Love Islands: Summer Kisses. Joanna Neil

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СКАЧАТЬ all she could do. Nothing could change what had happened between them. Nothing could change the look in his eyes when he’d first seen her.

      She’d felt the buzz yesterday. She’d heard the concern in his voice when she dived in amongst those barrels. She still wasn’t quite sure why she’d done that. It seemed like a good idea at the time—she was the only person small enough to get through the gap and to the patient.

      But once she’d been in there she was scared. Hearing Nathan’s voice was not only reassuring but it also bathed her in comfort, knowing that he was concerned about her. She shouldn’t read anything into it. She shouldn’t. She knew him. Or at least she used to know him. Nathan would have been concerned for any colleague.

      Had five years working for Doctors Without Borders changed him? Had her walking away from him changed him? She hoped not. She hoped his good heart was still there. Even if he only showed it to her in a moment of crisis.

      She followed the smell of eggs and bacon. Most of the crew were already eating at the variety of tables. Nathan was in the corner, having a heated discussion with one of the directors.

      Rachel filled her plate with toast, bacon, eggs and coffee, then walked over, putting her tray on the table. ‘Anything I should know about, guys?’

      The angry words instantly dissipated as both sets of eyes looked at her in surprise. The hidden similarities between a television crew and a hospital was amazing. Rachel had spent too many years working amongst people with big egos to be thrown by anything she came across.

      ‘Is this a medical matter or a technical matter?’ she asked as she sat down and spread butter on her toast.

      Nathan blinked. He still seemed surprised at her frankness. ‘It’s a mixture of both. Bill just presented me with a revised list of the challenges. I think some of the changes could impact on the health and safety of the contestants. He’s telling me that’s not our concern.’

      ‘Really?’ Rachel raised her eyebrows and bit into her toast. She chewed for a few seconds while she regarded Bill carefully. On this island, he obviously thought his word was law. To the rest of the production crew it probably was. But he hadn’t met Rachel or Nathan before. No matter how at odds they were with each other, he was about to find out just how formidable they could be as a combined force.

      She gave Bill her best stare. ‘So, just out of interest, what would the insurance company say if both your doctors bailed?’

      A slow smile started to spread over Nathan’s face. He knew exactly what she was doing.

      ‘What do you mean?’ snapped Bill.

      She shrugged and started cutting up her bacon and eggs. ‘I’m just asking a question, Bill. I’m pretty sure you can’t have this production without your medical team in place. After yesterday, I think you’ll find Nathan and I aren’t prepared to negotiate on anything.’ She popped a piece of bacon in her mouth. ‘You either listen to us or you don’t.’

      She was so matter-of-fact about it. Probably because she wasn’t prepared to negotiate. Employees, including herself, had been put at risk yesterday. They’d already identified a few celebrities who couldn’t take part in certain challenges. She didn’t even know the schedule for today. But, no matter how many years had passed, if Nathan knew enough to get angry about it, that was good enough for her.

      Bill stood up abruptly, knocking the table and sloshing some of her coffee over the side of the cup. ‘Fine. I’ll change it back to the original plan.’

      Nathan watched Bill as he stormed across the large cabin and slammed the door behind him. None of the crew even batted an eyelid. This obviously wasn’t news to them.

      Rachel mopped up her coffee with a napkin. Now it was just the two of them her earlier bravado was vanishing. She was thinking about his arm on her shoulders last night and the way he’d just sat and held her until she’d composed herself. When she’d finally taken a deep breath and felt calm, he’d just given a little nod and stood up and strolled off into the sunset.

      She’d no idea where he’d gone. But it had given her a chance to go back to the shared cabin, have a quick wash and change and hide in her room. She’d lain there for hours until she’d eventually heard the click of the door.

      But she was a fool. He hadn’t come to speak to her. And she should be grateful. Her initial reaction to him earlier had been pure and utter shock. She’d more or less said she couldn’t work with him, which wasn’t true. He’d just been the last person she’d expected to see.

      Nathan’s breakfast plate was empty, as was his coffee cup, and he picked them up. ‘I’ve heard that filming last night varied from boring to very boring. I think they were trying to spice things up today at one of the challenges and I’m not sure I trust Bill not to still try. Are you happy to come along to the filming?’

      She nodded as she glanced at the now congealed egg on her plate. Her appetite had definitely left her.

      He stood up. ‘I’ve also put up a notice saying we’ll have a surgery every morning for an hour for the crew. Anyone with any difficulties. I take it you don’t have a problem with that?’

      She gulped. She was an experienced medical physician. Why did the thought of general practice fill her with fear? ‘That should be fine.’ No way did she want to express any concerns around Nathan. He’d already seen her wobble last night. That was already once too many.

      ‘Good,’ he said. ‘We start in ten minutes.’

      He walked out ahead of her as she scrambled to pick up her tray and she felt a flash of annoyance. Ratbag. This was something they actually should have sat down and discussed together. He wasn’t senior to her. They were both here as doctors. She could almost bet if she were any other person he would have discussed this with her first.

      A few of the crew were waiting when she arrived. Thankfully, there was nothing too difficult to diagnose. A few chesty crackles, another inhaler for someone and an emergency supply of blood pressure tablets for someone who’d misplaced their own.

      An hour later, Ron arrived in a Jeep to pick up her and Nathan and take them to the first challenge on the other side of the island.

      ‘Challenge has been changed,’ were Ron’s first words.

      ‘What a surprise,’ said Nathan. ‘What to?’

      ‘The underground scramble.’ Ron kept driving while Rachel exchanged a glance with Nathan. The underground scramble was not a challenge she’d want to do. She searched her brain. Several of the celebrities suffered from claustrophobia and would have to be exempt from scrambling through the dark underground tunnels filled with a variety of creatures.

      ‘What about Diamond?’ she asked. ‘I think there’s too big a risk of infection.’

      ‘I agree. I’ll tell the producer she’s ineligible.’

      ‘Shouldn’t that have been decided before the public voted?’

      Ron looked over his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry about it. Vote’s already decided that Darius will be doing the challenge. Diamond’s safe.’

      Nathan’s eyes fixed hard on her as her stomach flipped over. A man who’d just undergone a bout of chemotherapy shouldn’t be dragging himself through СКАЧАТЬ