Single Father, Wife Needed

by Sarah Morgan

  ‘But presumably you’re worried or you wouldn’t have called for the helicopter.’

  ‘There can be late complications, obviously, which is why we transferred him to hospital, just to be on the safe side.’ Logan stood up. ‘But on the whole the prognosis is reasonable. He was submerged for less than ten minutes, he’s young and his core temperature was thirty-four. On the downside, all the signs were that he did aspirate seawater, so they’ll need to keep an eye on him until they’re sure he’s all right. They’re going to miss a few days of their holiday.’

  ‘In the circumstances, they’re lucky that’s all that they’re missing.’

  ‘Evanna, about Saturday…’ Logan glanced towards her. ‘Kyla and I are having a barbecue in your honour. Usual crowd. Six o’clock, my place. We’re starting early so that Kirsty can join in. Is that all right with you?’

  Evanna’s heart lifted and then sank. She should say no. Hadn’t she promised herself that she wasn’t going to spend so much time with him? It was bad enough seeing him at work, without seeing him socially. But to refuse would look odd because they always socialised in a big group. She just had to adjust her own attitude. She had to try to look at him differently. ‘I— That will be lovely.’

  ‘What’s the matter?’ His eyes searched her face. ‘You don’t seem your usual cheerful self.’

  What could she possibly say to that?

  She could hardly confess that she was trying not to be herself because she badly needed to stop loving him! At the moment she would have happily become someone entirely different. Not that that would necessarily help, she thought gloomily, because half the women on the island were in love with Logan MacNeil. The other half was either too old or happily married.

  He was perceptive, she acknowledged, about absolutely everything except her feelings for him. And perhaps that was just as well. She didn’t really want him knowing how she felt. It would damage their friendship and make things too awkward.

  ‘I’m fine, Logan.’ She kept her tone light. ‘Just a bit tired after the drive.’

  He was still watching her. ‘It’s probably being in the city. It’s far more exhausting than living here, on the island. Well, get some rest before Saturday. Meg, Kyla and a bunch of the cousins are going to be there and I know they’ll be disappointed if you don’t make it. And Kirsty has really missed you. You have a way with her that no one else has.’

  What about you, Logan? she wanted to ask. Did you miss me, too? Instead, she smiled through stiff lips. ‘In that case, I’ll try and be there.’ She left the room and bumped into Kyla, who grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the treatment room.

  ‘You look as though you’ve just been to the dentist for root-canal treatment. What’s wrong?’

  Evanna told her and then gave a wan smile. ‘What am I supposed to do? If I avoid him then I also avoid all the people I love, like Kirsty, you, Meg—your cousins—’ She broke off and chewed her lip. ‘That’s the trouble. I promised myself that I was going to spend less time with him but if I do that then I don’t have a social life.’

  ‘It would be much simpler if he just realised that he loved you,’ Kyla said gruffly, resting her hips on the couch. ‘I’ve come up with plan B. Plan A, which was for you to forget about him, obviously isn’t going to work. So plan B is to make him notice you. Once he notices you, he’ll realise that he’s been in love with you all his life.’

  ‘He married Catherine. He was in love with Catherine.’

  ‘Maybe. But life moves on and I also know that you’re perfect for him.’

  ‘Don’t start that again.’ Evanna started to turn away but Kyla grabbed her arm.

  ‘Just hear me out.’ Kyla’s voice was urgent. ‘I think one of the problems is that you grew up with Logan. You’ve been my best friend for ever and he’s used to seeing you around. He sees you as my friend. His practice nurse. So we need to change all that.’

  ‘And how are we going to do that?’

  Kyla grinned. ‘Operation makeover. Don’t be offended. You’re already stunning, it’s just that we need to make your charms a little more obvious, so that my thick brother sits up and takes notice of something other than your skill with his patients.’

  ‘What do you want me to do?’ Despite her love for her friend, Evanna found it hard to keep the exasperation out of her voice. ‘Strap a sign to my body?’

  ‘Figuratively speaking.’ Kyla tilted her head to one side. ‘Fancy a shopping trip after work tomorrow? Alison has some really nice dresses in the boutique and she’s open until eight in the summer. We could grab an early supper in the café afterwards. It would be fun.’

