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He drove to the restaurant on the other side of the island. The atmosphere was casual and the food superb. Back on the yacht, they changed and cuddled for after-dinner drinks mingled with kisses and caresses under the stars.
For her first day of interviews, Lillian donned a pair of blue scrubs and carried her comfortable rubber shoes as she climbed down to the boat tied to the yacht. Steve had preceded her. He also was barefoot and wore scrubs.
After a quick breakfast of coffee and donuts, she followed the schedule she’d set out the day before, conducting interviews from nine to one at the nurses’ station, while Steve, in his office, met with the candidates she wanted him to double-check. They stopped for lunch and went to the restaurant next door.
In the afternoon, Steve left her to continue the interviews on her own while he checked on the remodeling. At four o’clock, he ended their working day and introduced her to the owner of a pub calledThe Captain’s Den.
“Lillian, meet Captain Douglas. He knows everyone on the island.”
With a bushy beard and a black patch over his left eye, Captain Douglas represented the ideal pirate—and a very sociable one. He welcomed her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and declared her first happy hour on the house. Within half an hour, tourists and locals bustled into the pub. Many of them knewDoc Steve.
Later Steve explained that the stop at the pub was a must for promoting business.
The ten days flew by in the blink of an eye. The mornings started with breakfast at their coffee shop, followed by interviews and work. They took a break for lunch, and at the end of the day, still in their scrubs, it was happy hour at Captain Douglas’s pub. Nurse Lilly, as they called her, had become a friend of the pub’s patrons who sought her for free medical advice they wouldn’t dare ask the new surgeon.
All in all it was a wonderful life in Lillian’s Island of Love, except for one nagging thought.
“Why the frown?” Steve caught her at the wrong moment.
“It’s about our animals. As much as I love Max, Mitzi, and Wendy, I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring them here. They’ll be prisoners on the boat while we’re busy at the clinic all day. The poor things will miss the backyard and the freedom to run around.”
Startled, Steve arched his eyebrows. “We can’t abandon them.”
“Trust me, they’ll be happier in my house under Susan’s care. I’m sure Royce will take Max for a walk now and then to relax and break from his studies.”
“Mommy knows best.” He winked at her. “Organize it the way you see fit. You’re the boss.”
On Sunday, Doc rewarded her and himselfwith a vacation dayat the beach swimming, snorkeling, walking, and relaxing.
Their nightly after-dinner drink under the stars topped the bonuses offered by their island of love.
On their last evening at the pub, Captain Douglas offered a round of free drinks in honor ofDoc and Nurse Lilly, wishing them a safe trip and quick return to their new home.
“When’s the wedding, Doc?” Captain Douglas blurted out of the blue.
Lillian’s stomach twitched at the embarrassing question.
“Soon,” Doc answered, wrapping an arm around her waist and smacking a kiss on her mouth.
She blushed, not daring to protest.
“We hope you’ll have the wedding in our church by the sea,” one of the women shouted.
“Yes, in the church by the sea. What a great idea.” Steve raised his glass. “I drink to that.”
Good Lord, they were all drunk.
“Will we be invited?” Another squealed.
“Of course we will, right Doc, Nurse Lilly?”
“Of course, my friends. Everyone of you will witness our happiness on your beautiful island. Nurse Lilly calls it her island of love.”
“Yeah.”
The screams and squeals escalated, upsetting her. The sensitive subject burned her heart. Steve should not be forced to propose. She’d hoped he would. Eventually. Because he loved her and wanted to live with her for the rest of their lives. Not because drunken people goaded him into it for the fun of it. She blinked to suppress her tears of frustration.
Captain Douglas passed around more glasses, and Steve insisted on payingfor the next round.
