Читать книгу Summer Kisses: The Rebel Doctor's Bride - Sarah Morgan - Страница 9

‘GLENMORE is in an uproar. Eight patients refused to see him this morning and insisted on waiting for Logan.’ In the café near the harbour, Flora leaned across the table and helped herself to one of Evanna’s sandwiches. ‘These are delicious. Why aren’t you eating them?’

‘Because there’s no room in my body for anything except the baby.’ Evanna shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable. ‘They refused to see him? Really? Oh, poor Conner, that’s dreadful. Were his feelings hurt, do you think?’

‘Does he have feelings?’ Flora glanced out of the window, watching idly as groups of tourists walked from the ferry towards the beach. ‘Since when did Conner MacNeil care what people think of him? He is Mr Tough Guy.’

‘Deep down, I’m sure he cares.’

‘If he cared he wouldn’t have done his surgery wearing black leather and half an inch of stubble.’ Flora winced as a toddler tripped over a fishing rod and fell hard onto the pavement. She watched the mother scoop up the child and offer comfort. ‘Believe me, he has no intention of modifying his behaviour to please anyone. He was as defiant and confrontational as ever.’ And sexy. Indecently sexy.

‘If he didn’t care, he’d be living in his parents’ old house up on the cliffs.’

Flora was silent for a moment. She hadn’t given any thought to where Conner was living. ‘And he’s not?’

‘Logan gave him the barn.’

‘I thought it was let for the summer.’

‘It is. To Conner. When Logan thought he might be coming back, he kept it free for him. I suppose he knew Connor wouldn’t want to stay in his parents’ house.’ Evanna shrugged. ‘Who can blame him? I don’t suppose it has any nice memories for him. By all accounts, he had a pretty miserable childhood.’

‘Then why didn’t he sell it after his father died?’

‘He hasn’t been here to sell it. Perhaps he’ll deal with it this summer.’

‘Break his final tie with the island? Do you think that’s why he’s come back? To sell the house?’

‘I wouldn’t think so. He could have done that with one call to the island estate agent. Perhaps he’s laying old ghosts.’ Evanna gave a suggestive smile. ‘Or maybe he’s laying old girlfriends.’

‘Evanna!’ Struggling between shock and laughter, Flora sent a weak, apologetic smile towards the tourists eating lunch at the next table. ‘If you’re going to make obscene comments, lower your voice. We still have to work here after Conner’s gone.’

‘And life will be considerably more boring.’

‘Pregnancy has driven you mad.’

‘You might be right.’ Evanna shifted in her seat. ‘I can’t remember what it’s like not to be fat and exhausted.’

‘I think Conner is trying to shock them on purpose. I suspect he wants to provoke a reaction from them.’ Flora looked at her and smiled. ‘Do you want to know something funny?’

‘Not too funny.’ Evanna patted her enormous bump gently. ‘I have to be economical with laughter at the moment. Go on.’

‘Mrs Ellis saw him.’

‘As a patient? You’re joking.’

‘I’m not. I expected her to walk straight back out and call the police, but she was in there for ages and she came out smiling.’

‘So he even charmed her.’ Evanna sighed wistfully. ‘You see? It doesn’t matter how badly he behaves, women just can’t help themselves. It’s the danger, I suppose. The fact that he’s a bit volatile and unstable just adds to his appeal. If you had a date with Conner you never quite knew whether you were going to end up in bed or in a jail cell.’

Flora gasped. ‘What exactly do you know about dates with Conner? There is no way your parents would have allowed you anywhere near him.’

‘Didn’t stop me dreaming.’ Evanna sipped her tea. ‘I had fantasies, just like you.’

‘I did not have fantasies.’

‘Now you’re lying.’ Evanna grinned placidly. ‘Every woman dreams about the local bad boy.’

‘Conner is well educated.’

‘Which makes him all the more attractive,’ Evanna sighed.

‘My idea of a perfect date never involved a close encounter with the police,’ Flora said lightly, ‘and I don’t believe yours did either. You were always crazy about Logan.’

‘That didn’t stop me looking. I suppose that’s part of the reason Conner was so attractive,’ Evanna said simply. ‘He was forbidden. Are you seriously telling me you’ve never had a few fantasies about Conner?’

‘Never.’ Keen to end what was increasingly becoming an uncomfortable conversation, Flora finished her sandwich and glanced at her watch. ‘I have to go. Little Helen Peters had an asthma attack in the night. I’m going to call on her on my way back to the surgery.’

