Her Little Spanish Secret. Laura Iding

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СКАЧАТЬ he’d been devastated over losing their patient, but he’d been determined to avoid emotional entanglements, knowing he was leaving when the year was up. He knew better than to let down his guard, but he’d been very attracted to Katerina and had suspected the feeling was mutual. That night he’d given up his fight to stay away.

      But then the news about his father’s stroke had pulled him from Katerina’s bed the next morning. He’d rushed home to Seville. His father’s condition had been worse than he’d imagined, and his father had ultimately died twelve painful months later. His mother was already gone, and during his father’s illness his younger brother, Luis, had started drinking. Miguel had been forced to put his own dreams on hold to take over the olive farm, which had been in the Vasquez family for generations, until he could get Luis sobered up.

      His visceral reaction to seeing Katerina again stunned him. He hadn’t allowed himself to miss her. Besides, he only had three months left on his contract here at the hospital and he’d be finally free to join Doctors Without Borders.

      And this time, nothing was going to stop him. Not his brother Luis. And certainly not Katerina.

      He shook off his thoughts with an effort. Logically he knew he should accept her excuse, but he found himself pressing the issue. “Maybe a light meal after siesta, then? Certainly you have to eat some time.”

      There was a wariness reflected in her green eyes that hadn’t been there in the past. He wondered what had changed in the four and a half years they’d been apart. He was relieved to note she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring even though her personal life wasn’t any of his business. He couldn’t allow himself to succumb to Katerina’s spell—he refused to make the same mistakes his father had.

      “You’ve described my sister’s head injury, but is there anything else? Other injuries I need to be aware of?” she asked, changing the subject.

      He dragged his attention to his patient. “Juliet was hit on the right side. Her right leg is broken in two places and we had to operate to get the bones aligned properly. She has several rib fractures and some internal bleeding that appears to be resolving. Her head injury is the greatest of our concerns. Up until late yesterday she wasn’t responding at all, even to pain. The fact that there is some response now gives us hope she may recover.”

      Katerina’s pale skin blanched even more, and his gut clenched when he noted the tears shimmering in her bright green eyes. They reminded him, too much, about the night they’d shared. An intense, intimate, magical night that had ended abruptly with his brother’s phone call about their father. She’d cried for him when he’d been unable to cry for himself.

      “When can she be transported back to the United States?” she asked.

      The instinctive protest at the thought of her leaving surprised him. What was wrong with him? He wrestled his emotions under control. “Not until I’m convinced her neurological status has truly stabilized,” he reluctantly admitted.

      Katerina nodded, as if she’d expected that response. “Are you my sister’s doctor? Or just one of the doctors here who happen to speak English?” she asked. Her gaze avoided his, staying at the level of his chest.

      “Yes, I’m your sister’s doctor. As you know, I’m a surgeon who does both general and trauma surgery cases.”

      “Do any of the nurses speak English?”

      Seville didn’t have the same tourist draw as Madrid or Barcelona, which meant not as many of the locals spoke English. Miguel had originally learned English from his American mother, who’d taught him before she’d died. He’d learned even more English during his time at the University of Madrid. In fact, he’d earned the opportunity to live and study medicine in the U.S. at Harvard University.

      There he’d ultimately become a doctor. And met Katerina. He dragged his thoughts out of the past. “No, the nurses don’t speak much English, I’m afraid.”

      She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as if she had a pounding headache. Once again he found himself on the verge of offering comfort. But he didn’t dare, no matter how much he wanted to.

      “I would appreciate periodic updates on my sister’s condition whenever you have time to spare from the rest of your patients,” she said finally.

      The way she turned her back on him, as if to dismiss him, made him scowl. He wanted to demand she look at him, talk to him, but of course there wasn’t time. Glancing at his watch only confirmed he was already late for his scheduled surgery. “I’d be happy to give you an update later today, if you have time at, say, four o’clock?” He purposefully gave her the same time he normally ate a late lunch, right after siesta.

      She spun around to face him. “But—” She stopped herself and then abruptly nodded. “Of course. Four o’clock would be fine.”

      He understood she’d only agreed to see him so that she could get updates on her sister, but that didn’t stop him from being glad he’d gotten his way on this. “I look forward to seeing you later, then, Katerina,” he said softly.

      He could barely hide the thrill of anticipation racing through him, knowing he’d see her again soon, as he hurried down to the operating room.

      CHAPTER TWO

      “SO WHAT do you think? Do I really need to tell Miguel about Tommy?” Kat asked, after she’d caught up with Diana and Tommy at the park located right across the street from their hotel. The park was next to a school and seeing all the kids in their navy blue and white uniforms playing on the playground wasn’t so different from the preschool Tommy attended back in the U.S.

      “I don’t think you should do anything yet,” Diana advised. “I mean, what do we know about the custody laws in Spain? What if Miguel has the right to take Tommy away from you?”

      The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach. “Tommy is a U.S. citizen,” she pointed out, striving for logic. “That has to count for something.”

      “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t think you should say anything until we know what we’re dealing with. Miguel is a big important doctor at the largest hospital here. Maybe he has connections, friends in high places? I think you need to understand exactly what you’re dealing with if you tell him.”

      Kat sighed, and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the ache. Lack of sleep, worry over Juliet and now seeing Miguel again had all combined into one giant, pounding headache. “And how are we going to find out the child custody laws here? Neither one of us can speak Spanish, so it’s not like we can just look up the information on the internet.”

      “We could check with the American Embassy,” Diana said stubbornly.

      “I suppose. Except that seems like a lot of work when I’m not even sure Miguel will bother to fight me for Tommy. During our night together he told me his dream was to join Doctors Without Borders. He made it clear he wanted the freedom to travel, not settling down in one place.”

      “Except here he is in Seville four and a half years later,” Diana pointed out reasonably. “Maybe he’s changed his mind about his dream?”

      “Maybe.” She couldn’t argue Diana’s point. She still found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that Miguel was here, in Seville. She’d stayed with her sister for another hour or so after he’d left, slightly reassured that Juliet’s condition was indeed СКАЧАТЬ