Читать книгу Her Holiday Miracle - Joanna Neil, Joanna Neil - Страница 9

‘I WAS SO worried when you didn’t come back here last night.’ Rebecca watched her sister search through the clothes in her wardrobe. ‘Does it happen very often—that you don’t manage to get home?’

‘Sometimes—it depends on the circumstances.’ Emma held up a pale green dress that had an off-the-shoulder neckline and a skater skirt. ‘How about this one? It’ll go beautifully with your eyes.’

‘Oh, that looks great. Thanks. I’ll try it on.’

They were getting ready for their night out at Selwyn’s Bar, and as most of Rebecca’s clothes were still in her suitcase, travelling between airports, she was having to rely on Emma to help her out. Luckily they were of a similar shape and size.

‘So what happened last night?’

‘We had to go to a rural area up in the hills.’ Emma frowned. ‘A couple of people have gone down with headaches and fever, and we’re not quite sure yet what we’re dealing with. We looked after them, made them comfortable, and sent blood samples and so on to the hospital. We shan’t know what’s wrong with them until we get the results back in a couple of days.’

‘So you’ll be going back there?’

Emma nodded. ‘I have to wait for a call from the chief nursing officer. They’ll send a Jeep to take me back to the village.’

The girls finished dressing, and Rebecca added a final touch of blusher to her cheeks just as a rapping noise sounded on the cabin’s front door. Her stomach muscles tensed. That would be Cade, of course. He was a few minutes early and she didn’t feel at all ready for him. She hadn’t had time to compose herself, but she didn’t know why that bothered her. Why was she nervous about meeting up with him again?

‘I’ll get it.’

Her sister left the room and Rebecca took a moment to quickly check her hair in the bedroom mirror. She’d pinned it up for the evening, doing her best to tame the unruly curls, though a few spiralling tendrils had escaped to frame her face. Satisfied that she looked okay, she smoothed down the dress. The silky material skimmed her hips lovingly and fell in soft folds almost to her knees.

Emma was already opening the door, greeting Cade with a cheerful, ‘Hi, there. You must be the man Becky’s been telling me about. Come in.’ There was a pause as he entered the cabin. Then, ‘She says you have a plantation up in the hills?’ Emma said. ‘That is so exciting! I’ve never met an estate owner before—or seen a cocoa plantation.’

‘You should come and visit, then,’ Cade answered cheerfully. ‘I’d love to show you and Rebecca around—you could come tomorrow, if you like?’

‘That sounds great.’

‘Good. It’s a date, then. Late afternoon would be best for me—I could pick you both up after I leave the hospital.’

‘You have to work at the weekend?’

‘I do, unfortunately.’

He hadn’t wasted any time in issuing the invitation, had he?

His deep voice sent ripples of tingling sensation coursing along Rebecca’s spine. She tried to shake it off. How did he manage to have this effect on her? She wasn’t looking for any kind of involvement or attachment, yet he’d figured constantly in her thoughts ever since she’d watched him drive away the evening before. It was disturbing. Hanging out with William would be one thing—his cousin was a different matter entirely. With Cade she sensed danger at every turn … Her nervous system had gone into overdrive and was sending out vigorous warning signals that she would ignore at her peril.

‘Hello again.’ She took a deep breath as she walked into the room, and knew a perverse sense of gratification as she saw Cade’s grey eyes widen in appreciation.

He said nothing for a second or two, but then his dark gaze swept over both girls and he commented softly, ‘It’s clear to see that you’re sisters. You have the same high cheekbones and perfect jawline. You both look lovely.’

‘Why, thank you!’ Emma laughingly touched his arm, her long chestnut hair fleetingly brushing his shoulder as she moved in close to him.

She was wearing a simply styled blue dress with thin shoulder straps, leaving her arms bare. As for Cade, he looked cool and immaculate in a freshly laundered shirt and pale-coloured trousers.

‘Just give me a minute to get my bag,’ Emma said, ‘and we can be on our way. I’ve been to Selwyn’s Bar before,’ she confided. ‘I love it there.’

