by Stacey Nash
Hannah was still pacing when he returned, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. Rigid muscles met his palm; tense shoulders pressed against his chest. Morgan moved his hand over her back in small circles. Hannah slowly relaxed, her body slumping against him. ‘I’m so glad you were there.’
His chin grazed her curls. ‘Thank god we both were. Let’s see if we can get some info.’
She nodded against his chest. Morgan led her back to the same nurse from whom he’d borrowed the phone. ‘Is there any word on Cooper Burton? Hannah’s his sister.’
‘I’ll just check.’ The nurse pressed a button on the phone and spoke into her headset. ‘Hi, I have Cooper Burton’s family out here—’ she paused, nodded, ‘—ahum … mmm—’ glanced at Hannah, ‘—thanks for that.’
She jabbed another button on the base. ‘The doctor’s seen him. You’re right to go back out there if you want.’
Hannah moved towards the huge double doors beside the triage window.
‘I’ll just buzz you through.’
Hannah stepped from foot to foot while the doors swung open. The second the gap was wide enough she squeezed through and when Morgan followed, the nurse was waiting on the other side. ‘He’s in bed ten. Just this way.’
She led them into a cavernous room cordoned off into individual spaces by curtains. Hannah strode ahead of the woman, racing past a row of empty beds and towards her brother. Hanging back, Morgan thanked the nurse for her help.
Lying propped up in bed, with a drip attached to his arm and an oxygen mask over his face, Cooper had his puffy eyes open. His hand dwarfed Hannah’s where she cradled it as she half leaned against the bed. A quick survey of the space turned up a cracked vinyl chair which Morgan pushed up behind her. Hannah collapsed into it without letting go of her twin.
Morgan wasn’t much of a doctor, or any kind of doctor at all, but it didn’t take six years of medical school to decipher the words ‘smoke inhalation’ from amongst the shorthand scratched in the red folder at the foot of the hospital bed. He popped it back into place.
‘Oh Coop.’ Hannah clung to her twin. ‘What happened?’
Face smeared with soot, Cooper stared back at her, blinking once or twice, then finally his eyes closed. His mask fogged and defogged with each breath.
It was a good half hour before a different nurse arrived and started checking Cooper’s vitals—fingers at his pulse, a clamp on his finger, taps on the tube, buttons pressed on the machine attached to his drip.
‘Is he okay?’ Hannah asked. ‘What’s going on?’
The nurse peeked behind her at the door. ‘The doctor will be in to see you shortly. Cooper’s inhaled a lot of smoke.’
‘Is he going to be okay?’ Hannah begged.
The nurse’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t have time to answer before footsteps beat against the tiled floor. ‘Cooper,’ Kate Burton called while rushing up to Hannah’s side then pushing through to touch her son. ‘Oh, my boy.’
Hannah jumped up from the chair and threw her arms around her mother, who clung to Hannah as if she were saying goodbye forever. ‘Mum—’ Hannah spoke into her mother’s dark hair, ‘—there was a fire at his place and I … so much smoke … we got him outside, but … I don’t know.’
‘It’s okay, sweetheart.’ Mrs Burton pulled away from her daughter and stroked Cooper’s hand. Morgan had always admired the way she was with her kids, and when he was younger he’d wished that he’d had someone like that in his life. Mrs B was one of the best.
Shuffling feet brought Jase to his attention, and Morgan stepped back to make way for family. Much to his surprise, the eldest Burton extended his right hand. Hoping this was a truce, Morgan shook. Afterward letting go, Jase glanced towards the bed.
‘Excuse me.’ The nurse wiped her hands on her blue scrubs. ‘Only two visitors at a time in here. You’ll have to rotate.’
Morgan backed away, his gaze locking on Hannah. ‘I’ll be in the waiting room.’
‘Me too.’ Jase peeked over his mother’s shoulder then grabbed Cooper’s foot through the blanket. ‘Stay well, kid.’
As Morgan exited through the double doors, Jase fell into step beside him. Once they were in the waiting room Jase dropped into one of the hard chairs. A peace offering would have been good, but Morgan wasn’t even able to offer his mate a coffee. The machine in the corner was cash-operated.
