City Surgeon, Outback Bride

by Lucy Clark

  ‘Almost two weeks ago,’ he interjected.

  ‘Almost two weeks ago,’ she acknowledged, then continued. ‘You’ve changed. You smile more. Your stride is less hurried and far more casual.’

  ‘My stride?’ She’d been watching him walk? The knowledge pleased him because it meant that whatever this thing was between them, it was mutual. It was certainly more than friendship, even though neither of them had said that out loud—yet.

  ‘Sure. When you first arrived you were a little wary of the way people were accepting you and now you just accept them right back, taking them at face value. Plus you willingly volunteered for Willard’s crew! Usually he’s conning and bribing people to sign up.’

  ‘It’s for a good cause and I must say it also helps to build the excitement for the actual festival next week. I’m totally pumped.’

  ‘And that’s another thing. Even your vocabulary is more relaxed. “Totally pumped”?’ She laughed. ‘Jazzy says that.’

  Henry gave her a quirky smile. ‘Where do you think I got it from? In fact, very remiss of me—how is Miss Jasmine today?’

  ‘Probably going to be a little peeved when she discovers we’ve had lunch together, but apart from that she’s no doubt enjoying a class party for the last day of term. She had poor Earlene up bright and early this morning making little cakes for her to take to school today.’

  ‘I’ll bet Earlene loved every minute of it. And what about Ethel? How is Ethel the possum faring?’

  ‘She’d doing quite nicely. We’ve made a home for her in an old fleece-lined boot, which is nice and warm inside. This morning she actually let us hold her and feed her at the same time. Before that, we had to just put little pieces of apple on the floor and she’d pick them up and run back to her nice warm home and munch away. Jarvis has taken so many photographs.’

  ‘Sounds as though you’re all doting on her.’

  ‘We are.’ Rayne sighed. ‘I’m not sure how we’re supposed to give her back once she’s better.’

  ‘Jasmine does know she can’t keep Ethel, right?’ Henry had no idea how practical the five-year-old was but from his limited experience of five-year-olds they tended to bond with toys and animals and people rather quickly.

  ‘Oh, she knows. She calls herself Ethel’s aunty, not her mother, because she has to go back to the wildlife park.’

  ‘And the fact that you were able to hold Ethel while she ate? Is that not… Oh, I don’t know…domesticating her a little?’

  Rayne smiled. ‘Perhaps, but she’ll only be going back to the wildlife park and most of the animals there are used to humans…well, as used to humans as they can be.’

  ‘Well, I sincerely hope everything turns out for the best on that front.’

  ‘Thanks. Me, too.’

  Henry was slowing the car down now and swinging onto a dirt car park.

  ‘Where are we?’

  ‘You’ve never been here before?’

  ‘No. Not that I can remember, at any rate.’

  ‘Good.’ He stopped the car and turned the key to switch the engine off.

  ‘Good?’

  ‘Yes. I was hoping to give you a new experience, just as you’ve given me plenty of new ones during my time in your town. Now, out you get.’

  ‘Are we having bush tucker?’ Rayne looked at her surroundings. The ground was mostly flat and surrounded by quite a few gumtrees. Scrubland, some would call it, but it had a natural beauty all of its own that she loved. She could hear birds chirping and for a moment caught a glimpse of colour as one flew across the small clearing.

  ‘Don’t tell me Willard give you a quick lesson in how to find yams and roast a goanna over a spit?’ Rayne stretched her legs and walked around the area, looking interested. There was a small path leading around a bend and she realised they were going on a little walk. Deciding to not ask questions and simply enjoy it, she turned to look at Henry, now not surprised to find him carrying a picnic basket, a blanket slung over his arm.

  ‘Shall we?’ Henry held out his hand to her and Rayne willingly took it, delighted that he’d offered and enjoying the thrill of having his warm skin against hers. They followed the path but didn’t have to follow it for long before they came to a slightly bigger clearing and Rayne gasped at the view before her. A little billabong, unfortunately with hardly any water in it but still highly picturesque, was spread in front of them as though put there just for this moment. There were rocks around the billabong and the backdrop featured beautiful eucalyptus trees with their unique shade of green visible all year around.

