by Lucy Clark
‘That’s what has to happen,’ Gemma finished, and nodded. ‘It’s the first pregnancy I haven’t been able to carry on through. I’ve even had four of them delivered right here at home, and everything has always been fine. I just don’t understand what’s happening.’
‘And that’s why we need you to go to Didja tomorrow. The sooner we find out what’s really going on, the better.’
Gemma nodded. ‘I know. It’s all just come as a bit of a shock.’
Melissa stood, bag in hand. ‘I’ll leave you both to get some sleep, but if anything goes wrong tonight, if you have a bleed or any pain, you send Ron to get either myself or Joss or both. Understand? We want you to wake us up. Don’t be considerate and let us sleep. OK?’
‘Right. Be inconsiderate to the house-guests. Got it.’ Gemma smiled. Melissa turned and headed for the door before Gemma called her name. ‘Oh, and thanks.’
Melissa smiled warmly. ‘My pleasure. Goodnight and sleep soundly.’
Joss heard her call goodnight to Gemma and Ron and then head back into her room. He lay down on the sofabed, hands behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling fan whirring softly around. The rain hadn’t necessarily cooled everything down. In fact, it had made this room more humid than before. Or perhaps that was just him—sweating under the realisation that it had been so incredibly difficult not to kiss Melissa goodnight.
Had she been waiting for him to do it? Had she wanted him to do it? Was she upset that he hadn’t? He closed his eyes for a moment. He had no idea where he stood, and he wasn’t a man who liked to be unsure of his footing.
A female doctor. That was all he’d wanted for the clinic. It had been top of his priority list. A female doctor for the female population of Didja and its surrounding communities. When he’d learned that Dex’s sister had wanted to get to know her brother and that she was a qualified OB/GYN he hadn’t been about to look a gift horse in the mouth. What he simply hadn’t counted on was the way he’d feel so protective towards her.
Of course he’d told himself it was because he wanted to make sure she concentrated on her job here, that she didn’t get side-tracked with thoughts of romance and marriage. She was here for twelve months to do a job and to get to know her brother. That was all. So why had he been so incredibly possessive of her—especially when they’d gone to the mining headquarters and Scott the Sleaze had tried to put his moves on her? It was all quite puzzling, as Joss had never been the possessive type in the past.
Still, here he was, not only feeling possessive towards his colleague but wanting to kiss her again and again. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t professional. Slowly he acknowledged the truth of the matter—he didn’t want anyone else to have her because he wanted her all for himself.
It was wrong. So wrong. And yet when they were close, when he held her, it was so incredibly right.
When he’d initially come to Didja he’d been hurting, trying to get his life back on track. The community had rallied around their new doctor and had certainly made him feel welcome, but there was one thing he’d realised: when it came to having personal relationships in small towns everyone knew everything and everyone. If he’d dated at all, he would have been under close scrutiny—and he’d already had his fair share of that back in Perth.
To be accused of medical negligence at a big city hospital, to have it plastered all over the media and then to be privately told that he was being offered as a sacrificial lamb by the head of the hospital had been tough. He’d lost his faith in the system—not only the hospital hierarchy but also the political leaders. At least here in Didja he was the boss. He ran the clinic the way a clinic should be run, with truth, honesty and integrity, and he wouldn’t be made the scapegoat for any political games. Not ever again.
When the whole state, from your patients to the hospital board to the members of parliament, all thought you were some sort of ‘Doctor Death’; when your fiancée—the woman who was supposed to love you—went to the press telling lies about your personal relationship and painting you to be some sort of monster; when you went from being an upstanding member of society to being threatened with jail time, the last thing you wanted was to move to a new place for a fresh start and be once more under close scrutiny. That was how Joss had felt.
That was why he’d tried to keep to himself in the beginning—until the good people of Didja had decided to bring the pub to his house and really welcome him to town. Still, as far as romantic relationships went it would be impossible for the whole town not to become involved. But he’d been hurt on so many levels before, and for four years he’d managed to keep that part of his heart locked securely away.