Evanna yawned. ‘Yes. Poor Logan was up and down in the night. First it was Helen, then it was our Kirsty.’

‘How is she?’

‘We’ve moved her from a cot to a bed in preparation for the arrival of her sibling.’ Evanna patted her swollen abdomen gently. ‘And she’s just discovered that she can leap out whenever she likes and come in with us. Which is fine, except she sleeps like a starfish, arms and legs stuck out at angles designed to cause maximum discomfort to those sharing the space.’

Flora laughed. ‘She’s gorgeous. Who is looking after her today?’

‘Meg had her this morning and I’m going home right now.’ Evanna stood up and winced. ‘I can’t believe this is how it feels to be thirty-five weeks pregnant. Remind me to be more sympathetic next time I run the antenatal clinic. Give little Helen a kiss from me.’

‘I will. Why didn’t you tell me that Logan had appointed Conner as the doctor?’

‘Neither of us were sure he’d turn up. It didn’t seem worth mentioning until we knew for sure.’

‘So you really don’t know why he’s back, Evanna?’ Flora tried to keep her tone casual.

‘No. Logan hasn’t said any more to me than he has to you.’

Flora reached for her bag. ‘No pillow talk?’

‘Are you kidding? Our pillow talk revolves around me telling him how uncomfortable I am and him trying not to phone for an air ambulance.’

‘Is he that nervous?’

‘He’s hiding it quite well but, yes, he’s nervous. Of course. His first wife died in childbirth and none of us are likely to forget that, myself included.’ Evanna breathed out heavily. ‘He wants me to go and stay on the mainland, but the baby’s not due for another five weeks and if it was two weeks late I could be stuck over there for seven weeks. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, it just isn’t practical. There’s Kirsty to think of. I don’t want her unsettled.’

‘No. Well …’ Flora leaned forward and gave her friend a hug, carefully avoiding her bump. ‘We’re all keeping an eye on you and we can get you over to the mainland at the first sign of movement.’

‘That’s the plan.’ Evanna stroked her bump. ‘Just hope the baby is listening.’

Flora drove with the windows down, humming to herself and enjoying the breeze and the sunshine. She loved Glenmore at this time of year. Wild flowers clustered on the banks of grass at the side of the road and in the distance she could see the jagged silhouette of the ruined castle.

She waved at Doug MacDonald who was out on his bike and then caught sight of Sonia Davies pushing a buggy on the pavement.

‘Sonia!’ She slowed to a halt and called out to the young mother. ‘Everything OK? How’s Rachel?’

‘She’s beautiful.’ Sonia pushed the buggy over to the car. ‘I’m due in clinic later this week for another immunisation.’

Flora nodded. ‘She’s twelve months, isn’t she? So that will be the Hib booster. Haemophilus influenzae.’

Sonia handed Rachel a rattle to play with. ‘I hope she doesn’t freak out. It’s different when they’re babies, isn’t it? They don’t know what’s happening and it’s over in a flash.’

‘She’ll be fine. Have you booked her in for Thursday afternoon?’

‘Yes.’ Sonia jiggled the pushchair. ‘No sign of Evanna having the baby yet, then?’

‘She has a few weeks to go yet.’

‘I bet Dr MacNeil is nervous.’ Sonia gave a little frown. ‘We all know how uneasy he gets when women get near their due date. When he had to deliver me on the island last year, he was horrified. Never saw him look nervous before that night. I still think that if Evanna hadn’t been there, he would have done a runner.’

‘I’m sure he wouldn’t, although we all know that he prefers babies to be born on the mainland. I’m sure he’ll be packing Evanna off on that ferry in good time. And I’d better go. I have a visit to do before my afternoon clinic.’ Flora slid back into her car. ‘See you later in the week, Sonia.’

She carried on up the coast road, called in on Helen to check on her and offer reassurance to her mother. Then she drove to the medical centre, parking next to a sleek black motorbike.

She gave a faint smile. That explained the black leather. A motorbike.

She couldn’t imagine Conner with anything else. He was a man who always chose to live his life on the wrong side of risk.

Janet was at the reception desk, trying to find an appointment for a patient. ‘Flora has had a cancellation so she can see him straight away, Mrs Gregg,’ she was saying. ‘I’ll put you in with her. If she thinks Harry should see a doctor urgently, she’ll arrange it.’

