Dr Devereux's Proposal

‘Yes, I try to do between three and five miles a day.’

‘I can see it keeps you fit.’

The knot in her stomach tightened as he looked her over, the expression in his melting brown eyes letting her know that he liked what he saw. ‘I try.’ She swallowed the restriction in her throat, a tingle running through her as his thumb began to brush across her palm and wrist once more. ‘I’ve done a few triathlons in the past but I don’t get the chance to compete much these days.’

‘Do you prefer to run alone, or do you enjoy company?’

‘Company is good,’ she murmured, hoping that meant he might join her one day. ‘If you still play football, you should talk to Oliver. He’s organising a charity match next weekend to raise money for the flood relief fund.’

‘That’s an excellent idea, I’ll do that. Lauren—’

Whatever Gabriel had been about to say was halted by the sudden beep of her mobile phone announcing an incoming text message. Lauren jumped at the intrusion, disappointed when her hand was released. Already she missed the contact between them. Beside her, Foxy stirred at the noise, stretching and yawning before rising to his feet and nudging her leg. Absently, she stroked his head with one hand while rummaging in her bag with the other to find her phone.

‘Sorry about this.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Gabriel reassured her, but he looked as regretful for the interruption as she was.

Sighing, Lauren tilted the phone, frowning as she concentrated on reading the message, aware it was harder to see the small letters illuminated on the screen than it had once been. Again, she pushed the concern away, unable to face the implications. The text, she discovered, was from her friend Chloe MacKinnon.

‘Worried you aren’t home yet. Any problems? Oliver says supper ready in an hour. Love C x’

Shocked, Lauren looked towards the windows and saw how dark it was outside. She glanced at her watch, stunned to discover the time. ‘Oh, my gosh!’

‘Everything all right?’ Gabriel asked.

‘I’d no idea it was this late. I’m so sorry, I’ve taken up all your afternoon!’

Laughing, his hand brushed her arm. ‘I’ve enjoyed every moment with you, Lauren. Thank you. I am the one who should apologise for detaining you.’

‘It’s fine. I just didn’t say I was delayed. I was expected home ages ago.’

‘I see.’ Gabriel moved back from her, disappointment dulling his eyes.

Her breath caught as she realised what he thought. ‘I’ve told you about my friends Chloe and Oliver, midwife and GP at the surgery?’ she asked, and he nodded. ‘They’re engaged and Oliver’s been living at Chloe’s cottage in Fisherman’s Row since the end of July. They were flooded out and have been staying with me since then,’ she rushed to explain, gratified to see relief lighten his expression.

‘So there’s no boyfriend waiting for you?’

‘No. There’s no one.’ She responded to his blunt question with equal clarity. ‘But I’d better get back.’

‘Of course.’

Reluctantly, she rose to her feet, unhooked her bag from the back of the chair and looped the strap over her shoulder. ‘Is there anything else I can do? Do you have all you need?’

She looked around the kitchen, hoping she had remembered everything.

‘It’s fine, Lauren. You have done so much and I appreciate it.’

‘If you think of anything…’

‘I’ll let you know,’ he promised with a smile.

‘I wrote out some phone numbers for you.’ Including her own, she added silently, pointing to the fridge where a piece of paper was held firm by a colourful Penhally magnet. With nothing else to prevent her leaving, she slipped on Foxy’s lead and turned towards the door. ‘I’d better go, then.’

She was acutely conscious of Gabriel following close behind her as she walked out of the kitchen. Pausing a moment, she formed a picture in her mind of the dim, unlit hallway and the route to the front door, trying to remember if there was anything in the way. She didn’t think so…provided she avoided the bottom tread of the stairs that stuck out a few inches on her left. Anxiety gripped her as she was faced with her failing night vision. She could fumble for an unseen light switch and risk drawing attention to her problem, or take a chance the hall was clear. She chose the latter.

A short while ago she had breezily told Gabriel about her altered working hours. What she had not told him was how she had used the cover of the flood disaster and completion of the new physio room to make her changed schedule permanent. A flicker of guilt assailed her for the deception and for hiding her real reasons from Nick and everyone else. She was afraid to venture out after dark and, with each passing autumn day, dusk was falling earlier. The only journey she felt able to make at night was from the surgery to her cottage, a route she knew so well she could cover every inch of the short distance with her eyes closed. Which was how it had felt lately in the dark. She was scared what it meant, but was unable to face the fact that something strange was happening to her sight. At some point, if it got worse, she would have to. She would never put other people in danger. But for now she could still cover it up.