Cade led the way to his car a few minutes later and saw them seated comfortably. Rebecca chose to sit in the back seat alongside Emma. It didn’t feel as though they’d had much time to talk, since Emma hadn’t arrived home until mid-afternoon, and she doubted they’d have much chance to confide in one another this evening. It was good to be together again, though.

‘How long have you been working out here, Emma?’ Cade asked as he turned the car on to the coast road.

‘A couple of months. I’m having a great time out here. The work hasn’t been too difficult up to now—mostly we’ve been running health clinics and visiting the more remote villages. We’ve been giving vaccinations and checking out the under-fives to make sure they’re okay.’

He glanced in the rearview mirror. ‘Is that the sort of thing you might want to do, Rebecca—work with the under-fives, I mean? Not now, obviously, but maybe later? You talked about wanting a change of direction.’

Rebecca’s face paled at the unexpected question. ‘Um … I’m not sure. It’s something I’d have to think about.’

‘I suppose in neonatal your work was much more specialised?’

‘Yes. Some of the babies were very ill. They might have been born prematurely, or they had heart defects or lung complaints and so on.’

‘Is that why you stopped doing the job—because it was too harrowing?’

She swallowed hard. ‘In a way, yes.’

She didn’t want to talk about this. Delving into the different aspects of her work was far too painful, and it brought up a host of reminders she would rather ignore. It had been so hard going back to work after her illness. She hadn’t been able to bear to hold those tiny babies in her arms when she might never have one of her own. She hadn’t realised how badly she had been affected until she’d cradled those sweet, frail infants.

Beside her, Emma shifted closer in a silent gesture of support. ‘Sometimes it’s good to do something different for a while—to explore other opportunities. But for the moment Becky’s taking time out to recharge her batteries. She’s worked really hard over the last few years, qualifying as a doctor and taking her specialist exams. She hasn’t really had much time for herself and she’s well overdue for an extended holiday.’

‘Of course. I understand.’

Seeing the reflection of his dark eyes in the rearview mirror, Rebecca knew he didn’t understand at all. How could he? As far as he was concerned she was young, energetic, on the cusp of life—why would she need to take time out? But she wasn’t going to explain her circumstances to someone she’d only just met. And talking about it was upsetting.

She hadn’t been able to discuss things much with Drew, because his negative, unhelpful reaction had made matters worse. Whatever future they might have contemplated had been wiped out when he’d realized there was a possibility she might not be able to have children. She’d been devastated by his response to her predicament.

As for now, she wondered if any man she met might respond in the same way? She couldn’t even think about her situation without feeling shaky and unhappy. It was too soon … the emotional wound ran too deep and was still too raw.

‘They do marvellous mojitos at Selwyn’s,’ Emma said brightly, changing the subject. ‘You’ll like them, Becky. They make them with white rum, fresh limes and a sprig of mint. Yum.’

‘Sounds good.’ Rebecca made an effort to pull herself together. She glanced at Cade once more. ‘What do you like to drink, Cade?’

‘I like rum, too—it’s the national drink out here in the islands—but mostly I drink lager. Maybe I’ll have a rum cocktail this evening, but after that I’ll stick with non-alcoholic lager because I’m on the early shift tomorrow at the hospital … And, of course, I’m driving.’

‘Ah … you drew the short straw.’ Emma chuckled sympathetically. ‘They serve food at Selwyn’s, so you could always try soaking up the rum with a tenderloin steak or some such.’

He smiled. ‘I might do that.’

William was waiting for them, greeting all three of them with enthusiasm when they stepped on to the boardwalk leading to Selwyn’s Bar a few minutes later. The bar was made of wooden decking and built over a shallow tidal strait where mangroves emerged in a dense tangle of arching roots from the flood plain left by the ebb and flow of salt water. There was lush greenery all around, and the sounds of the forest mingled with the lively music coming from speakers positioned under the solid awning. Tables covered in white cloths were set out alongside the balustrade, so that customers could sit and eat and look out over the water.

William was smiling, wearing a T-shirt and knee-length cut-off shorts. ‘Hey, it’s great to see you again,’ he said, giving Rebecca a quick hug and nodding amiably to his cousin. ‘And this must be Emma …’ He turned to Emma. ‘Hi, there. Becky told me you’re a nurse? It must be a whole new experience for you to come out here and work in the Caribbean. How are you finding it?’

