Becoming

Dr Bellini’s Bride

Joanna Neil

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

About the Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Copyright

Dear Reader,

There cannot be many lovelier sights than the glorious sweep of the California coastline where it meets with the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. I know that’s where I longed to be when I wrote my story BECOMING DR BELLINI’S BRIDE.

Even more, I wanted to wander around the vineyards of the Carmel Valley, with their lush fruit hanging off the vines, just waiting to be picked.

This, I decided, was the perfect backdrop for a story of family secrets, yearnings, and the desire for the return of land held for generations by the Bellini family.

Of course those cherished dreams bring Nick Bellini into sparking conflict with lovely, idealistic Katie, who is fiercely protective of her father’s holdings. Too bad his land once belonged to Nick’s family!

And what of the heartache Katie endures when she discovers a long-held family secret…? Will Nick be the one to soothe and comfort her?

I hope you enjoy finding out how everything works out for Nick and Katie.

Joanna Neil

About the Author

When JOANNA NEIL discovered Mills & Boon®, her lifelong addiction to reading crystallised into an exciting new career writing Medical™ Romance. Her characters are probably the outcome of her varied lifestyle, which includes working as a clerk, typist, nurse and infant teacher. She enjoys dressmaking and cooking at her Leicestershire home. Her family includes a husband, son and daughter, an exuberant yellow Labrador and two slightly crazed cockatiels. She currently works with a team of tutors at her local education centre, to provide creative writing workshops for people interested in exploring their own writing ambitions.

CHAPTER ONE

KATIE stood still for a moment, her green eyes slowly scanning the horizon. Her nerves were frayed. Perhaps taking time out to look around her at this part of the sweeping California coastline was just the medicine she needed right now.

She would never have believed she would find herself in such a beautiful place as this small, quiet town, with its charming cottages and quaint shops and general sleepy atmosphere. As for the bay, it was a wide arc of golden sand, backed by rugged cliffs and rocks, a striking contrast to the clear blue of the Pacific Ocean that lapped its shores. Beyond all that was the magnificent range of the Santa Lucia Mountains, lush and green, their slopes forested with redwoods, oaks and pine.

She drank in the view for a moment or two longer, absorbing the tranquillity of her surroundings. Then she pulled in a deep breath and turned away to walk along the road towards a distant building set high on a bluff overlooking the sea.

One way or another, it had been a difficult day so far, and she could see little chance of things improving. She still had to meet with her father, and even though she had become used to seeing him over these last couple of weeks, it was always something of a strain for her to be with him.

‘We’ll have lunch,’ he’d said, as though it was an everyday, natural occurrence.

‘Okay.’ She’d looked at him and his expression had been relaxed and easygoing. He seemed to genuinely want to meet up with her again. ‘I have a half-day on Wednesday,’ she told him, ‘so that should work out well enough.’

And now he was waiting for her at the restaurant, sitting at a table on the open-air terrace, gazing out over the ocean. Katie guessed he was watching the boats on the horizon. He hadn’t noticed her coming towards him, and she was glad of that. It gave her the chance to compose herself, as well as an opportunity to fix his image once more in her mind.

She studied him. He was not as she remembered from all those years ago, neither did he bear any resemblance to the pictures her mother had carefully stored in the photograph album. She guessed at one time he must have been tall and vital, a vigorous man, full of energy and ambition, but at this moment he appeared frail, a shadow of his former self. His body was thin, his face faintly lined, and his brown hair was faded, threaded through with silver strands.

‘Hi, there….’ Katie hesitated. She was still struggling with the idea of calling this man her dad. It went against the grain to use the word, considering that he was almost a stranger to her. Instead, she asked, ‘Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry I’m a bit late. I was held up at work.’

‘That’s all right. Don’t worry about it.’ Her father smiled and rose carefully to his feet to pull out a chair for her. ‘You look harassed. We can’t have that, can we? Sit yourself down and take a minute or two to settle. Life’s too short to be getting yourself in a tizzy.’

His breathing was wheezy and laboured, and Katie was concerned. She’d heard that he had been ill for some time, but his health seemed to have taken a downturn even in the few days since she had last seen him.

‘Thanks.’ She sat down quickly so that he could do the same. Then she gazed around her. ‘It’s lovely to be able to sit out here and enjoy the fresh air…And it’s all so perfect…idyllic, with the tubs of flowers and all the greenery.’

‘I thought you’d like it. The food’s good, too.’

A waitress approached with menus, and Katie accepted hers with a smile, opening it up to look inside and study the contents. In reality, though, her mind was in a whirl and she was finding it difficult to concentrate, so that the text became a blur.

Her father signalled to the wine waiter and ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, before turning back to Katie. ‘Why don’t you tell me what sort of a day you’ve had?’ he suggested. ‘It can’t have been too good, by the looks of things. Are you getting on all right at the hospital? You’ve been there almost a week now, haven’t you?’

She nodded. ‘I’m really happy to be working there. The people are great…very friendly and helpful. I’m working in Paediatrics most of the time, but I also have a couple of days when I’m on call to deal with general emergencies if they arise locally. Mostly people will ring for an ambulance if there’s an accident or medical incident, but if I’m nearer and it’s likely to be something serious then I’ll go out as a first responder. It’s a good opportunity for me to keep up with emergency work, so I was glad with this job came up.’

Her father glanced at his menu. ‘It sounds as though it’s the kind of work you enjoy. It’s what you were doing in England, in Shropshire, isn’t it?’

‘That’s right.’

The wine waiter arrived, pouring a small amount of clear, red wine for her father to taste, before filling two glasses.

Katie took a sip of her drink, savouring the rich, fruity flavour. She sent her father a quick, searching glance. Somehow he always managed to get her to talk about herself. He very rarely revealed anything of his lifestyle, about what had brought him to where he was now.

‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘Did you always have it in mind to come out here—was there something about Carmel Valley that drew you—or was it someone who led you to this place?’

‘The company I worked for sent me out here,initially,’ he answered, placing his menu down on the table. He nodded towards the one she was holding. ‘Have you decided what you’d like to eat yet? The filet mignon is always good.’

