‘They’re coming over. I think it took a while to contact them because they were out of town.’ He studied her fleetingly. ‘Florida suits you,’ he said. ‘I always thought you would do well out here.’ He took a deep breath in order to gather strength and then added, ‘How are you getting on with Jake? I’m assuming you’ve met?’
‘Oh, yes, we’ve met.’ Her lips made an odd shape. ‘I can’t quite make him out. He seems to enjoy a very relaxed way of life, and even though he talks about business meetings, I’ve no idea what he does for a living.’
‘Nothing, right now, I guess.’ Rob’s mouth made a cynical line. ‘He likes to party…and I mean parties…every month or so…big affairs, with his wealthy friends. He spends the rest of his time snorkelling, scubadiving, or sunbathing on board his yacht.’
Lacey’s eyes widened. ‘All the time?’
He nodded. ‘There are maybe one or two business meetings thrown in from time to time. Perhaps he just feels he doesn’t need to do anything more.’
Lacey shook her head. ‘I imagine that could be fun for a while, but I’m not sure I could live like that all the time. My work’s important to me. I’d need to do something more fulfilling with my life than sit around endlessly soaking up the sun.’
‘I’m with you on that. Though, right now, lazing around sounds like the ideal occupation for me.’ He made an attempt to smile, and she knew he was battling extreme fatigue.
She looked at him with concern. ‘I’ve tired you out…I knew I shouldn’t have sat down here and let you talk.’
‘No.’ Rob’s breathing was ragged. ‘I’m glad you agreed to stay. I’m only telling you these things because I know he’ll make a play for you—it’s the way he is—and I don’t want you to get hurt. He was asking a lot of questions about you even before you came down here.’
‘Thanks, Rob, but I’m all grown up now,’ she said with a smile. ‘And I’m more than cautious where men are concerned. You don’t need to worry about me.’
He reached for her arm and gave her a cautionary squeeze. ‘Even so…you take care, Lacey. You’re a gentle soul, and you’ve been through the mill lately. You deserve better.’ His breathing became increasingly ragged, and Lacey saw that the heart monitor showed a rising, thundering rhythm.
‘Perhaps you shouldn’t talk any more,’ she told him, getting to her feet. ‘I’m going to give you an injection of something to slow your heart rate down, and then I’ll go and organise the tests. The consultant will come along and see you once we have the results.’
‘Okay.’ Rob closed his eyes momentarily, clearly worn out by sharing those revelations with her.
Lacey went to prepare the injection, and once she had administered it she waited a while to gauge its effect. When Rob’s heart and blood pressure rate began to drop, she felt able to leave him in the care of the nurse.
‘I’ll go and order an echocardiograph,’ she told Emma. ‘I’ve a feeling we might need to implant a device to regulate his heartbeat, so I’ll ask the consultant to come and take a look at him.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s probably too late to bring him here now, but first thing in the morning would be good.’
Emma nodded. ‘I’ll take care of him in the meantime. Any changes and I’ll let you know.’
‘Thanks, Emma.’
Lacey wrote up a form for the technician and made arrangements for Rob to undergo the testing of his heart activity. Only when all those wheels were in motion did she stop and give some thought to what she had learned about her new neighbour.
No wonder Rob had his reservations about Jake. Rob had no time for the ‘idle rich’, as he called them, but Lacey’s curiosity had been piqued.
Was Jake just out for a good time, taking life as he found it, and living it to the hilt?
And why did it bother her so much to think that a man with such charisma might be just an empty shell?
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