why had she felt it necessary to lie to him about the money? What was she trying to cover up?

  The thought had plagued him for the past three weeks but all of a sudden he knew that he had to find out the answer. If there was anything he could do to help her, he would.

  His heart jolted as he started the car, but there was no way that he could
lie to himself. He wanted to help Rebecca because he cared about her. If someone had told him a few short weeks ago that he would be in this situation, he would have laughed. However, he didn’t feel like laughing now. Finding out the truth about Rebecca was even more important now than it had been in the beginning.

  It didn’t take them very long to reach the clinic after that. Felipe drove straight to his house and drew up outside. He got out and helped Rebecca from the car, automatically taking Josh from her.

  ‘Is this where you live?’ she asked, taking a long look around.

  She raised her hand to shade her eyes as she stared across the bay, and he felt his stomach clench when he saw how the action had made her small breasts press against the soft cotton of her white T-shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he could see the outline of her nipples through the thin fabric. His mouth suddenly went dry so that it was an effort to act as though nothing was wrong when she turned to him.

  ‘It’s absolutely beautiful, Felipe! The view is superb. Are Josh and I staying near here? I do hope so because it would be marvellous to wake up each morning to a view like that.’

  ‘Then you will be pleased to hear that you and Josh will be living right here in the villa.’

  He summoned a smile but it alarmed him to know how quickly he’d responded to her. He could have had his pick of women over the years but, apart from a few brief liaisons, he’d preferred not to complicate his life. Yet he only had to look at Rebecca and his blood started racing, his heart started pounding and his head began to fill with all kinds of crazy ideas.

  ‘Come, I shall show you to your rooms.’

  He slid his hand under her elbow to lead her towards the house, praying that she couldn’t tell that he was in such turmoil. He had to find a way to stop himself thinking about her all the time, but it wasn’t going to be easy. All of a sudden he found himself wondering if he’d made a mistake by bringing her to Mallorca.