Read Online The Secret Doctor by Joanna Neil - Free Book Online Page B

a gash you have there, Sam,’ Emma commented. ‘Still, it’s clean and straight, so it should heal nicely once it has been stitched.’
    â€˜You’ll have to stay out of the water for a while, though,’ Lacey warned him as she applied the sutures. ‘You don’t want it to become infected.’
    He nodded. ‘I suppose I’ll have to make do with sitting around the poolside instead.’ He smiled. ‘Do you do any surfing, or watersports of any kind?’
    â€˜I’ve never tried out a surfboard. I don’t think I’d have the balance,’ she answered, putting the last stitch in place. ‘I’ll prescribe some antibiotics, just to be on the safe side.’
    â€˜What about you?’ Sam turned his head to glance at Emma, who was jotting down notes in his file. ‘Do you go in for watersports?’
    â€˜I enjoy snorkelling,’ Emma said. ‘But scubadiving’s the best, for me. You can go deeper and get a closer look at the coral reefs. What I really want next is an underwater camera so that I can take pictures.’
    â€˜I have a camera. Maybe we could go together some time?’ he suggested. ‘Unless you’re already dating someone?’
    Emma’s cheeks were flushed. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting such a direct invitation. ‘Well, uh…no, but I…uh…’ She sent him a cautious glance. ‘Um…I’ll think about it.’
    â€˜Good. That’s a start, anyway.’ He looked pleased with himself, and Lacey decided it was time to remove herself from the treatment room and leave the two of them together. Emma would put a dressing on the wound and clear away the suture equipment so that Lacey was free to attend other patients.
    â€˜Just make sure you keep that wound dry until the stitches have been removed,’ she reminded Sam.
    â€˜I will.’
    The rest of her shift passed quickly. They were inundated with people bearing all kinds of wounds and ailments, but Lacey was glad of the diversion. Otherwise Jake would have intruded on her thoughts far more than she would have liked.
    As it was, he was waiting for her when she returned home later that night. Or, at least, he was stacking the lobster pots along the wharf, and paused to come over and talk to her after she had parked her car.
    â€˜How did it go?’ he asked. ‘Is there any news of Rob?’
    She nodded. ‘The implant was a success…it’s working fine, and he’s feeling much better now that the medication has started to calm his heart down.’ She smiled. ‘He says thanks for the fruit basket. It was a lovely gesture on your part.’
    Jake shrugged, and she couldn’t help noticing the way his powerful biceps strained against the material of his navy coloured T-shirt. ‘It was the least I could do. We may not get along too well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t sympathise with his predicament.’
    She glanced towards the lobster pots. ‘Do you manage to trap any?’
    He nodded. ‘Enough to send off to the local store and restaurant.’ He looked at her, but his features were shadowed in the darkness. ‘I’d still like the chance to take you out in my boat. You’d be its very first passenger, and maybe I could convince you that sailing and scubadiving around here is fun. We could head out to the reefs on Sunday, if you like.’
    She pressed her lips together, looking doubtful. ‘Idon’t know… I’m very busy, with the new job, and small decorating jobs around the house.’
    â€˜Can’t I persuade you?’ His voice dropped into a low, coaxing tone. ‘I’m sure you would love it…and you know what they say about all work and no play…’
    â€˜I’m not going to let that worry me,’ she said lightly. ‘I’m perfectly happy as I am. And as to going anywhere with you, I have to tell you