Resisting Her Rebel Doc (9 page)

She studied him, her grey eyes troubled. ‘What happened? I wish I could help, Brodie. You never spoke about it, so it must have been something major. Can you talk to me about it? Whatever it is, I promise, I’ll keep it to myself.’

‘I know.’ He idly caressed her shoulder, drawing her to him. He moved his head so that his temple brushed her cheek and the breath caught in her lungs. She wanted to hold him to her. He said quietly, ‘I trust you, where I wouldn’t trust anyone else—except my brother.’

She loved the closeness, the warmth, that came from him but after a moment or two he straightened and she felt the loss acutely. Pulling herself together, remembering their surroundings, she said cautiously, ‘What was the argument about?’

He gave a wry smile. ‘Actually, it was about David...or, at least, me looking after him. Dad was at work on the Saturday morning—Mum had a bad headache and was lying down. I was supposed to take David to a football training session but it was damp and drizzly and on the way there he said he didn’t want to go. He was never that much into football. He said he was going to hang out with a girl instead, someone we met up with along the way. He said he didn’t want me tagging along—he was barely twelve and they were just pals from school, nothing more. She wanted to listen to music back at her house, so I said it was okay.’

‘But it didn’t work out like that?’

He shook his head. ‘A bit later on they apparently decided to go for a walk by the brook. Like I said, it had been raining earlier. David was a bit overambitious—showing off, I expect—and managed to slide down a steep slope, straight into the water. It wasn’t deep but he fell in and finished up soaked through and muddy. Dad caught him before he had time to change his clothes. After that it was all hell let loose. I was the one in trouble because I hadn’t been with him to watch out for him.’

Caitlin was puzzled. ‘But that’s the kind of thing most youngsters get up to. Why would it cause such a big problem, one that lasted for years to come? Did you both overreact?’

‘We certainly did—big time. Dad said I was totally irresponsible...couldn’t be trusted to keep my brother out of trouble. Of course I became defensive and argued back, asked why was it all down to me...why was he putting his job on to me? He was the father, wasn’t he? Not that he’d ever been a decent father to me like he had to David, the favoured one... Et cetera, et cetera; I expect you know how it goes.’

‘So you went too far?’

‘Oh, yes...and he lost it completely. Said I wasn’t his son so why would he care about me? He didn’t give two hoots about me, just put up with me for my mother’s sake.’

Caitlin gasped. ‘Oh, Brodie...I’m so sorry. Was it true, what he said, or had he made it up on the spur of the moment?’

Brodie moved his arm from around her and brought his hands together in his lap, clasping his fingers together. It was as though he was totally alone in that moment; she wanted to reach out, wrap her arms around him and comfort him. He was rigid, though, his whole manner isolating himself from everyone and everything.

‘Oh, yes. It was true. I asked my mother and she eventually admitted it to me. She was pregnant with me when she married my father, she said. He knew... He didn’t like it, because she was having someone else’s child, but he married her all the same. He just never wanted me and when I came along he couldn’t bring himself to make a bond.’

Caitlin reached out and laid her hand over his. ‘Did your mother tell you who your real father was?’

He shook his head. ‘She didn’t want to talk about him; said it was a fleeting thing—she made a mistake with a man who was never going to stay around for long. He was ambitious, wanted to go back to the city where he lived, wanted to make something of himself. She was a home bird, a country girl, and she didn’t think she would ever be part of his world.’

‘No wonder you went off the rails. You must have been so bewildered.’

‘I was angry... Not with my mother—I could understand how she might have fallen for someone and how she turned to my dad when this man went away. She was always loving towards me, and there were endless rows between her and Dad over the way he treated me. He loved her, I’m sure, but he couldn’t get beyond the other man who had figured in her life and things were never easy between them. We weren’t what you’d call a contented family.’

She ran her hands lightly over his forearms. ‘I wish I’d known at the time. Perhaps I could have helped, instead of being mad at you for the way you behaved. I knew there was a reason but I couldn’t fathom it and I didn’t know how to reach you...the real you.’

He gave a crooked smile. ‘That’s because he went missing for a while.’ His expression was sombre. ‘Perhaps part of him is still beyond reach.’

She shook her head. ‘You don’t mean that.’