‘Yes, I think I’ll go with that. But I’d prefer the cold slices, rather than a steak, I think…with tomato, red onion and blue cheese.’

‘And a Caesar salad?’

‘That sounds good.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll grab the waitress’s attention.’ He studied her once more. ‘So what’s been happening to get you all flustered today? You’ve always been calm and collected whenever we’ve seen one another, up to now. Is it a problem at work?’

She shook her head. ‘Not really…I mean, yes, in a way, I suppose.’ She gave an inward sigh and braced herself. It didn’t look as though he was going to give up on trying to tease it out of her, so she may as well get it off her chest.

‘I saw a little boy at the clinic today,’ she said. ‘He was around four years old, and his mother told me he’d been unwell for some time. She hadn’t known what to do because his symptoms were vague, and she put it down to the fact that he’d had a cold and sore throat. Only he took a sudden turn for the worse. When I examined him, his body was swollen with oedema, his blood pressure was high, and his heart was racing.’

Her father frowned. ‘Seems that he was in a bad way, poor little chap.’

‘Yes, he was. I had him admitted to the renal unit. He was losing protein in his urine, and it looks as though his kidneys are inflamed.’

He winced. ‘Definitely bad news. So, what will happen to him now?’

‘They’ll do tests, and give him supportive treatment. Probably diuretics to bring down the swelling, and he’ll be put on a low-sodium, low-protein diet.’

She glanced around once more, looking out over the redwood deck rail to the ocean beyond. The sound of birds calling to one another mingled with the soft whoosh of surf as it dashed against the rocks below.

She looked back at him. ‘What about you? You haven’t told me much about yourself. Mum said that you worked in the import and export trade years ago—you had to travel a lot, she said.’

‘Yes, I did. I suppose that’s how I first became interested in the wine business.’ He beckoned the waitress and gave their orders. After the girl had left, he said gently, ‘This child you treated—he isn’t the reason you’re not quite yourself, is he? After all, you must have come across that kind of thing many times in the course of your work.’

She nodded, brushing a flyaway tendril of chestnut hair from her cheek. Her hair was long, a mass of unruly natural curls that defied all her attempts to restrain them. ‘That’s true.’ She pressed her lips together, uneasy at having to revisit the source of her discomfort. ‘I think he reminded me of a child I treated back in Shropshire… my ex-boyfriend’s son, though he was much younger, only two years old. He had the same condition.’

‘Ah…’ He leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. ‘So it made you think about the situation back home. I see it now. Your mother told me all about the break-up.’

She sent him a sharp glance. ‘You’ve spoken to my mother?’

‘I have.’ He gave a faint smile. ‘She called me… naturally, when she knew you would be coming out here, she wanted to make sure that you would be all right. A mother’s protective instinct at work, I guess.’

Katie frowned, and began to finger her napkin. She wasn’t at all pleased with her father knowing everything there was to know about her personal life. In many ways he was an unknown quantity as far as she was concerned, and yet it appeared he knew things about her that she would much rather had remained secret.

She was still trying to take it on board when a man approached their table. He was in his mid-thirties, she guessed, a striking figure of a man with dark, smouldering good looks that sent an immediate frisson of awareness to ripple along her spine. His clothes were superb. He was wearing an immaculate dark suit that had been expertly and, no doubt, expensively tailored, while his shirt was made from a beautiful fabric, finished in a deep shade of blue that perfectly matched his eyes.

Those eyes widened as he looked at Katie, and his gaze drifted appreciatively over her, lingering for a while on the burnished chestnut curls that brushed her shoulders, before moving downwards to lightly stroke her softly feminine curves.

Katie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to shake off the impact of that scorching gaze. She felt warm all over, and the breath caught in her throat. Suddenly, she was all too conscious of the closely-fitting blouse she was wearing, a pintucked design in delicate cotton, teamed with a dove-grey, pencil-slim skirt.

Getting herself together, she looked up, deciding to face him head on and return the scrutiny in full measure. He had a perfectly honed physique, long and lean, undoubtedly firm-muscled beneath all the civilised trappings. His hair was jet black, strong and crisply styled, cut short as though to tame it, but even so there was an errant kink to the strands. He had the dazzling, sensual good looks of an Italian-American.

His glance met hers and a glint of flame sparked in his blue eyes. Then he dragged his gaze from her and turned to her father.

‘Jack,’ he said, ‘this is a pleasant surprise. It’s good to see you.’ He extended a lightly bronzed hand in greeting. ‘I’d thought of dropping by the house in the next day or so, since you’ve not been looking too well of late. How are things with you?’ His voice was evenly modulated, deep and soothing like a creamy liqueur brandy, and Katie’s heart began to thump heavily in response. Why on earth was this man having such an effect on her?

‘Things are fine, Nick, thanks.’ Her father waved a hand towards Katie. ‘You haven’t met my daughter, Katie, have you?’

Nick looked startled. ‘Your daughter? I had no idea…’

‘No. Well…’ Her father cut him short, his breath rasping slightly with the effort. ‘It’s a long story. She came over here from the UK just a fortnight ago.’ He switched his attention to Katie. ‘Let me introduce you,’ he said. ‘Katie, this is Nick Bellini. He and his family own the vineyard next to mine. He’s in partnership with his father and brother.’

Katie frowned. So her father hadn’t even told his friends that he had a daughter. Another small part of her closed down inside. Perhaps she had been hoping for too much. Coming out here might turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life so far.

‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ Katie murmured. She wasn’t expecting him to respond with more than a nod, but he reached for her, taking her hand in his and cupping it between his palms.

‘And I’m more than delighted to meet you, Katie,’ Nick said, his voice taking on a husky, sensual note. ‘I’d no idea Jack was hiding such a treasure.’

Katie felt the heat rise in her cheeks. There was nothing casual about his greeting. The way he was holding her felt very much like a caress and it was thoroughly unsettling. Her alarm system had gone into overdrive at his touch and it was way more than she could handle. As if she hadn’t had enough problems with men.