Looking anxious, Mrs Gregg took Harry by the hand and led him to the chairs in the waiting room.

Flora walked up to the desk. ‘Problems?’

‘Just the one problem. People don’t want to book in with Conner.’ Janet sighed and rubbed her fingers over her forehead. ‘I can’t believe that Logan has done this to us in the middle of summer. His afternoon surgery is bursting at the seams and how many does Conner have? Two people.’

‘Two? That’s all?’

‘No one wants to see him, Flora.’ Janet looked exhausted. ‘I’m sure he’s a very good doctor, but all anyone round here remembers is a boy with a lot of problems. They don’t trust him.’

Remembering what Logan had said to her, Flora straightened her shoulders. ‘His qualifications are excellent.’

‘Well, maybe he’d like to put them above my desk in neon lights.’

‘It’s only his first day. People will settle down,’ Flora said firmly, hoping that she was right. ‘I thought the women, at least, would be queuing up.’

‘I’m sure they will, but not for his medical skills,’ Janet said dryly. ‘If Logan was looking for help, I think he was looking in the wrong place. Anyway, the Greggs are back from holiday and Harry isn’t well. He has a rash and Diane is worried. Your first patient has cancelled so I’ve put them in with you. If you’re worried, perhaps you can persuade them to see Conner, but I don’t hold out much hope.’

‘Leave it with me. If you see Logan can you tell him that I popped in to see Helen and she was fine?’ Flora walked to the waiting area. Harry was sitting on his mother’s lap and his eyes were closed.

‘Hello, Nurse Harris.’ Diane gave her a tired smile. ‘Janet said you might fit us in.’

‘Of course.’ Flora touched the little boy’s forehead with a gentle hand. ‘He’s very hot.’

‘I’ve spent the past two nights trying to bring his temperature down.’ Diane clearly hadn’t slept for days and her face was pale and drawn. ‘But it’s the rash that’s really worrying me. It’s spreading.’

‘I’ll take a look.’

The woman gave her a grateful smile and gently eased Harry onto the floor. ‘You’re too big for Mummy to carry now,’ she murmured, taking his hand. ‘Just walk as far as the consulting room, then you can sit down again.’

Harry murmured a protest but trotted along the corridor towards Flora’s consulting room.

‘Tell me what happened. I’d like to know when Harry first became ill.’ Flora flicked on her computer and stowed her bag under the desk. ‘Presumably it started on holiday?’

‘Three days ago he developed this rash. One minute he was fine and the next he had a temperature, neck stiffness, headache.’ Diane swallowed. ‘He’s gone from well to ill really fast and that’s—Well, I’m worried.’

Understanding that she didn’t want to say too much in front of the child, Flora nodded. ‘And you think the rash has spread?’

‘Oh, yes. Definitely.’

Flora washed her hands. ‘I’ll take a look, if that’s all right.’

‘I’m just going to take your T-shirt off, Harry.’ Diane reached forward and lifted his T-shirt carefully over his head. ‘I want to show Nurse Harris.’

Harry gave a moan of protest. ‘I’m really, really cold.’

‘That’s because you have a temperature,’ Flora said gently, lifting his arm slightly and turning him towards the light. ‘When did you first notice the rash, Mrs Gregg?’

‘Well, it didn’t look like this at first. It started with just one red spot under his arm and then it spread. Then his temperature shot up and he’s been feeling boiling hot ever since.’ Diane pushed her son’s hair away from his face and touched his forehead. ‘He’s hot now.’

Flora examined the rash carefully. It was scarlet and circular and she’d never seen anything like it before. ‘Did you see a doctor when you were away?’

‘Yes, but he said it was just a virus.’ Diane rolled her eyes, her worry evident. ‘Perhaps it is, but I wanted a proper opinion. It isn’t until you leave Glenmore that you realise how good the medical care is on this island. I was hoping to see Dr MacNeil, but Janet says his surgery is full.’

Flora checked Harry’s temperature and recorded it. ‘Logan isn’t the only doctor working at Glenmore now,’ she said carefully, and Diane pursed her lips.

‘If you’re talking about Conner MacNeil, I’m not interested. I remember the time he set off that firework in the school library.’

‘That was a long time ago, Mrs Gregg.’ Flora checked Harry’s pulse and blood pressure. ‘He trained in the army. His qualifications are excellent.’

