Resisting Her Rebel Doc

by Joanna Neil

  She went back inside the house. She had to face up to this once and for all: go along to the wedding or berate herself for her weakness for the rest of her days.

  Besides, no matter how bad she felt for Caitlin’s dilemma, her mother would be desperate for pictures... She rolled her eyes, looking briefly heavenward. Then she took a deep breath and went upstairs to get ready. She’d burnt her boats with Brodie but somehow, when she met up with him at the church later on, she would have to do her best to put things right.

  She’d bought her dress especially for the occasion, hoping it might help to boost her confidence. It was knee-length with a ruched bodice and a crossover draped skirt that fell in soft folds over her hips. A small scattering of spangles embellished the thin straps at the shoulders.

  She pinned up her hair so that a few errant curls softened the line of her oval face then carefully applied her make-up, adding a touch of lipstick to her full mouth. A final spray of perfume and she was ready.

  The doorbell rang as she came down the stairs. Her eyes widened as she opened the door to find Brodie standing on the doorstep.

  He whistled softly. ‘Wow!’ he said in a breathless kind of way. ‘You look beautiful. Are you quite sure there isn’t a fairy godmother lurking around?’ He peered into the hallway as if searching for the mythical figure. ‘How else could you have made such a stunning transformation in such a short time?’

  ‘Well, maybe she turns out for the odd emergency.’ She smiled at him. ‘You look terrific,’ she murmured, giving him an appreciative glance. His grey suit was immaculate, finished off with a silk waistcoat and matching grey silk tie. ‘I didn’t really expect to see you here this afternoon after what I said to you earlier.’

  He made a vague gesture with his shoulders. ‘I guessed you were under a bit of a strain. We all say things we regret sometimes. Anyway, I was pretty sure you would change your mind about going.’

  ‘What gave you that idea?’

  ‘Keeping the family peace is important to you. Besides, I knew you wouldn’t let your mother down, not when she’s in hospital wanting to know what’s going on.’

  She laughed. ‘You’re right about that. Thanks for turning up.’

  He gave her a crooked smile. ‘We’ll put in an appearance, then, if only to eat the canapés and drink the wine?’

  ‘That sounds okay to me.’

  ‘Good. The taxi’s here already.’

  She collected her bag and a light jacket then went with him to the waiting cab. ‘Will your brother be coming to the wedding?’ she asked. ‘I haven’t seen him around.’

  He nodded. ‘He’s at the studios going over the screenplay for Murder Mysteries but he’ll come straight from there.’

  They arrived at the church in time to be seated by the ushers; in the hushed atmosphere, Caitlin’s gremlins came back in full force. She had to steel herself against a rising tide of panic. She would not faint, she would not be sick, she wouldn’t make a fool of herself by breaking out in a sweat... No way...this couldn’t be happening...

  Brodie reached out to her, covering her fingers with his palm. ‘It’s okay, you’re doing fine,’ he said softly. His voice and that reassuring touch of his hand on hers helped to calm her. ‘Just think how many generations of families have married in this church. Weren’t your parents married here?’

  She nodded. ‘Were yours?’

  ‘Yes.’ He looked around, frowning at something, and she saw that his brother had entered the church. The usher was showing Brodie’s father and him to a seat a few rows behind theirs. She felt Brodie stiffen.

  ‘You still haven’t managed to make up with your father?’ she asked in a whisper.

  ‘No.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I thought you might have had a chance to talk by now. Maybe you could have another go at the reception? A family occasion like this might be the ideal time for you to get together and patch things up.’

  ‘Maybe, though I think it’ll take more than a patch to mend things between us.’

  The wedding service passed in a blur for Caitlin. Jenny looked beautiful in ivory silk, and Matt was tall and elegant in his tailored grey suit and silver cravat. Watching them, she felt a lump form in her throat, a sadness welling up in her for what might have been. A sick feeling burgeoned inside her.

  Brodie clasped her hand firmly as they stood to sing the hymns. He wasn’t about to let her sway or lose control and she would be eternally grateful to him for that.

