Kitabı oku: «The Love Islands Collection», sayfa 13
EPILOGUE
GEORGIA SHOULD HAVE been stressed. She had a four-month-old baby who was still nursing around the clock and she was waiting on the results from the grueling exams she’d taken three weeks ago. She should be getting the results next Wednesday, but she wasn’t worried.
If anything, she was calm, and incredibly, ridiculously happy.
She loved Alek Panos so much that it made her heart ache, but what gave her even greater joy was seeing Nikos and Alek together. No one could soothe Alek like his father. Nikos had spent many a night pacing the nursery or rocking him in the big chair in the corner of their master bedroom.
Alek had been so small, being born early, but he was quickly putting on weight and was catching up with the crucial milestones.
Tomorrow they were baptizing him and they were hosting a small dinner at their house to celebrate afterward. Savannah would be there, of course, as she was Alek’s godmother, and they’d invited a few other people to join them, mostly Georgia’s friends from medical school, along with Mr. Laurent and his wife.
Who would have ever imagined that Mr. Laurent would become their friend, and even a surrogate grandfather to Alek?
Life was good, Georgia thought, lightly patting Alek’s back. He’d been nursing and had fallen asleep on the job. She smiled faintly, savoring the feel of him on her chest. He was so warm and sweet. She loved him to pieces...loved him so much she wondered now why she’d thought she wouldn’t be a good mother.
The door to the nursery opened, and Nikos entered.
Her heart gave a little jump as he smiled at her. She grinned back. It was impossible not to smile when she saw him. He made her so happy. He was her other half.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“He’s out?” Nikos asked.
She nodded. “He did pretty good. Hoping he got enough to get him through a good long nap.”
“Should I put him back in his crib?”
“I’m okay holding him. It feels good just to hold him. He’s getting bigger every day.”
“That’s good. He’s healthy.”
“I’m so grateful. He’s a blessing.” She dropped a light kiss on his tender head. “Everything okay?”
Nikos took a seat on the ottoman next to her feet. “Just a few days until you get your test results,” he said.
“I know.”
“Nervous?”
She thought about it. “No. I’m actually pretty Zen.”
“Lots of people take them again.”
“I’m not worried, either way. Whatever will be, will be.” Her gaze met his and held. “I’m happy, Nikos, really happy. I love Alek. I love us. This is everything I ever wanted. Doing well on the test would just be icing on the cake.”
“If you do well, you’ll have many options. You’ll be able to complete your training at any number of hospitals.”
She nodded. “I’ve looked into different programs, and there are places that look good, but, Nikos, I think my first choice would be returning to Greece.”
“Is there a program in Athens?”
She hesitated. “I think I’d just like to go home to Kamari... I think I’d like to just be a mother for the next couple of years and then we can talk about the rest, when we’re ready. When I’m ready.”
She thought he’d be excited about her decision. She thought he’d be happy for her, but Nikos wasn’t smiling. He looked troubled...worried. “Can you take time off and return? Won’t that set you back?”
“I can always return to school when he’s older. But I’ll never get these years back. And not just with him, but with you. Nikos, agapo mou, I adore you.”
Emotion darkened his beautiful eyes. “You speak Greek now, too?”
“I’ve learned the most important phrases.” She smiled and reached for him, drawing his face to hers. She kissed him once, and then again, whispering, “S’agapo.” I love you.
He kissed her back, careful not to bump Alek. “My brilliant Georgia,” he murmured. “You take my breath away.”
He was still kissing her when the door opened and a cough sounded in the doorway. It was Savannah, and she was smiling. “Maybe you two need to get a room,” she said in a stage whisper. “In fact, I know you need to get a room. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got the baby.”
They didn’t need persuading.
Georgia carefully put Alek in his crib, and Nikos took her hand, leading her from the nursery to their master suite at the end of the hall.
It was a huge house, a Tudor-style mansion on a couple of acres in Atlanta’s oldest and best neighborhood, but that wasn’t why Georgia liked it. She liked it because they had the biggest bed she’d ever seen, giving her and Nikos lots of room to play and sleep.
Inside their room he slid the lock shut and drew her into his arms, kissing her with a hunger that let her know just how much he wanted her and needed her.
His hands were on her waist and then curving over her hips, pulling her close against his erection.
Georgia shivered with pleasure. “Thank goodness for sisters who love to babysit,” she said. “I love her timing.”
