Resisting Her English Doc

“I take it you’ve read the health and safety at work policy we sent you?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I did. But she’ll have to catch me first, if she wants to do any real damage.” Rick gave a smile, as if to insinuate that wasn’t likely to happen. The thought of Fleur, alive with anger and taking a swing at him, made his heart beat a little faster. She would undoubtedly be magnificent.

“You haven’t been talking to Maggie, have you?” Alex did him the favor of interrupting his thoughts before he got carried away.

Maggie...? Rick remembered now. Maggie was the hydrotherapist, with red corkscrew curls. They’d been introduced during the tour of the clinic and the way that Alex and Maggie had seemed to be touching, even though they’d been standing a good two yards apart, had made Rick wonder if they were more than just colleagues. The memory of how it felt to be that close to someone had unsettled him a little.

“No. Should I have?”

“If Dr. Fleming wants to know about taking it to the limit, then Maggie’s the one to ask.” The murmured observation came from the nurse that Alex had been talking to, who had followed him over, clearly wondering what the doctors were doing with her patient.

“Yes, she is.” Alex seemed to be savoring the thought and then snapped suddenly back into professional mode. “I’d better be getting on. I’ll leave you to...continue. With whatever degree of caution you think appropriate.”

Rick watched Alex walk away, wondering whether his new boss entirely approved of his approach. When he turned to the nurse, she was smiling.

“Don’t worry. We all used to call Alex ‘Dr. Protocol’. Then Maggie widened his perspective.”

“You have nicknames for all the doctors?” Rick wondered whether he’d been given one yet.

“Just the ones we like.”

He’d better not ask, then. “I’d like you to keep this room under observation for a few minutes, please.”

The nurse raised her eyebrows. “You mean you want me to take over from you and listen at the door?”

“Just in case Miss Miller falls.”

“I don’t think she will. She’s pretty steady on her feet now, she doesn’t really need the crutches.”

Persuading Fleur to get rid of the crutches was already on Rick’s mental list. One thing at a time, though. “All the same, I’d feel better if you’re keeping an eye...ear open. I’ll be back in half an hour to...um...”

“Annoy her a bit more?” The nurse was smiling. “Okay, Doctor. Whatever you say.”

CHAPTER TWO

FLEUR KNEW EXACTLY what he was up to. If Dr. Richard Fleming thought that he could make her care again, when everything she’d worked so hard for was lost, he had another think coming. She should be with her theater company, not here, cooling her heels and putting up with a doctor who thought he could have everything his own way.

The smile was a problem. Fleur’s plan, to do whatever she was told so she could get out of here as soon as possible and take the boat back to the mainland, hadn’t seemed in any danger, until he’d smiled. And when he’d layered frank disapproval on top of that, it had been too much for her.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got with herself. And the angrier she got with herself, the more she hated him.

That wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She’d play him at his own game, and show him that she was more than a match for him.

Rick returned to find the nurse still stationed at Fleur’s door. She nodded in response to his silent question, and Rick knocked quietly. No answer.

If that was the way she wanted to play it... Rick gestured to the nurse and she opened the door a little way, looking into the room. Then she withdrew, motioning him in. Fleur was sitting on the chair next to her bed, a pair of wireless earbuds in her ears. Rick could hear the quiet shh-shh of music.

He wondered if it was the music that had restored the glow to her face. Fleur had changed into a pair of blue sweatpants teamed with a knitted top, the wide neck falling by design from one shoulder. Her hair was caught in a loose, shiny tumble by a colored scarf and her already luminous eyes looked bluer and implausibly bigger. She was stunning.

Something told Rick that Fleur was fighting back. And the thought that he’d crawl over broken glass for one of her smiles told him that she was already winning.

She took the earbuds from her ears, leaning across to tap her phone and switch off the music. “We’re going for a walk, then?”

“Yes.” The less he said at this point, the better. He’d get over the feeling that Fleur could do whatever she liked, whenever she liked, and then he could start applying a bit more pressure.

