The Outback Doctor

by Lucy Clark

  After dinner, they’d make love, giving everything to each other. Not holding anything back. The image of Dave, lying with his legs entwined with hers, their bodies covered with the afterglow of spent passion, made her heart swell with happiness.

  ‘Rosie?’ The knock at the front door startled her from her dreams, and she realised she’d almost fallen asleep. The house was quiet and for a second she thought she’d imagined it. She’d been so caught up in her fantasies of Dave that she’d thought for a second he was here.

  ‘Rosie?’

  She hadn’t imagined it. What did she do now? Her heart began to race. Why was he here? Should she pretend she was asleep or answer the door?

  ‘Rosie?’ His voice was fainter and she realised he was walking around to the back door. Then she remembered he knew where the spare key was hidden. He’d used it to get into the house the night she’d had food poisoning. Moments later she heard footsteps coming hesitantly through the house. ‘Rosie? It’s Dave. Is everything all right?’

  If she didn’t move soon, he’d be walking in to find her in the bath, yet she found herself unable to move a muscle. Her heart was drumming so loudly, the noise was reverberating in her ears. She swallowed, amazed to find her mouth suddenly dry.

  ‘Rosie!’

  It was the urgency in his tone that helped her to respond. The last thing she wanted was to worry him. ‘Just a minute,’ she called back as loudly as she could. The footsteps stopped, just outside her open bedroom door. The door to the en suite bathroom was open as well. A few more footsteps followed, but these were muffled by the carpet on the floor.

  She watched as he materialised in the doorway.

  ‘U-uh…’ He faltered, stunned to find her relaxing in a bubble bath, lit only by the glow of some candles. His mouth opened at the sight of her and his eyes filled with desire. Rose swallowed, once more unable to move. They just stared at each other, the silent messages being interpreted fluently.

  Dave instantly regretted not taking Mick’s advice and calling before he’d just turned up on her doorstep. All rational thought disappeared from his mind as he just stared at her lying there, surrounded by white, glistening bubbles.

  ‘If you don’t mind…waiting outside my bedroom…I’ll get out.’ Rose was surprised to find her voice so husky but there was nothing she could do about it.

  ‘U-uh…sure.’ His legs felt as though they weighed a ton as he went out of her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

  She moved in the bath, not at all surprised to discover her arms were shaky. She quickly towelled herself dry and wrapped herself up in a big bathrobe. ‘All right. You can come in now.’ She fiddled nervously with the end of the sash that held her robe in place.

  When he opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. Oh, he was gorgeous, and she had the urge to let her fingers memorise the contours of his body in great detail.

  With a few short strides, he’d crossed the room and gathered her into his arms. His mouth on hers was hot and demanding. Not that she minded. Given the direction her own thoughts had taken, it seemed appropriate he was here.

  ‘Rosie.’ Her name escaped his lips as they momentarily gasped for breath. Dave plundered her mouth, his tongue seeking and receiving a response. How did this woman do it? She had the ability to knock him beyond the black stump with one simple look. Add to that the fact that whatever scent had been in the bath water now emanated from her skin, making him lose what vestige of control he had left.

  ‘Rosie.’ He smothered her neck with tiny kisses, unable to get enough of her. ‘Rosie,’ he murmured again, ‘I love you.’

  The words were like a dousing of cold water. Rose lifted her head away from him. ‘You…you…what?’

  ‘I love you,’ he repeated again, his voice filled with desire. He gazed down into her eyes, knowing that what he was about to say could be a mistake but needing to say it anyway. ‘I want to marry you, Rosie.’

  ‘Marry!’ The vision she’d had of this being their house ran through her mind again. She brushed it away. There were still so many issues they needed to resolve—the first one being his daughter!

  He’d been right. He didn’t stop her as she pulled away and took a few steps backwards. ‘Look, I know I’m rushing you—’

  ‘Rushing? You give the word new meaning, David.’ She was shaking all over and she wasn’t quite sure what from. Was it surprise? Disbelief or rage? All of those emotions and many more were coursing through her at a rate of knots, and her earlier tranquillity had been completely shattered. The knowledge that he loved her had come as a complete shock. She hadn’t expected him to feel the same way about her as she did about him. Now…now he wanted to get married?

