How long would he be able to keep his distance from her when she would be living in his house?
Becky felt her heart give one great bounding leap as Felipe put his hand under her elbow. She quickly jerked away and stared at him in dismay.
‘What do you mean—Josh and I will be living here? You made no mention of that when I agreed to come here.’
‘We never discussed where you would be living, as I recall,’ he said calmly, although she could see the impatience in his sherry-brown eyes. It was obvious that he wasn’t pleased that she’d seen fit to question his arrangements, but hard luck. Living with Felipe definitely hadn’t been part of their bargain.
She opened her mouth to tell him in no uncertain terms that she wouldn’t be staying at the villa when an elderly woman suddenly appeared. She rushed down the steps towards them, exclaiming in rapid Spanish when she saw Josh. Holding out her arms, she took the baby from Felipe and hugged him to her.
Josh responded with one of his most angelic smiles as the woman carried him indoors. Becky had no option but to follow and found herself in a huge black-and-white tiled hall. Although the villa was obviously new, the decor was traditional and very Spanish, with lots of dark carved woodwork offset by starkly white walls on which several beautiful watercolours in ornate gilt frames were hung.
She automatically stopped to look around then realised that she was in danger of getting sidetracked. She turned to Felipe, who had followed with her luggage. ‘You should have told me that you expected us to stay with you.’
‘I realise that and I apologise. It simply never occurred to me that it would create a problem.’
He smiled at the elderly woman, who had hesitantly come forward to be introduced. ‘This is my housekeeper, Maria. As you can see, she adores babies. She was my parents’ housekeeper for many years and she loved Antonio. She looked after him when he was a child.’
Becky summoned a smile as she shook the woman’s hand, not wanting her to think that she was annoyed with her. It was Felipe she was angry with for not having explained the situation.
‘I’m delighted to meet you, Maria,’ she said in her careful Spanish. The woman said something to her but she spoke so fast that Becky couldn’t catch what she’d said.
‘She said that she will be delighted to help you take care of Antonio’s son if you will let her,’ Felipe explained.
‘Gracias, Maria,’ she replied, feeling a little dizzy from the speed with which everything seemed to be happening.
When Maria suggested taking Josh into the kitchen to find him something to eat, she found herself agreeing because it was easier than arguing. Obviously, this would need sorting out because she couldn’t stay at the villa, but right at that moment she didn’t have the strength for a full-blown argument.
‘I can tell that you are upset, Rebecca, and that was never my intention.’
She turned when he spoke, feeling a shiver run down her spine when she saw the regret in his eyes. It made her feel very strange to realise that he cared about her feelings so it was an effort to focus when he continued.
‘I hope that you will bear with me until I can make other arrangements for you and Josh. However, at this time of the year, when the holiday season is under way, it can be difficult to find suitable accommodation, you understand.’
‘So long as it doesn’t take too long,’ she said quickly, not wanting there to be any misunderstanding. Maybe he hadn’t meant to upset her, but it would be far too difficult to live in the villa with him for any length of time.
Her heart gave a small hiccup at the thought of them sharing the intimacies that came with living under the same roof, and she hurried on. It wouldn’t help to dwell on how it would feel to wake each morning and see Felipe over the breakfast table, to go to bed each night and know that he was sleeping close by. Thoughts like that only confused her.
‘I would prefer it if we had a place of our own. And I’m sure that you must enjoy your privacy as much as I do.’
His face closed up and she frowned when she heard the biting note in his voice. ‘Rest assured that you are free to do whatever you wish while you are living here. I have no intention of curtailing your social life because you are living under my roof.’
‘That wasn’t what I meant!’ she exploded, her face flaming as she realised what he was suggesting. ‘Let’s get this straight, Felipe. I am not looking for a social life, as you put it so delicately. My only interest is in making sure that Josh is safe and happy.’
‘Then there should be no problem about you staying here for a short while. Josh’s welfare is my only concern, too,’ he said smoothly.
Picking up her case, he led the way across the hall and down a wide passageway. Becky followed him because there wasn’t much else she could do. He stopped and opened a door, moving aside so that she could enter the room.
‘I thought this room would be the most suitable. There is a small dressing room leading off it which I’ve had converted into a nursery. You will be close at hand if Josh should need you during the night.’
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said simply, looking around.
Once again the style was very Spanish in character, with dark oak furniture, white walls and a tiled floor. The bed was enormous, with an intricately carved headboard and covered with a finely woven spread in shades of cream and gold. There were shutters over the window, which had been closed to keep out the sun, and she gasped in delight when she opened them and saw that she had a stunning view over the bay.
Turning, she hurried across the room and peeked inside the en suite bathroom, admiring its buttery-coloured marble walls and floor, then checked out Josh’s room, shaking her head in amazement when she saw the cot and the toys, the shelves stacked high with baby things.
‘You’ve thought of everything. I don’t know what to say, really I don’t.’
She opened one of the cupboards, feeling herself choke up when she saw the rows of beautiful little garments for Josh to wear. How many times had she wished that she could afford to buy him things like these?
