The Australian’s Bride

Marrying the Millionaire Doctor

Alison Roberts

Children’s Doctor, Meant-To-Be Wife

Meredith Webber

A Bride and Child Worth Waiting For

Marion Lennox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Marrying the Millionaire Doctor

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Children’s Doctor, Meant-to-be Wife

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

A Bride and Child Worth Waiting For

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright

Marrying the Millionaire Doctor

Alison Roberts

ALISON ROBERTS lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. She began her working career as a primary school teacher, but now juggles available working hours between writing and active duty as an ambulance officer. Throwing in a large dose of parenting, housework, gardening and pet-minding keeps life busy, and teenage daughter Becky is responsible for an increasing number of days spent on equestrian pursuits. Finding time for everything can be a challenge, but the rewards make the effort more than worthwhile.

CHAPTER ONE

THIS was…weird.

As though reality had become a dream. Of course, Wallaby Island usually had that effect on new arrivals. The largest of a collection of tropical islands off the coast of North Australia, it was a picture-perfect mound of exotic rainforest greenery, bordered by white sandy beaches, surrounded by a warm turquoise ocean and almost always bathed in brilliant sunshine.

Susie Jackson was not a new arrival, however. This environment was reality for her and the anticipation created by watching the privately chartered seaplane come in for a smooth landing and taxi to the pontoon at the end of the jetty was due purely to an empathy with the young girl standing by her side. Pressed close enough for the tremor to feel like her own. She tightened the arm around the girl’s shoulders with a quick, reassuring hug.

Figures emerged from the small aircraft. The pilot stayed to secure the mooring and it was a single figure who began to walk down the timber slats of the narrow jetty.

That was when it happened.

When the edges of reality began to blur.

So much for the generic ‘parent’ figure she had expected to greet. Any last-minute words of encouragement for the girl beside her died on Susie’s lips and she could only stare as the man striding towards them turned the jetty into a catwalk.

Modelling the latest Armani suit, perhaps, with an appropriate aura of elegance and power. Beautifully tailored dark trousers. A dark tie that had been loosened and a pristine white shirt with the top button undone. The suit jacket slung carelessly over one arm and a slim, black briefcase dangling from that hand. A mobile phone was in his other hand, held to his ear.

Was it the way he was walking? A mixture of casual grace but purpose with an unmistakable air of being very accustomed to attracting a spotlight. Demanding it, almost.

OK, maybe the man was a highly acclaimed neurosurgeon from Sydney and maybe he was a key figure in tomorrow’s opening ceremony because he had donated enough money to help make the new, fabulous medical facilities on Wallaby Island a possibility in the wake of Cyclone Willie, which had devastated the area six months ago, but this wasn’t about him right now, was it?

It was about Stella. The girl nervously standing beside her. Without the aid of her crutches. Waiting for the most important person in her life to applaud what was, quite literally, a huge step forward.

The nerves were contagious. Or maybe it was a trickle of apprehension that made Susie’s stomach tighten and her mouth feel dry as Alex Vavunis strode closer. The phone was snapped shut and he was close enough now for Susie to take in the clearly defined lines of his face, the jaw softened slightly by heavy shadow and far more by a charming smile. Dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin. Lines on his forehead that suggested this man was used to frowning.

Not that he was frowning right now. Susie was invisible, standing outside a kind of forcefield created by the palpable bond between this father and daughter. What would it feel like, she wondered a little wistfully, to be so important to a man like this?

But then the lines deepened, confirming Susie’s impression, and the smile of pride and delighted greeting faded as he focused intently on his daughter’s face. For the briefest moment he looked taken aback. As though he didn’t quite recognise the person he was looking at. Almost as though he was seeing a ghost.

‘Stella! What’s all this?’

Stella’s tentative smile widened hopefully. Look at me, Daddy, it said. Tell me it’s OK to feel this proud of myself.

Susie’s smile widened, too. She did this by herself, it said. Isn’t it wonderful?

But Alex Vavunis didn’t even seem to notice the absence of the crutches. He was staring at Stella’s face. Susie watched, transfixed by the changing expression on his face, not wanting to believe what she could see happening. Pleasure giving way to a blink of readjustment. Pride being tarnished by what could only be interpreted as disappointment. Surely not. How crushing would that be?

‘You’re…’ Alex paused, and the transformation from loving parent to authoritarian figure appeared complete. ‘Are you wearing make-up?’

Stella’s smile wobbled. ‘I… It’s the camp disco tonight. I told you…’

‘And what are you wearing? Whose clothes are they?’

‘Mine.’

Her father made a faint sound—of irritation perhaps. As though he knew every item of clothing in his teenage daughter’s wardrobe and didn’t recognise these.

Maybe he did, in which case Susie might label him as a control freak rather than a caring parent. It was possible to give him the benefit of some doubt, though. What Stella was wearing at the moment was very different to anything she had brought with her to camp but, then, variations on a theme of denim jeans, oversized T-shirts and baseball caps were hardly what a girl would want to wear to her first disco, were they?

‘There’s a shop at the resort,’ Stella was continuing bravely. ‘You said I could buy anything I needed and put it on your room account.’

‘Yes, but…’ Alex took another look at his daughter’s attire and sighed.

The sigh seemed to hang over them. The sound of a man who was capable of dealing with any amount of stress and decision-making in matters of life or death but who had not expected and certainly did not welcome having to deal with this particular issue.

Stella didn’t sound so brave now. There was uncertainty in her voice. ‘What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?’

‘Nothing,’ Susie muttered.

The skirt was gorgeous. Layers of brightly coloured gypsy ruffles that ended at mid-calf. The perfect length and shape for making the first public appearance of that prosthesis discreet.

The lacy white camisole top was also perfect. Just what most teenage girls wore, and while the shop hadn’t run to much in the way of lingerie, Susie knew Stella had been secretly thrilled at the boost from the lightly padded and underwired white bikini top.

‘It looks like underwear,’ Alex Vavunis decreed. He shook his head in a single, incredulous movement. ‘Good Greek girls do not appear in underwear in public, Stella.’

‘But…’

Susie could feel Stella’s confidence draining. All the excitement and anticipation from revealing her progress and new, grown-up look was evaporating like the hiss of air from a pricked balloon. She glared at Stella’s father. How could he do this? Did he have any idea how hard it had been to get to this point? How fragile his daughter’s self-esteem was?

A degree of disapproval would have been understandable. Acceptable even. She had been prepared for that after more than one reference from Stella about how strict her father could be, but Susie had brushed aside the warnings. She had heard enough to convince her how proud Stella was of her famous father and how much she loved him. Any parent who inspired such loyalty had to be doing something right and it had been easy to convince herself that he would be as thrilled as she was at the extraordinary progress Stella had made this week.

Oh, Lord! This was her fault.

Susie still had her arm around Stella’s shoulders and she could feel the gathering tension. Any second now and her arm could be shrugged off as blame was apportioned. There would be tears, no doubt. What should have been a joyous reunion would be a scene of misery and confrontation for everybody concerned.

‘Charles Wetherby was supposed to meet me and arrange transport,’ Alex said. ‘We’ll go straight to the hotel and you can get changed.’ He frowned at his mobile phone then looked over Stella’s shoulder.

Susie followed the glance. Sure enough, there was Charles in his wheelchair a little further up the path that led to the medical centre. How long had he been there? How much had he overheard?

Enough, she suspected, aware of a wash of relief. The medical director of Crocodile Creek Base Hospital had earned his position as the heart of this community. He never ceased to keep his fingers on the pulse of his realm. Not just the running of a large base hospital that provided a rescue base for the whole of far North Queensland. Or its satellite and now considerably upgraded facilities on Wallaby Island that meant they were able to expand the camps run for sick kids and their families. He also seemed to know anything important that was happening in the lives of his staff.

Susie sent a smile in his direction. A probably unnecessary plea for assistance in defusing this situation. Charles had been the point of contact for the neurosurgeon two years ago when Alex Vavunis had been checking out the possibility of a respite for his daughter who had been undergoing intensive chemotherapy for a type of bone cancer. He would know more about the man’s personality than Susie did, so he would be aware of the undercurrents.

And everybody had seen how Susie had been drawn to this prickly teenager in the first week of this current camp. Charles had commented only yesterday about the extra hours Susie was spending on the island this time, but the twinkle in his eye had been approving.

He had seen what Stella’s father was apparently blind to. Susie’s smile suddenly felt crooked. Maybe Charles had also seen that the project was helping Susie as much as Stella. That she’d been drawn to the teenager because some of the events of this week had left her feeling just as forlorn and left out of the good things in life as Stella clearly did.

Charles rolled onto the planks at the land end of the jetty. The seaplane pilot had finished securing the moorings and was walking towards them from the other end, carrying a suitcase. She and Stella were a little island of femininity getting closed in by men. No wonder Stella trembled and seemed to lose her balance. Standing unaided was new enough without this sense of threat. That was why Susie had the elbow crutches clutched in her free hand. Hidden behind her back.

Amazingly, though, Stella straightened. Regained her balance. Susie loved the way her chin rose defiantly.

‘No,’ she told her father.

‘No?’ The echo was dumbfounded. ‘What do you mean, “No”?’

‘I’m not going to the hotel.’

‘It’s all arranged.’ The words were impatient. ‘We have a suite. You didn’t want to stay in the dormitories with the other children, remember?’

Of course she didn’t, Susie thought angrily. She has to take her prosthesis off at night, doesn’t she?

‘You refused to even come to camp this year,’ Alex continued. ‘You only agreed because I’d already gone to considerable trouble to create a window so I could attend the opening of the medical centre.’

Charles raised an eyebrow. It had been an invitation to a major sponsor, the gesture suggested. A courtesy, not an edict intended to create inconvenience.

‘You liked the idea of the luxury suite,’ Alex concluded firmly. ‘And that you could fly back with me on Sunday instead of staying for the second week. It’s all arranged, Stella.’

And that was that.

Or was it?

‘I’ve changed my mind,’ Stella said. She gulped in a breath of the warm tropical air. ‘I like the dormitory now… And I like my new clothes…and…and I can wear makeup if I want to. I’m nearly fourteen and Susie said—’

‘Susie?’ The interruption was a snap. A low and dangerous sound. ‘Who the hell is Susie?’

‘Me,’ Susie said. Oh, God, did it have to come out like the squeak of a cornered mouse?

For the first time Alex looked directly at her and Susie felt the eye contact like a physical blow. Sharp and penetrating. She felt like a bug pinned for inspection, and she couldn’t escape. Couldn’t—for the life of her— tear her gaze away.

Not that she really wanted to. Stella needed an ally here and she was it. She would just have to ignore the way her heart had begun hammering and the odd, prickly internal sensation that felt horribly like fear.

‘Susie Jackson.’ It was Charles’s voice. Calm and strong. A reassurance all by itself. ‘Our esteemed physiotherapist, Alex. She and Stella have made a formidable team this week.’

‘Charles!’ Alex slipped his mobile phone into the pocket of his trousers and extended his hand to greet the man now beside Stella. ‘Good to see you.’

‘And you, Alex. We’re delighted you were able to make it.’

‘Good timing, having the opening on while Stella’s here for camp. It’s about time I saw the place that’s made such a difference to my only child’s life.’

‘Not to mention meeting the people.’ Charles’s smile drew Susie into the exchange. ‘We’re lucky there were no last-minute emergencies to keep you in Sydney this time.’

The pocket holding the cellphone got patted. ‘There are always emergencies, Charles, as I’m sure you know only too well.’ A determined intake of breath suggested resolution. Had he been dealing with difficulties in his unit even as he’d been taking his first steps onto the jetty? ‘This time I told them they’d just have to cope without me.’

The charming smile was back but it had no effect on Susie. She wasn’t prepared to make allowances for professional hassles. She was getting a rather clear picture of how important this man considered himself and his career and, in her opinion, Stella should be a long way further up his list of priorities.

It was, quite simply, not good enough.

‘I might even turn my mobile off,’ Alex said.

Susie almost snorted.

‘Good thinking,’ Charles said mildly. He swivelled to look over his shoulder. ‘There’s a cart on the way to take you to the resort but if you’re not too hot, I could give you a quick tour of the centre.’

Susie found herself nodding agreement. Disappear for a while, she encouraged silently. Let me see if I can repair the damage here.

No such luck.

‘We’ll go to the hotel first,’ Alex said crisply. ‘I can’t have my daughter out looking like—’

‘Like what?’ Stella’s voice rose and there was more than a hint of tears in it. ‘What’s so wrong with the way I look, Dad? Susie said…’ Her voice trailed away. Was it too hard to utter the notion that she looked gorgeous?

‘Susie said what?’

Alex flicked another glance at his daughter’s physiotherapist. His gaze dropped from her loose, shoulder- length hair, which always went a bit too curly with salt water and sunshine, to take in the soft singlet top she wore beneath an unbuttoned shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up past her elbows. Dropped again, to denim shorts with frayed hems that did nothing to hide the length of her well-tanned legs.

Susie flushed. It wasn’t a particularly professional- looking uniform but things were never overly formal in Crocodile Creek, and she was on an island right now with a bunch of kids who were having a holiday. A break from lives that centred around debilitating and sometimes fatal illnesses.

They were here to have fun and her role was to help them only as much as necessary. To encourage severely asthmatic children to keep up their breathing exercises. To provide maintenance therapy to those suffering from cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy. And, yes, she had stepped over the boundary of maintenance therapy with Stella, but if she hadn’t, Stella would have stayed on the outskirts. Hiding from the other children. From life. From having any fun at all.

And her father wanted to send her back into that dark space? Susie’s chin went up the same way Stella’s had. She cleared her throat and was pleased with how firmly she spoke.

‘I said she looked absolutely gorgeous.’

Her defiance was clearly infuriating.

‘She looks,’ Alex hissed, ‘like a tart.’

Stella gasped. ‘That’s a horrible thing to say. How could you?’

Alex closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his expression had softened. He raised his hand in a gesture of apology. ‘I’m sorry, latria, but you’re thirteen years old and I find you wearing underwear in public and with your face plastered with make-up. What did you expect me to think?’

It wasn’t plastered. The make-up was discreet and enhancing. The result of rather long girly time in Susie’s cabin that afternoon. She opened her mouth to protest but Stella got in first.

‘I wish you hadn’t even come.’ The girl twisted under Susie’s arm, having either not registered or not accepted her father’s attempt at an apology. She was fishing for her crutches.

Should Susie try and hang on to them? Let Stella show her father she could now manage to walk on her prosthesis—something she had refused to even attempt until this week?

No. Stella was far too upset to remember how to keep her balance. To fall over now would only make her humiliation unbearable. Susie helped her fit a crutch to each arm, which took only seconds.

Tears were streaming down Stella’s pale face as she looked up at her father.

‘Go home,’ she shouted. ‘I hate you.’

With that, she turned deftly and manoeuvred herself past Charles, heading towards the end of the jetty.

‘Stella!’ The word was a command.

One that was blatantly ignored. Stella was picking up speed now that she had reached the path. She was running away as fast an anyone could with a pair of elbow crutches and a below-knee amputation. The state-of-the-art prosthesis that looked so wonderfully realistic wasn’t touching the ground. It was back to being what it had been since its procurement. An aesthetic accessory.

Susie rounded on Alex.

‘How could you?’

His face emptied of an expression worn many times by any parent of a teenager. That baffled kind of look that asked how on earth things had got so out of hand. As he focused on Susie, his face became completely neutral. ‘Excuse me?’

‘Your daughter walked nearly fifty metres this morning without using those crutches. She couldn’t even stand without the crutches a week ago and we’ve worked incredibly hard to get this far.’ The words were tumbling out. A release of all the hurt and disappointment she felt on behalf of Stella. ‘That’s exactly what she was doing when you arrived and that’s what you should have noticed. Not the bloody make-up!’ Susie gave an incredulous huff and put all her own fury into the glare she was directing at Alex. ‘How could you?’ she repeated.

There was a long moment of stunned silence. Susie had seen him flinch. She knew her words had found a target. Clearly, he was considering how to deal with such a personal attack.

The pilot had stopped approaching some time back, obviously disconcerted by the sound of angry voices. He was peering at something over the edge of the jetty with studied interest.

Tiny sounds became magnified. The lap of gentle waves breaking on the nearby beach. The cry of exotic birds in the rainforest. A distant shout and then the laughter of children.

The heat was intolerable.

It wasn’t a tropical sun that was burning Susie right now, however. The heat was emanating from the man in front of her. His sheer energy was overpowering. Not simply anger. Anyone could get angry, especially a parent who had been publicly defied and then criticised. No. The power here came from anger underlined with a heady mix of intelligence, position and…and the most potent masculinity Susie Jackson had ever encountered.

She had never met anyone like this in her entire life.

What the hell did she think she was doing?

His voice encapsulated every lightning impression she had just catalogued. It was a low, dangerously calm rumble.

‘Stella is my daughter, Miss Jackson. I have raised her alone since she was three months old.’ A tiny pause for effect. ‘I don’t think I need anybody telling me how I should be doing it.’

Obviously he did, but the defiant response refused to come out. Susie’s mouth was too dry and she felt alarmingly close to tears herself. It was tempting to turn and run, as Stella had done, but she wasn’t going to.

No way!

A purring noise broke this silence and it came from the small, electrically powered vehicle that chose that moment to arrive. Slow moving and environmentally friendly, these island vehicles had two seats and could tow a small trailer for luggage.

‘Ah…my transport.’ Alex turned away, giving Susie the impression that she was a nuisance that had now been dealt with. He sounded slightly less sure of himself when he focused on the new arrival, however.

‘What in God’s name is that?’

‘Garf,’ Charles told him succinctly. ‘The camp mascot.’

As was often the case, empty space in a cart or trailer had been gleefully occupied by the large, woolly dog.

‘But what is he? I’ve never seen anything like it.’

‘Labradoodle. Labrador poodle cross. Hypoallergenic. We had to be careful with pets and avoid anything that could trigger asthma attacks. He’s still on parole as far as close contact with some of the children.’

Garf didn’t know that. He had obviously been waiting for the cart to stop. As soon as it did, he bounced off the seat and loped off in the direction Stella had taken. Susie smiled. Garf had an inbuilt antenna when it came to unhappy children and he was probably the best medicine for Stella right now.

Alex gave a satisfied nod as the dog vanished up the track. ‘I’ll meet you back here in half an hour if that suits,’ he said to Charles. ‘Now, where is Stella’s dormitory?’

Susie opened her mouth and then shut it again as she caught the flicker of Charles’s eyebrow.

‘Let me offer you a nice cold drink,’ he said to Alex. ‘I don’t know about you, but I could do with one.’ He smiled. ‘Don’t forget we’re on island time here. Nobody’s going anywhere and nothing needs to be rushed.’

Diplomatic, Susie conceded. Far more so than she would have been in suggesting that Stella needed some time to herself before seeing her father again.

And Charles was not someone who could be dismissed. He might be in a wheelchair but that did nothing to diminish this man’s presence, and he had the upper hand right now. They were on his patch.

Alex had the grace to concede at least a reprieve. He inclined his head. ‘Wouldn’t say no to a cold beer. I have to admit it’s been rather a long and difficult day already.’

Was that some kind of backhanded apology? Inferring that Susie’s earlier impression might have been valid and his reaction to Stella’s appearance had been the last straw on a stressed camel’s back?

Charles was gracious enough to assume something along those lines. ‘I’ll bet,’ he said sympathetically. ‘Let’s send your luggage off to the resort and we can see what the fridge in my office has to offer.’

‘Lead the way.’

‘We’ll go via the centre if you don’t mind. I need to pop in on Lily.’

‘Lily? Your daughter?’

‘She’s not very well.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Nothing too serious but you know how young children can go down in a heap with a virus. I’m keeping her in the medical centre this afternoon so we can keep a close eye on her.’

The voices of the two men faded as they moved away. The pilot took it as a cue to finish his journey along the jetty.

‘Bloody suit,’ he muttered. ‘Thinks he’s God’s gift, doesn’t he? You OK, Susie?’

‘I’m fine, thanks, Wayne.’

‘Poor kid.’

‘Hmm. I might just go and see where she is.’