‘What happened?’ Jase asked.
‘No idea.’ Taking a seat, Morgan splayed his legs out in front and pushed his shoulders against the wall. ‘When I looked out the window of my room smoke was pouring from next door and Hannah was standing in the driveway.’
‘So you weren’t there?’
‘Not until after, when I helped her drag him out.’
Jase leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. After several moments of silence, he asked, ‘What do we know?’
‘Nothing much yet. His chart says smoke inhalation.’
‘Shit.’ Jase fell back against the plastic chair, his head bumping off the cement wall. ‘How’s Hannah holding up?’
‘She’s one strong woman.’ Morgan scrubbed a hand across his forehead. ‘I dunno, Jase. I’ve been staying away.’
The eldest Burton leaned forward again, clutching his head in his hands, his fingers pushing through his shorn hair. ‘You want to do that?’
‘No. I care about her. I’m respecting your fucking stupid wishes.’
Jase sighed. ‘Like you care about that.’
Morgan’s lip quirked.
Jase burst into laughter. ‘It’s a bit weird, but sure. Whatever. She chose you. She’s got no one, Harris, just us. And it’s obvious how much she thinks of you. If anyone can get that girl to care about more than the farm and family, it’s you.’
Morgan closed his eyes, thinking about the feel of Hannah in his arms, the taste of her on his lips. How he just wanted to wrap her up and keep her safe. How she cared so passionately and the mass of love she had for her family. The Burtons had always been like family to him and he needed her to accept that he loved her too. That sometimes family wasn’t always connected via blood.
‘Thanks for asking, respecting our friendship,’ Jase said.
‘Yeah, well …’ Morgan swallowed.
‘Harris?’
Opening his eyes, Morgan raised his head from the cool wall. The smile had fallen from Jase’s face. ‘You hurt her, I hurt you.’
Morgan nodded, settling back into his chair. ‘I wouldn’t expect anything less.’
They fell into silence and time lapsed without another soul passing through the waiting room. Minutes turned into an hour. Finally, Hannah emerged. Morgan jumped to his feet as her gaze locked on his. Her shoulders slumped and Morgan feared the worst.
He strode towards her, his feet surer than they’d ever been. Hannah’s arms snapped around his waist, her head hit his shoulder, and he pulled her small frame against him.
After a few minutes, Jase cleared his throat behind them. Hannah let go.
‘They’re moving him to the ward. The doctor says he’ll be alright. He swallowed a ton of smoke and somehow his left hand and torso are covered in chemical burns. He hasn’t woken again, but the doctor said that’s normal. Sleep’s the body’s best way of healing.’
Jase blew out a breath. ‘Geez. What about you, bub? Are you okay?’
Hannah gave him a small smile. ‘I’ll be alright. Do you want to go in now?’
A young nurse bustled past, her soft shoes scuffing against the tiled floor. Distracted by a pretty face, Jase watched until she’d disappeared down the corridor, then looked back at his sister and frowned. ‘You look exhausted. Want me to take you home for a rest?’
She shook her head. ‘I’ll be home later. I actually want to—’ She glanced at Morgan. ‘I’m not ready to head home yet. I need some fresh air.’
‘Well, call me if you need me.’
‘And you call me if anything
changes with Coop.’ Hannah patted her brother’s arm, and he pushed the button to open the doors into the Emergency Department. Once the doors closed behind him, Hannah turned her full attention to Morgan, who said, ‘Let’s walk.’
Chapter 30
Hannah’s stomach fluttered and tumbled as they walked out of the hospital. She wasn’t sure if what she was about to say was right, but it was what she felt and she was exhausted from suppressing her feelings for too long. She also didn’t know what Morgan wanted to say. He could very well tell her that he was headed back to the city soon and what they’d shared had been fun while it lasted, but their time together was done.
He slowed as they reached the bottom of the ramp, then he nodded towards the picnic bench with flaking green paint. ‘Do you want to sit?’
‘I’d rather walk.’
‘Are you sure you’re right to walk?’
‘We’ll just take it easy.’ Hannah glanced his way. ‘Are you right to walk? How’re your lungs feeling?’
