by Sue MacKay
‘I’ll feed Adam dinner, then.’
Flynn sighed. ‘I owe you. Again.’
Marie chuckled. ‘Get over yourself. I love having him.’
Yeah, she did, but that didn’t make everything right. For Adam. Or for him.
William lived ten minutes away and halfway there Flynn decided he should’ve rung first to make sure the man was at home and not at the club, enjoying a beer. William didn’t know it yet, but beer would be off the menu for a while.
William opened his front door on the third knock, and appeared taken aback to find Flynn on his doorstep after dark. ‘Doc, what’s up?’
‘Can I come in for a minute?’
William’s eyes shifted sideways. ‘What you want to tell me?’
The man was ominously pale. He hadn’t been like that earlier. ‘Let me in and we’ll discuss it.’ From the state of William’s breathing and speech, Flynn knew there’d be a bottle of whisky on the bench. That wouldn’t be helping the situation. ‘It’s important.’
With a sigh the older man stepped back, hauling the door wide at the same time. ‘I haven’t done the housework this week, Doc, so mind where you step.’
This week? Flynn tried not to breathe too deeply, and didn’t bother looking into the rooms they passed. It was all too obvious the man was living in squalor. He wasn’t coping with Edna’s passing, hadn’t since day one, and nothing Flynn or William’s daughter had done or said made the slightest bit of difference. The man had given up, hence Flynn’s visit. A phone call would never have worked. Besides, he needed to be with William as he absorbed the news.
In the kitchen William’s shaky hands fidgeted with an empty glass he’d lifted from the table. He didn’t look directly at Flynn, not even for a moment, but every few seconds his eyes darted sideways across the kitchen. Sure enough, an almost full whisky bottle was on the bench, as were three empty ones. How long had it taken for him to drink his way through those?
It would be too easy to tell the man some cold hard facts about his living conditions and his drinking, but Flynn couldn’t do it. He understood totally what it was like to lose the woman he loved more than life. He suspected if it hadn’t been for Adam and having to put on a brave face every single day, he might’ve made as big a mess of his own life after Anna had been killed. He still struggled with the sense of living a life mapped out by fate, one that held none of his choices.
Pulling out a chair, he indicated William should sit down. Then he straddled another one, not looking at the condition of the once beautiful brocade on the seat. ‘William, your test results have come back. They’re not good, I’m afraid.’
‘Figured that’d be why you’re here.’
‘The major concern is that you’ve had a cardiac incident. A heart attack, William.’
Rheumy eyes lifted to stare at him, but William said nothing, just shrugged.
‘You need to go to hospital tonight. They’ll run more tests and keep an eye on you until they find the cause of the attack.’
‘What else?’ William wheezed the question.
‘They’ll give you advice on diet and exercise.’ Things he’d have no inclination to follow. The same as with any advice he had given him.
‘I meant what other tests were bad?’
He was about to add to the man’s gloomy outlook, but couldn’t see a way around it. All he could hope for was that he shocked his patient into doing something about his lifestyle before it was too late. ‘Your cholesterol’s high, which probably explains your cardiac arrest. You’ve got diabetes and your liver’s not in good nick.’
‘I hit the jackpot, didn’t I?’ The sadness in William’s voice told how much he didn’t care any more. ‘I don’t suppose you went on a bender when you lost your wife, Doc.’
Yeah, he had. Just one huge bender, when he’d almost killed himself. Big enough and frightening enough to put him off ever doing it again. But he knew he still might’ve if it hadn’t been for Adam. ‘I couldn’t afford to, William.’
‘I get it. Your boy.’
‘You’ve got family who care about you, too.’ Flynn tried to think of something that might interest William in getting his act together, but nothing came to mind, apart from his daughter and grandkids. That had been tried before and William hadn’t run with it. ‘Now, don’t get upset, but I’ve ordered the ambulance to transfer you to hospital. It should be here any minute.’
‘I don’t need that. I can drive myself there.’
‘What if you have another heart attack and cause an accident that hurts someone?’