‘It’s great …’ Emma said. ‘It’s very different to what I’ve known before, back in the UK, but it’s really good—most of the time. Some things can be a bit frustrating—like equipment shortages or breakdowns—and of course everything tends to move at a slower pace.’

He nodded. ‘I know what you mean. Food stores can run out of staples like bread and milk, if you don’t get there early in the day, and the Internet can go down when you’re in the middle of something.’

‘And if your truck breaks down you might have to wait for a part to be sent over from one of the other islands,’ Cade put in, with feeling. ‘That’s happened to us more than once.’ He smiled and led them over to the bar. ‘I’ll get the drinks in. Mojitos, was it?’

‘That would be lovely.’ Rebecca glanced at him. ‘So, did you talk with your estate manager about getting a new truck?’

‘I did. It’ll take a while to sort out, but things will start to run a lot more smoothly for us once it arrives.’

They took their drinks to a table by the rail and the four of them chatted while they looked at menus and decided what they wanted to eat.

‘We could share a seafood and chicken platter?’ Cade suggested after a minute or two, and they all agreed. It sounded appetizing … saffron rice with grilled spiced chicken and mixed seafood.

Rebecca looked out over the water and watched graceful white egrets searching for titbits in the shallows. In the distance, where the mangroves gave way to tall dogwood trees, she saw a blue-and-gold macaw spread its wings and take flight.

She smiled. ‘I love it here,’ she said softly. ‘It’s so restful.’

‘It’s good to see you looking relaxed,’ William commented. ‘You were a bit stressed after your journey yesterday.’

Smiling, she said, ‘Well, twelve hours on a plane and then finding they’ve lost your luggage can do that to you.’

Cade lifted a dark brow. ‘Have your cases still not caught up with you yet?’

‘Not yet. I rang the airport this morning, to check, but nothing doing so far. They don’t seem to have any idea where they might be.’ Rebecca’s mouth curved a fraction. ‘It pays to have a sister who’ll share her clothes with you.’

‘Yeah, I guess so.’ He leaned towards her and added quietly, so that only she could hear, ‘If that’s Emma’s dress it certainly suits you … and it fits like a glove.’

Warm colour flooded her cheeks. ‘Thanks.’

William was still thinking about the boat journey. ‘Actually, I thought there was more to it than lost luggage … there were a few moments when you were off guard and you went a bit quiet.’

‘I was fine,’ she said. ‘I’m still fine. Who could be stressed in a place like this?’

He grinned. ‘You’re probably right.’

Rebecca sent him a fleeting, thoughtful glance. Was it possible William was more perceptive than she’d given him credit for? Maybe through his own experiences William understood deep down how it was to be out of sync with everything around him and his general air of good humour was something of an effort for him.

She was conscious all the time, though, of Cade’s watchful gaze. He still wasn’t happy about her getting to know William to any great extent—she could feel it in her bones—and he’d even managed to arrange the seating at the table so that his cousin was placed next to Emma and sitting diagonally across from Rebecca. Of course that could have come about in the natural course of events—maybe she was reading too much into things.

Cade said now, ‘Perhaps you were quiet because you were thinking about that man on the plane—the one who was taken ill?’

‘Yes, that was probably it.’

William and Emma listened interestedly as she quickly recounted what had happened.

‘That must have been so worrying.’ Emma frowned. ‘I wonder how he’s doing?’

‘His condition’s stable,’ Rebecca said. ‘I phoned the hospital this morning. Apparently he’s been assessed, and they’ve made the decision to do heart bypass surgery tomorrow.’

‘That must have cheered you up—to know that you enabled that to happen.’ Cade smiled. ‘It’s good that you followed up on him—I was wondering how he was doing, too.’

‘From the way the nurse spoke, I’m sure he’ll be fine. I think he’s in good hands.’

William was momentarily subdued. ‘I’m surrounded by medics,’ he said, in a voice tinged with awe. ‘What I do is nothing in comparison.’