  ‘Why shouldn’t we get married? I love you, Rosie, and I’m sure you feel the same way.’ He paused for a second. ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘Dave…’ Rose stopped, throwing her arms up in confusion. ‘Marriage?’

  ‘What? What’s so wrong with that?’ He could see her withdrawing from him and knew he’d lost her—this time. He was a man with a mission and stubborn determination to boot. He knew with an absolute certainty that he wanted to marry Rosie Partridge. ‘Is it Melody?’

  ‘Well…yes…amongst other things.’

  There was that honesty—slapping him in the face again. He narrowed his gaze, determined to get to the heart of the matter. ‘What happened with your mother, Rosie? Why is it that you’re so afraid of children?’ He watched as she straightened her spine and raised her chin, defiance gleaming in her eyes. Didn’t she know she looked irresistible when she did that?

  ‘I’m not afraid of them…I’ve just never had much to do with children, that’s all. Other than treating them in my paediatric rotation, that is,’ she added as an afterthought.

  ‘What happened with your mother?’ he asked again, insistently.

  ‘She left us,’ Rose blurted out. ‘When I was three.’

  ‘Do you remember her at all?’

  ‘No, but my father has told me all about her. She wasn’t at all maternal.’

  ‘Ah, and you think you’re the same.’

  ‘Well, the children I have met have never taken an instant liking to me so, yes, I guess so.’

  ‘Yet you’ve just told me that you haven’t had too many dealings with children.’

  ‘And now you know why.’ Rose rubbed her fingers along her forehead, feeling her earlier headache returning. ‘I’d really like to get to bed early tonight, Dave.’

  ‘Kicking me out, sweetheart? Not just yet.’ His gaze roved over her again. ‘Put some clothes on and I’ll make us a cuppa.’

  ‘Dave, I’d really prefer that you—’

  ‘I’ll make the tea,’ he said more forcefully. ‘We’re going to talk about this, Rosie.’

  ‘No, we’re not. You can’t just come waltzing in here, laying down the law. I’m tired, Dave, and I want to go to sleep.’

  ‘I need to know.’ He stood his ground, not moving an inch.

  ‘What? You need to know that I look exactly like my mother? That I’m like her in so many ways it isn’t funny? I’m not maternal, Dave. When I see children, I don’t feel anything for them, except a need that they grow up.’

  ‘That’s not true.’

  ‘How would you know? You’re not me.’ Her eyes radiated pure disbelief at his words. ‘My mother was a bad mother and I’ll probably end up being just like her. She wanted a career and hated being stuck at home with a child. I’m very career-minded—just like her. I love my job. I enjoy it and I don’t want to give it up.’

  ‘No one’s asking you to.’

  She shook her head. ‘There’s more to it than that. You wanted to know why I have mild claustrophobia, so I’ll tell you. At least once a week she used to lock me in my room for most of the day. It was a very small room, even for a child.’ Rose’s words broke on a sob. ‘She sometimes even left the house, leaving me in there with only a bottle of water. She was no good with children. She didn’t know how to
deal with the ordinary tantrums children have, the way they expand their boundaries.

  ‘I may not remember these things but my father has always been honest with me and answered my questions when I asked. The mild claustrophobia wasn’t discovered until recently and although I’m slowly getting better, it’s going to take more time.’ Rose could feel the hot, angry tears pricking at her eyes.

  ‘I have no idea how to deal with children but I’ll tell you this. I won’t allow myself to lose control the way my mother did but I can’t say for certain until I put myself in that situation. Don’t you see? I can’t trust myself. To think of the permanent psychological damage that’s happened to me…’ She shook her head emphatically. ‘I won’t do that to another child. I won’t do it, Dave. I won’t!’ The tears were now streaming down her face and she knew she’d shocked him with her outburst.

  He took a few steps towards her but she held up her hands to stop him. ‘Don’t. Don’t touch me.’