‘I don’t care. I—’

‘Didn’t you ever do anything you shouldn’t when you were young?’

‘Well, I—I suppose …’

‘I know I did.’ Flora shrugged. ‘And I also know I wouldn’t want to be judged as an adult by how I was as a child. People change, Mrs Gregg. And everyone deserves to be given chances. Logan wouldn’t have taken Conner on if he didn’t trust him. I’d like him to see Harry. I don’t recognise this rash and the fact that he has a temperature makes it worth exploring further.’

Mrs Gregg hesitated and then glanced at Harry, clearly torn. ‘I don’t suppose Conner will know any more than that doctor on the mainland.’

‘Let’s give it a try—see what he says? I’ll see if he’s free,’ Flora said cheerfully, trying not to reveal that the chances of Conner having a patient with him was extremely remote.

Hoping that she wasn’t making a mistake, she went across the corridor and tapped on his door. ‘Conner?’ She walked in and found him absorbed in a website on the internet. She peered closer. ‘Wetsuits?’

‘I’m planning to do some sailing. It looks as though I’m going to have plenty of time on my hands.’ He swivelled his head and looked at her. ‘Are you here to relieve my boredom?’

She flushed. ‘I have a patient that needs to be seen by a doctor.’

‘And?’

‘You’re a doctor.’

‘Am I?’ He lounged back in his chair, his ice-blue gaze disturbingly direct. ‘So why am I sitting in an empty consulting room?’

‘Because this is Glenmore and it takes folks a while to get used to change. The last time they saw you, you were stirring up trouble all over the island. I don’t suppose anyone imagined you’d become a doctor. So will you see Harry Gregg?’

Conner’s eyes narrowed. ‘Diane’s son?’

‘Yes. He’s eight years old and a really nice little boy. Very lively usually, but not today. Diane is frightened.’

‘She always did have a tendency to overreact. I remember she slapped my face once.’

‘You probably deserved it.’

He smiled. ‘I probably did. So what do you think, Flora? Paranoid mother?’

Flora shook her head. ‘I think it’s something that needs looking at. The child is poorly, there’s no doubt about that. And he has a really weird rash. I’ve never seen anything like it before.’

Conner rose to his feet. ‘Is she going to slap my face again or run away screaming in horror if I walk into the room?’

‘I’ve no idea.’ Flora gave a weary smile. ‘Let’s try it, shall we? Harry needs to see a doctor and I’d rather it was sooner than later.’

Diane looked up as they walked into the room. ‘Dr MacNeil.’

‘Diane.’ Conner’s greeting was cursory, his eyes focused on the boy, who was now sitting on his mother’s lap, his head on her chest. ‘Hey, sport.’ He hunkered down so that he was on the same level. ‘What’s going on with you?’

Harry opened his eyes but didn’t move his head. ‘Feel bad.’

‘His temperature is thirty-nine degrees.’ Flora gently lifted Harry’s arm so that Conner could see. ‘He’s had this rash for three days.’

‘Feel horrible,’ the boy muttered, and Conner nodded.

‘Well, we need to see what we can do about that.’ He studied the rash in silence, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Circular rash.’

Diane watched his face. ‘You’re going to tell me that it’s just a virus and that I shouldn’t have bothered you.’

Conner lifted his gaze to hers. ‘You were right to bring him. Harry? Do you mind undressing down to your underpants? I want to take a proper look at this rash.’

Flora helped the child undress and Conner examined his skin carefully and questioned Diane in detail.

‘It started under his arm when we were on holiday,’ she told him. ‘Just a red spot. And then it grew bigger and it turned into that weird thing he has now.’

‘Where did you go on holiday?’

Flora glanced at him in surprise. She wouldn’t have expected Conner to be interested in small talk.

‘Mainland.’

‘Highlands?’ Conner ran a finger over the rash, his expression thoughtful. ‘Were you walking?’

‘Yes.’ Diane looked at him. ‘How do you know?’

Conner straightened and reached for Harry’s T-shirt. ‘It fits with what I’m seeing. You can get dressed now. I’ve seen all I need to see.’ He gently pulled the T-shirt over the boy’s head. ‘Were you camping?’

‘Yes. We spent a few nights in a forest. It was lovely.’

‘Lots of deer around?’

‘Actually, yes.’ Diane frowned. ‘How do you know that?’