  At last the service was over and they went outside to pose for photographs. She gulped in a lungful of fresh air. Brodie’s arm went around her waist and she glanced up at him briefly, reading the intent, unmistakeable message in his gaze. He would be there for her. She was safe. She gave him a faint, answering smile and, when she looked away a moment or two later, feeling calmer, she saw that Matt was watching her, a bemused, quizzical expression on his face.

  Yes, it was perfectly true, she was safe...for now, at least.

  They went on from the church to a hotel where a wedding banquet had been prepared for them. Everything was beautifully set out with lovely flower arrangements as centrepieces on the dressed tables and soft floor-length drapes at the windows reflecting the silver-and-lilac colour scheme.

  ‘Have something to eat...you’ll feel better for it.’ Brodie wasn’t listening to any excuses about not being hungry as they sat down at their allotted table. He tempted her with delicate morsels of crispy confit duck and delicious forkfuls of beetroot carpaccio flavoured with lemon, dill and finely chopped red onion. He held them teasingly to her lips until she capitulated.

  ‘All right, all right,’ she laughed. ‘I’ll eat.’ She glanced at all that was on offer. ‘It looks wonderful,’ she admitted.

  David and Brodie’s father were seated close by but, although the brothers spoke to one another in a relaxed fashion, the tension between Brodie and his father was noticeable. The older man was straight-backed, uncomfortable, speaking in monosyllabic tones, while Brodie for his part seemed guarded. He tried several times to open up a conversation with his father but the result was stilted and went nowhere. Caitlin watched them cautiously, slowly sipping her red wine.

  Eventually, to her relief, the dinner and the speeches were over and it was time for music and dancing. Matt and Jenny started things off with the first waltz then Brodie took Caitlin’s hand in his and led her on to the dance floor.

  He drew her into his arms and held her close. ‘I’ve been wanting to do this, it seems, like for ever,’ he murmured. ‘You’re gorgeous, Caity, irresistible. And you’ve been so brave—I wanted to hold you tight and tell you everything was going to be fine. You’re doing really well.’

  She was glad of his embrace just then. It saved her from thinking about Matt and Jenny whirling around the dance floor locked in each other’s arms. ‘I couldn’t have done any of this without you,’ she said with a rueful frown. ‘I think I’d still be at the hospital with Jason, if it wasn’t for you.’

  He made a wry smile. ‘I’m sorry if I upset you back then. Matt’s a fool for going off with someone else. I can’t imagine why he would behave that way—you’re beautiful and fun to be with and I can’t think what went wrong between you to make him do that. I hate to see you hurting, Caitlin, but I wanted to shake you out of your negative state of mind. You wouldn’t have felt right if you’d backed off.’

  ‘Maybe not.’ She gave in to the flow of the music and succumbed to the lure of his arms as he swept her around the dance floor. He held her easily, close but not too close, their bodies brushing tantalisingly as they moved to the rhythm of the band.

  Perhaps it was the warming effect of the wine but it wasn’t long before she found herself relaxing, wanting more, wanting to lean in to him and feel the safety of his arms wrapped even more securely around her.

  ‘I think you should let me take a turn around the floor with Caity,’ David said, coming over to them as the musicians took a break. He looked his brother in the eye. ‘Yo
u’ve had her to yourself for long enough.’ He glanced back at the seating area. ‘Besides, it’s time you had another go at talking to Dad.’

  Brodie frowned, giving way reluctantly to his younger brother. ‘Two minutes,’ he said. ‘That’s all you’re getting.’

  ‘As if.’ David’s retort was short and to the point.

  ‘Wow, what it is to be popular,’ Caitlin said with a smile as David took her hand in his. The music changed to disco style and they moved in time to the beat opposite one another. She shot a quick look to where Brodie and his father stood side by side. ‘I don’t understand what went wrong between them. They were always uneasy with one another, I know that, but it was so much worse when he turned fifteen. And then, after your mother died, the animosity spiralled out of control.’ She shook her head in bewilderment. ‘Do you think they’ll ever sort things out?’

