How to Win the Surgeon's Heart Read online

  They bundled everything they needed and got him to the double doors just as a low rumble signaled the chopper was headed their way. “Greg will be on that flight.”

  “Greg?”

  “Sorry, Greg Morris. He’s one of our cardiac care doctors. Since we’re needed here, we won’t be able to go with the patient.”

  “Okay.” She looked at him. Really looked at him, seeing him not as just another rich man, but as a doctor who wanted what was best for his patient. Their patient. She put aside her negative feelings. At least for now. “Thank you. Seriously.”

  He nodded. Met her gaze.

  “This is what I envisioned The Island Clinic being used for. To serve the island’s best interests.”

  She hadn’t really believed that, and still wasn’t entirely convinced, but for the moment she was putting aside the idea that he’d only come here to cater to wealthy clientele and was using Saint Victoria Hospital as some kind of tax write-off. Maybe it was why she’d so studiously avoided him. She didn’t want her suspicions to be confirmed by meeting the man. She’d be more than glad to be wrong, in this particular case.

  A few seconds later, her thoughts were only on getting the patient into the chopper and handing him off to the cardiologist on board. Then with a quick wave, the door to the helicopter closed, and they were off. She stared at it until it was out of sight then turned her gaze back to him.

  “You’ll let me know how he does.”

  His head cocked. “Sure. If you really want to know.”

  “Of course I do.” Was he doubting that she cared about her patients? That stung. But she knew that she’d been less than welcoming toward him when they’d met.

  “I could let you know...” There was a pause. “But better yet, why don’t we go see him as soon as our shift here is done. If you don’t have plans, that is.”

  She hesitated. She’d never been to The Island Clinic—had kind of made it her mission to avoid thinking about it...and Nate. But she couldn’t very well tell him that. And to turn him down would seem churlish. And definitely unwelcoming. She could pretend she had a dinner engagement, but that would be yet another fib on top of her claims that she’d been in surgery so much that she’d never had a chance to meet him. She’d always prided herself on trying to do the right thing, so here was her chance to prove that. Besides, she hadn’t had a date in a long, long time, something he’d easily be able to check, if he listened to the rumor mill at the hospital.

  “Thanks. I’d like that.”

  “What time is your shift over?”

  “I wasn’t really scheduled today to begin with. But I’d say around five o’clock. Barring any emergencies like that last one.” Hopefully there’d be no hitches and the next shift’s doctors would make it in. Life at Saint Victoria Hospital could be chaotic and unpredictable, even on a good day, but she could think of nowhere she’d rather be than here at the hospital.

  A call came in saying another ambulance was on its way in, so she forced her mind to return to work as she and Nate rushed back toward the ER.

  * * *

  Five o’clock came, and Nate realized he was exhausted. But it was a good exhaustion. He’d done his fair share of work since becoming a doctor, but over the last three years, running The Island Clinic had taken up most of his time. So he didn’t often deal with emergencies like he had over the last several hours. As tired as he was, he welcomed the opportunity to get back in the thick of things. And he could see ways that the clinic had helped Saint Victoria Hospital in the glimpses of new equipment he noticed here and there. In the helipad that had whisked their heart attack patient to the facility on the other side of the island. But there was so much more to be done. So many people left to help.

  If he’d given in to his parents and stayed at their facility, things would have been very different. For this hospital and for him personally. Because he’d probably be married to Tara and have a couple of kids by now.

  But he hadn’t stayed, and Tara had wanted no part of coming here. And it was for the best. Especially after realizing all any of them cared about was...

  Stop. Just stop. He snapped his gloves off and tossed them into a nearby receptacle, just as he spotted Sasha across the space, laughing at something the male nurse next to her had said. He tensed without knowing why.

  She was good at what she did. Prickly...but good. He wasn’t sure why she’d been so against using his name. He’d thought maybe she held herself aloof from everyone, but no...over the day she’d called almost everyone by their given names. And every time she had, he’d tensed, seeing that flash of a smile she gave person after person. And watching the easy way she was with all of her colleagues, the way that full bottom lip formed a fake pout when someone suggested something she didn’t like. Hell, his insides had shifted and quivered like some kid who was high on hormones.

  And she was having a good old time talking to the man on the other side of the room...

  So it was just him she didn’t like. Why?

  Because he was an outsider?

  Maybe. He’d worked hard to fit in, but he knew at the heart of it, The Island Clinic was probably seen as a place where the wealthy came to have procedures in seclusion. And there was a lot of truth to that statement. But most of the people he’d talked to knew the main purpose of those clients was to have a steady flow of funds that would supplement Saint Victoria Hospital’s shortfalls—which were sometimes huge. At those times, basic supplies could run dangerously low. Like during Hurricane Regan, which had decimated parts of the island. And his clinic wasn’t just there for the wealthy. It was there for anyone who might need it. Like their heart-attack patient.

  Not only that, but the clinic provided free additional training for any of the hospital’s staff who might want to rotate through for a month or two. That was one of Nate’s biggest sources of satisfaction. He saw it as a win-win arrangement.