As soon as it was polite enough to do so, she carefully extricated her hand. Over the last year she had worked hard to build up a shield around herself, had even begun to believe she was immune, and here, in less than two minutes, Nick Bellini had managed to shoot her defences to smithereens.

‘I’ve a feeling I’ve heard the name Bellini somewhere before,’ she murmured. ‘In a newspaper article, I think. I just can’t recall exactly what it was that I read.’

He gave her a wry smile. ‘Let’s hope it was something good.’

He gave his attention back to her father. ‘I was hoping we could get together some time in the next week or two to talk about the vineyards. My father has drawn up some papers, and he’d appreciate it if you would look them over.’

Her father nodded. ‘Yes, he mentioned them to me.’ He waved a hand towards an empty chair. ‘Why don’t you join us, Nick… unless you have business to attend to right now? We’ve only just ordered.’

Katie’s heart gave a disturbing lurch. She stared at him. What was her father thinking?

‘Thank you.’ Nick acknowledged the invitation with a nod. ‘I’d like that, if you’re quite sure I’m not intruding?’

He looked to Katie for an answer, but words stuck in her throat and she had to swallow down the flutter of uncertainty that rose in her. Why on earth had her father made the suggestion? They spent so little time together as it was, and there was so much she wanted to know, so many questions that still had to be answered. She needed to be alone with him, at least until she knew him better.

But what choice did she have? To refuse after Nick had shown his willingness to accept the invitation would be churlish.

Of course, Nick Bellini must have known all that. She nodded briefly, but sent him a glance through narrowed eyes.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, a half-smile playing around his mouth. She had the feeling he knew something of what she was going on in her mind, but if he had any real notion of her qualms he was choosing to ignore them.

‘I came here to see the management about their wine cellar,’ he said. ‘After all, we might be able to tempt them into adding our new Pinot Noir to their collection—not strictly my job, but I like to keep in touch with all the restaurateurs hereabouts.’ He paused as the waitress came to take his order.

‘I’ll have the teriyaki chicken, please, Theresa… with a side salad.’ He gave the girl a careful, assessing look. ‘You’ve done something different with your hair, haven’t you?’ His expression was thoughtful. ‘It looks good. It suits you.’

‘Thank you.’ The girl dimpled, her cheeks flushed with warm colour.

Nick watched her as she walked away, and Katie observed him in the process. Did he respond like that to every woman who came his way? Were they all treated to a sample of his megawatt charm?

‘Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult wine to get right,’ Jack said. ‘But your father seems to have the Midas touch.’

Nick gave a fleeting smile. ‘The key is to harvest the grapes in the cool of the evening and in the early morning. Then they’re cold soaked before fermentation…and we use the whole berries for that process. Then, to reduce the risk of harsh tannins from the seeds and skins, they’re pressed early.’

Jack nodded. ‘Like I said, your father knows his business. Your vines are looking good again this year. It looks as though you’ll have one of the best seasons yet.’ He poured wine into a glass and passed it to Nick.

‘We’re hoping so.’ Nick held the glass to his lips. ‘Though you don’t do too badly yourself. The Logan name is well respected around here…that’s why we’d really like to make it part of the Bellini company.’

‘It’s a big undertaking.’ Jack’s features were sombre. ‘I’ve worked hard to build up the business over the years. It’s been my life’s work.’

‘Of course.’ Nick tasted the wine, savouring it on his tongue before placing his glass down on the table. ‘I’m sure my father will have taken all that into account.’

Katie frowned. It sounded as though the Bellinis were offering to buy out her father’s company, but as usual Jack Logan was keeping his cards close to his chest. Was he thinking of selling up, or would he try to fend off their attempt at a takeover?

Nick turned towards Katie, as though remembering his manners. ‘I’m sorry to talk shop…I expect this discussion of wine and grapes and company business must be quite boring for you.’

‘Not at all.’ Katie’s expression was sincere. ‘In fact I was really intrigued to learn that my father owns a vineyard, and I was actually hoping that one day soon I might get a chance to see it.’

‘That won’t be a problem,’ Jack murmured. ‘Just as soon as I get over this latest chest infection I’ll take you on a tour. In the meantime, I’m sure Nick would be glad to show you around his place.’

‘I’d be more than happy to do that,’ Nick agreed, his gaze homing in on her. ‘Maybe we could make a date for some time next week?’

‘I… Possibly.’ Katie was reluctant to commit herself to anything. She wasn’t ready for Nick’s full-on magnetism. Didn’t she have enough to contend with right now, without adding to her troubles? ‘I’ll have to see how things work out at the hospital.’

‘The hospital?’

Nick lifted a dark brow and Jack explained helpfully, ‘Katie’s a doctor…a paediatrician. She came out here to get a taste of California life and she’s just settling into a new job.’

‘Oh, I see.’

The waitress arrived with the meals just then, and Katie realised that she was hungry, despite her rest less, slightly agitated frame of mind. Perhaps food would help to calm her down.

She tasted the thinly sliced beef. It was cooked to perfection, and the blend of tomatoes and cheese was sublime. She savoured the food, washing it down with a sip of red wine, and for a moment she was lost in a sweet oasis of serenity.

‘So what was it that prompted you to come out here just now?’ Nick asked. ‘I mean, I guess you must have decided to come and see your father, but what made you choose to do it at this particular point in time?’

The peaceful moment was shattered in an instant. ‘I. It just seemed to be the optimum moment,’ she murmured. ‘My contract back in Shropshire was coming to an end… and I’d heard that my father was ill. I wanted to see how he was doing.’

Nick studied her thoughtfully. ‘There must have been more to it than that, surely? After all, Jack has suffered from lung problems for a number of years, and yet you haven’t been over here to see him before this. Why now? Was it the job at the hospital that encouraged you to make the move?’

Katie frowned. Was that remark a faint dig at her because she hadn’t visited her father in the last few years? What business was it of his, and who was he to judge? What did he know of their lives, of the torment she’d been through?

She made an effort to calm down. Perhaps she was being oversensitive… after all, the emotional distance between herself and her father was upsetting. It was a sore point that had festered over the years, and no one could really be expected to understand her inner hurt. And Nick was just like her father, wasn’t he, probing into things she would sooner were left alone?

