Her Holiday Miracle

His eyes widened with interest. ‘Are you an emergency doctor?’

‘No. My specialty’s paediatrics.’

‘So, do you work in a hospital or general practice?’

By now they were approaching his car—a dark metallic red sports utility vehicle. It managed to look both sleek and sturdy at the same time, and she guessed it would be capable of managing most types of terrain.

She said quietly, ‘I was working in a neonatal unit, but actually I’m taking a break from medicine right now.’ How could she bear to go into work every day and be surrounded by babies, knowing she might never hold one of her own? It was like a pain deep inside her. ‘At least I thought I was taking a break until I stepped on the plane. My plans certainly went wrong after that.’

He opened the passenger door for her and ushered her inside. He was frowning again. ‘Obviously you weren’t heading for Martinique at the outset. Wouldn’t it have been easier to fly the rest of the way from there instead of getting the ferry?’

‘Probably.’ She was thankful he hadn’t asked about her reasons for having a break from her career, but maybe he assumed she was just taking a holiday. ‘There wasn’t another flight until tomorrow morning,’ she explained. ‘Once we stopped at Martinique the flight crew had worked their allotted hours, apparently. I didn’t want to mess about. I wanted to get here on time to be with my sister—and my luggage had already been taken off the plane.’ She pulled a face. ‘I’m not quite sure where it is at the moment … en route to Barbados, I think. I’ve filled in all the appropriate forms, so hopefully I’ll be reunited with it at some point.’

‘You’ve had an eventful journey.’ He slid into the driver’s seat and switched on the engine. ‘Let’s hope things go smoothly for you from now on.’

‘Yes, we should look on the bright side, shouldn’t we?’ She leaned back against the luxurious upholstery and felt the cool waft of a delicate breeze fan her cheeks as the air-conditioning kicked in. ‘Oh, that feels good.’

He gave her a sideways glance. ‘How long are you planning on staying over here?’

‘Three months to begin with—maybe longer, but if so I might need to find work of some sort. I’m not in a hurry to do that yet—I suppose I’m looking for a change of direction. I may even decide to go home when the three months is up. I just want to spend time with Emma—my sister. She’s over here on a temporary contract with the nursing directorate.’ She frowned. ‘She messaged me a short time ago when I was on the boat, to say she’d been called out on a job—some last-minute thing that cropped up. I’m just hoping she’ll be back before too long.’

His cool, thoughtful gaze swept over her before he turned his attention back to the road ahead. ‘Talking of jobs, it seems a bit strange for you to be taking time out so early in your career. You’re very fortunate if you can afford to do that. A lot of people would envy you.’

She winced inwardly. Was that a veiled criticism? After seeing her on the boat, getting on so well with his cousin, he probably thought she was a bored rich girl looking for thrills.

‘Perhaps they might. You’re right—it’s good to have enough money to be able to choose—but I don’t see myself as “fortunate”, really,’ she countered. ‘My parents died when I was twelve. They left money in trust for me and my sister, so we’re both comfortably off, but I’d much rather they were still around. We were brought up by an aunt and uncle. They’ve been good to us, but they had their own two little girls to care for. It can’t have been easy for them.’

‘No, I expect not. I’m sorry.’ He studied her briefly. ‘Does it bother you, leaving them behind to come here?’

‘Oh, yes—I’ll miss them all … especially my cousins. But we’re all older now, going our separate ways.’ She was pensive for a moment or two, lost in thought. ‘I suppose we were lucky that there was no rivalry or resentment bubbling away in the background because we were taking up the love and attention that should have been reserved for family. In fact we get on very well with one another. My aunt and uncle did a good job.’

‘Four youngsters must have made for quite a lively household?’

‘Yes, it was a bit rumbustious at times. We had a lot of fun … holidays and family picnics and generally hanging out together.’

‘I never had that experience.’ There was a slight thread of regret in his voice. ‘I was an only child—that’s probably what makes me value my cousin’s friendship all the more. We’re very close—a bit like brothers.’

She sent him a curious glance. ‘Really? I didn’t get that impression. You kept to yourself on the ferry and didn’t really have any contact with him—he said you’d been to Martinique on business and needed some space.’

‘That’s right. I had to go over there to talk to some clients—I have a plantation in the hills, a few miles from Tamarind Bay, so I make the journey to Martinique on a fairly regular basis to see people about supplies and exports and so on.’

