Healing the Vet's Heart

by Annie Claydon

‘What are you doing? Be careful!’

  He seemed to be allowing the tide to bring him closer to the foot of the cliff.

  Drew swung one of the oars into the boat and waved at her. He was just twenty feet below her now, the boat bobbing up and down on the water, and he seemed to be looking for something. Then he reached forward, pulling the boat right up against the rocks.

  ‘I said I’d be here at twelve.’ He looked up at her, his face all innocence. He could cut that out right now.

  ‘I didn’t expect you to row here. What are you going to do now?’ The cliff face that separated them was a sheer expanse of rock. No one could get up it, and certainly not a man with an injured leg and a puppy to contend with.

  ‘Have you been down into your basement?’

  ‘Only once.’ The agent had insisted on showing her the whole of the house, but the dark, empty space hadn’t much appealed to Caro.

  ‘I’ll meet you there.’

  ‘What?’

  Too late. The boat had disappeared into a crevice and taken Drew and Phoenix with it. She could hear the puppy’s excited barking, but short of throwing herself into the sea there was no way of seeing what Drew was up to now. Caro wrapped her arms around her, tramping back to the house.

  The door into the basement was locked, and she twisted the key, switching on the light and walking down the stone steps. What was she supposed to do now? Caro looked around and caught sight of a new-looking door at the far end of the space.

  That too was locked, but the key was in the lock and the mechanism turned smoothly when she tried it. The door swung open, and she saw Drew, walking towards her with a torch in one hand and Phoenix’s lead in the other. The puppy seemed to be having a fine old time, still wearing her lifejacket and yelping excitedly.

  Drew grinned at her. His shoulders seemed somehow broader now that she’d seen them powering the fragile craft through the waves towards her, and he looked deliciously windswept. That was something she could think about later, when she’d questioned the advisability of arriving this way.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing, Drew? Couldn’t you just wait for the tide?’

  He shrugged. ‘Rowing’s a lot easier than climbing steps.’

  ‘And it’s a lot more dangerous as well. Goodness only knows what might have happened to you. And Phoenix.’ If he had little heed for his own safety, then she knew that he’d baulk over having put Phoenix at risk.

  ‘It’s an easy row, around from Dolphin Cove. If it was dangerous I wouldn’t have come this way, but it’s a nice day and these waters are sheltered enough. I’ve been rowing back and forth in them since I was a kid.’

  ‘You’re a vet, Drew. Not a crusty old fisherman.’

  He chuckled. ‘True. But my grandfather’s a crusty old fisherman, and he was the one who taught me how to row and showed me every inch of this coastline.’

  Caro puffed out a breath. ‘All right, then. I still don’t like it.’

  ‘What on earth did you do when you were in California? I hear there’s a great deal of sea there.’

  ‘They call it ocean. And, yes, there is, but...’ She shrugged awkwardly.

  ‘You were a bit busy with other things?’

  ‘Yes, as it happens, I was.’ Caro peered past him into the darkness. ‘What is this, some kind of secret passage?’

  ‘It’s an open secret, most people around here know about it.’ He turned, beckoning her into the gloomy space.

  When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Caro could see that it was more of a cavern than a passage. She could hear the sound of the sea and see light at the other end.

  ‘So this is a landing? For any visitors who can’t be bothered to climb the steps?’ The small wooden rowing boat was pulled up out of the water, inside the mouth of the opening onto the sea.

  ‘You really don’t know? What’s this place called?’

  Ah. Smugglers’ Top. ‘This is an old smuggling route?’

  ‘That’s the story. I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but why else would anyone go to the trouble of opening up this cavern? It’s big enough to land any amount of contraband, and it would be pretty difficult for the excise to lie in wait and capture you here.’

  ‘What do you do with it once you’ve got it here, though?’ Caro looked around the cavern, half expecting to find a long-abandoned crate of brandy in one of the corners.

