by Joanna Neil
‘Just for a minute or two? I won’t keep you. I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I’ve been making life difficult for you. At first, when you were still working with me, it’s true, I wanted to punish you, but after you left...well, I suppose I thought if you had nowhere else to go you would come back to me...back to your old job.’
Reluctantly, she stepped back to let him in. As soon as Tyler arrived they would leave, and maybe this would be her one last chance to show Michael that things were well and truly over between them.
‘I only phoned you to find out why you were implying that I’d made mistakes with my patients,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I wanted us to get together again. I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea.’
‘I know. I do understand.’ He walked with her to the kitchen. ‘I don’t blame you for breaking things off—I was difficult to get along with, I know. But I hated it when you left. I always hoped—’
‘I’m not coming back, Michael,’ she said. ‘I thought I made that clear to you.’
‘Yes, you did.’ He ran a hand through his dark hair. ‘But I want you to know that I can change. I could be everything you want...’ He came towards her and she kept moving backwards until she came up against the hard rim of the worktop.
‘No,’ she told him. ‘It isn’t going to happen.’
‘But if you would just let me show you...’ By now he was so close that he was almost touching her and she felt stifled. She didn’t want to make a scene, but things might easily get out of hand.
‘She said it isn’t going to happen.’ Tyler’s voice cut in, breaking through the tension in the room. ‘I’m afraid you’ve had a wasted journey, Michael. You should go back to wherever it is that you’re staying tonight and then head out on the ferry in the morning. There’s no point in you hanging around here any longer.’ Instinctively, Saskia edged sideways, trying to get closer to him.
Michael’s eyes widened as he looked from Tyler to Saskia and back again. ‘You and she—? Are you...?’ He couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
‘That’s right.’ Tyler looked him straight in the eye and, watching him, Saskia felt her jaw drop. He’d implied they were together, a couple. Conscious of Michael’s scrutiny, she quickly tried to pull herself together. ‘So, you see,’ Tyler went on, ‘you need to believe what Saskia’s been telling you. It’s over between you two. It’s finished.’
Michael crumpled as though he’d received a blow to the stomach, and much as she wanted him to get the message Saskia hated to see him suffering like this.
‘I’m sorry, Michael,’ she said. ‘It’s just that you and I were never really suited, and this was bound to happen some time.’ She studied him thoughtfully, with some sympathy. ‘You know, there are lots of women out there who would love to be with you. You’re a good-looking man, you do a great job—you’re a caring, wonderful doctor. You have everything going for you. All you need to do is put this behind you and move on.’
‘I didn’t know,’ he said. He turned away and began to walk a little unsteadily back along the hallway. Saskia followed him. ‘I never dreamt...’ He looked as though he was in a state of shock.
Tyler came to stand by the door. ‘Are you safe to drive? Where are you staying?’
‘I’m booked in at The Schooner.’ He sent Saskia a piercing glance. ‘I’ll be there until after breakfast tomorrow morning if you want to talk to me again.’
‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, Michael. Goodbye.’
They watched him drive away and then she turned to Tyler. ‘You let him believe we were a couple,’ she said. Her green eyes were clear and bright as she looked at him. She wanted so much for it to be true. But had he made it up to persuade Michael to leave, or could it be there was a germ of truth hidden behind the statement? She longed for him to say he wanted them to be together.
Instead, he hesitated, turning away from her so that his features were shadowed. He shrugged.
‘It was a white lie. There didn’t seem to be any other way he would get the message.’ He gave her a quick, searching glance as she struggled to hide her disappointment. ‘Why, does it bother you?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really.’ She desperately searched for a way out of the situation, to come up with a reason for her reaction. ‘If he starts to tell people that we’re an item, sooner or later it will get back to everyone at the hospital. How will you feel then?’
His mouth made a crooked shape. ‘I doubt anyone will believe it. They all have me hooked up with Imogen.’
She stared at him. ‘Imogen?’ Pain lanced through her. She’d vaguely suspected something like this, that he and Imogen had something going between them, but was he really admitting it?
But if that was the case, why had he kissed her the other day? Had it only been meant as a comforting gesture after all, something that had quickly got out of hand?
She’d been growing more and more close to Tyler, but it looked as though the feelings and emotions were all on her side, not his.
‘It’s natural enough, don’t you think? Imogen and I are very much alike, and we work well together. Why wouldn’t we be a couple?’
‘But...’ She was staggered by what he was saying, struggling to take it in. ‘You work with her—doesn’t that go against your principles? After you kissed me you told me it wasn’t right because you were my boss.’
He made a wry smile, but his head went back a fraction and she sensed his hesitation. ‘I don’t pretend to be perfect. Maybe I was caught unawares and my self-control slipped. After all, I’m as vulnerable as the next man when it comes to being with a beautiful, sexy woman who needs help. But...’ his mouth flattened ‘...when all’s said and done, I meant what I said. It wouldn’t be right to take advantage of you when you’re here on a three-month trial.’