‘You do that.’ Wayne hefted the smart black suitcase onto the back of the electric cart and greeted the driver. ‘There’s a couple of dead birds floating under the jetty, mate. Those noisy shearwater things. Someone might need to do something before they wash up on the beach or the kids go swimming or something.’

The driver unhooked a radio from the dashboard. ‘I’ll call it in but I think the rangers are still out with the kids on some forest trek.’

The rainforest buggy ride was actually over, Susie realised as she walked back towards the camp facilities. Already groups of children and their parents or carers were heading to the beach for a late-afternoon swim. She waved at Benita Green, a nurse with a small group of her cancer patients in tow, and then found herself returning the wide grin of little Danny, who was still completely bald from his chemo.

It was hard to stay angry in this environment. Hopefully Stella had found a private spot and the island was working a similar magic on her. Or would she be angry at Susie for orchestrating the confrontation, albeit unwittingly? More likely, she was simply feeling utterly miserable.

Unloved and unlovable.

Where would she have gone?

Not to the dormitory with the others returning and racing in to get their togs and towels. The older ones would be looking forward to the disco this evening and probably discussing it, and that would certainly rub salt into Stella’s wounds.

Would she have gone to the cabin Susie had been allocated because she was staying for the opening ceremony tomorrow and the gala dinner the five-star resort restaurant was hosting later? Stella knew the location because that was where they’d excitedly taken the purchases of new clothes and make-up for the styling session that afternoon. But she also knew that Susie was going to be sharing the cabin with other staff from the base hospital. She would hardly want to explain herself to strangers if they had already arrived.

No. Susie turned off the wide track that led from the beach, one fork going to the camp dormitories, dining hall and activity rooms, the other leading to the newly built eco-cabins in the rainforest. She doubled back towards the beach on a much smaller track, confident she knew one of the best thinking spots around.

Sure enough, hidden between the overturned timber hulls of a couple of ancient dinghies, Stella was sitting. A hunched figure scraping a meaningless pattern in the sand with a piece of driftwood, oblivious to the view of the ocean and small islands that advertised their presence in paradise. Beside her, with big brown eyes peering anxiously beneath golden dreadlocks, sat Garf. Close enough to cuddle but respectfully keeping his distance for now. The dog seemed, in fact, to be enjoying the view Stella was ignoring.

Susie slid down the side of a dinghy to a squat rather than a sitting position, being as careful as Garf not to intrude too forcefully into Stella’s space. She couldn’t assume she was welcome. Maybe it was only on her side that the relationship had become so much more than that of therapist and patient.

‘Hey,’ she said gently. ‘You OK, hon?’

The only answer was a sullen sniff.

Susie picked up a handful of the fine white sand and let it drift through her fingers. ‘Dr Wetherby’s taken your dad off to see the medical centre. He thought you might want a bit of time to yourself.’

‘I do. Go away.’

‘I think your dad’s had a stressful day getting here,’ Susie offered. ‘He got a bit of a shock seeing you all dressed up, that’s all. He’ll get over it.’

‘No, he won’t.’

‘We won’t let him stop you going to the disco.’

‘I don’t want to go.’

She didn’t really expect Susie to believe that, did she? Maybe she didn’t realise that her exchange with fourteen-year-old Jamie had been overheard that morning.

‘You going to the disco?’

‘Dunno. Maybe.’

‘You should. It’ll be choice.’

‘Yeah… OK…’

‘Cool. See you there, then.’

Even if she had been aware of Susie listening, Stella wouldn’t have known that, in the wake of Jamie’s grin, her face had been the picture of every teenage girl in existence who was experiencing her first crush.

And Susie had used that secret as an emotional key to get through the last barrier and get Stella walking properly. The day had snowballed from then on. The hugely successful physio session, the shopping and the make-over. A crescendo of excitement that had just been shredded.

A flash of anger resurfaced.

‘Your dad’s wrong,’ Susie said firmly. ‘He only said that about how you look because he doesn’t realise you’re growing up. It’s not what the other kids will think, believe me.’ Not what Jamie would think, but she couldn’t say that.

Stella hunched into a tighter ball. ‘It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.’

Using the side of the other dinghy as a climbing frame, Stella clambered upright awkwardly. She picked up her crutches without looking at Susie. ‘Who wants to go to a stupid disco anyway?’

The hunched shoulders, resentful tone and total lack of eye contact was achingly familiar.

They were right back to where they’d been at the start of this week.

Back to square one.

Susie watched miserably as Stella moved slowly over the sand.

Something wonderful had been happening in the last few days. Something that had filled a lonely space with magic and created more joy than she had known her career could provide, but that new, hopeful space had just exploded, thanks to a human bomb. Even Garf’s head on her knee wasn’t enough to comfort her.

Susie straightened her legs, giving Garf a quick scratch under his chin as she stood up. She watched as two boys ran onto the beach, past Stella. They weren’t camp kids but Susie had seen them hanging around in the last day or two and she didn’t like the look of them at all.

‘Hey, Zach, look!’ One of them shouted. ‘It’s one of those cripples from the kiddie camp.’

‘Crip-ple!’ His mate taunted loudly. ‘Hop-along! Go back to the forest with all the other freaky frogs!’

Laughing, the teens in their designer board shorts kept loping onto the beach, oblivious to the hurt they might have caused.

Susie’s hands bunched into fists. She started moving, intending to intercept the boys and give them a piece of her mind, but from the corner of her eye she could see another group of young people arriving. These were camp kids and Jamie was leading them.

He must have heard the taunting and Stella would have to know he’d heard it, which would only have made it even more cutting. The tall, lanky body of the teenager, bronzed by so many hours in the surf, was gathering speed. Tousled, blond-streaked hair bounced. Susie could see why he was catching the attention of the girls.

And not just the girls. With a delighted woof and an apologetic glance up at Susie, Garf abandoned her to join the fun.

She watched the way Jamie bent to welcome the dog by ruffling his soft coat. Should she try and enlist the boy’s help in boosting Stella’s self-esteem? Could she do it without making it look contrived? Should she even try? Susie knew the answer to that one but desperation might have tipped the balance if her thoughts had not been interrupted by the ringtone of her mobile.

It was Charles.

‘Could you spare a few minutes to come to my office?’ he asked. ‘Alex would like to talk to you.’

‘I’m not at all sure I would like to talk to him.’ Susie was still watching Jamie. He had caught up with the strange boys and was clearly saying the kind of things Susie had been planning to say. She smiled. Stella knew how to pick them, didn’t she?

‘Susie!’ Charles’s tone had a glint of amusement. Understanding. But it was also a reprimand. Charles wouldn’t have suggested the meeting unless he thought it would benefit the people he cared about.

Like her.

And Stella.

Susie sighed. ‘I’m on my way.’

CHAPTER TWO

‘IT’s the perfect solution.’

‘I agree.’

The latest arrival in the office wasn’t looking quite so convinced.

‘Let me get this straight,’ Susie said slowly, still looking at Charles. ‘You want me to spend the weekend in the penthouse suite at the resort that was reserved for Stella and Mr Vavunis? And Mr Vavunis is going to use my cabin?’

‘Call me Alex.’

He hadn’t noticed how astonishingly blue Stella’s physiotherapist’s eyes were but, then, he hadn’t taken much notice of her physical appearance at the jetty, had he? Or was it because they were now tucked away in the neutral décor of this air-conditioned space in the new medical centre and the competition from the vast blueness of the sky and ocean had been removed?

Whatever. The expression in those eyes was not impressed and she made no acknowledgement of the invitation to use his first name. Dammit! He knew he’d been rude earlier but it could hardly be considered unprovoked and he certainly wasn’t going to jump through hoops in order to call a truce.

‘It’s the closest eco-cabin to the girls’ dormitory,’ Charles said calmly. ‘A compromise that would allow Stella to spend time with her dad but still be close to her mates.’ An eyebrow quirked. ‘It’s also the last available two-bedroomed cabin.’

‘But what about Mike and Emily?’

Alex suppressed a sigh. He had anticipated a delighted acceptance of the plan he and Charles had come up with over their beer. What woman wouldn’t want to exchange a simple hut in a forest for the ultimate in luxury? But no. Miss Jackson was going to be difficult.

Again.

He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. ‘Mike and Emily?’ he queried.

‘Mike’s one of our helicopter pilots,’ Charles supplied. ‘Also a paramedic. Emily’s an anaesthetist at our base hospital.’

‘My best friend,’ Susie put in.

‘And?’ Alex couldn’t see the relevance but he couldn’t miss the note in Susie’s voice that spoke of fierce loyalty to the people she called friends. He could approve of that.

‘And they’re coming over for tomorrow’s opening,’ Susie continued. ‘They’re going to be sharing my cabin.’

‘Already sorted,’ Charles told her. ‘Don’t worry.’

Even, white teeth appeared as Susie chewed her bottom lip. ‘But the resort’s right down at the south end of the island. It’s a long way from the kids’ camp.’

‘Precisely,’ Alex said with satisfaction. If Stella was determined to stay at the camp, it would effectively put him on a different planet, wouldn’t it? Perhaps he was already as far as his daughter was concerned. What the hell had happened on this camp so far?

‘It’s not as far as the mainland,’ Charles reminded Susie. ‘And you’ve been trekking back and forth all week. How about I organise a cart for your personal use?’

Susie flashed him a grin. ‘A bicycle would do.’

Alex let out his breath. ‘Thank you very much, Miss Jackson. I appreciate your cooperation.’

The corner of her mouth twitched but it wasn’t a real smile. Not like the one she’d given Charles. It was more like a subtle putdown of his formality.

‘Call me Susie.’

‘I will.’ He could go even further in cementing this new accord. He could offer a new beginning. Alex stood up and extended his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Susie.’

She followed suit, standing as she put her hand into his, but the response was tentative. As though this formality was also out of place. Her hand was warm. And soft. The grip was surprisingly firm.

Why was she still not smiling? Blue eyes were regarding him with mistrust. She may be conceding a truce but he wasn’t going to be given the benefit of a completely clean slate. He would have to earn any respect.

Alex Vavunis was not used to being mistrusted.

Quite the opposite, actually. Most women didn’t even wait for an invitation to get closer. They used whatever means they could to attract his attention.

Including, on more than one occasion, his daughter.

It should be refreshing that someone was prepared to antagonise him on Stella’s behalf, but Susie was not the only one capable of mistrust. What was it Charles had said? That Susie and Stella had made a formidable team this week? Alex had yet to gauge the strength of the relationship between this woman and his daughter and, given the unfortunate family spat on his arrival, it might be prudent to avoid any further antagonism until the emotional lie of the land became clearer.

If what Charles had been telling him was true, he owed this woman rather a lot and he was not a man to leave debts unpaid, but he would need to satisfy himself regarding motivation first. To make sure nobody was being used.

The vow may be years old now but nobody was ever going to use Stella like that again.

‘Can I leave it to you to show Alex where the cabin is?’ Charles was saying now. ‘Jill’s wanting to come over to help look after Lily. It’s too late for the usual ferry or seaplane transfers but I said I’d try and sort out some transport.’

The black suitcase had already been whisked away to the resort hotel.

‘I’ll have it sent back,’ Susie told Alex. ‘As soon as I can tear myself away for the champagne and caviar.’

He didn’t smile. He turned away, in fact, to stare at the ocean view as they began their walk towards the cabin. Did he think she was being critical of such an affluent choice of accommodation? Or, worse, that she was being serious?

Maybe the man had no sense of humour.

Not that he really needed one with his looks. Women must fall at his feet in droves, even without the additional attractions of vast wealth and an international reputation as one of the best paediatric neurosurgeons in the southern hemisphere.

Susie gave her head a tiny shake. It wouldn’t be enough for her. A large part of the sheer joy to be found in being alive came through laughter.

On the other hand… Susie stole a quick glance at the man walking alongside her. It was a little too easy to imagine the kind of female response the sight of Alex would generate. She could actually feel an odd frisson of something herself.

Something she hadn’t felt for a very long time.

Good grief!

She was attracted to him?

Susie flicked her hair back with a far more vigorous shake of her head. Not possible. Not when he had made Stella so miserable. And particularly not when she remembered that unpleasant emphasis in calling her Miss Jackson that first time. He’d been so sure she was unmarried, and why was that? Because he’d judged her appearance and personality and decided that nobody would have been interested?

At least he couldn’t possibly know how well the barb had found a target.

The faint bars of a piece of classical music came from nowhere. It wasn’t until Alex stopped that she realised the sound was coming from his pocket.

‘Excuse me for a moment,’ he said, extracting his cellphone. The phone he had said he was going to switch off. ‘I’d better take this,’ he added, after a glance at the tiny screen. ‘It’s my registrar.’

Susie took another pace or two before she stopped, and she didn’t turn around. Her back could be a silent protest that he could still allow priorities other than Stella to claim his attention.

A rapid exchange of medical terminology was easy to ignore but then the tone of the conversation suddenly changed and Susie found herself eavesdropping.

‘Do the parents want to speak to me again?’ A heavy silence as Alex listened. ‘Please, tell them how sorry I am.’

He sounded sorry.

Sincere. And caring.

Susie tried not to let her opinion of this man take a U-turn. Why hadn’t he sounded like that when he’d been speaking to his own daughter?

It was hard to ignore the heavy sigh she heard. Then a silence that seemed to speak volumes. But then Alex cleared his throat and it seemed to be business as usual.

‘Can you give me a quick update on Melanie? I’m going to be unavailable by mobile for a while. What’s the ICP looking like?’

There was another exchange of medical information, a farewell and then Susie heard the phone give a blip that suggested it was, indeed, being switched off.

‘Sorry about that,’ Alex murmured. He moved to catch up with Susie. ‘It’s been a day from hell in the unit.’

‘Has it?’

Susie was only being polite. She didn’t really expect Alex to start talking to her about his professional life. The silence around them was welcome rather than uncomfortable. Then it became too quiet. Where were all the children? All on the beach, perhaps, or rounded up to participate in some pre-dinner activity.

The shade of the patch of forest they were in had also been initially welcome but seemed to become oppressive. It was hot and there was no hint of any sea breeze reaching them now.

Or did the feeling of oppression come from her companion? Susie looked sideways and was startled to catch Alex’s gaze. He was frowning again and Susie felt as if she was under some kind of new evaluation.

‘I operated on a fourteen-year-old boy in the early hours of this morning,’ Alex said abruptly. ‘He and his brother got collected by a drunk teenager who lost control of his car last night. The brother died instantly. We did our best with Sean but we knew by this morning there was no point in continuing life support. There were potential organ recipients in the wings. I was talking to the parents again as I was arriving here. My registrar tells me they’ve just decided to have the ventilator switched off…and they’ve agreed to donate Sean’s organs.’

‘Oh…’ Susie didn’t know what to say. How glib had she been in considering that his day might have been stressful? Nobody could have missed the pain in his voice when he’d relayed his sympathy to the parents of that boy. Alex cared about his patients. A lot. How much of his mind and heart were unavoidably involved elsewhere at present? Beside a bed in an intensive-care unit where a family was gathered to say a final farewell to a child they should not be losing.

For the second time Susie was trapped by her eye contact with Alex. This time—incredibly—it seemed even more powerful. This wasn’t any kind of surface inspection, however. Perhaps he was trying to gauge the effect his words had had. Did Susie understand why he might have been so horrified at the sight of his daughter having been transformed into a teenager in the space of a few days? That these years were enough of a minefield for any parent to contemplate, let alone someone in Alex’s position who got to see the worst of what could happen?

Of course she understood. And she could respect anyone in the medical profession who cared that much about his patients. But Stella was his daughter. His only child. On top of what was almost always a difficult life stage, she was having to deal with things that, fortunately, most teens didn’t have to face. A life- threatening illness. Stella was…special, and if a line in the sand was being drawn, Susie was not about to allow herself to get tugged onto Alex’s side. She didn’t know this man. Maybe he was clever enough to know how to manipulate people around him.

That could also explain why he had gone over the top when confronted by Stella’s apparent misbehaviour.

Susie dampened the warmth that had started to thaw her opinion of Alex. She looked away, helped by the change of scenery as the track veered to the edge of the forest and afforded another spectacular view of the horseshoe-shaped bay to their right.

‘Who’s Melanie?’ she enquired eventually, her curiosity getting the better of her and providing a means to end another awkward silence.

‘Another patient. An only child. She’s ten and she had her surgery this morning. We discovered her brain tumour was inoperable. Unless we can shrink it with chemo, it’ll be a very short space of time before it invades her brain stem. She’s not doing as well as I’d like post-op, either.’

The first of the eco-cabins came into view on their left. On short stilts to protect their inhabitants from some of the wildlife and made from well-weathered timber that blended into the surrounding rainforest, they looked like dolls’ houses. Small and inviting. A fantasy that was a world away from the grim reality Alex had been relating.

Two of the cabins looked half-derelict, with their windows unglazed and no netting around the verandas, but the third was clearly inhabited. A red-and-white canvas chair stood beside a table made from half a barrel. An old couch with brightly coloured cushions dominated the rest of the space, and the barrel top and veranda railing were decorated with shells and driftwood. A windsong made a tiny sound in appreciation of the puff of sea breeze reaching them again.

Alex stopped, turning slowly to take in the view of the sea and then to take another look at the cabin.

‘How lovely!’ he exclaimed. ‘It looks as if it’s been here for ever.’

‘That’s Beth’s cabin,’ Susie told him. ‘She’s the permanent doctor for the medical centre now and she fell in love with that cabin. It’s the only one of the original cabins that was left intact enough to use after Willie. The others are just shells and we use them for the messy activities like pottery. See?’ She pointed at another veranda which was covered with lumpy-looking, as yet unglazed bowls made from coils of clay.

‘The cabin you’ll be using is brand-new,’ she continued. ‘But they’ve been careful to use the same kind of materials.’ She smiled at Alex, a concession that their relationship might be on a better footing now, thanks to his communication. ‘The mosquito netting will probably work a lot better, as well.’

‘I hadn’t thought about mosquitoes.’ Alex sounded irritated. Did he really expect to keep on top of what was happening so far away in Sydney and still be aware of every potential issue in this environment? ‘How much of a problem are they?’

‘Generally well controlled,’ Susie responded. ‘And you’ll find eco-friendly insect repellent in the cabin.’

‘What about mosquito-borne disease? Like Dengue fever and Ross River virus?’

‘There hasn’t been a case of anything nasty for years.’

‘Complacency is never a good safety net.’ Alex increased the length of his stride. ‘Another good reason to make sure Stella keeps herself well covered.’

He was forging ahead of her now so he couldn’t see the way Susie shook her head. Or hear her resigned sigh.

Much to Alex’s relief, Stella was in the cabin Susie led him to.

He could hear the sound of her voice as they stepped up onto the veranda, part of his brain registering the fact that this was going to be a much nicer place to stay than a penthouse hotel suite. The netting overhead and around the sides of the veranda was so fine it was virtually invisible, and the surrounding trees were so close that sitting out here would be like sitting in the middle of the forest.

The larger part of his brain, however, was hearing the sound of his daughter’s laughter and feeling the tension of his arrival and everything he’d left behind in Sydney fading.

When had he last heard her laugh like that? So long ago, it had probably been before her cancer had been diagnosed, and that was just over two years now. Was this part of what had been happening on this camp? If so, the donation he’d made to kick-start the rebuilding process had just paid for itself tenfold. And the staff needed to know how appreciative he was.

Alex turned his head, intending to catch Susie’s gaze and say something to that effect, but she was moving ahead to enter the main room of the cabin through the open ranch sliders that led to the veranda. She had a huge smile on her face.

‘Mike! Em! What are you guys doing here?’

‘We were looking for you,’ a feminine voice responded.

Alex stepped into a spacious, open-plan living area to see Susie hugging another blonde woman. His gaze flicked past the man beside them, who was grinning cheerfully to where Stella was sitting on a cane couch. Her smile was fading rapidly as she watched her father’s entrance and she looked disturbingly—and inexplicably—nervous. Then her gaze shifted and Alex understood.

He glared at the boy standing at the other end of Stella’s couch. Trying to look nonchalant, with a towel slung casually over one shoulder that did nothing to cover his bare chest or disguise the way his damp board shorts clung to his hips.