She said cautiously, ‘The job was a factor, of course, and I suppose the idea of getting to know more of a different country held a certain appeal.’

Nick frowned. ‘You could have taken a longish holiday, but instead you chose to come and live and work here. That must have been quite a big decision.’

Katie shrugged. ‘Not necessarily.’ She took a sip of her wine.

Jack shifted restlessly in his chair, as though he was impatient with the way the conversation was going. ‘The truth is, Nick, Katie had a nasty break-up with a fellow back home in the UK. They’d been together for quite some time. Turns out she discovered he wasn’t quite what he seemed, and she learned that he had a child by another woman. Katie still hasn’t managed to get over it.’

He speared a piece of steak and held his fork aloft. ‘So the long and the short of it is, she finished things with him, upped sticks and headed out here. Of course, he tried to stop her. He pleaded with her to stay with him, but she wasn’t having any of it. The child was the one obstacle they couldn’t overcome.’

He gave Nick a compelling stare, and Nick’s eyes widened a fraction. An odd look of comprehension passed between the two men, as though somehow in that brief moment they had cemented some kind of masculine bond of understanding with one another.

Katie drew in a shocked breath. She felt as though she’d had the wind knocked out of her. Why was her father tittle-tattling her private business, especially to a man she’d only just met? Could things possibly get any worse? She was beginning to feel slightly nauseous.

‘Well, that would certainly explain things.’ Nick rested his fork on his plate. He studied her curiously, a faintly puzzled but sympathetic expression creasing his brow. ‘I’m sorry. I imagine it must have come as a great shock to you,’ he murmured. ‘These things are very upsetting, of course, especially if it came out of the blue. He obviously meant a great deal to you, this man, if his fall from grace caused you to do something as drastic as to leave home and come out here. That must have been really difficult for you.’

He paused, looking at her, taking in the taut line of her jaw, and when Katie didn’t respond, he added gently, ‘But he was obviously very fond of you, too, and clearly he tried to explain his actions. I find it incredible that any man would do anything to cause you distress…but, in his defence, people do make mistakes, and I suppose all we can do is talk things through and try to understand how the situation came about.’

He hesitated once more, as though waiting for her to say something, but Katie stayed mute. She couldn’t speak. Inside, she was a cauldron of seething emotions.

Perhaps her continuing silence had thrown him off balance because he added cautiously, ‘It’s not necessarily such a bad thing, fathering a child out of the confines of marriage… these things do happen sometimes. It’s how people deal with the aftermath that probably matters most—they have to accept responsibility for their actions, and then perhaps we all need to take on board what’s happened and move on.’

Katie took a deep breath and finally found her voice. ‘So you’ve studied psychology along with wine production, have you, Mr Bellini?’ Her gaze was frosty. ‘I do appreciate you trying to help—I’m sure your theory has a good deal of merit, but, you know, I think I handled the situation the very best way I could.’

She stabbed at a slice of green pepper on her plate. ‘Since I’d been with my fiancé for some three and a half years and, bearing in mind that his child was just two years old, I wasn’t about to deal with his fall from grace lightly. I’m pretty sure we talked it through to the nth degree, and I have a very good idea of how the situation came about. I’m also in no doubt that James accepted full responsibility for his actions. For my part, I acknowledged totally what had happened… and I decided to move on.’ Her green glance locked with his. ‘That’s one of the reasons why I’m here now.’

Nick looked as though he’d been knocked for six. ‘It never occurred to me that any man would cheat on you,’ he said in a preoccupied tone. ‘I’d assumed the child was born before you met.’ He held up his hands in a gesture of capitulation. ‘Okay… I admit defeat. I was totally out of order. Clearly, it’s none of my business and I was wrong to try to intervene.’ He frowned. ‘And you must call me Nick. I insist.’

Katie gave a crooked semblance of a smile. ‘Perhaps it would be for the best if we change the subject?’ She glanced at her father. He had started all this, but he seemed altogether indifferent to the havoc he had caused. He simply picked up the wine bottle and began to refill her glass.

‘This is an excellent vintage,’ he said. ‘I’ll order another bottle.’

Katie took a sip of wine. ‘Tell me more about the vineyards,’ she said, shooting a glance towards Nick. ‘How much involvement do you have, if you’re in partnership with your father and brother? Do you each have separate roles?’

‘We do. I deal with the wine-making process rather than the growing side of things, whereas your father is more interested in aspects of cultivation. It’s intensely important to get it right, if we’re to produce a select variety of wines. You must let me show you the winery—I’m sure you would enjoy a visit. Maybe you could come along for a wine-tasting session?’

‘Maybe.’ She wasn’t about to agree to anything.

‘I’ll give you a call some time and see if we can arrange a date.’ Clearly, he wasn’t about to give up, but by now Katie was well and truly on her guard.

From then on, they kept the conversation light. The meal progressed, and Katie tried to damp down her feelings of antagonism towards this man who had cut in on her time with her father. What did her father care about her sensibilities, anyway? Perhaps she was wasting her time trying to find out why he had left all those long years ago.

And as to Nick Bellini, she had made up her mind that she would steer clear of him…no matter how hard he tried to persuade her into another meeting. He had touched a nerve with his comments, leaving her unusually rattled, and, besides, she knew it was a matter of self-preservation to avoid him. He could turn on the charm as easily as igniting a flame. She had been burned once. She wasn’t going to risk body and soul all over again.

CHAPTER TWO

‘NO, MUM, I really don’t want to go and live with my father.’ Katie frowned at the idea. ‘He suggested it but, to be honest, it would be like living with a stranger. After all, we barely know one another even after three weeks I still haven’t really managed to fathom him out.’

She glanced around the medical office that she had begun to call her own and leaned back in her seat, beginning to relax. There were still some ten minutes of her coffee break left, more than enough time to sit and chat with her mother.