  ‘All right. I won’t.’ She could hear the love in his voice when he spoke, and it only tore through her with more pain than she thought she could bear. ‘But I want you to at least listen.’ His eyes were filled with understanding. ‘You’re not like your mother, Rosie. Believe me, you’re not.’

  ‘How would you know? You’ve never met her. You know nothing about her, except for what I’ve told you.’

  ‘Sweetheart, you care about kids, otherwise you wouldn’t be so conscious of what your mother did and how wrong it was. You’ve said you don’t want to inflict permanent psychological damage on a child and that, in itself, is proof enough that you’re nothing like your mother.’

  She wanted to believe him. Oh, how she desperately wanted to believe him. She brushed back the tears with an impatient hand. ‘Still, what if I crack? What if I can’t cope and I’m horrible…?’ Her voice caught on a sob. ‘I just don’t know, Dave. I’m not sure.’ She shook her head.

  ‘Then why did you offer to have Melody tomorrow?’

  ‘Because of you.’

  ‘See? You care.’

  ‘About you, Dave.’

  His heart nurtured that gem. ‘That’s a start.’ He took another step closer but she held her hands up again. He stopped. She was behaving like a caged animal and in a way he could understand it. She was fenced in by the past and now that the door was open, she wasn’t sure she wanted to step through it.

  ‘You care about me, Rosie. Doesn’t that show you how different you are to your mother? She obviously didn’t care about your father or she would have stayed to work things out. She would have told him that she couldn’t cope all day with a child and that she wanted a career, but she didn’t. You’re different.’

  He edged closer but she simply edged back. ‘You’re open, honest. You communicate.’ He smiled at her, that gorgeous crooked smile that always had the ability to melt her insides. ‘You sure surprised me. A female who communicates.’ He was moving slowly as he talked. ‘I know you offered to have Melody tomorrow because you wanted to help me out, and you have no idea how much I appreciate that.’ He reached out a hand to her. ‘But I would never leave Mel with you if I didn’t trust you one hundred per cent.’

  ‘Get back,’ she sobbed, as she felt the wall behind her. ‘Please, just go.’

  ‘Sweetheart, I’m not going to leave you in this state.’

  ‘Yes, you are,’ she responded forcefully. ‘I’ve listened to what you’ve said and now I’d like you to go.’ She sniffed and wished she had a handkerchief or tissue.

  Dave stood his ground, unsure whether or not to leave her. She was in such an emotional turmoil that he didn’t want her to spend the rest of the night sobbing out old memories that he’d obviously triggered.

  ‘I feel responsible.’ His voice was soft but he didn’t move any closer. ‘I’m glad things are out in the open, Rosie. Now we can move forward.’ He held her gaze for a moment before acceding. ‘I’ll go but only because that’s what you want.’ He turned and headed to the door.

  Rose held her breath, not sure whether she really wanted him to go. He stopped at the door and turned to look at her.

  ‘The other thing you need to realise is that your mother wasn’t just bad at being a parent. Rosie, what she did to you was child abuse and neglect, and I’m sure your father has spent the rest of his life feeling guilty that he didn’t do something to stop it sooner.

  ‘Take the step, sweetheart. Step into the unknown.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’ll be there to support you all the way and catch you if you start to fall.’ He blew her a kiss before walking out. ‘I’ll lock the door behind me,’ he called.

  Rose couldn’t move. She listened to him leave, just as she’d listened to him arrive. Slowly, she slid down the wall, her legs unable to support her weight any longer. Was he right? Was there hope?

  Fresh tears welled in her eyes and she let them fall.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  DAVE knew he had to be careful when he dropped Melody off the following morning. It wasn’t going to be easy—for either Rosie or Melody—but it was a new life and if he wanted things to work out, this was going to be the place to start.

  ‘Is she your girlfriend?’ Melody asked as they pulled up outside Reg Partridge’s house, her teddy bear held securely in the crook of her arm.

  Dave looked down at his daughter. ‘She’s a girl and, yes, she’s my friend.’

  ‘Yes, but is she your girlfriend?’

  ‘How do you know about these things?’ he asked, slightly bewildered. ‘You’re only six.’

