‘I want to thank you for all you have done helping me to fit in and making me welcome in Penhally,’ he told her with warm sincerity.
‘I don’t think I’m responsible for much, but I’m glad that
you’ve settled so well. Word is you’ve made a great impression.’ She wished there was enough light for her to see his face.
‘I just want to be a good doctor for the people here,’ he responded with simple but genuine modesty. ‘Perhaps we can arrange a morning next week for me to come out on your home visits?’
‘Yes, of course,’ she agreed, delighted at the prospect.
Gabriel’s thumb stroked across the inside of her wrist, making her shiver. ‘Oliver and Chloe plan to go to Plymouth next weekend to see Rachel Kenner. Will you spend some time with me while they are gone? We can be alone…get to know one another better.’
‘I’d like that.’ Which was a massive understatement! She felt breathless with anticipation. The week ahead would be a long one…waiting. ‘Gabriel—’
Before she could speak further, the lights flashed back on. Startled, Lauren blinked several times, her eyes taking a few moments to adjust and refocus. Then the fog cleared and Gabriel’s gorgeous face swam clearly into view. She noticed his look of concern as he watched her, then he smiled, dimples creasing lean cheeks, and her stomach turned over.
‘Lauren? Gabriel?’ Nick’s voice sounded from the front of the surgery.
With a wry grimace, Gabriel squeezed her fingers before he released her and stood up. Moving to the door, he called out to Nick, and a few moments later the older man arrived in the room.
‘Here you both are.’ Looking harassed, Nick ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’m sorry about the disruption. I’ve been assured the problem is now resolved. Gabriel, perhaps we can have our informal debrief over a drink and something to eat?’
‘Of course.’ Gabriel’s consent and smile were polite, but Lauren sensed his reluctance.
Nick turned to her. ‘Are you heading home now, Lauren?’
‘Yes, I am.’ She could finish updating her computer files from her written notes another time, she decided, disappointed that she wouldn’t be seeing Gabriel again this evening.
‘Good. Right, then.’ Nick rubbed his hands together and smiled. ‘I’ll meet you out front in a few moments.’
When he had gone, Lauren rose and walked towards the door, pausing to look at Gabriel. ‘Thanks for being here.’
‘No problem. If I don’t catch up with you tomorrow, I’ll see you at the football on Sunday.’
‘All right.’ She returned his smile, warmed through by the huskiness of his voice and the promise in his eyes. ‘Goodnight, Gabriel.’
‘Goodnight. Sleep well,
chérie
.’
After a short but tense and cautious drive, the lights of her cottage welcomed her home. The cars outside announced that both Oliver and Chloe were in, and she parked her own with extra care not to hit anything. As much as she loved her friends and valued their company, it was someone else who dominated her thoughts and whom she wished she was with right now.
Sleep well, Gabriel had said…
As had been the case every night since she had met him, she knew her sleep would be filled with dreams of a sexy Frenchman.
S
UNDAY
dawned a perfect warm and sunny autumn day. The whole of Penhally had turned out to support the charity football match, along with many outsiders and autograph-hunters who had been drawn by the impressive number of sporting and television personalities in attendance. The media were also out in force, capturing the action from the school playing fields. Given the size of the crowd, plus the interest in the snap auction of items donated by the celebrities, there was going to be a very healthy sum of money added to the relief fund.
Kate didn’t want to think about the flood. Almost three weeks on and the memories of being stuck in an upstairs flat in Bridge Street with Nick, the water rising beneath them, still left her feeling shaky. They had struggled successfully to deliver Stephanie Richards’s breech baby, and then had come the frightening experience of being winched up to the rescue helicopter. Kate shivered despite the mild temperature.
‘Are you all right, Mum?’
‘Yes, my love. I’m fine.’ Smiling, she ruffled Jem’s hair. He’d found her at half-time and was taking advantage of the refreshments she’d brought. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’
‘It’s cool! I’ve got some great autographs,’ he added, pointing to all the signatures he’d collected on his football
jersey, then his eyes went round in alarm. ‘You won’t wash them off, will you?’