He nibbled at her neck and kissed the hollow beneath her ear. “So do I. She arrived right on schedule.”
Georgia lifted her head. “What schedule?”
He smiled, kissed her. “Come see.” Taking her by the hand, he led her to the table in front of the huge bow-shaped window, where there was champagne in an ornate silver bucket. Crystal flutes stood next to the bucket and there were silver trays of food, gorgeous-looking food, along with enormous vases of red roses.
Her eyes widened as she looked back at him. “Nikos...is this what I think it is?”
“Flowers and champagne? Yes. Yes, it is.”
She giggled and hugged him. “Seriously. What’s going on?”
“We’re celebrating you. Because I love you. And you are the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world.”
She swallowed hard as her eyes began to prickle and burn.
“I love you, Georgia. I will always love you.” He drew a black leather ring box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.
Her heart was thudding so hard she couldn’t speak. She knew what he was doing, but she hadn’t seen this coming and she couldn’t believe it was happening now, on a day that was already perfect.
He cracked the leather box open, and she stared at the ring in awe. It was a diamond ring with a huge center stone that sparkled blindingly bright. The center stone was surrounded with smaller diamonds, and tiny diamonds covered the sides of the narrow gleaming band. “It’s stunning,” she whispered.
“Savannah went shopping with me. I wanted her to tell me what she thought her beloved sister would like best. But she told me that whatever I picked for you would be the one you’d want. And this is the one I picked, because it is like you—beautiful, bright and filled with light.” And then he added, his voice pitched even deeper than usual, “Marry me, agape mou.”
She didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes, yes, Nikos, absolutely.”
He was on his feet, kissing her, the ring forgotten.
It was much later, after they’d made love and put the ring on her finger and then popped the champagne, that she asked him if they could marry in Greece. “I’d love to have the ceremony at the villa on Kamari, if we could.”
“It’d be a very small ceremony, I fear.”
“The best kind.” She smiled at him and set aside her champagne. She’d had a taste but wouldn’t drink more as she was nursing and hated taking chances. “What do you think about just going back...and staying? I want Alek to be raised in Greece. I want him to know his culture. He’s not meant to be an American. He’s your son—”
“Our son,” he corrected.
“Yes, but he’s a Panos, and he needs the sun and the sea and lots of space. I do, too.”
“You don’t have to do this for me, agapi mou.”
“I know. And I’m doing this for selfish reasons.” She struggled to smile, but it was hard with so much emotion filling her. “I want to be with you, and raise our son together, and together we will give him so much love and so much opportunity.”
He drew her toward him, kissing her tenderly. “Your love takes my breath away,” he said huskily. “You are the sun and the moon and the stars, and every day I thank God for you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You do?”
“I do.”
He caressed her cheek, and then kissed her brow, her nose and finally her lips. “Thank you for loving me.”
Blinking back tears, she tugged on a strand of his inky-black hair. “I tamed the beast.”
“Yes, you did, yineka mou. You tamed the beast and turned me into a pussycat.”
Georgia laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. You’re still not that easy to manage. But it’s okay. I’m up for the challenge.”
“Good. I love a strong woman.” He pressed another kiss to her mouth. “Or maybe it’s just you. Because I do love you, and I will love you forever.”
* * * * *
The Doctor She Left Behind
Scarlet Wilson
Praise for Scarlet Wilson
‘Her Christmas Eve Diamond is a fun and interesting read. If you like a sweet romance with just a touch of the holiday season you’ll like this one.’
—Harlequin Junkie
‘West Wing to Maternity Wing! is a tender, poignant and highly affecting romance that is sure to bring a tear to your eye. With her gift for creating wonderful characters, her ability to handle delicately and compassionately sensitive issues and her talent for writing believable, emotional and spellbinding romance, the talented Scarlet Wilson continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary romantic fiction!’
—CataRomance
Dear Reader,
What could be worse than being stranded on an island with your ex?
The short answer is—not much! But that’s what happens to Rachel Johnson and Nathan Banks.
They parted company eight years before, and there’s a lot for them to get through before they can finally reach their happy-ever-after.
I had great fun writing this book. Rachel and Nathan have the pleasure of being the medical crew on a fictional TV show. Both of them are doing a favour for a mutual friend who hasn’t let either of them know the other is going to be there. Sparks certainly fly!
I love to hear from readers. You can find me at scarlet-wilson.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter as @scarlet_wilson
Hope you enjoy!
