Joanna Neil - His Summer Bride

She nodded. ‘There was a short piece about Mrs Wyatt’s accident in the local press, but it was quite favourable. The journalist pointed out that you’d acted swiftly in sending for medical treatment, and that you’d helped make her stay in hospital more comfortable.’

‘That’s something, at least.’ He made a wry smile. ‘My father employs a spokesman to deal with the press. It helps to dispel any of the more outlandish stories, and gives the public our take on events.’

‘Perhaps your spokesman wasn’t around when the Shannon Draycott story broke?’ she said softly. ‘That must have caused you a few uneasy moments.’

His mouth turned down at the corners. ‘I see you’ve been discovering my lurid past. No wonder you keep fending me off. I expect you’re one of these people who believe everything you read in the papers?’

She shrugged lightly. ‘Not necessarily. Though I do go along with the principle that there’s no smoke without fire.’ He hadn’t exactly denied the story, had he? According to the papers, they had been engaged to be married—what kind of man was he that could make light of such a thing?

He winced. ‘Then I’m obviously doomed.’ A glint of amusement came into his eyes. ‘Is there anything I can do to restore your confidence in me? I’m really one of the good guys, you know. And when I spoke to Shannon last week she seemed reasonably content with the way her life was going.’

So he was still in touch with her. The thought sounded a death knell in Katie’s mind to any hopes that the stories might be a figment of someone’s imagination. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Perhaps she counts herself lucky to have escaped.’

‘Ouch!’ He clamped a hand to his chest and pretended to stagger. ‘That was a well-aimed blow. I didn’t realise Dr Katie Logan had such a cutting edge… though I suppose you’ve sharpened up your defences this last year or so.’

She nodded. ‘You can count on it.’ After her experience with James, she was well prepared, and on her guard, for men who had hidden secrets and a good deal of charm.

‘Hmm.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘So what am I to do to persuade you that things are not as they seem? Do you think spending more time with me would help you to get to know me better?’

It was her turn to laugh. ‘I have to give you eleven out of ten for trying, anyway. You’re irrepressible, aren’t you?’

‘Where you’re concerned, yes, I am.’ His gaze meshed with hers. ‘So how about coming along to a wine tasting at the vineyard? We’re celebrating a new Pinot Noir this year, one of our finest…and you did say you’d like to see around the vineyard, didn’t you? Your father’s maybe, but ours is right alongside?’

‘I… Um...’ She thought things through. Ever since she had seen her father’s land, she had been caught up in the wonder of vine culture, and now she was fascinated by everything to do with wine and wine making. She was intrigued to take a look over the Bellini land and see if it was anything like her father’s. Where was the harm? It wouldn’t be like going on a date, would it? After all, there would be other people around.

‘A little wine tasting can be good for the soul,’ Nick murmured in a coaxing tone. ‘It helps you to look on life with a much more mellow attitude.’

‘I’m sure that’s true.’ She smiled, and against all her best intentions heard herself say, ‘Thanks, I think I’d enjoy that.’

. ‘That’s great news. I’ll come and pick you up. Will you be free after work on Wednesday? I have a half-day then.’

‘I will,’ she murmured. ‘I’ll look forward to it.’

Later, though, as she waved goodbye to the paramedic who gave her a lift back to her car where she had left it on the coast road, she couldn’t help wondering if she was making a mistake. Why, when every part of her knew that she should avoid getting involved with Nick, did she keep digging herself in deeper?

‘KATIE, Dr Bellini wants to know if you will consult with him on a young patient in the emergency department.’ Carla popped her head round the door of Katie’s office and waited for an answer. ‘I could ask Mike to cover for you here, if you like.’

‘Okay. Tell him I’ll be along in five minutes.’ Katie put the last suture into the cut on a small child’s lip. ‘There you are, young man, all finished. You’ve been very brave.’ She smiled at the six-year-old and reached into her desk drawer for a colouring sheet and a teddy-bear badge. ‘I think you deserve these, don’t you?’

The boy gave a tentative nod and studied the piece of paper she’d handed him. ‘A racing car!’ he exclaimed in delight. ‘I’m going to colour it red, and put stripes on the wings.’ He looked up at her. ‘Thank you.’

‘My pleasure.’

She saw the boy and his mother out into the corridor, and then readied herself to go along to the emergency unit, smoothing down her pencil-line skirt and making sure that her blouse neatly skimmed the curve of her hips.

She paused, trying to make sense of her actions. Why was she doing this? Was she really so bothered about meeting up with Nick that she needed to fuss about the way she looked? Unhappily, the answer had to be a resounding ‘Yes’. It gave her confidence to know that she looked okay.

A final check in the mirror showed her that her hair was the usual mass of chaotic curls, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. At least it was clean and shining.

‘Thanks for coming along, Katie.’ Nick met her at the door of his office. His glance flicked over her, and an appreciative gleam came into his eyes. ‘I’d like you to take a look at young Matthew Goren, if you will. I’ve asked his mother if she wouldn’t mind you giving a second opinion.’

‘That’s okay. I’m happy to do it.’

He introduced her to the boy’s mother and then to Matthew, a thin-looking eleven-year-old who looked uncomfortable and deeply troubled.

‘Matt’s complaining of pain in his thigh,’ Nick said, as they went over to the trolley bed. ‘It came on three days ago, and now he’s unable to walk because of it. He has a low-grade fever, mild hypertension and slight anaemia, and he’s been suffering from frequent nosebleeds in the last couple of years. Liver function, lungs and white-cell count are normal. I’ve done an abdominal ultrasound and an MRI of the thigh as well as X-rays, but I’m waiting on the results of other blood tests to see if they eliminate certain other possibilities.’

Nick had obviously been very thorough. This must be an unusual case or he wouldn’t have brought her in on it, and she was glad that he respected her enough to ask for her opinion.

Katie gave the boy a smile. ‘Hello, Matt. I’m Dr Logan. I’m sorry you’re having problems with your thigh. That must be really uncomfortable.’

He nodded. ‘I had it once before, when I was ten, but it went away. This is a lot worse.’

‘Oh, dear.’ She sent him a sympathetic glance. ‘We’ll have to find out what’s wrong and put it right, then, won’t we?’ She studied his chart for a moment or two and then asked, ‘Would it be all right if I examine you, Matt?’

‘It’s okay.’

Katie was as gentle as she could be, taking her time to assess the boy’s condition. When she had finished she asked a few general questions about his symptoms.

‘Has the swelling in his abdomen come on recently?’ she said, looking at his mother.

Mrs Goren shook her head. ‘It started just over two years ago. He says it isn’t painful. To be honest, we didn’t think anything of it at first—we just thought he was putting on a bit of weight around his tum.’

Katie nodded and glanced at the results of the ultrasound scan on the computer monitor. ‘The spleen is definitely enlarged,’ she said in a low voice, looking at Nick.