‘I’m pleased that you are satisfied,’ he said calmly, and she laughed shakily.
‘I’m amazed! I never expected any of this.’
She glanced round and felt her heart lurch when she saw the way he was watching her with such tenderness in his eyes. It stunned her to have him look at her that way, and it was a relief when Maria appeared, carrying a sleepy-looking Josh.
Becky took the baby from the housekeeper and looked at Felipe. ‘I’ll put him down for a nap, if you don’t mind.’
‘Of course.’ He glanced at his watch and frowned. ‘I need to return to the clinic. Perhaps you would join me there once Josh is asleep? Maria will be happy to look after him so it will be the perfect opportunity to acquaint you with the layout of the building before you start work.’
Was that a reminder that she was expected to earn her keep while she was there? Felipe might have been happy to fill the nursery with luxuries for Josh but she couldn’t expect such treatment for herself. The only reason she was there was because of Josh and if Felipe found a good enough reason to get rid of her, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
Becky felt fear rise sharply inside her so that it was an effort to appear calm. ‘Of course. I’ll be there as soon as I can.’
‘Gracias.’ He inclined his head but she saw a faint puzzlement in his eyes, as though he had picked up on her fear and was wondering what had caused it.
She drove that thought from her head because it was pointless worrying about it. Her main concern had to be to make sure that Felipe never found out that she wasn’t Josh’s real mother. The thought of his anger was scary enough, but it was the thought that his opinion of her would plummet even further which hurt the most.
She didn’t want Felipe to think too badly of her, even though she refused to go into the reasons why. Something told her that her life might become even more difficult if she found out the answer.
‘This next p
atient was admitted yesterday. He dived into the shallow end of the swimming pool and broke his neck. There is extensive swelling in the area so the X-rays aren’t very clear. However, we are hopeful that the spinal cord hasn’t been damaged.’
Felipe led the way into the room, smiling calmly at the young man lying in the bed. There was a metal fame supporting his head and neck and a specially adapted mattress to hold his body still and stop him turning.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Jeffries. How are you feeling today?’
‘About how you’d expect to feel with a broken neck,’ the young man replied laconically.
Felipe heard Rebecca laugh and tensed when she moved nearer to the bed. He was far too aware of her and unable to do anything about it. Now he found his hands clenching when he saw her smile at the young man.
‘Bit of a silly thing to do, wasn’t it?’ she teased. ‘It might have been better to check how much water was in there first.’
‘Now she tells me!’ Richard rolled his eyes. He was a good-looking young man in his twenties, one of a party of ten friends who had come on holiday to the island from Scotland.
Felipe had been impressed by his positive attitude. However, he was less impressed when he saw the appreciation in the young man’s eyes as he looked at Rebecca. It was obvious that Richard found her attractive and for some reason he bitterly resented it.
‘Why weren’t you there when I needed you? I wouldn’t have been diving into any rotten old swimming pool if I’d had you to keep me company!’
‘Are you sure you didn’t kiss the Blarney stone instead of the bottom of the pool?’ Rebecca retorted, chuckling.
‘I’m gutted,’ Richard replied. ‘You don’t really believe that was a line, do you?’
‘I most certainly do. And on a score of one to ten I’d rate it as a five, so my advice is to keep practising.’
Felipe shifted abruptly, trying to curb his growing impatience. The pair were carrying on as though he were invisible, and he didn’t appreciate being ignored. Rebecca shot him a questioning look then turned when Richard spoke. Felipe saw her face fill with compassion when she heard the fear that underpinned the young man’s voice.
‘I might not need to practise if I’ve damaged my spinal cord. I’m not going to have much pulling power if I end up flat on my back in a hospital bed for the rest of my days.’
‘You mustn’t think like that,’ she said quickly, squeezing his hand. ‘Dr Valdez has just told me that he’s hopeful that it’s only bruising which is causing you not to be able to move your limbs.’
‘I didn’t know if that was just a way to keep me quiet,’ Richard confessed, his eyes welling with tears.
‘I told you the truth, Mr Jeffries. The X-rays aren’t clear because of the swelling in the affected area, but I am as confident as I can be in the circumstances that your spinal cord hasn’t been severed.’
Felipe smiled reassuringly at the young man, wondering how he had let himself be hoodwinked into believing that Richard was coping so well with his accident. If Rebecca hadn’t drawn him out, the poor soul might have lain there, worrying himself to death.
It was an unsettling thought and he resolved never to let it happen again as they left the room. He would be more sensitive in future, look past the facçade people put up and try to gain a better understanding of how they were feeling.
He sighed because it would never have occurred to him to do that a few weeks ago. It seemed to highlight all the changes that had happened to him of late. He didn’t need to search too hard to understand who had brought them about. Having Rebecca in his life had changed everything.
‘Where to now?’
He jumped when she spoke, and felt himself tense when her arm brushed his. He could feel the silky blonde hairs on her arm tickling his skin and he swallowed as a surge of awareness rushed through his system.