  ‘I suppose you could bring it down onto the beach when you know it’s safe. Or take it along the coast by sea.’ Drew shrugged. ‘It’s just an old story.’

  ‘And how did you know that the passage hadn’t been filled in, when they renovated the house?’

  ‘I gave Stella a call, at the letting agents. She told me that it was still okay to land here, and that they’d just put a lock on the cellar door so that no one could get through into the house.’ He grinned. ‘I think she must have mentioned it when she showed you around.’

  The perils of a small village. And not listening to everything that the letting agent had had to say. Caro had switched off when Stella had launched into yet another story about the history around here.

  ‘And so you decided to do it the traditional way. In a wooden boat.’ Phoenix clearly approved of the craft as she was pawing at the side of it, wanting to get back in.

  ‘What’s wrong with that?’ Drew raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Nothing, I suppose. Only a motor would have been easier. Along with something to help you steer.’

  ‘You steer with your oar strokes. And in a small boat like this, an outboard motor doesn’t let you feel way the tide’s running.’

  Of course. How come she didn’t know that?

  It was because they were so different. Caro worked with absolutes, data and programming, robots that would react according to a set range of values. Drew relied on his senses to deal with the unpredictable behaviour of the world around him. How two people with such different approaches could understand each other so well was one of those imponderable questions that had a habit of keeping Caro awake at night.

  ‘You can feel it. I’d be over the side as soon as a wave hit me.’ She grinned up at him.

  ‘Nah. You’d invent something and fly over the tops of the waves.’

  ‘Probably. You want to come upstairs for some rum and hard tack?’

  He chuckled. ‘You got me hard tack? How did you know that was my favourite?’

  CHAPTER SIX

  THEY’D WORKED FOR a full five hours, trading ideas over a steady stream of snacks from the kitchen. Drew had enjoyed himself, and when the time came for him to row the boat back to Dolphin Cove, he felt his body thrumming with strength. His leg still hurt a little, but he was nine tenths alive now, instead of feeling half-dead.

  Phoenix tugged at her lead when she saw the boat, eager to resume her position at the prow. Most dogs liked the water but, much to his grandfather’s delight, Phoenix was turning into a real sailor.

  ‘Will you be all right?’ Caro stared out at the sea, as if it really did conceal monsters.

  ‘Yeah, we’ll be fine.’ She didn’t seem particularly reassured, and Drew tried again. ‘Think of it this way. I’ve been messing around in boats all my life, and so far it’s proved less injurious to my health than driving.’

  Drew smiled. He could practically see the cogs turning in her head, weighing up probabilities and risk. Then Caro shook her head, as if the equation was too complex for her.

  ‘I wouldn’t know about that. I’ve never messed about in boats, so I don’t have the data.’

  An idea sprang into Drew’s head. Probably not a good one, but it was enticing, like a siren’s call, and he couldn’t resist it.

  ‘Would you like to come out for a trip on my dad’s boat? We could go one weekend.’

  She was turning the idea over in her head. Work or a boat trip. Drew knew how
strongly work pulled at her, but Caro was interested in everything, and a new experience was difficult for her to resist as well.

  ‘Can you swim?’

  ‘Yes, I’m a good swimmer...when I’m in the swimming pool, that is. Why, were you thinking of pushing me overboard?’

  ‘Only if you disobey the captain’s orders.’ Drew chuckled as Caro shot him an exasperated look. ‘We can borrow a wetsuit from the diving centre, and if the weather’s good I’ll show you how to snorkel. There are lots of things going on down there that you’ve never imagined...’

  He was deliberately pushing all of Caro’s buttons. The idea of things going on that she couldn’t imagine was irresistible to her. Drew had done plenty of swimming and water exercises as part of his rehab, but he hadn’t been in the sea since his accident. It was about time he reacquainted himself with the capricious mistress that he’d loved ever since he could walk.

  ‘I’d like that. Can we go down deep?’

  He should have known that Caro didn’t do anything by halves. ‘Not unless you can hold your breath for half an hour. You want to scuba dive?’