‘These things take time, I suppose…’ her mother said, ‘but I think it was a wise decision to go over to California to see him. You would never have been comfortable with yourself if you hadn’t gone to seek him out. I suppose we all need to discover our roots, if only to find out if there are some genetic characteristics that have been passed on.’ Her tone was pensive. ‘I know you’re like your father in some ways—you know what you want, and once you’ve made up your mind, you go after it. That’s why you’ve done so well with your medical training.’

Eve Logan was thoughtful for a moment or two, and Katie could imagine her at the other end of the line, mulling things over. ‘It’s a shame you couldn’t find a place to stay that was nearer to the hospital, though,’ Eve added. ‘A half-hour drive to work every day doesn’t sound too good, though I expect it could have been worse.’ She hesitated. ‘Anyway, how is your father? From what you said last week, it sounds as though he’s more ill than we suspected.’

‘He has breathing problems—he’s suffering from what they call chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.’ Katie had spoken to her father about his difficulties, and though he’d been reluctant to dwell on his problems, he’d at least opened up enough to give her a brief outline. ‘He’s taking a variety of medicines to keep it under control, but I don’t think they’re having the desired effect. I suspect his condition’s deteriorating. He puts on a show of being able to cope, but I can see that it’s a struggle for him sometimes.’

She paused. ‘Anyway, you’re right, it makes me even more glad that I decided to come out here when I did. No matter what I think about him, he’s my father, and I feel as though I have to get to know him. Trouble is, every time we meet, he manages to sidestep my questions one way or another, or we’re interrupted somehow.’

It still rankled that Nick Bellini had come along to disrupt her lunch with her father, though in truth she couldn’t really blame him for that. He was an innocent bystander in all this, wasn’t he, and how could he know what kind of relationship they had?

Still, he’d reached her in more ways than she could have imagined. Her father’s business associate wasn’t someone she would easily forget.

‘That must be annoying,’ her mother acknowledged. ‘Still, you have plenty of time to build up some kind of relationship with him. You’ve signed a contract for a year, haven’t you, so you don’t have to rush things…and if, in the end, it doesn’t work out, you can always come home. There’ll always be a place here for you.’

‘Thanks, Mum. That’s good to know.’ Katie’s mouth made a rueful curve. She made it sound so easy, but the truth was, her mother was making a new life for herself back in Shropshire. She was going to marry Simon, a director of the pharmaceutical company where she worked, and they were very much wrapped up in one another right now. Katie wasn’t going to do anything to intrude on that.

‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘in the meantime, the scenery around here is fantastic, and with any luck I’ll get to see the vineyard before too long. It’s not as big as the Bellini vineyard next to it, but by all accounts it’s quite impressive.’

‘Bellini—I’ve heard that name,’ her mother commented, an inflection of interest in her voice. ‘There was an article about them in the Sunday supplement some time ago…all about the different varieties of wine they produce, as I recall. Apparently their land included your father’s vineyard at one time—there was something about an Italian migrant seeing the potential for development at the turn of the last century and buying up as much acreage as he could afford. But as the generations went by there were financial problems and part of the land was sold off around 1980. As far as I know, your father didn’t get into the business until some twenty or so years ago.’

‘Well, he’s made a success of it, by all accounts,’ Katie murmured. Her mother’s comments about the Sunday supplements had triggered a thought process in her mind, but she still couldn’t remember what it was that she’d read about Nick Bellini. Some kind of high-society gossip that kept the Sunday papers occupied for a week or two, but annoyingly the gist of it had slipped her mind.

Her pager began to bleep, and she glanced at the small screen, quickly scanning the text message from her boss. ‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ she said, ‘but I’ll have to ring you back later. I have to go out on an emergency call. Someone’s had a fall at a hotel nearby, and I need to go and see what the damage is.’

‘All right, Katie, love. Take care of yourself. Remember I’m always here for you.’

‘I will. Bye, Mum.’

Katie grabbed her medical bag and stopped by the reception desk on her way out. ‘Divert any patients to Mike O’Brien, will you, Carla? I’m going out on a call to the Pine Vale Hotel.’

‘I’ll do that. No problem. You’ll find the hotel just off the main road out of here.’ The clerk gave her a wave as Katie disappeared through the wide front doors of the building.

Pine Vale Hotel was up in the hills, only a short drive from the hospital, and Katie reached it in good time. As she slid out of her car and took a look around, she was stunned by the magnificence of the building. White painted, it was a long, symmetrical edifice with two front extending wings at either end. It stood three storeys high, and there were large, Georgian-styled windows in abundance, with green painted shutters folded back. On the ground floor several sets of French doors were set back in archways, and Katie guessed the hotel must be flooded with light.

She wasn’t wrong. Inside, the foyer reflected a quiet elegance, with traditional, comfy sofas that invited people to sit and take their ease. There were low, marble-topped tables and flower arrangements everywhere, adding glorious splashes of colour to delight the eye.

‘Hello.’ Katie introduced herself to the woman behind the desk. ‘I’m Dr Logan. I understand you have a patient for me.’

‘Oh, thank goodness you’re here.’ The woman, around thirty years old, with fair hair cut into a neat, gently curving bob, looked relieved. ‘Yes, please come with me and I’ll take you to her. The ambulance is on its way… the emergency services said they were sending a doctor out as well, as there might be a head injury, so I’m really glad to see you. I’m Jenny, by the way… Jenny Goldblum. I’m the hotel manager.’

Katie nodded acknowledgement. ‘I was told that the lady fell in her room and appears to be semiconscious—did anyone see the fall? It always helps to know the circumstances.’

Jenny shook her head. She pressed the button for the lift, and frowned as the door swished open. ‘It isn’t clear what happened. The maid found her when she went to clean the room. We think perhaps it had only just happened because a lady in the room next door had been speaking to Mrs Wyatt just a minute or so before.’

They stepped out of the lift on to the first floor, and Katie was ushered into a large, airy room, furnished in elegant style. There was a double bed with bedside units and an oak dresser to one side of the room, but at the far end, by the window, furniture had been arranged in a seating area. There was an oval oak coffee table and a couple of brocade-covered straight-backed chairs, along with armchairs upholstered in a matching fabric.

