Her Outback Surprise

by Annie Seaton

“But—” Liam bit off the words as the vet nurse looked at him over her square black glasses.

  The receptionist nodded at him but wouldn’t meet his eye. “Then it’s your turn, Mr. Smythe.”

  Suitably chastised, Liam leaned back and closed his eyes, thinking about everything he had to get done before dark. Prickle Creek Farm was a good half hour’s drive out of town. If he’d known this visit to offload the damn dog was going to take so long, he would have left the pup in the laundry while he finished his chores.

  Who the heck would dump a cute little thing like this in the middle of a dusty outback road anyway?

  And it was a cute dog. As far as cute went.

  The flash of dark brown had caught Liam’s eye at lunchtime when his quad bike had rolled over the cattle grate in the stand of willows at the edge of the house paddock. He’d picked up the pup and noticed its back leg was at a funny angle. After two hours of waiting, he now realised he should have rung and made an appointment, rather than driving into town to see Rod, the local vet.

  A year ago, if anyone in London had told him he’d be sitting here in a small veterinary practice in the wilds of Australia, nursing a toy dog, he would have laughed at them.

  Liam mulled over the months that had passed since he’d come back to the farm as the woman, and the child, and the bloody great Dalmatian, disappeared into the surgery. So much for the quick visit he’d planned—both at the vet and the farm. It had turned into almost ten months. Gran’s original request to have each of the four cousins spend three months looking after the farm had been changed every few weeks as life had intruded. Lucy had gone back to Sydney early and then come home and married Garth, who owned the property next to Gran and Pop’s. Sebastian had picked up a contract with an Italian magazine that had been too good to let go. Jemima’s career was on fire and there were no catwalks in the outback.

  “I hate to ask you, Liam, but how would you feel about staying out there for a few more months?” The call from Sebastian had come after an email from Liam’s journalist friends in London. The work situation over there was dire. Newspapers were cutting staff and amalgamating as the digital readership grew, and the night editions were cut. The newspaper world was changing rapidly and Liam was starting to think maybe a change of direction would be a wise move.

  Problem was, he had to find a replacement career. All he knew was news and media; he loved the rush of a good news story. Staying in Australia was enticing, and he’d pretty much decided he’d chase up a job in Sydney when Sebastian and Jemima came back to take over the farm work. He still had connections and he’d made a couple of early calls, checking out the work situation. Even though there were jobs available now, he couldn’t commit until he had a firm date for Sebastian’s return.

  “Not a problem,” he’d said to his younger cousin. “Do what you have to do, mate. I’m happy to see the year out. When do you think you’ll be back here?”

  “Contract winds up at the end of November. So I should be back in Australia by Christmas.”

  “That suits me fine. Jemima is due back before Christmas. I might even stay out here for a couple more weeks and chase up a job in the city in the New Year.”

  “Are you sure?” Sebastian sounded worried. Liam smiled. He and Sebastian had made their peace in those first couple of weeks last summer when the four cousins had been at the farm together.

  “Absolutely. Garth and I have been helping each other out with the cattle.”

  “How’s Lucy?”

  Liam smiled. “She’s huge. It’s hard to believe she’s still got a couple of months before the baby’s due.”

  Sebastian laughed. “It’s hard to believe she’s going to be a mum. She and Garth didn’t muck around with starting a family.”

  Liam shook his head. “Reckons she’s going to have six kids.”

  “Bloody hell, she can have that on her lonesome.” Sebastian’s voice was full of disbelief. “I can’t believe she’s given up her career and settled in so well to farm life.”

  Liam had walked across to the kitchen window and stared out at the golden heads of wheat shimmering in the stiff spring breeze. He had settled onto the cattle property as though he’d never left the outback. The anticipation he felt each morning as he planned the cattle work and the planting of the wheat still surprised him. “Yep, amazing what changes we can accommodate, isn’t it?”

  “It is. Thanks, mate. I’ll talk to you soon. Say hello to Lucy for me.”