‘Wow!’ She smiled. ‘I’m impressed … a plantation owner … that’s inspiring.’

‘Not so much.’ His mouth made a wry twist. ‘I took it over a couple of years ago, when it was completely run down, and I’m learning a few lessons on the way. It’s taking a lot of effort to get it going once more, but we’ve made a reasonable start, I think.’

‘It sounds as though you have a busy life.’ She wanted to know more about the plantation, but he hadn’t yet commented about leaving his cousin to his own devices. Why had he done that if they were so close? ‘You said, “We’ve made a reasonable start”—is William part of that? Where does he fit in? If you’re so close, I don’t understand why you didn’t want to talk to him on the boat?’

‘He works for me, but he’s on holiday at the moment. As for when we were on the boat—he was with his friends and I didn’t want to intrude … more especially since he seemed to be very taken with you. In fact, I’d say he was smitten … so much so that I doubt he’d have thanked me for getting in the way.’

She looked at him in mock surprise. ‘Smitten? We’d only just met!’ Why would he have reached that conclusion? Was he jealous of the attention William had been giving her? Of course he hadn’t heard the bulk of their conversation, or he would have known they were just going to be friends. William liked her, but he was still getting over the break-up with his girlfriend and wasn’t making any romantic overtures. ‘You’re reading too much into the situation.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Again, that wry smile. His glance drifted over her, taking in her slender curves, the way her camisole top nipped in at the waist and her skirt draped itself over the swell of her hips. ‘What chance did he have against a flame-haired beauty with emerald-green eyes and a come-hither smile? He was done for the moment he looked at you.’ He pulled a face. ‘Heaven knows—I was done for.’

She stifled an uncertain laugh. Did he really feel that way about her? And that was the second time he’d commented on her looks. ‘Well, thanks for the compliment … I think …’ He made her sound like some kind of Delilah … ‘But if it really was as you say, do you imagine he’d have some sort of a problem getting involved with me? I couldn’t help feeling you were keeping a weather eye on him.’

‘I was, to be honest.’

She blinked, startled by his frank admission. ‘You were?’

He frowned. ‘I was … most of the time. At least I was trying to, when I wasn’t distracted by thinking about you. There’s something about you—a vulnerability that I sensed, maybe. I suppose it must have brought out the protective instinct in me.’ He sighed and gave his head a shake, as though he was trying to pull himself together. ‘Perhaps William feels it, too. Either way, I don’t want to see him land in hot water. My aunt asked me to watch out for him over the next few months. He may not look it, but he’s vulnerable, too, right now. He’s easily led and he’s been hurt in the past.’

‘Haven’t we all?’ She said it under her breath, but he gave her a quick, sharp glance before concentrating on negotiating a twisty bend in the road.

Rebecca gazed out of the window, watching the landscape unfold in all its glory. It was easier than trying to fathom him out. She sensed there was a lot more to Cade Byfield than she’d learned so far. He was attracted to her, but he was fighting it, and at the same time she had a sneaking feeling he didn’t trust her around his cousin. She wasn’t at all sure why.

Not that it mattered. Did she even trust herself right now? She was here to chill out, to get over the breakdown of her relationship with Drew and the turmoil that had caused … and hopefully to recover from the aftermath of the illness that had thrown her life into disarray these last few months.

The road wound its way through forested slopes, and their journey of discovery helped to take her mind off things. Beneath the thick canopy of trees she glimpsed the occasional flight of a colourful parrot or a yellow-chested peewee, and on the ground, which was thickly covered with broad-spanning ferns, she caught sight of small green lizards darting through the undergrowth. There were wild flowers hidden among the foliage along the route—waxy lilac anthuriums and the pretty scarlet rosettes of bromeliads peeking out here and there. It was beautiful, and all new to her.

‘You said you often go to Martinique on business?’ she murmured, turning her attention back to Cade. ‘Wouldn’t it be quicker and easier for you to fly?’

He nodded. ‘That’s true. But I like having the chance to unwind on board the ferry. It gives me time to clear my head and maybe get things into perspective. In a place like this you don’t always want to be rushing about. I get plenty of that in my job at the hospital.’

He pointed out the pristine waters of a yachting harbour as they rounded a curve in the road. ‘We must be getting fairly close to where you’ll be staying, I think.’

