Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 2

by Various Authors

  ‘Everything all right?’ Chloe asked with a smile.

  ‘It’s been manic.’ Looking stressed, Sue grimaced. ‘Kate is in St Piran. She was called back out a couple of hours ago when Susan Fiddick went into labour. Now she’s finally agreed to intervention.’

  Chloe shook her head. Poor Kate. And poor Susan. ‘What about Jem?’

  ‘He’s staying over with a school friend.’ Sue shuffled her messages. ‘Here we go. These are for you. And Oliver has asked you to see him before you head off for the clinic. He’s finished his patient list.’

  ‘OK.’

  Chloe’s stomach filled with butterflies and her heart skittered. Why did Oliver want to see her? Was it about work…or something else? Feeling breathless, she hurried up the stairs to drop off her things and put her patient files away, then headed back down to the consulting rooms. Oliver’s door stood ajar and she paused a moment watching him, noting the uncharacteristic frown on his face as he studied some papers.

  She tapped on the door. Their gazes met and she was surprised at the serious expression in those devilish brown eyes. ‘You wanted to see me?’

  ‘Chloe, hi.’ The smoky tones of Oliver’s voice did curious things to her insides.

  ‘Is there a problem?’

  ‘Come in a minute.’ He rose to his feet and crossed to meet her, closing the door before dropping a brief kiss on her lips. ‘Take a seat.’

  He perched on the edge of the desk near her and a very different fluttering, this time of unease, knotted her stomach. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s about the Morrisons,’ he told her.

  ‘Baby Timmy?’ She rubbed suddenly damp palms on her trousers. ‘Oliver?’

  A ragged sigh escaped. ‘The results have come back from the heel-prick tests.’

  ‘Already? And?’

  ‘Chloe…the test for cystic fibrosis is positive.’

  Her fingers clenched around the arms of the chair, her knuckles white as she battled away the unprofessional sting of tears. She knew she became too involved with her mums and their babies. She couldn’t help it. Her job meant the world to her. Beth and Jason had tried so long for their baby and had suffered two miscarriages before little Timmy had come along this summer. There had been nothing in their history to suggest cystic fibrosis was a worry, no family incidence. But they must both be carriers and the one in four chance had hit them.

  ‘Chloe?’

  ‘Have you told them?’ Somehow she forced the words out, pushing the image of Timmy from her mind.

  ‘Not yet. And not without you. I didn’t want you finding out alone, seeing the report left on your desk.’ He paused, reaching out to take one of her hands in his. ‘Maybe you would like it if we break the news to them together?’

  His thoughtfulness touched her and she quelled a fresh threat of tears, unconsciously curling her fingers with his. ‘Yes. Thank you. The test isn’t conclusive,’ she added, grasping at straws.

  ‘No. There will be much to discuss with Beth and Jason, and further investigations to authenticate the results with a DNA test for the delta F508 gene. If CF is confirmed, we can bring Lauren in as soon as possible to help with physiotherapy needs.’

  ‘Yes.’ Chloe nodded, scarcely able to take it in.

  ‘You know early diagnosis means much more successful treatment and longer life expectancy. We start treatment and physio before there is lung damage, and refer to a specialist CF centre.’

  Knowing she wasn’t going to hold on much longer, she withdrew her hand from his and rose unsteadily to her feet, unable to meet his all-seeing gaze. ‘Thanks for the information. Let me know when to be available to see the Morrisons.’

  She turned and walked to the door, one hand pressed to her lips to hold in the sob that fought to escape. Her free hand fumbled with the doorhandle. Just when she managed to open it, desperate to be alone, she felt Oliver behind her, his hand reaching past her to hold the door closed and then lock it. She froze.

  ‘Chloe…’

  The gentleness in that husky voice threatened to undo her. ‘I need to go.’

  ‘No. Come here, babe.’

  Hands settled on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Her eyes widened in confusion, tears shimmering on her lashes, and she tried to blink them back, but a couple escaped, dropping onto her cheeks. He cupped her face, his thumbs brushing the moisture away. A shiver ran through her, and she felt uncertain when he drew her closer, tucking her head against his chest with one hand, his other arm curling around her.