‘Never, I promise.’ She hid her amusement as she reassured him, watching as he drained his fruit drink and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
‘It was good of Uncle Nick to arrange for me be a ballboy.’
Uncle Nick. Pain lanced through her. Jem had no idea that Nick was his natural father. Would the man she had loved for ever one day claim his son? Or were old hurts and the weight of guilt too much to be overcome? While they had been trapped during the flood, they had talked about that long-ago night when they had lost their heads…a night of great stress and emotion that had resulted in Jem’s conception. Nick had promised to try to make an effort to come to terms with the situation, and at least be more attentive to Jem, even if he couldn’t go as far as making a public declaration of fatherhood. Kate wasn’t holding her breath that anything would come of it but she could not help but hope—for Jem’s sake if not her own. So far Nick had kept his word and things were less tense between them.
‘The second half is starting soon. Will you come and watch me?’ Jem asked, returning after throwing the empty drink carton into a nearby litter bin.
‘Of course, my love.’
He caught her hand and tugged. ‘Come on, then.’
Kate allowed her son to lead her towards the touchline, pleased that he was so happy. Nick had already returned from the half-time break, acting as team doctor for the celebrity side. Jem released her hand and ran to him. Kate saw Nick’s guarded smile as he greeted the boy and heard the modulated tones of his voice.
‘Back to help again?’ he asked, and Jem nodded enthusiastically. ‘Good lad.’
Sharing a look with the most enigmatic of men, Kate
mouthed, ‘Thank you,’ understanding how difficult it was for Nick to confront his own demons. Not wanting to push things or make a scene in public, she saw Lauren and Chloe returning to the side of the pitch and went to join them.
‘Everything OK, Kate?’ Chloe asked.
She nodded in response to the gentle query, seeing the understanding in the younger woman’s green eyes. Her fellow midwife was one of only two other people, besides herself and Nick, who knew the secret about the identity of Jem’s father.
‘It’s been an excellent day and Jem is having fun being part of it.’ Again, Kate’s gaze strayed to where her son waited impatiently for the game to restart. Nick was watching him, too, and she wondered what was going through his mind. Aware she was on dangerous ground, she turned her attention back to her two colleagues. ‘Oliver did a brilliant job organising this. It’s a huge success.’
Chloe glowed with pleasure at the praise for her fiancé. ‘I know. He worked so hard. Jack Tremayne helped, too. Both of them were able to call in favours from their days in London, securing the support of several national celebrities as well as the Cornish ones.’
‘Everyone’s really got behind the event,’ Lauren added with approval. ‘Despite the arrival of his baby boy, Dragan worked hard behind the scenes for today.’
‘I think he would have liked to play, but it’s understandable that he and Melinda wanted to keep out of public view after the press intrusions last spring,’ Chloe pointed out, and Kate nodded in agreement, remembering what it had been like in the village when Melinda had been identified as a member of European royalty.
As both sets of players jogged out for the second half, cheers echoed around the playing fields.
‘Gabriel has been a star, jumping in to give support the
moment he arrived here,’ Kate commented, glancing at Lauren. ‘He scored an excellent goal, too.’
‘All our guys have been great.’
Kate smiled at Lauren’s reply, noting the wink Gabriel sent the young physiotherapist as he ran past and the flush that warmed her cheeks in response. It was clear where those two were heading! And Kate couldn’t be more pleased for them. Her smile broadened as Oliver detoured to give Chloe a kiss. Leaving the two friends to focus on the match—and the men who held their interest—Kate wandered farther along the side of the pitch so she could keep a better eye on Jem.
The flood had been terrible for the whole village, causing physical and emotional trauma. The damage to property would take many months to overcome, while the loss of Audrey Baxter and Reverend Kenner was a tragedy never to be forgotten. But the aftermath, including the mass support for today’s event, showed what could happen when the community pulled together.