He looked at her, taking in the vulnerable curve of her cheek and the soft fullness of her pink lips. ‘I don’t know—I’m still unsure about a lot of things—but it makes me feel good to know that you wanted to reach out to me.’

‘I’m glad about that.’ She wanted to say more—to go on talking with him, get him to open up to her—but someone stepped out into the quadrangle and they moved apart. ‘I should go,’ she said and he nodded.

‘Me too.’

CHAPTER FIVE

‘Y
OU
’
VE
BEEN
BUSY
.
’ Caitlin’s mother looked at the basket of fruit Caitlin had brought for her. ‘That’s not all come from home, has it?’

‘It has, actually.’ Caitlin was proud of the amount of fruit she’d managed to harvest. It was mostly being sold at the local market but she’d gathered together an assortment for the gift basket. There were early fruiting James Grieve apples, a few pears, pink-skinned Victoria plums and some of the later varieties of strawberries. ‘I thought it might help to cheer you up.’

It had also given her something to do, had helped keep her occupied outside of work. It gave her less time to dwell on situations that were fast running out of her control. Brodie had given her a lot to think about with his revelations about his father. His background meant that he probably still had a lot of self-doubt and she wondered if he would ever be able to make a proper commitment to her. She was falling for him all over again but for her own self-preservation she knew she should guard against losing her heart to him.

‘Bless you, it’s wonderful; a real treat.’ Her mother smiled. ‘Oh, it makes me long to be back home. I can’t wait to get back there and see how everything’s going on.’

‘I’m sure it won’t be too long now,’ Caitlin agreed, trying to give her some encouragement. ‘You’re certainly looking a bit brighter. There’s colour in your cheeks and you seem to be breathing a little easier.’

‘I am. I’m managing to get a bit further with the walking frame now before the lack of breath stops me.’

‘That’s good to know.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘And there’s a bit of news I thought you’d want to know about—David has asked if the film unit can use the smallholding as one of their sets for an episode of
Murder Mysteries
. He said they would pay well, so I said I’d ask you. I didn’t really think you’d have any objection. They promise they won’t leave a mess, and the filming will all be done over two or three days. I think they especially want to use the barn and the area around the hen hut.’

‘Oh, how exciting! Yes, of course that’s okay. It’ll be so interesting to see our home on the television, won’t it? I wonder what they’ll make of it? Oh, I can’t wait!’

Caitlin chuckled. ‘I thought you’d be all right with it. David’s asked if we’ll be extras and take part in the filming—Brodie and me—along with some of the villagers. Brodie’s a bit wary but apparently the villagers are all really keen to get in on the act.’

‘I’ll bet they are...’ Her mother started to cough, overcome with anticipation, and Caitlin frowned. She was looking better and it was all too easy to forget how ill her mother had been.

‘Don’t try to talk,’ she said now. ‘Just rest. I’ll fill you in on what’s been going on.’

‘Yes...’ Interested to know what was going on, her mother ignored her suggestion not to speak. ‘Tell me about the dog you found. How is she?’

‘She’s doing fine. Rosie’s mother drops by whenever she can while I’m at work to make sure she’s okay. She and Rosie are helping to take her for walks.’

‘Isn’t she about due to give birth?’

Caitlin nodded. ‘Could be today, according to the vet, so Rosie said she’d keep a special eye on her. I’m not sure what to look for, except the vet said something about temperature changes—she’ll get a rise in temperature and then it will drop when she’s about to go into labour.’

‘You’ll know when she’s ready.’ Her mother paused, getting her breath. ‘She’ll probably be restless.’

‘I’ll look out for that. I hope she’s okay.’ She glanced at her mother, making sure she was all right. ‘She’s such a sweet-natured dog. Here, I took a picture of her on my phone...’ She showed her the photo of the shaggy, golden-haired terrier and told her how the vet had said to feed her on puppy food because it was higher in nutrients and therefore good for her while she was pregnant.

‘Brodie comes over every day to see her and she follows him everywhere. At least, I think it’s Daisy he comes to see.’ She couldn’t be altogether sure. They’d taken to sharing the occasional snack supper together of an evening, alternating between the two houses. He’d not pushed anything when it came to starting any kind of relationship with her but she had the feeling he was finding it hard to stay away. She was glad about that. She liked having him around.

A wave of heat ran through her at the direction her thoughts were taking and she quickly forced her mind back to the dog.

