He nodded. ‘Good. What changed your mind?’
‘I always thought it was a good idea.’ Her mouth tilted slightly at the corners and she angled her head. ‘It’s just that I had to get my head round the fact that it came from you.’
He laughed with appreciation. ‘Well, that’s honest.’
‘I had a girl in here this morning…’
He listened while she told him about Katy and about her plan to involve some of the teenagers in setting up the clinic. It was a great idea.
‘I have to hand it to you, Riggs, when you go with an idea, you don’t hang around.’
‘Now’s the time to get them,’ she said briskly. ‘Long, hot summer evenings are the time when they get carried away. A significant number of our teenage mothers give birth in March.’
‘So let’s get started. Set up your meeting. What’s the problem?’
She breathed in and looked slightly pink. ‘You have to be there. Apparently you’re “cool”.’
He grinned. ‘And doesn’t that just bug you, Riggs?’
‘Actually, no.’ She sat back in her chair and surveyed him with those amazing brown eyes. ‘If you get the teenagers here, I don’t care what tactics you employ. Use your movie-star status if it helps.’
He smiled. ‘Any time you want my autograph, Riggs…’
‘I’ll try and survive without it. But let’s get on with this clinic.’
‘I thought you hated change.’
‘Only when it’s done for the sake of change. I can see the benefit of the clinic.’
‘My father couldn’t. It’s one of the reasons I know he should retire. He’s stopped seeing what his patients need.’
He saw her eyes cloud, saw the evidence of her very real affection for his father.
‘I don’t want him to retire.’ Anna’s chin lifted. ‘Changing a few clinics won’t matter to him. We can explain why we did it. Things are still the same in the practice.’
‘Things never stay the same,’ Sam said flatly, rising to his feet in a fluid movement. ‘Time moves on and we need to move with it. Let’s get through the summer and then we’ll sort out what the practice needs
, what Dad needs…’ He hesitated. ‘And what you need.’
He saw her stiffen defensively. ‘What do you mean, what I need? I don’t need anything.’
He gave a slow smile and watched with satisfaction while her colour rose. ‘No? Then it must be just me. Catch you later, Riggs.’
He left the room, ignoring the throb in his loins and the kick of his heart. Who would have thought it? Usually he liked his women gentle and compliant. Everything that Anna wasn’t. Anna was stubborn and had a tongue like a whiplash, but he respected her. And that respect was growing, the more he saw of her.
And the fact that the chemistry between them so clearly didn’t fit into her plans made the situation even more interesting.
CHAPTER SIX
‘MUM’S got an appointment at the memory clinic.’ Glenda dropped her bag and removed her cardigan. ‘I never thought it would be that quick.’
Aware that Sam had pulled several strings and had had several conversations with the consultant over the past week, Anna merely smiled. ‘I’m pleased. When is it?’
‘End of the week.’ Glenda pulled a face and settled in her chair behind Reception. ‘Do you mind if I take a few hours off in the afternoon to go with her?’
‘Of course not.’ Anna put down the pile of journals she was carrying. ‘I wish you’d told me about your mum sooner, Glenda. I feel dreadful, knowing that you were struggling with that on your own.’
Glenda fiddled with her hair. ‘Well, to be honest, I don’t think I was willing to admit it even to myself.’ She flicked on the computer and gave Anna a rueful smile. ‘These things happen to other people, don’t they? For ages I managed to convince myself she was just a bit forgetful, a bit crotchety. I didn’t want to admit it might be anything worse. But lately she’s been dreadful. Can’t remember a thing.’