  ‘Henry. It’s beautiful here.’

  Henry, too, was taking in the scenery. ‘Yes, it is. Willard was right.’

  ‘I’m glad you listened to him.’ She turned to smile at him and Henry was struck for a moment by the natural beauty that radiated from her. It was even better than the setting they were in and he realised he was a lucky man to be able to share this moment with her. Wonderful view, wonderful woman and, if Darren’s cupcakes were anything to go on, a basket full of good food, made by Darren himself.

  Henry spread the blanket and they were soon enjoying themselves immensely. He gave her a highly positive update on Brian’s condition and she was glad to hear he was responding well to treatment.

  ‘So…tell me about yourself,’ she said as she lay back, her stomach full, and shielded her eyes from the sun.

  ‘Why? That’s sort of a boring topic.’

  ‘I beg to differ. Come on.’

  ‘You already know a lot about me.’

  ‘I know you’re a brilliant surgeon.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘That you’re a widower. That you’ve lost a child.’ Her words were soft and filled with compassion. ‘I know that you’re looking for something. Do you know what it is?’

  Henry thought about it for a few seconds and Rayne didn’t push him for an answer.

  ‘Peace.’

  ‘That’s a good place to start. Once you have some peace you can begin to think clearly.’

  ‘Are you looking for peace, too?’

  ‘Find me someone who isn’t.’ She smiled as she spoke and Henry shifted, lying down next to her, their hands touching slightly.

  ‘I’m coming to the conclusion,’ he said after a while, ‘that life isn’t made up the way I thought it was.’

  ‘And how’s that?’ she asked.

  ‘With little snatches of perfect memories.’

  ‘Yes.’

  He could hear the understanding in that one little word. Here was a woman who seemed to somehow know him and though it was hard to believe, it was true.

  ‘Snatches of perfect memories,’ she repeated. ‘I really like that, Henry, and it’s so true. Sometimes I sit outside at night when Jazzy’s asleep and think about the times I had with Janey. Some when we were kids, some after she met Jarrod, some after Jasmine was born. I can even recall a few nice snatches of memories with my mother—albeit few and far between all of the bad ones, but there are good ones.’

  ‘Isn’t it funny how when someone first dies, all you can think of is all the things you’d wished you’d said to them? After that, you regret all of the horrible things you might have said and then…’ Henry linked his fingers with hers and held her hand tightly. ‘And then you can start to remember the good times, those perfect little memories, and you can put them in a box and take them out when you need them.’

  ‘Life is like that.’ Rayne turned her head to look at him. ‘You’re quite the philosopher, Dr Harcourt.’

  Henry smiled as he levered himself up onto his elbow and looked down at her, still holding her hand. ‘I appear to be today.’

  And in that moment, as they looked at each other, Rayne knew they were both making another perfect memory. They were getting to know each other but it didn’t have anything to do with their pasts. Of course their pasts were important. After all, they’d sculpted them into the people they were today, but they were getting to know each other as they were n
ow. It was like moving to a new world and starting afresh.

  ‘If you want to know about me, Rayne, I’ll tell you.’ Then before she could say a word, he continued. ‘I’m a conservative man by nature. I was raised by conservative parents, went to good schools, never wanted for anything. I met the woman I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with and then had not only her but my child taken from me. I never thought I’d heal. I never thought I’d be able to face reality again so I locked myself away. For the two years Natalia was in the coma I operated on autopilot, losing a touch of hope with each new dawning day.

  ‘I immersed myself in work and shunned almost all social contact. I was as polite as I’d been raised to be, I’d never intentionally be rude to anyone but all of my emotions were neatly locked away and that’s where I’d planned to leave them.’

  Rayne sighed. ‘It must have been such a terrible time for you. I may not have had the best upbringing but good things always came out of the bad. That’s one thing Earlene and Jarvis have helped me to realise. Out of the badness of my upbringing, I became part of Janey’s family. Out of Janey’s death, I became Jasmine’s mother.’ Rayne paused and swallowed, her breathing becoming shallow and her mouth going dry as she dared to say what she was about to say. A moment of indecision was pushed aside because she knew…she just knew she had to say the words out loud. ‘And because of coming to Deniliquin, I met you.’

