Anne Mather - Nights of Passion

‘Really?’ Rachel realised that, apart from caring about Steve’s treatment of Daisy, she couldn’t care less about him or Lauren. ‘I thought you said she didn’t like hospitals.’

‘She doesn’t.’ Daisy shrugged. ‘Maybe she didn’t trust Dad to be alone with you.’

‘Oh, please.’ Rachel stared at her. ‘I don’t think that’s likely, do you?’

‘You never know.’ Daisy regarded her critically for a moment. ‘You’ve changed, Mum. You look really pretty these days. If you could just get used to wearing more trendy gear, I think you’d be surprised at how good you look.’

‘Gee, thanks.’ Rachel didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had paid her such a nice compliment. Except when Joe had said she was beautiful, of course. But he’d had his own reasons for saying that.

‘Anyway …’ Rachel was eager to leave the subject of her appearance. ‘How are you feeling this morning?’ She studied the girl’s face intently. ‘You know, I do believe the swelling round your eye is going down.’

Daisy pulled a face. ‘I still look like Frankenstein’s sister,’ she grumbled. ‘Dr Gonzales says I’ve been very lucky, but I don’t know. Do you think my face will ever look normal again?’

‘Of course it will.’ Rachel was optimistic. ‘And you always look good to me, baby.’ She sighed. ‘Which reminds me, I didn’t get to speak to Dr Gonzales last night, either. I hope he’ll forgive me for wasting his time.’

‘Gonzales is okay, I guess.’ Daisy was resigned.

‘Well, Joe—Mr Mendez, that is—thinks so. When he toldme you’d had to have an operation, he assured me you’d received the best treatment there is.’

Daisy frowned then. ‘But Dad had already told you that, hadn’t he?’

Rachel stifled a groan. ‘He said you’d had an accident,’ she said, prevaricating. ‘I dare say he didn’t want to worry me.’

Daisy didn’t look as if she believed her. ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘when you do talk to Dr Gonzales, could you ask him when I can get out of here and go home?’

Rachel considered. ‘Well, I should think that’s up to your father,’ she said. ‘You’ve still got a week of your holiday left.’

Daisy pouted. ‘But I don’t want to finish my holiday,’ she protested. ‘I want to go home. Back to England. With you.’

‘Oh, Daisy …’ This was an eventuality Rachel hadn’t anticipated. ‘I don’t know whether you’ll be allowed to fly straight after a—Well, after an operation.’ She tucked a strand of Daisy’s hair behind her ear and drew back. ‘Besides, your father will want you to stay.’

‘You think?’ Daisy spoke surprisingly cynically for a girl of her age. ‘Now that he’s done his duty, I don’t think he can wait to get rid of me. I know Lauren can’t.’

‘Daisy!’

‘Well, it’s true. They were talking about going to New York next weekend, and I’m not included in that.’

Rachel bit her lip. ‘Well, let me talk to Dr Gonzales.’ And your father, she thought grimly. ‘Then I’ll let you know what he says, right?’

‘All right.’ Daisy managed a small smile. ‘I do love you, Mum.’

‘And I love you,’ said Rachel fiercely as a nurse came into the room. She got to her feet. ‘Now, I’ll go and see if I can get some answers.’

As it turned out, Dr Gonzales wasn’t available to speak to her that day. One of the nurses explained that he also worked at one of the hospitals in Miami itself, and unless there was an emergency he wouldn’t be in until the following day.

There was no way Rachel could class Daisy’s sudden desire to leave the hospital as an emergency, and she had the unenviable task of explaining to her daughter that Dr Gonzales’ world didn’t revolve around her.

Daisy complained, naturally, and she got herself into such a state that the nurse who came to check on her suggested Rachel should go and get some lunch and let Daisy have a rest. ‘There’s a coffee bar downstairs,’ she said pleasantly. ‘It will do you both good to have a break.’

The coffee bar was almost empty, and Rachel helped herself to a ham sandwich before ordering another coffee. Then, carrying her tray to a window table overlooking the forecourt of the clinic, she made an effort to eat. She should have been hungry, but so much had happened since her arrival she had little appetite.

Still, the sandwich was delicious, and after a few mouthfuls she realised she was hungry after all. She finished it and was enjoying sipping her coffee when someone sat down at her table. It was a man, and she was about to pick up her coffee and find somewhere else to sit when she realised it was Steve.

Looking at him, she thought she could forgive herself for not recognising him straight away. He’d lost weight and his skin was deeply tanned. He should have looked fit and healthy, but he didn’t, and she wondered if living with Lauren wasn’t quite the sinecure he’d imagined it would be.

‘Hi,’ he said flatly. ‘Daisy said I’d find you here.’ His eyes appraised her with surprising interest. ‘How are you? You look—good. Different, but good.’

‘Compliments from you?’ Rachel was sardonic ‘Gee, I wonder why?’

Steve’s jaw jutted. ‘Don’t be like that, Rache. I’m just trying to be friendly. There’s no point in you and me falling out with one another, is there?’

‘Isn’t there?’ Rachel’s look was incredulous. ‘You don’t think keeping the truth about Daisy’s injuries from me was a little thoughtless?’ She shook her head. ‘Not to say downright deceitful.’

Steve scowled. ‘You don’t think that the way you’re reacting now is why I didn’t tell you?’ he countered. ‘I knew you’d panic. You always do.’

‘I don’t panic!’ exclaimed Rachel defensively. ‘But I was worried. And I had a right to know.’

‘Why?’ Steve looked sulky now, much like Daisy did when things were not going her way. ‘So you can get the custody order changed?’

‘No.’

‘That’s what you said,’ Steve reminded her. ‘You said if anything happened to Daisy.’

‘While she was with you,’ Rachel finished for him. ‘Yes, I remember.’

‘There you go, then.’

‘Well, I suppose accidents do happen,’ said Rachel a little wearily. ‘But you do realise she should have been wearing a life jacket, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ Steve put both elbows on the table and ran his fingers through hair that was thinning at his temples. ‘But Lauren had said, well, how pale Daisy’s skin looked, and you don’t get a tan wearing a life jacket all the time.’

Rachel shook her head. ‘So, have you spoken to her today?’

‘Daisy? Just to ask where you were.’

‘You don’t think she’d have appreciated you showing some concern?’

‘Why?’ Steve was offhand. ‘She wants to go home, you know? I don’t think Miami has lived up to her expectations.’

You mean you haven’t, thought Rachel impatiently. ‘And you and Lauren have other plans, right?’ she suggested drily, and Steve gave her a quick look.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’re planning a trip to New York, aren’t you?’

Steve’s arms dropped onto the table. ‘Who told you that?’ He frowned. ‘Was it Mendez?’

‘Joe?’ The word was out before she could prevent it, and she saw the familiarity hadn’t gone unnoticed. But Steve had evidently decided not to push his luck, because all he said was, ‘Yeah, Joe Mendez. I know he doesn’t approve.’

‘Doesn’t he?’ Knowing Joe as she was beginning to, that didn’t surprise her.

‘He takes too much upon himself,’ muttered Steve petulantly. ‘Spending time with Daisy. Meeting you at the airport. What was that all about?’