‘Oh …’ She gave a small gasp of delight as she looked out over the hillside and down into the rocky cove. ‘It’s so lovely. It’s perfection.’ Beyond the shoreline, outlined beneath the deep blue of the sea, she saw the turquoise ridge of a coral reef. ‘It’s even better than the way Emma described it to me.’

‘Yes, it’s an exquisite island—a beautiful place to live … and work. I’ve travelled the world, but I always love to come back here.’ He negotiated a winding road down to the scattering of houses that made up the small hamlet. ‘Yours is the cabin, you said?’

‘Yes … I think I can see it amongst the trees. Emma sent me pictures of it.’

Excitement bubbled up inside her as she caught sight of a timber-clad house with white-framed windows and a white-painted wooden balustrade enclosing a wide veranda. The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the hills as they drew up in front of the house. Everything looked tranquil and untouched by the outside world. She sat for a moment, taking it all in. She could be happy here. She felt it deep inside. Surely this was a place of healing, where she could mend her body and her spirit?

‘Presumably your sister would have been expecting you earlier? How will you get into the property if she’s not here now?’

She frowned. ‘It’s been a couple of hours since her text message—I would have thought she’d be home by now. But she said she would leave a key in a safe place where I’d be sure to find it.’ She laughed softly. ‘Knowing Emma, that probably means it could be under a rock marked “Key is here”.’

He laughed with her. ‘I dare say the locals are all on good terms with your sister. You can rest easy. We don’t get a lot of crime out here.’

He parked the car in front of the cabin a few minutes later. It was set against a backcloth of leafy trees and dense shrubbery, its location completely private, and everything smelled fresh and open to nature.

Cade waited while Rebecca knocked on the door. When there was no answer she stifled her disappointment and went in search of the key.

‘It was hidden in a box under the veranda,’ she told him. ‘Would you like to come in for a drink of some sort? I expect there’ll be juice in the fridge—or coffee?’

‘Thanks. I’ll have a coffee, if you have the makings. I’ll see you settled in and then I should be on my way. I have to get over to the plantation to meet up with my estate manager.’

‘You work late out here?’

He nodded. ‘Occasionally. Sometimes it’s necessary if problems crop up. My manager wants to see me about getting a new truck—the one we have at the moment keeps breaking down. He lives in a cottage on the plantation, so it’s not as if he’ll be put out too much. I need to get it sorted.’

All this on top of his work as a doctor? He obviously believed in keeping busy. She stepped on to the veranda and unlocked the front door. ‘Come in.’

‘Thanks.’

They both took a moment to look around. The living room was simply furnished, with a polished light oak floor, a couple of settees and a coffee table, and opened out into a light and airy kitchen-diner at one end. The units there were cream-coloured, with pale oak worktops that were easy on the eye. Two sets of French doors led from the kitchen and the living room out on to the veranda that swept around the building, giving a view through the trees of the delightful cove below.

‘I’ll just see if Emma has any coffee.’ Rebecca checked the cupboards, then set out porcelain mugs on the oak table while she waited for the kettle to boil. There was a note from Emma propped up against the sugar bowl. ‘She doesn’t know when she’ll be back,’ Rebecca said, quickly scanning it. ‘She says the landlord will stop by tomorrow morning to sort out a problem with the window shutters.’

She frowned. It definitely sounded as though she would not be back tonight.

‘Ah, I might have known it—Emma’s left some food for supper,’ she murmured, continuing to read and then going to rummage in the fridge. ‘We might as well help ourselves … there’s plenty for both of us, from the looks of things. Spiced chicken drumsticks and salad, with savoury rice.’ She turned to him. ‘How does that sound?’

He pulled in a breath. ‘Too tempting to refuse,’ he admitted with a grin. ‘It seems to be quite a while since I had lunch.’

‘Mmm … me, too,’ she agreed, taking dishes and platters from the fridge. She frowned. ‘I wish I knew how long she was going to be. I was so looking forward to seeing her again.’

‘Is she older than you or younger?’ he asked as they sat down to eat a minute or so later.

‘Older by just a year. But for all that she’s always sort of looked after me … kept me on the straight and narrow, so to speak—our cousins, too. They’re three or four years younger than us.’ She waved a hand over the food she had set out. ‘Help yourself.’

