Coming Home to Wishington Bay

‘Huh?’ I looked up, quickly stuffing the images in my head away.

‘You all right? Your face went kind of scrunchy.’

‘Scrunchy? Is that another medical term?’ I asked, the hint of a rebellious smile sneaking onto my face.

‘Absolutely. You can look it up if you want.’

‘I’m sure you can see why I doubt your credentials.’

He laughed for the first time since I’d met him. It was a nice sound and he kind of did it with his whole face. His eyes crinkled, the tempting mouth widened and his nose did a little scrunchy thing of its own.

‘Yeah. I guess I could see why you might. But I swear it’s true.’

I nodded.

He shifted his body and faced me a little more squarely. ‘Look. I’m sorry we got off to a bad start. I guess it was a bit of a shock to see someone in Gigi’s house after all this time. I … I really miss her. I kind of keep expecting her to step out and tell me she’s “accidentally” cooked too much dinner again, so would I help her out by having some?’

I smiled but without looking at him because I didn’t want this stranger to see the tears in my eyes as he spoke so familiarly of my wonderful grandmother. I might still have trouble believing this totally built Adonis in front of me was a doctor – although the new haircut had definitely helped in that he now looked less like a beach bum, but I no longer doubted Gabe was the neighbour Gigi was always speaking so warmly of. All of his descriptions sounded just like something she would have done.

‘I’m sorry, too. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself too much when you fell this morning. You gave me a bit of a start!’

‘Nah. It’s fine. And I was totally out of line in saying that you didn’t see Gigi enough. I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry. I know she really did love going up to London and staying with you. She’d talk about those trips for days and days!’

‘Really?’ I smiled.

‘Absolutely. And I’m pretty sure, like you said, she’d have given me a good clip round the ear if she’d heard me describe her as an “elderly lady”.’

I laughed, nodding in agreement.

‘I really did invite her up there because I wanted to spoil her. It’s beautiful here but I knew she’d always cook for us, which, as you apparently already know, she loved doing. But I wanted to give her the opportunity to be spoiled and waited on. It always felt like it was the least I could do in return for everything she’d done for me.’ I suddenly realised that he was making me do that whole ‘sharing’ thing again. What was it with this man? Quickly, I changed the subject.

‘So, you work at St Andrew’s?’ I said, steering the conversation away from more emotional topics.

A little look crossed his face. ‘I do. How did you know?’

‘Gigi told me that her “doctor” neighbour worked there.’ I made little quote marks with my fingers but smiled as I did so. He grinned back.

‘Oh! So, you finally believe me?’

‘You have to admit you don’t look like most doctors.’

He gave a little shake of his head. ‘I don’t? I guess I didn’t get that particular memo.’

I gave a shrug before waving my hand up and down at him, encompassing the leathers and … well, general gorgeousness, but I wasn’t going to spell it out. Although, to his credit, and honestly my relief, he only picked up on the motorbike reference.

‘I did used to have a car, but the bike’s better for getting through the traffic in the city. I can get there and home much quicker now. It suits me better.’

Oh my, it did suit him. That was for sure.

‘I’d like to see you strap that on the bike,’ I said, pointing towards where his surfboard was propped up in a corner.

He laughed again and I smiled at the sound. ‘Yeah, that’s the only issue. Mostly I just surf here when the sea’s right but sometimes a group of us go somewhere, in which case I just grab a lift with a mate.’

‘What about shopping?’ I was nothing if not practical.

He smiled, apparently amused by the interrogation. ‘I’m not exactly a whizz in the kitchen so ready meals fit pretty well in my backpack.’

‘Surely that’s not all you eat.’ Going by how he looked, I was thinking more along the lines of ‘my body is a temple’ sort of food. From where I was sat, it was abundantly clear that Gabe’s body would be pretty damn easy to worship. I suddenly realised he was saying something.

‘Sorry?’

‘I just said, pretty much. Well, fruit and stuff too, but in the main …’ He obviously caught the look on my face and misinterpreted it. ‘I know it’s not ideal and I do want to try and get better. I’m just not that great at cooking. I need to try and find some time to practise a bit more. Last time I tried, it didn’t work out too well.’ His face had taken on a bit of a sheepish look that, if possible, made him look even more attractive.

‘Oh dear. Well, why don’t you start with something really simple? Like boiling an egg?’

‘That’s what didn’t work out too well.’

‘Boiling an egg?’

He pulled a face and I couldn’t help the smile that teased the corners of my mouth.

‘I know! I can qualify as a doctor, but I can’t boil an egg.’

‘What happened exactly?’

‘It got left on for a little bit too long, I think. A colleague rang me and we got stuck into discussing a case. By the time I remembered the egg, you could have used it to play cricket with.’

‘Oh dear!’ I said again, laughing.

‘Pathetic, eh?’

‘No! Not at all. It happens to the best of us. And it wasn’t like you got distracted by something inane.’ Like watching videos of cute puppies on YouTube. Yep. I definitely wasn’t ready to share that deeply yet. I smiled up at him. He returned it and then shoved himself away from the banister.

‘I’d better get a move on.’

‘Hot date?’ Please, please tell me I didn’t say that out loud.

‘Something like that.’ He grinned.

Oh God. It was out loud.

Avoiding his eyes and glancing down at my phone, I jumped up. ‘Is that the time?’ I said, quickly grabbing my stuff off the lounger. ‘Sorry. I’m running a bit late.’

‘Hot date?’ He returned the question and I felt myself blush from my bare feet upwards.

I paused and turned back briefly, rolling my eyes. ‘Oh, I really hope not,’ I said, before dashing back into the house and running upstairs to the shower.

Chapter 3 (#ulink_753f9400-8073-55bc-a136-6bb5b6dc35f3)