Seven Nights with Her Ex

by Louisa Heaton

  ‘It’s wonderful. Especially when I don’t have to look at you.’

  He glanced down at the ground. ‘There’s no need to attack me all the time, Beau. I feel bad enough as it is.’

  ‘Good.’

  He let out a heavy sigh, looking out across the stream bordered by rocks and grassy banks. ‘I suppose you want me to go away?’

  She didn’t look at him. ‘Or just be quiet. Either would do.’

  He pulled some trail mix from his pack and offered it to her. ‘Nuts?’

  She glanced at him to see if he was making fun of her or being insulting. ‘No. Thank you.’

  ‘You know you’re stuck with me, hen?’

  She put away her flapjack, annoyance written all over her face, and refastened the buckles on her backpack. ‘I’m not a hen.’

  ‘Sorry, lass.’

  She stood up and heaved the pack onto her back. ‘Wow. An apology. You do know how to make them, then?’

  Gray looked up at her, squinting in the sun. ‘Aye.’

  ‘And…?’

  ‘And what?’

  ‘Where’s my real apology? The one you should have made eleven years ago?’

  He cocked his head to one side and pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes. ‘I’m saving it.’

  ‘Saving it? For what?’

  He looked about them before getting to his feet and leaning in towards her, so that his face was up close to hers. It was unnerving, having him this close. Those moss-green eyes staring deeply into her soul and searching. His breath upon her cheek.

  ‘For when you’re actually ready to listen. There’s no point in me trying to explain whilst you’re like this.’

  ‘I’m not sure it’s important, anyhow. Too little and too late.’

  ‘And that proves my point.’

  He walked away to sit down somewhere else.

  Beau began to breathe again. Their brief conversation had unsettled her. Again. Plainly the way she was reacting to him was not working. Open hostility towards Gray was like water bouncing off an umbrella. It made no difference to him at all. He quite clearly was not going to apologise to her unless she got herself together.

  Irritating man!

  Most irritating because she was stuck with him for a week!

  She had to be realistic. They were here. Together. And, worst of all, they were buddied up together. She knew from the itinerary for the trip that there would be paired activities where they would have to work with each other away from the main group. Orienteer themselves to another part of the park. Which meant time alone.

  They had to start working together. Whether she liked it or not.

  She turned to look for him and saw him standing with Mack, chatting. Beau headed over and plastered a charming smile onto her face. ‘Excuse me, Mack, could I have a quick word with my buddy here?’

  ‘Absolutely. Glad you’re here, Gray.’ He slapped Gray on the arm before walking away.

  Gray looked at her curiously. ‘Yes?’

  ‘You’re right. We need to be working together for this next week and, as buddies, we need to be strengthening our working relationship. I’m not prepared to fail this course, and with that in mind I’m willing to put our past to one side in the spirit of cooperation and…peace. What do you say?’

  She saw him consider her outstretched hand. Saw the question in his solitary raised eyebrow, saw the amiable smile upon his face before he reached out and took her hand.

  A charge shot up her arm as her hand tingled in his. The strange yet all too familiar feel of his hand on hers was electrifying and thrilling. Her instinct was to let go. To gasp for oxygen. To rub her palm against her khaki trousers to make it feel normal again. But she did none of these things because her gaze had locked with his and she’d stopped breathing anyway.

  Who needs oxygen?

  Gray’s leaf-green eyes bored into hers with both an intensity and a challenge, and Beau felt as if she’d been pulled back through time to when they’d first met on a hospital rotation.

  They’d been so young, it seemed. All the students had been fresh-faced and eager to learn, eager to start their journeys. The girls smartly dressed, professional. The boys in shirts and ties as yet unwrinkled and sweat-free.

  She’d noticed him instantly. The gleam in his eyes had spoken of an ambition she’d clearly been able to see. And had held a twinkle that had spoken of something else: his desire to stand out, to be noticed, to be cheeky with their lecturers. The way he’d pushed deadlines for work, the way he’d risked failing his assessments—that side of him that had been an adrenaline junkie, carefree and daredevilish.