  ‘You have.’ Henry squeezed her hand, then impulsively brought it to his lips and kissed it, his breath fanning over her skin, warming her through and through. ‘I never thought I’d find a friend again—a real friend—but you’ve proved they do exist and I can’t thank you enough, Rayne.’

  ‘I get a lot out of it, too.’

  Henry chuckled and the sound washed over her. ‘It doesn’t feel like you do from where I’m standing. I feel as though you’re helping me but I’m not doing all that much for you.’

  ‘You’re restoring my faith in men.’

  ‘Wow.’ His eyes widened at this admission. ‘I had no idea I was doing such a grand and noble thing.’

  ‘Well, you are.’

  ‘What…if I may be so bold as to ask…destroyed your faith in men?’

  Rayne paused, knowing where it had all started but wondering if she had the courage to say it out loud. ‘From the different men my mother dated, I guess.’

  Henry could see the wall she’d obviously built around herself for protection slip into place. She wasn’t ready and he respected that more than she could know. He smiled down at her, seeing the worry on her face, seeing the concern, and wanting to instantly remove it. He patted her hand. ‘Do you think if we go for a little walk, we’ll get lost?’

  Rayne sat up, disengaging her hand from his. ‘You’re not going to ask me anything else? You can. You can pry because I pried into your life and you told me.’

  Henry packed away the rest of the food into the basket before standing and holding his hand out to her yet again. ‘I guess I was ready to talk. I didn’t realise it until the moment came on me, but it’s out now and I feel much better for it. However, I can see that you’re still not quite ready, not quite there, and that’s fine, Rayne. We have all the time in the world.’

  ‘We have house calls very soon.’ She went to check her watch but he snatched her hand so she couldn’t see the time.

  ‘That’s not what I meant and you know it. Come.’ He gently pulled her to her feet. ‘Let me continue to restore your faith in men. There really is plenty of time.’

  And in that moment he fully realised the truth of his words. There was time. There was now time in his life to really get to know someone special, and that someone special was Rayne.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THEY went for a walk around half of the billabong, pointing out different things to each other and just generally exploring. Rayne could feel her stresses in life starting to ease and she had Henry to thank for that. He seemed to know just what she needed. It was uncanny.

  She also found it hard to concentrate, especially when he was so near, so close. His masculine scent made her feel light-headed. Or was it his touch, the way he held her hand with such tenderness and care, as though she were the most precious thing in the world?

  When they arrived back at the car, Rayne helped him put the blanket and basket into the boot then turned to thank him.

  ‘I really needed this. It’s been great.’

  ‘All work and no play can make—’ He stopped. ‘Actually, that saying doesn’t really apply here because even if you did work and didn’t play, it still wouldn’t make you a very dull person. Usually it applies to me but not to you.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know about that. I’d hardly classify myself as the life and soul of the party.’

  ‘Two peas in a pod, eh?’ Before she could reply he walked around and opened the car door for her. ‘We’d best get these house calls under way before the patients start calling up to see where their doctor has got to.’

  ‘True.’ Rayne watched as he came round the car before climbing in beside her. She liked the way he walked, the way he moved, the way he smelt, the way he made her feel when he looked at her the way he’d done when they’d been lying on the blanket. It had been a totally romantic picnic and she hadn’t even realised until now. Was Henry trying to tell her something?

  They drove out to the first patient’s place with Henry’s car handling the dirt roads beautifully. ‘I guess it helps that the car has four-wheel drive, although I’ve never had to use it until now.’

  ‘You’ll need to clean it as well. All this dust will make it filthy.’

  ‘It’ll make me look like a local, though.’

  ‘True. Very true.’ They pulled up outside Mrs Eddington’s house and Rayne collected her medical bag. ‘This shouldn’t be too long. Just need to change a dressing. June has a bad ulcer on her leg,’ she explained as she opened the front door and walked right in. ‘Hello?’ she called, and Henry wondered whether he’d ever get used to seeing her do that—just walking in and making herself at home.

