The GP’s Meant-To-Be Bride

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Nothing that can’t be put off.’ She gave a little shrug when she saw the scepticism on his face. ‘It’s true. There’s nothing urgent that needs my attention. I’m happy to help.’

  ‘It’s very good of you, but it doesn’t seem fair to take such a huge chunk out of your weekend. I know you said that you weren’t dating at the moment, but at this time of the year, there must be all sorts of social events in the pipeline. I don’t want to mess up your plans.’

  ‘You aren’t,’ she said shortly, not wanting to explain that she didn’t have any plans. Although she went out with friends to the theatre or the cinema occasionally, she spent most of her free time at home. She certainly never dated because there was no point when it could never lead anywhere. Whenever any of her friends asked her why there was no one special in her life, she avoided giving them a direct answer. She’d never even told Heather the truth, but had let her believe that she dated occasionally and left it at that. It was much simpler than explaining her decision to remain celibate.

  ‘Well, if you’re sure it won’t cause a problem?’ Ross insisted, and she swallowed her groan, wishing he would let the subject drop. At the moment he saw her as a normal woman, a woman he’d been tempted to kiss, but she knew how quickly his view of her would change if he found out about her accident.

  ‘It won’t,’ she said firmly, hurrying to the door. ‘I’ll just pop the kettle on. We could do with some coffee while we work.’

  She didn’t wait for him to reply as she made her way to the kitchen. Ross was studying the monitor when she went back—he didn’t look up as she placed a mug of coffee beside him and Gemma breathed a sigh of relief. She hated deceiving him, but telling him the truth was out of the question.

  Normally, Ross would have had no difficulty focussing on the task at hand. He knew how important it was that they establish which patients might be at risk, but no matter how hard he tried to dismiss the question hanging over Gemma’s love life, it wouldn’t go away. He simply couldn’t understand why she wasn’t seeing anyone. It certainly couldn’t be because she had a problem with men. That kiss they had shared had ruled out that possibility!

  He took a deep breath to calm his racing pulse and crossed the first patient’s name off the list. He keyed in the next patient’s details and waited for the file to appear. The patient in question, Alison Bradshaw, had seen the locum after discovering a lump in her left breast. Ross’s heart sank as he read the notes the locum had made at the time. He had diagnosed Alison as suffering from fibroadenosis—an excessive growth of glandular and fibrous tissue in the breasts which causes lumps. There was nothing wrong with the diagnosis, and it could very well be correct. However, the locum had failed to send Alison for a mammogram to rule out the possibility of breast cancer.

  ‘We need to get Alison Bradshaw back in as soon as possible.’ Ross said, deliberately keeping his expression neutral as he glanced at Gemma. Why had she kissed him like that if she was indifferent to him? It didn’t add up. ‘She had a lump in her left breast which the locum diagnosed as fibroadenosis, but he didn’t send her for a mammogram.’

  ‘I’ll phone her first thing Monday morning,’ Gemma said, making a note on her pad. She lent forward so she could read Alison’s phone number off the screen and Ross sucked in his breath when she accidentally brushed against him.

  ‘Sorry.’

  She drew back abruptly and he felt more confused than ever. Was she regretting what had happened at lunchtime, wishing she had put a stop to it sooner?

  ‘I’ll phone her myself,’ he said curtly because the idea didn’t sit well with him. Gemma had kissed him without a qualm earlier in the day, but, apparently, she was having second thoughts now, and he couldn’t help feeling hurt. ‘Don’t forget that you’re due at Naylor’s Farm first thing on Monday morning. I don’t want to give Jim an excuse not to have those blood tests done.’

  ‘Fine. Whatever you want to do.’

  She made a note on her pad to that effect. Ross returned to the job at hand, checking another dozen or so files in silence. There was a query with the next patient so they made a note of the name, then found another couple of potential problems that would need investigation straight after that. The list was growing by the hour; by the time six o’clock came around they had over two dozen names on it and every single person would need to be recalled and re-examined.

