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She stared down in horror, wondering where on earth the rash had been—and how he had seen it.
All of a sudden she realised that someone had changed her into these clothes and put her others somewhere else. She looked around the room. It was larger than she might have expected. Comfortably decorated with a wooden coffee table between her and the flickering fire, the large navy-blue sofa and armchairs. At the far end of the room next to one of the windows was a dining table and chairs, with some bookshelves built into the walls. Part of her wanted to sneak over and check his reading materials.
Rhuaridh appeared a few moments later carrying a tray. The smell of the soup alone made her stomach growl. He laughed as he sat down next to her, his leg brushing against hers.
He slid the tray over towards her. There was a pot of tea, a bowl of chicken and rice soup that looked so thick she could stand her spoon in it, and some crusty bread and butter.
‘Aren’t you having some?’ she asked, conscious of the fact she’d be eating in front of him. He nodded. ‘Give me a sec.’ He walked back through to the kitchen then joined her on the sofa as she took her first spoonful of soup.
It was delicious. Not like anything they had in LA. Soup wasn’t that popular there. But she’d noticed in Scotland a whole variety of soups seemed a staple part of the diet. ‘You actually made this?’
He nodded. ‘From an old recipe of my dad’s. I can make this one, Scotch broth, lentil and bacon, and tomato.’ He frowned as he was thinking. ‘I can also make mince and potatoes, stovies, steak pie, and chicken and leek pie. After that? My menu kind of falls off a cliff.’
‘Okay, is this where I admit I only know what part of that menu is?’
She was starting to feel a little more alive. Now she’d woken up and orientated herself, she wasn’t quite so embarrassed by what had happened. Rhuaridh had looked after a million patients. He was a doctor. It was his job.
She kept on spooning up the soup. ‘I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted,’ she admitted. ‘You’ll need to teach me. I can’t make anything like this. In fact, avocado and toast is about my limit.’
‘What do you eat in LA?’
She grinned. ‘Avocado and toast. And anything else that I buy in a store.’
She liked the way he laughed. Deep and hearty.
It didn’t take long to finish the soup. She sighed and leaned back on the sofa. ‘That was great.’
His hand brushed against hers as he moved the tea on the table in front of her and lifted her soup bowl. It made her start.
‘I wonder... I know it’s been an imposition having me here, but could I use your shower before I get ready to go back to my own cottage?’
He pointed to the staircase. ‘There’s a spare room with an en suite bathroom at the top of the stairs. Some of your things are in there. I only brought you down here when you were so cold—so the fire could heat you.’
He’d carried her. He’d carried her down here. The intimacy of the act made her cheeks blaze unexpectedly.
As Rhuaridh made his way back to the kitchen, she practically ran up the stairs. Sure enough, the white bedclothes were rumpled and there was a bag with her clothes at the side. Her stomach flip-flopped. She grabbed what she could and headed to the shower.
* * *
He’d spent the last day worrying about her. When Gerry had turned up at his door, it had taken him all his time to assess her to reassure himself that there was nothing serious going on.
The sigh that Gerry had finally let out when Rhuaridh had told him that it was likely she had some kind of virus her body was fighting off had filled the room. He’d sent Gerry back to the rental, advising him that he’d watch over her.
Against his spare white bedding she’d looked pale, her normal tan bleached from her skin, and her temperature had been raging. He’d had to strip her clothes off, then try and dose her with some paracetamol whilst she’d been barely conscious.
He’d known it would pass. He’d known it was part and parcel of the body fighting off a virus—and sleeping was the best thing she could do. But it didn’t stop him settling into a chair in the corner of the room and spending an uncomfortable night there, watching over Kristie.