She’d always looked to Emma for guidance over the years. Perhaps Emma would know how she could get over her illness and the break-up with Drew and restore her self-confidence once more. When her consultant had said she might have difficulty in having children because of scar tissue blocking her fallopian tubes it had come as a devastating blow. Rebecca had withdrawn into herself for a while and shut out the outside world. She hadn’t wanted to face up to anything for some time.

As for now … A recklessness seemed to have taken her over. She’d left her job, left the country, put everything behind her. And she’d met a handsome young man on the ferry coming over here—not to mention the fact that now she was sharing a meal with a perfect stranger in the privacy of a secluded cabin. Had she lost her senses? Perhaps she was hell bent on self-destruction. She didn’t want to take anyone down with her, but was she headed that way? Emma would surely put her right.

She shook the thoughts from her mind. Better to think of something completely different. ‘What kind of plantation do you have?’ she asked now. ‘What do you grow there?’

Cade had been watching her, she realised, clearly curious about her introspection, but now he followed her lead and answered readily. ‘Cocoa—everything depends on producing a good crop.’

‘You said it had been run down—why would that happen?’

‘Because of disease in the plants, the weather—hurricane winds, tropical storms—and low prices. A lot of people out here gave up on cocoa and turned to banana-growing instead. It must have seemed like the better option.’

‘But you think you can make a go of it where others have failed?’

He nodded. ‘I’ll certainly have a good try.’ He finished off his chicken and wiped his hands on a paper serviette. ‘That was delicious.’

She inclined her head briefly. ‘Emma’s always been a good cook.’

They talked some more about food in general, and his hopes for the plantation, and then her phone rang, cutting in on their conversation.

‘Perhaps it’s Emma. I should answer it,’ she said quickly.

‘Of course. Please—go ahead.’

She stood up and walked across the kitchen to take the call. It wasn’t Emma, though, and a swift wave of disappointment washed over her.

‘Hi, Becky … it’s William. I’m just checking that you managed to get to your sister’s all right. I was concerned about you. I hated leaving you alone at the harbour.’

‘Oh, hi, William. Yes, I did, thanks. You didn’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.’ Out of the corner of her vision she saw Cade brace himself slightly. His head went back a fraction.

‘That’s good. Listen, I’m coming over to the bay tomorrow evening. Maybe we could go for a drink together?’

‘I’d like that … It depends what my sister’s doing, though. She isn’t here right now.’

‘She could come with us.’

She thought about it. ‘Okay, then. Yes, we could do that. It sounds good. I’ll let you know if anything changes.’

‘Great. I’ll meet you in Selwyn’s Bar at around eight o’clock?’

‘Selwyn’s Bar? Yes. Eight o’clock, then. I’ll look forward to it.’ She was smiling as she said it, and when she cut the call she turned to look at Cade once more. ‘That was your cousin,’ she said unnecessarily. ‘He was just checking to see that I got here all right.’

‘So I gathered.’ He stood up, his features guarded. ‘You’ll be seeing him again, from the sound of things?’

‘Looks like it.’ She sent him a quick, challenging look. He seemed tense. ‘Do you have a problem with that?’

‘Not really … Maybe …’ He shrugged awkwardly. ‘Like I said, I don’t want to see him get hurt. He’s just come out of a bad relationship and he’s vulnerable right now. I know it doesn’t seem that way …’

‘Surely he’s old enough to take care of himself?’

‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But some people take a while longer than others.’

‘He seemed fine to me.’ Her green eyes flashed. ‘Anyway, why do you imagine I’m likely to be such a problem for him?’

‘Are you kidding?’ His mouth made a crooked shape as his glance drifted over her. ‘The way you look, I suspect you’d be a problem for a saint,’ he said, with feeling. ‘My cousin stands no chance at all.’

A wave of heat ran through her cheeks. ‘Well, I’m flattered you imagine I have such powers …’

He smiled. ‘I suppose I want you to go easy on him. I sense you just want to have a good time and enjoy your stay here—and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.’ His dark eyes glinted. ‘I’d be only too happy to help you do that. As for William—he’s here for the duration, while you’ll be moving on in a short time. I can’t help thinking that if you and he get together I’ll be left to pick up the pieces again.’

‘I’m sure you and your aunt are being overly concerned … I’ve never thought of myself as a heart-breaker.’ Still, something in her prompted her to say, ‘Anyway, you could always come with us to the bar.’ Even as the words left her lips she wondered what on earth she was thinking. ‘He suggested my sister might want to come along,’ she added, ‘so you could join us and make up a foursome.’