  His mischievous, confident grin had pulled her in like a fish to a lure and she’d been hooked. His attitude had been so different from anyone she already knew—so different from that of any of the men in her own family. He’d been that breath of fresh air, that beam of light in the dark, that sparkling, tempting palace in a land of dark and shadow.

  He’d shaken her hand then and introduced himself, and instantly she’d heard his soft, lilting Scottish burr and been charmed by it. The very way he’d said her name had been as if he was caressing her. He’d made her feel special.

  She’d not wanted to be dazzled by a charming man. Not at the start of her career. But family, love and marriage were high on her agenda and she’d desired what her parents had. A good, steady partner, with a love so deep it was immeasurable. Beau had had no doubt that she would find it one day.

  She just hadn’t expected to find it so soon.

  Gray had stuck to her side and they’d worked together, played together, studied together and then, after one particularly wild party, slept together. It had seemed such a natural step for them to take. He’d filled her heart with joy. He’d made her feel as if she was ten feet tall. Every moment with him had been as precious as a lifetime. She’d wanted to be with him. She’d wanted to give him everything—because that was what love was. The gift of oneself.

  And he hadn’t disappointed her.

  Afterwards, as she’d lain in his arms, she’d dreamed about their future. Wondering about whether they would get married, where they might live—not too far from her parents, not too far from his, so their children would have a close relationship with each set of grandparents—and what it would be like to wake up next to him every day for the rest of their lives together.

  She’d liked the way he acted differently with her—calmer, more satisfied, considerate. Relaxed. He’d been a hyperactive buzzing student when they’d met, full of beans and so much energy. He’d exhausted her just watching him. But when he was with her, he wasn’t like that. As if he didn’t need to be. And she had found the side of him that she could fall in love with…

  Gray smiled now. ‘I hear you. Cooperation and peace. Seems like a good start to me.’

  Beau chose not to disagree with him. It was already looking as if it was going to be one very long week ahead, and this adventure was going to be uncomfortable enough as it was.

  I’m letting go of the stress.

  So she smiled back and nodded.

  Mack suggested that they all get going again, if they were to get to the first scenario and have enough extra time to pitch their tents for the evening.

  They walked through scrub brush, conifers and thick deep grass. The overhead sun powered down upon them and Beau stopped often to drink and stay hydrated. At one of her stops Gray came alongside and waited with her.

  ‘How are your parents?’

  Beau fastened the lid on her water bottle. It was getting low. Hopefully there’d be a place to refill soon. ‘Not that they’re any of your business any more, but they’re good, thanks.’ She answered in a clipped manner. ‘Yours?’

  No need for her to go into detail. What could she say? That they hadn’t changed in over a decade? That they still went to church every Sunday? That they still asked after him?

  ‘They’re fine.’

  ‘Great.’ These personal topics were awkward. Perhaps it
would be best if they steered away from them? Gray’s parents had always been an awkward subject anyway. She could recall meeting them only a couple of times, and one of those occasions had been at the wedding! They’d been a bit hard to talk to. Gruff. Abrupt. Not that keen on smiling. She’d babbled on their behalf! Chattering away like a radio DJ, musing on life, asking and answering her own questions. She’d been relieved to leave them and go and talk to others, and had just hoped that they’d liked her.

  They’d turned up to the wedding anyway. Mr McGregor in his wheelchair, his face all red and broken-veined.

  They trekked a bit further. Beau snapped pictures of columbines and hellebores and a herd of moose they saw in the distance. Then Mack brought them into a large clearing that had a stone circle in the centre.

  ‘Base Camp Number One, people! I’ll teach you later how to safely contain your campfire, but first we’re going to get working on our first medical scenario—soft tissue injuries. As I said before, these are some of the most common injuries we get here in the park, and they can be minor or major. A soft tissue injury is damage to the ligaments, muscles or tendons throughout the body, so we’re looking at sprains, strains and contusions. This sort of damage to the body can result in pain, bruising or localised swelling—even, if severe, loss of function or blood volume.’ He looked at each of them with determination. ‘You do not want to lose either. So what can we do out here with our limited kit? Gray? Care to enlighten us?’

