“He’s not a bad guy, and usually is more talk than action, but I got the impression he really was into you.”
“I’m not interested in anything like that, right now.”
“Like what? Going out? Having a little fun?”
She found herself tucking her left arm up under her right, where it was safely out of sight.
“Not interested in being gawked at, like a freak.”
Kiah dropped his arm and, putting his hands on her shoulders, turned her to face him. His expression was solemn, with a hint of temper tightening his lips.
“First off, you’re not a freak, by any means. You’re the same gorgeous, wonderful woman you’ve always been. And secondly, I was not suggesting that you put yourself in a position where Henkel would be gawking at you.”
Even with him saying those lovely things about her, the tone of his delivery sparked her temper in return, and she gave him a narrow-eyed glare.
“What kind of position is that?”
He put his face down close to hers, so his breath brushed across her skin when he spoke.
“Like sleeping with him.”
Although that was what she was expecting, Mina couldn’t find an answer, her brain short-circuiting. It was on the tip of her tongue to say, I don’t want to sleep with anyone, except you. Thankfully, her tongue had cleaved to the roof of her mouth, making uttering even a single word impossible.
Heat trickled out from her core, and her knees suddenly weakened.
What would it be like to make love with Kiah, feel those strong, wonderful hands on her skin? Just the thought had a sheen of perspiration breaking out on her brow.
Mortified at the turn her thoughts had taken, she ducked out from under his hands and away from his too-intent stare.
“Just because I’m recently divorced doesn’t mean I’m desperate,” she said, as much to herself as to Kiah. “You don’t have to worry that I’ll get on bad while I’m here and embarrass you.”
And before he could reply, she changed the subject, asking about the hospital protocols, and if he had any idea of what she’d be facing.
Already she knew she was really just a figurehead, a paper tiger being used to make the hospital look good to the Clinicians’ Union, but that no longer stung the way it had before. She was trying to see it as a foot in the door, and a way to figure out what else might be possible for her in the future.
“I was told you’ll have a staff of administrators to help you get the systems in place,” Kiah said. He knew she hadn’t really paid much attention to the reams of information they’d sent her in Canada, and he hadn’t pushed her to look at it, seeming just content to get her agreement to come back to the island with him. “But I also think you’ll be asked to see patients, like you did for John. Hopefully, that works for you.”
“That should be fine,” was what she said out loud, but inside she was thinking it would be doubtful she’d be seeing many patients. After all, the scuba accident was an anomaly, and surely the hospital had other competent orthopedists?
“Charm’s almost at the counter,” Kiah said, touching her arm. “Let’s go.”
Once they got their food, they found a spot at one of the picnic tables set up among the trees, and tucked in to their chicken, roasted yam, and, of course, roasted corn.
“I remember having this when I came on vacation from med school that year, and it tastes just as good now,” Mina remarked, between licking delicious barbecue sauce off her fingers.
“Clearly we’re going to need more napkins,” Kiah said and got up to head back to the counter for some.
As he passed another table, one of the men sitting there called out to him, and Kiah stopped to chat.
Charm sighed. “Everywhere we go, people know him.”
“Well, St. Eustace isn’t very big, and he’s well known because of his work, so it isn’t too surprising.”
Charm didn’t seem terribly impressed with that explanation and shrugged. “Yeah, but it would be nice to have him all to myself sometimes.”
Ouch. Was that aimed at Mina, too? It seemed to be, when Charm went on to ask, “Auntie, are you going to live with us forever?”
Hoping to reassure the young girl, Mina shook her head.
“No, I won’t be,” she said, giving Charm a smile. “I’ll probably be with you all for a month and then I’ll go back to Toronto.”
Charm gave her one of those level looks that seemed too adult for such a young face.
“I think you should just stay with us,” she said, surprising Mina no end. “Everyone’s happier when you’re around. Especially Uncle.”
Not knowing what to say to that, Mina took a bite of roasted yam, hoping Charm would find something else to talk about. But when the next conversational salvo came, Mina realized the first one would probably have been a better bet.
“Auntie, do you think I’m too young to have a boyfriend?”
Good Lord! Why was she the recipient of this particular question? Then she realized Miss Pearl would probably go ballistic if Charm brought it up with her, and Kiah...well, Kiah, out of sheer terror, would probably tell her to stop her foolishness.
“Do you want a boyfriend?” she asked, trying to buy a little time to gather her thoughts.
Charm twisted her lips to one side, looking so much like Kiah it was almost comical. “I don’t know. Some of my friends keep saying they have boyfriends, but I think most boys are gross and silly.”
“Well, just because your friends say they have boyfriends doesn’t mean you have to, as well, if you don’t want one. Besides, boys don’t grow a brain until they’re a lot older than you all are now, so you’ll probably keep thinking they’re gross and silly for a few years yet. Give it a bit more time before you get into the whole boyfriend thing, is my advice.”
Charm giggled. “You’re joking, about boys not having
