One Night with Her Italian Doc Read online

  “You’re better off without him,” said Luciano.

  “Yes, I am. It put me off the notion of men altogether,” replied Sophie.

  “And now?”

  “I’m coming around to the idea again.” Was it her imagination or were they flirting during this little heart-to-heart? She was afraid to call it that, but there was definitely something springing to life between them.

  “I know what you mean. It was different with my wife and I. There was no cheating or Vegas wedding involved, but I didn’t think there’d be anyone after her.”

  “And now?”

  “I’m coming around to the idea.” His coy smile was as intoxicating as the wine she was sipping.

  Dear Reader,

  As I write this, I think most of us are missing our holidays in the sun and the freedom to travel. I had no idea when I was writing this book that the world would end up being such a different place to the one we take for granted.

  Hopefully, Sophie’s travels around the Mediterranean with her hunky Italian doctor will help you escape for a while and serve as a reminder of those places we can visit again someday in the future.

  Stay safe.

  Karin xx

  One Night with Her Italian Doc

  Karin Baine

  Karin Baine lives in Northern Ireland with her husband, two sons and her out-of-control notebook collection. Her mother and her grandmother’s vast collection of books inspired her love of reading and her dream of becoming a Harlequin author. Now she can tell people she has a proper job! You can follow Karin on Twitter, @karinbaine1, or visit her website for the latest news—karinbaine.com.

  Books by Karin Baine

  Harlequin Medical Romance

  Pups that Make Miracles

  Their One-Night Christmas Gift

  Single Dad Docs

  The Single Dad’s Proposal

  Paddington Children’s Hospital

  Falling for the Foster Mom

  Reforming the Playboy

  Their Mistletoe Baby

  From Fling to Wedding Ring

  Midwife Under the Mistletoe

  Their One-Night Twin Surprise

  Healed by Their Unexpected Family

  Reunion with His Surgeon Princess

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  For D xx

  Praise for Karin Baine

  “Karin Baine is a phenomenally talented writer of contemporary romances who writes books that are so poignant and well-written that they never fail to tug at the heartstrings.... Midwife Under the Mistletoe is a searingly emotional Medical Romance that is powerfully written, wonderfully emotional and absolutely breathtaking.”

  —Goodreads

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  EPILOGUE

  EXCERPT FROM FALLING AGAIN IN EL SALVADOR BY JULIE DANVERS

  CHAPTER ONE

  SOPHIE BLYTHE WAS a terrible, horrible person. Why else would the woman she’d agreed to care for on the cruise of a lifetime currently be on a drip in the onboard medical centre?

  ‘I’m so sorry, Edith. It’s my fault you’re in this state. I should’ve been keeping a closer eye on you.’

  ‘Nonsense. I’m seventy-eight years old. I’m responsible for my own actions,’ she insisted, albeit weakly, from her hospital bed.

  ‘You brought me with you on this trip to look after you.’ So far, she hadn’t done a very good job. They’d only boarded the cruise ship at Barcelona three days ago and they were already having a medical emergency.

  Working full time in a care home, it was literally Sophie’s job to look after the elderly and infirm. She had only taken time out because her neighbour had asked her to accompany her on this trip. With her mobility issues, Edith needed someone to help her get around and Sophie had been keen to escape from the aftermath of her break-up with Ryan. A cruise around the Mediterranean was supposed to be doing them both a world of good. But they were off to a dubious start.

  Edith slid her hand over the crisp white sheets to clasp Sophie’s. ‘You’ve been a blessing to me. I wouldn’t have seen half of the things so far if it hadn’t been for you taking care of me and organising transportation. It’s not your fault this silly old woman fell asleep on her balcony in the sun. Stop worrying.’

  The reminder of those adventures they’d enjoyed before her travel companion had become ill raised a smile on Sophie’s lips. They’d been overawed by the sheer volume of noise and number of people in Barcelona as they’d explored the sprawling stalls of Las Ramblas, looking for souvenirs.

  Later, the hop-on-hop-off bus they’d taken at their leisure had driven past all manner of designer stores and the fantasy-scape of Gaudi’s architecture. She’d found joy in the chatter of the parakeets high up in the trees and the sight of decorative water imps playing in the majestic fountains before they’d even embarked on the ship.

  ‘Pompeii was certainly an experience, wasn’t it?’ They’d wandered the sprawling ruins of Pompeii together, both amazed at the mosaics and painting still visible in some of the buildings, and solemn when they’d seen the body casts of those frozen in time by the eruption of Vesuvius.

  ‘It was. Naples wasn’t at all what I expected either. So many colourful scooters and those Italian policemen...phew.’ Edith’s sense of humour had helped make this trip so much fun and had taken Sophie’s mind off matters at home in England.

  Waking up in the mornings in her state room, opening the curtains to find herself in a different port every day was exactly the kind of adventure Sophie thought she needed to re-centre herself.