  “I will.” Liam laughed. “And you stay away from those Italian girls. Talk to you before Christmas.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be back. I’m looking forward to it.”

  The way Liam felt at the moment, he was more than happy to see the year out. He was doing a damn good job of managing the farm. Yep, he’d give it till Christmas and then consider his options. Then get back to real work. Social issues, tackling big things out in the real world. Leaving the Pilliga Scrub far behind him. His working-the-farm holiday would be over before he could snap his fingers.

  He glanced at his watch and looked down at his right thigh where the pup was sprawled. His leg was getting warm—oh, shit—and wet.

  Liam lifted the dog off his lap and stared at the wet patch on his work pants. The little pup yawned and licked his hand.

  Chapter Two

  Angie Edmonds, new owner and veterinarian at the Spring Downs Veterinary Surgery, smoothed one hand over the head of the Dalmatian and dug into her lab coat pocket for a liver treat with the other. “He’s going really well, Judy. I can’t believe how big he’s grown.” She had chatted to Judy and little Lily for longer than she normally would have done, as she put off seeing the final patient for the day.

  Not that seeing a small spaniel pup made her nervous. On the contrary; the little Boykin spaniel was a breed she didn’t see out here very often. Two hours earlier, when she’d glanced through the glass panel of the reception area door to see how busy it was in the waiting room, Angie’s heart had almost stopped beating. She had jumped back with a gasp, her hand over her mouth. For a moment, she’d thought she was going to pass out, as she’d held her breath in disbelief.

  Oh. My. God.

  “You okay, Angie?” Cissy, her vet nurse, had asked with a frown.

  It couldn’t be.

  “Do you know what he wants? The guy with the dark hair?” Her hand over her mouth muffled her words and Cissy put down the cloth she was wiping the examination table with.

  “The good-looking one? What’s the matter? You’re as white as a ghost.”

  Angie swallowed and her voice wobbled. “Yes, the good-looking one.”

  “He’s got a Boykin spaniel with an injured leg.”

  “Um, what’s his name?”

  Please God, let me be wrong. She leaned against the door with her back pressed against the hard timber. It couldn’t be. It must be someone who looked like him. She let out a breath and relaxed. Of course it was. It was a crazy thought. There’s no way Liam Smythe, mover and shaker in the London newspaper world, would be out here in the tiny little town of Spring Downs with a dog on his lap. She chuckled, but her laugh was shaky.

  But Cissy’s response dashed any last lingering hope that it wasn’t Liam out there waiting to see her. Not a double, not a lookalike, not an image that Angie had conjured up from her overactive imagination. She dreamed about the damned man most nights of the week and now she’d conjured him up in her waiting room.

  “Smythe. Liam Smythe from Prickle Creek Farm.” Cissy frowned at her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  No! Liam Smythe was in London. He couldn’t be here in Spring Downs. He was not Liam Smythe of Prickle Creek Farm.

  But he was. He was sitting out there in the bloody waiting room. Panic, joy, hope, and despair marched through her until Angie couldn’t think straight. She took a deep breath and tried to inject some calm into her voice. The way Cissy was looking at her gave her the push she needed to calm down. Cissy would be ca
lling the men in white coats to cart her away if she carried on any more.

  “Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” she said as she leaned over to look through the door again.

  This time her heart skittered up a dozen extra beats. Her ears buzzed and her mouth dried.

  It was Liam. Just like Cissy had said.

  Now Judy’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Thanks, Angie. We’ll see you when he’s due for his next vaccination.”

  Angie stood back as Judy led Brutus to the door, closely followed by Lily. “Give me a call if you have any concerns.”

  “We will. Thanks, Angie.”

  The door closed behind them and Angie hurried across to the sink. The moment couldn’t be put off any longer. She stared at herself in the small mirror. Her normally fair cheeks held a high flush and her blue eyes were shadowed. She reached a shaking hand up to her hair and tucked the stray blond curls behind her ears.

  Deep breaths. Total composure. Deal with this like an adult, not like a moonstruck teenager. She welcomed the anger that was firing in her chest. If she was cross, she could deal with Liam Bloody Smythe firmly and calmly.