The patient, a woman in her fifties, was lying on the floor by the dresser. ‘What’s her first name?’ Katie asked. ‘Do you know?’

‘It’s Laura,’ Jenny answered. ‘She’s staying here with her husband, but he went out earlier for a walk. We haven’t been able to contact him yet.’

‘Okay, thanks.’

The woman was being tended by one of the hotel staff members, but the girl moved aside as Katie approached. A rug covered the area close by, and it looked as though this had been crumpled when Mrs Wyatt fell.

Katie went to kneel down beside the injured woman. ‘Mrs Wyatt… Laura… I’m Dr Logan. Can you hear me? Are you able to answer me?’

Laura Wyatt mumbled something indistinct and Katie tried again. ‘Do you feel pain anywhere, Laura?’ she asked gently. ‘Can you tell me where it hurts?’

Again there was a muffled reply, and Katie came to the conclusion that Mrs Wyatt was too dazed to answer properly. She began a swift initial examination, checking for any obvious injuries and finishing with a neurological check.

‘Laura,’ she said at last, ‘I think you’ve broken your shoulder—I know that it must be very painful, so I’m going to give you an injection to help with that. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

Laura tried to speak, but whatever she was trying to say didn’t come out right, and Katie went ahead and set up an intravenous line. ‘We’re going to get you to hospital just as soon as possible,’ she told the woman. ‘In the meantime, I’m going to try to make you more comfortable with a sling that will stop you moving your arm.’

It wasn’t clear whether Laura understood or simply couldn’t answer, but Katie went on with her examination, checking her patient’s blood pressure and listening to her heart.

‘What’s happened here?’ A familiar male voice disturbed Katie’s quiet concentration, and she looked up to see with a shock that Nick Bellini had entered the room. ‘Katie?’ He frowned, studying her for a moment, then turned his attention to her patient. Mrs Wyatt was groaning faintly.

His expression became grim, his eyes an intense, troubled blue.

‘Nick?’ Katie queried, removing the stethoscope from her ears. What was he doing here? And why had he thought it would be all right to come barging in that way? ‘You really shouldn’t be in here,’ she told him. ‘I’m examining a patient.’

‘Yes… I see that. I’m sorry for intruding, but you have to understand, I own this hotel... I came as soon as I heard... I’m very concerned that someone has been injured on the premises.’ His glance went to the woman once more. ‘How is she?’

Katie’s eyes widened. He owned this beautiful place? Was there no end to the extent of his empire? She blinked, and then hurriedly dragged her mind back to the business in hand. ‘She has a fractured shoulder. I’m sure you must be very worried,’ she murmured. ‘That’s understandable…s but this lady has a right to privacy. I think you should leave.’

His head went back, a lock of midnight hair falling across his brow. He seemed stunned by her words, as though it hadn’t for an instant occurred to him that anyone would ever try to evict him from where he wanted to be. She waited, bracing herself and expecting an argument, but then he said briefly, ‘You’ll keep me informed?’

Katie nodded, and without another word he turned and strode out of the room.

She went back to treating her patient. Nick’s intrusion had set her emotions in turmoil once more. She had thought she had seen the last of him, and yet here he had turned up when she’d least expected him. His presence had thrown her completely off balance, and now, perhaps because she’d just learned of his association with the hotel, there was a snippet of a newspaper headline running through her head… Something about an heiress… the daughter of a hotel magnate… and Nick Bellini.

She made an effort to push all thoughts of him to one side, and concentrated her attention on her patient, helping the woman to sit up. Then she put the immobiliser sling in place.

‘That should keep you fairly pain free until they can take care of you at the hospital,’ she said.

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later, and Katie went with them to oversee her patient’s transfer to the ambulance. By this time Laura’s husband had arrived, and he went along with her, sitting beside his wife and holding her hand.

Katie turned to go back into the hotel, only to find that Nick was right there by her side. She gave a startled jump. He seemed to tower over her, his body firm as a rock. She took a moment to gather herself together and then she gave him a fleeting once-over. He was turned out as faultlessly as ever, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit that made him every inch the businessman, a force to be reckoned with.

He looked at her. ‘A fractured shoulder, you said. Was she able to tell you what caused her to fall? Was it possible that it could have been the rug in her room—might she have tripped?’

She frowned, walking back with him into the foyer of the hotel. ‘Are you worried about liability?’ she asked. ‘Is that why you rushed over here?’

‘First and foremost, I came to see how the lady was doing… but, yes, I have to think about the hotel’s liability in this. We take every precaution, but if someone were to be hurt on the premises, it could lead to some very worrying consequences.’

‘Well, unfortunately I can’t really say what caused the accident. Mrs Wyatt was too dazed to give me any answers, I’m afraid. All I know is that she’ll probably need to have shoulder replacement surgery—she fell heavily and it was a nasty injury.’

His mouth flattened as he absorbed that information. Then he said in an even tone, ‘Do you have to rush on to another call, or would you have time to stay and have a drink with me?’

She hesitated. Part of her wanted to walk away and avoid getting involved with him any further than need be, but another bit of her recognised his concern. He was anxious for the woman’s well-being, and as a hotel proprietor he must be all too conscious of the threat of litigation. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stay for a while and talk things through with him.

‘I don’t have to be back at work—my surgery hours are finished for the day, but I’m still on call, so perhaps we should make it coffee rather than anything alcoholic?’

He smiled, his face relaxing for the first time, reminding her all too potently of that sizzling allure that had made her go weak at the knees the first time she’d met him. She had to keep a firm hold on herself. This man could annihilate her sense of security with just one look, and that wouldn’t do at all. She’d been down that road, and from her experience it led to heartache… big time. Emotionally, James, her ex, had scarred her for life. She’d been blissfully unaware that he’d been cheating on her, and once his indiscretions had come to light it had torn the heart out of her.

‘We’ll go out on to the sun terrace,’ he said. ‘I’ll have Jenny send us out a tray of coffee. Just give me a moment to catch up with her.’ He lightly cupped Katie’s elbow, as though to keep her close, and she stood still for a moment while he beckoned to Jenny. That light touch was like a searing brand on her soft flesh.

