The unspoken insinuation was that she hadn’t been using her time well. Shame flooded her as she tried to find a way to defend the way she’d been living her life until she travelled to Astoria and realised that there just weren’t words.
Her life had been a carousel of people, places and things—none of which mattered or she’d missed. She’d left her parents in the periphery of her world; regret and self-recriminations painted an ugly pattern across her memories.
“You’ll help us?”
“Of course I will, darling. Your mother too. We’d be delighted. I’m so pleased you’ve asked for our help.” He paused. Frankie felt a prickle of fear shimmy itself along her back, making her shiver. “I really need to let you know the reason I called this morning.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, is there? Or Mum?”
Frankie’s heart pounded in her chest. She wasn’t sure she could take any more of the roller coaster emotions of the last week. No sooner did she learn to live with one thing, then something else happened to throw her off.
“There’s nothing wrong with us. But today the papers have printed a particularly horrid story.”
“About me?” She knew the answer before she’d even asked the question.
“You and Lucas.”
“Lucas?”
“There’s a picture of you two embracing and a picture of Joey looking like his entire world has ended. He bleats on about how his heart is broken but he knew there must be a reason you left him without a word.”
“That’s not true. He’s the one who’s been cheating.” Frankie could hardly believe the cheek of the man she’d once agreed to marry. She’d known he was shallow, but obviously she’d never really known him—she’d certainly not guessed the depths to which he’d stoop to keep his golden boy status in the media.
“By the time you’re home, I’m sure it will have all blown over. Today’s stories, tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappers.”
His philosophical view of the offensive story helped calm Frankie’s outrage, but she knew it would take a hell of a lot more than that to calm Lucas’s. He was an incredibly private person, he would hate any media interest in him, but more so given he’d told the media what he’d do if they printed their poison.
He was going to be beyond furious.
“I guess so,” she said meekly. There was no sense in getting into the story now. “I should probably go. I need to shower before I start work.”
“This Lucas,” her father began. “He’s not likely to do a number on you like Joey is he?”
Not in the same way, she was certain of that, even though she hadn’t known Lucas for long. He’d never be one to kiss and tell. He was much too honourable. But break her heart? He could certainly do that, not least because he didn’t know the extent of her feelings for him.
“Lucas and I are friends, Dad. He was giving me comfort after the baby went with its grandfather, that’s all.”
“You let me know when you’re coming home. Your mother and I want to meet you at the airport.”
“I will,” she promised. “I love you, dad. Kiss mum for me.”
Frankie disconnected the call. She wished it were as easy to disconnect her feelings for Lucas. She was afraid that the moment he saw her that day he’d know how she felt, that her love for him would be written all over her face.
#
Frankie walked through the room towards him and, although he wanted to tear his gaze away and concentrate on listening to Pete as he gave a rundown of what happened the previous night, he couldn’t. Lucas watched as she moved through the room, stopping at some of the beds and waving at other patients. Her hair was caught up in an intricate braid that fell down her back.
Immediately, he saw a difference in her. She didn’t have her usual, ready smile that morning. She had the wide-mouthed, stretched smile she’d used for the cameras. As though she were hiding behind a mask, giving people what she thought they wanted and leaving the real Frankie hidden.
“What’s on for us today?” she asked as she reached his side.
He wanted to kiss her, drag the real woman he knew back to the surface, the one he’d made love to the previous night. “Pete says no new patients came in last night, so we’re officially winding down today. Dealing with what we have, and if no new acute patients come in, we may get flown home tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? So soon?”
“You don’t want to get back to your normal life, Frankie?” Pete asked.
Lucas watched as she answered. “I’m not in any real rush, no.”
He was never in any hurry to go home, either, so he could understand her sentiments. Also, he appreciated how her life was going to change drastically when she was home. She would have to face the repercussions from the media of walking out on her fiancé, however much he deserved it.