Awakening the Shy Nurse

by Alison Roberts

  ‘You mean I look older?’ Hugh shrugged. ‘It’s the end of a three-weeker and we had some challenging passengers on board. Hypochondriacs, mostly. Very demanding ones.’

  He hadn’t enjoyed the last three weeks nearly as much as he usually enjoyed his job but maybe that was due to the fact that he’d enjoyed the previous cruise so much more than normal—up until the end of it, anyway. Because he had been sharing it with Lisa and that had made everything seem new and far more meaningful. He’d taken her to some of his favourite places. Worse, he’d taken her to his bed and the effect of sharing that with Lisa had been the same. New. Far more meaningful.

  But he’d been right to let her walk back to her own life without the complications that would have come if they’d tried to keep their connection. Lisa wasn’t the kind of woman who’d be happy to see him for an afternoon here or there when he happened to be in London. She deserved someone who could offer her the same kind of loyalty and commitment that she would give to someone she loved. The kind she was already committed to giving to Abby who—as she’d said herself—was the most important person in her life.

  It should have been a lot easier than this to have turned back to embrace the lifestyle that had been so perfect for the last couple of years. Not much more than a month ago he’d been looking forward to spending an afternoon with Carlotta in Barcelona. He could remember how much he had enjoyed kissing her and maybe that’s what he really needed to distract him. Hugh raised his hand to signal the waiter that he was ready to pay the bill for their lunch. Now they could go somewhere more appropriate for some more intimate time together.

  He found what he hoped was a seductive smile, although it felt rather more that he was leering at his companion.

  ‘You, on the other hand, look as gorgeous as ever, Carlotta. Shall we go somewhere more comfortable?’

  ‘Of course...’ But Carlotta was looking at his full glass. ‘You don’t want to finish your wine first?’

  ‘I think I might have gone off champagne.’ There were too many memories associated with it now, that was the problem, and every one of them included Lisa Phillips.

  So many wonderful memories, like the way she would glow with the pleasure and wonder of a new experience, like tasting champagne for the first time or soaking in a fabulous view or enjoying a delicious meal or...or...dear Lord...the way she used to look when she was coming apart in his arms...

  Man, it was hot here today. Hugh was wearing an open-necked shirt and yet he had an urge to loosen his tie or go in search of a sea breeze. Was his face as red as it felt? Surely he wasn’t blushing, the way Lisa had been unable to prevent herself doing so furiously when she was uncomfortable or embarrassed. Like the way her cheeks had gone such a bright colour after she’d told him she loved him and he hadn’t said it back...

  Okay...knowing that he’d hurt Lisa wasn’t such a good memory. But neither was the one that sprang to mind when Hugh opened his wallet to extract a note or two to leave a tip for their waiter. It was sad, he decided as he put his hand on Carlotta’s lower back to guide her between tables, that it only took one less than happy memory to take the shine off so many of the better ones.

  Carlotta slipped her arm around his waist as they left the restaurant and it was enough for him to stop and turn towards her. She put a hand on his cheek then and raised her face to kiss him. But Hugh found himself breaking the contact of their lips almost instantly. Lifting his head with a jerk.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘But I can’t... I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.’

  ‘I think I do.’ Carlotta’s smile was knowing. ‘I don’t know who she is, but I think it’s finally happened. You’ve fallen in love.’

  Hugh shook his head. ‘Nope. I did that once and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to do it again.’

  Carlotta’s gaze was full of sympathy now. ‘Oh, Hugh...it’s not something you can stop happening. You can fight it, of course. Walk away from it even. But you never know...walking away from it this time might be an even bigger mistake than choosing the wrong person the first time.’ She touched his cheek again before walking away with a wave. ‘Thanks for lunch, Hugh. And best of luck...’

  It wasn’t far back to the ship and Hugh walked briskly despite the heat of the Spanish afternoon. Simon was at his usual place at the bottom of the gangway, although it was only staff he was welcoming back on board today. The passengers from this cruise had all disembarked this morning.

