This was a woman who had told him straight-out she wasn’t interested. She didn’t date doctors, ever. But the sparks that had flown at the first meeting had never died. No matter what she said.
She was a good doctor. Conscientious. Caring. Even when completely out of her depth. No wonder she was doing so well at the DPA. They were lucky to have her.
His stomach gave a few flip-flops as he thought about what came next. He hadn’t been able to access emails for days. He’d been having a few tentative exchanges about job possibilities. He’d need to make a decision soon.
Amber groaned and shifted position, her arm draping across his chest. He wanted to nudge and kiss her awake. Every cell in his body was currently screaming at him. But he couldn’t do that. Not like this.
They’d been pushed into a forced proximity. It didn’t matter how much of a pull he felt toward Amber. After waiting two years to connect with someone, he wanted to be sure. And he wanted her to be sure. Because Amber Berkeley gave off a whole host of conflicting signals. Oh, sure, she kissed really well. But just because she kissed him didn’t mean she wanted anything to progress between them. And how did you have that conversation with someone you’d really only just met?
Amber moved again, her lips brushing against the skin at his shoulder. Jack almost groaned out loud.
One thing was clear. Carrying on like this would drive him plain crazy.
*
Amber checked the obs chart in front of her. Aaron was on his way to a good recovery. Zane was finally making progress too, allowing her to breathe a big sigh of relief.
Jack came up behind her. “How you doing?”
He’d been a little awkward this morning. Not unpleasant. Just a little brisker than before. When she’d woken up and found herself wrapped around him again, all she’d been able to think of was how right things felt.
By the time she’d got her five-minute shower she’d tried to be more sensible. In a few days she’d have to leave and get back to Chicago and the DPA. Jack still had no idea what to do next. And she’d no right to have an opinion on anything about that.
He nudged her again. “Hey? Are you with me?” His voice was soft, like velvet touching her skin, and she jerked back to attention.
“What? Yes. I’ve just finished checking on Aaron’s mom. Her lung has reinflated and she’s feeling a lot better.”
Jack nodded. “I checked his dad. The pins in his tib and fib look good. He’s got a walking cast on and they’ve had him on his feet already. Once he’s mastered the hospital stairs on his crutches, he’ll be good to go.”
“Aaron should be ready to go in a few days. I’ve taken some more bloods this morning and he seems to be responding to the antibiotics well.”
Jack gave a nod. “How about if I told you that I managed to find a shop that’s opened?”
“Really?” That had her instant attention. She wanted to buy some toiletries and some food. Probably in that order.
He nodded again. “Apparently they had a delivery today from the mainland. They have some fresh food. I might have bought some.”
“You might have bought some?” She arched an eyebrow at him. “What exactly might you have bought?”
“Chicken. Potatoes. Veg. Bread. Butter.”
She rolled her eyes upward. “Sounds like heaven. Do we get to eat this food in a place that doesn’t hold two thousand other people?” She wrinkled her nose. “And smell like two thousand other people.”
“Oh, yeah,” breathed Jack. “I also heard a rumor that the utilities might be turned on for a bit longer tonight. We might get more than an hour of water.”
“Now, that would really be bliss.” She leaned back against the nearest wall. Then something came into her head. “Hey, tonight, who’s cooking? Shall we flip for it?”
He gave a sneaky kind of smile. “Well, since I managed to find the food…”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. Oh, no, you don’t. We flip for it.”
“Or?”
“Or I steal the food and eat it myself.”
He pulled a quarter from his pocket. “Okay, then. Heads or tails?”
“Tails.”
He flipped the coin. It spun in the air and landed on his palm.
She grinned. “Tails.” She lifted one finger and prodded his shoulder. “Just remember. I prefer barbecue chicken. Or maybe chicken cordon bleu.”
She gave her stomach a little rub to tease him.
He shook his head. “Don’t let it be said that anyone calls you Bossy Britches.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Dr. Campbell, I have absolutely no idea what you mean.”
*
He was strangely nervous. And he had no idea why. He was a perfectly capable cook. He could throw together a dinner without too many problems—even with his eyes on the clock to make sure he coordinated it with the bursts of power. The apartment they were temporarily residing in was only a few streets away from the beach. Since there were still a number of other emergency helpers using the apartment, Jack decided it might be easier to pack up the food and take it outside.
Their belongings had been dropped off from the hotel around an hour ago. In the chaos after the hurricane, the hotel was being used as a temporary shelter for some families. It seemed that his belongings had been more or less thrown into the case. But everything seemed to be there.
He undid the zipper on the inside lid of the case and slipped his hand inside. The wave of relief passed over his body instantly as he felt the battered edge of the photograph, but he froze as he went to pull it out. He knew it was there. He knew he hadn’t lost it. But he’d lost her.
Did he need to keep looking at her photograph?
His fingers released the edge of the photograph as he knelt by the case. He breathed for a minute. In. Out. In. Out.
He pulled back his hand and fixed his eyes on the door. He’d used to have the picture on permanent display. That had stopped a few months ago. Would he ever get rid of it? No. Never.
He would always be respectful of Jill’s memories. Her life. Her love. Her laughter.
But in the last few days it was as if the shadows had lifted from his eyes. And from his heart.
His head had stopped focusing only on the research. He’d never been interested in the business side of things. He’d only ever been interested in developing the best product that might actually save lives. Now he’d done it and he had the evidence base to prove it. But his obsession had started to diminish.
Today, he’d finally managed to access a working computer for a few minutes. Seven hundred emails. Mostly about the wound dressing.
But the only ones that he’d opened had been the emails about job opportunities. Doctors Without Borders. Seven private clinics throughout the world. Six NHS posts highlighted to him by friends and colleagues who thought he would be suitable. Three possible aid agencies postings in far-off places that would be similar to what he was actually doing right now in Hawaii.
He’d always thought he’d know the right job opportunity as soon as it came along. But somehow, in among all of this, for the first time he was uncertain.
He’d always had a career path in his head. Up until this point it had served him well. But now? Here, in Hawaii, with his senses awakening for the first time in years, he just didn’t know what path to take.
The door banged and Amber walked in. She was wearing a pair of thin blue scrubs with her hair tied up on top of her head. Her eyes widened as she saw him crouched on the floor. “Our luggage? We have our luggage?”
He nodded, and before he got a chance to point her bright green suitcase out, she’d spotted it and ran across the floor, throwing herself on top of it. “Come to Mama, clean clothes, shampoo and moisturizer.” She laughed as he shook his head at her while she stayed in position.
“What? Are you trying to tell me that you haven’t craved your own clean shirt and underwear in the last few days?”
She jumped up and dragged her case toward the bathroo
m. “Leave me alone. I might be some time.” Her eyes were gleaming.
He smiled and stood up, waiting for a few seconds until he heard the inevitable signs of the shower running. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door.
“What?” came the impatient shout.
He leaned on the wall and folded his arms across his chest as he kept grinning. “Amber? Just to let you know, you have—” he glanced at his watch “—nine minutes.”
“What?” Her horror-struck face appeared at a tiny gap in the door. “Tell me you’re joking?”
He tapped his watch as he walked away. “Tick, tick, Amber.”