  ‘It’s a complete shambles!’ Ross stood up, feeling anger swirling around inside him. It was rare he ever lost his temper but he was close to doing so now. ‘We’re only halfway through the list and look how many recalls we’ve found.’

  ‘It is worrying,’ Gemma agreed, frowning down at her notepad. Her hair fell forwards across her cheek and she tucked it behind her ear in that way he was starting to know so well.

  Why had he never noticed it before? he marvelled. He must have been walking around with his eyes closed, oblivious to what had been happening around him. He certainly wasn’t oblivious now. Every time Gemma did it he felt his stomach muscles bunch, his nerves tingle, his…

  He swung round before he started drooling like an oversexed schoolboy! ‘We can’t keep this to ourselves any longer. I’ll have to tell Matt what we’ve uncovered. This kind of slipshod work could have serious repercussions for the practice.’

  ‘But it isn’t our fault that locum wasn’t up to the job,’ Gemma protested. ‘Matt hired him through a reputable agency and they checked his references—they were fine.’

  ‘I’m sure they were, but who’s to say he hasn’t done shoddy work at other practices and they haven’t noticed it yet? It was pure chance that we happened to spot the mistake he’d made by not ordering those blood tests for Jim Naylor.’

  ‘You mean, you spotted it, Ross. I doubt many GPs would have picked up on it so quickly.’

  Ross felt his heart lift when she smiled at him. She had this way of looking at him that made him feel incredibly special. Could she have looked at him that way if she didn’t care? Could she have kissed him the way she’d done if she hadn’t wanted him?

  Everything kept coming back to that. Gemma had kissed him as though she’d really meant it and she wouldn’t have done that if she was indifferent to him. He wasn’t sure why she was so reluctant to admit it. Maybe she was wary of saying too much because of Heather. She probably thought he was still in love with her best friend and felt guilty about what they had done.

  Ross felt a wave of tenderness wash through him. Gemma had no need to worry on that score. He wasn’t in love with Heather and the sooner he made that clear to Gemma the better.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  IT STARTED

  to snow at six a.m. on Monday morning. Gemma was eating her breakfast when she saw the first flakes drifting down from the sky. She hurriedly finished her toast and stood up. Experience had taught her how quickly the weather could deteriorate and she didn’t want to find herself stuck out at Naylor’s Farm. Ten minutes later she set off. She put her case in the boot, adding a spade and a blanket as well. At least she could attempt to dig herself out if she did get stuck and, if that didn’t work, the blanket would stop her freezing to death until help arrived. The last thing the practice needed was her getting into difficulties.

  Gemma sighed as she pulled away from the kerb. The list she and Ross had started to compile on Saturday had doubled in size by the time they had finished on Sunday afternoon. Ross had sounded very grim as he had informed her that he was going straight round to Matt’s house after they left the surgery. He’d clearly been worried about what they had discovered, although she suspected it hadn’t been the only thing bothering him. Was he still brooding about that kiss? she wondered for the umpteenth time. Wishing it hadn’t happened because he felt guilty about kissing her when it was Heather he loved? Her heart sank at the thought. The sooner they both forgot about it, the better.

  Gemma tried to shake off the thought of how difficult it was going to be to forget it as she left the town. The snow was starting to stick n
ow, making driving extremely hazardous. She came to a junction and slowed down, applying the brakes as gently as possible, but even so she felt the car slew sideways. Fortunately, there was very little traffic about. She only saw one other vehicle, an expensive sports car that came tearing along the road. Gemma shook her head as it roared past her. Obviously, the driver was making no concessions for the weather.

  Jim Naylor opened the door as soon as he heard her draw up in the yard. ‘You folk must have nothing better to do if you’re prepared to drive all the way up here in weather like this,’ he said shortly as Gemma got out of the car.

  ‘Oh, I can’t think of anything better than seeing you, Jim,’ she replied cheerily, following him into the kitchen. Edith was standing by the stove and she chuckled when she heard the comment.

