by Anne Fraser
‘He’s good looking, but not my type.’ She went on to tell Suzy about Fabio and the race with Mark. ‘He also BASE jumps, which as far as I can gather is one of the most dangerous sports a person can do. So put any matchmaking thoughts out of your head. When I fall for someone, it’s going to be a man whose idea of a crazy risk is doing the lottery once a week.’
Suzy laughed. ‘I wonder.’ Then her expression grew serious. ‘You know Richard wrote to me not long before he died and said that if anything ever happened to him, I was to move on with my life, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Oh, I’ll never forget him and I doubt I’ll ever love again, but I have Ricky to live for. But apart from Ricky and I, the person Richard cared about most, Katie, was you. He’d want to know you were happy. He’d want you to live your life to the full. Maybe this Fabio is a chance for you to move on with your life.’
Katie hugged her knees to her chest. ‘He’s a risk-taker, Suzy, and that’s only one of many reasons there could never be anything between us. Even if he wanted there to be, which I very much doubt. He has that same reckless streak that Richard had.’ Katie’s breath caught. ‘If only Richard hadn’t joined the army because of me, he would still be alive.’
Suzy had never once blamed her for Richard being in the army. Never once given any indication that she held her responsible for Richard’s death. Katie had tried to tell her how she felt, but Suzy had refused to listen.
‘You have to stop blaming yourself, Katie,’ Suzy said. ‘Richard was born needing to challenge himself, and that’s why I know the army was the right place for him. Even if it hadn’t been a way to put himself through medical school while supporting you, I think Richard would have found a way to be in the army one way or another. He was an adrenaline junkie before he joined the forces. You have to stop tearing yourself into tiny pieces.’
Although Suzy meant what she said, and even if, deep down, Katie knew her guilt was illogical, she’d never stop feeling that some of the responsibility for Richard’s death lay at her feet.
Katie reached for Suzy’s hand. ‘I couldn’t put myself through the endless worry all over again. I couldn’t be you, or Amelia for that matter, never knowing whether today is the day you get the call you dread. I’ve lost three people I love much too soon and I’m not going to risk having my heart ripped out again.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t know how you go on, left alone to bring up your baby.’
‘I have Ricky and you and my parents, Katie. I have every reason to live. Loving Richard was the best thing that ever happened to me, even though losing him broke me into little pieces. Fabio may or may not be the right man for you, Katie, but at least promise me that you’ll open your heart to the possibility of falling in love one day, whatever joy and sorrow that might bring.’
Katie managed a wobbly smile. ‘I promise. Just as long as you know it won’t be with Dr Fabio Lineham.’
Katie looked over her list of patients for the day. It was an easy schedule, a couple of footballers and an Olympic swimming hopeful who were coming to the practice for their physio. In the afternoon she had a home visit scheduled to an elderly patient who was recovering from a stroke and couldn’t make it to the practice.
Even her experience of Monaco hadn’t prepared her for the number of celebrities, sport stars and aristocracy that came through the doors.
When she’d come for her interview a couple of weeks earlier she’d known immediately that this was no ordinary practice. To begin with, instead of a formal interview with one or two of the most senior doctors sitting opposite her behind a desk, all of the staff had been there, seated comfortably in armchairs. Dr Cavendish, the senior partner, a suave, elegantly dressed man in his early thirties who looked happy with his lot in life; his wife Rose, who was currently heavily pregnant and who was one of the nurses as well as the practice manager; the receptionist, a lively-looking girl called Jenny in her late teens or early twenties with a startling haircut and a tattoo; and, finally, Vicki, the other nurse. The only one missing had been Fabio.
They had all gone out of their way to make her feel part of their small team and, Fabio notwithstanding, Katie was enjoying working there.
