He arched both eyebrows playfully. “I don’t know.”
Tears filled her eyes and Judy bit her lip, too overcome to speak.
“Judy?”
She pressed her fingers to her mouth as she blinked back the tears. “It’s the Riordan sculpture Mother gave Father. He was forced to sell it…recently.”
“Yes.”
“You knew?” Her hand lovingly traced the bronze, stroking it as though she hadn’t believed she’d ever hold it in her hands again.
Reverently, she set the sculpture aside and lifted her arms to John. Tears shone in her eyes. “Come here,” she whispered brokenly. “I want to thank you.”
Chapter 8
McFarland made excuses to visit Judy. Ten times a day he found reasons that demanded he go to her. He discovered it was necessary to confer with her nurse at least twice a day. He delivered Judy’s lunch along with his own so they could share their meals. In the evening, he felt Ms. Reinholt, the nurse, should have some time off, so McFarland took it upon himself to stay with the patient. Seldom did he come empty-handed. Judy’s injury was the perfect excuse to give her the things he felt she deserved.
Judy’s eyes would light up with such happiness at his arrival that his excuses became flimsier with every day. The Riordan sculpture rested on the nightstand, and more than once McFarland had caught Judy gazing at it longingly. He knew the piece reminded her of her life in New York, but she never mentioned leaving the island. Neither did he.
“John,” Judy whispered the third day of her convalescence. “You have to send that woman home.” She bobbed her head in the direction of the stiff-backed nurse who sat knitting in the opposite corner of the room.
“Why?” He lowered his voice conspiratorially, his eyes twinkling.
“I’m not joking, so quit laughing at me! Ms. Reinholt is driving me crazy. Every time I turn around she’s flashing a light in my eyes or sticking a thermometer under my tongue. When I complained, she suggested there were other places she could stick the blasted thing.”
Despite himself, McFarland burst into laughter.
Judy’s eyes narrowed and she whispered, “I’m glad you consider this so amusing.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, but he didn’t feel at all contrite.
In a huff, Judy crossed her arms over her chest and tried to be angry with him. She couldn’t. He’d been so wonderful, so attentive, that it wasn’t possible to find fault with him. It was as though he yearned to make up to her for his harshness since her arrival on the island.
“I’m tired of sitting in bed.” She tried to appear stern, but the edges of her mouth quivered with suppressed laughter.
He grinned.
“You’d think I was the only woman who’d ever survived two cracked ribs, the way everyone’s acting. Well, I’ve got news for you. I am not a medical marvel.”
“I realize that.”
“No, you don’t,” she said. “Otherwise you’d let me get up.”
“You are allowed to get up.”
“Sure, for five minutes every hour. Big deal.” She thrust out her arm. “I’m losing my tan! I’ll have you know I worked hard for this.”
He chuckled, and Judy resisted the urge to poke her elbow into his ribs.
“You aren’t taking me seriously, John!”
“All right, all right. I’ll tell Ms. Reinholt you can get up more often.”
“I want to sit in the sun,” she pleaded.
“Perhaps tomorrow.”
There was no point in arguing. “Promise?”
He nodded. His eyes held hers and were so warm and caressing that Judy wondered why she longed for sunshine when she had John.
“And…”
“Hmm?”
“No more gifts.” Her room was filled to overflowing with everything he’d given her. There was hardly space for all the flowers—roses, orchids, daisies. In addition, he’d given her bottle upon bottle of expensive perfume, and box after box of jewelry until she swore she could open her own store. Her slightest wish had been fulfilled ten times over.
“I like giving you things.”
Her hand reached for his. Intuitively, Judy recognized that John was soothing his conscience. She frowned; it was important that he know she didn’t blame him. “The accident wasn’t your fault.”
His fingers tightened on hers. “I caused you to fall…”
“John, no.” Her free hand stroked his clenched jaw. “I was the one who ran from you. It was an accident.” In her opinion, the pain of cracked ribs was a small price to pay for an end to the hostility between them.
Ms. Reinholt set her knitting aside and checked her watch. “It’s time to take Ms. Lovin’s temperature,” she said crisply.
“See what I mean?” Judy muttered.
“I’d better get back to the office.” John leaned over and lightly brushed his lips to hers, then stood and left the room.
Obediently, Judy opened her mouth as the nurse approached. She lay back and closed her eyes, savoring the memory of those moments with John. Although he came often, he seldom stayed more than ten or fifteen minutes. Judy was so pleased to see him for any amount of time that she didn’t complain.
John wasn’t her only visitor. Avery Anderson arrived shortly after noon, pulled up a chair, and talked for an hour. He was a fussy man, not much taller than she was, and couldn’t seem to finish a sentence without stuttering. She found him oddly charming, though, and toward the end of their conversation, he seemed to relax.
Ten minutes after Avery’s visit, John reappeared, looking perplexed. He ran his fingers through his hair and studied her. “What did you say to Avery?”
“When?”
“Just now. He was here, wasn’t he?”