  ‘Oliver?’ She held herself stiffly in his embrace.

  ‘You’re upset. Take a few moments. Let me cuddle you.’

  Being held like this should have spooked her—would have done had it been any man but Oliver. Wrapped in his embrace she felt both anxious yet safe. Beneath her cheek she could feel the steady, calming beat of his heart. To her surprise, she began to relax, allowing her hands to rest at his waist, her fingers feeling the play of muscle beneath firm flesh through the thin fabric of his shirt. Another few moments and instinct had her leaning into him, her arms sliding around him, while his free hand stroked her back, and his husky, whispered words soothed her. She had no idea how long they stayed that way, but gradually she felt calmer, stronger.

  Although he relaxed his hold, Oliver didn’t let her go, but he pulled back far enough to look down and meet her gaze.

  Embarrassed, Chloe bit her lip. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘Never apologise for caring.’

  ‘I’m a professional, I—’

  ‘You are also human. And you’re so good at your job because of how you feel about the mums and their babies.’ Sincerity and understanding shone in his brown eyes. ‘It’s been a difficult couple of days. This news about Timmy, on top of the emergency with Angela, was bound to affect you. The day it doesn’t is the day any of us should stop doing this job.’

  Aware he was still holding her close, that her body was responding in unfamiliar ways, Chloe found the strength to place some much-needed distance between them. His nearness addled her senses and turned her brain to mush. She more than liked him, was coming to trust him, but she still felt nervous of all the new and unknown sensations assailing her.

  ‘I’m OK now.’

  Oliver frowned, unconvinced, but he allowed her to retreat. ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yes. Thanks.’ She managed a smile, grateful for his support. ‘I have to get ready for the well-woman clinic.’

  Something she didn’t recognise crossed his expression as he looked down at her. ‘All right. I’ll talk to you later, babe,’ he promised, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a moment before he dropped a firmer kiss on her mouth, then stepped back.

  Chloe let herself out of the room, jogging up the stairs to her own office where she sank into her chair, one fist pressed against her chest. Why did she feel so strange? Yes, she was upset about the news of Timmy Morrison’s positive test, but Oliver had been empathetic, helping her over the initial shock, and he had managed to ground her again. He had been right—she would have hated to find the report on her desk, cold, with no warning. Sharing it with him, knowing he cared too, had made it easier. What she found less easy to understand were the raging emotions she felt when she was with him, the way her body reacted when he touched her.

  Somehow she got through the evening, grateful that the clinic was busy. Oliver had been right, it had been a hell of a week. He had understood her, but she knew she took things too personally with her mums and babies. She couldn’t help it. She became so involved in them and their lives, but it often cost her emotionally. Unfortunately her duty at the clinic meant she couldn’t see Oliver, or Lauren, that evening. She would have liked to have talked to someone, she reflected as she walked home along the harbour front to her cosy cottage in Fisherman’s Row.

  She liked her home. It was the first place she’d been able to call her own. The first place where she felt safe and settled. After greeting Pirate and Cyclops, she fed
them, then went upstairs to shower, washing the stresses of the day away before changing into a cool top and shorts. Padding back down to the kitchen, she made herself a sandwich, then sat in the living room with the patio doors open and tried to relax.

  She went to bed early, but felt restless and edgy, as well as uncomfortably warm. Her window was open, but there was scant breeze off the harbour to ease the sultry night air. When the phone rang, startling her, she picked up the receiver, hoping none of her mums-to-be had a problem.

  ‘Hello. Chloe MacKinnon.’

  ‘Hi, babe.’

  The throaty voice sent a prickle along her spine. ‘O-Oliver! Is something wrong?’ She propped herself up against the pillows, frowning with confusion.

  ‘I wanted to see how you were feeling,’ he explained. ‘Did I wake you?’

  ‘No, it’s too hot to sleep. I can’t stop thinking about little Timmy,’ she admitted after a pause, something about the dark and the connection she felt with Oliver making it easier to admit her worries.

