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for me, and I’ll go along with whatever the consultant suggests.’
    â€˜That’s good.’ She smiled at him. ‘I’ll come and see you when it’s over. In the meantime, I think your parents and your brother are on their way to see you. Emma said she saw them coming from the restaurant.’
    â€˜Yeah, it was good of them to come check up on me.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘How about you? Have you heard from your sister Grace lately?’
    Lacey nodded. ‘She said she’ll come over with the children some time next week…she’s bringing the dog, too, rather than put him into kennels. Matt has to go away on business for a few days, but I’m sure he’ll find time to visit. She even said they were thinking of relocating down here. Matt is setting up a new office in Key Largo, so they’ll be much nearer to me…a straight drive along the highway and we can be together. I’m reallylooking forward to seeing them all again. It’s not the same, talking on the phone.’
    â€˜No, it isn’t. It can be frustrating when there are hundreds or thousands of miles between you, and the only link you have is email or a phone call.’ He looked at her oddly, and she wondered what going through his mind. Was he thinking about their friendship?
    Lacey frowned, not knowing what to say. She laid her hand on his and squeezed his fingers gently, an unspoken communication passing between them.
    â€˜I always had a soft spot for you,’ he said quietly. ‘Only you were hung up on Nick, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance. And it’s no better now that you and he are through, because he’s made you cautious of any man who crosses your path.’
    â€˜Yes, that’s true,’ she admitted, ‘but it goes deeper than that. I’m sorry, Rob…but you know, you and I will always have something special, a great friendship. I can’t offer you anything more than that, because it’s how I’ve always felt about you—that you’re like my best friend, or a brother to me.’
    He made a rueful face. ‘I’d guessed as much. Besides, I knew I wouldn’t get a look in when you moved into the house, not with Jake living next door. Women always seem to fall for him, and I get the feeling that I’m definitely outclassed. Knowing Jake, I’m pretty sure he’s pulling out all the stops to get your attention. He is, isn’t he?’
    â€˜What makes you think that?’
    He made a grimace. ‘It was easy enough to work it out. He sent me a fruit basket with a card saying he wassorry to hear that I was ill, and that he wished me well. I knew it must have been you who told him. It just confirmed what I thought… I knew from the outset that he would try to keep in fairly regular, close contact with you. He isn’t one to let the grass grow under his feet, is he?’
    â€˜Well, no, you’re right about that.’ She looked briefly around the room until her glance came to rest on a wicker basket brimming with ripe, gloriously coloured fruits. ‘It was thoughtful of him to send the fruit, though, wasn’t it? You’ve all sorts there—oranges, mangoes, passion fruit, grapes. They look luscious.’
    â€˜Yes, it was a great gesture. Help yourself to anything you fancy.’ He frowned, his mouth turning down at the corners. ‘I suppose this means I’ll have to be nice to him now…at least for a while.’
    She laughed and ruffled his hair. ‘You’re such a grump, Rob. Think positive…when you’re feeling better you can hightail it out of here, without looking back. Then he won’t be a problem to you.’
    â€˜Maybe.’
    She left him to rest before his family arrived to visit, and went back to work. Emma prepared a suture trolley so that Lacey could treat a man who had gashed his arm in a surfing accident.
    â€˜That’s quite