‘Because Harry has Lyme disease.’ Conner washed his hands. ‘He was almost certainly bitten by a tick, which is why he started off with one red spot. Did you see an insect?’

‘No.’ Bemused, Diane shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t. But we’ve been camping every year since he was born and we’ve never had a problem. Lyme disease? What is that? I’ve never even heard of it.’

‘It’s not that common in this country, although the number of cases is increasing. Ticks are tiny insects and they feed by sucking blood from animals such as deer. Some ticks get infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease and if they bite a human then they pass the disease on.’

Diane looked at him in a mixture of horror and amazement. ‘And you’re sure Harry has it? How do you know?’

‘Because his symptoms fit the history.’

Flora felt the tension leave her. Clearly Conner hadn’t been making small talk about holidays, he’d been verifying the cause of the symptoms he was seeing. Logan was right. Conner was a good doctor. A clever doctor. And Diane appeared to have forgotten that she’d ever had reservations about seeing him.

‘You’ve seen this Lyme disease before?’

‘When I was stationed overseas.’ Without waiting for an invitation, he sat down at Flora’s computer and hit a few keys, bringing up a list of antibiotics. ‘The rash that Harry has is fairly typical.’ He scrolled down, searching for the one he wanted. ‘It starts as a single circular red mark and it gradually spreads. It isn’t always painful or itchy and some people don’t even notice it, depending on where they were bitten.’

‘Is there any treatment?’

‘Yes.’ Conner’s eyes were fixed on the screen. ‘I’m going to give Harry some antibiotics.’

‘And will they work?’

‘They should do because we’ve caught it early. You did the right thing, bringing him in.’

‘The doctor on the mainland thought it was a virus.’ Diane’s mouth tightened with disapproval. ‘Virus is a word doctors use when they haven’t got a clue what’s going on.’

‘You might be right. I usually say “I don’t know” but that phrase doesn’t win you many friends either. In fairness to your guy on the mainland, Lyme disease is not a condition every doctor will have seen.’ Conner printed off the prescription and handed it to Diane. ‘Make sure Harry finishes the course.’

‘I’ll do that.’ She slipped the prescription into her bag and hesitated. ‘Thank you.’ She looked Conner in the eye. ‘I wasn’t sure about seeing you …’

‘I don’t blame you for that.’ As cool as ever, Conner rose to his feet. ‘Make an appointment to see Logan in a few days. Harry needs to be followed up. We need to be sure that the antibiotics are working.’

Diane took Harry’s hand in hers. ‘Why should I see Logan? Are you going to be busy?’

Conner gave a faint smile. ‘On current form? Probably not. But it’s important that the patients have faith in the doctor they see.’

‘I agree.’ Diane walked towards the door. ‘Which is why we’ll be making that appointment when you’re doing surgery. Thank you, Dr MacNeil. I knew I could rely on a Glenmore doctor to get the diagnosis right.’ The door closed behind her and Flora smiled happily at Conner.

‘I think you’re a hit. That was pretty impressive. I predict that once word spreads, your surgery will be crammed with patients.’

‘And I’m supposed to rejoice about that?’

‘Maybe not. But Logan will. So, tell me about Lyme disease because I’m feeling horribly ignorant.’

‘What else do you want to know? You get bitten by a tick that clings on once it bites. Then it sucks your blood—’

‘Don’t!’ Flora pulled a face. ‘You’re telling it like a horror story. If you carry on like that I’ll never set foot outside again.’

It was the wrong thing to say to Conner. He leaned against the desk and gave a wicked smile. ‘As I was saying, they suck your blood and slowly become more and more engorged—’

‘You do it on purpose, don’t you? Try and shock people.’

‘I admit it’s an extremely stimulating pastime.’

‘You might not find it so funny when I’m sick,’ Flora said sweetly, and his smile widened.

‘Nurses aren’t supposed to have delicate constitutions.’

‘Doctors aren’t supposed to be bloodthirsty.’

‘I’m just delivering the facts.’

‘Well …’ She was horribly aware of just how strong his shoulders were and how much he dominated her tiny room. ‘Could you deliver them with slightly less gruesome relish?’

‘Where was I?’ He angled his head slightly. ‘Oh, yes, they were engorged with blood. Anyway, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease are usually carried in the gut and only travel to their mouth once they’ve been feeding for about twenty-four hours. So if you remove the tick as soon as you’re bitten, you’re unlikely to be infected.’