‘G’day,’ the boy said. ‘You must be Star’s dad.’

‘What? Who?’

Susie broke away from the hug. ‘This is Alex,’ she said to the group in general. ‘Stella’s father. Alex, this is Mike and Emily, whom you’ve heard about already.’

‘Hiya!’ Mike extended his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Alex.’

Emily had a sweet smile and was nodding agreement. Susie was beaming at the boy.

‘Hey, Jamie! Did you have a good swim?’

‘It was awesome.’

Alex pulled his hand free of Mike’s grip and stopped smiling at Emily. He frowned at the boy again. ‘What was it you called my daughter?’

Jamie went red. He started to say something but his voice cracked and he went crimson. Stella glared at her father but Mike was still grinning.

‘Star,’ he supplied. ‘It’s what Stella means in Greek.’

‘Yes,’ Alex said dryly. ‘I was aware of that.’

‘I wasn’t,’ Stella said. ‘You never told me.’

‘Mike’s Greek, too,’ Susie said hurriedly, clearly trying to avert another father-daughter confrontation. Did she really think that he and Stella did nothing but fight?

‘Mike Poulos,’ Mike added helpfully. ‘My parents run the best Greek restaurant you’ll find in North Australia. The Athina. Just over the way in Crocodile Creek.’

‘Spitting distance,’ Emily said. She exchanged a glance with Mike and they both gave the kind of smile that indicated a private joke.

One that excluded Alex. The ceiling fan didn’t seem to be doing much in the way of air-conditioning. He put down his briefcase, dropped his jacket over the back of a cane chair that matched the couch, rolled up his shirtsleeves and gave up any pretence of feeling social.

He wanted a shower. A chance to change his clothes and spend some time with his daughter. Instead, his accommodation was crowded by strangers who seemed to find Greek superstitions a joke, his daughter was still wearing that scanty clothing, and she was currently being ogled by a prime example of testosterone on legs. It was infuriating.

Worse, having caught Susie’s glance, it appeared that she knew exactly how he was feeling and—in her opinion—his discomfort was well deserved.

Then he saw the way she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. It may only have been the second time he’d seen her do that, but he knew a decision of some kind had just been made.

‘Hey,’ Susie said to her friends. ‘You did know you’re not staying here anymore, didn’t you?’

Emily nodded. ‘That’s why we came to find you, to make sure you’d had a chance to talk to Charles.’

‘Your dad’s having the cabin,’ Susie explained to Stella. ‘We’re moving to the hotel. There’s two bedrooms here so you can stay, too.’ She smiled encouragingly. ‘It’s really close to the dormitory and I’ll bet the bed’s a lot more comfortable.’

Stella looked mutinous and Jamie edged towards the door. ‘I’d better go,’ he said. ‘See you at the disco, Stel—’ He grinned. ‘I mean, Star.’

Alex groaned inwardly. The new nickname made his daughter sound like something from a Hollywood gossip column, but it wasn’t worth a battle. Not when Stella was staring at him, clearly expecting one.

‘Am I allowed to go to the disco, Dad?’

It was a challenge. It was also an easy way to defuse any tension between them. It wasn’t the disco that Alex had a problem with, was it?

‘Of course,’ he said.

Stella looked surprised. Pleased but wary. ‘And I can wear my new clothes?’

‘But I’ll have to find another top!’ Emily groaned in mock despair. ‘We can’t be there looking like twins.’

‘Why not?’ Susie was also staring at Alex and her gaze was just as challenging as Stella’s had been. ‘It’s a gorgeous top.’

‘I reckon.’ Mike nodded. ‘What do you think, Jamie?’

But Jamie just grinned again and disappeared with a wave.

Alex was now the focus of everybody’s attention. They were confidently expecting his agreement—even Susie and Stella, who had to know how it would be contradicting his principles. He sighed.

‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘I’ll have to think about it.’

It was too hot to be making decisions that could have unpleasant personal ramifications. He needed a shower. And another beer. And some peace.

‘I’ll get my stuff,’ Susie said into the silence. ‘Why don’t we head over to the resort and give these guys some time to themselves?’

‘Thanks.’ Alex tilted his head towards his briefcase. ‘I’ve got a speech to get written before the opening ceremony tomorrow.’

‘Maybe you could get it done while Stella’s at the disco tonight.’

She wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to tell him how to handle his daughter, was she? Did she really expect him to stay in the cabin and let Stella wander around in her underwear? Dancing with boys?

Except that she couldn’t dance, could she?

Alex moved to go and sit down beside his daughter, the sudden tightness in his throat making it difficult to smile.

He barely noticed the others leaving the cabin.

The camp disco was aimed at the older children and wasn’t due to start until 8:00 p.m. when it would be dark enough for the light show to be appreciated on the beach. One of the rangers, Ben, was an amateur disk jockey. He had his own sound and light system and, like many of the staff on the island, was only too happy to use his skills to provide something the kids would enjoy.

There were plenty of adults who were also looking forward to a spot of dancing, including Susie, Emily and Mike, but their bicycle ride back to the north end of Wallaby Island that evening was interrupted by first Mike’s and then Susie’s mobile phones ringing.

Mike finished his call first and was talking to Emily as Susie flipped her phone shut. Emily was frowning.

‘Charles wants you to fly back to Crocodile Creek? At this time of night? Just to pick up Jill?’

‘There’s no other way she can get here before tomorrow morning. Lily’s sick.’

‘How sick?’ Emily asked with concern.

‘I heard Charles say it was just a cold this afternoon,’ Susie put in. ‘It can’t be too serious.’

‘Doesn’t sound as if Charles thinks it’s too serious,’ Mike agreed, ‘but apparently he couldn’t persuade Jill about that. I think he thinks Jill’s overreacting, but it sounds as though Beth’s on his case now—telling him that any kid who’s feeling miserable needs her mother.’

‘Oh…’ Emily nodded. ‘He’s got a point. And we do owe Charles.’

‘Do we?’

‘Of course we do.’ Emily gave her husband a shove. ‘It was thanks to him that we sorted ourselves out, if you remember. Come to think of it, that involved a helicopter ride, as well. To Wallaby Island, no less.’ She grinned. ‘Just think of yourself as Charles Wetherby’s personal pilot. I can dance without you.’ The grin got turned in Susie’s direction. ‘I’ve got my best friend to dance with.’

‘I’m afraid not,’ Susie said apologetically. ‘Not for a while, anyway. My call was from Miranda Carlisle. You met her the other night, didn’t you? She’s a respiratory physician and the coordinator of the camp kids. She’s worried about one of the boys with cystic fibrosis who’s picked up this bug that’s going around. I’ll have to drop into the medical centre and see if he needs help with some extra physio to clear his chest. I’ll try and get there before the dancing finishes.’

‘Me, too,’ Mike promised.

Emily shrugged philosophically. ‘No problem. You guys go and do what you need to do.’

Surprisingly, for this time on a Friday evening, the new medical facilities on Wallaby Island were humming.

There seemed to be people everywhere and the distinctive shape of Charles’s wheelchair was at the centre of a knot blocking a wide hallway Susie needed to use to reach the inpatient rooms.

Even though it was obvious they were trying to have a private discussion, the high-pitched voice of Lauren Allandale’s mother, Kirsty, was also familiar. Lauren was another of the camp children who suffered from cystic fibrosis. The pretty, fragile-looking teenager had been in here only yesterday, having a nasty gash on her chin sutured, but that didn’t seem to be what was upsetting Kirsty at the moment.

‘We’ve got to evacuate her, Dr Wetherby,’ she was saying urgently, still trying to keep her voice down. ‘For God’s sake, she’s on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Any kind of chest infection could be…could be…’ The woman turned, allowing her husband to wrap his arms around her, burying her face in his shoulder to cry silently.

Rick Allandale may not be as overprotective as Lauren’s mother but his determination to look after his family was obvious in the stare he was directing at Charles.

‘She’s not showing any signs of infection,’ Charles said.

Kirsty’s face appeared again. ‘She almost collapsed! Her hands went all numb!’

‘Hyperventilation.’ The calm voice came from Miranda, the respiratory physician standing beside Charles. ‘She’s feeling absolutely fine again now. I suspect it was simply due to the excitement of getting ready for the disco.’

‘She can’t possibly go to that disco,’ Kirsty declared. ‘All those children together when there’s a flu bug going around.’

Judging by the way a nearby door swung open at that point, the subject of the conversation had been eavesdropping. Susie could only hope she hadn’t heard the entire exchange but Lauren certainly looked less than happy.

‘I’m going to the disco,’ she announced. ‘You can’t stop me.’

Lauren was the same age as Stella but so far the only thing the two girls had in common was a crush on Jamie. Rebellion against parental edicts could now be added, Susie thought with a wry smile. Maybe the girls would end up being friends after all.

‘Susie!’ Miranda had spotted her arrival. ‘You helped Lauren with her airway clearance this morning. What did you think of her condition?’

‘No change from yesterday,’ Susie responded. She smiled at Lauren. ‘I think her technique’s improved this week, as well. She’s been trying hard.’

‘DrWetherby?’ A large woman, wearing an impressive selection of gold jewellery, came from behind Susie. ‘Please, could you come and see Eddie again? He’s been sick and he says the pain in his chest is getting worse.’

The wheelchair swivelled. ‘Is Dr Stuart with him?’

‘She did tests. The electric whatever it was.’

‘Electrocardiogram?’

‘Yes. And she took a lot of blood. I think she’s gone somewhere with all the test tubes.’

Charles was moving towards Susie. He paused for just a moment as he left the Allandales. ‘It’s your call,’ he told Miranda. ‘We’ve certainly got the space to keep Lauren in the centre overnight and I’m sure a flight out could be arranged tomorrow if necessary.’

‘No!’ Lauren’s face crumpled. ‘You can’t make me go home. I want to stay here.’

‘It’s too dangerous, darling,’ her mother pleaded. ‘There’s all these bugs!’

‘I don’t care! I’ve never been to a disco. Please, Mummy! What if…?’ Lauren’s eyes widened theatrically. ‘What if it’s the only chance I ever get?’

‘Oh, darling… Don’t say that!’ Kirsty’s arms went round her daughter.

Miranda closed her eyes for a second.

‘Where’s Jack?’ Susie asked her. ‘If I get his therapy done, I can go to the disco myself and keep an eye on Lauren.’

‘Room 4,’ Miranda responded quietly. ‘I’ll join you as soon as we’re sorted here.’ She raised her voice slightly. ‘I’ve got Jack started on a hefty antibiotic regime but his chest isn’t sounding great.’

Rick was frowning. ‘You know, they say the worst place to pick up bugs is in a hospital. Fresh air on the beach might not be such a bad idea.’

‘Is it?’ Kirsty looked fearfully over her shoulder, as though someone was about to pop out of a room and infect them all.

‘I’d better go and see Jack,’ Susie told them. ‘He really is sick.’

That seemed to settle it for the Allandales. ‘Let’s go,’ Kirsty suggested hurriedly. ‘We’ll talk about the disco when we’re outside.’

Jack Havens was twelve and quite independent. He had happily come to camp without any family support and usually managed his own airway clearance techniques by himself, but right now he was feeling rotten.

‘My head hurts,’ he told Susie. ‘And I feel all hot and everything aches.’

‘Sounds like flu, you poor old thing,’ Susie commiserated. ‘Is it feeling harder to breathe?’

Jack nodded miserably. ‘Dr Miranda said I had to stay here tonight. For medicine and oxygen and stuff.’

‘We’ll look after you,’ Susie promised. ‘I’m here to see if I can help you clear your chest a bit. If we get rid of some of the junk in your lungs, it means there’s less places for the bugs to hide and grow. Do you feel up to bit of percussion? I’ll be gentle and it might make you feel a bit better.’

‘OK…’

‘Good boy. I’ll just go and collect some nice big pillows.’

This time the corridor showed a change in activity. The Allandales had disappeared but Beth Stuart was there, showing Charles a sheet of pink paper.

‘No sign of an infarct,’ she was saying. ‘I suspect the chest pain is due to his viral infection.’

‘Sounds as if there are a few people at the resort down with it.’ Charles sounded tired. ‘Couldn’t be happening at a worse time, could it, with the camp going on?’

‘We’ll cope.’ Beth smiled at Susie. ‘How’s Jack?’

‘Not feeling the best. I’m going to see how clear I can get his chest. I’ll try and make it a quick session.’

But it took a lot longer than usual. The boy was tired and each change of position that assisted the drainage of different lobes of the lungs was slow. Susie kept her percussion as gentle as she could, tapping her cupped hands carefully on the small chest and back. Coughing was also painfully slow and not particularly effective.

‘Try huffing,’ Susie told him more than once. ‘Like making a mirror steam up, remember? Sometimes it works better than coughing.’

Miranda came back and the session was interrupted for an examination and medication. Nebulised antibiotics were administered at the end and Susie stayed to help the nurse settle Jack into a comfortable position for sleeping.

By the time Susie had put away the equipment she’d used, it was half past nine. She left the medical centre and hurried into the warm darkness outside. She was far later than she’d intended being, but a dance or two was just what she felt like and Ben wasn’t due to stop the music until 10:00 p.m. She could hear it now, the upbeat strains of something that could lift her spirits even from this distance.

Except that another sound could also be heard. Susie answered her mobile reluctantly.

‘Sorry to disturb you…’ The voice on the other end of the line must have picked up on her reluctance. ‘Charles gave me your number. It’s Alex Vavunis speaking.’

Susie had known that from the first word he’d uttered. Like everything else about Stella’s father, his voice was a new experience. Authoritative. Dark. A distinct hint of a foreign accent. She had to pull in a new breath.

‘No problem. What can I do for you, Alex?’

‘It’s Stella.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘I…I don’t know.’ He cleared his throat. ‘She… ah…won’t talk to me.’

Susie looked down the beach to where she could see bright lights changing colour at regular intervals. ‘Isn’t Stella at the disco?’

‘No. She’s…ah…locked herself in the bathroom.’

They must have had another argument. Probably about what Stella wanted to wear to the disco. But that should have been sorted a couple of hours ago. Just how long had Stella been locked in the bathroom? And why was Alex calling her?

‘Susie?’ The voice was softer now. It had what she could only interpret as a faintly bewildered air. ‘I think I might need your help.’

CHAPTER THREE

THE distance between the beach and the cabin took very little time to cover at the speed Susie moved, but it was quite long enough to think the worst.

Why was Stella locked in the bathroom? Was she injured? Unconscious, even? Had her father been so preoccupied with writing an impressive speech that he hadn’t realised how long she’d been absent?

Or had he climbed back on that paternal soapbox and told his daughter what kind of morals her chosen outfit was advertising? If he had, he was going to get an earful of how clueless Susie considered him to be.

He would also get an eyeful of her own choice of attire. She had picked the soft, clinging, low-cut top deliberately and teamed it with hip-hugging, pale denim jeans that he would probably disapprove of more than a skirt. Not that she had expected to come across Alex at the disco. This had been more of a statement of support for Stella.

It was tempting to put her hands on the band of those jeans that marked her hips and tap her foot impatiently as she waited for Alex to open the ranch slider for her. He looked so calm, dammit! Crossing the room with the same kind of casual grace she had noted when he’d walked down the jetty that afternoon. As though he was in complete control of any space he entered.

His smile and greeting were as courteous as if nothing untoward was happening.

‘Thank you for coming,’ he said.

Accusations of provocation or neglect tumbled around Susie’s brain, vying for utterance, but as she stepped inside and looked up, the words died on her lips.

That aura of control was an illusion. He may still be wearing his white shirt but the careful rolling-up of the sleeves was coming unravelled and the cuffs were hanging loose. Another couple of buttons at the neck were undone and his feet were bare. Eyes that she remembered as being dark were positively black right now. Bottomless pits she could fall into if she wasn’t careful. Muscles in his jaw were bunched tightly enough to make day-old stubble very obvious, and how many times had Alex pushed stiff fingers through his hair to make it stand up in spikes like that?

She was looking at a parent who was worried sick. At the end of his tether.

Helpless, even.

It was the last impression she had expected and Susie could actually feel her early judgement of this surgeon split wide-open. She could move through the channel created and establish a connection if she wanted, and she had to make a conscious effort not to reach out and touch him.

Alex would hate that. This was not someone who was used to asking for assistance and instinctively Susie knew that stepping even a fraction over a professional line would be deemed patronising. Making that telephone call to ask for help had probably made him feel disturbingly vulnerable. It had also given Susie the power to either antagonise him irreparably or get a lot closer.

A choice that was made instantly. With her heart, not her head.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked gently. ‘How can I help?’

‘She went into the bathroom, oh…’ Alex flicked his wrist to glance at his watch. ‘Two hours ago. I thought she was doing something with all that make-up you saw fit to provide.’

Susie opened her mouth but then snapped it shut and merely raised her eyebrows encouragingly.

‘When she didn’t come out after half an hour, I knocked on the door and asked if she was all right.’

‘And?’ Susie didn’t like the cold trickle that ran down her spine. ‘Is she?’

‘She told me to…’ Alex’s face twisted into an expression of extreme distaste and then he demonstrated exactly how he’d managed to spike his hair so effectively. ‘Let’s just say she let me know my presence in the near vicinity was less than desirable.’

Susie dragged her gaze away from the way some of the soft black spikes were settling. But she couldn’t help the way the corner of her mouth twitched. She could be quite confident that Alex wouldn’t be used to being sworn at. Then the embryonic smile faded. Had he got angry and shouted back? Hammered on the door and terrified Stella? Anyone that could exude the kind of power Alex did would be terrifying when really angry. It took rather a lot of courage to even ask her next question.

‘Is the door locked?’

‘You think I didn’t try it?’ The tone was scathing. Susie’s heart tripped but then her hackles rose. There was no reason for this man to have any power over her and any emotional involvement she was feeling came from the notion that he needed her. Maybe he wasn’t so helpless after all.

Then Alex shook his head wearily and his expression squashed any doubts. ‘Sorry, but I’ve tried everything. The window’s closed and too opaque to see through. The door bolts from the inside so it’s no use sending for a skeleton key. Short of breaking the damn thing down—and, yes, I did consider that—the only thing I’ve been able to do is try talking to her.’

‘And she’s not answering?’

‘No.’

‘You don’t think she’s hurt herself, do you?’

‘No. She’s been crying but it doesn’t sound as if she’s in physical pain.’

‘Have you got any idea what’s upset her so much?’

Alex sighed heavily, spreading his hands in an eloquent gesture of frustration. ‘I have absolutely no idea. I’d told her she could wear what she wanted to the disco.’ His gaze travelled over Susie, as though only just registering what she was wearing. She saw him swallow with what appeared to be something of an effort. ‘I said I hoped she was going to have a great time. And that… that if that boy didn’t think she was stunning, he had rocks in his head.’

Susie grinned. ‘You said that? Really?’

‘Really.’ Alex returned the smile and the heavy lines of his face softened. ‘She…I…I feel as if I’ve stepped onto a new planet here, Susie. I sent a little girl away to camp and I came here to find a young woman. One that seems to think I’ve suddenly become the enemy.’

Susie was still smiling. ‘I do understand, Alex. Don’t worry. You’re feeling like every parent of every teenager has felt at some point.’ She turned towards the closed door on the far side of the living area. ‘Right. I was a teenager myself once. I’ll see what I can do.’

‘She was so happy when she went in there.’ Alex stayed where he was, still close to the ranch slider, watching Susie. ‘I simply don’t understand this.’

Susie tapped on the door. ‘Stella?’

No response.

‘It’s Susie,’ she continued. ‘Are you OK, hon?’

Stupid question. No wonder it provoked a muffled sob.

‘I can help,’ Susie offered, hoping fervently that the statement was accurate. ‘Whatever it is that’s bothering you.’

Silence again but Susie had the feeling that Stella might be listening.

‘It’s just me,’ she added. Turning, she flapped her hand at Alex and he hesitated for only a moment before giving a curt nod and stepping out onto the veranda, sliding the door shut behind him. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Stella. You can talk through the door if you want, but it might be better if you let me come in.’

Susie had to bite her lip to allow the next silence to continue long enough for Stella to think it through. Finally, when it seemed she might have failed already, she heard shuffling sounds and then an odd thumping on the door.