  This Bohemian lifestyle suited her. She’d lived it in her twenties. Once she’d got her nursing qualifications, she’d travelled the world, using her skills to take placements where she could. It was a legacy from her parents that she hadn’t been able to stay still for long. Her father had been a wannabe rock star who’d had no intention of giving up touring pubs and clubs simply because he’d got someone pregnant.

  He hadn’t put her mother off unsuitable men either. He was only one in a line of eternal bachelors she’d followed from town to town, hopping from one relationship to the next in the hope of finding love. They were hardly the foundations for a stable childhood. Or role models. Sophie had no experience of settled family life. She didn’t even know where either of them were at this moment in time.

  If it hadn’t been for Ryan she might still be flitting from one city to the next, but she’d fallen head over heels for him when they’d met in Thailand. He’d convinced her to go back with him to England and settle down. It was everything you were supposed to do for someone you loved. Yet it was a decision she’d come to regret. Domestic life had squashed her free spirit and left her trapped in a semi-detached in Kent. Perhaps she was more like her father with the wandering feet than she’d thought.

  Ryan had simply wanted a normal life and she’d tried to be the partner to share it with him. They had loved each other back then. She simply hadn’t realised that the adventurous spirit she’d seen in him in Phuket had been a one-time deal. It had meant giving up travelling in exchange for a mortgage and a permanent job in the countryside, too far from London and the city life she
’d grown up in for her restless spirit.

  After three years together she’d told him how trapped she felt and had pushed for something to inject some excitement into their relationship. When he’d agreed that their relationship had grown stale, she’d imagined swapping suburbia for a trek in the Himalayas or kayaking in Patagonia.

  Ryan had taken it to mean he should run off with his co-worker at the bank, to get married in Las Vegas, leaving Sophie with a life she’d never wanted. He was being ‘true to his heart,’ apparently. She had no idea how long Ryan had been sleeping with his colleague before he’d decided he wanted to be with her for ever, but it had been less time than Sophie had wasted being with him. Now, with her spirit crushed, she didn’t know what to do or where to go.

  Thank goodness Edith had taken pity on her and flung her a lifeline. She’d suspected the generous offer had been more for her benefit than her dear neighbour’s when she’d been so miserable. It was a shame this was how she’d repaid her kindness.

  ‘I’ll be back on my feet in no time,’ she reassured Sophie.

  ‘You’d better be. It’s Rome next on the itinerary. We’ve still got to tick the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain off your...list.’ Sophie stopped before the word ‘bucket’ inserted itself in there. This was supposed to be Edith’s ‘last hurrah before she croaked.’ Her words, not Sophie’s.

  She’d wanted to see Italy and France one final time before she was no longer able to travel at all. Now those plans were in jeopardy and Sophie couldn’t help but shower herself in blame.

  ‘I’ll still be able to do all that, won’t I, Doctor?’ Edith addressed the medic overseeing her treatment.

  Sophie had been in so much of a panic when they’d first entered the clinic she hadn’t given her attention to anyone other than Edith. Her friend had been whisked off for a series of tests, leaving Sophie to marinate in worry out at Reception. Now she could see why the other staff members had a twinkle in their eyes every time someone mentioned his name.

  Dr Luciano Montavano was Italian, according to the flag on the badge pinned to his natty uniform. It was the only way she would have known he was a doctor at all. Dressed in his whites he looked like every other officer she’d seen on board. Only much more appealing to the eye than all the rest.

  Sophie didn’t have a particular type, finding herself more drawn to the soul within the outer shell of a man. Although her judgement clearly needed some work in that department, none of that meant she couldn’t appreciate a handsome face or a to-die-for body.

  At five foot nine she was no slouch in the height stakes, but he towered over her. He was lean and tanned and his hair was the same almost-black as his eyes, save for the few strands of silver streaking his temples. It was as if the cruise company had drafted him in especially so the passengers had something good to look at whilst they were at sea.

  Sophie tutted, disgusted with herself for being so easily distracted by such a shallow thing as someone’s appearance and focused back on Edith, who was enduring the ship’s nurse’s repeated attempts to insert a cannula into her arm.

  ‘Would you like me to do that? I’m a qualified nurse.’ She grimaced at the harsh tone of her own voice but Edith had been through so much already it didn’t seem fair to keep pricking her with needles.

  ‘So am I. Thank you,’ the nurse with the American twang said through a forced smile and gritted teeth.

  ‘Mrs Fields is very dehydrated after the vomiting. It makes it difficult to find a suitable vein,’ the Italian distraction informed her.

  She knew that, of course she did, but she wanted to do something useful. After all, she hadn’t been there during the night when Edith had needed her most. If only she’d knocked on the wall or shouted for her, Sophie could have done something or gone for help sooner. Instead, Edith had decided not to bother anyone and had been ill all through the night alone, until Sophie had called to take her to breakfast.

  ‘There we are.’ The American in blue scrubs eventually managed to get a line in and shot her a triumphant look.