There was silence in the kitchen. Not a lot William could say to that. He was a decent man, unable to cope with a tragedy. He wasn’t reckless with other people.
‘I’ll wait here until you’re on your way. Want me to talk to your daughter?’ Working in the ED, he’d have phoned the cardiologist and had William wheeled to the ward, no argument. Patients were in the ED because someone recognised the urgency of their situation. Urgent meant urgent—not talking and cajoling. He missed that fast pace at times, but if he got William under way to getting well then he’d feel deep satisfaction.
‘After I’ve left. Don’t want her telling me off tonight.’ William stared around the kitchen, brought his gaze back to Flynn. ‘Don’t suppose I can have a whisky for the road.’
By the time Flynn finally made it home Adam was in his pyjamas and glued to the TV. ‘Hiya, Dad.’
‘Hello, my man.’ Tonight he couldn’t find it in him to make Adam stop watching—an Anna rule or not. Instead, he turned to Marie. ‘I appreciate you bringing him home.’
Marie was already buttoning up her coat, the gaps between the buttons splayed wide over her baby bulge. ‘Have you decided who’s going to look after Adam when my little one arrives?’ Marie was determined to look after Adam right up to the last minute. She’d also sorted through the numerous girls wanting to take her place until she was ready to take Adam back under her wing and had decided on two likely applicants.
‘Caught. I’ll get onto it.’ He pushed his fingers through his hair. ‘Tonight?’
‘Whenever.’ She laughed. ‘It’s not as though you’ll be left high and dry. Half the island would love to look after Dr Reynolds’s boy. Not just because he’s such a cute little blighter either. There’s a family likeness between father and son.’
‘Haven’t you got a husband waiting at home for his dinner?’ He wasn’t keen on dating any of the island’s females. Too close to home and work. Anyway, no one had caught his interest in the last two years. Not until Ally had got knocked over by Sheba, that was.
Ally wasn’t answering when he phoned after putting Adam to bed. She wasn’t answering her phone when he called at nine, after giving in to the tiredness dragging at his bones and sitting down to watch a crime programme on TV. She might’ve answered if he’d rung as he was going to bed at ten thirty, but he didn’t want her to think he was stalking her.
But she sure as hell stalked him right into bed. As he sprawled out under the covers he missed her not being there beside him, even though she’d never seen his bed, let alone lain in it. He stretched his legs wide to each side and got the same old empty spaces, only tonight they felt cold and lonely. Make that colder and lonelier. In his head, hot and sexy Ally with those brilliant hazel eyes was watching and laughing, teasing, playing with him. How was he supposed to remain aloof, for pity’s sake? He was only human—last time he looked.
Was this what happened when he hadn’t had sex for so long? Should he have been making an effort to find an obliging woman for a bit of relaxation and fun? He yawned.
Did Ally know she’d cranked up his libido? Yeah, it was quite possible she did, if the way the air crackled between them whenever they came within touching distance was any indication.
So follow up on it. Have some fun. Have sex. Have an affair with her. It would only be four weeks before Ally moved on. He wouldn’t disrupt Adam’s routine too much or for too long.
Flynn rolle
d over to punch his pillow and instead squashed his awakening reaction to the woman in his head. The air hissed out of his lungs as he grinned. That had to be a good sign for the future, didn’t it?
‘Morning, Ally,’ Megan called as she stepped through the front door of the clinic on Tuesday. ‘I see you’ve found the best coffee on the island already.’
‘First thing I do on any job.’ She sniffed the air appreciatively just to wind Megan up.
Scowling happily at her, Megan lifted her own container then asked, ‘What did you think of the movie?’
‘It was great. Nothing like a few vampires to fill in the evening.’ She’d bumped into the receptionist and her boyfriend as they’d been walking into the theatre. ‘Seeing you there made me feel I’d been living here for a while.’
Megan laughed. ‘Small towns are like that. Believe me, people around here will know what you had for dinner last night.’
