Joanna Neil - Return of the Rebel Doctor

Finn told him his story while Katie set to work. It had been so long since she’d seen Ross, several years, in fact, but she’d heard rumours about what he’d been up to. It seemed he hadn’t really changed. He was still as big and bold as ever, and the instant he’d walked into the room he’d seemed to take in the situation and assume control. He’d always been that way. He knew what he wanted, where he was headed, and nothing ever stood in his path. Not for long, anyway.

The only person who had ever had any influence over him had been his father, but Ross had put paid to any hold he’d had over him by leaving home to join the army as soon as he had been old enough. Those years had certainly left their mark on him. Now, he appeared confident, capable, and if the tales she’d heard were correct, it seemed that nothing was beyond him.

She finished the sutures and began to clear away her equipment. ‘I’ll put a dressing on it,’ she told Finn, adding with a smile, ‘I’m afraid you’re going to look a bit like an Egyptian mummy for a while, with all the bandaging to hold it in place.’

‘It’ll just add to your street cred,’ Ross told him. He waited until Katie had finished the dressing and then handed her a cup of coffee. ‘Do you still take cream and sugar?’ he asked, his interested gaze drifting down over her slender figure.

‘Yes, please,’ she murmured, his warm glance making her suddenly conscious of her feminine curves, outlined by the dress she was wearing, a simple sheath with a bodice that swathed her breasts in gentle folds of material.

To calm herself, she suggested to Finn that he should lie back against the pillows and rest awhile. ‘I’ll give you an anti-tetanus injection and prescribe some antibiotics in case of infection.’

Ross placed the sugar bowl and jug of cream on the table beside her. ‘So, what are you doing here, Katie? Is this your regular job these days?’

She shook her head, making the soft curls quiver and dance. ‘I sort of fell into this job, really. They were pushed for someone to take over when the regular surgeon had his days off, and I just happened to be in the vicinity at the time. Nowadays I fill in for the times he can’t manage.’

She smiled, taking a moment to sip the coffee, enjoying the sensuous aroma. ‘The rest of the time I work at the hospital in paediatric emergency medicine. I quite like the contrast, and it helps to give me a wider perspective.’

‘I imagine it does.’ He looked at her hand as she curved her fingers around the coffee mug. ‘No ring on your finger?’ he commented. ‘I’d have expected you to be married, with at least a couple of children in tow, by now. Is there something wrong with the men around here?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Or is there someone hovering in the wings?’

‘You’re very direct, aren’t you?’ She put down the mug, uncertain how she was going to answer him. If she gave Ross half a chance, he’d home in on her like a guided missile and lay waste to her emotions before she even knew what was coming.

‘Some people would call it being nosy,’ he said with a laugh, ‘but I don’t mind. I’m really keen to know how you’re gettng on, what you’ve been doing these last few years. In fact…’ he hesitated a moment as though he was thinking something through ‘…maybe we could get together for a meal or something while I’m over here? We could take some time to get to know each other all over again.’

A rush of heat ran through her at the suggestion, and she was sure her cheekbones must be highlighted with a flood of pink. Spend time with him? Get to know him all over again? Heaven forbid. Having him here in her small office had already sent her senses spinning full throttle into overdrive. How on earth would she be able to go on with her tranquil, orderly life if he was to be around for any length of time?

‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ she said huskily, going over to the fridge and searching for the anti-tetanus vial. Seeing the quick look of disappointment that crossed his face, she added, ‘I tend to have an awful lot on these days, what with work, and renovating Waterside Cottage in my spare time. I’m actually waiting for someone to come and give me a quote for roof repairs.’ They were just feeble excuses, and she guessed he knew it.

‘That’s a real shame.’ He frowned. ‘Does the cottage belong to you now? It used to be your aunt’s property, didn’t it—an old farmhouse that she started to renovate? I remember you and Jessie used to go and visit her there quite regularly.’

‘That’s right.’ She went over to the couch and prepared Finn for the injection. ‘Just a scratch, now. There, that’s it. It’s all done.’

She cleared away her equipment once more and turned back to Ross. ‘It was her ongoing project,’ she said with a smile. ‘She never did finish everything that needed to be done, and unfortunately she died a few months ago and left the house to my sister and me. Jessie was already in the middle of buying a property for herself, though, so I bought her half from her.’

‘You always liked that house, didn’t you?’

She nodded, glad that the conversation had turned away from the worry of her going out on a date with him. ‘There are still a few things that need doing, though, so it’s turning out to be a bit of a money pit.’

‘I can imagine.’ He looked as though he was about to say something more, but there was a knock on the door just then, and Colin McKenzie stepped into the room.

‘How’s it going in here, Katie? Is the lad all right? Is he going to be fit for questioning?’

‘I’ve patched him up, but he’s not in any state to be interviewed. He’s suffered a nasty injury, lost quite a lot of blood, and he’s still in shock after what happened. I think we should leave him to recover for a few days, don’t you?’

‘Hmm.’ The sergeant gave it some thought. ‘Okay, I suppose you’re right. I dare say no harm will come from it.’ He straightened up and came further into the room, putting on his formal police officer manner as he approached the boy. ‘As soon as you’re finished here, you’ll be bailed to appear back at this station next week to answer questions. Do you understand?’

The small amount of colour that had been in Finn’s face rapidly disappeared. He didn’t answer Sergeant McKenzie, but nodded in a worried fashion.

‘He’ll be here, along with his solicitor,’ Ross said in a curt tone. ‘But do you really believe he’s done anything wrong, Sergeant? He said he saw the lads and was looking to see what was going on—it’s pure supposition to suggest that he was acting as a lookout.’

The sergeant braced his shoulders. ‘We all have a job to do, McGregor.’

‘I accept that,’ Ross retorted, ‘but I’d have thought by now the other boys would have told you that Finn had nothing to do with the break-in.’

‘Aye, but strangely they all seem to have suddenly lost any notion of who was with them,’ the sergeant answered with feeling. ‘To hear them talk, they were all there looking to see what was going on.’

Ross’s mouth twitched faintly. ‘Well, in Finn’s case, if he says he knows nothing about the break-in, I’m quite sure that he’s telling you the truth. Anyway, I’ll be here with him when you decide to question him.’

The sergeant’s brows rose. ‘You’re planning on staying around, then? What about your work on the mainland? You’re a doctor now, aren’t you, at the hospital?’

‘That’s right, but I’ve some time off owing to me, so I’m planning on taking it now.’ He inclined his head in the direction of the large holdall he’d brought with him. ‘I’ll be here as long as it takes to see Finn through this.’