Resisting Her Rebel Doc (15 page)

‘Sorry to love you and leave you, Caitlin,’ her mother said shortly after she arrived home. A car horn sounded outside on the drive. ‘My friend’s arrived to take me to the book club meeting—did you remember it was on for tonight?’

‘I remembered, Mum. Enjoy yourself.’

‘I will. You’ll get yourself something to eat, won’t you? Because I’ll be eating at Freda’s house. There’s the makings of a ploughman’s lunch in the fridge and I made a batch of scones earlier. You could have them with some of that strawberry preserve.’

‘Thanks, Mum. Don’t worry about me. I’ll have a shower and change and then I’ll sort something out.’

‘Good.’ Her mother looked at her closely. ‘You’re looking a bit peaky. I hope you’re not coming down with something.’

‘I’m fine, really.’

‘Hmm.’ Her mother wasn’t convinced. ‘Is it Brodie? Is he the problem?’ She frowned. ‘I wish you and he could sort yourselves out. I thought when he bought the house next door he was all for settling down—but now that’s all up in the air again with this job in London on the cards.’

Caitlin flicked her a glance. ‘He told you about it?’

‘Oh, yes. He said it’s a fantastic opportunity. They’ve told him he can have carte blanche to make changes and there’s even an executive house that goes with the job.’

Caitlin’s heart sank. It sounded too good to be true and he was obviously impressed with the terms of the contract. Why would he even think of turning it down?

After her mother left with her friend, Caitlin showered and changed into jeans and a fresh, pretty top, then took Daisy for a walk along the quiet lane by the house. The terrier was happy to be out and about, fully restored to health with a shining, shaggy coat. She explored the grass verges, her tail wagging the whole time. Caitlin let her sniff and forage for a while, until finally she said, ‘Come on, then, Daisy. It’s time we were heading for home. I expect the puppies will be wanting their mum back.’

Daisy eagerly started back along the lane. She was unusually happy to hurry home and Caitlin had no idea what had brought about that enthusiasm until they rounded a bend in the road and saw a lone figure up ahead. He was coming towards them.

‘Brodie?’ Caitlin’s eyes widened. ‘I thought you’d be up at Mill House.’

He walked towards her, long and lean; his body was supple, his legs clad in dark chinos, his shirt open at the collar. ‘Hi there. Yes, I was. I talked to Dad for a while and then told him I had an invitation for supper at your place. He seemed to think I should take you up on it.’

‘And you were okay with that?’

‘Oh, yes. I told him I was hoping he’d say that.’

She laughed, letting Daisy off the lead now that they were close to home. ‘You got on well with him, then?’

‘Yes, it was good. I think we smoothed a lot of things out. We’ll be okay.’

The dog ran up to him, fussing around him delightedly, rapturous at finding her favourite person in all the world so near at hand, and Brodie stroked her silky head in return. ‘I thought I’d find you both out on a walk along here,’ he said.

‘Mum’s out at her book club meeting and I haven’t started supper yet,’ Caitlin told him. ‘I thought I might make a pizza. What do you think?’

‘Sounds good to me. I’ll prepare the topping if you want to do the base?’

She nodded. ‘Fair enough. There’s cheese and ham and sun-dried tomatoes. Does that sound all right to you?’

‘Perfect.’

They went into the house together. Daisy went off to find her offspring while Caitlin washed her hands at the sink and started to get organised for supper. She sent Brodie a quick glance. ‘Did you catch up with Matt at the hospital before he left? I wondered if you and he had a chance to talk?’

She switched on the oven to warm and then gathered together the ingredients for the pizza, setting them out on the kitchen table. ‘He seemed to think you had a problem with him.’

‘So he said. Yes, we talked, for a short time. We’re all right.’ He started to chop ham and then grated the cheese she had put out on a board. ‘I guess I just need to get over the fact that he dated you for what seemed like for ever.’

Her brow creased. ‘That seems to have bothered you quite a bit.’

‘It did. A lot.’

She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry but I don’t really understand.’ She paused in the middle of putting together the mix for the pizza base. ‘That all started a long while ago—Matt and me. Why would it worry you? You weren’t around.’

He pulled a face. ‘Maybe...but I wanted to be.’

She’d started to roll out the pizza base but now she hesitated once more. ‘I don’t think I follow what you’re trying to say.’

He moved his shoulders awkwardly. ‘That’s probably because I’m finding it hard to say it. I’m not used to baring my soul, Caity, but I suppose it’s about time we had this out in the open.’ He started to pace around the kitchen.

She frowned. ‘Okay.’ She spread sun-dried tomato paste over the pizza base and added the grated cheese and ham. ‘What is it you need to tell me?’ She slid the pizza into the oven and set the timer. ‘Perhaps you should stand still and tell me before I get dizzy from watching you walking around.’