They had reached the end of the corridor and there was just a set of glass doors ahead leading to the theatres. Domingo and Silvia had a list of routine operations that day. He hadn’t been needed because they were perfectly capable of managing without him. However, he suddenly found himself wishing that he could immerse himself in some sort of complex surgery which wouldn’t allow him to think about anything else. He knew where he was when it involved his work. It was only in other areas of his life that he seemed to have difficulty coping at the moment.
‘Felipe?’
He fixed a smile to his mouth when she prompted him, wishing that he felt anywhere near as calm inside where it mattered. ‘The children’s department is next. That is where you will be working.’
He led the way through the doors and down the stairs to the floor below, struggling to get himself in check. Life was going to be extremely difficult if he couldn’t learn to deal with these feelings Rebecca aroused inside him.
‘Do you have an IC unit here?’ she asked as they made their way down. They reached the landing and he heard her gasp as her feet skidded on the marble floor when she hurried to keep up with him.
Instinctively, he reached out to steady her, feeling the surge of heat that ran through his palm when his hand closed around her arm. Her skin felt so soft and smooth, he thought wonderingly. He could feel those tiny, golden hairs clinging to his fingers now and had the craziest urge to run his hand over them…
‘Oops! That was clumsy of me. I should have worn sensible shoes instead of these sandals.’
He heard the breathy note in her voice and only then realised that he still had hold of her. He let her go abruptly and carried on walking, praying that Rebecca hadn’t noticed anything amiss. The thought that she might have guessed how sexually aware he was of her was more than he could bear.
He tried reminding himself who she was as they made their way along the corridor, but it no longer worked because he no longer believed it. He couldn’t look at Rebecca and see her as a grasping, mercenary gold-digger any more. His feelings about her were far more complex than that. But even if his mind was having difficulty working out how he felt about her, his body had no such compunctions!
Becky took a deep breath as she followed Felipe into the room. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but she was aware of the tension that emanated from him.
She rubbed her arm to ease the odd tingling sensation on her skin, but it refused to go away. She could feel it spreading up her arm until it felt as though every inch of her was tingling. And all because Felipe had touched her? It didn’t make sense.
‘There’s still no change, Dr Valdez. Do you think he’ll ever wake up?’
She blinked and it felt as though she were awakening from a trance as the room and its occupants suddenly rushed into focus. Becky felt her heart ache when she saw the worried faces of the two people sitting beside the bed. Their expressions were ones she’d seen far too many times over the years. Fear, guilt, grief—the usual reaction of parents faced with a child’s illness.
‘Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing when Ryan will recover consciousness,’ Felipe was saying quietly. He turned to draw her forward and introduce her.
‘This is Staff Nurse Williams. She will be looking after your son in the coming weeks. Miss Williams worked in the paediatric intensive care unit at St Leonard’s Hospital in London before she decided to join us at the clinic. We are delighted to have her. She has a great deal of experience in dealing with very sick children.’
Becky hid her surprise at the wonderful build-up. Maybe Felipe had wanted to impress upon the parents that their son was receiving the best possible care, but she had to admit that it was good to have her skills recognised.
‘Please, call me Rebecca,’ she said, shaking hands with Diane and Tim Palmer. She waved Tim back to his chair when he stood up, pulling up another chair so that she could sit with them. She had found that it helped enormously to be on the same level when talking to people.
‘What happened to Ryan?’ she asked gently. She knew that she could get all the details from the child’s notes, but she also knew that
the parents often found it cathartic to talk through what had gone on. It also helped them come to terms with what had happened. Most parents found it difficult to accept when their child was gravely ill and often entered a period of denial. It was better if they could face the facts.
She nodded as Tim Palmer explained how his son had been thrown from the jet-ski and had fractured his skull. Tears streamed down his face while he was telling her the story, but it was better than him bottling up his grief.
Becky turned to Diane while Tim composed himself. ‘Has there been any sign that Tim knows you’re here?’
‘None. I’ve tried talking to him, tried playing him his favourite music, even telling him about his favourite football team, but he doesn’t respond.’ Diane wiped her own eyes with a tissue as she looked at her six-year-old son. ‘It’s as though he’s not in his body any longer.’
Becky sighed, wondering if she might be stepping on anyone’s toes if she gave her opinion. She glanced at Felipe for guidance but he was standing with his arms folded and a completely neutral expression on his face. She took a deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound!
‘In my experience of dealing with children who are in comas, it’s best not to try to stimulate them too soon. The brain needs time to recover from the shock of the accident, a bit like a cut needs time to scab over before it will heal,’ she explained gently. ‘Don’t bombard Ryan with too many different experiences. Just understand that it’s going to take time and go slowly.’
‘And you think that will help him?’ Diane asked uncertainly. ‘I mean, you read all these articles in the newspapers about people suddenly recovering from a coma because they’ve been played a favourite bit of music or something.’
‘And things like that do happen.’ Becky squeezed the woman’s hands. ‘Don’t give up hope that it will happen in Ryan’s case, but give him time. Sit here and hold his hand. Maybe you can talk to him for a little while, but don’t overstimulate his brain while it’s going through this healing process.’
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