‘She’s fixated on him ever since he tucked the blanket around her and offered her a pull toy and a biscuit. I think she would up sticks and go and live with him if she could.’ She made a mock-peeved expression. ‘I’m not certain how I feel about that—I think I’m quite put out about it.’

Her mother laughed. ‘He always did have a way with the girls.’

‘True.’ Caitlin didn’t want to go too deeply into that. Despite her misgivings she’d come closer to him in these last few days than ever before and it invoked all sorts of exhilarating and tummy-tingling sensations inside her that she’d never experienced before—not even with Matt. But falling for Brodie was definitely not on the cards, was it?

‘Are you and he getting on all right?’ her mother asked.

‘Yes, fine.’ She sent her a guarded look. ‘Why wouldn’t we?’

Her mother shrugged lightly. ‘I know how he used to look at you and how you kept putting up barriers—you didn’t want to get involved with someone who kicked against the establishment and who seemed happy to play the field. I doubt he’s changed that much. He doesn’t go with the crowd or let the grass grow under his feet. He has his own ideas and likes to follow through.’

She paused, pulling air into her lungs. ‘As to the rest, I’ve seen him with the nurses when he’s come to visit me... They all think the world of him and the single ones are ripe for the picking. I really like him but I don’t want to see you get hurt.’

A quick stab of jealousy lanced through Caitlin at the mention of the nurses, but just then a bout of coughing caught her mother out. Caitlin stood up and quickly handed her the oxygen mask that was connected to the wall-mounted delivery system close by.

‘Here, breathe in slowly, steadily. Take your time.’

After a few minutes her mother was feeling better and she put the mask aside. ‘I’m fine now,’ she said. ‘I just need to rest for a bit.’

Caitlin nodded, giving her an assessing look. ‘Okay. I should be getting back to work, anyway. I’ve a new patient coming in and I need to look her over.’ She gently squeezed her hand. ‘I’ll be back to see you later.’

She went back to the children’s unit, pleased to see that a trio of small children who were able to get out of bed for short periods had gathered around the brand-new aquarium tank that Brodie had introduced to the ward. They were pointing, talking and smiling a lot.

‘I see your tropical fish tank is a hit with the youngsters,’ she told Brodie at the desk as she read through her patient’s file.

He smiled. ‘Yes, I noticed one or two of them going up to the glass and watching what was going on. They seem to like the shipwreck and submerged treasure chest, and the fish are colourful.’ He brought up some CT scans on the computer screen. ‘The next step for me, I think, is to develop a rehab garden outside so that children like Jason and maybe Sammy, who are recovering, can get their strength back by walking about outside on good days.’

‘That sounds like an interesting idea.’ She looked at him curiously. ‘What did you have in mind?’

‘Different levels. Nothing too high but raised flower beds, pathways, short flights of wide steps—providing the children have physiotherapists or parents with them to help them negotiate the obstacles. I thought maybe scented flowers and herbs, or different colours and textures, would go down well.’

‘Something to attract wildlife, like birds and squirrels, would be good,’ she said. ‘So maybe you could put up a bird table and plant a variety of shrubs that have the right kind of berries.’ She broke off, studying him once more. ‘I think you have some great ideas, but where’s the funding coming from?’

‘There are hospital charities keen on helping out,’ he answered. ‘And I’ll think about putting some of my own money into it. It all depends if I decide to stay here for the long term.’

She frowned at that. Was he really thinking of moving on?

He brought up X-ray films on to the screen of his computer then he frowned and pointed to the images. ‘Have you seen these?’

‘No. Whose are they?’

‘They’re films we had done recently to check Sammy’s progress. Along with the results of his DNA and collagen tests, I think we finally have an answer. We’re dealing with a specific bone disease—
osteogenesis imperfecta
.’

She winced. ‘Poor Sammy,’ she said softly. The diagnosis, otherwise known as brittle bone disease, meant that his body didn’t make enough collagen—the main protein building block of bone—so his bones and connective tissue, such as tendons and ligaments would suffer as a result. ‘So his bones are thin and liable to break more easily than others.’ She studied the films on screen carefully. ‘It’s difficult to detect from the X-rays alone.’

‘But the bones are definitely thinner than normal—perhaps his case is mild and he’s been unfortunate up to now.’

