Logan stood and started across the small lawn to the cottage. At the back door, he glanced over his shoulder. Thurza still sat where he’d left her, eyes closed, face tilted to the sun. His heart flipped at the sight of her beauty, but he ignored it. Somehow he was going to make life easier for Thurza Bow. Because he suspected that if he won her friendship it would be the best relationship he’d ever formed.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ‘MORNING, THURZA!’

  The greeting from a teenage boy as she walked through the surgery’s unusually quiet and empty waiting room the following morning surprised and concerned Thurza.

  Smiling, she walked towards Mickey Russell, who was sitting with his grandmother. Thurza’s eyes immediately spotted the small wet towel wrapped around the old lady’s right arm.

  ‘Good morning. What brings you to the surgery?’

  Mickey pointed to his grandmother’s covered arm, worry etching his young features. ‘She’s burnt herself again.’

  Nannette Russell—or Nan, as everyone called her—fidgeted on the waiting room seat and sent Thurza a sheepish glance. Her straight white hair hung to her shoulders, held back from her face by a black hairband. Her pale freckled complexion appeared whiter than usual, and one of her wrinkled hands played with the edge of the towel.

  Thurza took a seat beside her and gently asked, ‘What’s happened this time, Nan?’

  ‘It’s nothing, really,’ the old lady insisted, sounding more apologetic than hurt and upset. ‘I wasn’t going to come down here and bother a doctor, but Mickey kept on until I agreed. He frets over me, you know.’

  Thurza did know. This was their fourth visit in as many months. Nan’s frequent accidents were becoming a concern, and something she intended to keep a close watch on. At fourteen years old, Mickey’s role in his grandmother’s life was slowly shifting from grandson to carer, and she was determined to make certain he received all the help possible to make things easier for them both.

  ‘That’s because he loves you,’ Thurza said, spotting Logan strolling towards them. Dressed in black trousers and a plain dark blue shirt, he made Thurza’s mouth water. ‘Which doctor do you have an appointment with?’

  ‘A Dr Fox,’ Mickey answered. ‘Gran’s never seen him before. Is he new?’

  Hearing the worry in the young boy’s voice, Thurza hurried to reassure him. ‘Logan is our new locum, Mickey. And he’s very good.’

  ‘Mrs Russell?’ Logan enquired, coming to a stop next to them. After a quick glance Thurza’s way, he switched his attention back to his patient.

  ‘Call me Nan,’ the old woman said, getting to her feet. ‘Locum, huh? Thought maybe Thurza had found herself a boyfriend.’

  Thurza gasped, heat flooding her face and neck at the old lady’s saucy remark. ‘I already have two men in my life, Nan. They’re enough for me.’

  Logan chuckled, his interest on his patient and not Thurza. ‘If you’d follow me, please?’

  Thurza turned to Mickey as they walked away. ‘Logan will deal with your gran’s burn. Do you want to go with them or would you rather wait here?’

  The boy gave Logan a sceptical once-over, before retaking his seat. ‘Is it possible for you to go with her?’

  Thurza turned to see Logan busy directing Nan through the set of glass double doors that led to the consultation rooms. Mentally running through the rest of her appointments, she nodded, eager to ease the boy’s worry. ‘My next patient isn’t due to arrive for another fifteen minutes, so I can ask if Logan minds if I stay with your grandmother while he treats her.’

  Mickey nodded and let out a relieved sigh. ‘She’s all I have, Thurza. I’d be in some children’s home if it wasn’t for her taking me in after my mother abandoned me to go off with that bloke. She fought the social workers, Mum and the courts to keep me with her. Making sure she’s safe and well is the least I can do for her.’

  With a reassuring nod, Thurza said, ‘I know, Mickey. I promise Logan will treat her arm and have it sorted in no time. Don’t worry.’

  Hurrying after the other two, Thurza caught up with them just as they were about to enter the consultation room Logan was using. She hoped what she was going to ask didn’t cause any offence. She knew some doctors would see the request as a possible slur on their ability and professionalism and dislike her asking. Hopefully Logan wasn’t one of them.