‘Then they’ll be giving me lectures on healthy eating. Fried chicken and chips from Mrs Chook’s.’ It had been delicious, even if she should’ve been looking for a salad bar. In winter? Hey, being good about food could sometimes be highly overrated. Anyway, she’d wanted comfort food because when she had gone back to the flat after work she’d felt unusually out of sorts. Arrival day in a new place, yes, that was normal; every other day thereafter, never.
This nomadic life had been one of her goals ever since she’d left school and become independent of the welfare system. Those goals had been simple—earn the money to put herself through a nursing degree then support herself entirely with a job that she could give everything to but which wouldn’t tie her to one place. Along with that went to establish a life where she didn’t depend on anyone for anything, including friendship or love.
So far it had worked out fine. Sure, there were the days when she wondered if she could risk getting close to someone. She had no experience of being loved, unconditionally or any other way, so the risks would be huge for everyone involved. She had enough painful memories of being moved on from one family to the next to prove how unworthy of being loved she was. At unsettled moments like this those memories underlined why she never intended taking a chance on finding someone to trust with her heart. Sometimes she wondered if her heart really was only there to pump blood.
In the midwife’s room she dumped her bag and jacket, then wandered into the staffroom, surreptitiously on a mission to scope out Flynn, if he’d arrived. He must’ve, because suddenly her skin was warming up. Looking around the room, her eyes snagged with his where he sat on a chair balanced on two legs. She’d known he was there without seeing him. She’d felt an instant attraction before setting eyes on him. What was going on? Hadn’t she just been remembering why she wasn’t interested?
She took a gulp of coffee and spluttered as she burned her tongue. ‘That’s boiling.’
Concern replaced the heat in Flynn’s gaze and the front legs of the chair banged onto the tiled floor as he came up onto his feet. ‘You all right?’ He snatched a paper towel off the roll on the wall. ‘Here, spit it out.’
Taking the towel to wipe the dribble off her lips before he could, she muttered, ‘Too late, I swallowed it instantly.’ And could now feel it heating a track down her throat. ‘I forget to take the lid off every time.’ But usually she wasn’t distracted enough to forget to sip first. ‘Black coffee takes for ever to cool in these cardboard cups.’]
‘Slow learner, eh?’ That smile should be banned. Or bottled. Or kissed.
It sent waves of heat expanding throughout her body, unfurling a need so great she felt a tug of fear. What if she did give in to this almost overwhelming attraction? Could she walk away from it unscathed? Like she always did? This thing with Flynn didn’t feel the same as her usual trysts. There was something between them she couldn’t explain. But they wouldn’t be getting started. Staying remote would keep things on an even keel. You’re not lovable. Forget that and you’re toast.
‘I called you last night to ask how you felt about your first day here.’
So much for remote. He wasn’t supposed to play friendly after hours. ‘That explains one of two missed calls. I went to a movie and switched it off for the duration.’
Flynn looked awkward. ‘I rang twice.’
‘Did I miss something?’ Had one of her patients gone into labour? Or developed problems? Had Chrissie wanted to talk to her again? This wouldn’t look good for her if she had.
‘Relax. They were purely social calls.’
The way he drawled his words did everything but relax her. She managed through a dry mouth, ‘That’s all right, then.’ Highly intelligent conversation going on here, but she was incapable of much more right now. He shouldn’t be phoning her.
‘Ally, I was wondering—’
‘Morning, everyone.’ Jerome strolled in. ‘You came back for more, then, Ally?’
‘Yes.’ She shook her head to clear the heat haze. ‘Missed the ferry back to the mainland so thought I’d fill in my day looking after your pregnant patients,’ she joked pathetically.
Then Flynn asked, ‘How was Chrissie when you talked to her after school?’
She wondered what he’d been going to ask before Jerome had interrupted. ‘Resigned would best describe her attitude. But today might be a whole different story after a night thinking about it all.’ Ally dropped onto a chair and stared her coffee. ‘I hope she’s going to be all right.’ Chrissie still had to tell her mother. That’d be the toughest conversation of her young life.