‘I’m fine.’ Morgan’s shoulder brushed against hers as they moseyed towards the main street. Hannah never thought much about it, but as she glanced up at the street sign which read Burton Park Drive, she filled with pride. Her family had been around these parts for an awful long time. Farmers, mayors, founders—they had always been an important family in the area. No wonder Pop had cared so much about preserving their good name. The Burtons had been pioneers of sorts, some of the first squatters in the area, and from their humble beginnings they’d grown a lamb empire. After that came the cotton. As Pop always claimed, the Burtons had put the cotton into the phrase cotton belt. Gosh, she missed him.
They passed the petrol station next. ‘My car’s out of fuel,’ she sighed. Her empty wallet wouldn’t be any use. ‘That’s why I went to his place.’
‘To Cooper’s?’
‘Yeah.’ They walked a few more steps before she continued, ‘I could’ve lost him today.’
‘But you didn’t. He’ll be up and about and giving you a hard time before you know it.’
Hannah bit her lip to stop it trembling. ‘Do you know what one of the last things I said to him was?’
Morgan tapped the top of a fire hydrant.
‘I told him it was his fault Pop died. That he needed to grow up.’ Hannah’s chest tightened from more than just her earlier coughing fits. ‘I’ve tried to look out for him, but you know what? I’m done. I love Cooper more than anything else. I can’t keep trying to protect him though.’
Hannah felt spent, her entire being an inch from collapsing and her head in need of a good rest. She leaned towards Morgan, but just before her body connected with his, she pulled back and straightened up. He might have kissed her earlier, but it was probably out of relief she’d survived.
‘He’s a good bloke. He’s just been angry with everything that’s going on.’
‘I’m not his keeper, Morgan. And I’m tired. I can’t save him from getting hurt.’
‘You don’t have to. No one can protect anyone else all of the time. We just have to trust that the people we love will look out for themselves. If we don’t, then we exhaust ourselves trying and that’s not healthy. Not for our relationships—nor for ourselves.’
Their steps were in perfect sync, and tingles raced up Hannah’s side from where their hips brushed together every few steps. ‘Were you always this clever?’ she asked. ‘When did you get so wise?’
Morgan chuckled. ‘Four years and almost thirty grand in HECS better mean I’m clever. I paid good money for that wisdom.’
‘You got ripped off. I come by mine honestly.’
He chuckled. ‘We can’t all be that lucky.’
As they walked past the Fat Buddha then the community centre, he said, ‘Do you feel like we’re walking past a shitload of memories?’
‘I guess.’ Hannah smiled, because in another block they’d reach the Ace, where they’d spent more than a few nights chatting while she’d worked. Where they’d first kissed. Morgan stopped, snagged her hand in his, and pulled Hannah back to face him. His mouth meshed against hers and Hannah cupped his face in her hands, kissing him back as if they weren’t standing in the middle of the main street, covered in soot from the fire. It was one of the best kisses of her life—full of passion and we-need-a-room-right-now.
They broke apart and she asked, ‘What was that for?’
Morgan looked down at her. ‘I’m sorry.’
She kissed him again. ‘Me too.’
As they reached the Ace in the Hole, Hannah turned towards the carpark.
‘I thought you had no fuel.’
‘Oh yeah.’ Goodness, he’d made her head so fuzzy she was lucky the ambulance staff weren’t still asking her to name the day. ‘Morgan …’
He looked at her with sleepy eyes. ‘Mmm hmm?’
‘What are we doing?’
A smile grew from the corner of his mouth. ‘I think you stopped pushing me away.’
She stopped on the kerb of Locker Road and glanced both ways. Family alone wasn’t enough. Hannah had realised sometime in the aftermath of saving Cooper that Morgan was just as important to her as her brothers, but in an oh-so-different way. She needed to allow that love into her heart, because whether she liked it or not it was there, and it made her feel less exhausted. It made her feel alive.
‘Like you so wisely said earlier, we just have to trust the people we lo—’ she baulked, not wanting to say it out loud.
‘Hannah, I’m not going to hurt you.’