The hotel manager was waiting by the desk, talking to the receptionist, but she turned and came over immediately.

‘Ask chef to make up a lunch tray, will you, Jenny? Dr Logan will be staying for a while. We’ll be out on the terrace by the shrubbery.’

Jenny nodded. ‘I’ll do that.’ She glanced at Katie. ‘Is Mrs Wyatt going to be all right?’

‘I hope so,’ Katie answered. ‘The shoulder will give her some problems for quite a while, but those can be dealt with. I’m more concerned about her lack of response. They’ll have to do tests at the hospital.’

Jenny nodded and hurried away to find the chef. Nick ushered Katie across the foyer and lounge then out through wide glass doors onto a paved area that was set out with white-painted wrought-iron tables and chairs. The scent of roses filled the air, and Katie was struck by the mass of colour all around, shades of crimson, yellow and pink shrub roses, all vying for attention in the landscaped garden.

‘It’s really beautiful out here,’ Katie murmured as they sat down at one of the tables. ‘Everything I’ve seen so far is overwhelmingly luxurious. I had no idea that you had other interests aside from the vineyard.’

He smiled. ‘This place has been in my family’s possession for many years—as far back as I can remember. I took it over when my father decided it was time to cut back on his commitments. I bought him out, rather than see it fall to outsiders.’

She gave him a considering look. ‘The family name means a lot to you, doesn’t it? You’re very conscious of your heritage.’

He nodded. ‘That’s true. Generations of my family have lived in the valley since the end of the nineteenth century, and my great-great-grandfather worked immensely hard to make a go of his enterprise. I feel that we have a duty to secure the results of his labour for generations to come.’

Two waitresses came out on to the terrace just then and placed laden trays down on the table. On one there was a porcelain coffee pot, along with cups and saucers, cream and sugar. The other held an appetising selection of food, as well as plates and cutlery.

Nick began to pour coffee for both of them. ‘It isn’t just about my own heritage. At the same time I believe we have to give of our best to the local community. That’s why what happened this morning concerns me so much. We hold a certain position of trust out here. People look to us to set standards.’

He offered her a plate and napkin. ‘Please, help yourself to food.’

‘Thank you. It looks delicious.’ She gazed at the tempting choices before her. There was prosciutto, a dry-cured Italian ham, cut in paper-thin slices, along with sun-dried tomatoes, gnocchi and a crisp salad.

She added a little of each to her plate. ‘I wish I could be of more help,’ she said quietly, ‘but until Mrs Wyatt recovers enough to tell us what happened, we can only wait for the test results to come back from the hospital and hope that they will give us some clue.’

‘Was there any head injury?’

‘Not that I could see. Of course, that doesn’t always mean there’s nothing to be concerned about. Any kind of extreme jolting movement within the skull can cause problems that might develop later.’

He tasted a portion of the ham. ‘I’ll go and see her just as soon as the doctors have had time to treat her shoulder. In the interim I’ve sent the under-manager along to the hospital to see if we can do anything to make her stay more comfortable.’ He frowned. ‘It’s a dilemma. We generally make sure that the rugs in the rooms are in good condition, not easily rucked. If it was the case that she tripped, I’ll have to think about having them removed.’

Katie glanced at him across the table. His concern seemed genuine, and she wondered if there was any comfort she could offer.

‘It’s always possible that she might have a health problem that caused her to fall—something quite unrelated to the hotel. She might have suffered a dizzy spell, for instance.’

‘Or a TIA, perhaps.’

Transient ischaemic attack… Katie gave him a considering look, and slid her fork into succulent, sauce-covered potato gnocchi, giving herself time to think. ‘That’s a definite possibility. Any restriction of the blood supply to the brain could cause a temporary loss of consciousness.’

‘Or stroke-like symptoms.’

She nodded. ‘It sounds as though you have some experience of the condition. Has someone in your family had problems with TIAs?’

‘No, nothing like that.’ His gaze meshed with hers. ‘As it happens, I’m a doctor, like yourself. I suppose that’s why I didn’t think twice about rushing in on you when you were examining Mrs Wyatt. I’m so used to tending these medical emergencies that it didn’t cross my mind to steer clear.’

She gave a soft gasp. ‘I had no idea.’ She studied him afresh, a small frown indenting her brow. ‘I can’t imagine how you find time to practise medicine when you have a vineyard and a hotel to run.’

He laughed. ‘I guess it would be difficult if I tried to do all three…but the fact is, I have managers to do the day to day work for me. They let me know if any problems arise that need my attention—like today, for instance. Jenny called me. Otherwise, I make regular checks to make sure that everything’s going smoothly, but for the most part I work in the emergency department at the hospital.’

Her eyes widened. ‘That must take some dedication. After all, you could have chosen to stay in the valley and reap the benefits of years of grape cultivation. Your wines are internationally famous, according to my mother.’

‘That’s true. But I’ve always wanted to be an emergency physician. When I was a teenager, I saw one of my friends injured in a traffic accident. It was horrific…and for a while it was touch and go as to whether he would survive. Thankfully, he had the best surgical team looking after him, and he made it in the end. It left a huge impression on me. So, you see, I’m passionate about my work, and I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. After all, saving lives is a job that’s definitely worthwhile. It gives me more satisfaction than I could ever get from gathering in the grape harvest.’

‘I can see how you would feel that way but, then, I’m biased.’ She gave a faint smile. ‘I have to admit, though, there are times when I’m tempted to swap it all for the kind of life I see out here… lazy days in the sunshine, a trip down to the beach to watch the surfers ride the waves… but then I come back to reality. I couldn’t give up medicine. It’s part of me.’

He nodded, his glance trailing over her. ‘I was surprised to see you here. I remember you said you were a paediatrician… but you did a pretty good job of taking care of Mrs Wyatt, as far as I could see. She didn’t appear to be in any pain, there was an IV line already in place, and you had her on oxygen. No one could complain at the standard of treatment she received.’

‘Let’s hope not, anyway.’ She guessed he was still thinking about the repercussions of that morning’s accident, and how it might affect him as a proprietor. ‘I do work as a paediatrician most of the time, but I’m on call two days a week. During my training, I specialised in both paediatrics and emergency, and I wanted to keep up my skills in both those fields. This job was ideal.’

