The Doctor's Engagement Read online

Holly stiffened, and her heart rate bolted. Suddenly they’d moved onto dangerous ground. ‘Nothing happened.’

  ‘Come on, Holl, this is me. I know you better than anyone.’ His voice was gruff. ‘You’re not the sort of person to leave a job without good reason.’

  She’d had a good reason. A very good reason. ‘I—It was nothing. Just politics.’

  ‘Don’t lie to me, Holly.’ His voice was calm and matter-of-fact. ‘I know something’s wrong. And I know it’s something big because it’s the first problem in your life you haven’t shared with me.’

  He was right. It was the first thing she hadn’t been able to tell him. But he’d been miles away in Cornwall and it wasn’t something she could talk about on the phone.

  She bit her lip. ‘Mark—’

  ‘It’s OK, babe,’ he said softly. ‘I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready. I’m just suggesting that whatever it was might heal faster down here. The job is yours for as long as you want it, and if you decide to leave when this is all over then fine. I know you’re not happy just doing agency work—’

  ‘It means I can pick and choose the jobs I do.’

  Which was absolutely essential for her peace of mind.

  ‘But that’s not you. You like stability.’ Mark was as astute as ever. ‘So get yourself down here and then I’ll be close by when you’re ready to spill the beans.’

  ‘I don’t know, Mark,’ Holly croaked, and there was a pause.

  ‘Get yourself down here,’ he ordered, his voice gruff and kind. ‘That way I can keep an eye on you.’

  Tears blurred her vision and she gave a watery smile, relieved that he couldn’t see her. Just talking to him made her feel safe. If she was honest, she could do with a bit of Mark’s protection right now.

  ‘Maybe I should. You’re a good friend.’

  ‘Despite the snake and the ice?’

  ‘Despite that,’ Holly admitted, her voice choked.

  ‘So come and be my fiancée and practice nurse.’

  Holly thought for a long moment. ‘What would it involve?’

  ‘The job?’

  ‘No.’ For some unknown reason Holly felt her colour rise. ‘The other bit. Just how “touchy-feely” would we have to be?’

  ‘I don’t know. Use your imagination.’ He chuckled. ‘Generally I would think it would be fine if you just hang on my every word, gaze at me adoringly and follow me round like a puppy.’

  ‘Yuck!’ His teasing made her feel better again. ‘I don’t think I could do that without being sick.’

  And without feeling jolly uncomfortable. Pretending to fancy Mark would feel odd.

  ‘You’ve done it before—’

  ‘Mark, we’ve already established that we were in primary school at the time,’ she reminded him dryly. ‘Hardly the same thing at all.’

  ‘Well, just do your best.’ There was a brief silence. ‘And you’d have to live with me, of course.’

  ‘Live with you?’ Her voice was little more than a squeak and Mark laughed again.

  ‘Of course, live with me. This is the twenty-first century, Holly. People usually live together when they’re engaged. Anyway, it’s an ideal arrangement because you’d need somewhere to stay and it’s impossible to get short-term lets in Cornwall in the holiday season.’

  ‘I don’t know, Mark.’ Holly hesitated. ‘What if it ruins our friendship?’

  ‘Why on earth should it do that?’ He sounded astounded at the suggestion. ‘Holly, we’ve been friends for twenty-four years. Nothing has ever ruined our friendship.’

  She frowned. ‘But this is different, Mark.’

  ‘“Always and for ever”,’ he reminded her softly. ‘That’s what we used to say to each other as children. Remember?’

  Holly gave a soft smile. She’d never forgotten their childish promise to be friends for ever. ‘Of course I remember, you idiot.’

  ‘Then what’s the problem?’ His voice was gruff. ‘Nothing has ever threatened our friendship, Holly. Not even when we’ve lived miles apart and had serious relationships with other people.’

  Holly bit her lip. Serious relationships? She’d never had a serious relationship. Not really. In fact, she was beginning to think that she must have totally unrealistic expectations about relationships because they were always such a colossal disappointment.

  ‘We haven’t lived together before.’

  ‘So confess all your annoying habits, then.’ He spoke in that lazy drawl that turned women weak at the knees. ‘Do you leave the top off the toothpaste? Am I going to find your undies strewn over my radiators?’

