Sarah Morgan Summer Collection

Mary was looking relieved. ‘So tell me more about this ITP thing. What exactly does it mean?’

‘It means that there aren’t enough platelets in the blood. If you cast your mind back to biology, you’ll remember that platelets are responsible for helping the blood to clot.’

‘So if she doesn’t have enough platelets, she could bleed?’

‘That’s right. That’s why she has more bruising than usual.’

‘And what’s caused it?’

‘It’s an autoimmune disease. In other words, your body attacks itself—in this case it attacks the platelets. As to what causes it—most of the experts think that in children it’s caused by a viral infection.’

‘But there’s no treatment? You’re not going to do anything?’

‘Treatment isn’t always necessary, particularly in children. They tend to recover completely in a couple of months without any intervention.’

‘But what if she has problems?’

Ethan reached for a pen and scribbled something on a pad. ‘This is my number.’ He handed the paper to Mary. ‘If you can’t get me in surgery, feel free to call me on that number if you have any worries. We will be checking Shelley’s blood regularly to see if the platelet count is recovering.’

Kyla nodded her approval. He may be dressed in a suit and look unapproachable, but he was making himself accessible to worried patients and they didn’t seem to find him intimidating.

Mary folded the paper and put it carefully in her handbag. ‘And does she need to stop doing sport or anything? She loves her netball and they’re playing loads of matches at school at the moment.’

‘The way her platelet count is at the moment, it’s fine for her to play.’ Ethan scribbled something else on the pad. ‘We’ll monitor it and if it drops to a certain level then we may need to advise you to avoid contact sports, but at the moment it’s fine just to carry on as normal.’

A relieved Mary left the room and Kyla managed a smile.

‘You’re very good at explaining.’

‘Despite the suit?’ There was humour in his eyes but she was too confused by her own feelings to respond.

‘Thanks for spending so much time with them,’ she said quickly, making for the door. She needed to escape. The effect he had on her was profoundly unsettling, but it was clear that he didn’t feel the same way and the sooner she came to terms with that, the better for both of them. ‘I need to get on.’

‘Kyla, wait.’

She didn’t turn but her grip tightened on the doorhandle. ‘Not now, Ethan,’ she said quietly, keeping her eyes forward. Looking ahead. ‘As you said yourself, this isn’t the right time.’

Ethan stared after her, feeling the frustration rise inside him.

Why now?

Why her and why now?

He lifted a hand to the knot of his tie and loosened it with a vicious jerk as he cursed softly.

He’d hurt her feelings. She thought he’d rejected her, and in a way he had, but only because he wasn’t in a position to do anything else.

He turned and stared out of the window, watching the first threatening clouds appear in the sky.

He could tell her the truth, of course. He could tell her who he was and why he was there.

But he wasn’t able to do that yet.

He wasn’t ready.

There were still so many things that he didn’t understand and he needed time to work out the answers to all the questions he had. Then, maybe then, he could do something about Kyla MacNeil.

Soon.

She felt such a fool.

Kyla slipped into the driver’s seat of her car, stealing a glance at the low black sports car parked next to her. It was sleek, sophisticated and exclusive. Like its owner, she thought sadly as she started her own car and pulled out of the medical centre car park.

Ethan Walker would never fit into a place like this and he’d never be interested in a woman like her.

She frowned slightly as she analysed her own thoughts. Pathetic, she decided crossly, changing gear with rather more force than was necessary. She was being completely pathetic and selling herself short. It wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough for him, because she was. It was just that some relationships just weren’t meant to happen, and this was obviously one of those. Yes, there was chemistry. Amazing chemistry. But their lives were different. They appreciated different things. They were just—different.

He drove a flashy sports car, he wore a suit to work—a suit that she guessed had probably cost more than two months of her salary.

And while there was no doubt that he was an excellent doctor and good with the patients, it was also true that he held himself apart. He was—she searched for the word—aloof? Sometimes when he joined them at Logan’s for supper, she caught him watching them from the edges, almost as if he were studying them. But was that really so surprising?

She thought of the little he’d told her about his childhood. About his parents who had divorced. About how they hadn’t been interested in him.

What must he make of her big, noisy, involved family? Was it surprising that he found them worth studying? He probably found them completely perplexing.

Kyla gave a sigh and decided to call in on Doug and Leslie. They needed the support and it would stop her dwelling on her own problems.

She was going to stop wanting Ethan, she decided as she pressed her foot to the accelerator and sped down the country road that led inland to the McDonalds’ house.

She was going to stop watching from the window when he ran on the beach in the early mornings, she was going to stop finding excuses to go into his surgery to talk to him and she was going to stop dreaming about that kiss.

Everyone made mistakes, of course they did. But never let it be said that she didn’t learn from hers.

Move on, Kyla.

She pulled up outside the McDonald house and walked to the front door without bothering to lock her car.

‘Anyone home?’ The front door was open and she pushed it open and stuck her head through. ‘Hello?’

Leslie walked out of the kitchen. ‘Come on in, Nurse MacNeil,’ she said briskly, wiping her hands on her apron. ‘Your patient is just sitting in the garden but he’s been for a walk this afternoon, just like they said. Just a short one. Up and down the garden. The kettle’s hot if I can tempt you to a cup of tea.’

‘Fantastic,’ Kyla said, following her into the kitchen. ‘Lunch feels like nothing more than a distant memory.’

Leslie gave a cluck of disapproval. ‘You all work too hard in that surgery, but we’re grateful for it. I certainly don’t know where we’d all be without you.’ She hesitated. ‘Doug and I owe you so much—and that new doctor, too. The hospital was very impressed with the treatment Doug had with you. They said that you probably saved his life.’

‘We did our job, Leslie,’ Kyla said gently, ‘and you don’t owe us anything. It’s just good that Ben brought Doug to us so quickly.’

Leslie nodded. ‘Ben’s a good man, no doubt about that. And now he’s short-staffed at the pub, of course.’