The Doctor Meets Her Match. Annie Claydon

      ‘Raspberry and apple. It’s nice, want to try it?’ He tilted his glass towards her.

      ‘No, thanks. I’ll have the strawberry and banana shake. And one of those toasted sandwiches, I think.’ She signalled to the waitress behind the bar and gave her order, looking in her handbag for her purse. Too late. Nick had already passed a note across the bar and the waitress had taken it.

      ‘Thanks.’ Arguing with him over who was going to pay made his gesture seem more important than it was. Better to leave it. ‘So how are you?’

      ‘I’m good. I’ve got my appointment through.’

      ‘Good. Dr Patel’s a nice guy, and the best orthopaedic surgeon in the department. You’ll be fine with him.’ Jay would take care of Nick better than Abby could. Better than she had any right to.

      ‘Thanks.’ He took his change and pocketed it then felt inside his casual jacket, pulling out two foil packets and proffering them. ‘And I’ve been keeping my side of the bargain.’

      ‘That’s okay. I’ll take your word for it.’ She smiled at him. ‘Anyway, you could have just taken the tablets out and thrown them in the bin.’

      He seemed to be considering the possibility. ‘I could have. Only I would have flushed them down the sink. Always dispose of medicines safely.’

      He was teasing her now and Abby felt the coiled spring that had lodged in her stomach begin to loosen slightly. The feeling wasn’t altogether agreeable. ‘Well, as long as you’re doing something to get the swelling down.’

      He nodded. ‘The ice packs are helping and the people at the pain clinic gave me some good tips. I can’t put any weight on the leg still, but I can get around well enough. I might try going for a swim this afternoon.’

      Unwelcome images flooded Abby’s brain. Nick in the pool, water streaming across his back as he swam. Pulling himself out, the muscles of his shoulders flexing. She concentrated on his knee. ‘That’s not a very good idea, Nick.’

      ‘Swimming’s good exercise. The water will support my leg.’

      ‘Dr Patel will give you some exercises and he’ll be able to discuss exactly what you should and shouldn’t be doing. Why don’t you leave it until you see him?’ She could feel her irritation level rising again. What was so important about going swimming today?

      ‘I can’t.’ He dismissed her with just two words and something snapped in that part of her brain that had been filtering the anger out of her responses to him.

      ‘Yes, you can. You just won’t.’ Abby jumped as a plate and glass clattered down next to her, and turned to thank the waitress, who gave her a curt nod, obviously disapproving of the sound of discord at the bar. ‘Let’s go and sit at one of the tables. Look, there’s one free over there by the window.’

      ‘Perfect for bullying me in private.’ Nick grinned.

      ‘I do not bully people.’ If he only knew, he wouldn’t say such a thing. She slid down from her stool, balanced her plate and glass in one hand, grabbed her handbag with the other and walked over to the empty table. He could follow if he liked.

      As she tried to manoeuvre her way into a seat, her hands full, she saw Nick’s arm reach around her, pulling the chair back so she could sink down into it. Lowering himself into the chair opposite, he smiled up at the waitress as she placed his drink in front of him. ‘Thanks. That’s kind of you.’

      The waitress nodded and shot Abby a disapproving look. As well she might. Nick was handsome, charming and, oh, so obviously in need of a little looking after at the moment. Someone to carry his drink while he dealt with his crutches. Someone to plump his pillows and stare into his molten chocolate eyes.

      ‘If I sound as if I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done, Abby, that’s not the case.’ Nick had smiled and thanked the waitress, but now his attention was all on Abby.

      ‘But you’re just used to having things your own way.’

      He grinned. ‘Maybe. But I value your input.’

      He made it sound as if she’d made a few suggestions, which he’d decided whether to go along with or not. Abby guessed that was about right. ‘So, are you up for another piece of input?’

      ‘Go on.’

      She ignored both the smile and the dimple. Particularly the dimple. ‘I think you’re just falling into the same way of doing things as before. Deciding what you’re going to do and then just going and doing it. I think you should wait until you can speak to your doctor and get his advice.’

      ‘What do you think Dr Patel is going to say, then?’

      ‘I don’t second-guess colleagues. Just ask him.’

      ‘I do have a compelling reason to get back into the water.’

      Abby gave in. ‘All right, so what’s your compelling reason? Other than the desire to prove to yourself that you’re indestructible or die trying?’

      The brief tilt of his head to one side told her that she’d hit on a home truth. ‘A group of us from the fire station is doing an open-water swim in five weeks’ time, up in the Lake District. Actually, six of them on consecutive days. I need to be fit for that.’

      The audacity of the statement made Abby choke on her drink. ‘Six consecutive days? How long are these swims?’

      ‘Between two and six miles each.’

      ‘What? Are you completely mad, Nick? I’m all for encouraging people to exercise gently, but that’s gruelling enough for anyone who’s fit. It’s complete and utter madness with that knee.’

      He shrugged. ‘I have to try. I’ll see what Dr Patel says, but perhaps I can strap the leg up so that it’s supported in the water.’

      ‘No. He’s going to tell you exactly what I am. You’re overdoing it, and asking for trouble.’ Abby couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

      ‘I thought you didn’t second-guess colleagues.’ His gaze was making her skin prickle.

      ‘I don’t, but I’m perfectly capable of seeing the obvious. What’s so important about these swims anyway? Can’t you postpone them or something? I know it’s late in the year, but next spring would be much more sensible.’

      He shook his head. ‘It’s a big charity event. There are a dozen of us swimming and we have sponsorship.’

      ‘Well, you’ll just have to drop out, then.’

      He gave her an amused look. ‘Are you telling me what to do?’

      ‘I’m telling you that in my considered opinion, and I do know something about this, you’ll do yourself a great deal of damage if you push yourself too hard. You’ll fail with the swims and you might well put yourself into a position where you’ll never get fit again. Do you want that?’

      He shook his head slowly, his gaze dropping to the tabletop. ‘No. But I feel I have to try. I won’t push it.’

      Yeah, right. Since when did Nick start anything that he didn’t finish? Abby swallowed the obvious answer. Their relationship was clearly an exception to that rule. ‘How much sponsorship do you have?’

      ‘It’s a hundred grand in total. I’m the only one doing all six swims and so a lot of the corporate sponsorship that we’ve raised depends on me. If I don’t swim, we lose thirty of that.’ His brow furrowed in thought. ‘Maybe the sponsors will allow me to do the swims over twelve days instead of six. A day’s rest in between.’

      ‘Oh, right, that’ll be okay, then. You can spend twelve days on wrecking your knee instead of six.’ Concern lent a biting edge to Abby’s sarcasm. She buried her face in her hands so he couldn’t see her confusion. She wasn’t usually this aggressive with people, but Nick was pushing all the