The footballers, whose names she didn’t recognise but who caused a flutter with Jenny, arrived first. Katie ignored their teasing as she gave them their physio. It soon transpired that one was married and more than happy to exchange small talk about his wife and children as Katie worked on him. The other asked her to dinner, and seemed genuinely put out when Katie said no. No doubt he wasn’t used to being refused. Tough. He was a patient and, besides, Katie instinctively knew that he was trouble. Nevertheless, she framed her refusal in a way that wouldn’t cause offence. However, she had to admit it was good for her ego to be asked out.
Her next patient wasn’t as straightforward as Katie had hoped. Gillian Blake had been pre-selected for the British Olympic swimming team and had a punishing schedule.
‘I get up at five every day,’ she told Katie, as Katie put her limbs through a series of passive movements, ‘swim for six hours, come home, have something to eat, relax for an hour or two, then it’s off to the gym for another couple of hours. It’s great that you’re here now. Before this, I had to go all the way across London for my physio. As you can imagine, that ate up a chunk of the day.’
‘I like swimming too,’ Katie told her, ‘but my efforts amount to thirty laps at the most in the pool before or after work. It’s the way I switch off from the world. I can’t imagine doing it for hours and hours, every day of my life.’
‘It’s what I have to do if I want to stand a chance of getting a medal,’ Gillian said. ‘Thank goodness for the sports council grant. Now I can get some proper back-up to my training.’
Katie’s hands paused at Gillian’s knees. There was slight swelling and it felt hot to the touch.
‘Gillian, have you injured your knee recently?’ she asked.
The Olympic medal hopeful shook her head. ‘No. At least, I didn’t think I had. But it’s been a bit sore over the last couple of months. It aches for a couple of days then the pain goes away. I wondered if there was something wrong with my technique. I asked my coach and he said no. It was him who suggested I come for a bit of physio and massage. It’s probably overuse.’
‘Mmm,’ Katie said. ‘Too much training could be the problem, but to be on the safe side I’d like one of the doctors to check you over. Would you be okay with that?’
Gillian frowned. ‘I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about.’ But Katie could see the doubt in her eyes.
‘Let’s just say I’d be happier if one of them had a look. You lie here and relax for a few minutes and I’ll go and see who’s free.’
Katie tapped on Fabio’s door after checking with Jenny that he was alone. He had his feet up on the desk and was leaning back with his hands behind his head.
He leaped to his feet when she came in. Whatever else she thought about him, he had good manners, although she wished he wouldn’t do that jumping-up thing every time she entered the room. It really was quite unnerving.
‘Katie, what brings you into the lion’s den?’
She wished he wouldn’t take that flippant tone either. Since they’d returned from Monaco she had gone out of her way to avoid him, preferring to go to Jonathan Cavendish when she needed a medical opinion. She hoped that time would cure her of the peculiar way Fabio made her feel whenever he was around, particularly when they were alone. Unfortunately, today Jonathan had gone out to see a patient. Not that she could always avoid Fabio. She just had to keep their encounters on a professional footing.
‘I’m with a patient at the moment. She’s a swimmer who’s hoping to win a medal in the games.’
His eyes had lost that sleepy look. He was immediately alert. When he wasn’t assuming his cat-like repose position, he was like a curled up spring. Was there no happy medium with this man? ‘Something’s bothering you?’
‘Yes. When I was doing her physio I noticed
some swelling of her right knee. It’s hot to the touch as well.’
‘What are you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking that there might be something going on with her. Like rheumatoid arthritis. I know it’s a bit of a leap, but I wondered if you’d mind having a look. I don’t want to take any chances.’
‘Sure. No problem. My next patient isn’t due for another ten minutes and she’s always late anyway. C’mon—let’s go and see your girl.’
She had to admire the way patients responded to Fabio. When he was with a patient he lost that teasing predator look and became the consummate professional. Not that he lost any of his charm—it was just that he was good at putting patients at ease.
When she noticed his eyes narrow almost imperceptibly as he examined Gillian’s knee, after asking her searching questions about her general health, she knew she had been right to call him.
