The Secret Doctor Read Free Page B

injuries any day.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t count on that, if I were you,’ she said dryly, ‘or on anything else, for that matter. I can see when I’m being strung a line.’ She figured it was better to cut him down at the first pass, rather than leave things to roll on and get out of hand. She slid golden pasties onto a plate and passed them to him.
    â€˜That’s a great shame,’ he said, affecting to appear dismayed but finding it difficult to prevent a grin from breaking out. He gave a false sigh. ‘I dare say I’ll have to console myself with the empanadas instead.’

CHAPTER TWO
    L ACEY picked her way carefully along the rocky shoreline, deep in thought, her gaze sweeping along the line of coral reef islands that made up the Keys. They made a glorious picture, strung out like a jewelled, emerald bracelet across the Florida Straits. To the west the sun-dappled waters of the Gulf of Mexico gave off a blue haze as the heat of the day began to rise.
    She was content for the first time in a long while, and perhaps now she would find the wherewithal to cope with whatever lay before her. A couple of weeks had passed since that evening when she had first arrived here and met up with her new neighbour, but she still wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. An hour or so in Jake’s company had been enough to make her realise that he was a definite threat to her peace of mind. And peace was what she wanted right now, above all.
    There hadn’t been any contact between them since that first day, probably because she had been out and about, exploring the island and making the most of her newfound liberty. She was still licking her wounds afterthe disaster of her relationship with Nick. On top of that she’d had to cope with the upheaval of selling her parents’ house before the move out here. What she needed now was space, a chance to sort out her troubled thoughts. Jake was a distraction she could do without.
    â€˜Hello, there… Lacey…wait up…’
    She half turned. It was almost as though thinking about Jake had conjured him up. He was heading towards her, emerging from the woods that covered the land behind both houses.
    She slowed down and he came alongside her. ‘So, I’ve found you at last,’ he said, his deep voice vibrant, echoing his energetic presence. ‘I’ve been looking for you these last few days. Then, just now, as I was on my way to the boathouse I spotted you down here.’ He fell into step beside her, sending her an oblique glance that took in her loose cotton top and the white shorts that showed off a golden expanse of long, shapely legs. ‘You’re looking good…’ he murmured. ‘All sun kissed and glowing with health. This part of the world must agree with you.’
    â€˜The climate’s certainly better than it is back home,’ she agreed. ‘It’s tempted me to get out and about while I have the chance.’
    â€˜Hmm.’ His eyes took on a faint gleam. ‘So much so that you’re hardly ever at home. I was beginning to get the idea that you might be trying to avoid me.’
    Her mouth made a wry shape. He really wasn’t far wrong in thinking that way. ‘As I said, I’ve been spending time getting to know the place all over again.It’s all so different out here. I feel as though I’m being given a glimpse of paradise.’
    As she spoke, a black cormorant, standing some three feet high, paused by the water’s edge, where it had been searching for food, and spread its wings to dry. He lifted his orange-tinted throat towards the sun, as though he was stretching and taking joy in the day.
    Jake followed her glance. ‘You see a lot of them around the coastal area. You’ll often catch sight of white heron, too, wading in the shallows, but they’re shy and will fly off if you disturb them.’
    â€˜I know. I’ll take good care not