by Emily Forbes
But she’d barely even thought about Craig over the past few days, she’d been too busy thinking about Ryder. And sex. Which was another unfamiliar pastime for her. Sex wasn’t high on her list of priorities. Sure, she felt the need for it occasionally but since seeing Ryder again she’d found herself thinking about it constantly. Thinking about being in his arms, touching him, making love to him.
Her hormones had gone into overdrive—just like when she’d first fallen for him as a teenager.
Ryder was an idea that had remained trapped in the depths of her psyche. She had relegated him to her past and closed that part of herself off, the part that had loved him. She hadn’t wanted to love again, it was too painful, but seeing him again had awoken those memories with a vengeance.
He was an itch that had never been scratched.
But she knew it was more than that. Something about him still made her heart sing. She felt a sense of anticipation and excitement when he was near. He still fascinated her. She needed to be careful.
The light was beginning to fade as the day drifted towards dusk and the last of the beachgoers started to make their way home. There were a few other surfers in the water but not many swimmers. The day had been overcast and a storm was threatening. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The storm was getting closer and Poppy knew they’d have to call it a day before the weather turned nasty. The ocean was not an ideal spot to be in an electrical storm.
Daisy was on her board beside her and she turned her head as a burst of lightning lit up the sky to the north. Daisy wouldn’t have heard the thunder but the bright flash of light was enough to catch her attention.
Surfers around them began to catch waves in to the beach as another lightning bolt crackled to their right. It was close. Poppy signalled to Daisy that they should follow suit as a thunderclap crashed overhead. A set was rolling in and they waited their turn before catching a wave behind another pair of surfers.
Poppy could feel the static electricity in the air as they hit the shore and she had just picked her board up out of the water when lightning flashed in front of her. It was so bright she turned her head to block the light. She heard the damp sand sizzle where one fork of lightning struck the beach and the ground trembled beneath her feet.
A second fork arced between the sky and the earth but this one didn’t reach the sand. Poppy watched in horror as it hit one of the men who had surfed in on the wave before Daisy and her. He was still in the shallow water and the strike knocked him off his feet and threw him through the air.
He landed on his back, facing the sky.
Poppy and Daisy ripped off their leg ropes, dropped their boards and sprinted towards the man.
The man’s wetsuit had a hole just below his right shoulder, a couple of inches in from his armpit, and Poppy knew that was the point of contact. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t breathing.
The smell of burnt flesh made bile rise up in her throat.
She crouched down beside him and put her fingers on his wrist, searching for a pulse. Nothing.
The man was lying on damp sand, surrounded by a few centimetres of water. Poppy knew the tide was turning and the air was still charged with electricity. She didn’t want to administer first aid in the water during a thunderstorm. His mate was beside him, sitting completely still, doing nothing, obviously in shock, looking dazedly from Poppy and Daisy back to the unconscious surfer.
‘Grab him under his arms,’ she said to his mate, ‘We need to drag him out of the water.’
She grabbed the man’s feet and they pulled him out of the shallows and moved him higher up the beach onto drier sand.
‘What’s his name?’ she asked as they’d got him to semi-safety and she knelt again in the sand.
‘Scotty.’ The man still looked dazed but at least he was able to respond to her questions and instructions. ‘He’s my brother. Is he going to be okay?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said. There was no way of sugar-coating the facts. She held Scotty’s wrist and felt again for a pulse as she watched for any slight rise and fall of his chest to indicate that he was breathing. ‘Do you know how to do CPR?’ she asked the patient’s brother.
‘Kind of.’
‘I’m a paramedic. Follow my instructions and we’ll do our best until the lifeguards get here, okay?’
Scotty still wasn’t breathing. Out of habit she shook his shoulder gently to see if she could rouse him. ‘Scotty? Can you hear me?’
There was no sign of life.
Daisy was kneeling next to Poppy. She opened Scotty’s mouth and checked that his tongue wasn’t blocking his airway. She gripped him under the chin.