He hid his concern from his patient. ‘I would like to take some blood for testing if that’s okay, Gillian.’
Gillian sat up on the couch, looking alarmed. ‘Why? What do you think is wrong? As I said to Katie, I’m sure it’s no more than overuse. I’ll cut back on practice a little and you’ll see—the stiffness will go away.’
‘You could well be right,’ Fabio said evenly. ‘But isn’t it better to get these things checked out properly? Especially for athletes. Why don’t I send some samples of blood to the lab and we can arrange for you to come back and see me in a day or two. That way we can all be reassured.’ He smiled and Gillian relaxed. ‘After all, we want to keep you in peak condition.’
‘I suppose,’ Gillian said reluctantly.
Katie could tell that the thought of anything interfering with her training was difficult for this young, driven woman. Then something struck her. ‘Gillian, when you train, do you go running?’
‘Yes. And go to the gym and do weights.’
‘And when you go running, is it on a track? Or crosscountry?’
‘Across the fields near where I live. Why are you asking?’
Fabio and Katie exchanged a look. He nodded, inviting Katie to go on with her line of questioning.
‘And these fields, is the grass long sometimes?’
‘No,’ Gillian replied. ‘It would interfere with my running too much.’ Her reply wasn’t what Katie had hoped.
‘But,’ Gillian added, ‘I do take a short cut home through the long grass as part of my cool-down.’
‘Have you noticed a rash?’ Fabio asked, and Katie knew he was thinking along the same lines she was.
‘Come to think of it, I have. At least, my mother noticed it on my back. I didn’t think anything of it. Do you think it’s important?’
‘It might be,’ Katie said. It was just possible Gillian had been bitten by a tick and her symptoms had been caused by tick fever. In which case, it was good to catch it early and with the right treatment Gillian’s sore joint would heal. To be certain, however, they would ask for Gillian’s blood samples to be tested for the disease.
‘I could give your knee some ultrasound treatment after Dr Lineham’s taken some blood. That might well help. And
I’ll schedule you in for more when you come back to see the doctor for the results. How does that sound?’
Gillian nodded and quickly Fabio reached into the cupboards and pulled out a syringe and some vials for the blood.
‘We should have the results tomorrow, if I rush them through,’ he said, and after explaining what he was going to do slipped a needle into a vein in Gillian’s arm.
‘Okay, I’ll get these over to the lab. Make sure you make an appointment to come back and see me the day after tomorrow. You can bring someone with you if you like.’ He squeezed her shoulder. ‘I know it’s difficult and easy for me to say, but try not to worry.’ With a last smile he left the room, taking the samples with him.
‘He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?’ Gillian said wistfully.
Katie smiled back. ‘I can’t say I noticed,’ she lied. ‘Come on, then, let’s get some ultrasound on that knee.’
After Gillian had made another appointment and left, Katie went in search of Fabio. She knew the patient he had been waiting for had been and gone. She found him in the small kitchen drinking a glass of water.
‘Thanks for seeing Gillian,’ she said.
He held out a glass and raised an eyebrow. When she nodded he poured her a glass of water from the fridge.
‘Never, ever think twice about seeking a medical opinion from one of us,’ he said. ‘Jonathan wasn’t kidding when he said that we want our patients to get the best possible care and attention.’
Katie returned his look. ‘Which is why I agreed to come and work for this practice,’ she responded, her voice cool.
Fabio smiled sheepishly. ‘Forgive me. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it did. We wouldn’t have employed you if we hadn’t been convinced you were the best fit for us. There are too many people who are willing to take money from patients for unnecessary treatment.’
‘Do you think there’s a chance she might have rheumatoid arthritis?’ Katie asked, trying to ignore the way something in her stomach was performing little pirouettes every time he looked at her.
‘I think it’s possible, but it was a good call to check for Lyme disease. We can’t be sure what it is until we’ve done all the tests and have the results back.’