  He caught Sasha’s eye, and like magic, her smile disappeared, that sexy lower lip straightening in what looked like disapproval as she regarded him. So maybe not everyone felt that way about The Island Clinic. If he wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t like him or his clinic. And he had no idea why. But she said something to the man she’d been talking to, throwing another smile and touching his arm before turning away.

  His gut squeezed again. Knock it off, Nate. It doesn’t matter to you who she talks to. Who she’s involved with.

  His parents had disapproved of him coming here. Had been angry that the pretty new plaque they’d made for their surgery center—the one with his name added to theirs—had had to be taken down and replaced. They’d talked about their disappointment and asked him how he could embarrass them like that. How he could disappoint Tara.

  He hadn’t meant to embarrass them. But he’d also never asked to be a part of their thriving practice, either. He had still had two years of his specialty training, but he’d made the decision that it wouldn’t be in plastic surgery.

  And when he’d told them he was using his trust fund to start The Island Clinic, they hadn’t said a word, but their stony silence said it all.

  They hadn’t contacted Nate in the three years since he’d established the clinic. Not to see how it was doing. Not to ask how he was. And he had no idea if Tara even still worked at his parents’ clinic.

  To realize that those he cared about could turn their love off like some kind of spigot had done a number on him. Or maybe they hadn’t wanted children at all. A thought that had plagued him for the last year. He’d had a series of nannies who had cared for him during his early childhood, since his mom had wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. When he looked at all the evidence with new eyes...

  He wasn’t going to think about that right now, since Sasha was now standing in front of him looking up with a frown.

  Had she said something to him? “Sorry, my mind was wandering. Are you still good to go w
ith me to the clinic?”

  “I said I would.”

  And she kept her word, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do. She hadn’t said it outright, but the arms folded across her chest, the stiff stance said it all.

  Hell, why had she agreed to come, if it was so distasteful to her? But he was too tired to challenge her or ask what was wrong. He’d done that ad infinitum with his parents and Tara after that publicity fiasco when they’d unveiled that plaque on their center less than a half hour after his flight had arrived in the States. Tara had been standing at his side and had looked at him in stunned silence when he’d shaken his head no. But no amount of explanation or sharing his heart had seemed to penetrate the united wall of ice they’d erected...the one that found them on one side and Nate firmly on the other. He’d finally given up, breaking it off with Tara and no longer trying to get through to his parents.

  He wasn’t anxious to expend that kind of emotional energy ever again. Especially on someone he didn’t even know. If she didn’t want to come, she could just say so and be done with it. “Okay, ready? We’ll use the shuttle, if that’s okay. Unless you’d rather use the helicopter. It’ll only take a moment to call for it.”

  Her eyes widened, before narrowing again. “No, I’d rather save the chopper for those who actually need it. The shuttle will be fine. Or we can use my car.”

  He had a feeling the less he asked of her, the better. “Let’s take the shuttle, then.”

  Her nod had him less than sure. But again, he wasn’t going to grab a shovel and try digging down to what she really meant. Because he might find that hole was a lot deeper than he had time for.

  Sasha went to get her purse and to finish the last of her reports, while he went and grabbed a coffee. By the time she returned, the shuttle texted him, saying they’d arrived at the hospital.

  There were three banks of seats in the back of the shuttle. He waited for her to choose one of them and then sat across the aisle from her. He wasn’t going to pretend they were chummy or even friends. Because they weren’t. But he damned well wasn’t going to sit here in silence. He’d had enough of that to last a lifetime.

  “So you’ve been at Saint Victoria Hospital for three years?”

  She turned dark eyes on him, her lashes thicker than they had a right to be. Each blink of her eyes found his gaze tracing their path. His jaw clenched.

  “Yes. Once I finished up my residency, I came back to the island.”

  Saint Victoria was small enough that there weren’t large universities or medical schools on it. “Where did you study?”

  “Harvard.”

  The word came fast, taking him by surprise. So much so that it took him a few seconds to process it and drum up a reply. But he didn’t have time to give voice to it.

  “Surprised?”

  He was. But maybe not for the reasons she expected. “It’s just a huge university.”

  “Yes, it is. And if you’re wondering how I paid for it, I received a full scholarship.” Her chin was tilted up as if expecting him to challenge her right to study there.

  “I wasn’t wondering.”

  Her eyes closed for a second, those lashes he’d noticed casting shadows on her cheeks. “Sorry. I’m just used to that being one of the first questions I get asked around here.”

  To have received a full ride at the prestigious university meant that Sasha had had top grades in all of her classes as well as on her entrance exams. He was surprised she’d chosen to come back here. She could probably practice medicine anywhere she wanted to.

  Why wouldn’t she come here though? He’d chosen to, hadn’t he? But he didn’t care about prestige or about practicing at one of the top teaching hospitals. He just wanted to help people.

  “You didn’t want to stay in the States?”