  ‘Hey, Hugh...how’s it going? Happy to have a day off?’

  ‘I’ve got a few days off this time. I’m thinking of grabbing a flight to London and visiting my folks.’

  By the time he reached the marble-floored atrium, where Harry’s piano was deserted and silent, the idea of escaping the ship for a few days had become so appealing that Hugh went towards one of the desks where he knew someone could help him make his travel arrangements. Everyone on board relied on Sally to answer any questions because she’d been in the business for so long she seemed to know everything. If she couldn’t give you the answer herself, she always knew where to find it.

  Hugh wasn’t the only one with a query this afternoon. The ship’s captain was ahead of him and as Hugh got closer he was startled to hear what the captain was saying.

  ‘I’m sure her name was Lisa. She was wearing scrubs under her sou’wester, so I assume she was working in the medical centre. It was the night of that storm.’

  ‘Oh, I remember.’ Sally nodded. ‘That was some storm. Now...let me look and see if I can find who she was.’

  ‘Lisa Phillips,’ Hugh told them. ‘She was just a locum nurse—only with us for the one cruise.’

  Just...? Lisa could never be “just” anything. She was an extraordinary human being, that’s what she was...and Carlotta was right. He was in love with her. She had been in love with him and had been brave enough to tell him. And he had thrown that back in her face. Even if he’d had good reason, which he’d believed he did, it was a horrible thing to have done. He hadn’t even said goodbye to her, had he?

  ‘Well, I need her address,’ the captain said. ‘I’ve got a rather large cheque to forward.’

  Hugh blinked. Sally looked curious as well. ‘Whatever for?’ she asked.

  ‘Someone lost their wallet during that storm. This Lisa found it and handed it in. Well, she bumped into me and asked me where she could find someone from Security and I said I’d look after it for her. We tracked down the owner once things had settled down and, after he got home, he was so impressed that the wallet had still had a rather ill-advised amount of cash in it that he thought the person who’d found it deserved a reward.’

  Hugh’s breath caught in his throat. Lisa not only deserved an apology from him, she deserved the reward of that cheque. And... it gave him a perfect excuse to see her again.

  He cleared his throat. ‘I’m about to head to London for a day or two,’ he said. ‘I could deliver it personally, perhaps, if she’s not too far away?’

  ‘Marvellous idea.’ The captain handed him the envelope. ‘Get some flowers to go with it, lad, and tell her that we all appreciate her honesty. She’s done our reputation a power of good.’

  Sally was beaming. ‘Let me find her address in the system for you. Ooh, I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you turn up on her doorstep. Won’t she be thrilled?’

  * * *

  Abby glared at the man on the doorstep.

  She hadn’t needed his introduction.

  ‘I know who you are,’ she said. ‘Lisa’s working late but even if she was home I’m pretty damn sure she wouldn’t want to see you.’

  Mind you, this ship’s doctor was a lot cuter in real life than in that photo on the website. He also had a massive bunch of flowers in his arms and an expression in those rather gorgeous brown eyes that looked...nervous?

  The flowers—and the
man—were getting rapidly wetter as they stood there in the pouring rain but Abby suddenly had misgivings about whether sending this unexpected visitor instantly on his way was the right thing to do. Hadn’t she wanted the opportunity to give him a piece of her mind about how he had treated her sister?

  ‘You’d better come in for a minute,’ she said ungraciously. ‘I don’t want those flowers dripping all over my lap.’ Abby swung her chair around and headed for the kitchen. ‘Put them in the sink,’ she ordered. ‘I’ll deal with them later.’

  He did as he was told, which was gratifying. But then he gave her a grin that was cheeky enough to disarm her completely.

  ‘And there I was thinking that Lisa was the bossy sister,’ he said.

  Abby couldn’t help a huff of laughter escaping. ‘She is. It’s actually very out of character for me to be rude but...’

  ‘But...?’

  ‘I don’t like you,’ Abby told him bluntly. ‘You’ve made my sister miserable.’