Until Melissa.
He wasn’t the type of man who could just hand over his heart, give over his trust, open up all aspects of his being and love a woman unconditionally. Was he?
He thought about Christina, and the emotional trauma she’d put him through when he’d needed it the least. He couldn’t put his heart out there again and risk it getting cut into tiny little pieces before being pulverised, then liquefied, and then tipped into the sewer.
He knew Melissa wasn’t Christina, and that so far, in the short time he’d known her, she’d displayed qualities such as loyalty, generosity and integrity, but he’d been duped before and he wasn’t about to be duped again.
People could change. Could he change? Could he open his heart to the beautiful blonde woman who was just up the corridor from him? The woman who felt so right in his arms, who kissed like an absolute dream, who listened and really seemed to be interested in him? Was he strong enough to take the chance?
Joss closed his eyes, pain and indecision piercing his chest. What if she hurt him? What if she didn’t? What if what they felt for each other was not only more than an initial attraction but the real deal? What if he was being given a second chance at happiness, at friendship, at love? He’d always wanted to get married, to have children of his own, but after Christina’s betrayal he’d figured that would never happen—that he’d never love another woman as much, nor would he ever trust another again.
Was Melissa his second chance? Was she worth the risk?
Melissa quickly got ready for bed, padding across to the bathroom to do her teeth before quietly settling down beneath the ceiling fan, a cotton sheet draped over her. The rain was still pattering, lightly now, outside the open window. Here she was, in the middle of the Outback, in the middle of nowhere, in a complete stranger’s house and she’d never felt safer.
She knew it wasn’t just because the Etheringtons had been so caring and welcoming. She knew it wasn’t because the Outback was a place of untamed beauty with not one scrap of artifice. No, she felt completely safe due to the man who now slept on the fold-out sofabed in the front living room of this old homestead.
Her life had certainly changed quite a bit since arriving in Didja. The question was, was it all for the better? Was getting involved with Joss enhancing her life? All she knew was that it was definitely confusing it.
All she wanted was a man who would hold her, kiss her, want to be near her. She wanted her life to be like the Etheringtons’—to have a home, a husband, children of her own. Uncles and aunts to come and visit, bringing their own children along so the house dissolved into a mass of noise, laughter and love.
Over the years she’d invested so much of herself in relationships with others, whether it was as a loving daughter or in a more romantic way, such as the relationship she’d shared with Renulf. And yet time after time things had gone wrong. Something had always happened to change those relationships and she’d be left all alone. Again.
If it wasn’t one thing it was another, and this time around she wondered whether she was getting ready to tread on that pond of thin ice again. Letting herself stay too long in a fairytale world where everything turned out right would only end up with her getting hurt—possibly hurting both of them—and that was the last thing either of them needed.
Melissa awoke the next morning to
the faint buzzing of an aeroplane. She opened her eyes, unsure for a moment where she was. Then she heard high-pitched giggling and the patter of little feet down the hallway, followed by big thumping footsteps as a deeper voice growled.
She sat up in bed, remembering where she was and why she was there. The plane was sounding closer—the RFDS plane—and she glared at the clock.
‘Eight-thirty!’ Flicking back the cool cotton sheet, she quickly pulled a change of clothes from her bag and dressed, mortified that she’d slept so late. She had no doubt it was because she’d tossed and turned for half the night, her mind filled with indecision about what she needed to do.
She tidied the room and gathered her bags together before opening the door, then quickly stepped back as she narrowly missed being run down by a three-year-old and a five-year-old, running past her door squealing.
What surprised her even more was Joss, who was growling as he chased after them. He stopped when he saw her, straightening from his hunched-over position, and smiled in that adorable way which simply melted her heart.
‘Morning.’
‘Hi. I see you’re…uh…busy.’
‘Yep. The RFDS plane is just arriving, and Ron’s driven out to greet them. Looks as though you’ll get to meet the crew today.’