‘And nothing could come of it anyway...isn’t that right?’ She shot him a bleak, challenging glance. ‘We’re opposites, aren’t we? My life’s pretty much a shambles, and I’m living from day to day, hoping to get by, whereas you have everything mapped out. You’re at the peak of your career, you have a lovely house where everything has its place, and all you need is the ideal woman to share it with you...someone who would keep it in immaculate condition.’
She frowned. ‘I suppose Imogen fits the bill perfectly.’ It was a sour comment, and she regretted it as soon as she’d made it.
‘We should go to the hospital,’ she said, exasperated with herself. ‘Forget what I said. It’s been a long day and I guess I’m out of sorts.’
He sent her a long, brooding look, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he picked up Caitlin’s bag and led the way out of the house.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘HOW IS SHE? What do the scans show?’ Saskia hurried into A and E with Tyler, anxious to hear any news of Caitlin.
For now she had no choice but to put any problems she had with Tyler to one side. She couldn’t help how she felt about him...she loved him and couldn’t bear to think of him not being in her life...but was it possible that he didn’t return those feelings? Had she been misreading the signals he’d been giving out? She was convinced he wanted her, and at the same time he had struggled to draw back from her—was it really so important to him that he didn’t confuse his role as mentor with his feelings for her? Or was it really Imogen who lay at the root of him holding back?
Jason put the films up on screen for her and Tyler to see. ‘It looks as though the muscles and ligaments in Caitlin’s neck have been strained, which, of course, makes them inflamed, painful and obviously tender. It’ll probably take a couple of months or so before they’re back to normal.’ He glanced at Saskia. ‘She’s lucky in that the facet joints and the discs seem to be okay.’
Saskia gave a sigh of relief. ‘And the dizziness...do we know what’s causing that?’
&n
bsp; He shook his head. ‘It’s possible that there was some sort of minor injury to the inner ear—to the balance centre. That, too, should eventually right itself.’
‘So what’s the procedure now—anti-inflammatories?’
‘Yes, I’ve started her on them and we’ll prescribe them for when she leaves hospital. We can fix her up with a soft collar, too, if she’d like to wear one. If she finds it helps, that’s all well and good. If she still has problems after a week or two I could try her with muscle relaxants.’
‘Massage therapy might help,’ Tyler put in. ‘It would increase the blood flow to the region and help with healing.’
Jason nodded. ‘It’s worth a try.’
‘Thanks for everything you’ve done,’ Saskia said. ‘I’ll go and sit with her, though I expect what she needs most of all is sleep.’
Tyler shot her a quick glance. ‘Would you like me to stay with you?’
She hesitated. More than anything, she wanted to say yes, but he’d already done enough and it wouldn’t be fair to keep him waiting around any longer, would it? None of this was his problem. She shook her head. ‘No, that’s all right. We’ll be fine. But thanks for bringing me back here. I really appreciate it.’
‘That’s okay. Give me a call tomorrow when you’re ready to leave and I’ll come and pick you up.’
‘Uh...thanks.’ She doubted that she would call him. It was one thing to accept his help when she thought he cared for her, but quite another if he was just along for the ride. She’d try to get home by any other means if possible.
He gave her an oddly puzzled look and she wondered if there was something in her tone or her expression that had given her thoughts away.
He turned, though, and she watched him walk away before going over to the observation ward to sit by Caitlin’s bedside. She felt totally alone and empty inside.
A glance at the monitor showed her that Caitlin’s blood pressure was still low and her pulse was slow. ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked her. ‘Are you a bit warmer now?’
‘Yes, thanks. As soon as my temperature was up enough I persuaded them to let me have a warm bath—they made the room all hot and steamy—and all I want now are my own pyjamas. I hate this cotton, backless thing they’ve given me to wear and this stripy hospital dressing gown.’
‘Oh, well, that’s soon remedied.’ Saskia smiled and unzipped the holdall she’d brought with her. ‘I brought your favourite pjs and your bathrobe. Do you want some help to put them on?’
‘Yes, please. My neck and shoulders are a bit stiff. In fact, I’m achy all over.’
‘I expect it’ll take a while before you’re back to your usual self,’ Saskia said, as she helped Caitlin put on her pyjamas. ‘Have you had any more dizziness?’
‘Just a bit, but I’m okay.’
‘Hmm. I expect a good night’s sleep will help. Close your eyes if you want, and try to get some rest. I’ll be here right next to you.’
Caitlin looked relieved. ‘I think I will, if you don’t mind.’
Saskia gave her a hug and settled back in her chair. At some point in the night she, too, dozed off, but she woke up in the morning when the nurse came along to check Caitlin’s blood pressure.
‘Oh, that’s a lot better,’ the nurse said with a smile. ‘We’ll see if she can manage to eat some breakfast and then Dr Samuels will be along to see at her.’
Caitlin sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. ‘Do you think I’ll be able to go home today?’ she asked Saskia.
‘Perhaps a bit later on, if you’re feeling all right.’ She looked at her niece carefully. There was certainly more colour in her cheeks now.
It was a couple of hours into the afternoon, though, before Jason decided she was well enough to be discharged. They had to wait for the hospital pharmacy to dispense Caitlin’s medication before they could leave, but it gave Saskia an opportunity to pack the teenager’s belongings into the holdall and make sure she didn’t leave anything behind.