‘What’s happening? You haven’t hurt yourself, have you?’

‘I’m using my crutch.’ Stella’s voice was thick. She had been crying long enough to make it sound like she had a heavy head cold. ‘To open the lock.’

Another thump then a bang and then Susie heard the metallic clink of the bolt moving. She tried the handle of the door and it opened.

‘Lock it again,’ Stella ordered.

‘OK.’ Susie obliged after a quick glance at the girl sitting on the floor in the space between the toilet and the bidet in the well-appointed bathroom. She looked exhausted and upset but not injured.

Having locked the door, Susie closed the lid of the toilet and sat down, leaning forward to try and make eye contact with Stella.

‘What happened, sweetheart?’ she asked carefully. ‘Why didn’t you go to the disco?’

Stella burst into tears again and Susie reached out automatically. And then Stella’s head was in her lap and all she could do was stroke the sparse dark hair under her hand as the teenager sobbed uncontrollably.

‘It’s awful,’ she choked out finally. ‘My new skirt is ruined…’

‘What’s wrong with it?’

‘It’s…it’s…’ Stella’s voice dropped to an almost inaudible groan. ‘The blood!’

Susie’s heart skipped a beat. Stella had hurt herself. Then something clicked into place. No wonder Alex hadn’t been welcome.

‘Is it your period, hon?’

Susie’s jeans were wet from tears and now Stella’s nose was being rubbed on her leg as she nodded miserably.

‘Your first one?’

‘They said…it might not happen for ages because of the chemo. I didn’t think it would happen on camp. And not tonight!’

‘No.’ Susie went back to stroking. ‘It sucks, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry you missed the disco.’

‘I bet Lauren was there.’

Susie smoothed back fine wisps of hair from Stella’s face. ‘It’s you that Jamie likes,’ she said.

‘How do you know that?’

‘He came here, didn’t he? To check that you were going to the disco?’

Stella had stopped crying. She raised her head enough to give Susie a suspicious glance.

‘I’ll tell you a secret,’ Susie continued. ‘Boys only use a nickname for girls they really like…Star.’

‘He won’t like me now.’

‘He’ll be disappointed that you didn’t make it tonight but he’ll get over it.’ Susie smiled. ‘Playing hard to get isn’t always a bad move, and at least he got to see you wearing your new clothes.’

Stella pushed herself upright. ‘You reckon he’ll still talk to me?’

‘Go to the beach in the morning. Smile and see what happens.’

‘But I can’t!’

‘Why not?’

‘Because…of…you know.’

Susie shook her head. ‘Periods are a nuisance but they don’t need to stop you doing anything you want to do. Let’s get you sorted.’ She eyed the vanity unit. ‘These bathrooms come stocked with just about everything. I wouldn’t recommend trying tampons this time round but there’ll be something else. And why don’t I go and find your pyjamas? You can give me your skirt and knickers and I’ll get them washed and back to you tomorrow as good as new, I promise.’

‘Thank you so much.’

Susie accepted the glass of red wine and sank back onto the comfortable veranda chair. ‘My pleasure. I’m just happy I was able to help.’

‘Which is probably directly attributable to the amount of time you’ve spent with my daughter in the last week.’ Alex was pouring himself a glass of wine. ‘You’ve obviously built up quite a rapport.’

‘She’s a great kid. You must be very proud of her.’

‘Of course.’ Alex put the wine bottle down. ‘You sure she’s all right now?’

‘She’s sound asleep. I’ll check in on her in the morning but we’ve had a good talk about everything.’ Susie’s smile escaped as she tried to make it sound as though she had tackled the situation in a professional manner. ‘She has an action plan.’

Alex folded long limbs to sit down on the adjacent chair. ‘It didn’t even occur to me that it could be something like her period.’

‘Why should it? You’re a bloke.’

‘That’s no excuse. I’m a single parent. I’m supposed to think of everything.’

‘You get more than your fair share of things that need thinking about. Don’t beat yourself up, Alex.’ It was getting easier to use his name. Nothing like a bit of a crisis to get to know someone. ‘Even if you had thought of it, Stella would probably have been excruciatingly embarrassed. Maybe even more than she already was.’

‘Is it always like this? The first time, I mean?’

‘Depends.’ Susie took a thoughtful sip of her wine. ‘Mine wasn’t great. It was one of the only things I beat my twin sister Hannah at, but we were on a school camp at the time. I was only twelve and didn’t have anything with me and it was a girls’ school. There was this weird philosophy that only losers went to ask the teachers for help.’

‘What did you do?’

‘Coped. With wads of very scratchy toilet paper.’ Susie hurriedly took a larger swallow of her wine to try and wash away an inward cringe. Why on earth was she sharing a piece of history that personal with Alex?

‘Not something teenage boys have to deal with, thank goodness.’ Alex was sounding far more relaxed. He still hadn’t combed his hair or changed his shirt or shaved but, instead of looking like a distraught parent, he now looked rather deliciously dishevelled. ‘I guess the closest I got would have been my first—’

He stopped abruptly, his gaze flicking up to meet Susie’s and his eyes widening enough to let her know he had spoken without thinking and was disconcerted, to say the least, at what he’d been about to confess.

She knew what it was. The jolt into puberty that a boy’s first wet dream represented.

The unspoken words hung between them, creating the most astonishing sexual awareness Susie had ever encountered.

Oh, help! The heavy tropical darkness surrounding them was suddenly devoid of oxygen. Closing in on them like a blanket.

Wrapping them up.

Both of them.

The loud night song of the frogs, the rustle of small creatures and the flap of wings from owls and bats vanished. Susie could hear a faint humming sound.

The sexual energy crackling around her?

More like the pulsing of her own blood, which had quickened rather noticeably. That would also explain the flush she could feel colouring her cheeks. Thankfully, it was too dark for Alex to have noticed.

She drained her wineglass. ‘I’d better go.’

Good grief! She had to clear her throat to get rid of an embarrassingly obvious huskiness. She scrambled to her feet. ‘It’s a big day tomorrow, with the opening and everything. Did you get your speech written?’

‘No.’ Alex followed her example and stood up. ‘I’d better get on with it now.’ He also cleared his throat. ‘Sorry,’ he murmured. ‘I didn’t mean to…’

What? Embarrass her by talking about things normally kept private?

Or make her achingly aware of just how attractive she found him?

Susie shook the thought away with a flick of her head. ‘It’s fine,’ she interrupted dismissively. ‘Not a problem.’ She stepped back as Alex took a step towards her. An unconscious reaction, as though her body knew there was some kind of magnetic pull going on and the only sensible thing to do was to stay out of the danger zone.

‘Good luck with the speech.’ Susie headed for the steps. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

The sighting didn’t come as soon as she might have expected.

Or hoped for?

Susie had to give herself a good mental shake due to the level of disappointment she experienced on finding the Vavunis cabin deserted at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Even being careful not to make any new assumptions about Alex, it seemed unlikely that he would have chosen to share the noisy, crowded camp dining room in order to have breakfast with Stella. More likely, they had taken a cart back to the hotel to sample the astounding array of food available in the main restaurant or something simpler in one of the cafés that had provided the superb cup of coffee Susie had indulged in.

They could easily have gone past her unnoticed. Susie had left her bicycle in the rack outside the medical centre, choosing to walk along the beach, carrying her sandals so that she could enjoy the wash of the gentle waves. She’d been careful not to wade out too far and dampen the only really decent pair of shorts she owned.

The denim cut-offs of yesterday had been discarded in favour of these sand-coloured cargo shorts that came almost to her knees. No skimpy singlet top, either. In order to look as professional as possible, Susie had donned her brand-new ‘official’Crocodile Creek Camp T-shirt. It was white and featured a picture of the latest camp mascot—a brown toy dog that had arrived with Beth a few weeks ago. It had spaniel’s ears, a top hat, black boots and a white-topped cane. With the flick of a switch, he could tap dance to the tune of ‘Putting On The Ritz’ and he never failed to make children laugh. The real camp dog, Garf, was in danger of being toppled from his position of leading the popularity stakes.

Susie had hoped it would make Alex smile. It certainly made a lot of the children smile when she went into the dining hall.

‘We want Ritzy,’ a small girl told her. ‘Can he dance on our table today?’

‘That depends,’ said the aide in charge. ‘He will if our group is the first to finish breakfast and we all remember to put our dishes onto the trolley.’

Susie was scanning the room. There were lots of adults—parents who were here with their children, camp leaders, instructors for special activities and medical personnel like the nurse Benita Green, who was here with the group of children suffering from cancer.

There was no sign of Alex but Stella was at a nearby table. Sitting beside Jamie, no less.

‘Hi, Stella!’ Susie was deliberately casual. ‘What have you done with your dad?’

‘He’s gone to meet some guy from the medical centre. That one in the wheelchair.’

‘Dr Wetherby.’

‘Yeah. They’re having breakfast and a meeting. I’m supposed to go and have lunch with him at the hotel.’

‘That’s cool. We’ll have finished our session well before that.’

Stella shook her head. ‘I don’t want to go to lunch. I’m going to the beach.’

‘I’m helping with surfing lessons for some of the older kids,’ Jamie said. ‘Not that there’s anything like a real wave up here, but they can practise trying to stand on the boards and maybe catch a tiny wave. Hey, Star, you could have a go. Body-surfing, anyway.’ He spoke as though missing part of a limb was simply an inconvenience rather than an obstacle. Susie beamed at him.

‘I might just watch,’ Stella muttered. ‘Dr Miranda asked if I could help judge the sandcastle competition the little kids are having later.’

‘Let’s get your session done now,’ Susie suggested. ‘I need to get back to the medical centre myself soon and see how the sick kids are getting on.’

Stella was using her crutches as they left the dining hall but Susie was pleased to see she wasn’t putting much weight on them. An insurance policy, perhaps?

‘I like the way you’re walking,’ she said. ‘And that you came to breakfast and sat with Jamie. You really are a bit of a star, aren’t you?’ Susie smiled at the girl hopping beside her. ‘I think I might start calling you that myself.’

‘Jamie came to sit with me,’ Stella confided. ‘He said he was worried I was getting flu or something, like the other kids, and that was why I hadn’t shown up last night.’

‘What did you tell him?’

‘That I just had a guts ache.’ Stella sounded defensive.

‘True enough. Did…um…your dad say anything this morning?’

‘No. He was really good.’ Stella sounded surprised now. ‘I thought he’d be mad at me for swearing at him. Did you tell him not to be?’

‘No. He probably understands more than you think. Or maybe he’s just a nice guy.’

Stella snorted. ‘He’s just Dad. Hey, what’s the hotel like?’

‘Gorgeous. The bed’s so big I could sleep sideways.’

Not that Susie had slept much at all. Far too much of that odd energy had stayed with her and made for a wakeful night haunted by images of Alex. Of his black eyes and tousled hair. The sound of his voice and—most of all—that appealing vulnerability she’d seen for the first time.

A glimpse of a real man under the image and reputation. A man that clearly blew every other male on the planet out of the water as far as being attractive went.

‘There was champagne in an ice bucket and a big bowl of tropical fruit,’ Susie continued. ‘Chocolates on my pillow and brochures about all the cool stuff you can do at the resort.’

‘Like what?’

‘Ooh, luxury stuff. Like day spas and personal trainers in the gym. Scenic flights in a seaplane or helicopter. Paragliding, scubadiving, private picnics on a deserted island. You name it, they’ll make it happen. Oh, and a really good laundry service, too. Your skirt’s in a bag on the veranda chair at your cabin.’

‘Thanks.’

‘No sweat.’ They had reached the part of the administration building Susie used for her physiotherapy sessions. The equipment was minimal but adequate and included a set of parallel bars for standing and walking practice. ‘How about leaving those crutches by the door, Stell—I mean, Star. If you can do as well as yesterday, we might head out and try the track. Maybe even some steps or sand.’

‘You’ve done the right thing, admitting her.’

‘Not… We’re not overreacting?’ asked Jill Shaw. She was the woman responsible for the little girl on whom Alex was just completing the neurological examination Beth had asked him to do. Charles’s partner. Apparently Lily was their ward. Jill had a sticking plaster on a reddened cheek, which looked odd, but this was no time to ask her what had happened.

‘Not.’ Alex put down the reflex hammer but kept Lily’s leg bent at the hip, supported by his arm. ‘Can you straighten your leg for me, Lily?’

She could and that was good. A negative Kernig’s sign. Alex put the leg down and pulled the cover back over the sick little girl, whose eyes were closing again.

‘She started showing these symptoms yesterday, is that right?’

‘Yes.’ The word was almost a growl from Charles, whose wheelchair was positioned right beside the bed that was in what passed for the medical centre’s emergency room. ‘But it looked like any run-of-the-mill viral illness. She had a bit of a temperature. She was a bit sniffly. That’s all.’ He sounded defensive.

Jill said nothing. She was standing at the head of the bed, holding Lily’s hand. Alex caught the look she directed at Charles. Tentative. There was an undercurrent of tension between these two. Understandable, of course. They were worried about Lily and Alex was only too aware that he might not be able to allay those fears. Not yet, anyway.

‘Beth says she was having nightmares.’

‘More like hallucinations,’ Jill whispered.

‘It was a nightmare,’ Charles interrupted Jill. ‘I told you she was upset by that dead bird she found the other day.’

‘But she saw it flying around the room.’

‘She’s running a temperature. She’s in a strange place.’

Lily had opened her eyes again. She looked from Jill to Charles and back again. Her bottom lip wobbled. ‘I want to go home,’ she said plaintively.

Alex leaned closer and smiled at the frightened child. ‘We’ve got you here so we can all take extra-special care of you,’ he said. ‘Do you remember my name, Lily?’

She shook her head. The over-brightness of her eyes and the two red spots on her cheeks were indicating the high temperature she was now running. It was the listlessness and drowsiness that was more of a concern right now, however. Alex had the impression her level of consciousness was down a point or two.

‘How’s your neck, poppet?’ He slipped his hands behind Lily’s head. ‘In here.’

‘It hurts.’

‘It’s just her glands,’ Charles said sharply.

Alex caught his gaze. They both knew better than that. ‘Let’s not take that as read,’ he said mildly as he straightened. ‘Let’s step outside so we can let Lily go back to sleep,’ he suggested. ‘Marcia, can you stay with Lily, please? She could have that dose of paracetamol now.’

The nurse, Marcia, nodded, moving closer to the bed as everyone else filed out.

‘Beth’s right,’ Alex said, as soon as the door closed behind them. ‘On the positive side, we’ve got no rash and a negative Kernig’s sign, but we can’t rule out meningitis without a lumbar puncture.’

There was a moment’s silence as the implications sank in. Meningitis was a scary word, even to the kind of highly trained medical professionals these people all were.

Charles broke the silence. ‘I’ll do it.’

‘No.’ Beth spoke firmly. ‘You can’t. You know you can’t. You have one of the country’s top paediatric neurosurgeons right here. How many lumbar punctures have you done on children, Alex?’

‘I can’t say. A lot.’

‘I’d be guessing it’s a lot more than Charles or I have done,’ Beth said. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s a no-brainer. You’re her daddy, Charles. You get to hold her hand.’

‘I’m staying with her,’ Jill said quickly.

For just a moment Alex’s attention was being diverted. Further along the corridor they were in, Susie was entering the medical centre. She looked almost prim this morning, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. And she was wearing long shorts and a demure T-shirt with a silly picture on it.

No hint of those endless tanned legs, blonde curls brushing bare shoulders or the lace-covered cleavage that had taunted him as he’d tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep last night. Curiously, the way she was covered up this morning only seemed to spark an even more noticeable ripple of attraction.

Especially when she smiled.

Alex caught himself staring at Susie’s mouth. Fortunately, her attention was on Beth.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ she said, ‘but have you seen Miranda?’

‘She’s in with Jack,’ Beth told her.

Susie was looking at Charles now. And then at Jill. ‘Is everything all right? What’s happened to your cheek?’

‘It’s nothing. But, no, everything’s not all right.’ For a second it looked as though Jill might lose the extraordinary control she seemed to have. ‘Lily’s sick. She’s about to have a lumbar puncture.’

‘We could use your help, if you’re free,’ Alex said to Susie. ‘We might need extra staff to help position her.’

‘Oh…’ Compassion made her eyes an even darker blue, but Alex couldn’t afford any further distraction. ‘Not our Lily.’ She hugged Jill.

‘Let’s get on with it,’ Alex said brusquely. He didn’t want to stand there watching Susie hug people. No wonder Jill was looking ill with worry. Reminding her that Lily would have to be restrained to make the procedure safe hadn’t exactly helped, had it? He gave her a sympathetic smile.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘Let’s assume this is a needless test, taken to be on the safe side. I’ll use plenty of local and make it virtually painless. With so many people around who know and love her, she’ll be just fine.’

A few minutes later Alex was gowned and gloved. So was everybody else in the now crowded room. Lily stared at them all, wide-eyed and frightened. The tension was palpable and the sooner they got this over with, the better.

‘What gauge needle have you got there, Beth?’

‘A twenty.’

‘Does the stylet fit the barrel?’

‘All checked. We’re good,’ Beth assured him.

‘Right. Lily, let’s get you lying on your side, sweetheart. We’re going to do a test on your back that’ll help us find out what’s the matter with you. It’ll tell us which medicine is right for you. OK?’

‘OK…’

‘Jill, you stay close to her head and hold her hand. Charles, can you keep a hand on Lily’s hip and the legs? Marcia? Legs for you, too, and Susie, I’ll get you beside me with extra support for Lily’s chest and arms.’ He gave them all a significant nod. They would be responsible for holding the child absolutely still.

Beth swabbed the area of Lily’s lower back with disinfectant and Alex pressed along the spine, counting carefully. He knew Susie was watching him.

‘I’m looking for the space between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae,’ he told her. ‘Have you seen a lumbar puncture before?’

Susie shook her head.

‘It’s not too major.’ Alex spoke very quietly, and Lily was turned the other way, listening to something Jill was saying. ‘The local’s the worst bit.’ He raised his voice. ‘Small scratch,’ he warned Lily.

He felt the girl stiffen as he injected the local anaesthetic and he heard her whimper. He could also feel the change in the firmness of the hold of his assistants. Jill was still talking to Lily but he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Alex picked up the needle and stylet. Angling the needle in the direction of the umbilicus, he advanced it slowly, withdrawing the stylet often to check for the drip of any cerebrospinal fluid. He knew precisely when he was in the right place, however, with that familiar decrease in the resistance to the needle. Clear fluid dripped easily and Beth had the required three serial tubes ready. Then the stylet was replaced, the whole system withdrawn and a sterile swab pressed to the puncture site.

‘All over,’ Alex said. ‘You were a very brave girl, Lily. Well done.’

‘Well done, you,’ Susie murmured. ‘I barely heard a squeak.’ She helped Jill roll Lily over again. ‘You’re a wee champion, Lily, aren’t you?’

‘What about blood tests?’ Charles asked.

Alex stopped watching Susie smiling. ‘Let’s get an IV line in and collect the bloods at the same time.’

‘Antibiotic of choice?’

‘Benzylpenicillin. IV. She’s going to need half- hourly neurological checks. Response to light and verbal commands, hand grip on both sides—you know the drill. Fluid restriction for the moment, as well, until we get a better idea of what we’re dealing with.’

‘We’ll get the samples away on the next ferry or flight,’ Beth confirmed.

‘Mike can take them now.’ The command was issued with a vehemence that made everybody look at Charles, and his grin was a little embarrassed. ‘I know. But this is my kid. I help fund the service—it cares for my kid.’

Beth was smiling. ‘That’s great. It’ll mean we should get the first results back later today.’

Susie was still helping Jill settle Lily so Alex got her to keep the girl’s arm still while he slipped a small IV cannula into place. Again, Beth had the tubes ready. Lily barely noticed the procedure and seemed to be listening to what Beth was saying to Jill.

‘It’s so good you got over to be with Lily. Poor little Robbie Henderson’s come in with a bug and his mother’s a single mum and there’s no way she can leave four other children to be here.’

‘What’s wrong with Robbie?’ Lily asked. ‘Is he sick like me?’