Scarlet
For Cathy McAuliffe, Catherine Bain and Shirley Bain with lots of love for the women who manage to put up with all these Bain boys!
CHAPTER ONE
‘YOU REALLY THINK this is a good idea?’ Nathan Banks shook his head. Nothing about this sounded like a good idea to him.
But Lewis nodded. ‘I think it’s a great idea. I need a doctor. You need a job.’
‘But I already have a job.’ He lifted his hands. ‘At least I think I do. Is my contract not being renewed?’
His stomach turned over a little. Last night had been a particularly bad night in A & E. His medical skills were never in question but his temper had definitely been short. It hadn’t been helped by hearing a car backfire on the walk home and automatically dropping to the ground as if it were gunfire. His last mission for Doctors Without Borders had been in a war zone. Dropping to the floor when you heard gunfire had become normal for him. But doing it in the streets of Melbourne? Not his proudest moment. Particularly when a kid on the way to school had asked him what was wrong.
Lewis smiled. The way he always did when he was being particularly persuasive. Nathan had learned to spot it over the years. ‘The last few days in A & E have been tough. You came straight out of Doctors Without Borders after five years and started working here. You’ve never really had a holiday. Think of this as your lucky day.’
Nathan lifted the buff-coloured folders. ‘But this isn’t a holiday. This is a form of torture. My idea of a holiday is walking in the hills of Scotland somewhere, or surfing on Bondi Beach. Being stranded on an island with nine B-list celebrities? I’m the least celeb-orientated person on the planet. I couldn’t care less about these people.’
Lewis nodded. ‘Exactly. That’s what makes you perfect. You can be objective. All you need to do is supervise the fake TV challenges and monitor these folk’s medical conditions for the three weeks they’re on the island. The rest of the time you’ll get to sit around with your feet up.’ He bent over next to Nathan and put one hand on his shoulder, waving the other around as if he were directing a movie. ‘Think of it—the beautiful Whitsunday islands, the surrounding Coral Sea, luxury accommodation and perfect weather with only a few hours’ work a day. What on earth could go wrong?’
Nathan flipped open the first folder. Everything about this seemed like a bad idea. It was just a pity that the viewing public seemed to think it was a great one. Celebrity Island had some of the best viewing figures on the planet. ‘But some of these people shouldn’t be going to a celebrity island, let alone doing any challenges. They have serious medical conditions.’
Lewis waved his hand. ‘And they’ve all had milliondollar medicals for the insurance company. The TV company needs someone with A & E experience who can think on their feet.’
‘I hardly think epidemic, natural disaster and armed conflict experience is what a TV crew needs.’
Lewis threw another folder towards him. ‘Here. Read up on snake bites, spiders and venom. The camp will be checked every night but you can’t be too careful.’
The expression on Lewis’s face changed. The hard sell wasn’t working and it was obvious he was getting desperate.
‘Please, Nathan. I agreed to this contract before I knew Cara was pregnant. I need to find someone to replace me on the island. The last thing I want is to end up sued for breach of contract. You’re the one person I trust enough to ask.’
Nathan took a long, slow breath. Working for a TV company was the last thing he wanted to do. But Lewis was right. He was close to burnout. And in some ways he was lucky his friend had recognised it. How bad could three weeks on an island in the Coral Sea be? The celebs might have to sleep by a campfire but the production crew were supposed to have luxury accommodation. He shook his head. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me this was about Cara’s pregnancy?’
Lewis looked away for a second. ‘There have been a few issues. A few complications—a few hiccups as we’ve got closer to the end. We didn’t really want to tell anyone.’ He slid something over the desk towards him. ‘Here, the final sweetener. Look at the pay cheque.’
Nathan’s eyes boggled. ‘How much?’ He shook his head again. ‘It doesn’t matter what the pay cheque is, if you’d told me this was about Cara I would have said yes right away.’ He lifted his hands. ‘I would have volunteered and done it for nothing. Sometimes you’ve got to be straight with people, Lewis.’
Lewis blinked, as if he was contemplating saying something else. Then he gave his head a little shake. ‘Thank you, Nathan.’ He walked around and touched Nathan’s shoulder. ‘I need a medic I can trust. You’ll have back-up. Another doctor is flying out from Canberra to join the TV crew too. Last year I was there I worked twelve hours—tops—over three weeks. Trust me. This will be the easiest job you’ve ever had.’