  ‘Surely that would be part of the fiancée role,’ Holly quipped, and he laughed.

  ‘Probably would. You see? You’re more attuned to it than me.’ There was a slight pause and when he spoke his voice was serious. ‘I really need you, Holly. I’m sorry to do this to you, but say yes, babe. Please?’

  Her protests collapsed in a heap. Mark needed her. And when had she ever been able to refuse him? He’d always been there for her. Always.

  All he needed was a fake fiancée. He wasn’t asking much really and, if she was honest, working with him again would be fun. She bit her lip. Maybe having Mark nearby would help her. Maybe living with him would get rid of some of the nightmares. Mark was so physically strong that it was hard to be nervous of anything with him around. Nobody threatened Mark.

  ‘Holly?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Are you still there?’

  ‘Yes, I’m here.’ She took a deep breath. ‘OK, Mark. I’ll do it.’

  ‘You’ll do it?’ She could hear the triumph in his voice and she smiled in response.

  ‘I think I must be mad but, yes, I’ll do it. I’ll be your “fiancée”.’

  As Mark started bombarding her with instructions Holly tried to ignore the little voice inside her head which suggested that pretending to be in love with him might not be as straightforward as it seemed.

  She agreed to meet the senior partner in London for an interview and then, providing all was well, travel down to Cornwall at the end of the week.

  It would be all right, she told herself firmly. Of course it would. After all, they were only pretending. It wouldn’t change their relationship.

  Would it?

  CHAPTER ONE

  HOLLY switched off the engine and stared at the modern red-brick medical centre with trepidation.

  This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Why had she ever agreed to such a thing? It was never going to work. How could she walk into that surgery and greet Mark as if he were the love of her life?

  She gave a groan. Why on earth hadn’t they discussed things in more detail? She had no idea what Mark was expecting. He’d asked her to arrive at lunchtime on Friday, but he hadn’t given her any more details. What was she meant to do? Throw her arms around him and kiss him passionately or was she meant to be reserved?

  She must have been mad to agree to it!

  But it was too late to change her mind now.

  Reluctantly she climbed out of the car and walked across the car park, pinning a smile on her face as she pushed open the door that led to the reception area.

  ‘Yes?’ The blonde woman behind the desk gave her a cool look and Holly paused uncertainly. Hardly the most effusive welcome she’d ever received.

  ‘I’m here to see Dr Logan.’

  ‘Dr Logan has been called out on an emergency,’ the receptionist told her briskly, ‘and in any case you can’t see him without an appointment.’

  ‘I’m not asking for an appointment.’ Holly took a deep breath as she tried to get past that icy fa;alcade. ‘I’m—’

  ‘He has a space next Thursday at four o’clock.’

  Next Thursday? Holly frowned. And what happened if one of his patients was desperate to see him before that?

  ‘As I said before, I don’t need an appointment,’ she told the woman, her voice still friendly. After all, they were obviously going to be colleagues and she didn’t want to alienate her. �
�I’m not a patient. I’m Holly Foster, the new practice nurse. I’m Dr Logan’s—’

  ‘Fiancée.’ The blonde woman stared at her for a moment and Holly saw her mouth tighten. ‘Of course. I should have guessed.’

  Holly swallowed and managed a smile. ‘Why should you have guessed?’

  ‘You match his description perfectly,’ the receptionist said, frowning slightly as her eyes drifted to Holly’s left hand, ‘although you’re not wearing his ring.’

  His ring? Oh, help! Neither of them had thought of that.

  ‘I never wear a ring at work,’ Holly said quickly. ‘It’s unhygienic and my last practice wouldn’t allow it. I thought I might have to start work straight away so I put it on my chain.’

  She patted her blouse, hinting that it was hidden under her clothing, a practice common among nurses. Fortunately for her, at that moment the doors of the health centre crashed open and the ring was forgotten as the reception area was filled with screams.

  ‘Help me! Someone help my daughter. She needs a doctor.’ A woman struggled towards them, clutching a small girl who was shrieking hysterically. ‘She’s been bitten by a dog.’