‘Kind of. Susie, do you know Robbie? Is he one of your patients?’

‘Robbie? Ten-year-old with dark hair? Cerebral palsy?’

‘That’s him.’

Alex had the line secure and the giving set attached. The necessary blood samples had been drawn and the antibiotics started. There was no reason for him to stay and listen to this conversation but he didn’t want to leave quite yet. Was that because of the sound of Susie’s voice? The way her ponytail swung when she shook her head?

‘I do know him,’ Susie said. ‘There were no requests for any special programme for him. He did join in with my swimming pool group once but camp activities have been enough to keep his joints mobile. Has he got flu?’

‘He started vomiting in the night. He’s running a temperature and complaining of a headache and sore eyes.’

‘I’ve got sore eyes,’ Lily said. ‘But I haven’t vomited.’

Charles was moving away from the bedside. ‘You probably won’t,’ he reassured her. ‘I’ll see you later, Lily. I’ve got to go and get things ready for our big opening this afternoon. Jill’s going to stay with you, aren’t you, Jill?’

‘Of course.’

Alex had been listening to the exchange about the new inpatient. ‘Maybe it’s the same thing. You want me to take a look?’

‘If it gets any worse, yes, please,’ Beth responded.

‘If you have an influenza virus doing the rounds, it’s not that uncommon to get meningoencephalitis. It should be self-limiting and only require supportive measures.’

‘But I want to know straight away if we have any more cases,’ Charles instructed. ‘There’s been a couple of staff off colour over the last two days. If there’s a flu bug…’

‘The last thing we want is for it to spread to our sick kids,’ Beth added.

Alex nodded at the array of samples Marcia had finished packaging. ‘We’ve done everything we can to find out what this is. It’s a matter of waiting and watching for a while.’

But Charles didn’t seem to be listening any longer. He rolled over to the bed, gave Lily a kiss and whispered something to her.

Susie followed Charles, Alex and Beth out of the room a minute later.

‘Perhaps I should see Robbie now,’ Alex said. ‘While I’m here.’

‘Busman’s holiday,’ Susie commented, but Alex could see approval in her eyes.

He liked that. Almost worth giving up a morning on a glorious tropical beach for.

‘Leave it with me at the moment,’ Beth decided. ‘Hopefully I won’t need to call you but at least we’ll give you a party tonight to make up for it if I do.’

Alex was careful not to look directly at Susie. To make his query general. ‘Is everybody going to the gala dinner?’

‘Of course,’ Susie said. ‘We never miss a good party in this neck of the woods, do we, Charles?’

‘No.’ But Charles sounded as though enjoying himself was the last thing he was thinking about, which was hardly surprising given Lily’s illness. ‘And that reminds me, I’ve got a meeting with the restaurant staff to talk about seating arrangements. You want to have a look around the resort, Alex?’

Alex shook his head. ‘I’ll see it at lunchtime. I might go and see what Stella’s up to as soon as I’ve got a free moment.’

‘I think she’ll be on the beach,’ Susie told him. ‘She’s been roped in to help judge a sandcastle competition later.’

‘Oh!’ Beth checked her watch. ‘Are you going in to see Jack, Susie?’

‘On my way. He needs a good physio session to get his lungs clear.’

‘Remind Miranda of the time. She wants to go and admire Josh’s sandcastle.’

Alex paused for a moment as he left the medical centre, pulling his sunglasses off his head to cover his eyes and enjoying the touch of sunshine on his bare legs and arms. Funny that it didn’t seem remotely unprofessional to be dressed in casual summer clothing here, even when seeing a patient.

The warmth was as sensuous as the heady smell of some tropical flowers growing nearby and Alex found himself stretching, letting his muscles go as he took a deep, appreciative sniff before setting off on what felt like a lazy ramble.

The spell of island magic had caught him. This was a place where senses were heightened and the ones he normally relied on, like sight and sound, were strangely less important than taste or smell or touch. A seductive environment that stirred all sorts of desires to explore those senses further.

Alex let his breath out in a contented sigh as he entered the shade of the forest walk. He had a few minutes to himself, which was a rare pleasure. He had most of the rest of the day to spend focused on the most important person in his life—his daughter. For the duration of this walk, however, there was no harm in letting his thoughts drift back to where they were being irresistibly drawn, was there?

No.

It couldn’t hurt to think about Susie.

As he had been, rather a lot, since last night.

She couldn’t have known how desperate he’d been. Desperate enough to ask for help for the first time in his adult life.

He’d never done it before. He hadn’t done it when his world had turned upside down with his young wife dying so suddenly and tragically, leaving him with an infant daughter. Help had been offered, of course. Too much help, but Alex had needed to deal with his grief by taking control. Using instinct and sheer willpower to learn to care for a baby and to try and put his life back together.

He hadn’t asked for help even when a second, potentially lethal blow had been delivered by fate and his beloved daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. It had been easy to take control then. To use his knowledge and contacts to put together the best possible medical management.

But last night he’d lost it. There had been no way to win by force or willpower, and instinct had completely deserted him. He’d had to ask for help from someone he wasn’t sure he could trust. He’d handed an alarming amount of power to a woman who could have used it to pay him back for his rudeness on their introduction. Or to strike a cruel blow to his confidence as a parent. But she hadn’t used that power for anything other than the benefit of Stella.

In fact, Alex was quite sure Susie would be incapable of cruelty. He had seen her concern. Her understanding. Her willingness to help.

Somehow, magically, as they’d shared that glass of wine, she’d slipped through a barrier he’d considered impenetrable. Mistrust had evaporated and it was possible to see her as a genuine person with no personal agenda. A very beautiful person.

Yes. Susie was part of the magic.

A temptation to his senses. All of them. She was beautiful to look at. The sound of her voice and laughter a pleasure. If he, say, kissed her, he would know what she tasted like, wouldn’t he? Whether her hair or skin smelt of any tropical scents. At the very least, if there was any dancing involved with this gala dinner tonight, he could take her in his arms and he would know what it felt like to touch her…

Alex changed direction abruptly, taking a fork of the track that had to lead to the beach.

A dip in the ocean was what was needed here.

He could only hope it would be cool enough.

CHAPTER FOUR

‘MORE champagne, Susie?’

‘Go on, then.’ Susie held her glass out. ‘It’s not as if I have to walk home, is it?’

‘You don’t even have to ride your bike. We can just pour you into the lift. Star’s dad did us a favour, really, didn’t he?’

‘You and Mike should have had the penthouse suite. It’s ridiculous having me rattling around in there by myself.’

‘We’ve got a room that opens into the pool complex. It’s perfect. We went swimming in the dark last night. Very romantic. There was no one else around. We could have swum naked if we’d wanted to.’

‘And did you?’ Susie gave her best friend a suspicious glance and then her jaw dropped. ‘You did! You’re a wicked woman, Emily Poulos.’

‘It was Mike’s idea.’

Susie felt the need to change the subject from romantic midnight swimming. ‘This place is enormous, isn’t it? We must have a hundred people at this function and it’s completely separate from the rest of the guests.’

‘I hear a bit of juggling went on. This room is the hub of the convention centre and there’s a medical conference on this weekend.’

This was a nice, neutral topic. ‘Anyone from Crocodile Creek at the conference?’

Emily shook her head. ‘It’s very specialised. Epidemiology.’

Susie smiled. ‘Skin…right?’

Emily laughed. ‘No. Causes of diseases and stuff. Hey, you made a joke!’

‘What’s so unusual about that? You trying to tell me I’m no fun to be around?’

‘No.’ Emily touched her arm in a gesture that spoke of long familiarity and close friendship. ‘It’s just…I don’t know…I got the feeling something was bothering you yesterday. You were very quiet when we were coming over to the resort.’

‘I was still steaming over the way Alex had been treating his daughter, that’s all. I thought he was a complete jerk.’

‘Was?’ Emily eyed her over the rim of her water glass. ‘Past tense?’

Susie shrugged. ‘I guess I was wrong. He’s OK.’

Emily’s eyebrows shot up. ‘OK? He’s gorgeous!’ She turned her head to give the top table a deliberate stare and her sigh was wistful. ‘Maybe it’s being Greek that does it. They do the tall, dark and handsome thing so well, don’t they?’

‘Hmm. Don’t try and set me up, Em. The man lives in Sydney. If he’s not already spoken for, he probably has every single socialite in the city after him. And he already has a family. I want my own kids, remember?’

Emily made a sound that suggested she understood. She would, too. Susie knew she had spent her share of time considering all the reasons why nothing would happen between herself and Mike. Plus, she was a woman. What was it about being a woman that could make you feel attracted to a man and then get a sudden insight into all the pitfalls a future together could produce? It was crazy.

Mind you, it had worked out rather well for Emily and Mike, hadn’t it?

The two women were silent for a minute, watching the gathering. The other people at their table were all engrossed in their own conversations and the noise level was growing steadily as coffee and exquisite petits fours were being served to mark the end of the dinner. Around them, people were leaving their allocated table seating and starting to mix. A five-piece band was setting up at one side of a small dance floor.

The subdued lighting did nothing to dampen the glitter of this occasion. Silverware and crystal caught the light and sparkled on the white linen tablecloths. The women sparkled in their gorgeous dresses and jewellery and the men were all in black tie, which always seemed to automatically increase their attractiveness. Or maybe it was the champagne. Whatever. Susie couldn’t help sneaking another glance at the front table herself.

Charles was there, of course. So was the mayor of Crocodile Creek, their member of parliament and George Poulos, who had spearheaded the huge support that had come from local businesses for the building of the new medical centre. Partners were also present…or supposed to be. There was an empty seat beside Charles.

‘Where’s Jill?’ Emily wondered aloud.

‘She’ll be with Lily. Did you hear she had to have a lumbar puncture this morning?’

‘Yes. I flew back to Crocodile Creek with Mike when he took those urgent samples.’

‘I thought you didn’t like helicopters?’

‘I don’t.’

Susie grinned. ‘But you like Mike enough to get over it, right?’

‘Right.’ But Emily’s smile faded. ‘Lily couldn’t really have meningitis, could she? It’s too awful to imagine.’

‘I hope not. Alex seemed to think he was just being careful and doing the test to rule it out, but she looked pretty sick.’

‘You’ve seen her?’

‘I had to help with the lumbar puncture. Alex asked me to.’

‘Did he, now?’

Susie had to steer the conversation away from Alex. Why did everything seem to get pulled back to that man? ‘Did you know that Jill and Charles are officially engaged now?’

‘Sophia said something but she’s always trying to marry people off. I didn’t take too much notice.’

‘She’s got this gorgeous ring. Really unusual. An opal instead of a diamond.’

‘I’m really pleased. Just a bit surprised, I guess.’

‘Why? I think they’re perfect for each other.’

‘Yes, but do they think that?’

Susie sighed. ‘Charles did say it was just a marriage of convenience. For Lily’s sake.’

‘Maybe they think it’s the sensible thing to do, seeing as they’re practically living together.’

Susie drank another mouthful of her wine. ‘God, I hope I never get married because it’s the “sensible” thing to do.’

‘You won’t,’ Emily promised. ‘The right guy is going to come along and you’ll get married because you’re hopelessly in love. You’ll see.’

Susie’s gaze strayed back to the top table again.

Alex, like Charles, was alone as far as female companionship went.

Alone… Available?

Susie drained her glass of champagne and eyed the bottle in the silver ice bucket. It was still more than half- full. She looked at Emily’s glass. The flute didn’t appear to have been touched.

‘You’re not keeping up with me, here, Em. What’s the story?’

‘I just don’t feel much like drinking alcohol tonight.’

The sinking feeling in Susie’s gut was too intense to ignore. ‘Oh, my God…you’re pregnant, aren’t you?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Emily’s eyes shone with joy. ‘Maybe. Hey, what’s the matter?’

Susie shook her head, trying to blink back stupid, stupid tears. She had got this out of her system the other night, hadn’t she?

‘I was going to tell you.’ Emily was frowning now, her joy replaced by concern for her friend. ‘Honestly, you were going to be the first person to know. It’s just that I haven’t even done a test yet. I’m only a couple of days late and…’

Susie blinked harder. She tried to smile. ‘It’s great news, Em. I’m so happy for you.’

‘Could have fooled me.’

Susie tried again, stretching her smile. ‘You’re not going to believe this, but Hannah’s pregnant, too. She rang the other night. Tuesday it was…’ Susie sucked in a breath to try and stop herself babbling. ‘She’d only just done the test. You’ll probably be due at the same time. They’ll be like…like twins…’ The effort of sounding happy was too much. Susie picked up the starched linen napkin that matched the tablecloth, screwed it into a ball and pressed it against her mouth.

Emily had been listening quietly, her eyes huge. Then she put her arm around Susie. ‘Oh, hell! I didn’t even think. You’re the one that’s always wanted a family. Hannah’s the career girl. And now it’s me.’ Her arm tightened. ‘Do you want to escape for a bit? Go for a walk or something?’

‘No. I’m fine.’

‘Your nose is dripping. Have you got a hanky?’

‘No.’ Susie sniffed inelegantly.

‘Use the napkin.’

‘Ooh, gross!’ But it made Susie smile. ‘I’m OK, really,’ she said a moment later. ‘I just feel a bit left out, that’s all.’ She took another deep breath. ‘OK, so I’m jealous. I’m sorry, Em.’

‘Don’t be stupid. It’s me who should be sorry. It’ll happen for you, you know. Like I said, some gorgeous guy is going to come along and before you know it, you’ll be knee deep in nappies.’

‘Ha! I haven’t even met anyone I’d want to date in months, let alone marry.’

‘Alex looks perfectly datable to me.’

‘There’s no point in dating when it’s got no chance of going anywhere. I’m getting too old for games like that.’

‘What’s happened to that girl who persuaded her twin to have her first-ever one-night stand—to see what having the best sex in her life might be like? To try a playboy because they’re the ones who’ve had the most practice?’

‘She’s grown up,’ Susie said sadly.

Or maybe she’d just been hurt too many times. You got carried away by physical attraction and the next thing you knew you were in love with some guy who had never had any intention of making a relationship permanent. Or even long term. No wonder she had a personal crystal ball that revealed the future so easily when it came to men. Especially men like…Alex.

‘Best thing that Hannah ever did, though, wasn’t it?’ Emily persisted. ‘She let herself go enough to have a fling with someone she fancied, and look where she is now. Married to him. Having his baby.’

‘Don’t remind me. I’m going to be everybody’s aunt. They’ll all come to visit mad Aunty Susie who lives all by herself with a zillion cats.’

Emily’s nudge was not gentle. ‘Get a grip,’ she instructed. ‘Distraction is what you need, and don’t try and tell me that Alex Vavunis couldn’t distract you. I’ve noticed how often you’ve been looking at that table.’

‘I’ve been watching Charles. He’s looking a bit stressed, don’t you think?’

‘Liar!’

Susie had to smile back but it was disturbing to think it might have been so obvious. She’d tried to stop but her eyes had simply refused to obey instructions and kept travelling to catch another glimpse. Eye candy.

And this particular variety seemed to be addictive.

Had Alex noticed? The thought made her cringe. It also made her drag her gaze away from Emily to look over her shoulder. To her horror, Alex was a lot closer than the last time she’d seen him.

‘He’s coming over.’ Emily’s stage whisper was delighted. ‘The music’s started. I’ll bet he’s going to ask you to dance.’

It was the last thing Susie needed right now.

Or was it?

With every step he took towards her, she could feel the curl of that overwhelming attraction increase. By the time he was ten feet away, it was hot enough to be melting something deep within her. If she danced with Alex, she would be closer than she’d been to him so far. Dancing involved touching. A lot of touching.

Almost as much touching as…

Oh, help!

Susie didn’t need to consider using the starched napkin as a handkerchief any more. She needed a fan!

The threat of tears was long gone. So was any thought of feeling sorry for herself. Maybe Emily had been right and she needed the distraction that dancing with Alex would provide.

It would be fun. Exciting. A chance to remind herself how much pleasure life had to offer instead of crying in a corner, feeling as if it was all passing her by.

Susie found herself rising to her feet.

Smiling at Alex.

Wordlessly taking his outstretched hand in her response to the invitation to dance.

Letting him lead her, hand in hand, onto the dance floor.

He’d been waiting for this moment for what seemed like for ever.

Alex had spotted Susie the moment she’d arrived for this function. Somewhat to his surprise, the whole room full of people hadn’t stopped enjoying their pre-dinner cocktails and introduction session and turned to stare at her. She certainly looked stunning enough to stop traffic.

Soft waves of golden blonde hair, loose and shining under the artificial lights. A delphinium blue dress that was a perfect match for her eyes and made of some soft, clingy fabric that emphasised every delicious curve of her body. Tiny shoulder straps looked like blue spaghetti and the hem of the dress was uneven. It had pointy bits that hung below her knees, but when she moved it swirled, revealing tantalising glimpses of those long, tanned legs.

He couldn’t get near her, dammit! At first he’d been stuck in an excruciatingly boring conversation with a self-important politician.

‘The cyclone damage was in the millions. Made sure I got out and inspected every bit of it myself. Plenty of photos in the papers to prove that.’

Alex had caught a hint of blue between the black suits surrounding him. He’d put a finger under his bow- tie and loosened it just a little.

‘I saw pictures of what happened to the medical centre here,’ he’d murmured. ‘Devastating.’

‘Nearly destroyed the old bridge and cut the main hospital off from the town and the rest of Australia, for that matter. I’ve made a pledge to the people to get a new bridge built. Have to see if I can get old George on side. His business would go down the drain if the bridge went west.’

The mayor of Crocodile Creek was still wearing his gold medallion, although he’d discarded the rest of his official robes in the wake of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and speeches of the afternoon. He seemed to want to repeat his speech, verbatim, to Alex.

‘We might be in the far north and outside the location of what many people consider civilisation, but if you’re unfortunate enough to get sick or injured in these parts, you can be sure of getting the best care that medicine has to offer. Even if it happens when you’re on a tropical island holiday.’

People were starting to move towards their allocated tables. Susie was going with her friends, Mike and Emily and another two couples. It seemed like one of the only tables with an uneven number. Was she here alone? Was she, in fact, single and…available?

Was it too soon to consider taking his jacket off? Did anyone else in this room feel that it was far too warm despite the air-conditioning?

Introductions to his other table companions, George and Sophia Poulos, spelt the end of any chance in the very near future of getting near Susie. Sophia was in transports of delight on discovering his nationality.

‘My boy!’ she cried, reaching up to pat his cheeks. ‘Come. You must sit beside me. Tell me about your village. Your family. You must come to the Athina before you go home. As our guest, of course. Greek food. Greek music. It will be just like home….’

It was alarmingly like home already. Sophia could have been one of his mother’s sisters. Or any woman in his home town. Hellbent on organising his life. Raising his child. Telling him exactly what he should be doing and how he should be feeling.

Well intentioned, of course, but totally suffocating and tiring to control. Claiming independence by moving as far away as he could had been the best thing Alex had ever done. The only way forward.

He could see Sophia now as he led Susie towards the dance floor. The older woman was tugging excitedly on her long-suffering husband’s arm. Pointing in Alex’s direction and talking non-stop. Delivering a verdict, no doubt, on his choice of partner. He could almost hear it. She would lament the fact that Susie was not a ‘nice Greek girl’ but within a breath or two she would be cooing about the beautiful babies that could eventuate.

It was almost enough to take away the pleasure of finally satisfying his desire to touch Susie.

Almost.

As they reached the dance floor, Susie turned and came into his arms. There was a question in her eyes as she looked up and caught his gaze. An expectation. That it was simply curiosity about his ability to dance felt too shallow. The chemistry going on here was far more powerful than that. Alex felt as if he was standing on the edge of an emotional precipice.

Where was the self-control he prided himself on so much in such areas of his life? Sucked into the ether somehow. Non-existent. Gone to the same place as that barrier that should have kept Susie from getting this close. It was too late now. There was no way he could step back.

He didn’t want to. He wanted to dance. To touch this woman and move with her, the music flowing around them. And the moment they started moving, a whole new dimension opened. Susie was either naturally gifted or she had taken more than a few dance classes. The way her body moved was like touching the music he was hearing. As they grew more used to each other, he found it effortless to lead her. To provide the foil to let her interpret the music exactly the way she wanted to. To step and twirl and dip until she was laughing from the sheer joy of it and the hem of her dress was swirling high enough to reveal glimpses of smooth brown thighs.

