Something shifted inside as an indescribable sensation crashed through her, causing a jolt of adrenaline, sharpening her consciousness so that she saw Kiah as though for the first time. Became aware of his beauty anew, just as she had so long ago when she’d watched him walk past her desk on the first day he’d come to school.
And as though to emphasize the strangeness of it all, she caught a hint of his scent, warm and woodsy, as familiar to her as her own, and yet suddenly different, too. Not that it had changed, but it was somehow interpreted in a new way, so that her pulse began to pound and warmth flooded her belly.
“Mina?” Kiah’s gaze sharpened, became probing. “You all right?”
The words shocked her out of whatever the heck she’d been going through, and she blinked, as though awaking from a dream.
“What? Yes, I’m fine,” she replied, getting to her feet, firmly shaking off the last vestiges of her strange mental hiatus, although they wanted to cling, like cobwebs. “Just woolgathering for a second. Lead the way.”
Kiah didn’t move immediately, just held her hand, his fingers firm and strong around hers. “You sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Come on. I could use a little cool breeze just about now.”
And that was no word of a lie. In fact, she’d go so far as to say she could use a cold shower. The lingering effects of whatever she’d just gone through felt suspiciously like arousal.
But that was impossible.
Wasn’t it?
“You Canadians and your inability to enjoy whatever the weather is. You constantly complain about it being too hot, or too cold, or too wet, or whatever.”
His teasing words were exactly what she needed and led to a spirited argument about his expecting her to not feel the heat when coming out of the winter’s cold. But even while they were going back and forth with each other, she felt his gaze on her and knew something had irrevocably changed.
Now she needed to figure out what it was.
CHAPTER FOUR
SINCE HE WASN’T back on call until the Sunday night after their arrival on St. Eustace, Kiah’s plan had been to take Mina around and reacquaint her with the island. That went out the window when, the day after they got there, he was called in for an emergency meeting at the hospital, in his capacity as a member of the medical board. In addition to being a surgeon, he wore many hats at the hospital, since the island was small and the number of doctors to call on wasn’t large, either.
“There’ve been reports of possible cases of the chikungunya viral disease in Trinidad, and because we have a lot of people going back and forth between the islands, the minister of health wants to make sure our action plan is solid. Miss Pearl is going, too, since she’s the head of the district nurse program, so you might as well come along with us. You can nose around the hospital while we’re in the meeting. Maybe even sign the rest of the paperwork so they can finalize your work permit.”
Mina was still sitting at the dining table, finishing the last of her coffee, and when she looked up, Kiah saw the refusal in her eyes without her saying a word. He had a battery of answers to combat her excuses, but before they got to that point, his grandmother came into the room.
Miss Pearl gave Mina a visual once-over and then said, “That’s too casual for the hospital. Hurry up and change into something else, or we’ll be late.”
To his surprise, after a short pause, Mina got up.
“Okay,” she replied, shocking Kiah with her meek acquiescence. “Give me a few minutes.”
Kiah watched her retreating back for a moment, before turning and finding his grandmother’s steely gaze resting on him.
Before she could say anything else, he forestalled her with an upraised hand. “And no, although I’m still nominally on vacation, I don’t plan to wear these flip-flops to the hospital.”
But Miss Pearl didn’t seem interested in his casual footwear. Instead, she said, “We should include Mina in the meeting with the minister.”
“Why, Granny? She’s an orthopedic specialist, not an epidemiologist.”
His grandmother gave him a scathing glare, then moved closer, lowering her voice to say, “Use your head, Hezekiah. How long do you think she’ll be satisfied by writing manuals and formulating procedures? She’s in transition, but eventually she’s going to have to figure out what she wants to do next.”
“And how will this benefit her?” he asked, trying not to let his irritation show in his tone. If anyone was going to help Mina, it should be him, not his grandmother.
Miss Pearl narrowed her eyes. “She has to be reminded she was a doctor first, before a surgeon. There are a lot of options open to her, but until she realizes that, she’ll make no progress. I’ve already told a number of people about her, and I think she’ll be a lot busier than she expects. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with her recognizing all the potential here.”
Why did it sound as though there were layers of meaning in that statement he was missing?
Before he could question his grandmother further, she turned away, adding, “Now go change into proper shoes, or you’ll make us late.”
When Miss Pearl used that tone, no one in their right mind disobeyed, especially not her family, so Kiah headed back to his room, still contemplating her words.
She was on the wrong track, he knew. His sole intent on getting Mina to come to St. Eustace was to bring her back to life, give her something to do other than sit around, depressed and wallowing. Once she got back on her feet and was ready to go on with her life, there was no way she was staying here.
There was nothing on their quiet island that would hold her, once she got her head straight. Mina was a creature of the city, used to the bustle and noise, not to
