Diagnosis

by Lucy Clark

  ‘What’s next?’

  ‘I’ll ring the car rental place in the morning and see if I can get a lead on whether or not it was you who hired the car.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘I’ve also contacted the hospital where you work and they have you down as being on leave until Thursday next week. Apparently, you have a big international meeting next Wednesday evening so I’ll be contacting the American Consulate to find out what we need to do about getting you a new passport.’

  ‘OK.’ So that was why no one had raised the alarm. She’d been missing for almost a whole day and as far as she knew, or as far as Wil was telling her, no one had missed her because she wasn’t due to be missed. ‘Thanks for that information.’ Charli closed her eyes, feeling dejected, miserable and alone. ‘What about my mother? Was the hospital able to give you a contact number for my mother?’

  ‘Yes. I was just coming to that. I’ve called and left a message on her answering machine. I’m just hoping she’ll get back to me.’

  ‘Good.’ Charli told him about the few things she’d remembered and he agreed to make it his top priority. ‘Thanks, Wil. I really appreciate your help.’

  ‘Well…uh…it’s my job.’

  There was silence on the line for a moment and Charli felt another round of apprehension wash over her. ‘Was there anything else?’

  ‘Er…yes.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Er…how are things going at Logan’s?’

  She sighed as she realised he was asking as a concerned friend, rather than from a police point of view. It was a nice gesture so she didn’t bandy words when she answered. ‘Good. He’s quite bossy and his kids are really noisy, but apart from that…’ She trailed off when Wil began to laugh.

  ‘OK. I’ll leave you to it, then, and I’ll keep you informed.’

  ‘Thanks. I’d appreciate it.’ She handed the phone back to Logan who spoke to his friend for a few more minutes, walking out of the room so Charli couldn’t hear what they were saying. When he returned, he found her putting their cups into the dishwasher.

  ‘I’ve just thought of something else.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘You don’t have any clothes or a toothbrush or hair things.’

  ‘No. The thought had crossed my mind earlier and…money is an issue, too.’

  Logan nodded. ‘I think I can solve some of your immediate problems at least.’

  He stepped back and appraised her, making her feel immediately self-conscious.

  ‘You’re about the same size as my sister-in-law. Come with me.’

  She followed him down the hallway, watching in surprise as he stopped to check on both children. ‘Owen’s out to the world and Trinity’s pretending,’ he whispered, before continuing down to the spare room. He opened a cupboard door to reveal a rack of women’s clothes. ‘These were Alison’s. You’re welcome to borrow them while you’re here.’

  ‘You didn’t want to get rid of them when she died?’

  ‘Look around this room.’ There were boxes stacked neatly in the corner with labels on which said ‘Shoes’, ‘Clothes’, ‘Misc.’. ‘These are all things for the kids so if they want to know more about their parents, they can. Trevor’s trophies for athletics, Alison’s hairdryer and curling wand. They shouldn’t be denied their roots.’

  Charli was amazed. She glanced around the room and then back to Logan. ‘You’re a nice man, Logan Hargraves.’

  Her tone was so soft, so genuine that Logan was surprised to find her words tapping at the door to his heart. He gruffly cleared his throat and broke eye contact immediately. ‘I just do what needs to be done.’ He walked over to where the ceiling vent was and opened it. ‘That will let some heat through. The room should warm up soon. I’ll get some sheets for the bed and some towels because you’ll probably be wanting a shower.’ Logan headed for the door. ‘I’ll see if I can find an extra toothbrush. I’m sure I bought some new ones a few weeks ago but Trin put the shopping away and I’m not quite sure where they ended up.’ He grinned, his gaze meeting Charli’s once more, and he felt an instant wave of discomfort settle over him. Did she have to look at him like that?

  She was all dreamy and misty-eyed and her blonde hair fell slightly across her face, which made his fingers itch to tuck it behind her ear. It was as though she could see right through him, right through the walls he’d built around his heart over the years, and with one little look he could feel those walls starting to crumble.