‘I need you to do the breaths for me,’ she told the man. Daisy was a nurse, trained in CPR, but she didn’t want to expose Daisy to any risk. If Scotty’s brother was competent with the breaths, that was Poppy’s preferred option. She would do the compressions—they were the most important thing at this stage. ‘Hold his head back like Daisy is doing and breathe for him when I tell you,’ she said.
The man nodded and Poppy signed instructions to Daisy, telling her to make sure the lifeguards were on their way, as she started chest compressions. ‘I’ll count to thirty and then stop while you give two breaths, okay?’
She’d started on the third round of compressions before she heard the lifeguard buggy pull up beside them. It felt like ten minutes, not one.
She turned her head and saw Ryder and Dutchy jump out of the buggy. She didn’t think she’d ever been as pleased to see Ryder.
‘Lightning strike,’ she told them she continued counting in her head. ‘We’re going to need the defib.’
Ryder nodded and turned back to lift the defibrillator bag from the buggy as Dutchy dropped the kit bag in the sand and pulled a pair of scissors from it. Poppy sat back on the count of thirty and instructed Scotty’s brother to give two breaths as Dutchy quickly cut open a flap in the front of Scotty’s wetsuit, running the scissors down from one armpit, then across the chest and down the other side. He peeled back the front of the wetsuit and Poppy immediately resumed compressions. She was aware of Ryder preparing the defibrillator but she had no time to watch him. She trusted him to do his job as he would have to trust her to do hers.
Ryder knelt opposite her. He had a towel in his hand and wiped it over Scotty’s chest, drying it off before attaching the sticky pads for the defibrillator. His presence was reassuring. He worked calmly and quickly. He knew what he was doing. Like all the lifeguards, he was well trained in the routine of pre-hospital care.
The defib charged and Poppy sat back, following the instructions from the mechanical voice. They all waited while the machine analysed the heart rhythm and then directed Ryder to apply a shock.
Scotty lifted off the ground as the machine delivered a charge, trying to shock his heart out of fibrillation and restore its normal rhythm.
They waited but there was no change.
‘Continue CPR,’ the machine instructed.
‘Do you want me to swap places with you?’ Ryder asked.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She shook her head. ‘I’m okay for another couple of rounds.’ She was used to performing CPR. She resumed compressions while Dutchy fitted a face mask over Scotty’s nose and mouth. A silicone bulb was attached to the mask, Dutchy would be able to take over from Scotty’s brother and squeeze air into Scotty’s lungs.
‘Analysing rhythm.’
The defibrillator instructed them to stand clear.
‘Delivering shock.’
Another jolt. But still no change. Poppy continued with a fifth round of compressions.
‘The colour in his face is getting better,’ Daisy said.
Poppy agreed. Even in the grey and overcast afternoon light she thought she could see some colour returning.
‘Analysing rhythm.’
The defibrillator
deliberated a possible third shock.
The verdict came back.
‘No shock advised. Check pulse.’
Poppy completed her compressions while Ryder checked for a pulse. ‘I’ve got something!’
Dutchy still held the mask over Scotty’s face but before he could give any more rescue breaths Scotty lifted a hand and pushed Dutchy away.
‘We’ve got him!’
Poppy couldn’t believe it as Scotty coughed and his eyelids fluttered.
Daisy had the oxygen mask ready. Dutchy swapped the face mask for the smaller oxygen mask and looped the elastic behind Scotty’s head.
‘Come up here, where he can see you,’ Poppy directed his brother, who was kneeling down by Scotty’s feet. She knew Scotty would be disoriented and thought he’d respond better if he could see a familiar face amongst the crowd of strangers.
She spoke quietly to Scotty as his brother moved into view. ‘You’re on Bondi Beach. You were struck by lightning. We resuscitated you and now we’re going to take you to hospital.’