  ‘I’m really sorry about that. Maybe this will cheer her up.’

  Hugh took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Abby, who opened it. Her jaw dropped when she saw the amount the cheque was written out for. By the time Hugh had explained what it was for, she had a lump in her throat that made it difficult to swallow.

  ‘She only took that job on the ship because she was desperate for a bit of extra money,’ she told Hugh. ‘Because of me... She got a loan to get a specially modified car for me but it was a real struggle for her to meet the payments, especially when she had to find a new job after being made redundant. She even missed a mortgage payment on the house—I opened a threatening letter from the bank when she was away, which was really scary. Anyway...’ She put the cheque back into its envelope, so that Lisa could get the same surprise that she’d had. ‘I shouldn’t be telling you any of this but I guess it’s just as much my fault as yours that she’s miserable now.’

  He didn’t say anything but when Abby looked up, she could see how carefully he was listening. How important this was to him. He also looked as though he was concerned for Abby. Perhaps he could sense how close she was to crying?

  ‘You’d better sit down,’ she said. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’

  ‘You knew about me, didn’t you?’ she asked a short time later as she put a mug of tea on the kitchen table in front of Hugh.

  ‘I knew you’d had an accident when you were very young that left you in a wheelchair. That your sister is about six years older than you and is completely devoted to you and that she was worried about not living with you any more.’

  ‘Did you know that she’s my half-sister?’

  Hugh nodded. ‘She did tell me that. In almost the same breath that she told me how much she loves you.’

  ‘So she didn’t tell you that we had different fathers because my mother had drug and alcohol problems that meant her relationships never lasted? That Lisa was more of a mother to me than our mother ever was, even though she was only a kid herself? That she’s always blamed herself for my accident because she wasn’t holding my hand tightly enough and I escaped and ran out in front of a car?’

  Again, Hugh said nothing. He looked as though he had no idea where to find the words he might need but Abby wasn’t going to help him. He needed to know more.

  ‘For her entire life she’s put me first,’ Abby said quietly. ‘She’s done it out of love but she’s also done it out of guilt and that’s something that’s really hard for me to live with. She was only a kid herself, for God’s sake. She’s got nothing to feel guilty about but she chose her career so that she could stay close to home. She wanted to be a doctor but that would have meant going to a medical school away from home so she did nursing training instead.’

  ‘I kind of guessed that.’ Hugh nodded.

  ‘She never went to parties when she was a teenager. Never spent money on herself or took a gap year to do any travelling. She took over the mortgage on this house when Gran died and said it was worth it because it would keep us safe. I reckon she chose her boring boyfriends because they were safe options that weren’t going to interfere with her life. I don’t believe she’s ever been in love either. Until now. Which means this is her first broken heart and...and it might be my fault she met you in the first place but that...that’s down to you...’

  Again, Hugh nodded. ‘It might not be my first broken heart,’ he admitted. ‘But it feels like it is. And I can’t argue with you because it is down to me. I’ve wrecked the most amazing thing I’ve ever found and I have no idea what to do about it. I’m sure you’re probably also right about Lisa not wanting to see me.’

  ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’ Abby waited for Hugh to meet her gaze so that she could gauge how genuine he might be. ‘That you’re in love with Lise? That you really want to be with her?’

  ‘For the rest of my life,’ Hugh said softly. ‘I’m never going to meet anyone else like your sister. I don’t think there is anyone else in the world that lights up when she’s happy quite like Lisa does. I want to see her that happy for the rest of her life. I want to be the one who creates some of that happiness.’

  ‘Oh, my God...’ Abby could feel a tear sneaking down her cheek. ‘That’s exactly what I want for her, too.’

  ‘I’m not.’ Hugh held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘And I realise now that being with Lisa is more important than a lifestyle that isn’t exactly compatible with a long term future. I understand how important you are to her, too. I totally respect that. I love that she loves you that much.’