‘Good. Right.’ Work. Talking about work was a neutral way to start the day. ‘I’ll go check on Gemma.’
‘She’s resting out on the verandah,’ he supplied, trying not to visually caress the woman before him. Melissa looked delectable first thing in the morning, her hair loose and gorgeous as it floated around her shoulders. It was an image he knew would stay with him for ever.
‘Good. It seems she made it through the night with no complications. That’s another good sign.’
‘Actually, she did have a pain.’
‘What?’
‘About an hour ago. But as you were sleeping and I was already awake Ron came and got me to check on her. Everything was fine,’ he rushed on, seeing the concern on Melissa’s face. ‘The baby’s heart-rate; Gemma’s blood pressure. No swelling. No bleeding. Everything’s fine,’ he reiterated.
‘Right. Good. Thanks.’ She paused for a moment and pushed a hand through her hair, wishing she’d been able to find her hairband so she could put it back. ‘You could have woken me, you know.’
Joss had been so mesmerised by her actions, by the gorgeous blonde strands glinting in the sunlight, that he’d momentarily tuned out from what she’d been saying. ‘Oh. Yeah.’ He waved her words away. ‘It’s OK. It was no big deal. To let you sleep, I mean. It’s going to be a long day.’
‘It is?’ Melissa put her overnight bag down and pushed her hands into the pockets of the three-quarter-length jeans she’d packed, her cotton shirt falling over the waistband. ‘Listen, I’ve been thinking.’
‘Always a good start to the day,’ he replied, and she couldn’t help but smile. Joss stared. Why had she done that? Why had he provoked such a smile? She was beautiful. Completely and utterly breathtakingly beautiful first thing in the morning. Her lips were redder, her eyes were richer, and her hair was so glorious he was hard pressed not to reach out and sift his fingers through the silken strands.
‘Uh…I think it might be better if I go back on the plane with Gemma. That way she has immediate and constant care. I’m not suggesting,’ she quickly rushed on, ‘that the RFDS aren’t capable of providing such care. It’s just that—’
‘It’s a good idea.’ Joss nodded. ‘I was thinking along the same lines.’ Mostly because of Gemma’s health, but also because he wasn’t sure he could handle a three-hour drive back to town with Melissa sitting so close beside him and be able to keep his hands to himself.
‘You were?’ Did he want to get rid of her? Was it for Gemma’s sake he wanted her out of his ute for the drive back to Didja, or was it because of the repressed sexual tension which was palpable between them? ‘I mean. Good. That’s good. Good we’re both on the same page.’
‘Patient’s health comes first,’ he agreed. ‘Plus, it’s also a good way for you to get to know Phemie. She’s one of the main RFDS doctors employed in this district.’
‘Phemie?’
‘Short for Euphemia.’
Melissa smiled again, but this time it was more relaxed. ‘Great name.’
‘Great woman.’ He stood there, staring at her, watching her every move, wanting to plant his mouth over hers more with each passing second. Did she have any idea how beau—? No. He cut the thought off. He couldn’t think like that. He needed to find a way to put some distance between them, and also find a way to stop wanting a repeat of yesterday afternoon, when she’d let him kiss her.
Joss felt a tugging at his shorts and looked down at Bridget. ‘Hello.’
‘Come on, Dr Jossy,’ said the five-year-old. ‘You’re the growly ogre chasing the princess and the prince through the forest.’
‘Yeah. Come on,’ three-year-old Lee chimed in.
‘Best get to it, then.’ Melissa picked up her bag again.
Joss’s answer to his little friends was to assume his hunched-over ‘growly ogre’ position, and the two children ran away squealing with delight. Joss instantly straightened again. ‘That should hold them for a moment.’
‘I’d best go check on Gemma. Make sure she’s ready for this transfer.’ Melissa took a step away, but was stopped when Joss placed a hand on her arm.
