The Celebrity Doctor's Proposal

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Anna frowned, thrown by the sudden shift in the conversation. ‘Well, I know she lives with her elderly mother in a cottage down by the harbour. Her mother is your father’s patient and to be honest I haven’t seen much of her for the past few years so I can’t honestly say I know her. She doesn’t go out much. Why?’

‘Because her mother is the reason Glenda was late this morning. She had her buttons done up in the wrong holes,’ Sam said calmly. ‘She hasn’t told me much yet but she hinted that her mother isn’t herself.’

‘I didn’t know that. Your father hasn’t said anything.’ Anna felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t found the time to question Glenda’s lateness herself. If she was honest, she’d found it more annoying than concerning. It hadn’t occurred to her that something might be wrong. She bit her lip. She was the doctor, for goodness’ sake. She should have noticed that Glenda was upset about something.

It annoyed her that Sam had spotted it first and it made her feel guilty.

Resolving to talk to the receptionist immediately, Anna poured herself a glass of water and took a few sips.

‘This practice is stretched to the limit,’ Sam said grimly, ‘and we need efficient staff. If Glenda can’t perform the role then we need to get someone in who can.’

Anna slammed the glass down on the table. ‘And what are you proposing to do with Glenda?’ Her eyes sparked into his. ‘Fire her?’

‘No, actually.’ He stood in the centre of her consulting room, legs planted firmly apart, totally comfortable and maddeningly sure of himself. ‘Support her. And expecting her to fulfil a full-time employment commitment with what I suspect is a major family problem brewing isn’t support.’

Anna sagged slightly, her conscience pricking her. ‘Oh, hell. You’re right,’ she muttered, rubbing her fingers across her temples to ease the ache. ‘I should have noticed that something was wrong. She hasn’t been herself for weeks now I come to think of it.’

‘Don’t blame yourself.’ Sam’s voice was deep and slightly roughened. It was the voice that turned millions of female viewers to jelly. ‘I know you’ve had your work cut out covering for my father while he’s been so ill. But now it’s time to accept some help. You can’t run the whole show by yourself, Riggs. No matter what you may think of yourself, you’re not superwoman.’

She felt nothing like superwoman.

Anna’s hand dropped into her lap. Suddenly she didn’t have the energy to argue. ‘All right.’ Her voice was brisk and professional. ‘We’ll make the best of the situation. You take your father’s surgeries but if you have any queries, you refer them to me.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘You think I can’t cope?’

‘I think it’s been a long time since you’ve seen real patients. I’m not prepared for you to practise on mine.’

He would never admit he was wrong and she couldn’t take that risk with people’s lives.

‘Fine. If I get stuck, I’ll call.’ His voice was a drawl and she had a feeling he was mocking her. ‘Anything else?’

‘We share the clinics and the house calls. The deputising service does the on call and weekends.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And any filming or fancy stuff that you want to do takes place outside surgery time.’

He gave a wry smile. ‘Thanks for the welcome, Riggs.’

She stiffened. What did he want? Applause? ‘If you’re expecting a red carpet and a cheering crowd, you’re not going to get one here.’

‘Evidently.’

‘And I’ll sort out Glenda.’

‘Her mother is my patient.’

‘Your father’s patient.’

He shrugged. ‘Same thing. As you just said, I’m taking my father’s patients.’ He gave a humourless laugh as he realised what he’d just said. ‘Following the old man’s dream.’

‘But not your dream, thank goodness.’

He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Why ‘‘thank goodness’’?’

‘Because if you decided to take over your father’s half of the practice permanently, we’d really be in trouble.’ Frowning, Anna studied him. ‘We can make this work because it’s temporary, McKenna. Let’s both remember that. Temporary.’

‘If you think I’d want to make this a permanent arrangement then you’re even more deranged than I already think you are.’ He stifled a yawn and strolled out of the room as if he had all the time in the world, leaving her ready to punch something.

CHAPTER THREE

‘SUBSIDENCE.’

‘Sorry?’ Anna juggled several bags and her mobile phone as she tried to concentrate on what the surveyor was saying. She still had one more house call to make before she finished for the evening.

‘This cottage that you’re hoping to buy has subsidence.’ The man stepped back and angled his head. ‘Didn’t you notice that the windows are crooked?’

Anna followed his gaze, squinting against the bright evening sunshine. ‘It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with it. Crooked windows add to the character, Mike. They’re what makes it quaint.’

‘They’re what makes it dangerous and a complete no-no for your mortgage company.’ The surveyor looked at her sympathetically. ‘I hope you’re better at diagnosing patients than you are buildings, Doc. If this was an animal and you were a vet, you’d be putting it down.’

Anna groaned and dropped two of her bags. ‘Mike, no! I don’t need this. Tell me you’re joking. You have to be joking. This is my new home.’

Her dream.

Her cottage by the beach.

‘Not joking.’ He shook his head solemnly, stepping back to look at the cottage with a gloomy expression on his face. ‘It’s a bad lot, Anna, love. Let it go.’

‘Let it go? No way.’ Anna stuck out her chin at an angle that made the surveyor sigh.

‘Determination and backbone isn’t going to fix this one, I’m afraid. The only way this is going to be yours is if you put up all the cash yourself.’

Anna almost growled with frustration. ‘You know I can’t do that.’

‘Or find a rich man.’

Anna kicked a stone at the mere thought. ‘I don’t attract rich men. Rich men want useless trophy wives who’ll agree with everything they say.’

Mike laughed. ‘Not much chance of that with you. In which case, I think you’re looking at another house, Anna.’

Anna shook her head in denial and disbelief. ‘But it’s all going through. I’ve chosen the curtains …’

Mike shrugged. ‘Hang them in your next house,’ he advised, ‘but you have to give this one a miss. It’s a bundle of trouble.’