Resisting Her Rebel Doc Page 13

  She loved everything about him: the way he helped out around the smallholding without a care; the way he was there for her before she even knew she needed him; even the way he accepted her for what she was, without wanting to change her.

  ‘Ah, you made it. Good.’ David looked pleased to see both of them when they walked into the pub’s lounge bar and several of the villagers who were seated nearby or standing by the bar nodded acknowledgement. In the background the camera crew were setting up, getting ready for filming, and the actors were going over their scene in readiness.

  ‘Heard you’re doing good things up at the hospital,’ one of the men at the bar said to Brodie. ‘My sister’s little girl had to stay there for a day or so—they were very impressed.’

  ‘I’m glad to hear it, Frank. We aim to please.’

  Frank Brennan had been one of Brodie’s arch accusers way back when Brodie had been an annoying teenager. He’d been subjected to trespass and minor vandalism and he’d borne the brunt of Brodie’s talents as a graffiti artist on his various outbuildings. Caitlin looked on and smiled at how things had turned full circle.

  ‘Also heard you had the offer of another job in London,’ Frank went on. Caitlin frowned at that, sending Brodie a quick, sharp glance. He returned her gaze fleetingly, looking slightly uncomfortable.

  This was the first she’d heard about any forthcoming new job. If it was true, it meant Brodie had kept his cards very close to his chest, and it seemed as though all her fears were coming to fruition. She felt a painful, involuntary clenching of muscle in her abdomen. He wasn’t going to be staying around, was he? He was prepared to go all out after her, make her care for him beyond reason, then he would calmly leave as though it didn’t matter at all. Being with her was simply a ripple on a pool.

  She looked at him once more. Perhaps it was just a rumour. Ought she not at least give him the benefit of the doubt?

  Brodie sent Frank a quizzical glance. ‘News travels fast around here. How did you come to know about it?’

  He wasn’t denying it, then. Caitlin let out a slow, fraught breath. Her nerves were in shreds.

  ‘Through my father-in-law. He works in admin at the hospital. Said the bosses at the local health authority were well taken with the way you’d changed things and wanted you to do the same thing at one of the London hospitals.’ He gave Brodie an assessing look. ‘So, what are you thinking? Will you be taking them up on the offer?’

  So that was why he’d been involved in meetings at lunchtime. They must have been discussing the new role and the opportunities it presented.

  ‘I don’t know yet, Frank,’ Brodie said. ‘I’ve only been at this hospital for a short time and the new contract isn’t due to start for a few months. I’m still thinking about it.’

  ‘Well, whatever you decide, from the sound of things you’ll go far.’ Frank laughed. ‘I never thought I’d hear myself saying that.’

  ‘Likewise.’

  Brodie went to the bar and bought drinks, sending Caitlin a cautious glance as he handed her a glass of sparkling wine. ‘I was going to tell you,’ he said, reading her thoughts accurately. ‘I was just waiting for the time to be right.’

  ‘When would that have been, I wonder?’ In the background, she was conscious of the filming taking place, but at least the cameras weren’t pointed her way.

  He shrugged awkwardly. ‘I knew you would be concerned about me moving on—but the offer came out of the blue very recently and out of respect for the bosses I have to give it some thought.’

  She was distressed, certainly, and she might have said more, but Brodie’s father came and stood next to them, looking uneasy.

  He nodded towards Caitlin and then turned his narrowed gaze on Brodie. ‘I couldn’t help hearing what you and Frank were saying. So you’re thinking of going away again in a few months? You don’t like to stay still, do you? You’ve only just come back here.’ There was almost a hint of accusation in his tone.

  ‘It’s more that I like to feel I’m achieving something,’ Brodie answered carefully. ‘I didn’t go looking for the job offer. They came to me with it.’

  ‘You’d call it being headhunted, I suppose?’ His father’s manner was gruff.

  ‘I suppose.’ Brodie took a swallow of his drink. He sent his father an odd, questioning look. ‘I didn’t think you’d be bothered.’

