Her Holiday Miracle

‘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?’