  ‘I know. Sometimes things are horribly unfair.’ She could tell by his voice that he genuinely cared. ‘We’ll find a time between our appointments tomorrow when we’re both free and we’ll talk to Beth and Jason together.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  They discussed the Morrisons a while longer, then moved away from work, talking comfortably about anything and everything. Chloe snuggled down, relaxing, a smile on her face as Oliver’s husky voice and rumbly laugh sounded in her ear.

  ‘I missed seeing you tonight,’ he told her softly some time later.

  Biting her lip, Chloe gripped the receiver tighter, affected by the warm intimacy of his voice, longing for him knotting her stomach. ‘Me, too.’

  ‘Yeah?’ She heard the smile in his voice, thought she also heard the faint rustle of a sheet. Was he in bed, too? The image made her even hotter. ‘We’ll do something nice together at the weekend.’

  ‘I’d like that,’ she agreed, all too quickly, the prospect of spending time with him bringing a rush of excited anticipation.

  ‘Do you think you can sleep now?’

  She did feel languorous and at ease. Just talking with him had done that for her. It had been what she had needed without even knowing it. But Oliver had. ‘Yes, I think so. Thank you for ringing.’

  ‘No problem. I’ve enjoyed it,’ he assured her.

  ‘Me, too.’ So much so she didn’t want it to end.

  ‘Goodnight, Oliver.’ ‘Goodnight, babe. Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.’

  When the click sounded in her ear, indicating that Oliver had hung up, she felt stupidly alone, but also had a warm, fuzzy, fluttering inside her tummy.

  She had only known him a few weeks, but she was discovering how much she had misjudged him at the beginning. He wasn’t the fast-living playboy gossip had suggested, but an instinctive, fantastic doctor, and a man who treated her with infinite patience, caring and sensitivity. She had never once felt threatened, pressured or unsafe. And as for his kisses…Oh, my! Oliver made her feel things she had never felt before, stirred things inside her that she wasn’t sure how to handle. She just knew she didn’t want them to stop.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘I’M SORRY. I’d forgotten about today.’ As Chloe glanced up, Oliver saw regret in her eyes. ‘We don’t have to stay long, but I promised Eloise I’d come by.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it, babe. We’ve had a great weekend…and I have plans for later,’ he added, his voice dropping as he murmured in her ear, close enough to feel her quiver in response.

  Dressed in denim shorts and a loose cotton shirt knotted at the waist, which left her midriff bare, Chloe looked good enough to eat. His hunger for her only increased with every passing day. Resting one hand at the small of her back, enjoying the feel of her super-soft skin under his palm, Oliver guided her along the beach towards the spot where the informal barbecue party was well under way.

  ‘Remind me again what we’re celebrating.’

  Chloe smiled up at him. ‘Eloise Hayden and Lachlan D’Ancey’s engagement.’

  ‘He’s the local police chief?’ Oliver asked, his gaze scanning the gathering for people he knew.

  ‘He lives in Penhally but he’s based at the station in Wadebridge,’ Chloe explained. ‘He met Eloise, an Australian forensic pathologist, when she came over last month to give a second opinion on a surfer’s death.’

  Oliver nodded. ‘I heard the talk, but I’ve never met Lachlan or Eloise.’

  ‘They are really nice. There’s Eloise, talking to Kate. Shall we say hello?’

  ‘Sure.’

  As Chloe led the way, he reflected on the last couple of days. Friday had been difficult, meeting the Morrisons and breaking the news about Timmy’s results. But Beth and Jason had been strong, drawing on the support and encouragement Chloe had given them. He knew better than anyone how the news had affected Chloe, and he was so proud of the care and compassion she offered to her patients. If the next round of tests confirmed that Timmy did have cystic fibrosis, he knew that the family would have first-class support from Chloe, Lauren and himself, as well as whatever specialist advice could be offered to them.

  After the success of his Thursday night phone call, speaking to each other last thing before they went to sleep had become a habit. Even if he had only just parted from her, they still talked for a few moments on the phone. It was special…and increased even more his growing need to be with her, to not have to leave her at all.