  Caitlin nudged him. Despite her unhappy mood right now she felt she ought to remind him of the conversation they’d had a while ago. ‘Remember what we talked about?’ she said in an undertone.

  His father might well care more for Brodie than he liked to admit. He could be carrying a burden of guilt that he hid from everyone. She only hoped Brodie would cotton on to what she was getting at. ‘You don’t always see things the way others do,’ she murmured.

  ‘No, that’s true.’

  David decided to join in. ‘If Brodie took the job in London he’d get to see more of me, most likely,’ he said, giving an exaggerated smile and showing his teeth. ‘What better reason could he have for going there?’

  ‘Like I said, I haven’t made a decision yet.’ Brodie looked at Caitlin then back at his father. ‘Anyway, if I did make up my mind to accept it, it’s only an hour and a half by car. I could easily get back here, the same as David does.’

  ‘Sure. I get back here often enough,’ David agreed. He was about to expand on that when he saw someone heading towards the bar and excused himself. ‘I have to go—I’ll be back in a minute or two.’

  Brodie’s father shifted awkwardly. ‘I know you well enough, Brodie. You’ll do what you want, I don’t doubt. You always did.’ He turned away to take a long gulp from his drink; Frank Brennan took him to one side to talk to him about the repairs going on at Mill House.

  ‘I hear you’re thinking of having the roof fixed,’ Frank said. ‘I can match up the slates for you, if you want. I know they’re special—a particular kind.’

  Caitlin didn’t hear Colin Driscoll’s muffled reply. She was uneasy.

  ‘An hour and a half may sound like nothing at all,’ she told Brodie, ‘But it’s a three-hour commute in the day and he knows it wouldn’t be too long before it turned into a long-distance relationship.’ She blurted out what was on her mind then took refuge in sipping her drink.

  ‘You’re not just talking about my father and me, are you?’ Brodie asked, his gaze moving over her curiously. ‘You’re thinking about the way it might affect our relationship—yours and mine?’

  ‘It applies equally well to both—though, yes, I’m thinking about you and me. It’s hopeless, though, isn’t it? If you’re planning on going away it looks as though it’s even more unlikely that you and I will ever get together in any meaningful way, doesn’t it?’

  ‘You could always come with me.’ His blue eyes were suddenly dark and impenetrable like the sea.

  ‘Could I?’ She looked at him and inside her heart wept. ‘You don’t really think that’s a possibility, do you? You know I wouldn’t want to be too far from Mum now that she’s had a fall. I couldn’t leave her to fend for herself. I’d always be worrying about her.’

  Besides, it would take more than a casual offer of ‘why don’t you tag along with me?’ to make her go with him, wouldn’t it? Where was the love, the cherishing, the for-ever promise that she desperately needed?

  ‘It doesn’t have to be a major problem,’ Brodie insisted. ‘We could work something out.’

  Her heart lurched at the prospect. Could they? Was it possible?

  He took a step back from her as David came over to them, bringing with him an attractive girl who looked to be in her late twenties. Caitlin knew the chance of pursuing the conversation was lost for now, and she resigned herself to putting it on the back burner.

  ‘This is the young woman I wanted you to meet.’ David introduced the woman to both of them. ‘This is Deanna.’ To Deanna, he said, ‘This lovely girl is Caitlin, and this is my brother, Brodie.’

  Deanna smiled at b
oth of them. She had mid-length dark hair and grey eyes; she looked at Brodie as though she was especially thrilled to be meeting him.

  ‘I just had to come and see you,’ she said, gazing up at him eagerly, her eyes shining. ‘I saw your picture in the paper and I knew I had to get in touch with the film company.’ She hesitated. ‘I hope you don’t mind?’

  ‘I don’t think I mind,’ Brodie said, smiling at her enthusiasm. ‘Is there any reason why I should?’

  ‘It’s this picture, you see.’ She pulled a sheet of newspaper from her jacket pocket and opened it out. Brodie was in the picture, looking straight into the camera as he attempted to rescue the cameraman from the goose intent on pecking his leg.

  ‘Okay...’ he said slowly. ‘That’s me.’ He looked at her questioningly.