“Good.” She flashed him a smile and his knees started to shake. “One thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I get it. Alex and Cody are playing the nice doctors. You get to play nasty doctor.”

She was onto him. Rick had expected nothing less of her, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He could still say the things that had tactfully not been mentioned so far, and he could still challenge her.

“What makes you think I’m playing nasty. Maybe that’s just how I do things.”

She reached for the crutches and got to her feet, her speculative gaze never leaving his face. “Maybe it is. I’m a big fan of old black and white horror movies, so that accent of yours is throwing me a bit.”

Rick was willing his facial muscles not to respond to her smile, but it was a losing battle. “So I sound like an old Hammer Horror movie to you, do I?”

“A little. The spooky Count Dracula, with a cut-glass accent. Living in a dark old stately home.”

She was taking him apart, piece by piece. This was much more difficult than dodging whatever she cared to throw at him. If he wanted to reach her, he’d have to give more of himself than he felt entirely comfortable with, but he was going to reach her.

“Stately homes aren’t my thing. I’m more of an inner-city kid. Let’s walk. It’s about time for afternoon coffee so we can go down to the main lounge.”

“I prefer the glass breezeway...you can see the ocean. You know where that is?”

Rick knew where that was—it led from the main clinic building to the surgical wing. Benches and planting made it a place where patients could feel connected with the outside during the winter.

They left the department, dawdling more and more slowly along the corridor together, as each matched the other’s pace.

“When are you going to start stepping out? So I have to make an effort to keep up with you?” she asked.

Right. So she already knew all those tricks. “I’m not planning on it. Clearly you can’t keep up...”

“Clearly not.” This time her obstinacy took the form of agreeing with him.

“It’s not such a bad thing. We can get to know each other a bit better on the way.”

“We could, I suppose...”

That worked. Fleur suddenly started to speed up, walking away from him. Rick hung back, studying her gait. She was tense, obviously afraid of falling, and seemed over-reliant on the crutches. But even that couldn’t conceal the straight back and graceful movements of a dancer.

He caught up with her as she reached the breezeway, and she waited while he opened the door. It seemed that Fleur found closed doors an impenetrable barrier, and he’d have to address that with her very soon. She walked across to one of the benches, which faced the sea, and Rick collected two cups of coffee from the machine in the corner, adding milk and sugar to the tray and setting it down on the bench between them.

“Since you’re new here, you can take as much time as you like to appreciate the view.”

It was clearly an invitation not to bother her for a while. The view was spectacular, snow piled on the ground with a backdrop of the iron-gray, restless sea. But somehow he couldn’t take his eyes off Fleur.

He pushed one of the cups toward her slightly. “Milk and sugar?”

“I’ll take some milk. Sugar’s all yours.”

“I don’t take sugar...”

He’d played straight into her hands, and she curled her lip. “That’s a pity, you could do with a bit of sweetening up.”

She could sweeten him up any time she liked. Rick rejected the thought, reminding himself that she was a patient. “So why did you choose the Maple Island Clinic? Since you’re obviously not overwhelmed with enthusiasm about being here.”

“I’m an islander. My parents live here and they’ve paid for my rehab.”

“You’re not giving them much value for money, though.”

She quirked her lips down. Rick had found a sore spot. “They can afford it. I wanted to go into rehab in Boston, but Dad wouldn’t hear of it, he wanted me to come here. There wasn’t much I could do about it, seeing as I wasn’t in a position to run away.”

Run away from what? Not the clinic surely? The Maple Island Clinic was proud of its reputation for being the best.

“So you come from the west side of the Island?”

She shook her head. “You’ve already noticed there’s a difference, then.”

“I’m told that the west side has a lot of very nice houses, and great views of Boston. The east side has the open sea and the harbor...”

“That’s right. We’re real islanders, not rich visitors. Both my parents were born here. They live near the harbor. My dad’s a writer.” The pride in her voice was unmistakable. It sounded as if she wasn’t running away from her parents either.

“What does he write?”

“You’ve heard of the Ava Reynolds stories?”