Judy nodded. “I didn’t say anything special. He came to see how I was doing. You don’t mind, do you? I mean, if he should’ve been doing something else, I apologize.”
John shook his head absently. “We’d finished for the day.”
“What’s wrong then?”
“Nothing.” John smiled then, a rich, rare smile. “He’s decided to stay.”
“Avery? I didn’t know he was leaving.”
“He isn’t,” John said. “At least, not anymore.”
“I’m glad.”
He stared at her. “You’re sure you didn’t say anything?”
“I said a lot of things.”
His gaze returned to her. “Like what?”
“John, honestly. I don’t know…I mentioned the weather and we talked about the stock market—he was far more knowledgeable about it than I’ll ever be. We talked about you but only a little. Now that you mention it, he did seem nervous at first.”
“Avery’s always nervous.”
“Then there was nothing out of the ordinary.”
McFarland sat on the edge of the bed and braced his hands on either side of her head. “It appears I’m in your debt again.”
“Good, I like it that way.”
He looked as though he wanted to kiss her. He even bent his head closer to hers, his gaze on her lips. Judy wished he would and tried to beckon him with her eyes, but he didn’t and left soon afterward, leaving her frustrated and disappointed. He’d kissed her several times since the accident, light kisses that teased her with the memory of other more potent ones. He treated her like…like he was an indulgent older brother. But she was powerless to change his attitude until she could get out of bed.
Judy crossed her arms and sighed dejectedly. She couldn’t blame John for not being tempted by her; she must look a sight in her plain nightgowns. What she wouldn’t give for some lingerie!
Feeling tired, Judy slept for the next hour and woke to distant hammering, or at least that was what it sounded like.
“What’s that noise?” She sat upright, looking at the nurse.
“Is it bothering you? Mr. McFarland instructed me to let him know if the construction disturbed your rest.”
“Construction?”
?
??Yes, Mr. McFarland is having a medical clinic built. I’ll be staying on the island full-time following your recovery.”
“He’s building a clinic?”
“Yes, I’ve already seen several of the children for physical exams. Arrangements are being made to fly in a doctor twice a week from now on.”
Judy was too astonished to make a sound. Grimacing at the pain, she tossed aside the sheets and climbed out of bed. She reached for her robe.
“Ms. Lovin, what are you doing?”
She tried to speak but couldn’t. Instead, she shook her head and walked out of the room.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” Virginia Reinholt demanded, hands on her hips.
It was all Judy could do to point down the stairs.
“Ms. Lovin, I must insist that you return to your room immediately. Mr. McFarland will be displeased.”
Judy ignored her and carefully moved down the stairs, taking one step at a time. It hurt to walk, but she discovered that pressing her arm against her side lessened the pain.
The middle-aged nurse ran ahead of Judy and was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. “Please—go back to your room this instant.”
“No,” Judy said with as much resolve as she could muster.
“Then you leave me no option but to inform my employer.” The nurse marched toward McFarland’s suite of offices.
The flustered woman was standing in front of Avery’s desk, visibly distressed, when Judy appeared. Avery wiped his forehead with his handkerchief, straightened his bow tie, and nodded now and then.
Judy sidestepped them both, knocked politely on John’s door, and let herself into his office.
“Judy?” He rose to his feet. “What are you trying to do? Kill yourself?” He noted her tears and lowered his voice sufficiently. “My Beauty, what is it?” He walked around his desk and pulled her into his arms.
Judy tried to tell him, but her voice refused to cooperate. Whimpering softly, she framed his face with her hands and spread kisses over his jaw and cheeks. Quick, random kisses. She found his eyes, his nose, his ear. She kissed him again and again, ignoring his faint protests.
“Judy,” he said thickly, his hands on her upper arms.
He continued to speak, but Judy cut him off by placing her mouth over his, thanking him silently for his thoughtfulness.
The intensity of the kiss rocked them both and, feeling weak, he backed into a chair and sat with her nestled in his lap.
He drew her closer and teased her with feathery strokes of his tongue. Judy moaned, lost in the sensations.
McFarland had restrained himself from holding or touching her like this. Her innocence humbled him, and he was afraid he’d frighten her with the fierce passion she aroused in him.
Since the accident, he’d kissed her a handful of times, but each gentle kiss had only created more need than it satisfied. Now his desire for her mounted with such intensity that it sapped the strength from him. Emotions that had been hiding just below the surface gushed forth, nearly overpowering him with their intensity.
Groaning, McFarland tore his mouth away and nuzzled his face in her neck, holding her as close as he dared, afraid of causing her further pain. Her tenderness enveloped him, and with it a desire so overwhelming that he couldn’t hold her much longer and remain sane.
“John,” she pleaded, “don’t stop.”
He kissed her again, because refusing her anything was beyond him. His mouth claimed hers, and when he’d finished, their breathing was labored.
He held her face and wiped the tears from her cheek with the side of his thumb, still aghast at the power she held over him. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “I heard pounding…or what I thought was…pounding.”
McFarland nodded, encouraging her to continue.
“You’re building a medical clinic?”