‘Like I said, Angela will be very supportive.’ Flynn returned to his seat. ‘Marie was happy with her new midwife, by the way.’
Marie was happy with her boss and his boy, with the impending birth of her baby, with her husband, with the whole world. ‘I saw Adam for a few minutes when she came in. At least he’d stopped giggling.’
‘Ah, you missed the standing in the dog’s water bowl giggles, and the dollop of peanut butter on the floor right by Sheba’s nose giggles.’
She could picture Adam now, bent over, howling with laughter. ‘He’s one very happy little boy, isn’t he?’
Flynn’s smile slipped. Oops. What had she gone and done? Sadness filtered into his eyes and she wanted to apologise with a hug for whatever she’d managed to stir up, but she didn’t. Of course she didn’t. Hugging a man she’d only met two days ago and who was one of her bosses wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. She sipped coffee instead—which perversely had turned lukewarm—and waited for the meeting to get under way.
‘I see you had William admitted last night,’ Faye said as she joined them.
Flynn looked relieved he’d been diverted from answering what she’d thought had been a harmless question. He hurried to explain. ‘He’d had a cardiac event. Hardly surprising, given the way he’s been living.’
‘He’ll be seen by a counsellor while in hospital. Maybe they can make him see reason,’ Faye said. ‘Not that we all haven’t tried, I know.’
Flynn grimaced, his eyes still sad. ‘I’m hoping this is the wake-up shock required to get him back on track.’ He turned to Ally. ‘William’s wife succumbed to cancer last year.’
‘That’s terrible.’ She shuddered. See? Even if you got a good one, someone who never betrayed your trust, they still left you hurt and miserable. No wonder Flynn looked sad. He seemed to hold all his patients dear.
Jerome spoke up. ‘Ally, I believe you’re doing house calls today. One of your patients is Matilda Livingstone. This is her first pregnancy. Be warned she’s paranoid about something going wrong and will give you a million symptoms to sort through.’
Ally’s interest perked up. ‘Any particular reason for this behaviour?’
‘She has a paranoid mother who suffered three miscarriages in her time and only carried one baby full term. She’s fixated with making sure Matilda checks everything again and again. It’s almost as though she doesn’t want her daughter to have a stress-free pregnancy.’ Jerome shook his head, looking very puzzle
d.
‘Mothers, eh?’ She smiled, knowing her real thoughts about some mothers weren’t showing. Ironic, considering she spent her days working with mums—the loving kind. ‘Thanks for the nod. I’ll tread carefully.’
‘You know you’ve got the use of the clinic’s car for your rounds, don’t you?’ Flynn asked.
‘Sure do. I’m hoping it’s a V8 supercharged car with wide tyres and a triple exhaust.’
‘Red, of course.’ Flynn grinned.
Faye stood up. ‘Time to get the day cranking up. There seems to be a kindergarten lot of small children creating havoc in the waiting room.’
‘Toby’s doing vaccinations. For some reason, the mothers thought it better if they had them all done at the same time,’ Jerome explained. ‘Seems a bit much, considering that if one cries, they’ll all cry.’
Flynn stood up. ‘Who’s going to cry when they’ve got Toby? That man’s magic when it comes to jabbing a child.’ He turned to Ally. ‘I heard that you’re also no slug when it comes to drawing bloods. Chrissie was seriously impressed, even told Toby that he needs practice.’
‘So Toby’s magic doesn’t extend to older children?’ Chrissie was still a child in many ways, baby on the way or not. When they’d talked about her HCG result yesterday afternoon it had been difficult. One minute Chrissie had acted all grown up and the next Ally could picture her tucked up with her teddy and a thumb in her mouth as she watched cartoons on TV.
‘Sure it does, just not Chrissie. Has she mentioned when she might apprise her mother of the situation?’
‘I think never would be her preferred approach. But realistically she’s preparing herself. She did ask if I’d be present.’
‘How do you feel about that?’ Flynn asked.
‘Of course I’ll do it if that’s what she wants, but I’d have thought you, as the family doctor, should be the one to talk to Angela with her.’