The Nurse by J. Corrigan (list of ebook readers txt) 📕

the clock again. ‘Aren’t we cutting it fine to get to the airport?’

‘Plenty of time. C’mon, the taxi’s waiting.’

‘I thought Ed’d be taking us?’

‘Ed’s coming with us.’

‘To the airport?’

‘No, to Spain.’

‘You’re joking?’

‘I know he can be prickly. It’s just the way he is. But he could do with a holiday too. It’s my way of thanking him for all his help.’

‘He doesn’t like me, Daniel.’

‘Ed likes very few people.’

‘Who does he like, apart from you?’

‘My sister, Abigail. She’s already at the villa. She’s really keen to meet you, Rose. I tried to put her off, but she was adamant. Sorry.’

‘Why sorry? I’ll love meeting her.’

He didn’t look convinced. ‘She’s been having a tough time of it recently, so take her with a pinch of salt. Abigail can be blunt when things aren’t going her way.’

‘I’m sorry to hear things aren’t good for her. Anything I should know?’

He shut the front door behind us. ‘Problems with our dad, you know, family stuff. They tend to argue a lot. Don’t see eye to eye.’

I felt I could understand this. ‘I know what it can be like, navigating your way around parents.’ I paused. I didn’t really want to bring my mum into the conversation, but I did anyway. ‘Heard anything about how it’s going with my mother at Bluefields?’

‘All good, so Ed tells me.’

‘Ed?’

‘She’s had problems getting in for work occasionally, so he picked her up. It’s what he does, sorts things, and he likes your mum.’ He winked at me.

God, Ed and my mum. The thought made me feel queasier than I already did.

‘Does Abigail know?’ I patted my stomach.

‘Course she does! She’s my sister. I tell her everything.’

Once on our way, I took in Daniel’s profile, his softened features. He grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and a current of desire ripped through me. I glanced at the driver, and at Ed in the front passenger seat, peering ahead at the road. The car pulled up sharply at a junction and he turned around, shook his head.

Almost imperceptible.

38

When we got out of the car at the airport, it was freezing. Daniel put his coat around my shoulders, and as he did so, I peered up at a plane skimming along in the sky above and pulled at his elbow.

‘You okay?’ he asked. ‘Warm enough now? The weather in southern Spain is forecast to be great, so you won’t be needing a jacket there.’ He looked at me more closely, ‘What’s the matter, Rose?’

‘I’ve never flown before. I’m scared.’

He laughed, then stopped abruptly. ‘Seriously?’

‘Yep. My heart’s around a hundred and forty at this very moment.’

He swung around. ‘Ed, do you have my beta blockers on you?’

‘No, but I think I put some in my suitcase. Do you want me to find them?’ Ed’s tone had slid to one of concern. I couldn’t imagine Daniel ever needing anything to calm him down.

‘For Rose.’

‘Ah.’ His expression morphed into indifference.

‘It’s fine, Daniel, I can’t take them anyway,’ I said, again patting a non-existent bump.

‘Of course you can’t. You do look terrified.’ He pulled me into his arms. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll distract you.’ But then he took a step backward and studied me. ‘Shall we call it off? Stay home? It’s not a problem.’

‘No, don’t be silly. I’ll be fine. I’ll sleep.’

‘Good girl.’

Ed gave me a sideways glance that I ignored.

‘What is it with Ed?’ I asked once he was out of earshot, heading towards check-in.

‘He’s a bit jumpy. His mum’s not well.’ Daniel took me by the elbow. ‘Let’s get some disgusting coffee.’ He smiled. ‘Well, maybe you should have decaffeinated.’

Less than two hours later, I was on a plane for the first time in my life, and two hours after that, as I left imprints in the palm of Daniel’s hand, we touched down in Malaga. After going through customs, Daniel and I made our way to the airport entrance. He had arranged a taxi to his dad’s villa. Ed had volunteered to pick up the luggage.

We came into Nerja along the coastal road; the sea was a dark velvet blue in the distance, a lighter cerulean at the fringes near the beach. I opened the car window and gazed out. It was so different from the sea in Devon, Cornwall and the south coast of Wales. I couldn’t believe I’d reached twenty-two and never been abroad.

I loved Spain immediately: its warmth, the smell of evaporating salt, of heated dust on the road, the sound of church bells resonating from the hills. Even sitting inside the car there was a distinct and pleasant scent of a flower that I didn’t recognise but that faintly reminded me of a perfume from my youth.

‘What’s that smell?’ I asked, my nose out the window.

‘Either cinnamon, a smell that permeates through this part of Spain, or Spanish lavender. Probably the lavender you’re picking up on. Gorgeous, isn’t it? It’s blossomed a little early this year; the season’s a week or two ahead of schedule. Everything blooms in Spain.’ Daniel hauled me over to him, playfully taking a handful of my hair. ‘Like you, Rose. Blooming and fertile.’

‘I can’t wait to put Casey’s bikini on, although it won’t fit me properly. And get my notes out.’

‘The notes can wait till tomorrow, eh? And I’ll buy you a new bikini.’

I touched his knee. ‘Yeah, tomorrow, and thanks.’

Ed said something in Spanish to the driver, who nodded and put his foot down. I swayed to one side as he took a curve in the road, surprised that Ed spoke Spanish.

Daniel laughed. ‘Nearly there.’

We bypassed the town, heading up into the hills, making our way along a neatly tarmacked road, which came to an end at a gated entrance. Daniel got out and opened the gates, and in front of me sat an unostentatious whitewashed villa. A veranda ran across the frontage, blue and yellow flowers engulfing most of it. To the right was a small swimming pool with blue and yellow loungers dotted around, matching the flowers.

Ed leaned sideways,