Crime mysteries with a twist, featuring a hard-nosed New York cop heroine. “Yes, I’ve read a few of them. I liked them a lot.”

She nodded, seeming to relax a little and obviously pleased by what he’d said. “You have his latest one?”

“No, not yet.”

“I’ll get him to sign a copy and bring it in.” She quirked the corners of her lips in a wry smile. “Ava plays good cop, bad cop. Might give you a few pointers.”

“That’s great, thanks. Maybe your dad’s thought of a permutation that I can use.”

“Aren’t you underestimating yourself? You seem to have a good selection of permutations already. Anyway, doctors don’t go in armed.”

“No, we don’t.” But it might make him feel a little more equal to the situation if he did.

“And did you read the one where Ava seduces a confession out of her perp? You can’t do that either.” She grinned.

Yes, he was well aware of that. Rather too aware of it, as the thought didn’t usually occur to him. “I have other methods.”

Fleur picked up her coffee, taking a sip. “I look forward to seeing them.”

“You will. You’re in custody here for a couple more weeks yet.”

“Don’t I know it. As soon as you cut me loose, I’ll be on the ferry back to Boston.”

Running away again. Rick still couldn’t work out what from. “What’s so great about Boston?”

“You didn’t spend time there before you came here? If you had, that would be obvious.”

“My daughter and I spent a week there before we came here. My late wife was from Boston, and we used to visit a lot to spend time with her family, so I know the city a little.”

Suddenly the mask dropped. No more wisecracks, but instead Rick saw genuine sympathy in her eyes. “I’m sorry...”

“It’s all right. It’s been four years and...” Rick shrugged. “Time doesn’t necessarily heal, but it does make things a lot less sharp around the edges.”

“This is why you came here? To be close to where your wife grew up?”

“Great childcare and clinical excellence played a big part in my decision. But, yes, I want Ellie to know about her mother and what it’s like to live in America. And to give Lara’s parents a chance to see her a little more often.”

Fleur nodded quietly. “So you’re here for good.”

“For the foreseeable future. The island seems to be a great place for children to grow up.”

“Take it from an island kid. It’s not as great as it looks sometimes.” Fleur quirked her mouth down.

“How so?” A little tingle at the back of his neck accompanied the thought that he might be getting closer to the reason for Fleur wanting to leave so badly.

She looked at him thoughtfully. “How old is your daughter?”

“Four.”

Fleur nodded. “Actually, the island’s a really great place when you’re four. When you’re a teenager, though...we get a lot of mainlanders coming over during the summer. Sometimes people do things on holiday that they wouldn’t necessarily do at home.” She seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

For one tantalizing moment Rick thought she was going to tell him what he wanted to know. Fleur’s mask of self-sufficiency slipped, and he saw pain and vulnerability. But then she shrugged. “Everywhere has its risks. Maple Island has a lot going for it.”

“Like living in a lighthouse.” If Fleur couldn’t be persuaded to talk about the risks, maybe she’d be a little more forthcoming about the benefits.

Her face lit up suddenly. “You’ve got the lighthouse? I love the lighthouse, we used to play up there as kids and the old guy who used to live there would chase us off. I heard that the cottage has been extended and refurbished as a rental home.”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s a room up in the tower as well, and the views are spectacular. It’s written into the lease that we have to make sure there’s a light on every evening in the lantern enclosure, even though it’s not needed for navigation anymore.”

Fleur chuckled. “Absolutely. It’s an island tradition.”

“Hopefully the time switch will keep working, then.”

“I wouldn’t worry. Half the town will notice if the light goes out, and you’ll get plenty of calls to let you know.”

“That’s a relief.” A thought occurred to Rick. Patients who were well enough were encouraged to visit the small harbor town, which was just a mile away from the clinic. It would be good to try and coax Fleur out of her self-imposed confinement.

“I was wondering. If you wanted to take a trip down to the town, then maybe...you could show me around a bit?”

She shook her head suddenly. “You really don’t know much about Maple Island, do you? During the winter people will be falling over themselves to get to know a new face in Main Street. You’ll be fine. I’m better off staying here.”