‘Hi, there. Are you girls ready to go home?’
Saskia’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up and saw Tyler walking into the observation ward. He was dressed in casual clothes, dark trousers and an open-necked shirt, and he looked terrific.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, looking at him in surprise. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’
‘I asked Jason to keep me informed of what was going on,’ he said. ‘I had the feeling you might be foolish enough to pay for a taxi—I was pretty sure you wouldn’t decide to walk home with Caitlin just out of hospital.’
A flush of pink stole across her cheeks. ‘Well, you’ve done so much for us already. I didn’t want to put you to any more trouble.’
‘If I didn’t want to do it, I’d tell you.’ He picked up the holdall. ‘The medication’s ready for you at the nurses’ station,’ he told Caitlin, ‘so we can leave as soon as you’re ready.’
Caitlin glanced at him. She didn’t say anything, but she smiled and dropped into step beside him, accepting the help of a supporting arm from Saskia.
It was only later, when they were back home and Tyler had gone back to his own house to catch up on some research he was doing, that she looked at Saskia and said, ‘I think he has a thing for you.’
Saskia shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so. There’s someone at work who’s much more his type.’
Caitlin frowned. ‘He can’t be that serious about her. He’s always looking at you—he can’t take his eyes off you. He just doesn’t want you to know it, for some reason.’
Saskia smiled and tried to make light of it, but Caitlin had certainly given her something to think about. Why would he not want her to know how he felt about her? Was it really the three-month trial that was making him keep her at arm’s length? And how had she managed to get herself so hot and bothered about him when she knew she should have been doing her best to stay away from him? It was all very confusing.
Deep down, though, she knew the answer. It was impossible for her not to care for him. Somehow he’d worked his way into her heart and now she couldn’t contemplate life without him. Was she being irrational? Would it all end in tears and recriminations, the way it had with Michael?
Tyler was different, though, she felt sure. He would never be mean or deliberately hurtful, or react in the way that Michael had done, would he?
* * *
At the hospital, over the next week, they both tried to keep things between them on a professional footing. They managed to forge a reasonable, if somewhat tense way of going on together. It was as though neither of them dared relax their guard.
‘I need to go and see a patient on the way home from work,’ he told her a short time before their shift was due to end on Friday. ‘It’s as a favour for a friend who’s a bit worried about her son.’
‘Okay.’ They’d both had a difficult, busy day, so she guessed this must be important to him.
‘She lives in the opposite direction from us, but I could drop you off at home and then double back, if it’s going to be a problem for you.’
She shook her head. ‘No, it’s all right. You don’t want to have to do that.’ He’d had a particularly fraught day, dealing with one emergency after another, so he could probably do without the extra burden. ‘The children will be at Rosie’s house after school. I can ring her and tell her I’ll be a little late picking them up. I’m sure she won’t mind.’
‘Good. Thanks. That will save me some time—I’ve quite a lot on this weekend with this hospital administrators’ meeting coming up, so time’s precious.’
‘Oh... I heard about that—it’s scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, isn’t it? Aren’t you going to be one of the speakers—at the hospital in Truro? Noah said you’d been working on it with Imogen this last day or so—something to do with reorganising cardiovascular fa
cilities for the region.’ She didn’t want to think about how unsettling that had been, knowing that he and Imogen were closeted together in his office for long stretches of time. ‘He said something about a presentation.’
‘That’s right. I was called in at the last minute when someone had to drop out, so I have to spend the next few hours working on my speech. I need things to run as smoothly as possible if I’m to get it finished in time.’
She nodded. ‘You could have done without this callout, I expect. Have you any idea what’s wrong with your friend’s son?’
He frowned. ‘I don’t think it’s anything too serious—at least, I hope it isn’t. He’s been having some headaches these last few months. Apparently he’s suffering a particularly bad one today and she’s concerned about him.’
‘Hmm.’ She thought about it. ‘I know it sounds odd, but perhaps it’s something to do with the weather—it’s been quite hot and humid these last few days and some forecasters are predicting a storm. It’s surprising, but a lot of people get headaches in those conditions. It’s all due to hot air sweeping across the Atlantic from the Azores, or something along those lines.’
‘That’s your candid opinion?’ Amusement glinted in his blue eyes. ‘I can’t see that going down too well if I start basing my diagnoses on the vagaries of the weather, can you? We’d probably do better if we stick to looking at actual symptoms and work our way back from there, don’t you think?’
‘Yeah, well...I was just saying...’ She broke off, seeing his shoulders moving with suppressed laughter, and she aimed a mock thump at his arm. ‘Stop making fun of me. I’m right, I know I am—I’ve read about it.’
‘Yeah...yeah...if you say so.’
A short time later they drove along the main highway to his friend’s house. ‘I know Nicole and her husband through my sister,’ he explained. ‘We’ve known each other since we were teenagers.’
As soon as they arrived at Nicole’s address Tyler introduced Saskia and they were shown into the sitting room where a boy aged around ten was lying curled up in a foetal position on the sofa. He was covering his eyes with his hands.