  She shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. ‘I don’t know...’

  Drew wasn’t quite sure about that either. Since Luna had died, he’d judiciously avoided being responsible for anyone while diving, and had given up his teaching sessions at the diving centre. Maybe it was about time he reacquainted himself with that part of his life, too.

  ‘I’ll tell you what. We’ll pop down to the centre tomorrow and sign you up for some lessons. They do short courses that last a week and just teach you the basics. If you like it, then you can come out with us the Saturday after next.’

  Caro thought for a moment. ‘Okay. Thanks. I’ll see what’s involved tomorrow, and I might just do that.’

  Drew nodded. He’d tempted Caro into this, but now that it was a reality his throat seemed a little dry. Maybe he’d prefer it after all if she stayed safely on the boat, but now that Caro had the idea in her head there wasn’t going to be any stopping her.

  ‘All right. One thing, though...’

  ‘Yes?’ She tipped her head up towards him, and in the shade of the cavern, her eyes seemed to glisten, full of unknown possibilities.

  ‘If you’ve been up all night, working, you don’t get to dive. Ever. Safety’s always the number one consideration.’

  He heard the sudden blunt assertiveness in his own tone and saw Caro’s face soften. Maybe she understood... Drew fought back the temptation to smile. She needed to understand this.

  ‘Okay, I hear you. No going into the water unless I’ve had a solid night’s sleep. I promise.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Drew could smile now. And that brought with it a new temptation, to kiss her goodbye. It seemed that there was no getting away from wanting just that little bit more with Caro. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow?’

  ‘Yes.’ She bent down, giving Phoenix a hug and a kiss. ‘Safe journey back, sweetie. Perhaps you can persuade the old grouch to send me a text when you get home.’

  ‘I’ll remind her to remind me.’ Drew pushed the small craft down into the water and then stepped into it. Now that his legs didn’t need to hold him up, he felt strong again. And if he needed to be a grouch to keep Caro safe, he’d had plenty of practice over the last few months.

  She stood watching them as he manoeuvred the boat around and started to row. Ten yards. Twenty... Her figure was becoming smaller, standing in the mouth of the cavern like a sweet, golden-haired lover, standing at the water’s edge to watch the boats go out. His grandfather had told him that his grandmother had done that every time when he put to sea, and Drew had never really understood the impact of the statement.

  Then she waved. Drew raised his hand in reply, and then started to row again, pulling hard on the oars. He was the one who needed a good night’s sleep, to regain some much-needed perspective.

  * * *

  Caro had decided not to mention diving to Drew. She’d been carried away by the thought of exploring new worlds with him, and she’d probably gone too far. His attitude had become suddenly authoritative, and Caro had been reminded that Drew had conflicting feelings about the sea, and diving in particular. He clearly loved both, but they’d taken his fiancée from him.

  This morning it was as if he’d pushed their conversation of last night to the back of his mind and was pretending that it had never happened. That was fair enough. Caro was disappointed, she’d gone to sleep last night thinking about drifting mermaid-like under the sea, finding new and unimagined wonders. But she’d do it with someone else, in another place. There would always be new places, and Drew’s peace of mind was far more important.

  ‘So.’ They’d eaten their lunch and he leaned back in his seat. ‘Are you still up for the diving centre this afternoon?’

  ‘Yes!’ She couldn’t help replying too quickly and maybe a little too enthusiastically. ‘If you are, that is.’

  He gave her that gorgeous lazy grin of his. The one that said he’d finished work now, and he was going with the flow. He had a built-in off switch that he seemed to be able to flip at will, and Caro wondered what that might be like.

  ‘Yes, I’m up for it. I’m looking forward to getting back to diving.’

  That was that, then. There was no resisting him now, no telling herself that Drew probably wasn’t ready for this. He wanted to do it and holding him back was the one thing that Drew really didn’t need at the moment.

  ‘Okay. Where’s the diving centre?’