“Watching the sea?” Squandering the chance she had of top-notch medical professionals to help with her rehab in favor of wanting to cross those white-capped waves, back to Boston, as soon as possible. It was a waste.

Her wistful look told Rick that maybe she knew that already. “You mean watching the ocean. You’ll have to get used to things being a little bigger here...”

CHAPTER THREE

WHEN RICK KNOCKED on the door of Fleur’s room the following afternoon, and heard her call for him to come in, he hesitated, wondering if there was a booby trap waiting for him. The nurse had reported that she’d been in there alone, with the door closed, for over an hour, and that there had been sounds of activity coming from the room.

He admonished himself with a shake of his head. Fleur was a patient, and whatever she could dish up he was equal to.

Or...pretty much equal to, at least. When he breezed into the room, he found her sitting in the easy chair next to her bed. She was fully dressed, her long hair tumbling across her shoulders. Looking...

Well was the word he needed. She looked well. Amazing or gorgeous shouldn’t be part of his vocabulary. Her pale cheeks had a little bit of color and she was up and dressed. In his professional opinion, she looked well.

“Hi.” She looked up from the paper spread across her knees and gave him a smile. Rick choked back the temptation to smile back.

“Hello. How are you today?”

“Well...how do I look? Do you approve?” She shot him an innocent look, which didn’t quite chase the knowingness from her eyes.

“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove.” Caught in her gaze, Rick gave the honest answer.

“Ah. So you were trying to annoy me yesterday. That’s good. There’s a lot to dislike about a man who’s chauvinistic enough to tell a woman what to wear.”

Rick was lost for an answer. And the sudden thump of his heart, which went with the idea that Fleur might actually be looking for something to like about him, wasn’t even slightly appropriate. It didn’t matter whether she liked him or not, he was here to do a job.

“Mom and Dad popped in this morning...just for ten minutes. They left me a coat and then scooted off again. Things to do all of a sudden.”

So her mother had responded to the suggestions he’d made when they’d spoken on the phone last night. That was good, but pretending that her parents had just happened to choose today to find something else to do, instead of sitting with Fleur for hours as they usually did, would clearly be a mistake. She knew full well what he’d done.

“If you want some company, you have to go and get it.”

“So you’re reckoning on starving me of company, so I’ll submit to your plans.” Her lip curled, as if she’d caught him out in a piece of bad judgement. “What’s first on the list, braving the cold outdoors?”

Rick had thought that going out might wait for a couple of days. Fleur had been cooped up inside for a long time now, and the cold wind that had been howling in from the sea this morning might be a little too much for her to contend with straight away.

“Maybe today’s not quite the day for that...” He glanced toward the window. The sky was heavy with cloud and it looked as if it might snow again soon.

A smile spread across Fleur’s face. “You’ll have to toughen up a bit if you’re going to live here. This is what we islanders call a nice winter’s day.”

Maybe she’d overreached herself. Rick had taken his time over fetching his coat, and it had given Fleur time for second thoughts. She was so afraid of falling still. And there were certain people that she definitely didn’t want to bump into in Main Street.

But chickening out now would only prove him right. It would prove that she couldn’t face Maple Island, and Fleur wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. She pulled her hat onto her head, zipping up her coat and putting on her gloves. Even though they were unbearably warm inside, she’d have her crutches to deal with at the door of the clinic, which meant she had to think ahead.

As they walked slowly toward the entrance of the clinic, she could feel sweat dribble down her spine. This wasn’t the time for nerves. She could see an SUV parked up, just two steps away from the glazed doors of the clinic. Fleur took a breath and made for the doors, relying on her crutches to steady her instead of his outstretched arm.

The cold wind hit her hard when she stepped outside. Maybe she had spent a little too long inside. Rick opened the passenger door of the car, and Fleur hesitated, not sure which leg she should lead with. Finally she allowed Rick to help her.

“Okay. I’ve got it...” She settled herself into the front seat of the SUV, unable to let go of her crutches. They were all that stood between her and falling, and right now she felt that she was on very shaky ground.