  ‘I want a saline drip and we’ll do some more scans when she’s rehydrated.’ Dr Montavano consulted his next in command quietly with Sophie straining to hear the conversation. She didn’t appreciate being shut out when she’d told them she was a fellow professional, along with being Edith’s carer.

  ‘Have you checked her blood sugar?’ Her question was directed at the doctor himself. She knew the standard protocols and wanted to make sure they were following them here. They might be on a ship in the middle of the sea but she still expected Edith to have the same healthcare she would receive anywhere else.

  ‘Yes.’ He sounded exasperated with her. Tough. She would make a nuisance of herself until she was sure Edith was in better hands than hers.

  ‘What about her sodium, electrolytes and kidney function? Do you even have the lab facilities to do all that here?’

  ‘We’re monitoring Mrs Fields as best we can.’

  ‘I’m not sure that’s good enough.’ Not that they had any other choice at present but at least by making her professional status known they wouldn’t be able to fob Edith off with anything less than the best treatment available.

  ‘Sophie, everyone has been very attentive. Please, don’t worry.’ Edith tried to put her mind at rest but it was only natural to be concerned when they were so far from home and the medical services they took for granted.

  ‘As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.’ She didn’t want to upset Edith, so she’d simply have to bite her tongue and let the others get on with their work. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t be keeping a close eye on things, though.

  ‘Will I have to stay here overnight, Doctor?’

  ‘I’m afraid so, Mrs Fields.’ That accent was too much. Surely he was over-egging it? He probably did this with all the female tourists to give them a thrill.

  ‘We want to watch you.’

  Sophie snorted. ‘I’ll stay with you, Edith, while you’re here under observation,’ she said, correcting the doctor’s unfortunate phrasing.

  ‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible Ms...’ He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for her to introduce herself.

  ‘Blythe. Sophie Blythe.’

  ‘Sophie.’ He tested her name on his lips and gave her a cheek-reddening smile.

  This was ridiculous.

  ‘I’m afraid we do not have the space to accommodate you.’

  ‘I’ll just stay here.’ She plonked herself into the unyielding plastic chair by the bed. It wasn’t as though she would take up too much room.

  A frown marked the doctor’s otherwise perfect features. ‘We can only let you come here during visiting hours. As you can see, we are a small facility. We might need this room to accommodate emergencies.’

  ‘I would’ve thought this constituted an emergency.’

  A bell rang out down the corridor.

  ‘That’s the end of visiting, I’m afraid.’ The nurse didn’t bother turning around to glance at Sophie and carried on hooking up Edith’s drip. She didn’t have to when Sophie knew she’d be sporting a look of relief, glad to get rid of her. If their roles were reversed she wouldn’t be happy with someone trying to tell her how to do her job either.

  ‘When can I come back?’ She didn’t want to whine or appear petulant but Edith had paid a lot of money for Sophie to be with her. If only they hadn’t had separate cabins she might have been saved from all of this. As it was, all Sophie could do was keep her company during her treatment.

  ‘Next visiting is from three p.m. to six p.m.’ He positioned his hand in the small of her back and gently tried to guide her out the door.

  Sophie dug her heels in. ‘Wait. Are you actually throwing me out?’

  His grin tempted her to stamp hard on his foot. ‘Visiting is at three p.m.’

  ‘What am
I supposed to do until then?’

  ‘Lie by the pool, drink cocktails, go dancing and do all the things I wish I could do. You’re young. Go and enjoy yourself.’ Edith waved a hand at her as she ganged up with the others and dismissed her from her duties.

  ‘Your grandmother is right.’

  Sophie rolled her eyes as her medical credentials were sidelined for a narrative that suited him better.

  ‘Edith is not my grandmother.’

  ‘Go, enjoy your vacation.’

  ‘I’m not on vacation,’ she protested as he propelled her out the door and down the corridor.

  ‘Miss... Sophie, your...friend needs lots of rest. You, however, seem as though you need to cut loose for a while. There is free food and free drink available. You could take in a show while you wait. There is no need to worry. Mrs Fields is in good hands.’ Those same hands guided her through Reception, leaving Sophie spluttering with indignation as he closed the door on her.

  ‘I’ll be back,’ she shouted through the closed door before she realised it sounded like a threat. ‘For visiting. Later.’

  There was no reply. She tried the door one last time but they’d closed up shop. The note taped to the wall advised that visitors were required to phone ahead to gain access outside the approved hours, something she didn’t think the officious doctor would be in a hurry to do.

  The long corridor was empty apart from the vending machine that dispensed basic medical necessities such as sticking plasters and antiseptic for those unfortunate enough to hurt themselves out of hours. It struck her how quiet it was at this end of the ship. A conscious design decision, she supposed, for the patients to find some peace away from the partying. However, it meant there was simply nothing for her to do here until she was able to check on Edith again. There wasn’t even a seat to sit on.

  She walked farther into the belly of the ship, exchanging greetings with the stewards scurrying in and out of the cabins, who were getting them spotless again before the guests returned from their leisure pursuits.