  ‘Normally you’d follow the PRICE protocol—protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation.’

  ‘Perfect—did you all hear that?’

  The group all murmured agreement.

  ‘Now, unless you’re in the North or South Pole, you aren’t going to have any ice, so you might have to skip that step, but can anyone think of an alternative?’

  Beau raised her hand. ‘If you have a sealable bag, you could fill it with water from a stream and rest that over the injury.’

  ‘You could. What else might happen with a soft tissue injury? Someone without a medical degree care to hazard an answer?’

  No one answered.

  ‘You’ll need to stop any blood loss. And you have minimum bandages in your first aid kit. So, I want you all to get into your pairs and have one of you be the patient, with a lower leg injury that is open down to the bone from knee to ankle. The other partner needs to use whatever they have to hand to protect the open wound. Go!’

  Beau looked up at Gray. ‘Doctor or patient?’

  He shrugged. ‘Ladies’ choice. You choose.’

  She smiled. ‘Then I think I’ll have to be the doctor.’

  Gray nodded and plonked himself down on the ground, then looked up at her, squinting in the sun. ‘Can you help me, Doctor? I’ve got a boo-boo.’

  CHAPTER THREE

  SHE WATCHED AS he reached forward to raise his trouser leg and tried not to stare.

  His leg was thick with muscle and covered in fine dark hair, and she swallowed hard, knowing she would have to touch his skin.

  Distracted, Beau opened her first aid kit and tried to concentrate. For an open wound she’d have to use the gloves, the saline wash to clean away any dirt in it, two gauze pads, the triangular arm bandage, tape and maybe even the safety pin. Almost all of the equipment in her first aid kit.

  She looked up at Mack, who was wandering through the group, watching people’s ministrations. ‘If we use all of this on one wound, Mack, that only leaves us plasters, antiseptic wipes and scissors for the rest of the week.’

  Mack grinned back at her, mischief in his eyes. ‘So what do you want me to do? You’re out in the field—technically I’m not here. You two need to survive. You need to bandage his wound.’

  ‘Because of blood loss and the risk of infection?’

  ‘So what are you going to do?’

  ‘Use it.’

  Mack grinned again.

  ‘But that doesn’t leave us much if there’s going to be another injury.’

  ‘Well, if you didn’t clean the wound properly or stop the bleeding, what would happen to your patient?’

  ‘He could lose consciousness. Or it could become septic.’

  ‘So you have your answer.’ He walked on, pointing things out to others, showing some of the less well-trained how best to use the triangular arm bandage.

  Beau squatted beside Gray and considered his leg. ‘Okay, I’ll flush the wound with saline first.’ She put on the gloves and cracked the end of the small container, allowed the saline to run down Gray’s leg, watching as the rivulets separated and dribbled along his skin.

  ‘You could use drinking water, too.’

  ‘Yes, but keeping you hydrated would be a strong reason to save as much water as possible, in case I can’t light a fire to boil some more.’

  He nodded and watched her.

  ‘Gauze pads next, along the shin line.’

  ‘Should I yell? How much acting do they want us to do?’

  Beau gave a small smile. ‘Whatever you feel comfortable with, I guess.’ She looked around her and picked up a short thick stick, proffered it towards his mouth. ‘Do you want to scream?’ She grabbed hold of his shin and calf muscle and deliberately pushed her thumbs into his pretend open wound.

  He grimaced. ‘I might have to dock you points for being a sadist.’

  She grinned as she pulled open the packing around the triangular arm bandage, then gently and delicately draped it over his shin and tied it as neatly as she could behind the leg, creating some constriction to prevent blood loss, but not making it too tight to restrict blood flow.

  ‘How’s that, Mr Patient?’