  Melody shrugged. ‘Mum’s had lots of boyfriends that she kisses and stuff. She said that boys have girlfriends who they kiss and that’s what she was.’

  Dave gritted his teeth. Mags. He should have known. He took a deep breath, not wanting to lie to his daughter. ‘Rosie is a very special friend.’ He met his daughter’s gaze. ‘And, yes, we kiss. Is that OK?’

  Melody thought for a moment before shrugging. ‘Guess so. I want you to stay but I know you have to go to work.’

  ‘I’ll be back later to pick you up and then we can do whatever you want.’

  ‘Can we look for a new house?’

  ‘Hey, that was supposed to be a surprise.’

  She giggled. ‘Uncle Mick said that you and I are going to be moving from the farm into a house of our very own, and that I could have a room with my own bed and I could choose the colours and toys and everything.’ Her face was filled with such excited anticipation even if it hadn’t been in his plans, he would have changed them.

  ‘When did you speak to Uncle Mick about this?’

  ‘This morning. I woke up just before he left.’

  ‘That was very early.’

  ‘Yeah.’ She giggled again. ‘Three o’clock! I’ve never been up at three o’clock in the morning before. Uncle Mick told me to go back to bed just before he drove off.’

  ‘Good ol’ Uncle Mick,’ Dave muttered. He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. She leaned into him a little, the action warming his heart. ‘You’re very beautiful, Melody. So very beautiful and special.’ He took a deep breath. ‘But right now Daddy’s going to be late for clinic if we don’t get a move on.’

  Melody climbed from the car and waited for him so they could walk up the path together. ‘I’m sure the morning will pass quickly.’ He carried the bag she’d packed. ‘You’ve got all kinds of things to do in here.’

  ‘I guess so.’

  He knocked on the door. ‘You’ll have fun with Rosie.’ Please! Please, let them have fun together, he silently pleaded. ‘Rosie’s a great cook.’

  ‘Really? She can cook?’

  ‘Not only that but her dad writes books that tell people how to cook.’

  ‘Wow!’

  The door opened and Rose stood there, looking stunning in a pair of white shorts and a red summer top, a smile pasted on her face. Dave felt his insides twist with desire at seeing her there, looking very nervous. She had guts. More than anyone else he’d met. After e
verything she’d been through, she was willing to keep on going. He admired that.

  ‘Hi.’ She knew she sounded overly bright but she couldn’t help it.

  ‘Good morning.’

  ‘Come on in,’ she ventured.

  ‘Thanks. Rosie, this is Melody. Mel, this is Rosie.’ Dave performed the introductions. To his surprise, Rose bent down, bringing herself to eye level with Melody.

  ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Melody.’ The child wasn’t smiling and Rose faltered for a moment. She glanced up at Dave for reassurance. He nodded so she continued. ‘I’m right in the middle of cooking some biscuits. Double chocolate chip.’

  ‘Your dad’s recipe?’ Dave asked, his mouth instantly watering.

  ‘Yes.’ This time when she smiled at him it was genuine. She straightened. ‘Come through to the kitchen. I’m almost at the stage where I’ll need some help.’

  ‘Well, I can’t stay,’ Dave replied with disgust as he put Melody’s bag down and followed Rose. ‘Perhaps you could help her, Mel?’

  ‘But I’ve never cooked before,’ the little girl said as she hesitantly followed her father, teddy still grasped firmly in her arms.

  That stumped Rose. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been in the kitchen, helping her father cook. ‘Well, there’s a first time for everything. Besides, after we’ve made them and cooked them, we get to eat them.’

  ‘You’d better save some for me,’ Dave warned, and she realised he was serious.

  She laughed. ‘We’ll think about it. Now go to work.’ Rose was astonished with herself. She’d been so nervous about this morning, especially after what she and Dave had discussed last night, but amazingly she felt relaxed and calm at having the six-year-old for the next four or so hours. If Melody had never cooked and was interested in learning, Rose knew how they might spend their time. It wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  ‘All right, then,’ he muttered, as he held Melody’s hand and walked over to the bench. ‘But promise me you’ll save me at least two.’