  Evanna thought of her mortgage. Of her new bathroom. ‘I already have a perfectly good wardrobe.’

  ‘But whenever you meet up with my brother you’re either in uniform, because you’re working, or you’re in jeans, because you’re looking after Kirsty. That red top looked fabulous on you, but let’s make it a red dress.’

  ‘I wear jeans because they’re practical.’

  ‘True. But how about forgetting the practical for once and going for the glamorous?’

  Evanna stared at her. ‘If I turn up to babysit Kirsty in a tiara and diamonds, Logan will have me locked up.’

  ‘Saturday isn’t about babysitting. It’s a party and I’m not talking about a tiara and diamonds, just something more sexy and frivolous than you would normally wear. Let’s just try it. Anyway, shopping is always fun. I’ll pick you up from your house.’

  ‘Kyla—’

  ‘Just try it, and then if Logan still doesn’t notice you, I’ll back off.’

  ‘He won’t notice me,’ Evanna said flatly. ‘It wouldn’t matter if I turned up to the barbecue stark naked. He still wouldn’t notice me.’

  ‘Trust me,’ Kyla said smugly. ‘He’s going to notice you.’

  Evanna dropped in to check on Lucy on her way home from the surgery and was pleased to see her outside in the garden with the pram.

  ‘I thought she might enjoy being out of doors,’ Lucy explained as she walked up the path to meet Evanna. ‘I’ve kept her in the shade but she’s been crying a bit and being pushed around seems to soothe her.’

  ‘It often does and I quite agree that taking her outside is a good idea. Janet said you’re worried about her cord.’

  Lucy pulled a face. ‘It looks a bit gooey. Do you mind taking a look?’

  ‘Of course not. That’s why I’m here. And I’d like to take a look at you, too. How have you been feeling?’

  ‘Excited. Nervous. Being a mum is scary. Knowing that I’m completely responsible for her keeps me awake at night.’ Lucy carefully lifted the baby out of the pram. ‘Her eyes are a bit sticky, too. Logan gave me some gauze and told me to use that and boiled water to clean them.’

  ‘That sounds like a good strategy. Let’s go inside so that I can have a proper look at her.’

  ‘It’s so hot today, I’ve had all the doors and windows open because none of us can sleep at night. I’m really worried that the baby will overheat.’

  ‘Lay her on her back and keep the window open a crack,’ Evanna advised, carefully placing the baby on the couch and undoing the poppers on her vest. ‘Hello, you gorgeous thing. Can I look at your tummy?’ She spoke softly to the baby and Lucy sighed.

  ‘You’re so confident when you handle her. I wish I was like that. I’m all fingers and thumbs and I’m terrified that I’m going to drop her or do something wrong. I feel completely ignorant.’

  Evanna’s eyes slid to the stack of baby books on the coffee-table and she suppressed a smile. ‘You’re not ignorant, Lucy,’ she murmured, turning the nappy down, ‘just naturally apprehensive. Mothers should be mothers.’

  ‘I keep ringing Logan,’ Lucy confessed. ‘Any day now he’s going to scream at me for bothering him with trivia.’

  ‘Logan’s never yelled at a worried patient in his life. Her cord looks fine, Lucy. Just keep cleaning it the way I showed you in hospital.’

/>   ‘It isn’t infected?’

  ‘No. But try to fold the nappy over so that it doesn’t rub.’

  ‘She’s so tiny the nappies swamp her.’

  Evanna smiled and closed the poppers on the little vest. ‘She’ll soon grow. How’s the feeding going? Are you feeding her yourself?’

  ‘Yes. I really wanted to, you know that. It’s hurting quite a bit, though.’

  ‘Is she latching on properly?’

  ‘I suppose so. I don’t know really. We’re both amateurs.’ Lucy gave a helpless shrug. ‘She’s due a feed now. Could you watch and tell me if we’re doing it right?’

  ‘Of course. You make yourself comfortable and I’ll go and fetch you a drink of water. It’s important to drink plenty when you’re feeding, especially when the weather is as hot as it is today.’

