The Secret Doctor

by Joanna Neil

  He shook his head. ‘No, you stay there and dry yourself off. Everything’s all prepared. It just needs to be put out.’

  Lacey did as he suggested, and let the sun bathe her, loving the way it caressed her skin, warming her through and through. She placed her drinking glass in a custom-made drinks holder at the side of the bench, and then tilted her head back so that it rested on the cushioned headrest that had been thoughtfully built in. She stretched out her long legs. For the first time in months she felt truly relaxed, invigorated by the swim but comfortable in mind and body.

  ‘Food’s coming up,’ Jake said. He was carrying a wicker hamper, which he placed down on the floor beside the bench, and then he went over to the opposite bench, lifted the seat and rummaged in the storage compartment.

  ‘Foldaway table,’ he said, coming back towards her in triumph. ‘You shall have your meal in comfort.’

  ‘I’m amazed,’ she said, as he opened up the hamper a moment or two later and set out the dishes of food. ‘You’ve thought of everything.’

  There was a chilled fruit starter, a basket made from the scooped-out rind of a melon and filled with a medley of honeydew melon, star fruit, nectarines, grapes and blueberries.

  Lacey stared at him. ‘I can’t believe you did all this yourself…did you?’

  He smiled and made a play of covering his nose with his hand. ‘Well, if I were Pinocchio, I’d be tempted to say yes, but then I might have to live with the consequences.’ He looked at the beautifully presented basket. ‘Actually, my housekeeper prepared everything. She loves cooking and as you can see, she’s very good at it. Help yourself. Taste it. I think you’ll agree she’s found her place in life.’

  Lacey savoured the food. There was rice and chicken, served with a delicious crisp salad, and there were cubanos, sandwiches made with crusty Cuban-style bread, filled with roast pork, ham, salami, cheese and pickle. The sandwiches had been pressed in a heated device that bound the ingredients together and allowed the flavours to come through. They ate them cold, but it didn’t matter, because they were just as good as the hot version.

  ‘And key lime pie to follow?’ Lacey rolled her eyes. ‘I think I must be in heaven.’ The creamy yellow pie was topped with whipped cream, and the blend of sweet and tart tastes was incredible. ‘You must thank your housekeeper for me and tell her that her food is delicious. At this rate, I shall be so stuffed you’ll have to carry me home and roll me into bed,’ she complained.

  ‘Well, that’s definitely an option,’ Jake said with a laugh, and Lacey stared at him blankly until it dawned on her what she had said.

  ‘No, I mean… I wasn’t suggesting… I meant…’

  ‘I know what you meant,’ he said, his mouth curving. ‘I just prefer my version, that’s all.’

  He was looking at her, the devil in his eyes, and the atmosphere crackled with electric tension. She felt heat sweep through her from the top of her head right down to her toes. How did he manage to do this to her? He only had to look at her and her nervous system kicked into action, making her heartbeat quicken and sending a rush of sensation to curl along her spine.

  ‘I’m…uh…really glad that you brought me out here today,’ she managed, searching for a way to defuse the situation. ‘I loved being able to swim around the reef.’

  ‘Well, it has to beat staying home and painting the walls any day,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘I’ve caught glimpses of you wielding your paint roller in the mornings before you set off for work.’

  She made a soft laugh. ‘I didn’t realise how many walls there were until I started.’

  He nodded. ‘They multiply in the night while you’re sleeping.’ His mouth tilted at the corners. ‘I must say your house looked fresh and clean enough to me when I was there, but I suppose you’re looking to change the colour scheme?’

  ‘Just a little. I want cool magnolia instead of sunshine yellow. It’s so hot some days that I need the extra help to keep the temperature down, mentally if not physically. And it’s a way of making the house truly mine.’

  ‘By putting your stamp on it, you mean?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘So you’re not having second thoughts about selling up?’ His gaze was thoughtful. ‘I was kind of hoping you might have reconsidered by now. I’d be willing to offer you way above the market price.’