  Waiting until Nan had entered the room, Thurza pulled Logan to one side and asked, ‘Would you mind if I join you while you see Nan? I promised her grandson I would. They’ve dealt with a lot of family problems over the last couple of years, and Mickey’s become very protective of his grandmother.’

  ‘Of course,’ Logan said without concern. ‘Perhaps he would prefer to join us?’

  Thurza shook her head. ‘He’s happy to wait in Reception. He just asked if I would mind coming.’

  Logan nodded and stood back so she could enter the room before following her inside. ‘I don’t mind your presence at all, Thurza. After all, who knows what else Nan may say to send your cheeks such an interesting shade of pink?’

  * * *

  After guiding Nan over to a chair, Logan took his own seat behind the large desk. He’d run through the old lady’s notes before going to fetch her from the waiting room, and other than a recent run of burns she suffered no real health concerns. Surprising and pleasing for a woman of her age.

  ‘Right, Nan. Let’s take a look at your arm, shall we? I’m just going to examine the burn before deciding on the best treatment, okay?’

  ‘Don’t suppose you can prescribe a bottle of you to perk up my spirits?’ Nan joked. ‘I promise to enjoy a good daily dose.’

  Logan smiled, but shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, Nan. Besides, I suspect the effect would soon wear off.’

  Thurza moved behind Nan’s chair and gently squeezed her bony shoulder.

  Nan glanced up at her and enquired, ‘Mickey sent you in, did he?’

  Thurza laughed and nodded. ‘He’s a good boy to be concerned. This is your fourth burn.’

  Logan carefully unwrapped the damp towel from around Nan’s arm and inspected the burn, relieved to see no trace of butter or any other old wives’ concoction her generation were apt to use to treat scalds and burns. No matter how many times people were advised not to do it, they still struggled to let go of the home-made cures learnt in their childhoods from their parents.

  He studied the wound thoughtfully, relieved to see it was only a first-degree burn. Nothing too concerning. ‘Painful. How did you do it?’

  ‘Caught the saucepan while making Mickey’s porridge. He likes a bowl when he comes in from doing his morning paper round. Warms his stomach lovely on the colder mornings at this time of the year.’

  ‘Did you run it under cold water for ten minutes?’ Thurza asked, moving from behind the chair to take a closer look. She crouched down in the small space between Logan and Nan.

  Logan’s fingers faltered and his pulse kicked up several paces at the unaccustomed sensation of Thurza’s body so close to his own. The scent of floral-perfumed soap powder and warm feminine body crowded his senses, drying his throat as his body tingled from her proximity.

  ‘Yes. I remembered you told me to do that when I burnt my elbow last month,’ Nan answered.

  Pulled from his distracted musings, Logan forced his attention back to the old lady and her burn. Thurza’s body and its intoxicating scent were not his concern. His body just had to remember that.

  As though to torment him further, Thurza rested a hand on Logan’s shoulder to balance as she straightened. Her touch burned through the thin layer of his shirt to the suddenly responsive skin beneath.

  ‘Were you wearing your glasses?’ Thurza asked, dropping her hand and stepping back. She folded her arms and stared down at the old lady.

  ‘Yes, but they need changing. I’m struggling to see out of them,’ Nan admitted with a weary smile. ‘It’s no fun getting old.’

  Thurza nodded. ‘I think maybe you should make an appointment with the opticians this week. All of your accidents in these last few months have been caused because you’re struggling to see and are misjudging distances.’

  ‘Do you really think it will make a difference?’ Nan frowned. ‘Spectacles can cost an awful lot of money. I wouldn’t want to spend out unnecessarily.’

  Thurza smiled and reassured her. ‘Yes, Nan, I do. At least have a test done and see what the opticians think. They’ll be able to tell you if your glasses aren’t strong enough.’

  Logan stood, forcing Thurza to return to her original position behind Nan’s chair. Grabbing medical supplies and a small white tray, he carried the items back and set them down on his desk.

  ‘Well, it doesn’t seem too bad,’ he said. ‘I think it will heal fine if left alone. I’ll dress it with a bandage to keep it clean, but I’m pretty confident your body can deal with this without major interference from me.’

