A haunted look flashed across her eyes and April turned from him, her shoulders hunching over as she tried to shield herself. Drew reached out and rested his hand on her back. “I’m not judging. I want to help you.”
She turned around, giving him a wan smile. “I made a mistake and paid for it.”
Anger throbbed in his gut. “How is it your fault?”
April stepped away, putting distance between them. He remained where he was, giving her the space to gather herself.
“I didn’t know the children knew what was going on. If I had, I may have left earlier.” She bit her lip.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“I don’t know. It’s not the kind of thing you want to make public. I’m ashamed of what happened, Drew. Oh, I know what they say. I should have left, and I agree. I should have. At the time it wasn’t that easy. At least I got out in the end and the children are safe here.”
“Look, the children will be fine and I’m not pointing fingers, believe me. I was shocked and I guess it explains a couple of things.”
“Like what?”
“Like how you seem reluctant to get involved. How you seem wary a lot of the time, that guarded look that comes into your eyes now and then, the way you flinch when someone goes to touch you. The children have you backing them up and that’s great. How about I speak to someone in a casual capacity and see what they say? It wouldn’t hurt to have a professional on side in case they need to offload. Not that I mind listening like I did this morning, although you might prefer for someone else to be available for them.”
She tilted her head to one side and regarded him. “There’s someone on the island?”
“Yes. Bradley Honor is a friend of Dad’s. He’s semi-retired now, and sees patients that have been referred. Especially people that are local.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that. Not that I don’t want them talking to you. You did a great job with Leo this morning. It was very sweet, Drew. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, and I’m happy to listen to them anytime. Now about us.”
April shook her head, a smile breaking out on her lips. “You don’t give up, do you? I’m not the person you need, Drew, I have too much baggage and now you know why. Seriously, I should have stuck to my guns when you suggested we hook up again. Please drop the subject and move on. We don’t have a future.”
“I disagree. But as I said, I’m a patient man. I can wait until you’re ready.” He walked over and planted a quick kiss on her lips before she could react and stepped away. “I have patients to see to. Talk to you later.”
Chapter 16
It was silly but she found herself giggling with happiness when Drew left to return to his patients. She still loved him, hopelessly in fact, but with her history, April wasn’t convinced they had a chance. What man in his right mind would want to take on a battered woman with a ready-made family? She had been prepared to tell him they had no future and to give up trying to win her over. The way he brushed off her excuses had her wondering if she’d made a big fuss over nothing. Sure, Trina could have been a little bit over the top and there was nothing between her and Drew if he was to be believed.
Drew had never been one to lie before, why would he start now? Her biggest problem was her past with Rob. She worried about how it would all look when it came out and she hadn’t told him everything. Had she built it up to something out of proportion that really wasn’t going to be a big deal? She needed to talk it out. Hopefully Aggie would be willing to listen to her muddle on about it. They needed to plan a girl’s night where they could have a heart to heart.
She sent her a text message and then looked at her list for the day. Fairly light. A few dressing changes, measles vaccinations, and a hearing test plus a pregnancy check-up. Good day to do a stock on inventory and place an order. The stock room looked like it hadn’t been topped up for some time and they were running low on some supplies. A spring came back in her step and for the first time in ages, she felt happy, content with the way her life was rolling along. The best move she’d made was coming back to the island with the children. Not that she’d expected Drew to be here waiting for her, but the hope was always in the back of her mind.
They could breathe here, not worry about what was around the corner, or who might be after them for money. Rob’s debts had almost crippled her and his life insurance hadn’t been enough to set them up regardless of what his parents had said. Everything she had was because she worked and saved hard.
The vitriol they had thrown her way still stung. She’d been so embarrassed that Atticus had heard it all, but at the same time, thankful he was there for her. She would have to do something, but still held out hope they would come to their senses and realize their son had problems that went way beyond normal marriage difficulties. The war had left him scarred to an extent that her and the children had paid for it.
By lunch time, April had cleared most of her work away and was twiddling her thumbs. The door opened and Drew walked in, a steely glint in his eyes. Her stomach immediately dropped and she gripped the edge of her desk, ready to back away.
“Don’t look at me like that, April. Relax.”
She hadn’t realized how tense she’d gone when he walked in. “Sorry. The