  She frowned. ‘I don’t really understand why you’re so keen on buying me out. I know you said it was to do with the land, but I imagine you could extend in the opposite direction if you wanted. I know it would take some work, clearing the land, and so on, but it is a possible option, surely?’

  ‘I think the work would be too much to take on.’ He leaned back in his seat. ‘The truth is, my grandfather built the house you’re living in now, some fifty or more years ago. It was the family home through three generations. When my father married my mother, my grandparents moved out and went to live in the house next door…where I live now.’

  He frowned. ‘My brother and I grew up in your house as kids. We loved it. All our memories were there, and there was a huge sense of satisfaction and appreciation because my grandfather had designed and built it especially for us. It was a bitter blow when the family decided they had to sell up.’

  ‘Why would they do that, if it meant so much to them?’

  ‘Because my grandfather’s dream was to make the family’s fortune by finding a wreck that he could salvage, and he needed funds to make one last attempt. He felt he was really close to finding what he was after. It was a passion that drove him on through a good many years, and it cost him a huge amount of time and money to fund the diving expeditions. He wouldn’t give up. He knew his prize was out there somewhere, and he was determined to find it.’

  ‘So your father sacrificed his home to fund your grandfather’s dream? Wasn’t that a lot to ask of him?’

  Jake nodded. He lifted up his glass of chilled spritzer and took a long swallow, tilting his head back a fraction. Lacey watched in fascination as his throat moved, and then he laid the glass momentarily on his hot skin, taking relief from the coolness of the glass.

  ‘It was,’ he said, ‘but in the end it was a family decision. They would all benefit if my grandfather’s efforts were successful, and they backed him to the hilt. In the meantime, we all moved into the big house and waited to see what would happen.’

  ‘And eventually your grandfather…’ Lacey broke off as a commotion started up somewhere in the distance. She and Jake both glanced around to see what was going on, and it appeared that the shouting was coming from a boat moored across the bay.

  ‘It looks as though someone’s being pulled out of the water,’ Jake said. ‘A woman. She’s wearing scuba equipment.’

  ‘Is that blood I can see?’ Lacey peered at the people on the boat, putting a hand to her forehead to shade out the sun.

  ‘It looks like it.’ He frowned. ‘Perhaps we’d better go over there and see if we can help. The key to the medical cupboard is in the storage compartment alongside the wine chiller. We might need dressings and tape if they don’t have any aboard their own boat.’

  She nodded. Jake untied the boat and then took the helm, while Lacey went to check supplies. She was puzzled to see that he had a full stock of emergency medical equipment on board…the sort that qualified doctors might use.

  She took the medical case out on deck. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘This equipment is so advanced. There are oxygen masks and suture kits…why would you have all this on board? I was expecting to find just first-aid dressings and antiseptic.’

  He glanced at her briefly. ‘I thought it might come in handy.’

  Lacey frowned, but said no more as they moved alongside the other boat. By now, panic had set in amongst the people helping the injured woman. She had a neck wound, and was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. ‘It’s gone right through an artery,’ one man was saying, his voice threaded through with shock.

  ‘How do we stop
the flow? It’s not happening. It’s too deep.’

  ‘Just keep the pressure on the wound while I get this scuba equipment off her.’

  ‘Marie, can you hear me…? it’s Ross… Stay with us. We’re going to take care of you…’ The voices drifting across the water were becoming more anxious with every second that passed.

  Jake tied up the boat alongside them and called out. ‘Hello, there. We’re doctors. Is there anything we can do to help?’

  Lacey stared at him. A doctor? Jake was a doctor? Had she heard him right?

  ‘Thank heaven.’ The man, Ross, was applying pressure to the woman’s neck, but it didn’t seem to be having much effect. ‘Yes, anything you can do… It must have been the coral…she must have brushed up against it somehow…there’s a gash right along her neck.’

  ‘Okay, we’ll come aboard. Call the emergency services.’ He turned back to Lacey. ‘Bring the medical bag. From the look of things, we’ll need a Foley catheter and saline. Maybe a suture kit, too.’