“Yes.”
She drew her hands over his face, stroking, loving every inch of his features, while she gathered her composure. “Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
McFarland studied her, more perplexed than ever. He’d given her a host of gifts, but nothing had evoked this response. Not even the sculpture. A simple medical clinic had reduced her to tears.
A loud knock forced them apart.
“I apologize for this rude interruption, Mr. McFarland,” the nurse said, standing just inside the door. “There was no stopping her—I did try.”
“I flew the coop,” Judy whispered, and was rewarded with a quick smile from John.
“I really have to insist that she return to bed immediately.”
“Oh, do I have to?” Judy asked with a ragged sigh.
McFarland stood, bringing Judy with him. “Yes, you do.”
“Another day of this, and you might as well bury me in my nightgown.” Playfully, she pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and rolled her eyes.
“Another kiss like that,” McFarland said, low enough for only Judy to hear, “and you can bury me, too.”
John scooped her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs. Virginia Reinholt led the way back to Judy’s room, clucking as she went, listing Judy’s myriad transgressions with every step.
McFarland followed Ms. Reinholt into the room and lowered Judy to the bed. She didn’t release her arms from around his neck but held him a moment longer while she whispered, “Just wait until you get sick!”
—
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” McFarland asked for the fifth time in as many minutes. The thought of her on another horse made him wince.
“If you ask me that once more, I think I’ll scream,” Judy told him with a scathing look that added credence to her threat. “It’s been three weeks since the accident. I’m not recovering from brain surgery, you know!”
“But horseback riding…”
“If Ms. Reinholt approved, so should you. Besides, I want to ride again before I lose my nerve.”
“Never mind yours,” McFarland muttered. “Mine’s completely shot.”
Sam brought both Princess and Midnight to the front of the stables and held Princess while Judy slipped her foot into the stirrup and mounted the mare.
The movement caused a painful twinge, but nothing she couldn’t readily disguise. “There,” she said triumphantly.
“Right.” McFarland swung himself onto Midnight and circled the yard. Judy hadn’t fooled him; she was hurting and he was furious that she wouldn’t put this off until she’d had time to heal completely.
“Are you coming or not?” She threw the question over her shoulder as she trotted ahead of him toward the beach.
“Judy, slow down!” he shouted, racing after her.
“No.”
The wind carried her laughter and McFarland relaxed in his saddle, smiling as the sound washed over him. The last few weeks had drastically altered their relationship.
He’d never spent time like this with a woman. A shared look could have more meaning than an hour’s conversation; a kiss in the moonlight could fill him with longing. She might have been innocent, but she aroused in him a sensual awareness far stronger than anything he’d ever known. When she laughed, he laughed; when she ached, he ached; when she was happy, he was happy.
He spent as much of his day with her as his business would allow. For the first time, he delegated his duties freely. He’d always known that Avery Anderson was a competent manager, but in the past three weeks he’d learned to fully utilize and appreciate the man’s talents.
If McFarland needed to read over papers regarding his business interests, he’d often do it in the evenings. Content simply to be at his side, Judy would sit across from him in the library reading, a book propped open in front of her, while he handled his affairs. Often he found his interest wavering. Watching her was by far the greater joy.
There’d been a time when he was reluctant to take an hour off; now he dedicated whole days to Judy. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Some inner part of
himself must have known this would happen—that was the only possible explanation for the fact that he’d forced her to come to the island. For the very first time in his life he was utterly content. There were no more mountains to conquer, no more bridges to cross. There was nothing he desired more than what he possessed at that moment.
“I’ve missed riding,” Judy said happily, breaking into his thoughts.
He’d ridden only five or six times himself, preferring to spend any free hours with her.
“John,” she said, her voice softening, “I thought I asked you to stop buying me gifts.”
“I vaguely recall something to that effect,” he said glibly.
“If you think you’ve fooled me, you’re wrong. I know exactly what’s going on.”
“I wouldn’t dream of disregarding your wishes.” He did his best to disguise a smile.
“I suppose you don’t think I’ve noticed the way Sam’s been walking around like a peacock. You’ve bought another horse.”
Shaking his head, McFarland chuckled. “She’s a beauty. You’re going to love her.”
“Oh John, honestly. What am I going to do with you?”
Love me. Marry me. Have children with me. Fill my life with joy. The possibilities were endless.
“John, look,” Judy cried. “The kids are playing in the surf.”
McFarland paused, watched their antics, and laughed.
“They haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks,” he said. “Go and talk to them. I’ll wait for you here.”
“Wait for me?” She turned questioning eyes to him.
“I’ll frighten them away.”
Judy frowned. She understood what he meant, but it was time the children got to know him the way she did, the way he really was. “But you’re with me,” she said, climbing down from Princess. “Come on.” She held out her hand to him.
McFarland felt a twinge of nervousness as he joined her. He hadn’t been around children much, and if he admitted the truth, he felt as apprehensive as they did.
“Philippe. Elizabeth.” Judy called their names and watched as they turned, then raced toward her.