  ‘There’s another picture you should see.’ This time she opened up her handbag and carefully took out an envelope. ‘Take a look at this.’

  She waited with bated breath. Brodie gave her a puzzled look but opened up the envelope and drew out a glossy photograph. He stared at the photograph for several seconds and then looked back at Deanna. He passed the photo to Caitlin. When he spoke, his voice was cracked, almost a whisper, as though he was in shock.

  ‘Who is this?’ he asked.

  Deanna pulled in a deep breath. ‘He’s my father,’ she said. ‘That photo was taken when he was a young man. When I put the two pictures together, I knew I had to come and find you. You’re exactly alike, aren’t you?’

  Caitlin looked at the photo and sucked in her breath, her mind racing, while Brodie appeared to be struggling to find words. ‘Is he...does he...does he know about me...about the picture in the paper?’

  Deanna shook her head. ‘He’s not seen it yet. He’s been busy lately—he had to go out to Sweden to sort out a new order for his company.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘He was flying back today—in fact he should have landed at the airport a couple of hours ago. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you before I showed him.’ She hesitated. ‘It’s a bit awkward. He never mentioned having a son—apart from my younger brother, Ben, I mean. But there’s such a strong likeness between the two of you, I can’t help thinking there’s a connection between you. I had to come and find out if there’s any history, any kind of background that we didn’t know about—’

  She broke off, floundering a bit. ‘Do you understand what I’m trying to say? I don’t know if my father had a relationship with a woman before he met and married my mother, but if he did... I think you could be my half-brother.’

  Brodie dragged in a deep breath and Caitlin wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him. This must be an incredible moment for him. Instead, being in a public place, she reined in her instincts and contented herself with sliding an arm around his waist, trying to show him some silent, unobtrusive support.

  He looked at her fleetingly and a wealth of understanding passed between them. Then he braced himself.

  ‘You’ve obviously spoken to David, about this,’ he said, glancing at David for confirmation, then back to Deanna. ‘So you must know something of my background.’ David acknowledged that with a slight movement of his head.

  ‘Yes, I have,’ Deanna said excitedly. ‘That’s what made me think there could be something in it. David told me your mother’s maiden name—I want to ask my father if he ever knew her.’ She looked at him searchingly. ‘How do you feel about that?’

  Brodie was silent for a moment or two. Then he said guardedly, ‘It depends... Obviously I want to know the truth, but I’m not sure how he might react, or whether his response is going to cause trouble for your family—for your mother and your brother. They’re bound to have strong feelings about this—and in the end they might have more to lose than I do. I’ve always wanted to know who my father is but I don’t want to cause heartache for his family.’

  Deanna relaxed. ‘My father’s an easy-going kind of man, a very fair-minded person. And I’ve already sounded my mother out about any previous relationships. She said there was a woman in Dad’s life before they were married but it was over when she met him.’ She gave Brodie a steady, assessing look. ‘I’d really like your permission to ask my father about this.’

  Brodie exhaled slowly. ‘You don’t need my permission. But you have it anyway. Go ahead and ask him.’

  Deanna still seemed to have something on her mind. ‘What is it?’ Brodie asked.

  ‘Um... I could phone him right now?’ She said it in a questioning way.

  Brodie nodded, taking a deep breath. ‘Okay. Go ahead.’

  ‘Perhaps it’ll be better if I go outside, into the garden to make the call. Why don’t you come with me? It will be quieter out there and we can find a more private place to call him.’

  ‘Okay. But I want David and Caitlin to come along.’

  ‘All right.’

  Caitlin had been afraid she would be left out of this major event but her spirits soared when Brodie included her. He put his arm around her waist and led her to the paved seating area outside.

  They sat at a bench table in a far corner, brightened by a golden pool of light that spilled out from an overhead lamp. Deanna phoned her father and, after chatting to him briefly about his trip abroad and his flight home, she told him about the item of news featured in the paper and gently sounded him out about his life before he met her mother.

  ‘Did you ever know a woman called Sarah Marchant?’ Deanna asked.