Dancing was not going to be enough. They could dance until dawn and it still wouldn’t be enough. How soon would this function wind up?

How soon could Alex offer to escort Susie back to her suite?

Why hadn’t it occurred to Susie that Alex would dance as well as everything else he did in his life?

Or how dangerous it had been to accept that invitation?

Dancing was a revelation. It could tell you so much about the person. About their finesse, consideration of others, self-confidence. Even the need to control. It could be an exploration of someone’s personality that could tell you far more than you might consciously recognise.

It was also a potent fuel. Dangerously inflammable. It was probably one of the fastest routes to falling in love ever invented, and Susie was, quite literally, being swept off her feet.

Falling in love with a man who made her feel like no man had ever made her feel.

Beautiful. Talented. Something to be cherished.

Experience had shown her that a man’s talents on the dance floor could be correlated rather closely to his talents in the bedroom. By the end of the evening, hesitating for more than a moment when Alex offered to escort her upstairs required enormous self-control.

She did try a little harder when they reached the door of the penthouse suite.

‘Is someone with Stella? Are they expecting you back?’

‘No.’ Alex was standing very close as Susie fumbled with the room card. ‘She’s staying in the dormitory tonight. They were having an evening of ghost stories and she said she didn’t want to sleep in a room on her own after that. Here, let me do that for you.’

The door swung open but Susie didn’t move. She looked up at Alex.

She didn’t want to sleep in a room on her own, either.

In fact, sleeping wasn’t on any desirable agenda.

For the longest moment, their gazes were locked. Slowly—with infinite care—Alex reached up and brushed a strand of hair from Susie’s cheek. Having completed their task, his fingers hovered for a heartbeat. And then another. And then those fingers went into the hair at the back of Susie’s head. Cradling her skull as he bent and touched his lips to hers.

A brief, gentle kiss. Just enough to make every nerve ending catch fire with a heat that was white hot. His eyes closed for only a second. Susie knew that because her own flew open in response to the intensity of the heat being generated and she found herself looking into black pools like the ones she had seen last night.

Pools she knew it would be easy to fall into.

She wanted to fall. No. She already had.

This was it. A wordless question, and she had no words with which to answer it.

None were needed. Alex saw exactly what she wanted him to see. He took her hand and led her inside the suite, pushing the door softly closed behind them.

CHAPTER FIVE

C ONCENTRATE !

This had to be important. An urgent staff meeting for every available medic on Wallaby Island would not be called for something that wasn’t of major significance.

Susie tried to catch the anxiety she could see on the faces around her as she walked into the lecture theatre that was part of the convention centre at the resort. It wasn’t easy. She felt as if she was floating above the scene. The way she had already floated through the first part of today—on autopilot, as she’d helped Jack and other children through their airway clearance sessions.

The way she had floated, early this morning, from the bed she had shared with Alex last night.

Part of it would be due to fatigue, she realised, climbing the steps to slip into one of the tiered seats. You couldn’t indulge in mind-blowingly incredible sex for an entire night without being left a little on the tired side.

Another part was due to Susie being in a mental space she’d never discovered before. A space that felt alarmingly perfect. As exciting as the most thrilling roller-coaster ride imaginable but, at the same time, as secure as a trusted shoulder to cry on. A wild ride that was, paradoxically, soft and comforting.

Was this what being on cloud nine was all about?

The area at the base of the seating featured a lecturn and people were positioning themselves. Charles was there. So was Beth Stuart, talking to a tall man Susie didn’t recognise. Beth took a seat and the buzz of speculative conversation in the room died down. Late arrivals found spare seats.

Miranda sat beside Susie, who noticed that Nick— the father of one of Miranda’s young asthma patients— was accompanying her. The look and smile the couple exchanged as they settled hurriedly into their seats made it very clear they were together in more than a professional sense. Goodness, when had that happened? It was enough to prompt Susie to scan the rest of the room more carefully.

Where was Alex?

He’d gone back to the cabin to shower and change and had been planning to have breakfast with Stella. Had he not got the message about the meeting?

Yes!

Susie missed the first words Charles spoke because the side door opened again to admit Alex, and a wave of sensation rippled through her body with unexpected ferocity.

Just the glimpse of his hand as he pushed the door shut behind him was enough to make her skin tingle with the memory of his touch. As he turned, her glance went to his face and she could see he had shaved recently but that dark shadow outlining his jaw would always be there. Would always remind her of the deliciously rough sensation that stubble had given her last night. On her breasts. On her thighs…

A small sound must have escaped her because Susie earned a quick, surprised glance from Miranda.

‘Are you OK?’ she whispered.

‘I’m fine,’ Susie whispered back.

‘Fine’. Such an innocuous word. It could be a cover for not feeling good at all. Or, in this case, a cop-out from an inappropriate attempt to search for a word that could encompass feeling this good.

Was Alex feeling good?

Susie hadn’t expected to find the surgeon staring in her direction. For a moment, across all the heads turned in Charles’s direction, her gaze locked with Alex’s and the connection was enough to make her toes curl and that ripple of sensation kick back in.

‘Angus Stuart,’ Charles was saying in the background. ‘An epidemiologist who’s here for a conference. Angus has a particular interest in pandemics and has been involved in government think-tanks set up in the wake of the bird-flu scare we all heard so much about a couple of years ago.’

Stuart? The name finally sank in and Susie dragged her gaze away from Alex. She wasn’t the only person to search out Beth, who was now sitting in the front row of seats. Were they related? She took another look at the man beside Charles. He was quite proper looking. Distinguished even. Very serious and unsmiling at the moment, which made him seem an unlikely relative for the friendly and outgoing Beth but, then, how much did she really know about Beth?

‘As you will all be aware,’ Charles continued, ‘we’re having an outbreak of an influenza-type illness here on the island. Currently we have two adults from the resort and three children from the camp as inpatients in our medical centre. None of them are critically ill but we’re monitoring them carefully. Influenza is never something to be taken lightly and we have the additional concern of having a large group of children here, some of whom are already compromised healthwise.’

Susie stole another glance at Alex but he was totally focused on Charles and he was frowning. As though he had assimilated something that hadn’t yet been verbalised and he either did not like or disagreed with the information.

‘Dr Stuart’s opinion was sought because an unusual number of dead birds have been discovered on the island over the last few days.’

Everybody was focused now. Silent and still.

‘One of our inpatients is known to have been in direct contact with one of those birds last Tuesday. She started showing the first symptoms of her illness on Friday.’

‘Lily…’ Susie murmured. ‘Oh, my God!’ This was possibly worse than a suspected diagnosis of meningitis. ‘Bird flu?’

‘Shh,’ Miranda cautioned.

‘One of our rangers who collected birds from the shoreline on Friday afternoon is also showing the first signs of a viral infection, with a raised temperature, headache, photophobia and arthralgia.’

The audience was not so silent now. Whispered conversations were breaking out. Alex stood silently, still frowning at Charles, his arms now folded. Someone else raised their hand.

‘How many others are sick? That haven’t been admitted yet?’

The ‘yet’struck a note that increased tension. Already they were assuming that the viral infection was going to be a serious illness for everybody who caught it.

‘Unknown,’ Charles responded. ‘That information is something we’re going to ask all of you to help collate today. We want you to check the groups of children you’re responsible for and report any symptoms, however mild they may be at present.’

The nurse who had accompanied the cancer children stood up to voice the fear everyone was now sharing. She had to raise her voice to be heard.

‘Are you saying we’ve got an outbreak of bird flu on Wallaby Island?’

‘No.’ It was Angus Stuart who answered. ‘And that’s something we need to make clear to everybody. There’s no cause for panic. What we are saying is that the coincidence of finding dead birds with an influenza outbreak means that further investigation is prudent.’

‘What kind of investigation?’ Miranda asked. ‘Are you wanting us to collect blood or sputum samples?’

‘We’ve started that with our inpatients. A series of specimens is needed over several days if we are going to rule out an infection with H5N1.’

‘H5N1?’ Susie whispered to Miranda.

‘Avian Influenza A,’ she responded quietly. ‘A specific strain of bird flu.’

‘At the moment we just need to get a handle on how many potential cases we might be dealing with,’ Angus continued. ‘And get an idea of demographics. Parts of the island these people have visited. Whether they’ve touched or seen any dead birds.’

‘Everybody needs to be warned not to touch any and to report any sightings,’ Charles added.

‘But we’re on an island,’ someone said. ‘We’re a world away from any known cases.’

‘We have migratory birds that travel long distances. The fact that this is an island is to our advantage. In the worst-case scenario, it means we can isolate this virus.’

‘As of now,’ Charles said clearly, ‘Wallaby Island is quarantined. Until we know what we’re dealing with, nobody will be allowed to leave.’

‘What?’ The single word broke from Alex into the stunned silence. ‘That’s impossible. I’ve got a full operating list waiting for me in Sydney with a 7:00 a.m. start time tomorrow. I have to be off this island today.’

Susie had known that he was due to leave this afternoon. She had known all along that last night had been a one-off, never-to-be-repeated experience. Still, it was disturbing how hollow it made her feel to have it confirmed so vehemently. And a bit humiliating to see that Alex couldn’t wait to get away.

‘I’m sorry,’ Charles said firmly. ‘It’s now out of my hands. Angus has been in touch with the appropriate authorities and the quarantine has been notified. Disease investigation and control experts are coming in to take over but no one is going to leave. There will be no exceptions.’

‘But people have already left,’ someone objected. ‘I saw the seaplane taking off early this morning.’

‘Steps have been taken to intercept those people. And to contact everybody else who’s been on the island in the last week. They will be kept under observation and isolation, if necessary, in their homes. Guests at the resort will be receiving a written bulletin shortly, outlining the situation. The staff will be doing their utmost to reduce the inevitable inconvenience and they will, of course, have free accommodation until this is over.’

‘What about anyone who gets critically ill?’ Miranda asked. ‘Some of our children might need intensive-care facilities if they get a bad dose.’

‘We’re flying in extra supplies,’ Charles told her. ‘Antiviral medications, among others. We’re already set up with one bed capable of intensive monitoring and ventilation. We’ve got another ventilator on its way. Just in case. If the situation deteriorates, we’ll review it on a case-by-case basis.’

Miranda got to her feet. ‘Have you got some free time, Susie?’

‘I think so. Why?’

‘I want to check every child in the camp with asthma or cystic fibrosis—the ones most likely to get into trouble if they get sick. I don’t want to alarm the parents or the children, though. Nick wants to help. Have you met Joshie’s dad?’

Susie shook Nick’s hand.

‘You know more of the kids than we do,’ Miranda continued. ‘I thought that, between us, we could reassure everybody while we’re assessing them.’

‘Sure. I’ll do whatever I can to help.’

‘Not that there’s any point in not telling the truth,’ Miranda added. ‘You can bet this quarantine will hit the news big-time and there’s no way they’re going to shut down Internet or television reception at the resort, is there?’

‘No.’ There was no way Susie was going to get anywhere near Alex, either, as the group began to disperse. He had moved forward with a determined expression on his face and was now in earnest conversation with Charles. No doubt trying to persuade him that his hospital in Sydney couldn’t cope without him.

They would cope, though, wouldn’t they? There must be other paediatric neurosurgeons available for emergencies and elective surgery could always be postponed. It wouldn’t be for more than a few days.

Some people were pushing towards Angus and she could hear him talking as she followed Miranda through the door.

‘No sustained human-to-human infection documented so the World Health Organization’s global preparedness plan is still at Phase 3….’

A final glance over her shoulder revealed frown lines on Alex’s face like the ones she had seen when he’d first arrived. Stress lines.

OK, so this was inconvenient and potentially scary, but it was so unlikely that this could really be the flash point for a pandemic. Susie was worried for the sake of the children who might get sick, but she couldn’t be frightened for her own sake. She was young and healthy and this did have a bright side, didn’t it?

How long had it been, if ever, that Alex had had a few days that he could spend with his daughter uninterrupted?

Days with Stella. Just a few, but they could provide memories that would last a lifetime.

Susie hurried out into the bright, tropical sunshine.

Days turned into nights, didn’t they?

If Stella was getting quality time with her dad during the days, Susie could enjoy his company during the nights maybe. She could collect her own memories to treasure for her lifetime.

Yes. No matter what else the cloud of anxiety hanging over Wallaby Island had in store, there was definitely a silver lining in there somewhere.

* * *

Lunchtime provided an ideal opportunity to assess the remaining children Miranda and Susie had not caught up with after the briefing. Charles and Angus had also been busy, talking with parents and camp staff, and although there was an undercurrent of anxiety, things seemed to be running normally. Parents may be conversing quietly with each other but the dining hall was as noisy and cheerful as ever when the two women entered.

Malcolm, the camp chef, emerged from the kitchens before dessert was served to demonstrate his skill at playing spoons. More than one scuffle was generated as children snatched each other’s cutlery and tried to emulate the talent. Parents started smiling as the sound of clattering spoons was interspersed with shouts of laughter.

‘They’re not worried, are they?’ a mother said to Susie.

‘We shouldn’t be, either,’ she responded. ‘We’ll get on top of this. We’re going to separate all the children who are even a bit sniffly.’

‘But what if it is bird flu?’

‘If it is, then human-to-human transmission is even less likely,’ Miranda said reassuringly. ‘The fact that we’ve got so many people getting sick is probably a good indication that it isn’t.’

Susie could see Stella. She was watching Jamie, who had two spoons held back to back in one hand and was managing to make them clink as he hit them on his other palm. His fan club of younger children were standing close, crowding Stella’s view. Susie went over to her table.

‘How’s it going?’

‘Boring,’ Stella replied gloomily. ‘There’s been nothing to do all morning. All these people have been here and everybody’s been getting their temperature taken and stuff.’

‘It’s this flu bug. We need to know who’s caught it.’

‘Yeah. Jamie said it’s bird flu and Stephen said that means we’re all going to die.’

‘Not true,’ Susie said firmly. ‘On either count.’ She wanted to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. ‘What’s on for this afternoon?’

‘There’s pottery and stuff. Someone’s reading stories on the beach. There’s a group that’s going to collect shells for making necklaces and there’s swimming-pool soccer or kayaking.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Dunno.’ Stella flicked a glance in Jamie’s direction. ‘I might just go to the beach.’

‘You could go somewhere with your dad. If you got a cart, you could go up into the rainforest—up to that lookout on the top of the mountain even. He should see that before he goes.’

‘He’s not going. He’s stuck here for days and days. He’s really cross.’

‘He’s worried about his patients back in Sydney, that’s all.’

‘He’s always worried about his stupid patients.’ Stella’s head hung as she picked at a small stain on her T-shirt. ‘He never worries about me.’

‘Not true,’ Susie repeated. She gave Stella a gentle nudge. ‘He was really worried the other night when you shut yourself in the bathroom.’

‘He didn’t even want to talk to me before.’ Stella’s voice was a low mutter that Susie had to strain to hear over the noise of the children around them. ‘He’s been on his phone all morning.’

‘So he’s probably finished making all the arrangements he needs to for not getting home on time. I bet he’d love to spend the afternoon just with you.’

Stella shook her head. ‘He didn’t even look at me before. Not really. I was just being a nuisance and I don’t want to go back to the cabin.’

‘Hmm.’ Susie remembered the way Alex had dismissed her as a nuisance on that first meeting. How small and insignificant it had made her feel. ‘What if I thought of a way that would make him really notice you?’

Stella’s suspicious glance was hardly a surprise. It had been Susie’s idea that she dress up in her new clothes to impress her father when he arrived, and look how that had backfired. But this idea was much better. Susie leaned over to whisper in Stella’s ear.

The girl shook her head again. ‘I can’t do that.’

‘You could,’ Susie encouraged. ‘I know you could.’

Stella thought about it for a minute. Then she sighed in acquiescence. ‘Will you come with me? In case I can’t?’

‘Sure.’ Susie was smiling, already anticipating results. ‘Let’s go, Star.’

Alex was still on the cabin veranda. An open laptop sat on the table in front of him and he was talking on his mobile phone, his gaze sightlessly encompassing the broad, gently sloping track that led towards the camp complex.

Susie stayed near a large tree at the bottom of the slope but she was only half-hidden. She needed to watch to make sure Stella didn’t get into difficulties and lose her confidence as she walked—without her crutches— towards her father.

The moment Alex became aware of what he was seeing was obvious. He became very, very still. The conversation he was having was abruptly terminated, the phone slowly put down and abandoned. Alex sat, riveted by what he was watching. Poised to rush in and offer assistance if necessary but holding back—willing the miracle to continue.

Which was exactly how Susie was feeling. The grip on Stella’s crutches became loose as her palms got sweaty. The tight feeling in her chest was what reminded Susie to breathe. From either end she and Alex were walking every slow, measured step right along with Stella.

Susie could see the limp but she could also see every correction for balance.

‘Go, Star,’ she murmured aloud. ‘You can do it.’

She could feel the tension in Stella’s body as she concentrated hard on her task. Being a gentle uphill slope was helping. It would have been much harder going downhill. But there were steps at the end of her journey to get to the veranda. They had only practised steps once. Would Stella risk undermining her triumph by attempting something that could be too difficult?

Stella’s face was hidden but, from behind, the angle of the girl’s head suggested that her gaze was firmly on her father. She certainly had his undivided attention. He was half standing now, and even from this distance Susie could see the play of emotion on his face.

Amazement.

Pride.

Love.

It was impossible to swallow past the lump in her throat as Susie watched Stella reach the steps and barely hesitate. The grip on the handrail was tight but only one- sided. Would Stella remember which foot to lift first? Could she transfer her weight and lift her prosthesis and then position it well enough to transfer her balance?

Yes.

One slow step. And then another. It took for ever to get to the top but Alex, bless him, didn’t step forward to offer help and break the spell. He stood, his face raw with emotion, his arms held wide to welcome his daughter.

Susie could barely see the embrace through her tears. She turned away to give them a few moments’ privacy then she followed the route Stella had taken. Her reasoning for intruding was that Stella would need her crutches back, but the reality was that she wanted to share the moment.

More than that. She may be drawn to these two people for very different reasons but the pull from both father and daughter was way too powerful to resist.

It didn’t seem like an intrusion once she reached the veranda.

‘I did it, Susie! I did it!’ Stella pulled herself from her father’s arms to hug Susie.

‘I knew you could.’ Susie returned the fierce hug and this time she didn’t bother to try and blink back her tears. A big fat one trickled past her nose. ‘I’m so proud of you, hon.’

As proud as her father was?

Susie glanced up to share the pride and was unsurprised to see an identical tear to her own rolling down Alex’s cheek. He seemed oblivious, reaching out to touch Stella’s back as she hugged Susie. Connecting the three of them, his gaze still on his daughter.

On Susie.

And that was when she fell completely into the moment. Into an equal share of what felt like a victory. The first steps—literally—into a future that was, finally, full of hope.

In a flash of insight Susie could feel everything Alex had been through in the last couple of years. The pain and despair. She could feel the power of the love this man had for his child. The need to protect, the pain of not being able to shield her from suffering and the fierce determination to make things as good as they could possibly be from now on.

A tiny moment of time in her life. Just one of millions of heartbeats, but it was enough.

Enough for Susie to know that she loved this man. That the strength of how he felt about his daughter was mirrored by how she could feel about him.

No, not ‘could’.

Did.

It was true. You could fall in love with the speed of a lightning bolt and you could know, with absolute certainty, that this was it. That this person was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

Did Alex feel any of this? Was it possible to feel such a connection if each side wasn’t completely in tune with the other?

This wasn’t the time to seek an answer. This was Stella’s moment, but if even a part of the love she could see shining in Alex’s eyes was available for her, then she would happily wait to discover how much.

And she would have to wait.

The voice they could hear from the direction of the track, beyond the tree Susie had waited beside, was urgent.

‘Help! Someone! Anyone! Please, I need help!’

CHAPTER SIX

‘IT’S DANNY!’ Stella had moved with speed on her crutches behind Alex and Susie as they raced up the track towards the cry for help. ‘What’s wrong with him?’

