will reduce the swelling. Can you move your ankle?’
‘Yes. You’ve done a good job,’ Mrs Parker said grudgingly. She stood up and put her stockings back on with Jenna’s help. Then she reached for her bag. ‘That dressing feels very comfortable, actually. But tell Evanna I’m sorry to have missed her.’
‘I’ll do that.’
Jenna watched as Mrs Parker walked slowly down the corridor, and then returned to the computer to type up the notes, sinking into the chair, exhausted. This was a huge mistake. She should have just bought a new flat in London, then she could have stayed in her job and Lexi could have stayed in her school.
Instead she’d chosen a small island where strangers were viewed with suspicion and where her life was going to be lived under a microscope.
She was an idiot.
Forcing herself to take several deep breaths, Jenna reminded herself that it was natural for the islanders to be wary of a new nurse. She just had to earn their trust.
Or maybe she should just buy another ferry ticket and get off this island as fast as possible. She sank her head into her hands, and then sat up quickly as she heard a rap on the door.
Ryan walked in. ‘I owe you an apology. I had no idea Mrs Parker was your first patient. Talk about baptism of fire.’
Somewhere between meeting her on the quay and starting his surgery he’d shaved and changed. The faded jeans had been replaced by smart trousers and the comfortable tee shirt by a tailored shirt. In the confines of her consulting room he seemed taller. And broader. Suddenly she had no trouble imagining him as a high-powered consultant in a busy emergency department.
Her throat suddenly felt dry. ‘Yes, she was my first patient.’
‘You’re still alive?’
Oh, yes. She knew she was alive because she could feel her heart banging hard against her chest. ‘We did OK.’
‘But now you want to resign?’ His voice was dry. ‘You’re about to buy a return ferry ticket and run back to London?’
Jenna sat rigid, terrified that he’d guessed how bad she felt. ‘No.’ Her voice was bright. ‘I’m not even remotely tempted to run away.’
His smile faded and his gaze sharpened. ‘I was joking.’
‘Oh.’ She turned scarlet. ‘Of course you were joking. Sorry. I’m a bit tired after the journey.’
‘The last nurse we appointed lasted three days. Didn’t Evanna tell you?’
‘She did mention something. Don’t worry, Dr McKinley. I’m not a quitter.’ Jenna said it firmly, reminding herself of that fact. ‘And Mrs Parker was fine.’
‘I know Mrs Parker, so you must be lying.’
Yes, she was and it seemed that these days she spent her life lying. Even her smile was a lie. ‘Mrs Parker was wary at seeing someone new, and that’s normal—especially at her age. She doesn’t like change. I understand that.’ Jenna concentrated on the computer, thinking that she was finding change terrifying and she was several decades younger than Mrs Parker.
‘That leg of hers is slow to heal.’
Jenna thought about the old lady—remembered how much had been said in a short time. ‘I don’t know her, but at a guess I’d say she doesn’t really want it to heal. She’s lonely. Her leg gives her a reason to come up here and interact with people.’
‘That’s possible.’ His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘Despite your college-girl looks, you’re obviously very sharp.’
Accustomed to thinking of herself as ‘past it’, his compliment made her feel strange. Or maybe it hadn’t been a compliment. ‘I’m interested in people. I like looking for the reasons they do things. It’s why I do the job.’ Even as she said the words she realised the flaw in that theory. If she was so interested in why people did what they did, why hadn’t she spotted the signs that her husband was cheating on her? Maybe she wasn’t so observant after all. Or maybe she hadn’t wanted to see what was under her nose.
Feeling the tension erupt inside her, Jenna hit a button on the computer and exited Mrs Parker’s file, wishing she could control her thinking. She had to stop asking ‘what if?’ She had to move on. That was what she was doing here, wasn’t it? She was wiping out the past. ‘Why do you do the job, Dr McKinley?’ Would he tell her that he was an emergency specialist in hiding?
He was leaning against the wall, his broad shoulders threatening the safety of the asthma poster stuck to the wall. ‘At the moment I can’t remember. You’d better ask me that question again when I haven’t been up for half the night doing calls. I’m always in a snarly mood when I get less than three hours’ sleep.’
‘That’s understandable. Could you sneak off and sleep at some point today?’
‘Unfortunately, no. Like I said to you on the quay—it’s just the four of us. When we’re busy, we’re busy. We can’t hand it over.’
‘Who called you out last night? Locals or tourists?’
‘One tourist with chest pains, a toddler with a febrile convulsion, and one of our own with a very nasty asthma attack.’ He frowned. ‘I called the mother a few moments ago to check on her and she told me the child is still asleep, but I’m going to call in later. I didn’t like the look of her in the night. I gather you have an interest in asthma?’
‘Yes. I ran a clinic in London.’ Jenna was interested. ‘Was there an obvious trigger? Did she have an infection or something?’
‘They’d got themselves a dog from the rescue centre. I’m assuming it was that.’
‘They didn’t know that animal fur was a trigger?’ Jenna pulled a face, understanding the ramifications of that statement. ‘So is the dog being returned?’
‘It’s a strong possibility. They’re thinking about it, but obviously the child will be upset.’
‘It would be wonderful to have a dog,’ Jenna said wistfully, and then sat up straight, slightly shocked by herself. A dog? Where had that thought come from? Why on earth would she want a dog?
‘Maybe you could give this one a home?’
Jenna automatically shook her head. ‘We can’t have a dog. Cl—’ She was about to say that Clive hated animals, but then she remembered that she wasn’t married to Clive any more. His opinion didn’t matter.
Glancing down at her left hand, she stared at the pale line on her finger that was the only remaining evidence that she’d once worn a ring. It still felt strange, seeing the finger bare. And it still brought a sting to the back of her throat.
‘Something wrong?’ His question made her jump.
‘No. I was just thinking about your little asthma patient and the dog.’
‘Right.’ His gaze locked onto hers and she looked away quickly, thinking that Ryan McKinley was nothing like the men she usually met during her working day. For a start he was about