  The man who had broken her heart when he’d let her leave England without him. The man who wouldn’t leave his precious newspaper career and come back to Australia with her.

  Translation: he hadn’t loved her as much as she’d loved him.

  What the hell is Liam doing here in the Pilliga Scrub?

  The door opened and Cissy poked her head around, a frown wrinkling her brow. “Are you ready for Liam and the pup?”

  Angie turned to Cissy with a huge fake smile. “Absolutely, let’s get him through quickly so we can get home. It’s way past time we closed.”

  Cissy’s eyes were wide. She stepped into the examination room. “Angie, what’s wrong? Are you getting sick? One minute you’re pale and now your cheeks are really flushed.” The older woman reached over and put her hand on her forehead. “Have you got a temperature? Maybe you’re coming down with the flu?”

  “I’m fine. It’s just been a long day, and it’s really hot in this room. I’ll have to take a look at the air conditioner now that the weather’s warming up.” Angie injected confidence into her voice. “Send Mr. Smythe in. Then we can call it a day.”

  The look Cissy flashed her dispelled any notion that she’d convinced the nurse she was calm. “Are you going to spill?”

  “Okay.” Angie shook her head and sighed. In the two months since Angie had arrived at Spring Downs, Cissy had not only welcomed her and shown her around town, she’d also proven herself to be one of the best vet nurses she’d ever worked with. They were beginning to forge a friendship. “I know Liam Smythe from way back. It’s just rattled me a bit to see him out there.”

  This time Cissy’s look was one of sympathy. “Oh, I get it. He is a looker.”

  Angie nodded. “Yep, you got it. But I’ll be fine.” She rubbed her hands together and stood straight. “Send him in and I’ll cope. Let’s get this over and done with.”

  “I have to,” she muttered beneath her breath after Cissy closed the door quietly. Angie moved to the middle of the room to stand by the stainless steel examination bench. Her breathing was deep and slow, and she let the anger build. At least she had the advantage of surprise. Well, she hoped she did. She doubted Liam would have waited out there so long if he’d known she was in the examination room.

  No way, she thought. He would probably have run a mile. For the first time, Angie was glad that the signage around the veterinary practice still showed Rod Rogers as the veterinarian. Cissy had ordered the new signs saying Angie Edmonds, Veterinarian Surgeon but they hadn’t arrived yet.

  The door opened and Angie inwardly congratulated herself as she looked up with a professional smile. For a brief moment, she had the advantage of looking at Liam before he saw her. He was struggling to hold the small pup with the shiny brown coat as he muttered beneath his breath. A grin tugged at her mouth when she noticed the wet patch on the thigh of his work trousers.

  When Liam looked up at her, the expression on his face almost made her laugh aloud. It helped the calm flow through her.

  I can do this.

  Liam’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and his eyes widened. Angie looked down as he almost dropped the puppy onto the examination table. She was careful to avoid brushing his hand when she reached out and moved the small brown dog closer to her.

  Finally she looked up and her voice was dry and steady. “Close your mouth, Liam. You look like you’re catching flies.” The smile on her face was making her cheeks ache.

  “Angie?” His voice came out in a squeak, like a teenage boy. He cleared his throat and the second time he spoke it, her name came out in the deep tones that had once sent delicious shivers down her back. In the heady days when they’d spent more time in bed together than out of it. In the days when things had been fine and she’d been foolish enough to think it would last forever.

  Nothing lasted forever. She’d known that since she was a child but she’d let herself forget it. Time to remind herself.

  “Angie?”

  “Yes, I’m Angie. That’s my name.” Her voice was calm. “You haven’t forgotten me then?”

  “Of course I haven’t forgotten you! What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Melbourne.” Liam ran his hand through his hair, and Angie took a good look at him. His hair had grown and the slight curls hung over the collar of his khaki work shirt. A work shirt tinged with red dust. She let her gaze travel down stained—and damp—work trousers and settled on a pair of scuffed Blundstones.