After she had negotiated the hallway slowly but safely, Gabriel reached round her to open the door, momentarily bringing their bodies into close proximity and firing her blood once more. Before he could put on the outside light, she moved forward, missing her step, unable to see. For a second, she teetered off balance, then Gabriel’s arm was there to steady her. The light came on and she blinked, disoriented for a second, aware, when her vision sharpened, of the frown on his face.

‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes, fine,’ she assured him breathlessly. With caution, she stepped out of his hold and down the steps to the gravel drive. Needing to disguise her latest mishap, she turned back to smile at him. ‘There is something you should know about me before you hear it from anyone else.’

The wariness returned to his eyes and she could sense his tension. ‘What’s that?’

‘I’m renowned for being impossibly clumsy.’ She managed a passable laugh, trying not to think of her catalogue of stupid incidents. Unfortunately they seemed to be happening more and more often, her most recent examples being the moment she had inexplicably reversed into a parked car at the church after Jack and Alison’s wedding, and the way she had stumbled and fallen in the rubble the day after the flood. ‘Everyone teases me for being an accident waiting to happen.’

‘I’ll consider myself warned,’ Gabriel replied, his answering laugh not completely masking his confusion.

Eager to leave on a more positive note, Lauren lingered. ‘If you have nothing else planned, would you like to come for lunch tomorrow? You can meet Chloe and Oliver…get to know them before work on Monday.’

‘I’d love to.’ A teasing glint flickered in his eyes. ‘Not the roast beef?’

‘No! Chicken and all the trimmings. And Chloe is doing one of her special puddings,’ she told him, laughing back.

‘What time?’

‘About noon?’ She tried to sound casual, but already she was brimming with excitement at seeing him again.

‘I’ll be there,’ he promised, making her pulse race. ‘Would you like me to walk you back?’

She would, but she didn’t want him witnessing her tripping again. ‘Thanks, but there’s no need.’

‘Until tomorrow, then.’ His voice dropped to a rough murmur. ‘Au revoir, chérie.’

‘Bye.’

She felt him watching her as she walked carefully down the drive, Foxy well behaved at her side. Silently, she counted her steps, having made this journey before. She knew that when she reached the curve, the lights in her cottage would guide her home, but the knowledge that she was seeing less and less at night filled her with silent fear. How long could she hide her secret?

A sigh of relief escaped when her cottage came into view and she picked up her pace, more sure of herself, keen to tell Chloe and Oliver about the exciting new doctor. It was awful that the flood had driven her friends from their home. Chloe had been more upset at her missing cats, but one of the members of the rescue team had found Pirate and Cyclops unscathed on top of a wardrobe upstairs as the waters receded. In the days since they had moved in, Foxy and the cats had negotiated a cautious stand-off.

Until Chloe and Oliver found a suitable new home, Lauren was happy for them to stay with her. She enjoyed their company. But she wondered if things might get a bit awkward should anything develop between herself and Gabriel. There was plenty of time to worry about that, she reassured herself, knowing she shouldn’t get too excited even though their first meeting had left her in no doubt about the connection between them. However foolish, she sensed that something unusual and important could evolve in the days and weeks ahead.

‘We were going to send out a search party!’ Chloe teased when Lauren let herself in, took off Foxy’s lead and walked into the living room.

Her friend was cuddled up in Oliver’s lap on the sofa in front of a roaring log fire. It didn’t take a genius to know from their rumpled clothes and tousled hair what they had been doing with their extra time alone. Lauren was delighted for Chloe but it was ironic that her friend—who had suffered an abusive past at the hands of her brutal father, and who had remained a virgin until Oliver had come into her life—had enjoyed a more varied and extensive sex life in three months than Lauren had in ten years. She didn’t begrudge Chloe her happiness and pleasure for a moment, but she wouldn’t half mind being as lucky.

An image of a certain scrumptious French doctor filled her mind. Oh, yes! Now, there was a man with va-va-voom, one who would surely know how to make a woman feel special. Unable to stop smiling, Lauren sank into an armchair. Her heart was still pounding.