  ‘Feels great. I can sense survival already.’

  ‘Good.’

  ‘You do have a gentle touch.’

  ‘You see? There’s a lot you don’t know about me.’

  She sat back on her haunches and looked around the rest of the group to see what everyone else had done. Justin and Claire hadn’t used their gauze pads, but everyone had used the arm bandage.

  Mack was nodding his head in approval as he walked amongst them. ‘Good. Good. You’ve successfully treated the wound—but what do you need to be aware of whilst you wait for recovery or help?’

  Beau raised her hand. ‘Whether the patient can still move his toes—and look for signs of infection, too.’

  ‘And how would we know there are signs of infection without undressing the wound?’

  Again, Beau answered. ‘Signs of fever, pallor, increase of pain in the affected limb, loss of function, numbness, unconsciousness, rapid breathing.’

  Mack nodded.

  Gray leaned in and whispered, ‘Still the teacher’s pet?’

  She glanced at him. ‘I like to learn. I like to know that I’m right.’

  ‘Still, you’re a doctor. You need to give the others a chance to answer a few questions. Perhaps they’d like to learn, too?’

  She almost bit back at him. Almost. The temptation to answer him sharply was strong. To tell him to mind his own business, let him know that he couldn’t tell her what to do. But she was also mindful that she’d agreed to a truce and, not wanting more confrontation, she nodded assent.

  Mack continued to walk amongst the group. ‘What would you do if blood began seeping through the bandage?’

  Beau almost answered, then bit her lip as she felt Gray shift beside her. Let someone else answer.

  ‘Would we replace the bandage?’

  Rick answered, ‘No. We could tear strips of clothing and add it on top of the bandage.’

  Mack nodded, smiling. ‘Good. Okay. You all did quite well there. Now, let’s think about setting up camp—and then we’re going to tackle recovery position and CPR.’

  Gray began to remove the bandage and then rolled his trouser leg down.

  Beau watched him, then gathered up the bits and pieces they’d used. ‘What shall we do with these, Mack? There aren’t clinical waste bins out here, either.’

  ‘We’ll burn
them on the fire once we get it going.’

  Right. She supposed that seemed sensible. All the others were starting to get out their tents and equipment, so Beau turned to her own backpack. This was the part she’d been dreading. Putting up a tent. She’d never done that before.

  All part of the learning experience.

  ‘Look at you. Reading the instructions like a real Boy Scout.’ Gray appeared at her side.

  ‘I like to be prepared. Proper planning prevents poor performance. I’m not like you. Spontaneous. Off the cuff. I like to know what’s happening. The order of things. I don’t like surprises. You should know that.’

  He shook his head. ‘I disagree. I think you take risks, too.’

  ‘Me?’ She almost laughed at his ridiculous suggestion. ‘I don’t take risks!’

  ‘No? Who chose to come on the Extreme Wilderness Medical Survival Course on an active supervolcano?’

  Beau opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t think of anything to say.

  ‘And the Beau I know wouldn’t do any of this if it wasn’t part of some bigger plan—am I right?’

  She closed her mouth, frustrated.

  It was so maddening that he could still see right through her.

  *

  Gray hadn’t brought a tent like everyone else. He had a tarpaulin that he’d propped up with a couple of walking poles, spread over a hammock that he’d attached to two sturdy tree trunks. It took him a matter of a few minutes to get his pitch all set up, and once he was done, he was eager to get his boots off and relax.

  But he couldn’t concentrate.

  Beau was opposite him, on the other side of the campfire, trying—and failing—to put up her tent. She was inside the tent now, and he could hear her muttered cursing.

  After one particularly loud expletive he chuckled and went over. ‘Er…knock-knock?’

  There was a pause in the muttering and angry swearing and eventually her head popped out of the tent. Her face was almost as red as her mussed-up, statically charged hair. ‘What?’

  Gray knelt down beside the tent entrance so that he was level with Beau’s face. ‘Do you want a hand?’