  On Saturday, after morning appointments, he and Chloe had gone for a ride on their motorbikes, then had spent the evening cuddled up at her cottage, watching a DVD, talking, drinking wine and doing a lot of kissing. They were winding up the intimacy and the passion, with deeper, hotter kisses and some tantalising, teasing touches. He made sure he left her wanting more, but it also drove him insane with his own desire for her. Faced with Chloe’s increasing confidence and eagerness, it was becoming ever more difficult to keep a tight rein on his control. But he wanted her to be ready, to ask for what she wanted, to need him as much as he needed her.

  He had never been that into kissing before. It was too intimate somehow, and past relationships had been more about instant gratification—on both sides. The full joy of devoting time to kissing, without rush and pressure, had passed him by. Until now. He could kiss Chloe for hours, days…for ever. Knowing he had to take things slowly with her brought everything back to basics, to endless hours of foreplay and hot, sexy, incredibly intimate and satisfying kisses. It was like nothing he had ever known before. There was no demand to perform, no haste for fulfilment. The drawn-out loving, leading to the blossoming of Chloe’s sensuality, was reward in itself. For now. If he felt this charged from kissing her, he’d probably combust when he finally made love to her.

  Plans for today had changed when Chloe had remembered the beach barbecue. Oliver was just content to be with her, whatever the circumstances. It was a major advance that she was unconcerned at them being seen in public as a couple. He cared about her and he wanted people to know that. In staking his claim, he was taking a risk, putting himself on the line, but, as he discovered more every day, Chloe was worth it.

  After being introduced to Eloise and talking with her, Kate and Chloe for a few minutes, Oliver accepted Eloise’s invitation to head to the barbecue buffet table and fetch some refreshments for himself and Chloe.

  ‘I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes,’ he promised, leaving her with her friends.

  Chloe watched Oliver saunter with deceptive lazy grace across the sand towards the food table where Lachlan was in charge of the barbecue. Oliver looked equally stunning in the faded jeans and body-hugging T-shirt he wore today as he did in the smart clothes he wore for work. She turned back to find Kate and Eloise watching her, knowing smiles on their faces. Chloe fought a blush.

  ‘Any improvements in the situation with Nick?’ Eloise asked, and, although thankful to have escaped questions about Oliver, Chloe f
elt sorry for Kate. Eloise was the only other person who knew about Jem’s real father.

  ‘Things have settled down a little at work.’ Kate managed a smile, her gaze straying to Jem, who was playing beach cricket with some friends. ‘But Nick isn’t ready to face the reality that Jem is his son. I don’t know if he ever will be.’

  Chloe looked around the assembled group. ‘Is Nick not here?’

  ‘No.’ Kate’s disappointment was obvious. ‘He’s gone to France for the weekend with the twinning committee. They have meetings in Normandy.’

  They chatted for a few moments, then other people claimed Eloise’s attention. Kate went to talk with Lucy and Ben, smiling as she cuddled their baby daughter, Annabel, whom she had delivered in difficult circumstances last Christmas. Chloe wished her friend could be as content in all aspects of her life. Turning away, she looked for Oliver, seeing he was still at the food table, talking with Lachlan, Dragan and Melinda. As she headed in that direction, she bumped into Eve Dwyer.

  ‘Hello, Chloe, good to see you.’

  ‘And you, Eve. How are things?’ she asked the older woman.

  ‘I’m fine. A bit tired of the commute to Newquay,’ she admitted. ‘I’ll be so glad when a practice nurse vacancy comes up here in Penhally.’ Eve paused a moment, glancing around to check they were not being overheard. ‘Is the rumour about Rachel Kenner and Gary Lovelace true?’

  Frowning, Chloe nodded. ‘I’m afraid so. Poor Rachel. Gary treated her terribly.’

  ‘How is she coping?’ Eve asked, ever the compassionate nurse.

  ‘She was very frightened, especially about facing her father,’ Chloe admitted. ‘But you know how lovely Reverend Kenner is, and how much he cares for Rachel.’

  Eve nodded, looking distracted. ‘So he’s supporting her?’