  Nan lifted a hand to the delicate gold cross around her neck. ‘Thank goodness. Mickey will be pleased. So how long are you going to be in town?’

  Glancing at Thurza, he answered, ‘I’m not sure what my plans are. I’m staying with my brother Maddox at the moment.’

  How long he stayed would depend on how things progressed between Thurza and him. But for now he was happy to stay in Dorset.

  Nan’s mouth dropped open. ‘You’re Maddox’s brother? Him with the farm up Lilly Lane?’

  Logan nodded, not surprised that Nan knew his brother. So far nearly everyone who’d entered his consultation room over the last few days knew Maddox and Logan’s connection to his brother. ‘I’m afraid so.’

  Nan’s regard increased a level. Her eyes slowly wandering over him. ‘You don’t resemble each other much.’

  Logan’s smile wavered as he reached for a roll of bandaging. ‘He carries my mother’s looks and I my...my father’s.’

  Well, he guessed he did. Whoever his father was, he must resemble him genetically. He certainly didn’t look like anyone else in his family.

  Nan frowned and asked, ‘Are you married?’

  ‘No.’

  Nan glanced at Thurza and raised her eyebrows. ‘Not married, eh?’

  Logan concentrated his efforts on dressing Nan’s burn, hoping it would prevent her from asking any further personal questions. Before she attempted to pull every last secret from him.

  Once finished, he said, ‘Keep the bandage clean and dry. The burn fortunately doesn’t require a hospital visit and should heal completely in a few weeks. And I agree with Thurza over having your eyes tested, Nan. It won’t hurt to make sure.’

  Nan smiled at him. ‘Well, if you think it’s a good idea then I’ll phone the opticians once I get home. Thank you, Logan.’

  She held up her bandaged arm for Thurza to inspect. ‘What do you think? Will Mickey be satisfied?’

  Thurza smiled and nodded. ‘Nice work, Doctor.’

  Logan smiled. How polite and professional she sounded. As if they were two strangers working together for the first time. What would Nan say if she discovered that Thurza’s children were his sons, too? He imagined the resulting gossip would certainly wake up this sleepy seaside town for several days.

  ‘Thank you, Nurse Bow. I’m glad you approve.’

  Thurza helped Nan up from her seat. ‘Any problems—make another appointment. Don’t leave it, hoping it will sort itself out.’

  Nan glanced at Logan. ‘She’s bossy, but she’s a very good nurse, you know.’

  Logan grinned and nodded. ‘I know. I think she’s superb.’

  * * *

  Logan stretched out on the rug, elbow bent and head resting in his palm, full of joyous contentment. It started deep within him and filled every crevice, curve and gap until it reached his heart.

  Happiness. True and unadulterated happiness.

  It was an emotion he’d never truly experienced before. Not with his family or with his ex. And though the truth shamed, shocked and saddened him, it also gave him a real appreciation for the wonder of his new unexpected family.

  His eyes never moved from the two babies lying on the light blue padded blanket beside him. Both were stretched out and fast asleep, wearing matching white dragon-printed pyjamas, snoring softly in the quietness of the cottage. His heart turned over with a rush of overwhelming love for these two boys, who in truth he hardly knew, but who now formed the centre of his life and whom he planned to get to know in every single way.

  Thurza had accepted his offer to babysit while she nipped to her cousin’s house to retrieve a toy, leaving him in sole charge of their sons, whose every whim and requirement now concerned him. At first, he’d see-sawed from pleased to scared and then to excited. He’d never babysat anything before—let alone two small babies. But Thurza trusted him, even though he lacked any proper ‘father training’ or experience. And that show of complete belief, to be trusted by a woman who had every right to question and doubt him, meant everything to him.

  Trained for nothing but medicine and doctoring, he now needed to learn how to do the biggest, most terrifying job of all. Being a parent. Someone for the twins to look up to and admire. Someone completely different from the two men who had claimed the role in his own life. One father who’d lied to him for years and the other one who’d walked away without a fight—turned his back on Logan without a care or regret.