  He cleared his throat again and looked away. ‘Be right back.’ He had to stop himself from sprinting down the hallway, wanting to escape as quickly as he could. What was it about her that made him feel this way? He liked her. He thought she was attractive yet for some reason he didn’t want Charli Summerfield looking on him as some sort of knight in shining armour when he just wasn’t.

  He did what needed to be done—and that was all.

  Nothing heroic. Nothing superheroish. Just…reliable.

  Logan pulled the items he needed from the linen cupboard and returned to the spare room. ‘Here you are.’ He put the things on the end of the bed. ‘I’ll go find that toothbrush,’ he said, and raced from the room again.

  In the kitchen he braced his hands on the bench and forced himself to take some deep breaths. ‘Toothbrush. Think toothbrush,’ he muttered to himself.

  ‘Daddy?’ Trinity’s soft, unsure voice made him jump sky high. ‘Daddy?’ This time her query was one of puzzlement as she looked at him in surprise.

  ‘Sorry, sweetheart. I was in another world.’ He beckoned her forward. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I can’t sleep.’

  ‘Hmm. Why not?’

  ‘Because my tummy’s sore.’

  ‘Have you been to the toilet?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Logan picked her up and carried her to the bench stool and sat, gently smoothing the hair out of her face. ‘What’s been happening at school?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘That nothing is happening at school? I would have thought you might be doing some work, playing with your friends.’

  ‘Dad!’ She gave him a soft pat. ‘I don’t mean that.’

  ‘Everything’s all right at school?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then at home? Has Owen been annoying you?’

  ‘He always annoys me.’

  ‘He’s a boy.’

  ‘Will he grow out of it?’

  Logan smiled. ‘Probably not.’

  ‘Who’s the lady who’s here? Is she your girlfriend?’

  As far as Logan was concerned, the question had come totally from left field and for a moment he simply sat there, stunned. ‘Er…no, princess. I hardly know her.’

  ‘Then she’s a stranger. You said we weren’t supposed to talk to strangers.’

  ‘She’s my patient, Trin.’

  ‘She talks funny.’

  ‘She’s from a different country.’

  ‘She’s pretty.’

  ‘Yes, she is.’

  ‘So you like her, then?’

  Logan laughed. ‘I told you. I hardly know her, and for that matter she hardly knows herself. Charli has amnesia. It means she can’t remember who she is or where she lives or what happened yesterday.’

  Trinity nodded solemnly. ‘That’s hard. It’s just like me when I can’t remember my mum and dad.’

  ‘In a way, but you’ve got me and Grandma and Grandad to tell you all about your mum and dad so you know how much they both loved you.’

  ‘And Charli doesn’t have anyone to help her?’

  ‘That’s why she’s here.’

  ‘So we can help her?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Trinity yawned and he hoped that what had been bothering her was now dealt with and she could settle down to sleep. ‘I’ll help, too, Dad.’

  ‘That would be nice and I know one way you can start. Do you remember where you put
the toothbrushes I bought the other week?’

  ‘The new ones?’

  Logan smiled and nodded.

  ‘I put them in the cupboard in the bathroom.’

  ‘Of course you did. Thank you, sweetheart. Now, off to bed.’

  ‘Tuck me in?’ Trinity yawned again and Logan stood and carried her back to her room. He placed her on her bed and pulled the covers up before kissing her on the cheek.

  ‘Sweet dreams, princess. Love you.’

  ‘Love you, too, Dad.’ Her eyes had closed and she reached out for her favourite toy to cuddle. Logan smiled down at her before turning and heading out of the room. He went straight to the bathroom and opened the door, only to be met by a yelp from Charli who was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor in her underwear.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled as she grabbed the towel off the rack and held it in front of her. With his hand still on the doorknob, he turned and headed out again, closing it firmly behind him. ‘Sorry,’ he said again and stood stock still, unable to move as the mental image of Charli Summerfield practically naked replayed over and over in his mind in a recurring pattern.