  ‘We don’t have a doctor on the premises,’ the receptionist told her briskly. ‘They’re all out on calls. You’ll have to drive to the Infirmary.’

  Holly gaped at her and took charge.

  ‘Let me have a look,’ she said to the woman, smoothing the little girl’s hair with a gentle hand. ‘You poor thing! What a scary thing to happen. I’m Holly, what’s your name?’

  The little girl continued to sob hysterically and peered at Holly with scared eyes.

  ‘It bit me,’ she wailed, and Holly nodded.

  ‘I know. And I’d like to try and make it better. What’s your name, sweetheart?’

  ‘Helen,’ the little girl sobbed jerkily, and Holly’s smile widened.

  ‘Well, isn’t that funny? You’re a Helen and I’m a Holly. Both our names begin with H. Where did the dog bite you, Helen?’

  The little girl took a shuddering breath. ‘Arm.’ She shrank away from Holly who nodded sympathetically.

  ‘I won’t touch it, sweetheart, not until you’re ready. What we need to do is make it nice and clean and have a good look at it. There’s a special room here for that sort of thing. And there are some lovely toys...’

  She crossed her fingers that her predecessor had kept toys in the nurse’s consulting room. Surely she did. Everyone did.

  Holly turned to the receptionist, her smile friendly. ‘If I could just use the treatment room, we don’t have to make these poor people travel all the way to the Infirmary.’ She turned to give Helen’s mother an explanation. ‘I’m the new practice nurse and technically I haven’t started yet, but I can’t see anyone minding if we sort Helen out.’

  The set of the receptionist’s mouth indicated that she minded a great deal. ‘We’re not an accident and emergency department.’

  ‘No,’ Holly agreed quietly, her voice firm, ‘but if we’re capable of giving the care required, without the patient having to make a long trip to hospital, we should give it. I’ll assess the bite and clean it up, and hopefully by then one of the doctors will have arrived back from their calls and they can write up some antibiotics. Is there a white coat I could borrow, please? My uniform is still in my suitcase.’

  Her shoulders stiff with disapproval, the surly woman marched out from behind the desk and walked down a carpeted corridor. Making a mental note to have a word with Mark about the attitude of his receptionist, Holly gestured to Helen’s mother to follow her.

  ‘This is the room you’ll be using.’ The receptionist flung open the door and turned to leave. ‘I’ll phone the senior partner to let him know that you’re here.’

  And try and make trouble, no doubt, Holly thought uneasily, watching the woman leave. Oh, bother. She didn’t need that sort of aggravation in a new job.

  ‘Take no notice of Caroline Duncan,’ Helen’s mother said, rolling her eyes. ‘Her bark is worse than her bite.’

  Holly wasn’t convinced, but she gave the woman a smile. ‘I do apologise for the fact I’m not in uniform, Mrs...?’

  ‘Brown. But call me Alison, and I don’t care what you’re wearing as long as you can sort my Helen out.’

  ‘Well, I’m just going to dig out a white coat and then I’ll have a look at it,’ Holly promised, glancing round as the door opened sharply and Caroline entered, carrying a white coat.

  Holly thanked her warmly. ‘Oh, and, Caroline, presumably I can access the notes on the computer?’

  Caroline frowned as she turned to leave. ‘Our computer system is very complicated. I expect you’ll need to be trained before you can use it.’

  Holly, who had been using computer systems all her working life, smiled easily, still doing her best to be friends with the woman. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to muddle through. Thanks, Caroline.’

  She slipped on the white coat and then spotted a basket of toys under the examination couch. ‘Oh, look at these, Helen!’ She dived under the couch and retrieved the basket. ‘Have a little look at those for me and tell me what there is because I’ve never seen them before.’

  The little girl delved into the basket and finally a small smile appeared as she pulled out a bright yellow helicopter with blades that spun round. ‘There’s a helicopter! I love helicopters.’

  ‘I had one like that when I was small,’ Holly chatted away, calming and distracting the little girl until she felt the time was right to look at the damage. ‘Can I just take a look at that arm now, sweetheart?’

  Helen nodded, still intent on playing with the helicopter.

  ‘Is it awful?’ Alison Brown bit her lip as Holly unwrapped the makeshift bandage she’d used to stop the bleeding. ‘It bled such a lot.’