  To his thinking, if that man had borne any regrets during the preceding years then he would have tried to make contact with Logan—especially once he’d reached adulthood. The cold reality that he’d stayed away told Logan everything in regard to how the man felt.

  Two selfish men, with no loyalty or affection for the innocent son stuck in the middle of the mess they and Logan’s mother had jointly created. Had either of them cared about his feelings over the years? Had they wondered or lost sleep over the wrongs they’d done to him by not telling him the truth while they were alive?

  He doubted Victor had. And his biological father had failed the moment he’d allowed his mother to keep Logan from him. Logan had loved his mother, but she’d had no right to make that decision. She’d robbed him of a relationship. Unlike Thurza, who’d tried to include him in their children’s lives even though she’d received no reply to her letters and the evidence had made it appear as though he didn’t care or want to know. She had tried repeatedly to build a link between him and their children.

  During the last couple of days he and Thurza had formed a loose routine, spending time with the boys and each other when either of them wasn’t working. Tonight, though, thanks to Thurza’s invitation, issued before she’d hurried out of the house, he was spending the evening here.

  He smiled, transfixed by the way each child’s chest rose and fell with every breath. Small human miracles. Amazing. Just like their mother. She’d taken what fate had handed her and created a good life for her family. Not only was she good-looking and clever, but incredible and resourceful, too.

  Letting out a contented sigh, he pillowed his head further into his arm. Yes, Thurza was wonderful. An impeccable mother to the boys. The kind of woman a man might picture keeping in his life long-term. The sort of woman a man could effortlessly fall in love with...

  Logan blinked, then swallowed hard. Sitting up, he stared unseeingly at his surroundings while his thoughts raced back and forth. Dragging his fingers through his hair, he pondered that last notion.

  Fall in love with Thurza? Now, that would be a bad idea. A really terrible one.

  But...

  Maybe it was the happiness budding inside his heart that had pushed his mind in that irrational and unwise direction. Sent him pondering over concepts involving commitment and love. But he didn’t do love, and it was clear Thurza wasn’t interested in him that way. Not once had she shown or indicated that she saw him as anything other than the twins’ father.

  The sound of the front door opening and closing drew his attention from his wild reflections. Getting to his feet, he met her at the lounge door.

  ‘Hey,’ he greeted her, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. Mindful of the jumbled feelings still rolling through him, he tried to act relaxed. Did his thoughts show on his face for her to see? Noticeable like a guilty secret? ‘Did you get Tyler’s toy?’

  Her bright smile set his heart into an aching backflip. She held up a small teddy bear in answer and waved it. ‘Yeah. Any problems?’

  ‘No, the boys haven’t woken,’ he said, noting the large glass jar circled with a purple ribbon and with a floral label in her other hand. ‘That’s a lot of honey.’

  ‘Rachel keeps bees,’ she said offhandedly. ‘How about a cup of tea?’

  ‘Can do,’ he said, following her into the kitchen.

  Desperate for a distraction to the thoughts in his head, he tried to concentrate on something else.

  Thurza pointed to his laptop, though only the back of the machine faced her. ‘Busy working? Or playing computer games?’

  ‘A little of both,’ he admitted.

  ‘There’s a games console in the cupboard under the television, if you get bored any time,’ she said. ‘It’s not new, but the games are pretty good.’

  Surprised, he leaned against a kitchen cupboard and regarded her. How many more surprises did this woman have hidden? ‘I never took you for a gamer.’

  She shrugged and flicked on the kettle. ‘I used to play on the nights I struggled to sleep, thanks to the twins wanting to play kick-about inside me. Of course, they may have just been kicking each other and I received the effects. I’m pretty good.’

  Not bad himself, Logan asked, ‘Any of those games for two players?’

  ‘I think so. Fancy being slaughtered, do you?’ she dared him with a grin.

  He shook his head arrogantly. ‘Won’t happen—but if you’re confident enough to try and prove differently, then how about we make something to eat and afterwards play a game or two? We can keep the volume low, so it doesn’t disturb the boys.’

 

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