  ‘Is that you, Rayne?’ came a female voice. ‘I’m in the bedroom at the back. Watch out for the washing baskets and don’t trip over the books. They’re for the jumble sale at the festival, if you wouldn’t mind taking them back to town for me.’ June continued talking as Rayne made her way through the house towards the bedroom.

  ‘I’ve brought another doctor, June,’ Rayne announced from the doorway, now that she could get a word in edgeways. ‘Dr Henry Harcourt.’

  ‘Ooh, is this that handsome doctor from Sydney Gladys has been telling me about? Well, come on, then, boy. Into the room. Let me look at you.’

  Henry raised his eyebrows at this…unique welcome and looked at Rayne, who sidestepped out of the way and swept her arm out to indicate he should pass in front of her.

  ‘Ooh, you are a looker. This one’s good, Rayne. See if we can keep him.’

  ‘He’ll be for sale at the festival, June, so if you’re so inclined you can purchase him yourself.’

  ‘What?’ Henry turned to look at her and both women laughed.

  ‘She’s just pullin’ your leg, matey. Don’t go sweatin’ it.’

  ‘Oh. OK. Right. Outback humour. I’ll get there one day.’

  Again, it was another positive comment, as though Henry was considering actually staying out here. Rayne pushed the hope aside and concentrated on changing June’s dressing while Henry kept her entertained.

  ‘The district nurse comes most days but Rayne likes to check up on me and make sure things are going along swimmingly, don’t ya, darl’?’

  ‘Yes, I do, and things most certainly are going along swimmingly. Two more weeks and things should be back to normal.’

  ‘Ah. That’s good news.’

  ‘Will you be at the festival?’ Henry asked.

  ‘Try and keep me away. Rayne’s already organised a wheelchair for me, haven’t ya, darl’? So there’s no reason for me not to be there. But if you wouldn�
�t mind taking those books, I’d much appreciate it.’

  ‘No problem.’ Rayne had taken off her gloves and packed up her bag. ‘Come on, Henry. Let’s go load up the car. See you next week, June.’

  ‘Byebye, deary.’ She waved to Rayne then smiled at Henry. ‘I’ll see you at the festival, right?’

  ‘I’m sure there’s a good possibility of that. Until then, Mrs Eddington.’ And he made a little bow.

  ‘Ooh, a charmer and a looker. Definitely a good catch. And call me June!’

  Rayne couldn’t help but smile as they made their way to the next house call, the books safely stowed in the boot of Henry’s car. By the time they were on their way to Donna’s place, Henry’s boot was almost full with other bits and pieces people wanted Rayne to deliver back to town.

  ‘You didn’t mention you’d also be a courier service today,’ Henry grumbled good-naturedly as he followed her directions to Donna’s place.

  ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Well…’ she added sheepishly. ‘I wasn’t sure. It happened last year but that wasn’t to say it was going to happen this year.’

  ‘You’re a soft touch, Dr Hudson.’ Henry glanced over at her, a sweet smile on his face and one that melted Rayne’s bones. Why did he have to be so incredibly good-looking and why did he have to have such an effect on her?

  When they arrived at Donna’s it was to find JJ and CC running around in the front garden…or front dirt, due to the drought, laughing and playing happily. Or they were until JJ knocked CC’s hat off.

  ‘Stop it!’ she yelled at her big brother. ‘Dat’s not funny. Mummy says hats on or no playing.’

  ‘Hi, kids,’ Rayne said as she walked towards them. They both squealed with delight and ran towards her at full pelt. A moment later it was impossible for her to walk as she had a child wrapped around each leg, her hands on their heads. ‘Hey, it’s good to see you, too.’

  They both looked up and started talking at once and somehow she was able to follow the conversation, answering their questions and asking her own. Henry watched the entire scene, totally amazed at how brilliant this woman was with children. In fact, she appeared to be brilliant with everyone she met. She really was suited to the outback GP job but she’d also shown amazing competence and aptitude in Theatre.