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‘I’m not a child. I can make a phone call.’ The thought that maybe she didn’t trust him hurt more than it should have. What reason had he ever given her to trust him?
‘I know. But this is supposed to be the exact opposite of what you did before. You take help. You don’t self-medicate. You follow an agreed plan and you keep everyone informed and in touch with what’s happening.’
She grinned persuasively at him. He’d missed her smile. ‘If something was on fire, I’d be letting you take charge.’
‘I have a box of matches in the drawer over there…’ He held his hands up as she shot him a look of such ferocity that laughter bubbled up in his chest. Abby had surprised him. Under those soft curves of hers there was a backbone of pure steel. ‘Okay. You win, it’s a deal.’
‘Yes… yes, a deal.’ She was suddenly uncertain, lacing her fingers around her empty coffee cup. It seemed that she too needed something to occupy her when they were together. Something to take her mind off the heat that seemed to build when there was nothing practical to focus on.
‘Would you like some more toast? That slice must be cold by now.’
‘No. No, thanks.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Sorry to have spoiled your morning.’
‘You didn’t.’ He tried to catch her eye but she seemed to be avoiding his gaze now. ‘I treated you pretty badly, Abby. What you did this morning says everything about you and nothing about what I deserve.’
She seemed puzzled, but the comment emboldened her. ‘I’d like you to do something else, too.’
‘Go on, then. What is it?’
‘I want you to call me in a couple of days, just to let me know how things are going. Will you do that?’
‘Of course.’ It was the least he could do. ‘Or I could buy you lunch.’ The words slipped out before he had a chance to stop them. But it didn’t really matter. They’d be wearing snowboots in hell before she accepted. Doctors might forgive, but women didn’t give you the option of standing them up a second time.
She hesitated, avoiding his gaze. ‘Call me on Tuesday morning. I take my lunch at one o’clock, and if I’m free maybe we can meet up.’ She picked her phone up, briskly. ‘I’ll make that call, then.’
CHAPTER THREE
HE’D hurt her once, and she hadn’t had any say in the matter then. If he hurt her again, it was going to be her own stupid fault. But this time Abby knew the score. She wasn’t at his beck and call and she wouldn’t be shedding any tears over him if he decided suddenly to disappear again.
It was ten minutes’ walk from the hospital to the gym they both belonged to. Abby had been taking her early-morning swims at another pool for the last six months, ever since the possibility of bumping into Nick had turned from delicious excitement to self-conscious dread. But since she hadn’t let her membership lapse, for fear that might be construed as running away, she could always go for a swim if he didn’t turn up.
The screens and plants in the cafeteria had been designed to break up the area and give a little privacy for each table. Abby scanned the space. All of a sudden she didn’t want to have to walk around and then be subjected to the ignominy of sitting down alone if he wasn’t there.
‘Hey, there.’ His voice cut through her thoughts, like a hot knife through butter. ‘Thanks for coming.’
She had been feeling shaky all morning, agitated at the thought of seeing Nick again, and now she was concentrating so hard on not being nervous that she’d walked straight past him. He was perched on one of the stools at the juice bar, one leg propped up on the stainless-steel rail that ran around it at low level, the other foot planted firmly on the floor.
‘I said I would, didn’t I?’ She pulled herself up onto a stool, crossing her legs so her feet didn’t dangle like a child’s and putting her handbag on the empty seat she had left between Nick and herself. ‘What have you got there?’
‘Raspberry and apple. It’s nice, want to try it?’ He tilted his glass towards her.
‘No, thanks. I’ll have the strawberry and banana shake. And one of those toasted sandwiches, I think.’ She signalled to the waitress behind the bar and gave her order, looking in her handbag for her purse. Too late. Nick had already passed a note across the bar and the waitress had taken it.
‘Thanks.’ Arguing with him over who was going to pay made his gesture seem more important than it was. Better to leave it. ‘So how are you?’
‘I’m good. I’ve got my appointment through.’
‘Good. Dr Patel’s a nice guy, and the best orthopaedic surgeon in the department. You’ll be fine with him.’ Jay would take care of Nick better than Abby could. Better than she had any right to.
‘Thanks.’ He took his change and pocketed it then felt inside his casual jacket, pulling out two foil packets and proffering them. ‘And I’ve been keeping my side of the bargain.’
‘That’s okay. I’ll take your word for it.’ She smiled at him. ‘Anyway, you could have just taken the tablets out and thrown them in the bin.’
He seemed to be considering the possibility. ‘I could have. Only I would have flushed them down the sink. Always dispose of medicines safely.’
He was teasing her now and Abby felt the coiled spring that had lodged in her stomach begin to loosen slightly. The feeling wasn’t altogether agreeable. ‘Well, as long as you’re doing something to get the swelling down.’
He nodded. ‘The ice packs are helping and the people at the pain clinic gave me some good tips. I can’t put any weight on the leg still, but I can get around well enough. I might try going for a swim this afternoon.’