‘He’s having a seizure.’ Alex dropped to a crouch beside Benita, who was holding the young boy on his side. ‘You’re doing a good job keeping the airway open,’ he told the nurse. ‘How long has this been going on for?’

‘Too long,’ Benita answered worriedly. ‘I thought it would stop in a minute or two. I sent Cameron to get help from the medical centre and one of the girls took the younger children back to camp, but it’s just gone on and on. Must be nearly ten minutes now—that’s why I was calling for help.’

‘What’s his history?’

‘He’s a few weeks post an autologous bone-marrow transplant.’

‘For what reason?’ Alex held Danny’s bald head as the boy’s muscles continued to twitch and jerk.

‘Intensive chemo post-surgery. They saved his bone marrow to put back afterwards.’

‘What was the surgery for?’

‘A neuroblastoma.’

‘Any secondaries?’

‘No. Or not that they know about. He had a really good result from the last round of tests.’

‘History of seizures?’

‘No.’

‘He’s very hot.’ Alex’s hands were gently cradling Danny’s head, making sure he wasn’t going to injure himself on the rough surface of the track.

‘I noticed he was looking flushed,’ Benita said. ‘But I thought he was just running around too much in the heat. He got really excited because we were off on a frog hunt.’

‘No flu symptoms? Did he get checked with the other children this morning?’

‘Yes. His temperature was up just a point or two but he seemed fine and it was still within a normal range. He said nothing hurt but, then, it takes a lot to slow Danny down.’

‘He looks awful,’ Stella whispered to Susie in horror. ‘Is he going to die?’

Susie put her arm around the girl. ‘No,’ she said. ‘The seizure makes it hard for him to swallow, which is why he’s got all that saliva on his face. It’s also a lot harder to breathe and that’s why his lips are getting a bit blue. He’ll be OK. He’s got your dad here to look after him now.’

Alex glanced up at her words. ‘Could you intercept whoever’s coming from the clinic? Make sure they’re carrying some oxygen and diazepam? Otherwise we’d better find a way to transport Danny pretty quickly.’

Susie didn’t have to go far before she met Beth coming in their direction in a cart, a large first-aid kit on the seat beside her and Garf riding in the trailer.

‘What’s happening?’ Beth queried. ‘Has the seizure stopped?’

‘No.’ Susie did a U-turn and trotted beside the cart. ‘Do you have oxygen with you? And diazepam?’

‘Yes. Who’s with Danny at the moment?’

‘Benita. And Alex—Stella’s dad. He asked me to check what you were carrying.’

They were back at the scene now and Susie could only stand beside Stella and watch as the two doctors treated little Danny.

‘How old is he?’ Beth asked.

‘Nearly six,’ Benita told her. ‘He’s just very small for his age.’

The nurse held Danny’s small arm as still as possible as Alex slipped a cannula into a vein. Susie could see what a difficult task it had to be, but Alex made it look simple. Beth calculated his weight and drew up the required dose of sedative.

Finally, the seizure stopped. Alex picked up the still unconscious child. ‘I’ll carry him,’ he said. ‘Let’s get him back to the clinic.’

‘Has he got any relatives with him?’ Beth asked Benita.

‘No. He’s one of the unaccompanied ones. My responsibility. I should come with him, shouldn’t I? But I sent the rest of the group back to the camp and I’ll have to make sure someone’s looking after them.’

‘We can do that,’ Susie offered. ‘Can’t we, Star?’

Stella’s nod was surprisingly eager.

‘Cameron went to find Beth,’ Benita continued. ‘But he knows to go back to the younger ones. There should be five of them waiting on the steps by the dining hall.’

‘We’ll find them,’ Stella said. ‘I can take them for a walk to look for frogs.’

The reminder of just how capable she was of doing that made Susie catch Alex’s gaze. He had seated himself in the front of the cart now, with Danny in his arms and the oxygen cylinder between his legs. Beth was putting the first-aid kit into the trailer.

‘Shove over, Garf,’ she instructed. ‘Make room or you’ll have to run behind.’

Alex looked as if he did things like this all the time, Susie thought. As though it was completely normal to be cradling a sick child and caring for him no matter how unusual the circumstances. Her heart twisted with another shaft of the astonishing depth of the new emotion she was feeling for this man, and she knew her smile was wobbly.

Alex smiled back. Calm and confident but apologetic as he shifted his gaze to his daughter.

‘Sorry about this, chicken. I’d better help Beth get Danny settled and assessed, but I shouldn’t be too long. We’ll do something special together later, yes?’

‘Sure.’

It wasn’t Susie’s imagination. Stella was standing taller. Looking somehow older and far more mature. Where was that slightly sullen teen she had spoken to just an hour or so ago? The one who had been muttering about getting less attention than her father’s patients?

‘It’s OK, Dad,’ Stella added. ‘Danny needs you more than I do right now.’

Susie wasn’t the only one to notice the change. A flash of the pride Alex had shown earlier returned, and Stella was clearly soaking it up. Her smile was almost smug as she turned to Susie.

‘Let’s go,’ she said.

Susie followed, still amazed at the change she could feel. That moment of victory she had engineered for Stella had opened new doors within relationships, it seemed.

For all of them.

An hour or so later, Alex was trying to find his daughter.

The camp seemed deserted but in the dining hall he found staff setting tables in preparation for the evening meal.

‘Try the pool,’ a young woman who was arranging trays on a table suggested. ‘Or the beach. It’s so hot, I think everyone wanted to swim. Which one’s your daughter?’

‘Stella. Wears a baseball cap and she’s got crutches.’

Maybe not for much longer, though, on both counts. Her hair was growing back and the prospect of seeing his girl walking confidently—even running or dancing—without her crutches was now a real possibility in the near future.

Thanks to Susie.

‘I know her,’ the camp worker nodded. ‘She’s not sick?’

‘No.’

Not any more. The aggressive therapy and even the amputation had been the right thing to do. As far as they were able to tell, Stella was cured of her cancer. She could go on and be free of the dreadful disease for the rest of a long lifetime, thank God.

‘That’s good. Only there’s a bunch of them in one of the dormitories. It’s been turned into a giant sick bay and we’re doing special meals that they’ll have in bed.’ She pointed at the trays she was setting. ‘Shame, isn’t it? Having a bug like this going around when these kids are supposed to be having such a good time.’

‘It is,’ Alex agreed. ‘Thank you. I’ll go and find Stella.’

He cast a glance towards the dormitories as he headed for the swimming pool. Hopefully, Stella was finally robust enough to ward off a dose of flu but even if she didn’t, it was highly unlikely that this viral illness was really dangerous and the camp had still been worthwhile.

And thank goodness he had made the effort to get here himself. To have the opportunity to witness those early—unaided—steps that Stella had taken.

Now that arrangements were in place to cover his extended absence from Sydney, Alex could see the bonus this quarantine represented, even though he still considered it to be an overreaction.

Unexpectedly, he was being given time to get to know the young woman his daughter had suddenly morphed into. He could get used to the idea that she was no longer a little girl and actually appreciate the glimpses he was getting of the adult she would become.

Like the way she had put someone else’s needs ahead of her own and accepted that Alex had to look after Danny. More than that, the way she had been prepared to take responsibility for the care of other children in Benita’s absence.

It should be easy to find her because she would be with Susie and a group of younger children. Alex could see Benita near the pool, sitting in the shade of a fig tree, a child wrapped in a fluffy towel on her lap. He scanned the whole area but, disappointingly, neither Stella nor Susie could be seen.

‘I got back here a while ago,’ Benita told Alex when he approached her. ‘I left the medical centre while you were off talking to Dr Wetherby. Stella was doing a great job with this lot but she looked a bit tired. I told her and Susie they should go and chill out on the beach.’

Alex nodded his thanks. ‘I’ll catch up with you later and give you an update on Danny. I said I’d go and check him again in a couple of hours.’ He tapped the pocket of his shorts. ‘I’ve got my mobile on and Beth knows to call me if she’s worried.’

Halfway down the track leading to the beach, Alex figured out why this search seemed an odd thing to be doing. He never went looking for women. They were always just there—waiting for him. Following him even. Nurses, nannies, housekeepers. Even Stella.

Susie was different, wasn’t she?

And, maybe thanks to her influence, Stella was becoming different.

Alex liked that.

He liked it a lot.

He thought back to those first minutes of meeting Susie. To what he had perceived as an unprofessional- looking, difficult woman who had seemed intent on telling him how he should be bringing up his daughter. Ready to stand there and fight on Stella’s behalf, no less. Prepared to antagonise him right from the start. No hint of using Stella as a means to get closer to him. Quite the opposite.

And if he’d harboured any doubts about her sincerity, they had blown away when he’d seen those tears this afternoon. Her sheer joy in sharing Stella’s victory. Joy that spoke of a real understanding of what his daughter had been through in the last couple of years.

What he’d been through.

That moment had touched something very deep within Alex. Deep enough to have been hidden even from himself. For the first time he had realised what he’d missed in not having someone close enough to share those dark times. Someone he could trust enough to lean on. He’d been so sure he hadn’t needed that. He’d proved he hadn’t needed it.

Catching Susie’s gaze at that poignant moment of triumph had shown him how much easier it would have been to have had someone like Susie by his side.

No, not someone like Susie.

Only Susie.

The idea that there could be some way to keep her in his life was new. Startling enough to make Alex pause as he reached the beach. To stand and watch the gentle surf rolling in instead of searching the shoreline for the people he was trying to find.

What the hell did he think he was doing? He’d sworn off ever thinking like this again. He needed a moment to remind himself why. To remember the betrayal that had been intolerable because it had involved someone more important than himself.

Stella.

Strangely, the bitterness associated with summoning Greta’s image into his head had lessened. So much that it was difficult to find it and, by association, hard to resurrect the mistrust for any woman that automatically precluded the idea of a meaningful relationship.

He had loved Greta. Stella had loved her. Perhaps it had been the girl’s conviction that she had finally found the mother she’d been desperate for since she was old enough to notice what was missing in her life that had persuaded Alex to take that relationship to the next level.

To—almost—propose marriage.

Thank God he hadn’t. The pretence of her love for Stella had been unmasked with astonishing ease. From the moment the cancer had been diagnosed, Greta had backed away from hospital visits, unable to disguise her distaste for hair that had come out in handfuls and the inevitable vomiting from the chemo.

Susie wouldn’t have been like that. She would have been there, holding a distressed girl’s head. Finding something prettier than a baseball cap to hide the hair loss. Ready for when Stella felt well enough to show her how to use make-up to help her feel better about the way she looked.

Alex had seen more than the tears of joy at Stella’s success today. He had seen where they had come from. Not simply the comprehension of the struggle to get to that point. The depth of Susie’s involvement in that moment could only have come from the way she felt about Stella.

The bond she had already demonstrated when she had so willingly and effectively dealt with the bathroom crisis the other night.

Real caring.

Love.

Yes. Alex took a long, deliberate inward breath and let it out very slowly. It might take time to get used to feeling this way but new determination was being born. Determination to continue this journey with Susie Jackson and to see where it might lead them all.

It wasn’t because of the way Susie felt about his daughter. That had simply opened a door he had considered locked. Made it a possibility that he could trust again. Allowed him the undeniable thrill at the prospect of more of what he had shared with Susie last night.

He wanted her.

He wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman and allowing himself to consider the possibility that it could work was fuelling a spark of passion that felt as if it could become…huge.

Big enough to last a lifetime?

He would be stupid not to make sure he found the answer to that question.

Susie had been for a swim. A gloriously refreshing, cooling swim out beyond the breakers. The stresses of the day were pushed to one side for the moment and now, blissfully, she lay on her towel, letting the warmth of the afternoon sun dry her body. So relaxed she was half-asleep.

When she saw Alex approaching, the image misted by the lashes of her almost closed eyes, Susie thought she was slipping into that delicious, pre-sleep state where you could trick your mind into making fantasy seem real. Then desire kicked in and she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Her body knew this was no fantasy. Alex was walking towards her.

Smiling.

With an expression that made her feel as though she was the only person he was interested in.

As though the only thing on his mind was taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

Susie twisted into a sitting position, reaching for her T-shirt with the intention of shaking out the sand and putting it on, despite the fact her bikini was still wet. Funny how she felt so exposed when Alex had seen far more of her body last night.

Seen it. Touched it. Tasted it.

Oh, Lord! The T-shirt was caught under Stella’s crutches and Susie’s tug made them rattle. Glancing up, she found the sound had diverted Alex’s attention.

‘Where’s Stella?’

‘Walking.’

‘On sand? Without her crutches?’

‘She’s got some help.’ The T-shirt was forgotten as Susie pointed down the beach to where Stella was walking, slowly, on the damp sand left by the receding tide.

‘It’s that boy again.’ Alex’s stare was intent. ‘Theos! They’re holding hands!’

‘To help her keep her balance,’ Susie said serenely. ‘That’s all.’

Alex made a growling sound and Susie’s lips twitched. ‘It’s OK,’ she said. ‘They like each other, Alex. Stella’s going to do more to impress Jamie than she would for me. Or even you, I suspect.’

‘She’s far too young for that sort of carry-on.’

‘She’s nearly fourteen. How old were you when you thought you were in love for the first time?’

‘Oh, God!’ Alex groaned, folding his long frame to sit on the edge of Susie’s towel. ‘I was fourteen.’

‘There you go, then.’ Susie wrapped her arms around her legs and grinned at Alex. ‘Runs in the family. Memorable, isn’t it, that first love?’

‘Yes.’

‘You wouldn’t have been too impressed if your father had told you you weren’t old enough. Or, worse, forbidden it.’

‘He tried to.’

‘And what happened?’

Alex shook his head but he was smiling. ‘I married her a few years later. When I was eighteen.’

‘Oh…’ The answer had been unexpected. It was hardly the adolescence of someone who had all the hallmarks of being a skilled player. ‘Was that…Stella’s mother?’

‘Yes. Helena. The girl next door. Or from the next village, anyway.’ Alex was still staring at the slowly receding figures of the teenagers. ‘Where does that boy live?’

‘I don’t know.’ Not that it would make much difference these days, anyway, with the way mobile phones and the Internet made it so easy to stay in touch. ‘But right now he’s here and Stella thinks he’s wonderful and…life has suddenly become rather different for her. Better.’

‘Yes…’ The words were almost a sigh. ‘For me, too.’

And me, Susie thought. Big time. She couldn’t say it out loud, though, could she? She barely knew Alex. If she confessed she thought she was in love with him, she probably wouldn’t see him for dust.

On top of that, she needed a little time to get her head around the fact that he’d married his childhood sweetheart. To push aside the ridiculous jealousy she felt towards someone who had captured his heart so completely.

Stella had told her she couldn’t remember her mother, who had died when she’d been a baby, but Alex obviously remembered. Was some of the poignancy she could hear in his voice now because Stella was maturing virtually before his eyes? Did she look like her mother had at the same age? When Alex had fallen in love with her? Was he thinking about finding—and losing—the love of his life?

Changing the subject seemed like a very good idea.

‘How’s Danny?’

‘Still very drowsy, but that’s hardly unexpected.’ Alex clearly had the ability to put aside anything personal and focus immediately on a professional matter. ‘He’s post-ictal after the seizure and he’s had a sedative. I’ll go and check him in an hour or so and will try a more comprehensive neurological examination then.’

‘Has he got flu?’

‘Seems likely. He’s running a temperature of just over forty degrees centigrade, which is quite high enough to explain a febrile seizure.’ Alex paused, and then continued as though thinking out loud. ‘I’m not that happy about him.’

‘How come?’

‘It’s very rare for a six-year-old to have a febrile seizure and there are other, worrying possibilities.’

‘Like his history of cancer? Could he have secondary involvement of his brain?’

‘It’s possible. Meningitis or encephalitis is also on the list. I don’t want to do a lumbar puncture on him until I’m satisfied his ICP isn’t raised.’

‘ICP?’

‘Intracranial pressure. It goes up if there’s swelling of the brain or extra fluid or something happening inside the skull. It’s like a box and there’s no room for too much of anything like that. A rise in pressure could be another explanation for the seizure.’

‘Why can’t you do a lumbar puncture?’

‘If the pressure’s high enough, removing spinal fluid can precipitate movement of the brain. Coning.’

‘Oh…’ Susie knew that wasn’t good.

‘Mmm.’ Alex echoed her tone. ‘It could be catastrophic. It’s why I don’t feel happy being this far away from the kind of diagnostic and monitoring facilities I’m used to. Like CT or MRI scanning. The nearest paediatric ICU is in Brisbane and Charles says we can’t transfer him unless he’s critical.’

‘You disagree?’

‘No, I wouldn’t say that. Charles is quite right. Danny could well be exhibiting the symptoms of the viral infection that is the precise reason this island had been put under quarantine. We could be endangering a lot more people than young Danny if we evacuate him.’

‘Do you think this flu is really dangerous?’

‘Influenza should never be taken lightly. Especially in people who have other health problems. Or with the very old or young.’

Susie shivered, despite the warmth of the sun. ‘Not what you expected when you came for a weekend at a tropical resort, is it?’

‘No.’ Alex seemed fascinated by the goose bumps that had appeared on Susie’s arms. He reached out and touched her lightly. The frisson of fear vanished—the chill suddenly replaced by burning heat. Susie’s gaze was locked on Alex as he raised his eyes. ‘I’ve found a lot of things I didn’t expect here,’ he said softly.

His hand moved. A slow stroke that drifted down her arm until it reached her knees. Knees that were bent to provide shelter for breasts that hadn’t received the cover of that T-shirt. Susie could feel her nipples tighten so dramatically it was painful. Alex leaned closer and her lips parted in expectation of his kiss.

‘Dad!’

The voice was a distant shout but it was close enough to be audible. Susie could see the way Alex’s intent drained from his eyes. She could almost imagine a degree of the same disappointment she was feeling. His hand lingered in the space between her knee and her breast for just a second longer. And Alex smiled. A smile that was just for Susie. A promise that whatever had been ignited was still glowing. It could be fanned into life later. And then he turned, moving smoothly so that he was simply sitting beside Susie. Facing his daughter. That moment of connection and desire had been screened, Susie realised. Stella didn’t need to know there was anything between her therapist and her father.

Did Alex not want her to know?

Why not? Was it too soon or did he protect her from any relationship he might have so that it didn’t impact on her life when it was over?

Susie fought the stab of disappointment. This was crazy. She was expecting too much. Hoping for too much. She drew a deep, steadying breath as Stella and Jamie got closer.

She was in way over her head here.

‘Jamie’s cool, isn’t he, Dad?’

‘He seems like a very nice boy.’ Alex was actually watching Susie as she left the beach. Her T-shirt was covering her top but those endless legs moved under a very neat bottom with an action that was mesmerising. The boy just happened to be walking beside Susie.

‘Wait till he comes back with his surfboard. You should see him surf, Dad. Not that there’s real surf here. Jamie say it’s a millpond, whatever that is, but he can still stand up for ages. He’s awesome.’

‘I’ve got a cart up on the track. Didn’t you want to go for a ride up into the rainforest?’

‘Not now!’ The prospect was clearly not a contender when the opportunity of feasting her eyes on the sight of the boy riding baby waves was on offer, but Alex just smiled as Stella turned to face him.

He’d never seen her looking this happy.

He could feel almost envious of that pure joy. The kind of trust and devotion that you could only experience once in your life because, when it was broken, you knew that being hurt again was always a possibility.

‘OK if I hang out here with you for a while, then? I don’t have to go back to check on Danny for an hour or so.’

‘Sure.’

They both lounged on the sand, watching the surf and a group of children playing well down the beach. The silence was companionable and Alex didn’t try to engage his daughter in conversation. The secret smile he caught pulling at the corners of Stella’s mouth on more than one occasion was evidence of what she preferred to be thinking about.

Susie was right. Trying to interfere would only push Stella away, and that was the last thing Alex wanted. Especially now, with this new—wonderful—adult-type closeness growing between them.

It was only for a day or two. Let her enjoy the thrill of her first experience of being a couple. If he didn’t push her away, he could be there for her when she was separated from the boy by circumstances. He could be understanding. Sympathetic. Deepen this new bond even further.