  He closed his eyes, his grip tightening on the doorknob as he fought to control it. Push it from your mind and check on the kids, was the command that came back. Dragging in a breath, he forced his legs to move and his hand to finally let go. He walked away, checked on the children and then walked directly outside into the brisk evening air.

  The coldness hit him with force but it was exactly what he needed. Logan raked a hand through his hair several times as he stood outside. What was a man to do? Her body was…perfection, her underwear was colourful and sexy and the way her hair fell across her pink cheeks was…was…heaven.

  The shocked and embarrassed expression he’d briefly witnessed in her eyes completed the picture and he cursed his mind for being able to pick out every little detail after one brief second of looking at her. He felt awful for invading her privacy but it had been an honest mistake. She could just have easily walked in on him.

  That thought sent him into overdrive and, although he had his own en suite, he decided one of the things to add to his shopping list tomorrow was to buy locks for the bathroom and toilet doors.

  Dragging in a few more breaths, he felt calm enough to enter the house once more. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He added milk and sugar and sipped it, feeling the warmth flow through him.

  When he’d suggested she come home with him, he’d expected Wil to have notified him of a bed and breakfast or hotel room where Charli had been registered. Instead…nothing. Nothing but a car, which they didn’t even know for sure had been hired out to her.

  Now Charli was not only clueless as to who she was or how she came to be here, she was also homeless. Medically, it was good that she was here for the night. He could monitor her, but he had to admit she seemed perfectly fine to him…in more ways than one.

  He shook his head, clearing it of the thought. She was his patient and a guest in his home. She was in trouble, she needed help and he would give it. It should only take a few days to sort things out and then she would be winging her way back to the States and out of his life for ever. A few days. He could do this. He had to. The risk of becoming strongly attracted to a woman who lived on the other side of the world was not one he wanted to take. He had responsibilities here—responsibilities he was more than happy to shoulder—and Charli definitely didn’t fit into those plans.

  Sure, she was gorgeous. He wouldn’t deny that. And, yes, it had been a long time since he’d been out on a date or even socialised with a woman so, of course, his hormones would zoom into overdrive. But he was a grown man and one who had learned to control those hormones years ago.

  He took another sip of his coffee, feeling more relaxed, more in control and more like himself than he had ten minutes ago.

  ‘Hi.’

  Logan looked up to see Charli in the doorway, her hair falling softly around her face, her teeth nipping at her lower lip and her body covered from wrist to neck to ankle in flannelette pyjamas. He swallowed slowly, his control vanishing into thin air.

  She looked soft and cosy and cuddly. His hands gripped his coffee mug tighter as she crossed to his side. ‘I’m beat.’

  Logan’s mouth seemed to be full of cotton wool and he swallowed again, trying to get his vocal cords to work. ‘I’ll, um…’ He stopped, cleared his throat and tried once more. ‘I’ll get that toothbrush for you. Trin said they’re in the bathroom cupboard.’

  ‘Oh. I found it. Thank you. I was looking for some soap,’ she added by way of explanation.

  ‘Good.’ The silence surrounded them and Logan forced himself to think normally. ‘Uh…do you have a headache? Need some paracetamol or something else? How’s your body temperature? Are you warm enough?’

  ‘I’m quite warm, thank you. Actually, two paracetamol would be great.’

  Logan immediately opened a high cupboard door and took out a first-aid kit. ‘Here you are,’ he said, and put a packet of tablets on the edge of the bench. There was no way he could risk handing them to her in case they accidentally touched. He was far too aware of this woman and he wanted it to stop.

  ‘Is that all you need?’ She moved into the room and took the tablets off the bench. ‘Wait here and I’ll get the sphygmo so I can check your blood pressure.’

  ‘No, Logan.’ Charli shook her head quickly. ‘It’s fine. Really. Apart from being tired with a slight headache, I’m surprised at how good I feel.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘OK, but I will be checking on you during the night.’ She’s your patient. She’s your patient. He kept repeating the words to himself, hoping they would sink in.