Unwelcome images flooded Abby’s brain. Nick in the pool, water streaming across his back as he swam. Pulling himself out, the muscles of his shoulders flexing. She concentrated on his knee. ‘That’s not a very good idea, Nick.’
‘Swimming’s good exercise. The water will support my leg.’
‘Dr Patel will give you some exercises and he’ll be able to discuss exactly what you should and shouldn’t be doing. Why don’t you leave it until you see him?’ She could feel her irritation level rising again. What was so important about going swimming today?
‘I can’t.’ He dismissed her with just two words and something snapped in that part of her brain that had been filtering the anger out of her responses to him.
‘Yes, you can. You just won’t.’ Abby jumped as a plate and glass clattered down next to her, and turned to thank the waitress, who gave her a curt nod, obviously disapproving of the sound of discord at the bar. ‘Let’s go and sit at one of the tables. Look, there’s one free over there by the window.’
‘Perfect for bullying me in private.’ Nick grinned.
‘I do not bully people.’ If he only knew, he wouldn’t say such a thing. She slid down from her stool, balanced her plate and glass in one hand, grabbed her handbag with the other and walked over to the empty table. He could follow if he liked.
As she tried to manoeuvre her way into a seat, her hands full, she saw Nick’s arm reach around her, pulling the chair back so she could sink down into it. Lowering himself into the chair opposite, he smiled up at the waitress as she placed his drink in front of him. ‘Thanks. That’s kind of you.’
The waitress nodded and shot Abby a disapproving look. As well she might. Nick was handsome, charming and, oh, so obviously in need of a little looking after at the moment. Someone to carry his drink while he dealt with his crutches. Someone to plump his pillows and stare into his molten chocolate eyes.
‘If I sound as if I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done, Abby, that’s not the case.’ Nick had smiled and thanked the waitress, but now his attention was all on Abby.
‘But you’re just used to having things your own way.’
He grinned. ‘Maybe. But I value your input.’
He made it sound as if she’d made a few suggestions, which he’d decided whether to go along with or not. Abby guessed that was about right. ‘So, are you up for another piece of input?’
‘Go on.’
She ignored both the smile and the dimple. Particularly the dimple. ‘I think you’re just falling into the same way of doing things as before. Deciding what you’re going to do and then just going and doing it. I think you should wait until you can speak to your doctor and get his advice.’
‘What do you think Dr Patel is going to say, then?’
‘I don’t second-guess colleagues. Just ask him.’
‘I do have a compelling reason to get back into the water.’
Abby gave in. ‘All right, so what’s your compelling reason? Other than the desire to prove to yourself that you’re indestructible or die trying?’
The brief tilt of his head to one side told her that she’d hit on a home truth. ‘A group of us from the fire station is doing an open-water swim in five weeks’ time, up in the Lake District. Actually, six of them on consecutive days. I need to be fit for that.’
The audacity of the statement made Abby choke on her drink. ‘Six consecutive days? How long are these swims?’
‘Between two and six miles each.’
‘What? Are you completely mad, Nick? I’m all for encouraging people to exercise gently, but that’s gruelling enough for anyone who’s fit. It’s complete and utter madness with that knee.’
He shrugged. ‘I have to try. I’ll see what Dr Patel says, but perhaps I can strap the leg up so that it’s supported in the water.’
‘No. He’s going to tell you exactly what I am. You’re overdoing it, and asking for trouble.’ Abby couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
‘I thought you didn’t second-guess colleagues.’ His gaze was making her skin prickle.
‘I don’t, but I’m perfectly capable of seeing the obvious. What’s so important about these swims anyway? Can’t you postpone them or something? I know it’s late in the year, but next spring would be much more sensible.’
He shook his head. ‘It’s a big charity event. There are a dozen of us swimming and we have sponsorship.’
‘Well, you’ll just have to drop out, then.’
He gave her an amused look. ‘Are you telling me what to do?’
‘I’m telling you that in my considered opinion, and I do know something about this, you’ll do yourself a great deal of damage if you push yourself too hard. You’ll fail with the swims and you might well put yourself into a position where you’ll never get fit again. Do you want that?’
He shook his head slowly, his gaze dropping to the tabletop. ‘No. But I feel I have to try. I won’t push it.’
Yeah, right. Since when did Nick start anything that he didn’t finish? Abby swallowed the obvious answer. Their relationship was clearly an exception to that rule. ‘How much sponsorship do you have?’
‘It’s a hundred grand in total. I’m the only one doing all six swims and so a lot of the corporate sponsorship that we’ve raised depends on me. If I don’t swim, we lose thirty of that.’ His brow furrowed in thought. ‘Maybe the sponsors will allow me to do the swims over twelve days instead of six. A day’s rest in between.’
‘Oh, right, that’ll be okay, then. You can spend twelve days on wrecking your knee instead of six.’ Concern lent a biting edge to Abby’s sarcasm. She buried her face in her hands so he couldn’t see her confusion. She wasn’t usually this aggressive with people, but Nick was pushing all the wrong buttons with her.