Nathan nodded slowly. It still didn’t appeal. He had a low tolerance to all things celebrity. But three weeks of easy paid work in a luxury location? He’d have to be a fool to say no. Plus, Lewis had helped him when he’d landed in Australia straight out of Doctors Without Borders and with no job. Of course he’d help. ‘What happens when I get back?’
Lewis met his gaze. ‘You’re a great medic. We’re lucky to have you. I’ll give you another six-month contract for A & E—if you want it, of course.’
He hesitated only for a second. Lewis was one of his oldest friends and he knew they’d waited four years for Cara to fall pregnant. There was no way he could let him down. Even if it was the last place on this earth he wanted to go.
He picked up the pen. ‘Tell Cara I’ll be thinking about her. Okay, where do I sign?’
Rachel Johnson took a few final moments lying on the sun lounger at the pool. She couldn’t believe for a second she was getting paid for this.
She’d been here two days and hadn’t had to do a minute of work. Apparently her job started as soon as she hit the island. Which was fine by her. From what she’d seen of the nine celebrities taking part in Celebrity Island, she suspected they ranged from mildly whiny to difficult and impossible. Her old university friend Lewis Blake had persuaded her to take part and the fee was astronomical. But that wasn’t why she was here.
She was here because her Hippocratic oath seemed to have her over a barrel. Her ex—an Australian soap star—was taking part. And she was one of the few that knew his real medical history. It seemed that one of his bargaining chips had been to ask for a doctor he could trust. And even though there was nothing between them, part of her felt obliged to help.
‘Are you ready, Dr Johnson? The seaplane has just landed.’
Rachel jumped up from the comfortable lounger and grabbed her rucksack packed with her clothes. Two days staying in the luxury five-star resort had been bliss. All the medical supplies she would need had already been shipped. Apparently the other medic was already on the island. And since there was no way off the island for the next three weeks she hoped it was someone she could work with. Between the two of them, they would be on call twenty-four hours a day for three weeks. Lewis had assured her that apart from monitoring the challenges there really wasn’t anything to do. But, as much as she loved him, Lewis had always been economical with the truth.
Rachel climbed into the seaplane that was bobbing on the blue ocean. She’d never been in one of these before and the ride was more than a little bumpy. But the view over the island worth it.
The pilot circled the island, letting her see the full geography. ‘This is the beach where some of the celebrities will be dropped off. The beach on the other side is for the crew. It has umbrellas, sun loungers and a bar—so don’t worry, you’ll be well looked after.’ As he crossed the middle of the island the view changed to a thick jungle. ‘Camp is in the middle,’ he said. ‘Don’t tell anyone but they actually have a rain canopy they can pull overhead if we get one of the seasonal downpours. We didn’t have it the first year and the whole camp got swept away in a torrent of water.’
Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat. That sounded a little rougher than she’d expected. ‘Where will I be staying?’
He pointed to some grey rectangular buildings in the distance. ‘The three big grey buildings are the technical huts and production gallery. You’ll be staying in a portable cabin. The medical centre is right next to you.’ He let out a laugh that sounded more like a pantomime witch’s cackle. ‘Just next to the swamp and the rope bridge. The celebrities love those.’ He gave Rachel a nod. ‘I won’t tell you how many of them have fallen off that rope bridge.’
For a second her throat felt dry. Lewis’s version of the truth was already starting to unravel. A portable cabin and a hotel were not the same thing. Her dreams of a luxury bed and state-of-the-art facilities had just vanished in the splutter of a seaplane’s engines. There might be an ocean right next to her but there was no swimming pool, no facilities and definitely no room service. This was sounding less and less like three weeks in the sun and more and more like she would be wringing Lewis’s neck the next time she saw him.
The seaplane slowed and bumped to a landing on the water, moving over to a wooden quay. A burly man in a grey T-shirt tinged with sweat grabbed the line so she could open the door and jump down.
‘Doc Johnson?’
She nodded.
He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m Ron. Welcome to paradise.’
The wooden quay gave a little sway as she landed on it.
They walked quickly along the beach and up a path towards the grey portable cabins. ‘Kind of out of place for paradise?’ she said.
Ron laughed. ‘Is that how they got you out here? Told the same story to the other doc too. But he’s been fine. Said he’s used to sleeping in camp beds anyhow and it doesn’t make any difference to him.’
