Wedding Bells for the Village Nurse by Abigail Gordon

Author:Abigail Gordon
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2010-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THERE was consternation when the people in Bluebell Cove heard that their much-loved doctor was in hospital, and during the next few days the number of visitors had to be limited as half the village wanted to visit and Lucas was adamant that Barbara needed rest and quiet.

Keith was with her most of the time and Jenna came and went as her working hours allowed, now that her mother was out of danger. The medication that Lucas and Mark Stephens had ordered seemed to be working, and by the weekend the patient was out of bed and taking short strolls in the hospital gardens beneath the watchful eyes of the coronary staff.

Every time Jenna thought about the night of the storm it was with disbelief that so much could have happened in so short a time, and when she remembered the part that Lucas had played both in rescuing her from the deluge and being there for her during her mother’s heart attack, she sent up a prayer of thanks.

But every time she tried to express her gratitude it was as if he didn’t want to know and preferred to adopt the businesslike manner he’d had when they’d first met. So as the days passed she retreated behind a barrier of her own made up of a distant sort of politeness, and wept in her pillow every night for the futility of her love for him.

Her mother was discharged in the middle of the following week and life began to return slowly to normal. Ethan suggested that Jenna take as long as she needed to look after her, but even though Barbara was mellowing, the practice still came first in her life and she insisted that she and Keith could cope during the short time that Jenna was working at the surgery.

Lucas called frequently to check her over and Jenna thought dolefully that her parents were seeing more of him than she was. With Ethan back and Leo there to assist, Lucas wasn’t needed any more during surgery hours except for his two heart clinics, and while she was assisting on those occasions they spoke only of medical matters, to the extent that she began to feel she must have imagined the closeness they’d shared previously.

On his part Lucas was keeping a tight hold on his feelings. He knew Jenna was grateful for all that he’d done for them that night, but he didn’t want any offers like the one she’d made when he’d brought her in from the storm and had admitted he was lonely.

She’d offered to sleep with him then, he felt, out of pity, and the last thing he wanted was a repeat performance of it out of gratitude. So he was keeping her at arm’s length and feeling totally miserable in the process, until he heard someone mention that it was the Harvest of the Sea on the coming Sunday and he remembered he’d said he would be there. But it would be a matter of a seat at the back and a quick exit when the ceremony was over.

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