  ‘You’re not going to frighten her off, Jim, so you may as well accept that you’re going to have to have those blood tests done.’ She winked at Gemma. ‘He’s a bit sensitive when it comes to blood, if you catch my drift, love.’

  ‘Really?’ Gemma hid her smile. ‘There’s really no need to worry, Jim. It will be over in a matter of seconds.’

  ‘Take no notice of what she says.’ Jim hooked a thumb in his wife’s direction and scowled. ‘Talking out the top of her head, she is, and that’s a fact. I don’t have any problem with giving you some blood.’

  ‘Good. I’m pleased to hear it.’ Gemma opened her case and took out a syringe and the vials she would need. She placed them in a dish then smiled at the farmer. ‘If you’d sit down and roll up your sleeve for me, please, I’ll get it done straight away.’

  Jim sat down abruptly on a chair. He looked a little pale as he rolled up his shirtsleeve. Gemma swabbed his skin then fastened the tourniquet around his upper arm. ‘You’ll just feel a sharp prick,’ she explained, sliding the needle into the vein. The blood had just started to flow into the vial when Jim suddenly slumped sideways.

  ‘Happens every time,’ Edith assured her, grabbing hold of him. ‘He’s not so bad when it comes to the sheep—he just about manages then. But if he ever cuts himself…Well!’

  Edith shook her head in exasperation, although Gemma could tell she was concerned. She hurriedly filled the vials with enough blood to complete all the tests they needed then removed the needle and pressed a cotton-wool ball against the incision. By that time, Jim was starting to come round, looking both woozy and embarrassed by what had happened.

  ‘I don’t know what came over me,’ he muttered. ‘Must be because I’ve not had my breakfast yet.’

  ‘I’m always telling you that you need something solid in your stomach before you go out tending them there sheep,’ Edith admonished him. She went back to the stove, smiling conspiratorially at Gemma as she cracked a couple of eggs into the frying pan.

  ‘No wonder you felt dizzy if you’ve not had anything to eat,’ Gemma concurred, touched by the way Edith had handled the situation. It was exactly as she’d explained to Ross—Edith and Jim really cared about one another, and neither would set out to hurt the other.

  The thought of Ross made her heart leap and she busied herself with filling in the details on the vials so she wouldn’t start churning everything over again. Edith invited her to have breakfast with them but Gemma refused. The snow was getting heavier and she wanted to get back to town as soon as she could.

  She left the farm and headed back to the main road. The gritter lorry had been out and that made driving a little easier, although it was slow progress, all the same. She drove for about fifteen miles then rounded a bend and gasped at the sight that met her. The sports car that had passed her earlier that morning was lying on its roof in the ditch. The gritter lorry had also come to grief and had ended up on its side in a field. A mountain of salt and sand had spilled out of the back and was blocking the road, creating a hazard for any vehicles travelling along the road. There was no sign of either driver, although the accident must have happened some time before. It meant there might be two people badly injured.

  Gemma took out her mobile phone, groaning when she discovered that she couldn’t get a signal. Shoving it into her pocket, she got out of her car and ran to the sports car. The driver was hanging, upside down, from his seat belt, and appeared to be unconscious. Gemma tried to open the door to check on him but the car’s automatic locking system prevented her gaining entry.

  Leaving the car for a moment, she hurried to the lorry, scrambling over the mound of salt and sand that blocked her way. The driver was slumped across the front seat. There was a large gash on the side of his head and he was bleeding profusely from it. However, when she opened the door of the cab and examined him, she discovered that his pulse was strong and that he was breathing steadily. Although she couldn’t rule out the possibility of a head injury, his vital signs were encouraging.

  She ran back to her car and found the blanket then took it back to the lorry and covered the driver with it. There was little else she could do for him so that left her with the problem of how to get into the sports car. In the end, she used the spade to shatter the windscreen, then took off her jacket and wrapped it around her hand while she made a large enough hole so she could reach in and check if the man was alive. He was—just—although his pulse was very rapid and thready, and the seat belt was restricting his breathing. He desperately needed help if he was to survive.