  Caitlin didn’t hear what he said but Deanna listened, glanced at Brodie and then said, ‘So you were involved with her for a while?’ The conversation continued and after a while Deanna said, ‘Dad, I think there’s something you should know...someone you should meet.’

  It was a fairly lengthy conversation; when it eventually came to a close, Deanna put down her phone and looked at Brodie. ‘He’d like to see you. He suggested that either he could come here or you could meet in London?’

  Brodie gave it some thought. ‘I’ll go to London,’ he said. ‘After all, it isn’t just my father I have to meet. It looks as though I have to catch up with a whole new family I knew nothing about until now.’

  Deanna hugged him. ‘I’m so glad I saw that picture in the paper,’ she said. ‘I can’t describe to you what a shock it was. I was certain you must be related to me in some way.’

  Brodie hugged her in return then after a few minutes they all trooped back into the bar. The filming was finished and the landlord was busy setting out the food the production company had asked him to provide.

  It was a wonderful buffet, colourful, tasty and beautifully presented; Caitlin duly tucked in alongside Brodie, his brother and newfound half-sister. They were all in a happy mood, smiling and cheerful.

  She couldn’t help thinking, though, as she let Brodie tempt her with filo prawns with sweet chilli dip. and mozzarella and sunblush-tomato bruschetta, that this celebratory meal was the exact opposite of what she was feeling.

  She didn’t feel like making merry, because Brodie was going to London to meet his new family—what were the chances he would be tempted to stay there with them? He was more than keen to go and it didn’t call for a lot of working out to know that the prospect of taking up a new job there would absolutely complete the picture for him.

  ‘I could go over there next weekend,’ Brodie said to her, smiling as he helped himself to a selection from the cheese board. ‘Will you come with me?’

  ‘I’d love to,’ she said, but frowned, thinking about the practicalities. ‘But I don’t know if I should leave Mum alone so soon after she’s home from hospital. And there are the animals to see to: she won’t be up to it for quite a while, with her mobility problems. It’ll be some time before she’s walking unaided.’

  ‘I’m sure we could find somebody to help out, if only for a short time.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ she agreed. ‘She has friends in the village who would be glad to help.’

  ‘But something else is bothering you, isn’t it?’ He studied her, his gaze
shifting over her thoughtfully. ‘I can read you, Caitlin. What is it?’

  ‘Nothing.’ She smiled at him, not wanting to spoil the moment for him. ‘I’m really, really happy for you, Brodie. This is what you’ve wanted for so many years and it’s wonderful that you have the chance of some kind of closure.’

  ‘But? There is a but, isn’t there?’

  Clearly, he wasn’t going to leave it alone. She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture.

  ‘I’m just worried about how things will work out in the long term—for us, I mean. I can see you wanting to move away now that you’ve found your family. It’s natural you’ll want to be with them and, with the job offer, how could it have worked out better? It’s bound to affect us, though.’

  She looked at him unhappily, taking in a deep breath. ‘I want to be with you, Brodie, but I came back to Ashley Vale to make my home here—I don’t think I want to uproot myself again.’

  He frowned. ‘The truth is, you came back here because Matt was getting married to Jenny.’

  ‘Initially, that was the reason, yes, but then things changed. My mother had an accident. That made things different.’ He had her on the defensive now and she didn’t like it. She was confused—about him, about everything. Her emotions were tangled and for the life of her she couldn’t sift her way through them.

  ‘Are you putting up excuses, Caitlin? Don’t you want to be with me?’ His dark eyes narrowed. ‘I can’t help thinking I was right all along, that you can’t make up your mind to be with me because you’re not over Matt yet. You can’t move on. There won’t be any future for you and me while he’s there between us, will there?’

  His jaw clenched. ‘Maybe I should take up this offer of a job and give you time to decide what you really do want?’

  ‘Are you trying to make me choose?’ Her voice broke and she looked at him with tears shimmering in her eyes. ‘Matt doesn’t come into it. He never did, where you were concerned. I always cared for you, but you weren’t around, Brodie. What was I supposed to do? You left. You stayed away for years. And now you want me to choose between going away from here or staying—between being with you or losing you.’