  ‘Perhaps I should deal with this,’ she said. ‘I’m the one who’s working in emergency, after all.’ He’d said he was a doctor, but how experienced was he, and what branch of medicine did he specialise in? How could he have given it all up to spend his days fishing and scubadiving?

  ‘I’m still qualified,’ he answered, his voice terse. ‘I quit my job some time ago, but my licence is up to date.’

  He wasn’t giving way, it seemed, and Lacey realised that now wasn’t the time to question him further. They had a patient to deal with. She said no more, but went on board with him and knelt down alongside the woman and began to check her condition.

  Marie was in a desperate situation. If the blood loss continued at this rate she would soon lose consciousness altogether and her heart would fail. If they were to save her, something had to be done, fast.

  Jake had already assessed the situation and was ready to act. ‘I’m going to insert a catheter into the artery,’ he explained to the anxious onlookers, ‘so that I can put a small balloon in place. Then I’ll inflate the balloon with sterile saline and retract the catheter. With any luck it will stop the blood flow by compressing the blood vessel against the first rib.’

  That made sound sense to Lacey. He certainly appeared to know what he was doing. ‘I’ll put in an intravenous line and start fluids,’ she said. If they didn’t quickly replace the blood Marie had lost, she would go into shock, and the consequences would be dire.

  Jake nodded. He had the catheter in place by now, and was inflating the balloon, but the balloon was trying to escape the wound. His mouth tightened briefly. ‘I’ll have to suture it in place so that it doesn’t dislodge on the way to hospital.’

  Lacey watched as he made purse-string sutures to close up the skin. Throughout this drama he had worked with perfect expertise, not pausing for a moment. He knew exactly what to do, and he had not hesitated in the slightest. Lacey could only watch and wonder why on earth he had passed up on what was obviously his vocation.

  ‘Is she going to be all right?’ Ross was white faced, with lines of tension ingrained around his mouth.

  ‘She’s stabilised for now,’ Jake answered. ‘The bleeding has stopped, and we’re replacing fluids she’s lost, so that should keep her safe until we can get her to hospital. They’ll take over and seal the blood vessel properly. I expect she’ll go to Theatre for the procedure.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Ross said. ‘Thanks to both of you for what you’ve done. I can’t even think about what might have happened if you hadn’t been close by.’

  ‘I’m glad we could help.’ Jake checked on his patient, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open. ‘You’ll be okay, Marie,’ he told her. ‘Just lie still and preserve your strength.’

  He turned to look across the water as the hum of a motor launch sounded some distance away. It was coming towards them, and he told her quietly, ‘This must be the rescue service. They’ll take over now and see that you’re taken safely to hospital.’ Looking at Ross, he said, ‘Perhaps you should gather a few belongings together if you want to go with her.’

  ‘I’ll do that.’

  When the launch came to a stop alongside them, Jake explained the situation to the paramedics on board. ‘The catheter is just a temporary measure,’ he said. ‘It was the only thing on hand that would solve the problem.’

  ‘It looks as though it’s working.’ The paramedic smiled. ‘We’ll take care of her.’ He turned to Marie. ‘You’ve had a lucky escape there. Now let’s get you to hospital. I’ll bet this is one scuba trip that you’ll remember for ever.’

  They watched as the woman was laid on a stretcher and transported to the launch, and then Lacey tidied up the medical kit, preparing to leave. She and Jake said goodbye to the woman’s friends. ‘I’m sorry your trip had to end this way,’ Jake murmured.

  ‘At least she’s alive. That’s something to be thankful for.’

  Lacey was subdued as they returned to Jake’s boat. The accident had been a shocking, unexpected occurrence, and she was fairly certain that if Jake hadn’t intervened the woman would not have survived this day. It made her wonder all the more why he had turned his back on medicine. His revelation had come out of the blue and she was reeling from the effects of it, even now.

  ‘Perhaps we should head for home,’ Jake said, glancing up at the sky. ‘It looks as though we might be in for a brief squall, so it would be sensible to keep out of its way.’