  Gemma put her coat back on and looked round. The snow was falling in thick white sheets now, blotting out the surrounding countryside. She was too far away from Naylor’s Farm to drive all the way back there and use their phone, so her best plan was to find a signal for her mobile. Hopefully, she would get a better reception if she climbed up one of the hills. She cast a last look at the vehicles and set off, hoping she wouldn’t have to climb too far. She didn’t rate her chances of finding her way back in this weather if she got lost.

  It was barely seven a.m. when Ross drove into the surgery car park. Although his first patient wasn’t due until eight, he’d arranged to meet Matt there before everyone arrived so they could go through the suspect files. It would be up to Matt what happened after that, although Ross guessed that the head of the practice would contact every patient and arrange for them to be seen. All he could hope was that nobody would end up paying for the locum’s errors.

  He let himself in and switched off the alarm. He was just going into the office when Matt appeared, looking grim-faced as he bade Ross a curt good morning. Ross didn’t take it personally. He knew the older man was extremely concerned about what had happened, and that it couldn’t have come at a worse time, either. Following on from the wedding fiasco, it must be a nightmare for him.

  ‘Let’s get straight down to it.’ Matt followed him into the office and pulled up a chair. ‘We’ll need to call back all the patients who have a query about their treatment. I’d like them to be seen within the next couple of weeks, too. What I don’t want is for people to be hanging about over Christmas and the New Year.’

  ‘It’s going to be a major task to fit them all in,’ Ross warned him.

  ‘I realise that, but it has to be done.’ Matt smiled grimly. ‘I don’t need my professional life turning into a shambles as well as my private life.’

  Ross didn’t say anything. He was very aware that he was more than partly to blame for all the recent disruptions. If only he’d realised the mistake he’d been making by asking Heather to marry him, he thought sadly as he brought up the list of suspect files. His mind flickered to Gemma, to the fact that it wouldn’t be a mistake to ask her to marry him, before he brought it back in line. It was too soon for that. He needed to make sure that Gemma knew the truth about his relationship with Heather first, and it might take some time to convince her that he had never been in love with her friend. She was bound to have doubts, to wonder if he was on the rebound, but somehow he had to make her believe him.

  It was worrying to know what a difficult task lay ahead. Ross deliberately pushed it to one side and the next hour flew past. He and Mat
t were still hard at work when Carol arrived.

  ‘My, you two are keen!’ she exclaimed. She glanced at the screen and frowned. ‘I don’t remember setting up that list.’

  ‘You didn’t,’ Matt explained tersely. ‘Ross and Gemma did it over the weekend.’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ Carol murmured, looking a little put out. As practice manager, Carol was in charge of the paperwork and normally she would have been involved in something like this from the outset. Ross hurried to explain that it hadn’t been a deliberate attempt to undermine her position.

  ‘Something cropped up on Saturday morning that alerted us to the fact that there could be a problem with some of the patients who were seen by that locum we hired in the summer. Gemma and I checked through the files over the weekend and it appears he was cutting corners by not ordering certain tests and procedures to be carried out.’

  ‘Really?’ Carol couldn’t hide her dismay. ‘But that’s awful!’

  ‘It is,’ he agreed, relieved that he had managed to smooth things over. This was going to cause enough upset in the practice without Carol’s feathers being ruffled as well.

  He left Matt and Carol discussing what needed to be done and went to his room. His morning list was on his desk and he glanced through it while he kept one eye on the door. Gemma had to pass his door on her way to the nurses’ room and he wanted to know how she had got on at Naylor’s Farm.

  He sighed because that was just an excuse. The truth was that he wanted to see her, talk to her and watch her smile. He had never felt this strongly about anyone before and it was a revelation to feel this sense of longing. Did Gemma feel this way about him? Or was he fooling himself into thinking that she cared as much about him as he cared about her?

  He had no idea and the uncertainty was the worst thing of all. He was used to being in charge of his life and his emotions and it wasn’t easy to have all these question marks hanging over him.