  Abby swiped at the moisture on her cheeks. ‘I’m perfectly capable of being independent, thank you. I’ve told her that. I’ve told her that if she wants to go and have an exciting job at sea instead of the one she hates so much here, then I might miss her but I’d be fine. I need to be independent.’ Abby had found a shaky smile. ‘You’d be doing me a favour if you persuaded her to go sailing off into the sunset with you for a good, long while. You can always settle down later, you know.’

  ‘I don’t think I’d be able to do that.’ Hugh was shaking his head. ‘She’s a determined woman, your sister, and I’ve hurt her. It’s going to take something pretty special to get her to even listen to me, isn’t it?’

  ‘Hmm...’ Abby had no doubts at all about how genuine Hugh Patterson was. She could also see exactly why her sister had fallen in love with this man. But he was right. Lisa thought she had played with fire and been burnt. She wouldn’t be keen to go anywhere near that heat again.

  Her gaze drifted over to the flowers in the kitchen sink. And then it lifted to the window sill above them, which was where Lisa had put the small framed photo that Abby had given her last week. She turned slowly back to her guest. Biting her lip couldn’t stop the smile that wanted to escape.

  ‘I think I might have an idea,’ she said.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE I let you talk me into this.’

  ‘Shh... I’m busy.’

  Lisa had to smile at the expression on Abby’s face as her sister closed her eyes for a moment. It was sheer bliss, that’s what it was.

  ‘You don’t look very busy.’

  ‘I am. It’s a big deal, you know—this living the dream stuff.’

  ‘I know...’ Her voice cracked with the emotion of it because this was exactly what she’d dreamed of for Abby, only a matter of a few weeks ago. For her to be here. In this exact spot. At this precise table, in fact, that had the best view from the terrace.

  Not that she’d made it easy. Even after the astonishing good fortune of Abby winning those tickets for a weekend in the South of France in some radio competition—on top of that amazing reward that had been delivered with some flowers on behalf of the ship’s captain—Lisa had initially totally refused to give in to Abby’s plea to experience the most romantic place on earth. She’d even taken t
hat photograph off the kitchen windowsill and hidden it in a drawer so she didn’t have to think about it every time she caught a glimpse of the image.

  ‘It’s the last place on earth I’d want to go,’ she’d said. ‘I can’t believe you’d even ask.’

  ‘It’s not as though you were there on a date,’ Abby had pointed out. ‘It was before you hooked up with Hugh, remember? You were there as friends and you look so happy in that photo. It might help.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Oh... I don’t know. Like one of those reset things you can do on the computer. Where you can pick a time when you knew things were good and have all your settings revert to what they were then.’ The look on Abby’s face reminded Lisa of when she’d been a small child and had desperately wanted something that she couldn’t have or do because the wheelchair had made it too difficult. ‘Please? For me?’

  So, of course, in the end she had agreed. When had she ever not agreed to something that Abby wanted so much?

  She’d even let Abby choose her outfit. A floaty red dress sprinkled with tiny white flowers, white sandals and a little white flower on a hair clip. They might have very different shades of red hair themselves, with Lisa being a dark auburn and Abby much more of a strawberry blonde, but it had been a pact from when they were both children that they would wear red whenever they liked.

  Abby’s eyes opened again. ‘Where’s that champagne?’ she asked.

  ‘Relax. I’m sure it’s on its way. We’ve got plenty of time. The car isn’t coming back for us for hours. Have you decided what you want to eat yet?’

  ‘I need some more time—it all looks so good. And I need to go to the loo before I think about it any more.’

  ‘Oh...’ Lisa’s chair scraped on the stone of the floor. ‘Of course...’

  Abby’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You need to go to the loo, too?’

  ‘No... I thought...’ Lisa sat down with a sigh. ‘Sorry...’

  ‘No problem.’ Abby’s smile was forgiving. ‘And if I hadn’t already checked out that they had a disabled toilet available I would probably be very grateful for your assistance. As it is, I can manage perfectly well on my own. So you relax. I’ll be back soon.’