Joanna Neil - His Summer Bride

Mrs Goren and Matt both remained quiet for a moment or two longer. Perhaps they had all the information they could handle for the time being. It was a lot to take in, but the consolation was that from now on they would receive masses of help from the clinic at the hospital… along with ongoing input from Nick and herself, of course.

‘Will the treatment cause the swelling to go down?’ Mrs Goren asked, and Nick nodded.

‘You should see a great improvement.’ He looked at Matt. ‘And the pain will go away.’

After answering a few more questions, and doing what he could to put the mother’s mind at ease, he said, ‘Let me leave you with some reading material that I’ve printed out for you. I’m sure there will be things that you think of once you leave here, but I’m hoping that these papers will help answer any immediate queries… and, of course, you can always come and see me again if you want to talk.’

Katie glanced at Nick. That was a thoughtful touch—he had gone that one step further to give his patient everything he could, and she could see that Mrs Goren was pleased.

Nick gave his attention to Matt, and said, ‘The nurses and doctors at the clinic will look after you and explain anything you want to know. Next time you come to the hospital for an outpatient appointment, I’m sure you’ll be feeling a whole lot better. In the meantime, keep taking the painkillers if you have any more trouble with your thigh, and get plenty of rest. Once you get started on the treatment, I’m certain you’ll begin to feel much more energetic.’

Matt nodded. ‘Thanks,’ he said, and gave a shuddery sigh. ‘I thought I had some horrible illness that was going to make me die, but it’s not as bad as that, is it?’

‘No, it isn’t,’ Nick told him with a reassuring smile, and Katie’s heart went out to this child who had suffered in silence all this time. ‘And if you ever have worries of any kind,’ Nick added, ‘please speak up. Don’t keep it to yourself. Often things aren’t nearly as bad as you think, and we’re here to help you in any way we can.’

After they left, Nick invited Katie to stay awhile and made coffee for both of them. ‘I need to write up my notes while they’re fresh in my mind—but perhaps we can talk after that?’

‘Okay.’ She sipped her coffee and leaned back in her chair, thinking about the day’s events. From a medical standpoint at work, things had gone well, but she felt uneasy somehow. There was still that niggling worry over her father’s health.

She gave a faint sigh, and then stretched. What she needed right now was a complete change of scene, a trip to the beach, perhaps or maybe even a walk through the cobbled streets of the town. But that wasn’t likely to happen for a while… Perhaps she ought to go and see her father, see how he was bearing up. There might be something she could do for him.

‘Are you okay?’ Nick asked.

Caught off guard, Katie quickly tried to collect her thoughts. She hadn’t realised he’d been watching her. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’

His gaze flicked over her. ‘You seem… pensive. If there’s something wrong, perhaps I can help?’

She shook her head. ‘I was just thinking about my father—I feel that I should go over to his place to see if he’s all right. I rang this morning and he was having a bad day, according to the nurse, Steve. It’s a bit worrying—apparently he was talking but not making much sense.’

Nick winced. ‘That happens sometimes when the blood oxygen levels are low.’

‘Yes. Even so, I asked Steve to send for the doctor to see if he would prescribe a different medication. He hasn’t called me yet to let me know what happened. I suppose he’s been too busy, with one thing and another, or perhaps he didn’t want to tie up the phone line if the doctor was likely to call.’

‘That’s probably the case.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘Would you like me to go with you to see him? It’s never easy when someone in the family is ill, is it?’

‘No, it isn’t.’ She might have known Nick would understand. He had been through difficult times with his mother in the past, and it said a lot about his compassion and perception that he was offering to be by her side. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly. ‘I’d really like it if you would be there with me.’

‘We’ll go as soon as I’ve finished up here,’ he said, becoming brisk and ready for action. ‘Give me five minutes.’

A feeling of relief swept over her. She didn’t know why she had involved Nick in any of this, there was no accounting for her actions, and she was working purely on instinct. All at once, though, she felt that with him by her side, she could handle anything.

They went out to his car a short time later, which was in a leafy, private space in the car park. She glanced at him. Even after a day’s work, he looked cool and fresh, dressed in dark trousers and crisp linen shirt that perfectly outlined his long, lean figure. His black hair glinted with iridescent lights as they walked in the sunlight, and she gazed at him for a moment or two, wondering what it was about him that stirred her blood and made her want to be with him.

He touched her hand, clasping it within his, and suddenly she felt safe, cherished, as though all was right with the world. ‘I’m here for you, Katie,’ he said softly. ‘Any time you need me.’

Her heart swelled with joy. The truth was, he had never been anything but good towards her. He had treated her with warmth and respect, with care and attention, and he was here now, ready to be by her side at a moment’s notice and support her through what promised to be a difficult time. What more could she ask?

She stood in the shade of a cypress tree, watching him as he paused to unlock the car, and it finally hit her that she was bedazzled by him. He made her heart thump and her thoughts go haywire, and there was no knowing why it was happening. Why was she holding back? She might just as well cast her fears to one side and start living again, mightn’t she?

Okay, so she had been hurt once before. Her ex had had a child by another woman and had shocked her to the core with his infidelity, but that didn’t have to mean all men were of a similar nature, did it? Was she going to let that experience ruin her life for evermore?

Nick came to stand beside her, his lips curving in a faint smile, and he said softly, ‘Are you feeling all right? You look different somehow.’

A faint bubble of laughter rose in her throat. ‘I’m fine. I’m just so glad that you’re here with me. Whatever happens, I feel as though I’ll be able to cope with it, just as long as we’re together.’

‘That’s good to know.’ His voice faded on a shuddery sigh. ‘I’ve waited a long while for you to learn to trust me, Katie. I won’t let you down, I promise.’

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the mouth. His touch was light as the drift of silk, but it sent fiery signals to every nerve ending in her body, and she wanted to cling to him, to savour that moment and make it last for ever.

Her fingers lightly stroked his arms and then moved up to tangle with the silky hair at his nape. She belonged in his arms, it felt right, as though it was the only place to be at that moment.

He kissed her again, trailing kisses over her cheek, her throat, and then with a soft, ragged sound he reluctantly dragged himself away from her.

‘Wrong place,’ he said in a roughened tone, as though that explained things. ‘I can think of better places where I can show you how much I care.’

Katie stared at him, blankly, her lips parting, a tingle of delicious sensation still running through her from head to toe.

He sent her an oblique glance in return, his mouth twisting a little. ‘Did I go too far again?’ he asked. ‘I hope not, because I really wanted to do that. In fact, it’s on my mind every time I see you—and even sometimes when we’re apart.’