  ‘I suppose it’s possible, now that Brodie’s come back to the village to stay—at least for a while. He’s never been one for putting down roots, has he? But that’s probably down to the way things were back when he was a teenager. In a way, he’s out of sync with the world and he can’t seem to find his place in it. He can’t settle but he can’t move on because nothing feels right.’

  She shook her head. ‘None of that makes any sense to me.’

  ‘No, well, it’s up to Brodie to explain, I think. I wouldn’t want to step in and cause even more chaos by trying to fathom what goes on in his mind. All I know is things won’t be right with Brodie until he and Dad find some kind of closure.’

  They danced for a while then David offered to go and get her a glass of wine from the bar. A late-evening buffet had been set out and there was a mouth-watering selection of food on display. Suddenly hungry, she chose a selection of West Country beef, mixed salad and warm, buttered new potatoes.

  ‘You’re feeling better, I see,’ Brodie murmured, coming to stand alongside her and filling his plate with savoury tart, a charcuterie of meats, prosciutto, duck liver pâté and sausage, along with ricotta cheese.

  ‘Yes, much better,’ she said, surprised at herself. ‘It’s all down to wine, good food and the company, I expect.’

  His gaze moved over her. ‘Especially the company, I hope?’

  She smiled. ‘Of course.’ She dipped her fork into a summer-berry meringue and revelled in the combination of sweet and tart flavours as the dessert melted on her tongue. They chatted for a while, enjoying the food, drinking wine and sharing reminiscences with David when he returned to the buffet table.

  ‘I’m supposed to go and dance with the bridesmaids,’ David said, draining his glass and placing it down on a tray. ‘Jenny’s orders. I think the blonde has the hots for me...except it could be simply that she’s hoping to get a part in Murder Mysteries.’ He squared his shoulders. ‘Ah, well; a man has to do what a man has to do...’

  They laughed and watched him go. ‘Shall we go outside and get some air in the garden?’ Brodie suggested when they had finished eating. ‘I’ve been to a function here before—the terrace is lovely at this time of night. You can wander along the pathways and breathe in the night-scented flowers.’

  ‘Okay, that sounds good.’ She walked with him to the open doors that led out on to the balustraded terrace. It was, as he said, lovely, with soft, golden lighting and the fragrance of wisteria that bloomed in profusion against the wall. Further away from the building, alongside the pathways, were occasional trellises covered with honeysuckle and flowerbeds where sprawling nicotiana gave up its perfume.

  As they walked, he put his arm around her and she loved the feeling of closeness. The night air was warm and full of promise. It would be all too easy to fall for Brodie, she conceded. He was attentive, supportive and he had the knack of boosting her confidence when she needed it most. But he wasn’t the staying kind, was he? He’d never been one for commitment.

  ‘How did you get on with your father?’ she asked. ‘I saw you talking to him. He seemed to have lightened up a bit.’

  ‘He’s had a drink or two. I guess that’s the key to loosening him up and getting him to overlook my shortcomings, although he’s never going to feel for me the same way he feels for David. He always favoured him.’ He said it without rancour, as a statement of fact. ‘When David came along the world was a brighter place and my father expected me to watch over him and keep him safe.’

  She sent him a quick look. ‘You didn’t seem to mind doing that.’

  ‘I didn’t, not at all. We fought sometimes, we got into scrapes, but we were brothers. I think the world of him and I’d do anything for him.’ His expression became sombre. ‘My one regret was that I had to leave him behind when I left home. David didn’t forgive me for a long time. He hated that I’d left.’

  ‘I liked the way you took it on yourself to watch out for him. I’m sure he knew you weren’t left with much of a choice but to go away, back then.’

  She looked up at him as they stopped in the shade of a spreading oak tree. Moonlight filtered through its branches, casting them in a silvery glow. She leaned back against the broad trunk of the tree and he stood in front of her, sliding one arm around her waist.