Poppy, Ryder, Dutchy and Daisy rolled Scotty onto the stretcher and with Scotty’s brother’s help lifted him onto the back of the lifeguard buggy. Poppy sat with Scotty as Ryder and Dutchy quickly threw their bags into the buggy. Ryder climbed in the back next to Poppy and helped her stabilise the stretcher as Dutchy drove them all back to the tower.
Adrenalin coursed through her. Was it due to the incident that had just taken place or because Ryder was sitting beside her? She wasn’t sure.
Her paramedic’s uniform gave her confidence but even without it she knew she’d done a good job and thanks to all their efforts, and the defibrillator, it was a good outcome for Scotty, but she still felt shaky and she suspected it was because of Ryder’s proximity. She wanted to lean against him, lean on him, but she couldn’t do it.
The ambulance was parked on the promenade, lights flashing, by the time they reached the steps to the tower.
Ryder reached for her hand to help her down from the buggy so they could offload Scotty. Even though she didn’t really need his assistance, her body ached to touch him so she took the hand he offered her. His grip was gentle and warm and Poppy didn’t want to let go but they needed to look after Scotty.
Alex was on duty and he came down the stairs and met them on the sand. Poppy briefed him while they transferred Scotty over, carrying him up to the promenade and loading him into the ambulance while his brother watched, still clearly dazed.
Poppy put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Go with him,’ she said.
Ryder added, ‘We’ll collect your boards and you can pick them up from here tomorrow.’
Poppy and Daisy were both shivering as the ambulance departed.
‘You need to get warmed up,’ Ryder said.
‘I’ll take the buggy and pick up the boards while I bring the flags and signs in,’ Dutchy offered. The light was fading fast now and the beach had emptied of swimmers and people who had stayed to watch the drama unfolding, leaving just the lifeguards, Poppy and Daisy.
‘Come on,’ Ryder said as he opened the door to the tower. ‘I’ll put the kettle on. Are you okay?’
Poppy and Daisy both nodded. Neither of them were strangers when it came to emergencies, but a cup of tea was still welcome.
‘Do you need to use the phone?’ he asked Poppy as he filled the kettle.
‘What for?’
‘I thought you might want to let Craig know where you are. That you’ve been held up.’
Poppy shook her head. ‘He didn’t come down to Sydney in the end.’ She had wondered whether or not she should tell Ryder that her plans had changed but had decided not to. Now she couldn’t remember why she’d come to that decision. Had she thought going out to dinner with him might have been tempting fate? ‘He got held up at work,’ she explained.
‘That’s too bad,’ he said without any trace of regret in his voice. ‘Have you got plans for dinner? I could take you both out—as a thank you for doing my job for me?’
‘I’m going out with friends from the hospital,’ Daisy told him.
‘I don’t have plans,’ Poppy said. Craig’s cancellation had left her at a loose end.
Ryder grinned. ‘How does Chinese and a couple of beers sound?’ He paused, his brow furrowed as he asked, ‘Do you drink beer?’
‘I do.’
It was odd. She felt like she knew him so well still but the reality was that, after twelve years, they were strangers. But it didn’t feel that way.
CHAPTER FOUR
POPPY WASHED AND dried her hair, letting it curl naturally over her shoulders. She had agonised over what to wear and in the end settled on black jeans, a black shirt and a scarf with a geometric print with traces of green. She knew the green highlighted the colour of her eyes and she hadn’t been able to resist adding it in a slight touch of vanity, even though she knew she wasn’t going on a date. She was simply having dinner with an old friend.
But old friends didn’t normally make her feel giddy and excited.
She wasn’t convinced it was a good idea to have dinner for two, not considering the way he still made her feel, but she wasn’t going to cancel. She knew she shouldn’t be so eager given she was irritated with Craig, but she knew her feelings for Ryder were bordering on dangerous. But maybe she was looking at Ryder through rose-coloured glasses. Perhaps catching up with him over dinner would give her a chance to make some new memories, let go of her embarrassment from years gone by and settle her nerves, she thought as she drove back to the Bondi lifeguard tower to meet him.