Flora shuddered. ‘So you’re telling me that a method of prevention is to drag this greedy, engorged creature off your skin?’

‘You remove it before it’s engorged. And you don’t drag. If you drag, you’ll just leave the mouth stuck in your body.’

‘Enough!’

‘The best thing is to smother it with Vaseline. It suffocates and then you can remove it with a pair of tweezers. You shouldn’t use your fingers—’

‘I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole! And I’m never venturing outside again without full protective clothing.’

Conner’s eyes flickered to the neck of her uniform. ‘You don’t need to overdo it. The tick that carries the bacteria likes areas where there are wild deer.’

Her heart started to beat just a little bit faster. ‘And that’s why you were so interested in where the Greggs went on holiday?’

‘The symptoms fitted. The fact that they’d been camping in a forest in warm weather made it highly possible that he’d contracted the disease. Ticks like warm weather and people wear less then so they’re more likely to be bitten.’ His eyes lifted to hers and the tension between them increased.

‘Why haven’t I heard of it?’

‘Obviously there haven’t been any cases on Glenmore. It’s sensible to take precautions if you’re walking or camping in an area where infected ticks are known to live.’ His eyes dropped to her mouth, his gaze lingering. ‘Wear long sleeves and trousers, use a tick repellent spray—all the obvious things.’

They were talking about medical matters and yet there was a sudden intimacy in the atmosphere that she didn’t understand. It circled her like a forcefield, drawing her in, and when the phone rang suddenly she gave a start.

He was between her and the desk and she waited for him to move to one side so that she could answer it, but he stayed where he was. Left with no choice, she was forced to brush past him as she reached for the receiver. ‘Yes? I mean …’ Flustered by the fact that he was standing so close to her, she stumbled over the words. ‘Nurse Harris speaking—Oh, hello, Mr Murray.’ Struggling to concentrate, she listened as the man on the other end spoke to her. ‘Well, no, I hadn’t heard of it either, but—’ She broke off and listened again before finally shaking her head. ‘You’d better speak to him yourself.’

She sighed and handed the receiver to Conner. ‘It’s Mr Murray, the pharmacist down on South Quay. He has a question about the prescription you just gave Harry.’

Relaxed and confident, Conner took the phone from her, his gaze still locked with hers. ‘MacNeil.’

Flora felt as though someone had lit a fire inside her body. She should look away. She knew she should look away but she just couldn’t help herself. There was something in his ice-blue eyes that insisted that she look.

‘That’s right, Mr Murray, the dose is large.’ He listened, his eyes still fixed on hers. ‘Yes, I do know that I’m not treating a horse.’

Flora frowned and mouthed, ‘A horse?’ But Conner merely lifted a hand and trailed a finger down her cheek with agonising slowness.

‘No, believe it or not, I’m not trying to kill him, Mr Murray,’ he drawled softly, his finger lingering near her mouth. ‘I’m treating a case of Lyme disease. If you look it up I think you’ll find that the dose I’ve given him is appropriate … Yes, even in a child.’ He brushed her lower lip with his thumb as he continued to field a tirade from the island pharmacist. ‘Yes, I do remember the incident with the firework. Yes, and the barn—No, I don’t blame you for questioning me, Mr Murray.’ His hand dropped to his side and she sensed a sudden change in him. ‘Of course, you’re just doing your job.’

Finally he replaced the receiver. ‘Apparently it isn’t just the patients who have a problem trusting my judgement.’

His tone was flat and Flora stood still, wanting to say something but not knowing what. ‘It was an unusual prescription.’

‘You don’t need to make excuses for them, Flora.’ Conner straightened and walked towards the door, his face expressionless. ‘You’d better carry on with your surgery. You have patients lining the waiting room.’

She stared after him as he left the room, wanting to stop him. She wanted to say something that would fix things because she sensed that beneath his bored, devil-may-care attitude there was a seam of pain buried so deep that no one could touch it.

The islanders were wary of him, that was true, but what did he think of them?

Remembering Logan’s words, Flora bit her lip. When had anyone given Conner MacNeil a chance? When had anyone given him the benefit of the doubt? Why should he bother with any of them when they’d never bothered with him?

It was going to take more than one or two successful consultations to fill his consulting room with patients because no one believed that Conner MacNeil could be anything but a Bad Boy.

It was going to take a miracle.