‘I can imagine it would be.’ He smiled, his gaze slanting over her, and then he waved a hand towards a platter. ‘Won’t you try our Burrata cheese? I think you’ll find it’s out of this world.’

‘Thanks.’ She helped herself to one of the cheeses, a ball wrapped in mozzarella, giving it a springy, soft texture. As she bit into it, she savoured the buttery texture of the centre, a mixture of cream and shredded mozzarella. ‘Mmm,’ she murmured. ‘It’s like a little taste of heaven.’

He chuckled, his gaze moving over her, flame glimmering in the depths of his blue eyes. ‘Your expression said it all.’ His glance slid to the soft fullness of her mouth and lingered there. ‘What I wouldn’t give to have savoured that with you,’ he said on a husky note. ‘You have the lips of an angel…soft, ripe and exquisitely sensual.’

She stared at him, her green eyes widening in confusion. His words took her breath away, and a tide of heat rushed through her body. ‘I… Uh…’ She didn’t know what to say to him. She wasn’t prepared for his reaction and his comment was unexpected, disarming, leaving her completely at a loss.

Nervously, she swallowed the rest of her coffee then ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, an involuntary action to make herself feel more secure, to help her to know that all was as it should be, and he made a muffled groan.

‘Don’t…please...’ he said, his tone roughened, his gaze darkening to reflect the deep blue of the ocean. ‘That just adds to the torment.’

Katie’s pulse began to thump erratically, and a torrent of heat rushed to her head. Panic began to set in. Why was he having this strange effect on her? Hadn’t she come all the way out here to start afresh? She didn’t want any entanglements, and yet Nick seemed to be constantly in her face, a powerful, authoritative man, someone it was hard to ignore. He wasn’t like other men she had met, and she was finding she couldn’t trust her instincts around him. At the first foray into dangerous territory she was conscious of the ground sliding out from under her feet. She couldn’t let him do this to her.

She straightened, leaning back in her chair. ‘Perhaps I should leave,’ she said distractedly, her thoughts spiralling out of control. He was altogether too masculine, too hot-blooded for a girl like her. With just a word, a touch he had her senses firing on overdrive.

‘Surely not?’ he murmured. ‘Please, stay a while longer.’

She shook her head. Her bewildered mind searched for options, rocketed from one impossible scenario to the next and collapsed in a panicked heap. ‘I’ve probably spent way too much time here already,’ she managed. ‘It was good of you to offer me lunch. Thank you for that, but I should be on my way now.’

He reached out to her, laying a hand over hers when she would have drawn back from the table. ‘Don’t let me frighten you away, Katie. It’s just that you shook me to the core the first time I met you, and that feeling hasn’t gone away. You’re really something special and I’d do anything to see you again.’

She gently pulled her hand out from under his. ‘I’m sorry. It’s not that I have anything against you, Nick, but I’m not in the market for relationships right now. I just… There are too many things going on in my life, too many changes I have to deal with.’

It was all too much for her. The business with James had hurt her deeply, made her guarded and uncertain, and now she was struggling to build a new life, trying to find her niche in a new job. She couldn’t deal with any distractions right now, and she sensed that Nick was way more trouble than she could ever handle.

She pulled in a deep breath and stood up, pushing back her chair. ‘Thanks again for lunch,’ she said, hating herself for the slight tremor in her voice. ‘It was delicious… but I really must go.’

He wasn’t going to make it easy for her, though, she discovered. He came to stand beside her, his body so close to hers that she could feel the heat coming from him, could register the heavy thud of his heartbeat as he leaned towards her and slid an arm around her waist. Or was that her own heart that she could feel—that pounding, intense rhythm that warned of imminent danger? His hand splayed out over her rib cage, and her whole body fired up in response.

‘That’s such a shame,’ he murmured. ‘There is so much more I want to say to you. I could even show you around the hotel if only you would stay a little longer.’

She shook her head, steeling herself to resist the lure of his embrace. She couldn’t allow herself to lean into the warmth of his long, hard body, no matter how great the temptation. ‘I can’t,’ she murmured. ‘I. I really ought to go back to the office and type up my notes while everything’s fresh in my mind.’ It sounded such a weak excuse, even to her ears.

‘Such mundane tasks, when life could be so much more interesting.’ He sighed, reluctantly giving in. ‘If you’re determined to go, you must at least let me walk you to your car.’

She nodded. ‘Okay.’ At least he was yielding to her decision. Escape was within reach at last, and maybe soon the fog of indecision would lift from her mind…though it didn’t help at all that he kept his arm around her as they headed back through the hotel.

Only when they reached her car did he let her go and finally she began to breathe a little more easily.

‘I imagine you have to write up a report on Mrs Wyatt’s accident,’ he said on an even note, ‘for the inquiry.’

‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘There’ll more than likely be an official investigation. I gather any kind of accident on public premises causes the wheels to be set in motion.’

‘Hmm…do you have any idea what will go in your report?’

She sent him a quick glance. ‘I can only state the facts. Anything else would be pure conjecture.’

He considered that for a moment, a line indenting his brow. ‘Yes, of course.’ He pulled open the car door for her and held it while she slid into the driver’s seat. ‘I’d be interested in hearing the results of the tests.’ He paused. ‘Anyway, I expect we’ll run into one another again before too long.’

She nodded. ‘I should think so.’ He closed the door and she turned the key in the ignition, starting up the engine.

She frowned as an errant thought dropped into her mind. He’d asked about the report and what she might put in it… and for a good deal of the time while they had been eating he had been asking about the precise details of Mrs Wyatt’s medical condition.

Was he worried about the outcome of the investigation and how it would affect the hotel?

Her report could sway things one way or the other. Was that the real reason he was making a play for her? Why would a man such as him be interested in her, after all, when no doubt he could take his pick of beautiful women? The thought disturbed her. She had to tread cautiously, and she couldn’t take anything or anyone at face value these days, least of all Nick Bellini.

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