Penhally’s previous disaster, the big storm a decade ago, had been the catalyst that had caused the moment of madness between herself and Nick which had led to Jem’s existence. Maybe the flood could have done some good if it sparked a turning point for the future…if Nick found a way to move on from the past and accept his son.
‘You really like Gabriel, don’t you?’ Chloe asked Lauren as Kate walked away from them.
Lauren nodded, although ‘like’ was an insipid word to describe the complexity of her feelings and the extent of her attraction. ‘I do.’
‘The electricity the two of you generate when you’re together could power the whole of Cornwall,’ her friend proclaimed, giving her a quick hug. ‘I hope everything works out. I want you to be as happy as I am—and around Gabriel you
look how I feel when I’m with Oliver.’ She hesitated a moment, then added more soberly, ‘I know we rarely mention it, but I’ll never forget all you’ve done for me, Lauren.’
Chloe was such a sweetheart. That she was now blossoming was wonderful. Lauren still vividly recalled the state in which she had found Chloe eleven and a half years ago when the girl, then sixteen, had been beaten by her father. She had helped Chloe get away that night and was so proud of the success she had gone on to make of her life. Even so, for a long while Chloe had shut herself off from love because of her past—until Oliver had arrived. The perfect man to be understanding, gentle and loving, he’d taught Chloe all about being a woman in the fullest sense of the word.
‘You’ve come such a long way and I’m so delighted for you,’ she said, hugging Chloe back.
‘Thank you. Ooh, sorry, I didn’t mean to get all sentimental!’ Chloe’s smile was wobbly, her eyes bright with a suspicion of tears. Doggedly, she changed the subject. ‘Can you believe Vicky taking off like that after the flood?’
Lauren had been friends with Vicky Clements since junior school. They were close but she acknowledged Vicky’s faults—primary amongst them being her propensity for gossip. Vicky didn’t mean any harm, but she often hurt people’s feelings and said thoughtless things she shouldn’t. And working at her mother’s hair and beauty salon, Vicky heard a lot of tales she was only too keen to pass on. They’d had a lot of fun together over the years, and Lauren enjoyed the flighty woman’s company, but it was to Chloe that Lauren turned for advice and to share confidences. Chloe was discreet and kind and totally selfless.
‘It will be a while until the salon is up and running again after the flood damage. Vicky’s mother is going to keep up her regular clients by doing home visits until the salon can reopen,’ she explained now. ‘Vicky’s been restless since em
barking on her hot new romance with the guitarist of that up-and-coming band she met in a nightclub in Rock. When the band asked her to go with them on their world tour, to do all the styling and hair for them and the backing singers, she felt it was too good an opportunity to miss.’
‘A real adventure, for sure,’ Chloe agreed.
‘Vicky’s never been so committed to a man before…maybe this will change her.’
‘It’ll seem quiet around here with her gone.’ A twinkle of mischief appeared in her friend’s green eyes. ‘At least Vicky is too busy with her own love life to gossip about or interfere in ours!’
‘Amen to that.’
Lauren remembered how Vicky’s tactless meddling had caused problems—thankfully temporary ones—for Chloe and Oliver back in the summer. It was a good thing that Vicky was away for the next few months, she decided. She didn’t need her nosy friend making wisecracks or involving herself in what Lauren hoped was her own budding new relationship with a certain sexy French doctor.
‘The second half is about to start.’ Chloe’s comment drew Lauren from her thoughts. ‘It’s been competitive but friendly so far—I hope no one gets hurt.’
‘Me, too.’
The famous, top-flight referee, who had agreed to officiate for the charity match, blew his whistle and the game began again in earnest with the celebrities leading the locals by four goals to three. Lauren, as Penhally team physio, was kept busy as the game went on, with various muscle pulls and a couple of sprains. Then Jack Tremayne received a nasty cut to his knee, one that was suspiciously shaped like a stud mark from a misplaced football boot.