  She’d always liked him—wanted him, even—but always there had been this wariness whenever she was with him. Perhaps it was her youth that had held her back from him in those far-away days, the knowledge that he was at odds with the world, always in trouble, yet he didn’t seem to care... There had been that element of danger about him. There still was. Being with him set her on a path of uncertainty—a path that could surely only lead to heartbreak because she still yearned for him. Even as she gazed up into his eyes and read the desire glittering in their fiery depths she recognised the folly of what she was contemplating.

  ‘Caity,’ he murmured, lifting a hand to brush her cheek gently. ‘You’re so lovely. You take my breath away.’

  He bent his head towards her, his face so close to her that his lips were just a whisper away from hers. She longed to have him kiss her but she was confused, her emotions a maelstrom of doubt and insecurity. This day had started off with so many echoes of unhappy feelings, she didn’t know how she could have come so far to wanting this...

  A soft sound drifted on the night air, a footfall on the path just a short distance away, and as she looked out into the shadows she became aware of Jenny and Matt walking along the path, talking quietly to one another. They paused and stopped to gaze up at the moon.

  Caitlin closed her eyes to shut out the image and then looked back at Brodie. His gaze was dark with yearning, smoky with desire; in that instant she lost herself, caught up in the flow of that heated current. She needed his strength right then, his powerful arms around her, everything that meant shelter and protection from the outside world. She ran her fingers up over his chest, lacing them around the strong column of his neck.

  His kiss was gentle, coaxing, a slow, glorious exploration of everything she had to offer. His lips brushed hers, the tip of his tongue lightly, briefly, tracing the full curve of her mouth, seeking her response. She kissed him in return and in a feverish surge of passion he drew her close, easing her into the welcoming warmth of his taut, muscular thighs.

  Her soft curves meshed with his hard, masculine frame and a ragged sigh escaped her, breaking in her throat. He kissed her thoroughly, desperately, his hands moving over her in an awed, almost reverent journey of discovery.

  ‘Brodie...’ She didn’t know what she wanted to say...just his name was enough. She wanted him, needed him, longed for him to make her his.

  And yet...wasn’t he too strong, too male, too much of a driving force that would sweep her up and carry her along with him until he had done with her and was ready to move on? Perhaps she had always cared too much... She’d cared for Matt and he’d walked all over her; she cared for Brodie and he would eventually push her away. Could she handle that rejection, that awful nothingness that was bound to come?

  But, then again, why shouldn’t she experience once and fo
r all the joy that was his to give, theirs to share, a memory to cherish for all time? She needed him, craved his touch. Somehow in these last few heated moments she had lost all sense of caution, thrown inhibition to waft on the night breeze.

  ‘Caitlin?’ He spoke softly, urgently. ‘I want you; you know that, don’t you?’

  She nodded, her gaze fixed on him, intent. ‘Yes. I want you too.’ It was a whisper.

  A soft gasp escaped him. ‘I don’t want you to regret anything that happens between us... Do you understand what I’m saying?’

  ‘Of course.’ Her eyes widened, becoming luminous with unshed tears. ‘Of course I understand. But why are you saying this?’ Why was he bringing it out into the open, making her think about what she wanted to keep back?

  ‘I know you only kissed me because Matt was there on the path with Jenny,’ he said. ‘I know why you did it and that’s all right. I’m okay with that. I can handle it—at least, I think I can.’

  He cupped her face lightly in his hands. ‘And I know that you want me too, if only for the moment. But I need you to be sure about what you’re doing. I have feelings too, you know. You mean too much to me, and I don’t want to ruin what we have by sweeping you off your feet and then having you regret it.’

  ‘I didn’t set out to do this.’ Her hands were trembling as she drew them back down his chest. ‘I didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m sorry,’ she whispered brokenly. Tears trickled down her cheeks. ‘Have...have they gone?’

  He nodded. ‘They’ve gone.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said again. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry, Brodie.’

  ‘Maybe there’s a chance you could change your mind?’ His dark eyes were brooding.

  ‘No, there isn’t.’ She looked up at him, her whole body shaking. ‘I can’t do this.’