  She stared at him for a second before glancing away. “I thought about it for a while. But things didn’t work out, so I came back home.”

  Didn’t work out? Like at another hospital?

  “Where did you do your residency?” Harvard didn’t run its own hospital like Johns Hopkins did, so they partnered with other hospitals to provide places for clinicals and residencies.

  “I actually did mine at Beth Israel. They place a lot of emphasis on community care, which Saint Victoria Hospital does as well, so it seemed like a good fit.” She tilted her head. “Where did you study?”

  “Johns Hopkins. I did my residency there, as well.”

  “What made you want to become a doctor?”

  He was asked that on a regular basis, but it was a tricky question. He’d originally gone into premedicine because his parents had expected it of him. He’d given in mainly to explore whether it was an option for him or not. He’d been surprised to find that he loved the classes. Loved his teachers. And loved the science of medicine.

  What he didn’t love was the greed that sometimes went along with it. He’d met people who went into medicine as a way to build wealth, or a reputation or to climb the social ladder. He used to think his parents had gone into medicine for altruistic reasons. And to now look at them in the cold light of day... Well, he was a little more cynical about that than he’d once been.

  He decided to give the easy answer, because the true explanation was more complicated than he wanted to get into right now. “I had relatives who were doctors, so it seemed the obvious choice.”

  Her frown told him that what he’d said had hit a sore spot.

  “So you didn’t really want to be a doctor? Why be one, then?”

  The tricky question became even more convoluted. “In the beginning I wasn’t sure where the separation between my wants and others’ expectations was. But now? Well, I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be than a surgeon. And you?”

  One shoulder went up. “That’s easy. It was because of my dad.”

  She’d said it so easily. As if it didn’t bother her at all. That intrigued him enough to nudge for a deeper explanation.

  “Your dad?”

  “He...well, he died of a heart attack when I was fourteen.” Her eyes glistened with what looked like deep emotion. “There was nothing in place at that time for true emergency care. People had to be flown to a neighboring island. My dad never made it that far. He died right after arriving at a nearby clinic.”

  Nate shifted in his seat, reaching across to place his hand over the one she’d curled around the armrest of her chair. “I’m sorry.”

  The tenseness he’d been aware of in her while dealing with their patient suddenly made sense. Her need to know how he was doing. If the man had stayed at Saint Victoria Hospital, it would have been easy for her to check up on him. But at The Island Clinic, it would entail a phone call, and very probably, an explanation about why she wanted to know. No wonder she’d agreed to make the trek across the island.

  Her next murmured words were soft. As if she were talking to herself. “It was a long time ago.”

  But not long enough to snuff the spark of grief that appeared in her eyes when she talked about him. “Your mom?”

  “She’s doing fine. She’s a chef, actually.”

  “She’s still in Saint Victoria?”

  “It’s her home. Where else would she be?” As if she’d had second thoughts about her answer, she amended it. “This is where she was born. Where she got married. She can’t imagine living anywhere else. When I thought I was going to get... Well, when I was thinking of remaining in the States, she wouldn’t consider moving there. Sometimes things work out for the best, since I later decided to come back home.”

  Sometimes things did work out for the best. Like his deciding not to join his parents’ practice? Like not caving to Tara’s demands that he remain in the States? Yes. He could see now how unbearable that would have been for him. While they were perfectly happy doing what they did, Nate would have felt stifled and trapped
. Maybe the estrangement was for the best. It had given him a clear road to do what he thought was right, without the constant need to run things by them, like he’d had to when he was a teenager.

  It was easier this way. Right? Being alone?

  He realized his hand was still covering hers. He pulled away, sitting back in his seat, just as the long driveway to The Island Clinic appeared on their right.

  A sliver of pride went through him when he spotted the large bronze statue out front. Marie would have approved of it, he was sure.

  Glancing at Sasha, he said, “Welcome to The Island Clinic.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  SASHA STOOD IN front of a modern white building that would rival some of the hospitals she’d seen in the States. It was on a smaller scale, but still a stunning sight on her little island. She suddenly had second thoughts about coming here.

  The helipad, complete with the helicopter that had whisked their patient away, was a short distance from the building. There was a pristine asphalt driveway leading to a pair of double doors.

  “Bon Bondye,” she whispered. It was at times like this that her English failed her, the island’s French Creole coming to the forefront. But it fit so much better than simply saying Good God.

  Nate murmured something to the shuttle’s driver before coming to stand beside her. “You’ve never been here before.”

  “No.” What else could she say? She’d heard it was beautiful, but that would be an understatement. It was sitting a short distance from the beach, and there was a long boardwalk that meandered from the back of the building to a white sandy shoreline, the waters calmly licking at it.

  She squinted when she spotted something else. A lone figure stood down there, staring out toward the sea as if in deep thought. There were some bright umbrellas and lounge chairs scattered along the area.

  Saint Victoria Hospital, on the other hand, was on the interior of Williamtown and boasted no such vistas. But then again, the staff didn’t often find themselves with enough time on their hands to enjoy sights like this one.