  Evanna walked through to the kitchen, fetched a glass of water and returned to the sitting room.

  ‘I’m trying to start on a different side each time, like you told me. Ouch.’ Lucy winced as the baby’s mouth closed over her nipple and Evanna put the glass down on the table and walked over to help.

  ‘She needs more of your breast in her mouth. What’s happening is that she’s just playing with your nipple, which is why you’re getting sore.’ Evanna gently repositioned the baby and watched closely as the little jaws clamped down again. ‘There. That’s better. Does that still hurt?’

  ‘No.’ Lucy gave a smile of relief. ‘Will you move in with me? I need you here for every feed.’

  ‘You’re doing brilliantly. In a few weeks’ time this will feel like second nature. Is she doing plenty of wet and dirty nappies?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’

  ‘And are you bleeding much now?’

  Lucy shook her head. ‘Just spots, you know? Nothing dramatic.’

  ‘Good. We’ll just let her finish feeding and then I’ll examine you. I want to feel the height of your uterus just to check that it’s contracting properly.’

  Evanna stayed another hour, answered a non-stop stream of questions from Lucy, satisfied herself that all was well and then finally made her way back to her cottage.

  It was hard not to feel envious of Lucy’s happiness. Would it ever be her? Would she ever be settled with a man that loved her and a baby of her own?

  Reminding herself that she had a great deal to be thankful for, she let herself into her cottage and walked through to her kitchen to make herself supper.

  ‘That one’s perfect.’ Kyla stood back with her eyes narrowed and Evanna sighed.

  ‘It’s too short.’ And too expensive.

  ‘Too short for what? You have fantastic legs. Stop hiding them under jeans.’

  Evanna stared down at herself self-consciously. ‘I’m too old for a dress this short.’

  ‘You’re twenty-six! And you still look like a teenager. Stop making excuses.’ Kyla was laughing as she grabbed a pair of shoes. ‘Try these. They’d look great with that dress.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be able to walk in them.’

  ‘You don’t need to walk,’ Kyla said airily, riffling through the rails again and pulling out a scarlet top. ‘You can park right outside and just teeter up the path. All you need to do is turn up and look gorgeous. And these would look nice with your jeans on a different occasion so you’ll get plenty of wear out of them.’

  Evanna gave up arguing and slid her feet into the shoes. ‘I’ll break my ankle.’

  ‘Don’t be so negative. Take a look at yourself in the mirror.’

  Evanna stepped forward with a sigh. ‘I just don’t feel comfortable in anything this short. I’m going to spend my whole evening tugging the—’ She broke off as she stared at her reflection. ‘Oh.’

  ‘Yes, oh.’ Kyla’s grin was triumphant as she stretched out a hand and removed the clip from Evanna’s hair. ‘And you don’t need that. Time to let your hair down, Cinderella.’

  Evanna’s dark curls tumbled over her shoulders. ‘I look a mess.’

  ‘You look sexy,’ Kyla breathed. ‘Incredibly sexy. If Logan doesn’t notice you as a woman dressed like that, I’m willing to admit defeat.’

  Evanna stared at herself, forced to admit that she did look good. In fact, she looked better than good. The dress skimmed her figure, hinting at curves rather than clinging, and it suited her colouring. She smiled and shook her head. ‘This is far too glamorous for a barbecue in the garden.’

  ‘It’s perfect. Why are you inventing excuses?’

  Evanna was silent for a moment and then she let out a long breath. ‘Because I’m scared?’ She turned to look at her friend and the smile on her face faltered. ‘I’m scared that I’m just setting myself up for yet another knock.’

  ‘You’re perfect for each other,’ Kyla said softly, all the humour gone from her face. ‘Any day now he’s going to wake up and realise that.’

  Evanna slipped back into the changing room and wriggled out of the dress.

  The dress made her feel good. Feminine. But it was an extravagance she couldn’t afford.

  Wearing her jeans and T-shirt, she stepped out of the changing room with the dress over her arm and the shoes dangling from her fingers. ‘It’s too expensive, Kyla.’