  She nodded. ‘That’s fine by me. After what just happened, anything else would seem like an anticlimax.’ She studied him, wondering if he would offer any insight as to how he had come to end his medical career, but he remained steadfastly silent on the matter, and when she tried to broach the subject he simply batted it away.

  ‘I don’t practise medicine any more on a day-to-day basis,’ he said, starting up the motor. ‘It’s as simple as that.’

  She shook her head. ‘There’s nothing simple about it. You gave up on all those years of medical training…all that expertise is going to waste. How could you turn your back on your career that way?’

  ‘I decided I’d had enough, and so I quit. That’s all there is to it. I don’t need to work for a living and I prefer things the way they are. I’m sorry if you don’t like that, but that’s how it is.’

  His glance flicked over her. ‘I prefer my lifestyle as it is now. This way I get to enjoy the beauty of the islands and spend time with a gorgeous girl.’

  She pressed her lips together. ‘I don’t believe you could walk away from medicine just like that.’

  ‘Believe it.’ He sent her an oblique look. ‘I’ve had a great time spending the day with you. And we still have a good half an hour or so left before we arrive back home…maybe that will be time enough for me to persuade you that you could benefit from selling to me.’

  She frowned. ‘You’re avoiding the subject.’

  ‘I’d rather talk about you. Just think what you could do with the money if you let the house go. You could buy a place nearer to your sister and her family and furnish it throughout. There would even be enough left over for a holiday, or whatever takes your fancy.’

  Lacey didn’t answer. Why was he doing this? Jake was a man of hidden depths and she simply didn’t know what to make of him. He was fun to be with, and there was no denying she could easily fall for him big time. He was sexy with a bone-melting charisma, and above all he made it clear that he was attracted to her and seemed to genuinely want to be with her.

  Even so, she was beset by doubts. Underlying all that was the knowledge that he kept coming back to this same issue…he wanted her house and land. He put the question to her whenever the opportunity arose.

  Was this the real reason he had brought her out here today?

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘SO YOU went with Jake out to the reef?’ Rob was clearly disgruntled. ‘I’ll bet he couldn’t wait to show you the boat. He’s been working on it for ages. Heaven knows why he wants another one, thou
gh. He’ll soon be able to start his own fleet at this rate.’

  Lacey chuckled. ‘I can see you’re in fine form today. It’s just envy, you know. Maybe we’d all like a little of what he has.’ She glanced at Rob’s chart. His heart rate had settled to a normal rhythm, and his temperature and pulse were steadily reverting to a satisfactory reading. His blood pressure was still a little high, but with any luck the consultant would allow him to go home tomorrow.

  ‘I don’t know about that. I never envied anyone anything. Well, not to any great extent.’ Rob grimaced. He was sitting in a chair by the bed, and she could see that he’d been reviewing some of his video footage from the trip to the Everglades. Even in hospital he couldn’t stop working. No wonder he was having trouble with his blood pressure.

  ‘It’s all acquisition with him, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘I expect he’s been badgering you to sell the house to him, as well…he was always interested in it, I know. I used to see him eyeing up the boundary lines, as though he was mentally taking stock. He did say it was a prime site for oranges and limes, and even avocados, but he always seemed to me to be more interested in the house. Why would he want that when he lives in that grand place next door?’

  ‘That’s what I asked…but it seems there’s a family connection to my house. His grandfather built it, and I think he feels emotionally attached to the place.’

  Rob made a face. ‘So do you, I imagine. It was your parents’ holiday home, wasn’t it? You must have lots of memories of you and Grace spending summers there.’

  ‘I do, and that’s what I told him. We spent such happy times together. My parents were so easygoing, allowing us enough freedom to spread our wings and try new things, but at the same time keeping an eye on us to make sure we were safe.’

  Her expression was sad. ‘I really miss them. I miss being able to ring them up and have a chat at any time, or drop by their house for Sunday lunch. Now that’s all changed, and this is the only place I have to remember them by. With Grace living here in the States, it seemed the best option to keep this property rather than the one in the UK.’