‘I’d like that,’ he said. ‘I’ll look forward to it—I’ll come and pick you up.’ His smoky gaze rested on her once more. ‘It’s a great pity William saw you first,’ he said softly. ‘I’d be more than ready for the challenge.’

She looked at him directly, her green glance unwavering. ‘I’ve said before that we’re just going to be friends … but even if that wasn’t the case I’m not some prize to be won.’

‘Like I said, I have his interests at heart. I won’t stand by and see him hurt.’

She wasn’t sure whether that was a threat or a promise.

He left soon after that, and she watched him drive away. She ought to be feeling relaxed, at peace with herself, but instead she felt a sense of nervous anticipation—a vague worry starting up inside her. What was she doing, getting involved with Cade and his cousin? Hadn’t she been through enough turmoil—and could William really get hurt because of her?

Her mouth made a crooked twist. She doubted Cade was the kind of man who would let that happen. She frowned. Perhaps that was what bothered her. What did he have in mind? Somehow she suspected a man like him would leave nothing to chance. Wasn’t that why he’d been waiting around on the dock after William had left?

CHAPTER TWO

‘I WAS SO worried when you didn’t come back here last night.’ Rebecca watched her sister search through the clothes in her wardrobe. ‘Does it happen very often—that you don’t manage to get home?’

‘Sometimes—it depends on the circumstances.’ Emma held up a pale green dress that had an off-the-shoulder neckline and a skater skirt. ‘How about this one? It’ll go beautifully with your eyes.’

‘Oh, that looks great. Thanks. I’ll try it on.’

They were getting ready for their night out at Selwyn’s Bar, and as most of Rebecca’s clothes were still in her suitcase, travelling between airports, she was having to rely on Emma to help her out. Luckily they were of a similar shape and size.

‘So what happened last night?’

‘We had to go to a rural area up in the hills.’ Emma frowned. ‘A couple of people have gone down with headaches and fever, and we’re not quite sure yet what we’re dealing with. We looked after them, made them comfortable, and sent blood samples and so on to the hospital. We shan’t know what’s wrong with them until we get the results back in a couple of days.’

‘So you’ll be going back there?’

Emma nodded. ‘I have to wait for a call from the chief nursing officer. They’ll send a Jeep to take me back to the village.’

The girls finished dressing, and Rebecca added a final touch of blusher to her cheeks just as a rapping noise sounded on the cabin’s front door. Her stomach muscles tensed. That would be Cade, of course. He was a few minutes early and she didn’t feel at all ready for him. She hadn’t had time to compose herself, but she didn’t know why that bothered her. Why was she nervous about meeting up with him again?

‘I’ll get it.’

Her sister left the room and Rebecca took a moment to quickly check her hair in the bedroom mirror. She’d pinned it up for the evening, doing her best to tame the unruly curls, though a few spiralling tendrils had escaped to frame her face. Satisfied that she looked okay, she smoothed down the dress. The silky material skimmed her hips lovingly and fell in soft folds almost to her knees.

Emma was already opening the door, greeting Cade with a cheerful, ‘Hi, there. You must be the man Becky’s been telling me about. Come in.’ There was a pause as he entered the cabin. Then, ‘She says you have a plantation up in the hills?’ Emma said. ‘That is so exciting! I’ve never met an estate owner before—or seen a cocoa plantation.’

‘You should come and visit, then,’ Cade answered cheerfully. ‘I’d love to show you and Rebecca around—you could come tomorrow, if you like?’

‘That sounds great.’

‘Good. It’s a date, then. Late afternoon would be best for me—I could pick you both up after I leave the hospital.’

‘You have to work at the weekend?’

‘I do, unfortunately.’

He hadn’t wasted any time in issuing the invitation, had he?

His deep voice sent ripples of tingling sensation coursing along Rebecca’s spine. She tried to shake it off. How did he manage to have this effect on her? She wasn’t looking for any kind of involvement or attachment, yet he’d figured constantly in her thoughts ever since she’d watched him drive away the evening before. It was disturbing. Hanging out with William would be one thing—his cousin was a different matter entirely. With Cade she sensed danger at every turn … Her nervous system had gone into overdrive and was sending out vigorous warning signals that she would ignore at her peril.