He gave a rueful smile at that but stood still. ‘I always thought there was something missing in my life, something I was searching for. I thought I felt that way because I didn’t know who my father was. I couldn’t settle. I thought if I found him, found my natural father and discovered who I really was, that would resolve everything. But then I realised that wasn’t the problem at all.’

‘It wasn’t?’

‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘You see, it was you I wanted, Caity. It was you I wanted all along. You were the one who was missing from my life. I wanted you when we were teenagers but you weren’t having any of it... I went away thinking I’d get over you, I’d make a new start...but it didn’t happen. I never found anyone who could make me happy.’

He drew in a long breath. ‘For a long time, I thought I didn’t deserve to be happy. I believed I couldn’t make you happy. Back when we were teenagers I wasn’t good enough for you...I was so confused and out of sorts. I spent years thinking I wasn’t good enough, that I was lacking in some way, not to be trusted. And then I heard you were with Matt and I knew I had to make one last effort to see you again, to see if things might change.’

He started to pace again and Caitlin stared at him, not daring to believe what he was saying.

‘Is it true, Brodie? Do you mean it?’

He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her. ‘It’s definitely true, Caity. I came back here to Ashley Vale for one reason and one reason only. I wanted to be near you. I knew you would come to stay with your mother from time to time, so at least I would see you.’

He frowned. ‘Knowing you and Matt were together drove me crazy. I’m ashamed to say I wanted to break things up between you. I couldn’t stand the thought of you and him being together. In fact, I didn’t want to think of you being with anyone other than me.’

‘But you didn’t say any of this to me.’ She looked up at him, hardly daring to believe him, yet inside her heart was soaring. He’d missed her, he wanted to be with her and he’d come back to Ashley Vale to be near her.

She lifted her hand to his cheek, tracing the line of his strong jaw with the tips of her fingers. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘How could I, when you seemed to be so much in love with Matt?’ He bent his head and rested his cheek against hers. ‘I’m sorry, but I was glad when you broke up with him. I thought maybe, in time, you’d come to see me in a different light, that you might come to love me as I love you.’

‘Do you...love me?’

‘I love you, Caity, more than anything. Being with you since I came back here just confirmed what I believed all along: that you’re the only woman for me; my soulmate; my true love.’ He held her close and kissed her and she clung to him, hardly able to breathe because she was so full of joy and love for him.

After a while, he reluctantly broke off the kiss to say raggedly, ‘When you said you were unhappy because I left Ashley Vale, that you turned to Matt because I wasn’t around, I began to hope there was a chance for you and me to be together. I hoped I could prove to you that I’m strong now, that I’m capable of true, heartfelt love, and that I can give you what you need. Tell me I’m right, Caity.’

‘Brodie, I love you. I’ve known it for a long time now.’ She kissed him fiercely, passionately, wanting to show him how much she cared for him.

‘I think I turned to Matt because he was safe—he was steady and responsible—but as soon as you came back here I knew I’d made a huge mistake. I was in such a state of turmoil. I never felt for him, or for any man, what I feel for you. I always hankered after you but I was afraid to act on my feelings. I was so scared of being hurt, of loving you and losing you. Can you understand that? I think it all goes back to when I lost my father. It was so painful—I didn’t want to risk you not loving me in return.’

‘Ah, Caity...’ He kissed her tenderly, his mouth achingly sweet as he explored the softness of her lips. ‘I love you and I’ll never let you down. I want you to know that. I’ll always be here for you. All you have to do is say you’ll marry me—say the word and everything will work out fine. We’ll stay here and look after your mother and they can find someone else to take the job in London. It’s not important. You’re what matters to me, more than anything. I want you to know that you mean everything to me.’ He gazed at her, his eyes dark with passion. ‘Say you’ll marry me, Caity?’

‘Yes, Brodie. Yes. Yes, I will.’ She was laughing now with happiness, brimming over with it, still hardly daring to believe this was happening. Was it all a dream? Would she wake up and find it was a fanciful, wonderful fantasy?

But then the buzzer from the oven rang out, signalling that the pizza was cooked, an all too real sign that she was well and truly awake, and that someone would have to do something about it. Then they were both laughing, wrapped up in each other’s arms, kissing and hugging, neither one wanting to let go of the other.

Daisy came in from the utility room to see what the noise was all about. She gave a short bark and nudged Brodie’s leg.

‘I think she wants me to stop the buzzer and get the pizza,’ he said with a smile. ‘You can tell who’s going to be the boss in our house, can’t you? A small, raggedy-haired dog with a tail that wags ten to the dozen.’

‘“Our house”,’ Caitlin repeated with a smile. ‘I love the sound of that.’

Brodie switched off the alarm and kissed her again, tenderly, thoroughly. ‘So do I. Our house—a family home filled with love. Maybe even, some day, if you want it too, our own small brood of children.’ He gazed down at her, holding her close.

‘Oh, I do,’ she murmured. ‘It sounds absolutely perfect.’

* * * * *

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