‘You need stitches in this,’ Adam Donnelly declared, examining the wound and stemming the bleeding.
‘It can wait until after the game.’ Jack ignored the combined medical opinion and insisted on rejoining the fray once he had been bandaged up. ‘If we win, I’ll let you at me with a needle.’
Adam turned away with a good-natured grin. ‘Gee, thanks. Perhaps I’ll misplace the local anaesthetic. That or sew your lips together,’ he called back, making everyone laugh.
The game continued and the goals kept coming for both sides. Lauren cheered loudest of all when Gabriel scored another spectacular goal to put the home team in the lead with only ten minutes left to play. Standing on the sidelines, enjoying the action, she couldn’t stop watching Gabriel. He had a wonderful physique, strong but leanly athletic, and his sleeveless top—part of the players’ kit donated by a national sportswear chain for the occasion—showed off the roped, corded muscles of his arms to perfection. Oliver had a good body, too, but looking at him did nothing for her in terms of attraction. Neither did any of the other men here. Only Gabriel. Just one sight of him stole her breath and set a fire of need smouldering inside her, clenching her stomach and leaving her giddy with excited anticipation.
Watching him so closely, she was aware the instant something went wrong. She was already reaching for her bag when Gabriel collapsed as if he had been poleaxed. Seeing him fall scared her witless. Then she was running towards him, even before the referee had given her permission to cross the pitch. Gabriel needed her. Her heart in her mouth, Lauren dropped to her knees beside the prone figure on the ground.
‘Gabe, what’s wrong?’ Her voice shook with emotion and she didn’t consciously realise she had shortened his name. ‘Where are you hurt?’
‘Cramp,’ he managed through teeth gritted with pain.
His right leg was rigid with vicious spasms. Lauren got to her feet and grasped his ankle, holding his leg up straight and
pushing back against his foot to try to ease the locked muscles. By the time the referee, Oliver and a few of the other Penhally players had jogged across to see what was going on, some of the knotted tension in Gabriel’s leg was beginning to dissipate.
‘You’ll have to carry out any other treatment off the pitch,’ the referee insisted, for all the world like this was a major professional match rather than a fundraising one.
‘I can play on,’ Gabriel insisted, trying to get to his feet. ‘There’s not much longer to go. I want to see it out.’
Lauren held on to him as he took a few faltering steps only for his leg to give out and cramp up again. ‘Gabe, you can’t. We need to get you rehydrated and your leg dealt with.’
‘She’s right, my friend.’ As Oliver backed her up, she sent him a grateful smile. ‘Let Lauren take care of you.’
‘You’ve given your all and scored two goals,’ she reminded him.
Coffee-coloured eyes, threaded with pain, looked into hers. After a moment, he nodded. ‘All right.’
‘Thank you.’ She turned to Oliver. ‘I’ll take him down to the treatment room.’
‘Good idea. We’ll ferry down any other walking wounded when we’re done.’
As Oliver went to organise a substitute for the last part of the game, Lauren grabbed her bag with one hand and slid her free arm around Gabriel’s waist, helping him balance as he limped to the sidelines. He put an arm around her shoulders, accepting the support, and she welcomed the weight of it. Even given the circumstances, she couldn’t help but be aware of how it felt to be so close. She could feel the heat of him and scent his earthy maleness.
Chloe and Kate awaited them on the touchline, looking worried.
‘Is there anything we can do?’ Kate asked.
‘Can you keep an eye on him while I get my car?’ She hated to leave him but no way could he walk all the way to the car park. ‘If you have water or a sports drink, Gabriel needs them.’
‘Of course.’
Knowing Gabriel was being cared for, Lauren ran for the car. Soon she was driving as close as she could to the pitch, pleased to find that Chloe and Kate had helped to guide Gabriel to her through the crowds. She jumped out and hurried round to open the passenger door, noting the tension on his face as his leg tightened again when he sat in the restricted space.