‘Poor Gillian. If she does have rheumatoid arthritis, this could mean the end of her dreams, couldn’t it?’
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Katie.’
‘But if …’ she persisted.
His eyes were almost the colour of grass, Katie thought. Now, where had that come from? She had to remember that not only was Fabio her boss, and off limits for that reason on its own, but he was the kind of man who broke hearts. She had more than enough to deal with at the moment without developing a crush on her new colleague.
‘If she does have arthritis then, yes, it won’t be good for her career,’ Fabio admitted. ‘On the other hand, Lyme disease and a host of other possible conditions are easily treatable. And she will have you to thank for spotting it so early. But until we know what we’re dealing with, I refuse to make any predictions. Rest assured, I’ll do anything in my power so that she doesn’t have to give up the sport she loves.’ He pushed himself upright. ‘Do you always worry so much about your patients?’ he asked.
‘I can’t help it,’ Katie admitted. ‘These days I worry all the time, about everyone.’
He looked puzzled.
‘Any particular reason it’s these days?’
She was surprised he had picked up on her slip. Yet she felt this strange connection between them. The silence stretched between them as he studied her intently. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?’
Katie shook her head. She didn’t want to let him into her head any more than he was already.
‘You can’t go through life worrying about what might happen. If you do, you’ll end up missing what is happening,’ Fabio continued softly.
He was right. Of course he was right. It was the same thing Suzy had said but that didn’t mean she could change how she felt.
‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ she said tightly. It was easy for him to say. Who did he care about?
Fabio gave her a sharp look but said nothing. He finished writing the labels for the bloods he had taken earlier and popped them in the tray to be collected for the lab. When he turned back to her the teasing look was back in his eyes.
‘How do you fancy coming for a drink with me tonight? I have passes to the VIP area of Vipers.’
Katie’s pulse thrummed. He was asking her out!
‘I suspect you could do with some cheering up.’ His eyes softened.
He was asking her out because he felt sorry for her? She wasn’t going out with anyone just because they thought she needed cheering up. She had her pride after all. So much for thinking there was something between them. But neither, as she seemed to
have to keep reminding herself, was she interested in him.
‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’
‘Can’t or won’t, Katie?’ He tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, and a flash of heat spiralled through her body.
She pulled away from him, needing to put distance between them. ‘Won’t. If you’ll excuse me, I have a home visit to do.’
‘Ah, yes,’ Fabio replied. ‘Lord Hilton. Actually, we’re both going to see him. He had a stroke three weeks ago and you’re scheduled to take over his daily physio. I need to check how he’s doing. After that, we have a singer who was involved in a car accident a few weeks ago. She broke her arm, it’s in a cast and I want to check and see how she’s doing. She also needs some physio.’
‘What sort of residual damage does Lord Hilton have?’ Katie was glad to get the conversation back on neutral ground.
Fabio flicked a glance at his watch. ‘He’s expecting us in an hour. It will take us that long to get to his place. Why don’t I bring you up to speed on the way?’
CHAPTER SIX
FABIO’S car was a surprise. Instead of the sports car she’d assumed he’d be driving, it was a perfectly respectable, solid family saloon. Fabio must have noticed her raised eyebrow. ‘Not mine. It belongs to a friend. The one I usually drive is in the garage, undergoing repairs for a … er … scrape.’
Katie couldn’t bring to herself to ask him what had happened. She wondered if Mark had known about the so-called scrape before he’d let Fabio anywhere near his racing car. The rueful look in Fabio’s eyes made her smile. Whatever his faults, there was no denying there was something terribly attractive about him. No doubt most women found him irresistible.
As promised, Fabio launched into details of the patients they were going to see, while he weaved his way through the heavy London traffic.
‘Lord Hilton is first on our list. Luckily he’s staying with his sister-in-law here in London while he recuperates, so we won’t have to drive to his estate. His sister-in-law, Lady Hilton, is a big fan of the practice.’