Page 66 of Dr. Off Limits

“Absolutely,” he replied. “But...”

How could there be a but?

I slid my hand around his waist, not rushing him to finish his thought.

“But sometimes, I wish they both ran a greengrocer’s on the high street, you know?”

I frowned. “I think that would be a terrible idea, what with the way the big supermarkets dominate the field.”

He laughed. “I just mean, growing up, there was... We have plenty of fun together now. Growing up... there was less of that.”

I snaked my other arm around his waist and gazed up at him. “I can’t imagine growing up in this family was anything but fun.”

He shrugged. “I imagine that’s how it looks, but now they’re both at home. It was a lot to live up to.”

I frowned. “Everyone thinks you’re an excellent doctor.”

He shifted his jaw, clearly uncomfortable. “Not good enough. I’m ambitious. If I progress in the hospital, I never want to be in a position where I can’t be promoted because there’s conflict of interest.” He slid his hands around my back. “It’s why being with you is such a risk. I really want to head up running the foundation program within the hospital. If I’m sleeping with one of the foundation doctors, it’s going to be hard to give me that job.”

Even though I knew he never did relationships at work, and even though I felt the same way, there was still a sliver of disappointment that buried into my gut at his words. I didn’t want to be something he had to feel bad about. Something he had to hide. “Right,” I said. “That makes total sense.”

“But we’re keeping this just between us which makes it... you know, better.”

I nodded. There was no other way. I needed to get through this year and not sully my reputation because I banged my boss.

“Shall we go for a walk?” he asked. “I want to show you the Norfolk Coast path along Blakeney. It’s beautiful.”

Jacoband I walked hand in hand along the footpath beside the narrow road toward the start of the path he wanted to show me. On one side, there were buildings built right up to the single lane road and on the other, the water and boats moored on the quayside. We dodged the children and their parents set up on the wall with buckets and nets.

“They’re crabbing,” he said. “There are loads down here.”

The breeze was warm but enthusiastic, and my hair whipped around my face.

“Did you come here as a child?”

He nodded. “We lived in London but Mum comes from the area. They had a holiday house—tiny compared to the place they live now. We used to come for holidays and weekends every now and then. Got the best of both worlds—the opportunities and resources of the city and the peace and freedom of the country.”

“And this was one of the walks you’d do to clear your head when you were first starting out in medicine?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s a cliché, but the fresh air and exercise really did help. It’s difficult to carve that into your timetable at your stage, but it’s important.” He nodded to the left. “Down here. We’re heading past those boats.”

“Out into the sea?”

He chuckled. “It feels that way. I’ve never been to a place like it where you’re surrounded by water. You have to remind yourself you’re still on solid ground.”

I laughed. “Sounds like life as a foundation doctor.”

Another couple came toward us, holding hands in matching blue cagoules. We moved to the side to let them pass us.

We exchanged smiles and I couldn’t help but wonder how long they’d been together and whether or not things had started out unconventionally and they’d overcome it. I’d only been seeing Jacob a few weeks, but it felt different to any relationship I’d ever felt before. Our physical connection was beyond anything I’d ever experienced, but we also talked about stuff. Important stuff. I shared things with him I’d never spoken about with anyone. And I got the feeling he didn’t go around talking about the burden of having the Coves as parents to too many people either. We connected on so many levels that I couldn’t help wondering what our future might hold. Matching cagoules or more hiding and secrecy.

He squeezed my hand. “You’re rock solid. We shouldn’t talk about this, but you’re doing really well.”

“No, we shouldn’t, but thank you.” I wanted to ask him about the award—who was in the running and whether there were any obvious stars—but I stopped myself. I didn’t want to put him in a compromising position. He shouldn’t tell me anything that would get him into trouble. “It’s overwhelming at times.”

Following the footpath, we turned left, leaving the road and the village of Blakeney behind us. We headed straight out toward the sea. Once we got past the boats, either side of the path were reeds and marshes and pools of water. “When I think of the coast, I think of the rugged rocks and sandy beaches of Devon and Cornwall. This feels like an entirely different country.”

He chuckled. “I know what you mean. But it’s beautiful, right?”

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