  ‘I’ll just take a look. How did it happen? Did the dog have an owner?’

  Alison sighed. ‘Yes, it belongs to Mrs Ellis, the librarian. It was Helen’s fault really. I’ve warned her not to touch dogs she doesn’t know, but she will go up to them and make a fuss—you know children.’

  ‘I do indeed,’ Holly agreed sympathetically. ‘Don’t tell me—this wasn’t a cuddly type of dog.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Alison shuddered. ‘It was tied up outside the supermarket and Helen was over there and patting it before I could stop her. To be honest, I didn’t think about stopping to have words with Mrs Ellis after it happened. I just sprinted over here in a panic.’

  Holly dropped the bloodstained bandage in the bin and examined Helen’s arm carefully.

  ‘Actually, it isn’t very deep at all,’ she said finally, walking across the room and rummaging through the cupboards until she found a dressing pack. ‘The biggest risk from animal bites is infection, so what we need to do is clean it really carefully and then give Helen some antibiotics. How old is she?’

  ‘She’s five,’ came the reply and Holly nodded as she ripped open the dressing pack.

  ‘And is she fully immunised? Did she have all her childhood jabs?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ Alison nodded vigorously. ‘I really believe in immunisations. She had everything going.’

  ‘Good. Then she won’t need a tetanus injection. Helen, I’m just going to clean your arm. It might sting a little bit. Fancy you liking helicopters. Do you know that in one of the hospitals I worked at, we had our own helicopter?’ Holly chatted away as she cleaned the wound, knowing that thorough cleaning was as important in the prevention of infection as the antibiotics.

  ‘A hospital had a helicopter?’ As she’d planned, the little girl was so interested in her story that she virtually ignored the pain in her arm.

  ‘That’s right. I worked in London, and as it’s such a big place with lots of traffic, they have a helicopter to go and collect people who need to see the doctor in a hurry.’ Satisfied that the wound was as clean as it was going to get, Holly inspected the edges, deciding that it was better left to heal on its own without sutures. ‘I’m not going t
o stitch this, Alison, because it would be distressing for Helen and, to be honest, after a bite like this it’s better, if possible, to leave the wound open so that any infection can drain away.’

  ‘I know this sounds like a stupid question...’ Alison blushed and pulled a face ‘...but there’s no risk of rabies, is there?’

  ‘No.’ Holly shook her head. ‘Rabies isn’t endemic in this country. We’d only consider taking preventative measures against rabies if she was bitten abroad or if the dog was imported. But seeing as you know the owner—’

  ‘Yes, I do.’ Alison’s mouth tightened. ‘And I’ll be having words with her, believe me. Helen was wrong to have touched it, but Mrs Ellis shouldn’t be leaving an animal like that in a place where children are tempted to touch him.’

  Holly taped a sterile dressing in place and helped the little girl put her T-shirt back on.

  ‘Did you go on the helicopter?’ Helen’s eyes were like saucers and Holly smiled at her.

  ‘Not usually. I worked in the accident and emergency department, so we used to take care of the people after the helicopter had given them a lift. But I did go out on it a few times.’

  ‘Wow!’ The little girl hardly noticed as Holly carefully dressed the bite. ‘Was it very high up?’

  ‘Oh, very!’ Holly’s green eyes twinkled as she secured the dressing firmly. ‘The people looked like dots and I could see into everyone’s gardens. Now then, I’ll just check your notes on the computer. What’s your address, Alison, and who’s your GP?’

  ‘We’re with Dr Logan.’ Suddenly Alison’s eyes brightened mischievously. ‘And he’s so gorgeous it takes your breath away! But perhaps you haven’t met him yet, have you?’

  Holly gave a wry smile. ‘Actually, I have. I’ve been acquainted with Dr Logan’s fatal charm since I was two years old. We were at school together and we trained at the same hospital so our paths are always crossing.’

  And now they were engaged, albeit fictitiously.

  ‘Well, all the women in Cornwall are totally besotted with him,’ Alison told her with a laugh. ‘He’s lovely with the patients. Never makes you feel small and always acts as though he’s got plenty of time.’