  ‘It’s in the sale.’ Alison, who owned the boutique, strolled up to them and named a price that made Evanna stare.

  ‘But it can’t possibly be that cheap. I saw the tag.’

  ‘I haven’t forgotten what you did for Mum when she was ill,’ Alison said gruffly, removing the tag and taking the dress and shoes from Evanna. ‘Call it a thank-you from me.’

  Evanna was embarrassed. ‘You really don’t have to—’

  ‘I want to,’ Alison said gruffly, folding the dress around tissue paper and sliding it into a bag. ‘My mum always said you were an angel. You deserve to look like one.’

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘THIS is an emergency and I have private health care,’ boomed a man’s voice. ‘Just get me a doctor. Call the helicopter or whatever it is you do around these godforsaken parts!’

  Evanna heard the commotion in the reception area from her room and hurried out at the same time as Logan.

  It was two days after her arrival home and she’d been working non stop to catch up with everything that she’d missed while she’d been away.

  The man was looming over the desk, his expression threatening. Sweat beaded on his brow and his stomach bulged against a T-shirt that was too tight. ‘We’re only here for a week. If I waste a morning, that’s a chunk of my holiday gone!’

  ‘Obviously we’re doing our best to see everyone,’ Janet said smoothly, ‘but Dr Walker was called out on an emergency and Dr MacNeil is seeing his patients, too, and that means that—’

  ‘I keep telling you I have private health care! I can pay.’ The man pulled a fat wallet out of his back pocket and lifted an eyebrow. ‘How much to jump the queue?’

  Logan stepped up behind him. ‘We don’t offer private health care,’ he said calmly, his ice-blue eyes narrowed and assessing as he looked at the man. ‘Here on Glenmore, it isn’t necessary. People get seen according to need. If there’s no urgency, they wait in line.’

  ‘Well, then, you need to organise yourselves a bit better,’ the man spluttered, ‘because the line is too long!’

  ‘My partner has had to attend a sick patient,’ Logan explained, his voice reasonable, ‘so I’m running two lists at the moment. We’re seeing patients in the order they arrived, unless someone has an urgent condition.’

  ‘That girl—’ the man pointed a finger at little Nicola Horsfield, who shrank closer to her mother ‘—came in after me and she’s going in next.’

  ‘Nicola is severely asthmatic and the heat is bothering her. She’s six years old. Do you feel that your medical condition requires you to go in front of her?’

  Evanna watched from the doorway but not because her presence was needed. Just because she couldn’t help herself. Logan was such a master at dealing with difficult people that watching him wa
s a pleasure.

  He managed to sound pleasant and reasonable while staying in complete control of the situation.

  The man frowned. ‘It isn’t about queue jumping—’

  ‘There’s one doctor and a line of people. That’s generally called a queue.’

  ‘You could get me a helicopter to the mainland.’

  Logan lifted an eyebrow. ‘Are you bleeding, suffering severe chest pains or having breathing problems?’

  ‘No, but—’

  ‘Are you in imminent danger of death or collapse?’

  ‘No, but—’

  ‘Then I’m not ordering the helicopter.’

  ‘I’ll call it myself.’

  ‘As island doctor, it requires my authorisation.’ Logan glanced at his watch. ‘In the time I’ve taken having this discussion, I could have seen another patient. Do you want to carry on talking or would you rather go outside, breathe in some fresh Glenmore air and cool down? Janet will call you when it’s your turn.’

  The man inhaled sharply, tightened his mouth and then stomped out of the door.

  Logan gave Janet an encouraging smile. ‘I’m ready for my next patient. If he gives you any more problems, buzz me.’

  Janet leaned forward. ‘He’s only here because he forgot to bring his tablets on holiday. He wants a prescription.’

  ‘People get cross when the weather heats up.’ Logan turned away and caught sight of Evanna. ‘What are you doing standing there, Nurse Duncan?’ His blue eyes gleamed with humour. ‘Getting ready to defend me?’

  ‘You don’t need any help. But I was ready to pick him up after you floored him.’

  ‘As if.’

  She grinned. ‘Logan MacNeil, you were always knocking people flat in the school playground. You were always in Ann Carne’s office.’