‘You’re not getting sunburnt, are you?’ he asked eventually.

‘No. Jamie gave me some of his sunscreen.’

Had he put it on for her, too? It was an effort to suppress outrage. It was none of his business. Not really. Even if the boy had been brave enough to offer to cover the difficult areas like her back, it would have been an innocent experience.

Yeah…right! Alex couldn’t help imagining how it would have been to smooth sunscreen onto Susie’s brown skin, the feel of which was branded into his memory for ever. Not just the feel of it, either. She had smelt perfect. Tasted perfect. Responded in a way Alex had never encountered before.

He sucked in a breath that earned a glance from Stella, and he said the first thing he could think of.

‘How about dinner with me tonight, sweetheart? Something special over at the resort. Five-star stuff.’

‘Um…no, thanks, Dad. We’re having nachos at camp. That’s my favourite.’

‘Is it?’ Alex blinked. Since when had Mexican food become a favourite?

‘Yeah. And it’s movie night. We’re getting the new James Bond movie and popcorn and everything.’

And she would get to sit next to Jamie, no doubt. Holding hands.

‘Take Susie to dinner.’

‘What?’ Alex was even more startled. Had Stella seen something in their body language maybe before she’d called out to him earlier?

‘She’s really nice.’

‘I’m sure she is.’

‘She’d like dinner. And you don’t have to come back early. I’ll sleep in the dorm again.’

Was Stella trying to encourage him to date Susie or was this a means of getting her father out of the way for the evening? Alex’s hackles rose.

‘I don’t think that sounds like a very good idea.’

‘It’s a great idea,’ Stella said firmly. ‘Susie’s been great. I wouldn’t be walking like I am if it wasn’t for her, and it would be a nice way to say thank you.’

‘True. So you should come to dinner with us.’ Alex raised an eyebrow. ‘You could bring Jamie along if you want.’

‘Wewant nachos. And the movie. Besides…’ Stella’s grin was impish ‘…if I’m there, you won’t be able to talk about me and how well I’m doing. I might get a big head.’

The reminder of how well Stella was doing was enough to make Alex relax. To make a concerted effort to embrace the encouragement she was getting, rather than his suspicions of the boy’s motives.

And he was a nice boy. Responsible. Caring. Plus, he must know after that first meeting that Alex would kill him if he did anything to harm Stella. The camp was well supervised and the dormitories were full of kids. It was perfectly safe.

‘Fine,’ he said with only a hint of resignation. ‘I’ll take Susie to dinner, then. By myself.’

‘It’s only dinner, Dad.’ Stella’s tone was soothing. ‘I know she’s not your type.’

‘Oh? What is my type?’

‘Dark and kind of brooding. Like those pictures of Mama. Like…you know…Greta.’

Yes. Dark and sultry. Or should that be sulky? Funny how that didn’t seem remotely appealing any more.

‘Susie’s different,’ Stella concluded.

‘Yes. She certainly is.’

But Stella wasn’t listening any longer. Jamie had reappeared, with a surfboard under his arm, and Stella’s face was glowing—her eyes alight with joy. Starstruck.

Alex understood. Too well maybe. It might be totally hidden but there was a part of himself that was feeling the same way. Blown away.

Touched by magic.

And his daughter, bless her, had just ordered him to spend the evening—the whole night, in fact— exploring more of that magic.

CHAPTER SEVEN

AN EVENING with Alex.

Dinner at the elegant resort restaurant—the Rainforest Retreat—a vast conservatory that blended into the rainforest behind the hotel. With huge indoor palms and ferns blurring the transition even further.

Dancing.

And Alex had said Stella intended staying in the camp with her friends. Why would he have told her that unless it was an invitation to spend the whole night with him?

‘It sounds wonderful,’ was all she’d said.

Could he have guessed what a mastery of understatement her response had been? Anticipation was an astonishingly powerful drug running through her veins now. Having a physio session to get through with Jack Havens before she could shower and change and indulge in the luxury of thinking of nothing but the evening ahead was doing little to dull the underlying thrill.

How could it, when Alex was in the same room, doing an examination on young Danny? The curtain between the beds was pulled but Susie could still hear the clear sound of Alex’s voice.

‘Wake up, Danny! Open your eyes for me.’

Susie kept her voice down so she wouldn’t be a distraction to the medical team on the other side of the curtain. ‘You can turn on your side now, Jack.’ She bent to pick up one of the large, extra pillows she had brought with her. She could see Alex’s feet. They weren’t the only set of feet around Danny’s bed and it wasn’t unusual to see a doctor wearing sandal-type footwear, but those were Alex’s feet.

Bare toes. Impossible not to remember the sight of him discarding his clothes last night—the hard, lean lines of his naked body illuminated by the soft light of the moon coming through the unshuttered glass wall of the penthouse suite. Maybe it wouldn’t be quite so overwhelming tonight. She could take the time to savour what she saw. Tease them both by helping him undress…slowly…

Susie shut her eyes for a second, clutching the big, soft pillow in her arms.

‘Bright light, Danny,’ she heard Alex say. ‘Keep your eyes open and look at my nose.’

‘It hurts…’ Danny’s voice was uncharacteristically pathetic, but at least he was talking now.

‘What hurts, buddy? Your eyes?’

‘No. My head.’

‘Whereabouts? Can you show me?’

‘No. Can’t. It’s inside.’

‘All over inside, or just in one place?’ Susie could hear the smile in Alex’s voice and it made her own lips curve as she tucked the pillow behind Jack.

‘All over.’ Poor Danny sounded miserable.

‘OK,’ Susie whispered to Jack. ‘Turn back over now, sweetheart.’

Jack flopped, ending up at a forty-five-degree angle because of the cushioning. Automatically, he lifted his arm on that side and tucked it over his head, well used to the position that gave his therapist good access to the middle lobe of his left lung. She cupped her hands, conforming the shape to match the chest wall and trapping a cushion of air to soften the impact as she began the rhythmic percussion.

‘Squeeze my hands, Danny,’ Alex said behind her. ‘Good boy. And this hand?’

‘Danny had a fit,’ Jack told Susie.

‘I know. I was there. He’s not very well, poor wee guy.’

‘He’s been really sleepy since he came in here. I heard the nurse talking to one of the doctors. They think there’s something wrong with his head.’

‘Just let your leg go floppy,’ Danny was being instructed. ‘I’m going to tap it with my special hammer. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.’

Susie stopped the percussion and flattened her hand to shake the lung segment and try to encourage the movement of mucus.

‘Big, deep breath,’ she instructed.

The action started him coughing and Susie waited until he had finished.

‘Excellent! You’re doing really well, Jack. Do you remember what the next position is?’

‘Pillow between my legs and I put my arm down.’

‘Cool. Let’s go.’ Susie moved the pillow. ‘You’re sounding a lot better.’

‘My temperature’s down. I’m going to be allowed to go back to camp.’

‘That’s great. Did they say when?’

‘Tomorrow.’ Jack twisted to look up at Susie hopefully. ‘They might let me go back tonight if you said it was OK. They’re having a movie.’

‘It would be fine by me. As long as you take things quietly. You might not be able to run around too much for a day or two.’

‘I don’t mind. I’d like to see the movie, though. It’s been really boring in here. I thought I could play with Danny but he’s just sleeping all the time.’

‘He’s sick.’ Susie started percussion on the lower lobes of Jack’s lung, staying quiet to try and hear what Alex was saying to his medical colleagues. Was it unprofessional and selfish to hope the little boy would be well enough to give them an uninterrupted evening? She may not know Alex very well but Susie was quite confident that personal pleasure would be postponed if he was needed by one of his patients, even out of hours.

‘Where are those baseline recordings we did?’

‘Here.’ There was rustle of paperwork and a moment’s silence as Alex scanned the information again. ‘I’d like another full set,’ he said. ‘Including a head circumference. I’m not happy with this blood pressure, either.’ He had moved to the foot of the bed and his voice was lowered. Danny was quiet. Had he fallen asleep again?

‘Systolic pressure’s stable enough.’ It wasn’t really a surprise that Charles hadn’t been content to leave Alex with nursing staff to share the consultation. Did anything happen in his domain that he didn’t involve himself with?

‘Yes, but the diastolic pressure’s dropped. Widening pulse pressure could be sign of rising ICP. It needs watching. I’d like thirty-minute recordings. Have we got a cardiac monitor available?’

‘Yes.’

‘Pulse oximetry and automatic BP?’

‘Of course.’

Alex still didn’t sound happy. ‘GCS is down at least a point. He’s still drowsier than I’d expect. He hasn’t had another seizure since being admitted, has he?’

‘No.’

‘Has someone been with him all the time?’

‘Not every minute. We’ve been flat out with another three admissions. We’re calling in extra staff but until now we’ve been run off our feet.’

‘I want someone with Danny at all times,’ Alex decreed. ‘It’s possible he’s had another seizure that was short-lived enough to go unnoticed.’

‘Jack’s been here.’ That was Marcia’s voice.

The curtain was twitched back. For a split second Alex caught Susie’s gaze and his look of intent focus softened. Susie’s hands stilled as she felt the delicious tingle of being noticed.

Acknowledged.

‘Hey, Jack?’ Alex tilted his head, his attention on the boy now lying on his stomach with the pillow under one side. ‘I’m Dr Vavunis. You haven’t noticed Danny doing anything strange, have you?’

‘He’s just been asleep.’

‘Not twitching or making funny noises?’

‘You mean, like having a fit?’

‘A seizure. Yes.’

‘Nah.’ Jack shook his head, caught his breath and then started coughing, which ended the exchange. Alex turned back and Susie held Jack’s ribs to support him because he was beginning to sound tired.

‘We’re almost done,’ she encouraged. ‘You’ll feel a lot better when we’ve got your chest clear.’

Alex was almost done, too, it seemed.

‘It would be good if we can get Danny’s temperature down a bit further,’ he said to Marcia. ‘Tepid sponge bath, perhaps. And a fan. When’s the next dose of paracetamol due?’

‘Fifteen minutes.’

By the time Susie was moving Jack into his final position on his stomach with the pillow under his hips, Alex was leaving the room.

‘I want to be called if there’s any change,’ he said. ‘Marcia? If you’re monitoring him, I’d like a full GCS check with the vital-sign recordings.’

‘You mean, wake him up and talk to him?’

‘Yes. I need to know if his level of responsiveness drops any further. At least ensure that he’s easy to rouse.’

It was torture.

Exquisite but almost unbearable.

If anticipation was a drug, Susie was in danger of falling victim to an overdose.

Could Alex not feel it? Or was he enjoying this? Doing it deliberately, in fact? Drawing out this public part of their evening together as a kind of foreplay?

The way he was looking at her certainly seemed deliberate. Susie couldn’t hold that gaze for more than a few heartbeats at a time. It was so…intense.

‘Interested’ was too pale a word for it. He seemed fascinated. Smitten even?

Wishful thinking, perhaps, but it would be far too easy to fall into that dark gaze. To lose herself and any control over what she might say. And that would be dangerous. Susie didn’t want to change the way Alex was looking at her. How awful would it be to see a hint of alarm or a cloud of doubt dulling that fierce approval? Or, worse, a gaze that slid over her shoulder to scan other women in the room.

There were plenty of them. The resort was full to capacity thanks to the quarantine trapping the guests. Many of the people using the restaurant were dressed up for the occasion and Susie was sure she was the only one wearing the same outfit as she had the night before. She hadn’t expected to be going out on a date, though, had she?

And she could never have expected Alex. Not in this lifetime. He was too good to be true and that gave a sense of urgency to this dinner. Any moment now he would wake up and realise how beautiful the other women in here were and wonder what on earth he was doing, sitting here so intent on Susie Jackson.

Or his phone would ring and he’d be called back to see Danny or some other patient. He’d work all night and by morning daylight would make him see clearly and realise that Susie wasn’t this special.

His touch contradicted her fears. Even more deliberate than his gaze, the way he rested a forefinger lightly beside her elbow and then traced the curve of the muscle all the way to the pulse at her wrist. A pulse that had to be telling him just how arousing his touch was, which made it even harder to hold his gaze. Susie had to use her tongue to dampen suddenly dry lips and she saw her own flare of desire mirrored in those dark eyes.

Yet he still appeared to be in no hurry to finish the meal. He picked up his fork again, speared an asparagus tip then added a shred of the braised lamb shank beside it, put it in his mouth and chewed carefully, his gaze barely leaving Susie’s face.

Her own fork felt as if it was made of lead and her appetite was waning rapidly. For food, at any rate.

‘So…’ Alex swallowed, put down his cutlery and reached for his glass of red wine. ‘You know about my early love life. Tell me about yours.’

Susie opened her mouth to protest that she didn’t know very much. He had married the girl next door— the love of his life. A marriage marred by tragedy. OK, maybe that was enough. Knowing more might be too scary.

‘Did you start early?’ Alex prompted. ‘Like my Stella seems to be doing?’

‘I got interested,’ Susie admitted, ‘but there were… ah…technical difficulties.’

Alex looked startled. ‘Sorry?’

‘I had a clone,’ Susie explained. ‘Still do, actually.’ She had to take pity on Alex’s deepening expression of bewilderment. ‘I have an identical twin sister. Hannah. Boys were either scared of us because they thought we were playing tricks on them or they went too far the other way and thought they could get both of us—at the same time.’

‘Oh…’ The slow smile of comprehension was gorgeous. Susie watched his lips curve and wanted to lean over the small table and kiss him. ‘Two of you,’ he murmured. The smile widened. ‘Yes, I can understand the attraction.’

‘We’re only alike to look at,’ Susie added firmly. ‘Quite different in other ways. Hannah’s the assertive one. She’s a kick-ass A and E specialist who works in a big city hospital in New Zealand. She recently married another ED doctor and…and she’s just found out she’d expecting her first baby.’

Oh, Lord, how had that slipped out? And with that edge of wistfulness that Alex surely couldn’t miss. Good grief—how to scare a man off in one easy move.

‘So I’m going to be an aunt,’ she finished—hopefully brightly. ‘It’s very exciting.’

‘Hmm.’ Alex was loading his fork again. Cutting his food with a precision that reminded Susie what he did for a living. Reminded her also of how skilful those long fingers were in other, more personal arenas. Hurriedly, she dropped her gaze to her own plate and stirred the wild mushroom risotto she had chosen for a main course.

Change the subject, she ordered herself sternly. Fast!

‘You would have been proud of Stella today.’ Good choice of topic, Susie congratulated herself. Appropriate and distracting.

‘I’m always proud of Stella.’

‘She was wonderful with the children in Benita’s group. She knew quite a lot about rainforest frogs and she’s a natural teacher.’

‘Is that so?’ She had definitely caught his interest. ‘Yes. Even when she was really sick in hospital, she took an interest in the younger children. It’s a shame she never had any siblings.’

Susie was grateful she had a mouthful of risotto that precluded a response. Was Alex suggesting he might want more children in the future?

‘Teaching wouldn’t be a bad career for her if that’s something she wants to do,’ Alex said. ‘Challenging but not necessarily too physically demanding.’

‘I don’t think anything is going to hold Stella back. She had a major hurdle to get over in accepting her prosthesis, but I think she’ll go from strength to strength now.’

‘Thanks to you.’ Alex discarded his fork and caught Susie’s hand, covering it with both of his. ‘I am very, very grateful for what you’ve done for my daughter.’

‘It’s been a pleasure.’ Susie loved the feeling of her hand being enclosed like this. It felt safe. Protected. A miniature version of what it would feel like to have her whole body held in Alex’s arms.

She wanted to be held. So much.

‘You’re very fond of Stella, aren’t you?’ Alex seemed to be watching her carefully.

It rang a warning bell. What was the real question being asked? Whether she could see herself being Stella’s stepmother? Surely not. Scared of reading too much into the query, Susie simply nodded in response. And smiled.

‘And you’re going to become an aunt.’ Alex let go of her hand to return his attention to his dinner. ‘Do you see yourself having your own children one day?’

Oh, help! The was getting heavy. A question as loaded as a shotgun. Susie tried to remember how he’d worded his comment about siblings for Stella. He’d used the past tense, hadn’t he? That meant he wasn’t considering the possibility.

‘I love kids,’ she said cautiously. ‘And, yes, I guess I did always see myself being a mother, but…’

‘But?’ Had Alex noted the way she had also used the past tense?

‘It would depend,’ Susie floundered. Somehow she had to avoid slamming doors. She also had to avoid putting Alex under unreasonable pressure by hinting how strong her feelings were. He couldn’t possibly share them. It was too soon. Too much the stuff of fairy tales.

He wasn’t going to let her off the hook, however. ‘On what?’ he asked.

‘On the partnership I was in.’ Susie abandoned her food in favour of her wine. She also gave up any mental gymnastics. This was important and she couldn’t be less than truthful.

‘I’m thirty-three,’ she said bluntly. ‘It’s quite possible that someone I meet will already have children and not want any more. Yes, I’d be sad not to have a child of my own, but if I meet the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, I’m not going to let that get in the way. It’s the partnership that’s the most important.’

Strangely, Susie was finding it easy to hold Alex’s gaze as she spoke words that came straight from her heart. ‘It’s the feeling of never being alone,’ she said softly. ‘Even if you’re miles apart. Knowing that someone is there for you, no matter what.’

‘Trust.’ Alex nodded. ‘Two halves of a whole.’

‘Yes.’ Susie still hadn’t looked away. Hadn’t even blinked. ‘And finding that is like the end of the rainbow. Anything else…everything else…has to be negotiable.’ She smiled, hoping to lighten the odd intensity surrounding them. ‘Whew! Does that answer your question?’

‘Indeed.’ But Alex wasn’t smiling. He was looking very serious. Digesting what she had said? Planning an early escape from a crazy woman who was planning to snare some poor man for a lifetime?

The waiter’s approach to their table was well timed. ‘Would Sir and Madam like to see the dessert menu?’

‘Would we?’ Alex raised an eyebrow at his companion and Susie had to lick her lips again and reach for her wineglass. Her whole mouth felt dry now.

Alex cleared his throat. ‘I think,’ he told the waiter, ‘that we might avail ourselves of room service if we require dessert.’

‘Very good.’ The waiter took their plates and moved away smoothly.

‘Is it?’ Alex stood up, dropping his linen napkin onto the table and extending a hand to Susie. ‘Very good, that is?’

‘Oh…yes.’ Susie put her hand into his. She had been looking forward to dancing with Alex again tonight but, finally, he seemed to have caught the urgency she had been aware of all evening.

And it was, indeed, very good.

They left the restaurant in almost unseemly haste. Hand in hand. Susie was only vaguely distracted by Sophia Poulos’s open-mouthed delight as she spotted them in the foyer.

The lift was, satisfyingly, instantly available but they had to share it with another couple. The grip on Susie’s hand tightened until it was almost painful, but Susie made no complaint. When the strangers got out, they waited, unmoving until they reached the top floor. Then Alex pulled her from the lift, somehow opened the door of the suite and then Susie found herself with her back to the wall, grateful for its support under the onslaught of Alex’s kiss.

But then—disturbingly—the urgency was flicked off like a switch. Alex broke the kiss, moved his hands away from Susie’s hips and placed them on the wall on either side of her head. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and his gaze seemed fastened on where Susie could feel her pulse hammering on the side of her neck.

‘Tonight,’ he said softly, ‘we take our time.’

It was as though they had agreed on a destination last night and located the maps and the most direct route. Tonight was about exploring detours. Finding every delight that might otherwise have been hidden. Knowing where they would end up but making the most of the journey.

Potential interruptions from a phone call were forgotten.

The idea that she might not be special enough had been long since vanquished for Susie.

She had never felt so desirable.

So…worshipped.

‘You’re beautiful,’ Alex told her more than once as he moved to caress and kiss a new patch of her skin. ‘So beautiful.’

And Alex was…

Alex.

Perfect.

Susie learned the pattern of the dark hair that was a butterfly shape on his chest. She traced it with her tongue, revelling in the hard pebbles of his nipples and way his skin became so soft as the hair trailed off. The sound of raw need being heightened when she took him in her mouth and the way he breathed her name so much later in the moment of ultimate release.

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