She’d never been afraid before. When she’d performed, she’d always checked her own equipment, the way that the other dancers did. She’d been confident that the flying rig wouldn’t let her fall, but then she’d fallen. Since then she’d been unable to handle the possibilities for disaster that almost every situation presented.

“At least you’re not going to make me walk into town...” She attempted a joke, even though she was shivering.

“I’m not sure I fancy walking along here at the moment.” He was driving slowly out of the car park. The snow plow had left a clear path for them but snow was piled up on each side of the road.

“No one does.” It was comforting that in one thing, at least, she knew better than he did. “There’s a beach path. A bit windy in the winter, but it’s still a nice walk.”

He smiled. “Perhaps you’ll show it to me. Another day.”

Yeah. Another day. All Fleur could think about at the moment was getting through the next hour or so. That was more than enough.

She had grit. Rick was under no illusions that most of that was directed at proving him wrong, but that was fair enough. When she’d stepped out of the front door of the clinic he had almost felt her panic, even though she’d been trying very hard to hide it.

Although it was pretty much impossible to get lost on the straight road into town, giving him directions seemed to calm her a little, as if it put her back in control. When keep going, straight ahead wore out, and she lapsed into silence, he leaned forward to switch on some music.

It was the wrong music, but it had the right effect. Fleur chuckled suddenly. “This is your favorite band?”

“No, it’s Ellie’s... My daughter.”

“And here I was thinking I’d found your Achilles’ heel. That you get into the groove with ‘Nellie the Elephant’.”

“I’m not admitting to that. Change it over if you want.” Fleur was already humming along with the music and he wondered whether she’d stretch forward or just leave it playing.

She leaned forward slowly.

“‘Driving’...” She scrolled through the list. “Perhaps not, we don’t have far to drive. ‘Soul’... Is that your soul or just soul music?”

“Just soul music.” Rick wasn’t ready to admit to having a soul at the moment, because that soul was telling him that a couple of laps around the island with Fleur wasn’t out of the question. Just so he could extend this time alone with her.

“Well, that’s not likely to give me any insight, then...” She aimed a sidelong grin at him. “‘Old Favorites.’”

She stabbed at the playlist title with her finger, leaning back in her seat. When the music started she smiled. “Well that’s unexpected.”

“I like sixties music.” He’d loved going through his grandmother’s old records when he’d been a kid. Learning how to operate the portable gramophone that she’d kept in the corner of the sitting room so he could play them. It had felt as if he’d had a proper home. Later, he’d danced to this music with Lara in the sitting room of their flat in London.

“So do I. We’ve done a few sets around this kind of thing. Summer of love and all that...” Fleur was suddenly silent. It seemed that the music meant something to both of them, in different ways. Something that was lost forever.

The mood didn’t last for long. As they entered the Main Street of Maple Island’s only town, she looked around suddenly. “Can we stop here? At the library?”

The library looked more like one of the older houses on the island than a public building, a stone-and-brick-built structure that had obviously been well tended over the years. But when Rick drew up, he could see the notice outside.

“I’d like to go in and get some books, if that’s okay.”

It was better than okay, this was exactly what he wanted. Fleur managed to get the car door open, shifting her legs round and planting one of the crutches tentatively on the ground.

“No...” She frowned. “That’s not going to work, is it...?”

“No, it isn’t. You must know how to use weight and balance, Fleur, from your dance training.”

She shot him a Don’t remind me look, putting her hand on his shoulder. Clearly even this memory of what she’d lost was difficult, but she didn’t resist him as he pivoted his weight to bring her out of the car and onto her feet. If every patient had such an instinctive understanding of how the inertia of two bodies could work together, then not so many nurses would have bad backs.

But as soon as she was out of the car she let go of him, leaving him to walk beside her between the piles of snow on either side of the path. Rick readied himself to steady her if she slipped, but she was obviously intent on doing without his help. Fleur maneuvered herself carefully up the stone steps at the front of the building and then walked past Rick as he held the door open, leaning on a pair of swing doors that stood ahead of her to open them.