  “I’m about to examine your dog. And no, I’m not in Melbourne. What’s her name?” Angie leaned down and caressed the ears of the small pup, her professional eye taking in the back leg that the pup was protecting.

  “Um…Willow. Yeah, Willow will do. She was in a culvert near some willow trees.”

  “Willow will do?” She glanced up at him from under her lashes as she held the pup still. “Not the sort of dog I would have picked for you, Liam. In fact, I wouldn’t have picked any pet for you.” The room was deathly silent for a few minutes until the pup gave a short squeak as Angie probed gently along her leg. “I’ll x-ray it, but I don’t think it’s broken.”

  She sensed rather than saw the moment Liam regained his composure. He leaned forward and she stared back as his eyes held hers.

  “I asked what the hell you’re doing here in Spring Downs.” His voice was terse.

  “I heard your question. You can see what I’m doing. As I told you already, I am examining your dog. That’s what vets do.” She spoke slowly, as though he were a child. “You know? You have a sick animal, you bring it to the vet, and we fix it.” This time she stared at him. “I’m the vet at Spring Downs. This is my practice.” It gave her great pleasure to say those words. She stood straighter and held her head high. She’d worked hard to get to this point. The extra hours of work that had helped her cope with the loneliness when she’d come back alone to Australia had also helped her save enough for a deposit to buy the practice. On top of what Mum had left for her.

  “But I thought Rod Rogers was the vet here. He has been since he finished uni.” Liam stared back. Angie tried to ignore the pull of the dark green eyes that she’d always thought looked a bit Irish. The whole Liam package had attracted her that first night in the pub at Euston. Funny, the things you remembered at the most unexpected moments. The Prince of Wales Feathers pub, that’s where she’d met him. The girls had dragged her out on a pub crawl. A hen’s night for the receptionist at the practice she’d worked at when she’d first arrived in London. She’d been reluctant to go out, but they’d persuaded her, said that she had to experience London by night.

  Angie could close her eyes and still remember how she’d compared the small beer garden on the top of the old building in the inner suburbs of London with an Aussie pub. Dirty brickwork with exposed electrical connections running above the door. Weatherworn, chip
ped furniture crammed into the small outdoor space, and a cold London breeze that carried in the constant noise of the Friday night traffic. But the atmosphere—warm beer and all—had been great fun and she’d soon begun to enjoy herself.

  And then Angie had looked up to meet cheeky eyes that were blatantly checking her out. Gorgeous deep green eyes surrounded by long lashes, high cheekbones that gave him a fey look, and lips that were too lush for a guy. Lips that drew the eye once you could look away from the depths of his gaze. Jet-black hair, fair skin; Liam was brash, confident, and beautiful. She’d fallen hard. And fast.

  Too fast.

  And look where that had got her.

  “What happened to Rod?” His voice was quiet this time.

  “He went to America with his fiancée. I bought his practice.”

  “Oh.” He stared at her intently. “I distinctly remember you didn’t want me calling because you were seeing someone else. So has your new man moved to Spring Downs with you?”

  Angie waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t say that.” Her housemate Jenny’s boyfriend had answered the phone that night and he’d chatted away to Liam for a while before handing the phone over to Angie. Liam had assumed she was seeing him.

  “The message was clear.” Liam was staring at her, making her uncomfortable.

  Angie swallowed. When Liam had assumed that she was seeing someone else she hadn’t corrected his assumption. He’d been more interested in telling her about his promotion than listening to her that night. Angie hadn’t wanted him to know how much that had hurt so she’d ignored his words and let him assume whatever he’d wanted to. She needed to set him straight but before she could explain, Cissy poked her head around the door. “X-ray’s ready to go, Angie. I need to get home as soon as I can.”

  Angie glanced at her watch. “I’ll come and give you a hand. You wait here, Liam. We won’t be too long.”

  “I’m really pleased things have worked out for you.” He shoved a hand in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “There’s no need for me to wait. It’s not my dog.”