Fleur nodded quietly. “So you’re here for good.”
“For the foreseeable future. The island seems to be a great place for children to grow up.”
“Take it from an island kid. It’s not as great as it looks sometimes.” Fleur quirked her mouth down.
“How so?” A little tingle at the back of his neck accompanied the thought that he might be getting closer to the reason for Fleur wanting to leave so badly.
She looked at him thoughtfully. “How old is your daughter?”
“Four.”
Fleur nodded. “Actually, the island’s a really great place when you’re four. When you’re a teenager, though...we get a lot of mainlanders coming over during the summer. Sometimes people do things on holiday that they wouldn’t necessarily do at home.” She seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
For one tantalizing moment Rick thought she was going to tell him what he wanted to know. Fleur’s mask of self-sufficiency slipped, and he saw pain and vulnerability. But then she shrugged. “Everywhere has its risks. Maple Island has a lot going for it.”
“Like living in a lighthouse.” If Fleur couldn’t be persuaded to talk about the risks, maybe she’d be a little more forthcoming about the benefits.
Her face lit up suddenly. “You’ve got the lighthouse? I love the lighthouse, we used to play up there as kids and the old guy who used to live there would chase us off. I heard that the cottage has been extended and refurbished as a rental home.”
“Yes, that’s right. There’s a room up in the tower as well, and the views are spectacular. It’s written into the lease that we have to make sure there’s a light on every evening in the lantern enclosure, even though it’s not needed for navigation anymore.”
Fleur chuckled. “Absolutely. It’s an island tradition.”
“Hopefully the time switch will keep working, then.”
“I wouldn’t worry. Half the town will notice if the light goes out, and you’ll get plenty of calls to let you know.”
“That’s a relief.” A thought occurred to Rick. Patients who were well enough were encouraged to visit the small harbor town, which was just a mile away from the clinic. It would be good to try and coax Fleur out of her self-imposed confinement.
“I was wondering. If you wanted to take a trip down to the town, then maybe...you could show me around a bit?”
She shook her head suddenly. “You really don’t know much about Maple Island, do you? During the winter people will be falling over themselves to get to know a new face in Main Street. You’ll be fine. I’m better off staying here.”
“Watching the sea?” Squandering the chance she had of top-notch medical professionals to help with her rehab in favor of wanting to cross those white-capped waves, back to Boston, as soon as possible. It was a waste.
Her wistful look told Rick that maybe she knew that already. “You mean watching the ocean. You’ll have to get used to things being a little bigger here...”
WHEN RICK KNOCKED on the door of Fleur’s room the following afternoon, and heard her call for him to come in, he hesitated, wondering if there was a booby trap waiting for him. The nurse had reported that she’d been in there alone, with the door closed, for over an hour, and that there had been sounds of activity coming from the room.
He admonished himself with a shake of his head. Fleur was a patient, and whatever she could dish up he was equal to.
Or...pretty much equal to, at least. When he breezed into the room, he found her sitting in the easy chair next to her bed. She was fully dressed, her long hair tumbling across her shoulders. Looking...
Well was the word he needed. She looked well. Amazing or gorgeous shouldn’t be part of his vocabulary. Her pale cheeks had a little bit of color and she was up and dressed. In his professional opinion, she looked well.
“Hi.” She looked up from the paper spread across her knees and gave him a smile. Rick choked back the temptation to smile back.
“Hello. How are you today?”
“Well...how do I look? Do you approve?” She shot him an innocent look, which didn’t quite chase the knowingness from her eyes.
“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove.” Caught in her gaze, Rick gave the honest answer.
“Ah. So you were trying to annoy me yesterday. That’s good. There’s a lot to dislike about a man who’s chauvinistic enough to tell a woman what to wear.”
Rick was lost for an answer. And the sudden thump of his heart, which went with the idea that Fleur might actually be looking for something to like about him, wasn’t even slightly appropriate. It didn’t matter whether she liked him or not, he was here to do a job.
“Mom and Dad popped in this morning...just for ten minutes. They left me a coat and then scooted off again. Things to do all of a sudden.”
So her mother had responded to the suggestions he’d made when they’d spoken on the phone last night. That was good, but pretending that her parents had just happened to choose today to find something else to do, instead of sitting with Fleur for hours as they usually did, would clearly be a mistake. She knew full well what he’d done.
“If you want some company, you have to go and get it.”
“So you’re reckoning on starving me of company, so I’ll submit to your plans.” Her lip curled, as if she’d caught him out in a piece of bad judgement. “What’s first on the list, braving the cold outdoors?”
Rick had thought that going out might wait for a couple of days. Fleur had been cooped up inside for a long time now, and the cold wind that had been howling in from the sea this morning might be a little too much for her to contend with straight away.
“Maybe today’s not quite the day for that...” He glanced toward the window. The sky was heavy with cloud and it looked as if it might snow again soon.
A smile spread across Fleur’s face. “You’ll have to toughen up a bit if you’re going to live here. This is what we islanders call a nice winter’s day.”
Maybe she’d overreached herself. Rick had taken his time over fetching his coat, and it had given Fleur time for second thoughts. She was so afraid of falling still. And there were certain people that she definitely didn’t want to bump into in Main Street.
But chickening out now would only prove him right. It would prove that she couldn’t face Maple Island, and Fleur wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. She pulled her hat onto her head, zipping up her coat and putting on her gloves. Even though they were unbearably warm inside, she’d have her crutches to deal with at the door of the clinic, which meant she had to think ahead.
As they walked slowly toward the entrance of the clinic, she could feel sweat dribble down her spine. This wasn’t the time for nerves. She could see an SUV parked up, just two steps away from the glazed doors of the clinic. Fleur took a breath and made for the doors, relying on her crutches to steady her instead of his outstretched arm.
The cold wind hit her hard when she stepped outside. Maybe she had spent a little too long inside. Rick opened the passenger door of the car, and Fleur hesitated, not sure which leg she should lead with. Finally she allowed Rick to help her.
“Okay. I’ve got it...” She settled herself into the front seat of the SUV, unable to let go of her crutches. They were all that stood between her and falling, and right now she felt that she was on very shaky ground.