  ‘Down there.’ He jerked his thumb towards the window, and Caro saw a low, stone building, nestling in the sheltered curve of the beach next to a small jetty.

  ‘There’s a diving centre here? Is there anything that you don’t have?’

  Drew grinned. ‘Ellie and I developed this place as a resource for the community and a learning centre for all aspects of the natural world.’

  ‘How do you manage it all?’ She peered at Drew. ‘You don’t have an old treasure chest under your bed, do you? Or a rich uncle...?’

  ‘No, nothing like that. We were given the land by a local benefactor, and we’ve had grants to help develop some of the community and learning aspects of the centre. Ellie and I have been in practice together ever since veterinary school, and when we got the opportunity to expand we grabbed it.’

  ‘So you do diving...and conservation...?’

  ‘Hasn’t Lucas shown you around?’

  Caro shrugged. ‘He gave it a go. I was concentrating on my stuff, and he had stuff with Ellie to think about. Between us, there wasn’t a great deal of time for anything other than what was strictly necessary.’

  Drew chuckled. ‘You think you can tear your head away from your work for a few hours?’

  Yes, actually she could. Drew’s ability to tear her head away from almost anything was a little frightening, and if Caro wasn’t careful, she’d lose focus. But she could worry about that tomorrow, when the sun wasn’t shining and his smile wasn’t so close at hand.

  ‘I’ve got a small window of opportunity.’

  ‘I won’t let it go to waste, then. I’ll give you the guided tour, and then we’ll go and see Jake at the diving centre. He’s probably having lunch at the moment.’

  She followed Drew through the reception area, giving Tegan a wave as they passed. He made for the trees, walking along a woodland path until they were out of earshot of the clinic car park. Leaves were beginning to carpet the ground, and there seemed to be all kinds of rustling going on but Caro couldn’t see where it was coming from. Drew sat down on a bench.

  ‘What’s here?’

  He smiled. ‘Wait and see...’

  She sat next to him, suppressing the urge to tap her foot. Drew stretched his legs out in front of him, seeming wholly at peace.

  Silence. Nothing was happening, and Caro wondered how long they would
have to wait before Drew either gave up or they saw something. And then, suddenly, the empty woods began to come to life.

  A small pinkish brown bird, with a black beak and bright blue flashes on its wings, seemed to be foraging amongst the undergrowth. Drew leaned over, whispering.

  ‘It’s a jay. Looking for acorns to bury for the winter.’

  Caro watched the bird as it made its way amongst the fallen leaves, moving them to one side with its beak. Sliding towards him on the bench seemed very natural. They were whispering after all...

  ‘Do they remember where they’ve put them?’

  ‘Often enough, I guess. When they don’t, you’ll get an oak tree.’

  Caro was suddenly very aware of his arm, slung across the back of the bench behind her. If keeping quiet and still meant they wouldn’t disturb the wildlife, then it also meant that she could keep this feeling of being close to Drew for a moment.

  A chaffinch flew down onto the path, almost in front of them. A rustle amongst the leaves turned out to be a fox, treading warily and stopping every now and then to sniff the air.

  ‘I never thought that if you stayed still for a moment, you’d see all this.’

  Drew smiled. ‘We manage these woodlands very carefully to encourage all kinds of different wildlife. We have hedgehog boxes in a more secluded spot over there and if you come down here at night, you can hear them all snuffling around in the undergrowth. There are a few badgers too, and we’re thinking about having a beaver enclosure.’

  ‘Beavers? I didn’t think you had them in this part of the country.’

  ‘We don’t, but they’ve been reintroduced in enclosures in various parts of England. When they build their homes, a natural wetland forms so you get an increase in those plants and animals too. We’re also looking at building a red squirrel enclosure.’

  ‘Don’t they catch something from the grey squirrels?’ Caro racked her brains for the name of the disease that had decimated red squirrels and came up with nothing.

  ‘Yes, SQPV. Squirrel pox virus. The greys carry the virus, but it doesn’t affect them.’