  Charli knew this was procedure. She knew, as a doctor, that he needed to check on her, but the thought of Logan coming into her room in the middle of the night to see if she was all right didn’t do much for her equilibrium.

  She nodded and then shrugged. ‘Well…good night, then, and…and…er…thank you.’ She crossed to his side and, rising up on tiptoe, she placed one hand on his shoulder, urging him down a little before she placed a light, feathery kiss on his cheek. ‘See you in the morning.’

  With that, she turned and left.

  One instant she was there, and the next she was gone.

  Logan couldn’t move. How on earth was he supposed to sleep now?

  After a restless night, where he prowled the confines of his bedroom, checked on Charli and the children three times and managed a whole hour of sleep…at least he thought he’d slept…Logan was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and his temper in check as he rushed his kids through their morning routine.

  So far there had been no sign of Charli and when he’d checked on her at five o’clock, she’d been sound asleep, curled up into a small little ball beneath the blankets, breathing peacefully. Logan sat down at the table, coffee cup in hand, once he’d walked the kids down the road to school. His clinic started in fifteen minutes, which gave him fifteen extra minutes to doze.

  He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on easing the tension in his trapezius. It was where he put all his stress and he could really use a good massage right about now. He wasn’t used to the sleeplessness any more. When he’d been training, yes, but now, after five years of being a rural GP where some days he had no patients booked in his clinic and other times when he was flat-strap, he wasn’t used to having sleepless nights. The last one he could remember had been when Owen had cut his last tooth.

  This time, though, his sleep deprivation was caused by one person—Charli. Logan certainly hoped Wil had some positive news today because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could carry on with Charli sleeping under the same roof. Naturally, he would exercise control. She was in turmoil, she was upset and confused, and the last thing she needed was a romantic entanglement, which would only compound the matter even further.

  The sound of a spoon
dropping made Logan raise his head, and he looked around to find Charli at the kitchen bench. She was dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a pale pink cotton shirt, the shoes she’d worn yesterday on her feet. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she looked about eighteen years old. He felt his gut tighten once more.

  ‘Sorry. I was trying not to disturb you.’

  ‘Uh…it’s OK.’ He glanced at the clock. ‘I need to get to clinic anyway.’ He stood and took his cup to the sink. He tipped the remains down the drain and put the cup in the dishwasher. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked as he walked towards the door.

  ‘Really good. I had a great sleep and feel refreshed.’

  ‘Glad to hear it.’ He hesitated a moment before saying, ‘Remember anything in your dreams?’

  Charli sighed. ‘No.’ She frowned at him and then looked away.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Charli, just say what you need to say. Something’s wrong, so come on—out with it.’

  ‘Out with it?’ She looked at him in amazement. ‘Who do you think I am, Logan? A seven-year-old girl?’

  He closed his eyes, realising his attitude wasn’t helping. ‘Sorry. You’re right.’ He raked a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He opened his eyes and looked at her. The pink in her shirt made her blue eyes seem more vibrant, if that was at all possible. Focus! ‘What is it that’s bothering you?’

  ‘How do you know something’s bothering me?’

  ‘You seem a little…jittery.’

  ‘I feel a little jittery. I can’t explain it but I just don’t want to be left alone.’

  He nodded. ‘That’s understandable. You can’t remember who you are so you need company or else you’ll be left alone with your blank thoughts.’

  ‘Exactly.’ She looked down into her coffee cup, hesitating to meet his gaze. Finally she did, and as Logan smiled at her she felt her courage return. ‘I was wondering if I could come over and sit in the clinic with your mother?’

  ‘Uh…sure. I don’t perceive a problem there.’ She saw a spark of humour in his gaze as he said, ‘You can discuss the merits of updating the waiting-room magazines.’

  ‘Yes.’ Charli didn’t know why but she felt instantly better. She didn’t have to be alone.