paused with a langoustine halfway to her mouth and then dropped it back on her plate. âYes. Of course I do. You try joining an established practice run by our respective parents. No matter how many times I prove myself, Iâm still the child. Iâm not capable of having an idea worth listening to.â
And it rankled. She knew she was a good doctor. She had ideas of her own. Ideas that she wanted todevelop for the good of her patients. For the good of the whole practice.
Wondering why on earth she was telling him this when it wasnât something she ever voiced to anyone, she scowled and reached for her glass. Then she changed her mind and lifted her water instead. It was probably the alcohol that was making her so garrulous.
âYes, I can imagine it must be hard. Dad hasnât let you make any changes, has he?â Sam wiped his fingers on a napkin. âHe can be a stubborn old guy when he wants to be. Iâm amazed you havenât walked out before now. Spread your wings.â
âI feel a responsibility to give something back to this place. And I love your dad and I love the practice,â Anna said softly, turning her head and staring out across the sea. The sun had dipped behind the cliffs and streaks of scarlet shot across the sky, casting lights on the waves. On their table a candle flickered and a vase of sweet peas scented the air. For some reason Anna felt a lump building in her throat. âAnd this is my home. Iâd never want to work anywhere else. I donât know how you can bear London. Donât you miss it here?â
âYes, of course I miss it.â His tone was equally soft and his eyes were locked on hers. âItâs my home every bit as much as itâs your home. Yes, I miss it. But this place didnât give me what I needed.â
âAnd what was that?â
He stared into the candle, watching the breeze toy with the flame. âSpace to make my own discoveries.Freedom to make my own mistakes.â He shrugged and reached for his glass. âI didnât want to just move into something that my father had built. That was his dream and I suppose I needed to follow my own dream. I needed something different.â
âBright lights and adulation.â
He looked at her thoughtfully over the rim of his glass. âYou really donât think what I do rates very highly, do you?â
âYou truly want to know what I think?â
âJust this once, yes, Iâll risk it.â He put the glass down and sat back in his chair, eyes narrowed. âTell me what you think, Riggs.â
She took a deep breath. âI think youâre an extremely talented doctor whoâs wasting those talents. You could be making a real difference to peopleâs lives. Saving lives. You did it this morning. Donât you miss that, Sam? That feeling of having really helped someone?â
His gaze didnât shift from hers. âYou donât think I help people?â
She shrugged, wishing that heâd look at his plate or his food. There was something about those killer blue eyes that she found more than a little disconcerting. âI can see the job is glamorous.â
He leaned forward. âIn the last six months weâve had dozens of letters from people whose lives have been changed by things theyâve seen on the programme. My programme. Sometimes itâs life-saving stuff, Riggs. First-aid tips that come in useful. People remember them if theyâve seen them on television.And they use them. Sometimes itâs something far less dramatic but no less important. We tackle subjects that some people find too embarrassing to discuss with their own doctors. And sometimes that gives them the courage to see their own doctors and sort out a problem thatâs limiting their lives. We make a difference.â
Anna stared at him. âYouâre pretty passionate about it.â
âVery. I think itâs a very useful