‘Wait a second.’ He dropped his hand, as though the touch had burnt him. The itch to touch her hair was becoming overwhelming. ‘Lis?’
‘Yeah?’ Her heart-rate had started to increase at the way he was looking at her.
‘I’m…um…’ He stopped and breathed out, staring at her loose blonde hair. He couldn’t resist her any longer and reached out to touch the silken locks. ‘Glorious,’ he whispered. ‘The colour, the feel of it. So soft and silky.’
Melissa parted her lips at his touch, unable to believe how incredibly intimate it was to feel his fingers in her hair. ‘Joss?’ His name was a breathless whisper.
‘Hmm?’ He swallowed, and then, as though realising what he was doing, he instantly dropped his hand and moved back. ‘Oh, gosh, Lis. I’m sorry.’ He closed his eyes for a second before looking at her once more.
‘I need to tell you that I’m not sorry about yesterday, but that doesn’t mean it can happen again…and again,’ he rushed on. ‘Even though we might want it to.’
She dragged a breath in and slowly let it out, desperate to control her mounting heart-rate. ‘Agreed. Yes. You’re right. We’re colleagues.’
‘Yes, we are.’
‘We both have plans. Things to achieve.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed again.
‘I didn’t come to town looking for…’ She put her bag down again and indicated the space between them. ‘For this.’ Or to feel how amazing it was to have him touch her hair, or her shoulder, or to hold her hand, or to gather her firmly to his body. She hadn’t come here looking for any of that.
‘You came to get to know your brother.’
‘Exactly. That’s what I need to focus on. That and getting to know the people of this community.’
‘Yes.’ Part of him wanted to point out that he was part of the community, and that he wouldn’t be averse to getting to know her a lot better. Thankfully, he was able to refrain. He had to keep his distance for both their sakes.
‘Dex. I need to focus on getting to know Dex. He’s important to me.’
‘And so he should be. I do understand where you’re coming from, Lis.’
‘Good.’ She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That’s good.’
‘Yes, it is. It’s very good,’ he agreed, knowing they both not only sounded like fools but were probably lying to themselves. But taking a step back, a very big step away from the turbulent emotions of yesterday, from the way she’d felt so perfect in his arms, was most definitely the right thing to do.
‘I’m glad we had this chat.’
‘So am I.’
They were both running, both hiding beneath the nearest table, locking their hearts up tight, unable to take the risk. At least not just yet.
‘Good. Well…you drive safe now. You hear?’
‘I will.’
‘I’d best go find Gemma.’
‘Yes.’
And with that she turned and walked away from him.
CHAPTER NINE
TWO days after she was admitted to the Didja hospital Gemma was airlifted back home by the RFDS. Melissa had performed the tests, done the scans and come to the conclusion that it was an ante-partum haemorrhage—as she’d first suspected.
‘One of the blood vessels which takes food to the baby isn’t working too well. What we can do, however, is give you daily injections and monitor you. That way the baby will receive what it needs to grow, and also you’ll be able to stay home. Complete bed-rest, though.’ Melissa had been stern.
Thankfully, Rajene, the woman who had helped deliver Gemma’s last four children, had come to the hospital to visit Gemma, and Melissa had discovered that Rajene, who was almost seventy-five years old, had trained as a midwife in an island country called Tarparnii. Whilst she held no official qualifications in Australia, she was more than capable—and close enough in distance—of giving Gemma the daily care required. Joss had confirmed that he trusted Rajene, and that she was indeed a very good midwife, so Melissa’s initial fears were calmed.
‘I will make sure she does not do too much. I will help her. You shall see. This babe will be as strong as the others,’ Rajene promised.
‘I have no doubt.’
During the following week Rajene called Melissa on a daily basis to report on Gemma’s condition.
‘She is behaving well and very much resting. We are all so proud. Peter and Yolanda are doing marvellous with the helping. Gemma stays in her bed or on the sofabed. Blood pressure has improved to normal levels, the babe’s signs are good, and there has been no more bleeding.’