He’d showered and changed and was also casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. That was good, he wasn’t dressed for a date, but unfortunately the T-shirt sculpted his chest and arms and showed off his new muscles. That wasn’t helpful.
Now that their emergency was over she had time to look at him more closely and she couldn’t resist.
His thick hair was still slightly damp and his square jaw was darkened by a five o’clock shadow. The muscles and the stubble were new. He had matured. He was a man now, no longer a boy. Definitely not a boy and she was very aware of him.
‘If you don’t mind where we eat, I thought I’d try an Asian restaurant that Dutchy recommended in Bondi Junction.’
He jumped into her car and directed her to the restaurant. Her car wasn’t small but it suddenly felt that way. The thunderstorm had passed but she could still feel electricity humming in the air and she knew it was her reaction to Ryder. He looked good and smelt even better.
She forced herself to focus on her driving and pulled into a park. Once she got out of the car her head cleared a little. A bit of distance eased her tension. She couldn’t think straight when he was sitting so close.
The restaurant, Lao Lao’s Kitchen, was small and busy and the scent of garlic and chilli competed with Ryder’s scent. The tables were tightly packed but they found a small, empty one against a wall.
A young girl greeted them as she brought the menu. Her dark hair was tied in two pigtails that stuck out from the side of her head and she was missing two front teeth. She was very cute and Poppy guessed her to be about seven or eight years old. She must be the daughter of the owners.
‘My grandpa will come and take your order,’ she said as she put the menus on the table.
Poppy revised her assessment. Granddaughter of the owners probably.
‘Thank you,’ Poppy said to the girl as she poured water into their glasses.
She smiled at Poppy and Poppy felt a jolt of familiarity. As if she’d met the girl before. ‘What is your name?’ Poppy asked before the girl could leave, even though she couldn’t possibly know her.
‘An Na.’
Ryder pulled his chair into the table as the girl walked away. His knees banged into Poppy’s, sending a bolt of electricity through her and stirring up the familiar feelings
of desire once more.
She kept her eyes down, studying the menu as if her life depended on it. She couldn’t look at him, he’d always been able to tell what she was thinking and she did not want him to read her mind right now.
She found herself unusually tongue-tied. She was normally quite opinionated and vocal, perhaps it had been a mistake coming to dinner à deux. She should have given more consideration to how he made her feel. She’d been telling herself they could rekindle their friendship but when she sat opposite him, close enough to see the different shades of blue in his eyes, close enough to feel his breath of the back of her hands, she couldn’t deny that she was still attracted to him.
The attraction hadn’t diminished after all those years and she found it disconcerting. Acknowledging her feelings, even silently, made her feel vulnerable, which added to her sense of unease.
But feeling attracted to Ryder was okay, she reassured herself as an elderly gentleman came to take their order. She didn’t have to talk about it and she definitely didn’t intend to act on it.
‘Do you know what you’d like?’ their waiter asked.
The menu had been a blur before her eyes, she’d been looking at it but hadn’t been able to focus or concentrate. ‘I’m happy with anything,’ she said.
‘Chef’s choice?’ Ryder asked.
‘Sure.’
‘Why don’t you bring us a few of the chef’s favourites?’ Ryder requested. ‘Maybe three small and a couple of larger dishes for us to share, and two beers. Thanks.’
‘So, catch me up on the last twelve years,’ he said as the waiter left the two of them alone.
Poppy laughed. ‘That will take all night.’
‘Sounds like you’ve got a lot to tell me.’ He was smiling. ‘Luckily I have plenty of time. There’s nowhere else I need to be.’
He sat back in his chair and looked at her like he’d looked at her on the day she’d kissed him and she knew for certain that there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
‘It feels strange,’ she said.
‘What does? Being here with me?’