She pulled away from him, laughing, and raced across the street, down the road and into the motel’s driveway while Morgan gave chase. A coughing fit pulled her up short, so when she reached his room, she slid down the red door. The coughs petered out and by the time Morgan arrived she’d caught her breath. Looking all suave and cool, he sauntered up to his room like a predator about to corner its next meal.
Good lord, he was sexy. Her heart picked up a beat and her tongue skated over her dry lips as he slid the key card into the slot then bent down and scooped her off the ground, only to deposit her smack bang in the middle of his bed.
Chapter 31
His shampoo smelled so good on her. Morgan vowed to never switch brands again. He also never wanted to get out of bed but, sadly, duty called. Stealing one last whiff, he kissed the top of Hannah’s head then disentangled himself from her. Sitting up was something he managed with effort, but finding clothes would not be so easy. They were strewn about the room, casualties of yesterday’s haste. Ah, there. He flicked a damp towel off his boxer briefs and slipped them on.
Morgan couldn’t resist peeking back at Hannah sprawled across his bed as if that was exactly where she belonged. The fact her naked body was only covered by the starched sheet added to the temptation to forget all about his morning clients and go back to bed. He hadn’t expected them to make love, but Hannah had taken the lead. He’d stopped to ask her at least three times if she was okay, but all she’d done was told him to shush.
‘Stay,’ Hannah mumbled, peeking up at him through sleepy eyes.
‘I wish I could. I’ve got a meeting at nine.’
‘No.’ She rolled onto her side, her hazel eyes more green than brown in the morning light. ‘I meant stay in Mindalby.’
Morgan grinned so hard it was a wonder his cheeks didn’t crack. He leaned back on his elbow and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. Her hand snaked behind his neck, pulling him down, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to climb back into bed with her for the rest of the day. Especially with those sleep-tousled curls and her sexy just-been-kissed lips.
He exhaled a sigh. ‘There are some clothes hanging in the closet if you need to borrow anything. Keep me posted on Cooper. I’ll try and call by the hospital sometime before lunch.’
Hannah’s smile fled. ‘Okay.’
‘And we’ll sort your ute out then too. My keys are on the table if you want to take the shit-box.’
‘Thanks, but if Jase is a
bout I’ll get him onto fixing my ute.’
Morgan leaned across and brushed one last kiss across her lips. ‘Help yourself to whatever you need.’
He pocketed his room key and wallet, shouldered the laptop, and ducked out into a beautiful day. The shining sun mirrored his mood as he set off down Burton Park Drive. Morgan glanced back at Cooper’s apartment. With black soot staining the brickwork and the windows exploded, the place was likely gutted, not to mention drenched. It wasn’t fair when so much had gone wrong for the Burtons already. Hopefully Coop had good insurance.
Morgan’s thoughts bounced back to Hannah lying in his bed. To her rushing into that apartment with no regard for her own life. To how scared he’d been when he couldn’t see her afterwards.
He glanced at his watch. Eight-fifty. Shit, he’d had trouble getting out of bed with Hannah wrapped around him, but he hadn’t realised he was running so late. Morgan heaved the bag over his shoulder and upped the pace. It was a good thing the community centre was only a few blocks away.
He arrived to find Elsie already sitting in the waiting room. He threw her a smile and ducked into his room, pulling up her file on his computer and giving it a quick scan. He hadn’t seen her since he’d been back, nor had he seen her for a one-on-one at all. Nothing in the file looked out of place, so why wasn’t she waiting for tomorrow’s group session?
Morgan stuck his head out into the corridor. ‘Come in whenever you’re ready, Elsie.’
She looked up at him through her blonde hair.
He ducked back inside and took a seat in his swivel chair, while Elsie walked through the door, tugging off her black gloves. She perched herself on the edge of the winged armchair, and Morgan offered up an encouraging smile.
‘How have you been?’
‘Okay.’ She shoved the gloves in her bag then set it on her lap. ‘Well, not okay. Why do we always say good or okay or fine when we’re really not? It’s so odd.’
Morgan raised his eyebrows. ‘Because we want people to think we’ve got it all together, when really none of us do.’