‘You shouldn’t feel that way,’ Emma said. ‘We all have something to offer.’ She studied him briefly. ‘You work on Cade’s plantation, don’t you? What do you do there?’

‘I help out in all areas—getting to know the job from the bottom up, so to speak. Cade thinks that’s the best way for me to start.’

He told them about his role in ordering new seedlings and supervising the planting.

‘When we took over the plantation there were a number of mature trees that were viable—a lot of them are ready for harvesting now,’ Cade put in. ‘They have to be at least three years old before they produce pods—five years is best for a good crop—but we want to plant seedlings every year to ensure quality and continuity. You’ll be able to see what we’re doing when you come and take a look around tomorrow.’

‘I’ll look forward to that,’ Rebecca said.

Emma nodded. ‘Me, too … Provided I’m not called away to work.’ She pulled a face. ‘I’d arranged to take a few days off, with Rebecca coming over, but we’re not sure if there’s some kind of outbreak happening up in the hills.’

A waitress brought their food over to the table and they spent the next hour or so talking about this and that while sampling the delicious dishes on offer. Rebecca ate shrimp sautéed with peppers and onions in a spicy ginger and lime sauce, along with crab cake and rice accompanied by a tasty green salad. Dessert was a delicious concoction of caramelised pineapple with a drizzle of lime, vanilla and rum syrup, and a scoop of ice cream.

‘Mmm … that was heavenly,’ Rebecca murmured, pushing away her plate when she had eaten her fill. She laid a hand on her stomach. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another morsel for at least a week!’

William laughed. ‘Let’s hope it’s not as long as that. I was thinking of tempting you with my own recipe for melt-in-the-mouth chocolate tart when you come over to the plantation tomorrow.’

‘Oh … chocolate … you’ve found my weak spot—stay away from me!’ She laughed with him. ‘So you’re planning on being there, too? That’s great. But what about your friends on holiday in the north of the island? I thought you would want to be with them?’

‘They’re going back to Miami,’ he said, his mouth turning down a fraction at the corners. ‘To go on with their university courses or work commitments. I met them over there, when I was studying food and agricultural sciences, and we stayed in touch after I finished my course. But my vacation ends today, and I’m due back home tomorrow—so, yes, with any luck I’ll see you there. I live in one of the cottages on the plantation.’

‘That’s handy.’

‘Yes.’ He leaned towards her and spoke confidentially. ‘It’s rent-free, courtesy of my cousin, so I’m more than happy. I owe him—though he’s very dismissive of his generosity.’

Rebecca returned his smile. Cade couldn’t hear what they were saying, but all the while she felt his brooding gaze resting on her. He obviously felt great responsibility towards his cousin. She understood his concerns, at least in part, but outwardly William was fun and that was what she needed right now. She responded to his lively, engaging manner, but it wasn’t as if she was setting out to capture his heart.

Emma was in a playful mood, too, unwinding after her busy time at work, and was more than ready to let her hair down. She teased William and laughed with Cade.

Both girls drank mojitos, and then at Cade’s persuasion Rebecca tried another cocktail, made up of dark rum, lemon juice, grenadine syrup and Angostura bitters. The evening passed quickly and in a bit of a haze after that. She was enjoying herself, but the others had to prepare for work the next day, and so all too soon their night out came to an end.

‘I’ll drop by the cabin around three-thirty tomorrow, if that’s okay?’ Cade said as he delivered the girls safely home.

The moon was a silvery orb, glimmering through the branches of the trees, casting shadows all around and highlighting the night-scented jasmine. The heady fragrance of the white flowers lingered on the air.

‘Yes, that should be all right. All being well, we’ll be ready and waiting.’ Emma waved him off as he slid back into the driver’s seat of his car and disappeared into the night.

Things didn’t turn out quite as they’d expected, though. Rebecca was disappointed when, early the next afternoon, Emma received a text message calling her out to work. Several more people had gone down with the mystery illness in the village high up in the hills, and the nurse in charge wanted extra staff on hand to be available to deal with the ailing patients. They were very ill, apparently, with high temperatures and headaches.

‘We think it’s some kind of bacterial infection,’ Emma told Rebecca. ‘We’ll probably have to give antibiotics as a precautionary measure.’