He gazed into her display cabinet. “Deciding which one of these lovely pastries to take up to your father for morning coffee. What’s his favorite?”
“He loves the vanilla slices, as I’m sure you already know.” He was a sneaky man when he put his mind to it. She wondered why he was really there. Aggie grabbed a paper bag and slid two slices in and added two jam tarts as well. May as well pander to the men’s sweet tooths. She scrunched the top of the bag and placed it on the counter. “I think that will win you points. Now how about you tell me why you’re really here.”
“I swear you’re too observant for your own good, dear girl.” He took out his wallet but she brushed it away. “Did you hear about what happened with Liam yesterday?”
A quick rush of panic swept up her throat. “No. What?”
“Poor lad lost a patient in the waiting room. I hear he’s beside himself with guilt. Refuses to think anything other than it was his own fault.” Bradley tsk-tsked. “I’ve never met a more knowledgeable doctor and to think he might be thinking of giving up? Well, I’m in shock, to be honest.”
Giving up? Why would he do that? “But I don’t understand. Was it something he did?” She ran a shaking hand over her cheek.
“We won’t know until the coroner’s report comes in but he’s blaming himself, so be prepared.”
“That’s not right. Liam’s a brilliant doctor.” She crossed her arms, shaking her head. How could he think that way?
Bradley picked up the bag of pastries. “I think he needs someone to talk to him and since your brother isn’t here…”
There it was, the real reason Bradley was standing in her shop this morning. Liam needed help.
But there was more to it than that. Bradley was, at heart, a matchmaker. So it didn’t come as any surprise when Aggie connected the dots. “You’re sneaky, Bradley.”
He feigned innocence. “Not this time. I’m concerned about the island community losing a very good doctor.”
“Losing a doctor. He hasn’t said he was leaving, has he?”
“The comment came up, but I can’t honestly say if it was from him or not. You know how people talk, so there may or may not be a grain of truth in it. But I’d hate for it to get that far. If there’s any way you could go and talk to him, make him see that his self-blame is, as yet, unfounded, I’m sure he’d appreciate it. If he’s thinking of leaving because of this, please change his mind before he gets too far down the track with that idea.”
“I don’t see how he can think like that. He did nothing wrong, I’m sure of it. Sometimes bad things just happen.”
Bradley stared at her over the counter, and it took a second for Aggie to understand what he had said and how she’d reacted. Sneaky, just like she’d said. “That’s different, so don’t even go thinking along those lines. You’re wrong.”
“Am I?”
“I’ll go and see him, okay? Will that get you off of my back for a bit?”
“Thank you, Aggie. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”
* * *
Liam grabbed his briefcase and shut the front door behind him. He could count the days on one hand when his heart wasn’t in his work. Hardly anything overrode the passion he usually felt. Every day this week he’d headed for his office and wished he was anywhere else. If Drew wasn’t away on his honeymoon, he’d be tempted to call in sick.
He grabbed his car keys from his pocket and clicked the automatic door button when Aggie walked past the Japanese boxwood hedges bordering either side of the driveway. Her shoes made a crunching sound on the gravel. Not like her to be visiting him after what she’d said post wedding. “Aggie, are you okay?”
She paused a few steps away from him. “Yeah, but are you?”
She had a smear of flour in her hair and he almost lifted his hand and stepped forward to brush it away. “Why would you ask that? Someone told you of my great achievement yesterday, did they?” He opened the car door and threw his briefcase on the passenger seat. The island rumor mill. He’d almost gotten used to it again. “Funny how bad news travels fast.”
Aggie shook her head. “It’s not like that. Nobody’s blaming you. Bradley thought I might be able to make you feel better.” She gave him an encouraging smile. He recognized it from their childhood. “Care to tell me what happened?”
His mood soured. Of course everyone would be talking about it. It was only natural, considering the seriousness of the situation. “Not really. I’m sure he told you enough for you to understand why I blame myself.”
Aggie protested. “There’s no reason why you should, Liam. You’re a brilliant doctor. We’re lucky to have you on the island.”
“So lucky that you can’t bear to be around me.” He slid his hands in his trouser pockets, hating the bitterness in his voice.
Shutters came down over her eyes and he knew he’d gone too far. “This has nothing to do with me and you.”
“I disagree. Oh, not from your side of course,” he quickly tried to reassure her. “This is all on me and I accept that. I wonder if I hadn’t been so distracted, would I have noticed more? Found what it was before it took his life? I wasn’t paying attention, Aggie, so of course I blame myself.”
“No. You always give your patients total focus.”
“And how do you know that?” He stepped closer. “You won’t give me the time of day unless you’re half wasted on champagne, so tell me, Aggie, how do you really know what I’m like?”
Confusion flickered through her eyes. “Don’t make this about me, Liam. Please.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t help it. All I think of is you. How wonderful it felt when you and I were together. How soft your skin was