‘Well, let’s hope so. The physiotherapist is working with him because of the fracture but it’ll be good for him to have ongoing therapy to help him regain his strength and mobility—safe exercise and activity to develop his muscle control.’

He nodded. ‘His parents will need advice on nutrition—we can’t replace the collagen, but we can make sure his muscles and bones are as strong as possible. Bisphosphonates are the mainstay of drug treatment as far as that goes.’

‘I’ll get things organised.’ She gave a faint smile. ‘The one good thing to come out of the diagnosis is that it means the parents are off the hook. It’s going to be difficult for them to take it on board—a bittersweet experience.’

‘But they’ll have an answer at last and so will Social Services and the police.’

‘Yes.’ Caitlin hurried away to make several phone calls and to get the next phase of Sammy’s treatment started. This was a case where she didn’t want to waste any time. The parents had been weighed down by doubt, uncertainty and recriminations for long enough; perhaps now Sammy would truly start to make a recovery. It was hardly any wonder the child was quiet and withdrawn.

The rest of the day passed quickly. A little girl, Janine, was admitted with an infection and Caitlin ordered tests to find out what they were dealing with. ‘I’ll prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic,’ she told the staff nurse. ‘But when we get the results back from the lab we can prescribe a more specific drug.’

‘Okay, I’ll see to it,’ the staff nurse said.

‘Thanks.’

When her shift ended Caitlin was more anxious than usual to get home. Brodie came out of one of the bays where he had been examining a child and sent her a quick glance as she went to collect her jacket. ‘You’re off home, then? You look anxious. Are you worried about Daisy?’

She nodded. ‘I am, a bit. Rosie’s mother phoned to say Daisy was quite restless, so I’m expecting things to kick off any time soon.’

‘I’ll come and join you as soon as I finish here. I could pick up a Chinese takeaway on my way home, if you want? I know you like it and that’ll be one less chore.’

‘Ah, my favourite food...’ she said with a smile. ‘Beef and green peppers in black bean sauce—yum—and sweet-and-sour chicken. Oh, I’m hungry already at the thought of it.’

‘Me too.’ He said it softly, his gaze moving over her, lingering; somehow she had the feeling his mind wasn’t simply dwelling on the prospect of food.

It was only after she’d left the hospital and was driving home along the country lanes that she wondered about the wisdom of spending too many of her evenings with him, especially this evening, when they were planning to share a mutual treat. It was one thing to throw a sandwich together out of expediency—quite another to make a date. Because that was what it seemed like, all at once. Things were moving too fast. It wasn’t too long ago that she’d been looking forward to spending her free time with Matt and look where that had left her. She frowned. What was it about Matt that had made her think he was the one for her, when he so obviously wasn’t?

Brodie turned up at the house a couple of hours later as dusk was falling. Caitlin had been watering the plants in the kitchen garden but now she turned off the tap and put the hose away.

‘How is Daisy?’ Brodie asked. ‘Is anything happening with her?’

Caitlin nodded. ‘She’s definitely not herself. She’s a bit agitated, so I brought her into the house—she’s in the utility room. Her bed fits in there nicely under the worktop, and it’s shaded from the sun during the daytime. She seems to like it there, anyway, so I’ll probably let her stay. I left her rearranging her blanket. Come and see.’

She led the way into the house and Brodie put his packages down on the kitchen table. The appetising smell of Chinese food wafted on the air.

She hastily set plates to warm in the oven and then they looked in on Daisy. She looked up at them from her bed, panting, her tongue lolling eagerly.

‘She looks happy enough, anyway,’ Brodie commented, stroking the dog’s head then heading back towards the kitchen. He washed his hands at the sink then helped Caitlin to set out the food.

‘Has David said anything more about the filming?’ Caitlin asked a while later as she nibbled on a hot spring roll.

He nodded. ‘It’s all going to start in a couple of days—they have the weekend marked up for it. He’s even roped Dad in. Heaven knows how he managed it, but he’s going to be kitted out as a farm worker, by all accounts.’

‘You’re kidding?’ It was hard to believe that Colin Driscoll would ever have agreed to it. ‘How do you feel about that?’

He lifted his shoulders briefly. ‘I’m not sure. I suppose anything that gets us together is a good thing. We’re both adults now and it’s about time we sorted out our differences. He may not have wanted me around, but he brought me up from when I was a baby, so you’d think he’d have found some feelings for me along the way.’