Contarini he’d persuade her to tell him about it. Get the bad memories out of her heart and replace them with happiness.
It took a while, but at last Dragan could tell from the regularity of Melinda’s breathing that she’d fallen asleep. Though sleep eluded him. He was too worried about her.
He’d talk to Nick tomorrow morning, see if they could arrange a locum to cover him at the practice. Then he could go over to Contarini to give Melinda his support.
Then again, if her relationship with her family was that strained, this would be a seriously bad time to meet them. No way would her parents want to hear news of their daughter’s wedding just before the funeral of their son.
Which left Dragan torn between being Melinda’s support and abiding by her wishes: whatever he did, it didn’t seem enough. For now all he could do was hold her while she slept. And when she came back to England he’d do his best to make her world a brighter place. Give her the happiness she deserved.
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS still dark when Melinda’s alarm beeped.
‘Urgh. I am so not a morning person,’ she grumbled. Especially today, knowing what she was going to face in Contarini.
And today, when she had to tell Dragan exactly what she was going back to. Why she was dreading it so much.
‘I’ll put the kettle on while you have a shower,’ Dragan said.
By the time she’d dressed, he’d already made her a cup of coffee—strong and dark, just how she liked it—and he took a quick shower himself before he carried Bramble down the stairs to let her out. The dog, clearly sensing Melinda’s need for comfort, insisted on sitting with her nose on Melinda’s knee when Dragan brought her back up to the flat.
‘All right, cara?’ he asked.
No. Definitely not. But she tried to force a smile to her face. Be brave for him.
‘Come on. You have to eat something.’ He looked at the toast she’d crumbled onto her plate.
‘I’m not hungry.’ She felt too sick to eat. Sick with tension and guilt and misery and worry.
She had to tell him.
Now.
You’re not just marrying the village vet. You’re marrying…
‘And we have to leave in ten minutes,’ he warned her, after a quick glance at his watch.
‘And I need to check on Cassidy before we go.’ Which meant no time to talk. She couldn’t neglect her professional duties. But she didn’t want to neglect the love of her life either.
‘Do you want me to hold him while you get the formula into him?’
She gave in. He was being so kind, so sweet—so caring. She couldn’t tell him and expect him to cope with everything in the space of ten seconds before he helped her with her patient. ‘Yes, please.’
They’d just finished when Sally walked in. Melinda gave the nurse the rundown on Cassidy’s treatment plan and made sure she had Jake’s number for queries.
And then it was time to go.
Dragan carried Bramble down to the car first, then brought Melinda’s small flight bag and slid it onto the back seat. She locked the flat behind them and climbed into the car. Although she normally fiddled with his radio or the CD player, today she wanted silence. Silence to work out the right words to tell him. And Dragan was in tune with her mood enough not to push her to chatter.
She still hadn’t worked out the right words by the time they got to the airport. Every time she tried to speak, it felt as if her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.
He left the window open enough to give Bramble some fresh air—he wouldn’t be that long at the airport and, besides, it was still early morning and cool, so the car wouldn’t become hot and uncomfortable for the dog.
‘I’ll carry this,’ he said, hoisting Melinda’s bag over his shoulder, and he walked hand in hand with her into the airport. He waited while she checked in at the reception desk and picked up her tickets, then walked with her to the departure lounge.
‘Send me a text when you get there, so I know you’ve arrived safely,’ he said, holding her close. ‘I won’t have my phone on during surgery, but I’ll pick up your message as soon as I switch the phone on again.’
‘OK. I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance to ring you.’ Her face was white. ‘I really don’t know what…’ Her voice faded. Now. She had to tell him now.
Dragan, clearly oblivious to the real reason for her silence, squeezed her hand. ‘Look, I’ll call Nick. I’ll sort out a locum and go back to Penhally to get someone to dogsit Bramble and then I’ll follow you straight out to Contarini. You don’t have to face this on your own. I’ll be there beside you.’
She swallowed hard, hating herself for being a liar and a fraud and hurting the man she loved. ‘You are a good man, Dragan. I really don’t deserve you.’
‘Of course you do. Come with me and we’ll sort out my tickets.’
‘No, Dragan. I have to…’ She dragged in a breath. ‘I appreciate your offer, but I have to stand on my own two feet.’
‘Sometimes,’ he said with a sigh, ‘I wish you weren’t quite so independent. But I hope you know you can lean on me—that I’ll never let you down.’
Oh, Dio. How could she do this? ‘Dragan, I need to tell you—’
‘Later,’ he said, pressing a finger lightly against her lips. ‘Don’t worry about whatever it is. Everything will work out OK in the end. You have a flight to catch.’
And she hated herself even more for letting him talk her out of telling him. This was important. And the longer she left it, the more hurt he was going to be when she finally told him.
Please, please, don’t let this be too much for him. Don’t let it make him walk away from her. Don’t let her lose him.
‘You know you can call me any time,’ he reminded her. ‘Even if it’s three in the morning, it doesn’t matter—if you need me, just ring me.’
‘I’m not going to disturb your sleep. But thank you. It helps to know you’re there.’ Her face was white. ‘I love you with all my heart, Dragan.’
He stroked her face. ‘Are you scared of flying, or something?’
Or something. ‘I just want you to know that I love you.’
He smiled. ‘I know. Just as I love you. And we’re going to make that promise to each other in front of everyone the day you walk down the aisle to me.’
If he still wanted to marry her, once he knew the truth about her. ‘Tell Reverend Kenner I’m sorry I couldn’t make our meeting,’ she said.
‘He’ll understand.’