A horrible shiver crept down Rachel’s spine. She’d spent five years at university in London with Lewis and a group of other friends. Then another couple of years working in the surrounding London hospitals. Lewis knew everything about her. He knew everything about the guy she’d dated for five years back then. Lewis was the common denominator here. He wouldn’t have done anything stupid, would he?
Ron showed her up to the three cabins sitting on an incline. ‘The rest of the crew stay along the beach a little. You and the other doc are in here. Medical centre is right next to you. And the one next to that is the most popular cabin on the beach.’
‘Showers?’ she said hopefully.
‘Nope. Catering,’ he answered with a broad smile.
‘Okay. Thanks, Ron.’ She pushed open the door to the cabin and sent a silent prayer upwards.
The cabin was empty. There was a sitting area in the middle with a sofa. A bathroom with a shower of sorts, and two rooms at either end. It wasn’t quite army camp beds. They were a little better than that. But the rooms were sparse, with only a small chest of drawers and a few hooks on the wall with clothes hangers on them.
Rachel dumped her rucksack and washed her face and hands, taking a few minutes to change her T-shirt and apply some more mosquito spray and sunscreen.
Her stomach was doing little flip-flops. It was pathetic really. Ron had only made one remark about a camp bed. It was nothing. It could apply to millions of guys the world over. But she had a bad feeling about this. Lewis had been especially persuasive on the phone. He’d given her the whole ‘my wife is pregnant’ and ‘one of the celebrities is being difficult’ routine. When she’d heard who the celebrity was she hadn’t been surprised. She’d met Darius under unusual circumstances. Both of them had been vulnerable. And he’d loved the thought that by dating a doctor he had an insider’s view of treatments.
But dating Darius Cornell—Australia’s resident soap opera hunk—had been an experience. They’d dated for just over a year. Just enough to get both of them through. She’d been relieved when the media attention had died down.
Her stomach flipped over one more time as she walked outside and reached for the door handle of the medical centre. It was strange to be here at his request. But Darius could be handled.
Her biggest fear was that the person behind this door probably couldn’t.
He was dreaming. More likely he was having a nightmare. He pushed his hat a little further back on his head and blinked again.
No. She was still there.
Rachel Johnson. Brown hair tied in a ponytail, slightly suntanned skin and angry brown eyes set off by her pink T-shirt.
‘Just when I thought this couldn’t get any worse.’ He pulled his feet off the desk.
Her lips tightened and her gaze narrowed. ‘I’m going to kill Lewis Blake. I’m going to kill him with my bare hands. There’s no way I’m getting stuck on this island with you for three weeks.’ She folded her arms across her chest.
He pointed out at the sky. ‘Too late, Rach. You just missed your ride home.’ The seaplane was heading off in the distance.
Her forehead creased into a deep frown. ‘No way. There must be a boat. Another island nearby. How do they get supplies?’
Nathan shrugged. ‘Not sure. I’ve only been here a day. And don’t worry. I’m just as happy to see you. Particularly when I’ve just looked through the medical notes and saw your lovely ex is one of the celebs. No wonder you’re here.’
He couldn’t help it. When they’d split up years ago Rachel had come to Australia and a few months later been photographed by the press with her new boyfriend—an Australian soap star. It had been hard enough to get over the split, but seeing his ex all over the press when he’d been left behind to take care of his younger brother had just rubbed salt in the wounds. She’d gone to Australia. The place they’d planned to go to together.
‘What exactly are you doing here, Nathan? You seem the last person who’d want a job like this.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’
She shrugged. ‘I’d heard you were working for Doctors Without Borders. Celebrity Island seems a bit of a stretch of the imagination.’
He tried to ignore the little surge of pleasure that sparked; she’d been interested enough to find out where he worked. He’d never wanted to ask any of their mutual friends where Rachel was. Everyone knew that she’d gone to Australia without him and they were much too tactful to bring up her name.
He folded his arms across his chest. ‘I think you know exactly why I’m here. At a guess I’d say he hoodwinked me just as much as he hoodwinked you.’ He gave his hands a little rub together. ‘But don’t worry. I’ve got three weeks to think of what I’ll do to him when I get back.’
She frowned again. ‘How did he get in touch?’
Nathan’s gaze met hers. ‘I’ve been working with him.’
‘In A & E?’
Nathan shrugged. ‘Seemed the most logical place to work after five missions with Doctors Without Borders. He offered me the job as soon as my feet hit Australian soil.’