His voice cut through her thoughts and she lifted her head wearily. ‘It’s a good cause, Abby. Maybe, when Dr Patel gives my leg the once-over, it will have improved—it already feels a lot better. I don’t know right now, but surely anything is worth trying?’
The look in his eyes said it all. He knew just as well as she did that this was madness but he’d made a commitment and it was killing him not to carry it through. So he was clutching at straws. Abby sighed. ‘What’s the charity?’
‘We’re doing it in conjunction with Answers Through Sport.’
‘I’ve heard of them. I learned to swim in one of their classes when I was a kid.’
‘Really?’ He was on the alert suddenly and Abby bit her lip. ‘I didn’t think they did general classes.’
They didn’t. Abby had been a beneficiary of their Fighting Back programme for bullied teenagers. But that was none of Nick’s business. ‘So how did you get involved with them?’
‘They helped me when I was recovering from my addiction to drugs.’ He shrugged. ‘Now I’m returning the favour and doing some fundraising for them. They have match funding, so they’ll get a grant for an amount equal to that which they raise for themselves.’
Abby’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. ‘So thirty grand becomes sixty.’
‘Yeah. Do you see now why I won’t give up without a fight? What would you do in my place?’
That was none of his business. She wasn’t in his place and he had no right to ask, particularly since the answer would only encourage him in this scheme of his. ‘Couldn’t you get someone to step in and do the swims for you?’
‘I thought of that, but we’ve already got everyone doing as much as they can. Even if we could find a volunteer, a month isn’t long enough to build up the kind of fitness you need for something like this.’ He ran his hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. ‘Why, do you know anyone?’
Abby’s heart sank. Nick had no choice but to keep believing that he might just be able to do this. And now she had no choice.
‘Yeah, I know someone. Me.’
Nick had refused point blank to even countenance the idea at first. But Abby had presented her credentials, competitive swimming as a teenager, member of a cross-Channel relay team when she’d been at medical school. And Nick knew as well as anyone that she was a strong enough swimmer, they’d raced together enough times at the gym.
The project committee cordially invited him to do the arithmetic. He did it and conceded. Not so cordially. But Abby had already secured the promise of two weeks’ leave from work and stepped up her training.
‘That’s three miles.’ His voice floated across the deserted swimming pool.
‘No, it’s not. I’ve got another two lengths to go. And I’d better do them quickly, before the advanced-swimmers session ends.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘Yeah, the children’s swimming classes will be starting in ten minutes. One final push, eh?’ Nick was sitting at the side of the pool, wearing a T-shirt and sweat pants. Tanned, relaxed and irritating beyond measure. ‘Then I’ll buy you breakfast.’
She didn’t want him to buy her breakfast. It had taken him over a week to contact all his sponsors personally and now that was done he’d switched his attention to her. For the last two days he’d been turning up at the pool at seven o’clock in the morning to help with her training, dispensing shouted advice and encouragement that Abby doggedly ignored.
She swam another four lengths, just to show him who was boss, and found him waiting by the pool steps, one hand gripping his elbow crutch, the other holding out a large towel. ‘Here you are. Don’t get chilled.’
Abby wrapped the towel around herself gratefully. Being in her swimsuit when he was fully clothed, was far more uncomfortable than she had bargained for. Much more challenging than those first easy days of their acquaintance, when the guy with heart-stoppingly broad shoulders had first beaten her by two yards to the far end of the pool then smiled in her direction and exchanged a few words with her.
‘Thanks.’ She looked around as a group of adults and children emerged from the changing rooms. ‘Looks like I won’t get much more done now.’
‘You’ve done enough.’ He reached into his pocket and consulted a stopwatch. ‘An hour and twenty-five. Not bad.’
‘What do you mean, not bad? What’s your best time?’
‘One hour ten. But you did four extra lengths.’
Even if she had, she’d still have to work a little harder if she was going to match his time. But she had another three weeks to go.
‘You shouldn’t push yourself.’ He seemed to know what she was thinking. ‘An injury at this point would be bad news.’
‘I know. I’ve done this before, remember.’
He grinned, and Abby clutched the thick towel around her tightly. ‘So where do you want to go for breakfast? As it’s Saturday, we can take our time.’
Breakfast in the presence of Nick’s smile sounded fantastic, but it was forbidden fruit. On the other hand, she needed to eat and at this rate she’d be gnawing her own arm off before she managed to get rid of him. ‘What about that place across the road? They do fresh croissants and a latte to die for.’
‘Sure. Whatever you want. I’ll meet you in the lobby…’ Nick seemed to realise that he’d lost Abby’s attention and that it was now fixed on a small group of children on the other side of the pool.
It was nothing. Just high jinks, kids mucking about. Abby kept her eye on the group anyway.
‘So I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes?’
‘Yeah, ten minutes…’ The shrill voices of the children swelled above the mounting noise in the pool and Abby strained to see what was going on.
‘What is it?’ She could feel his fingers brushing her elbow lightly, and she jerked her arm away. She had neither the time nor the inclination to stop and discuss this with Nick. Abby marched round to the other side of the pool and approached the group of children.
