Playing for Love (Summer Beach Vets 1) - sweet vacation romance

by H. Y. Hanna

  Craig laughed. “Those are all nice stories, Sara, but the real explanation is a lot more prosaic. Opals are mined from the deserts of the Australian outback. They’re basically made up of silicon dioxide. There are microscopic bubbles within the silica which catch the light and refract it—and our eyes see that as different colours. Like a rainbow. But it’s just to do with the way light passes through the opal and is reflected back at us. Nothing to do with magic.”

  Sara smiled ruefully at the shop assistant. “I think I like your version much better. I think we all need a bit of magic in our lives.”

  The woman smiled. “Perhaps you’d like to buy a little magical souvenir to take back home with you?”

  “I’d love to. But not one of these,” Sara said regretfully, looking at the black opals. “I couldn’t afford it!” She laughed.

  “Oh, that’s no problem. We have a range of opals to suit all budgets,” said the shop assistant smoothly as she led Sara over to another counter.

  Sara found a beautiful little crystal opal shimmering with pale green, orange, and lilac. It was set in a delicate silver charm bracelet, which looked perfect on her wrist. It would be a wonderful souvenir of her time in Australia. She also bought a slightly darker crystal opal with deeper blue tones, set in a silver pendant, as a gift for Ellie. Feeling very pleased with her purchases, she tucked the jewellery boxes into her handbag and left the store with Craig.

  “I think I should have asked for commission from that shop for taking you in,” chuckled Craig. “I hope all that shopping has worked up an appetite. There’s a great seafood place near here that I’d like to take you to. But first, come and check out the view…”

  He led the way to the end of the wharf where they paused and looked out over the harbour to Sydney’s north shore. Above their heads, the hulking steel frame of the Harbour Bridge arched up across a cloudless blue sky.

  “The locals call it the Coathanger, you know,” said Craig, gazing at it. “Pretty impressive, eh? Nightmare to drive over, though. It’s got eight lanes, plus two railway tracks, a cycleway, and a walkway for pedestrians… and it’s still always chocka!”

  His phone rang in his pocket. Craig took it out and glanced at the screen.

  “It’s Wendy,” he said with an apologetic look.

  He turned away to answer the call and Sara wondered what the pushy agent wanted now. She saw Craig frown and send a quick glance in her direction, then he said shortly, “Fine. Go ahead. If you think it’ll be a good move,” before ending the call and slipping the phone back into his pocket.

  “Problems?” Sara asked.

  “No, no problem,” said Craig, although he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he started pointing out various landmarks on the other side of the harbour and Sara put the agent from her mind.

  Craig took her to lunch at a waterfront bistro, where they shared a giant seafood platter of crispy soft-shelled crab, steamed mussels, barbecued king prawns, smoked salmon, grilled barramundi, and crumbed squid rings, accompanied by shoestring fries and washed down with something Craig called “stubbies”—ice-cold Australian beer in short, squat bottles.

  Sara clutched her stomach as they came out of the bistro. “Oh my God, if I keep eating like this, I’m going to start looking like a giant sturgeon!”

  Craig glanced at her, his blue eyes moving appreciatively over her full curves. “You look good to me.”

  Sara blushed and looked away. They walked slowly—to allow their food to digest—and made their way around Circular Quay to Bennelong Point, where the Opera House sat in all its splendour. The afternoon sun reflected off its dazzling white roof, each curved “shell” fitting with perfect symmetry to the others. Sara stared at it, remembering the many times she had seen pictures of this Australian icon online, and in books and TV shows. She couldn’t quite believe that she was standing there.

  They took a guided tour and Sara spent a fascinating hour learning about how the Opera House was designed and built. She never realised that it had taken fourteen years to build or that the site was so extensive, a stagehand working there would walk the equivalent of thirteen kilometres in one day. As one of the twentieth century’s most distinctive buildings, it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over seven million visitors a year.

  Standing in one of the concert halls, inside one of the roof shells, and gazing up at the beautiful interior, Sara could see why the building had become such an icon. She felt Craig move beside her and then his strong, warm hand clasped hers. Sara felt a rush of happiness fill her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she thought to herself: whatever else happens, I’ll always have the memory of this moment, standing here in the Opera House with this man beside me.

  They came out of the performing venue to find that the sun was setting. The sky was shot with purple, pink, and orange, and the water on the harbour reflected the same fiery colours. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

  “Time for a quick drink in the Opera Bar, I think, before we head back,” said Craig with a smile.

  He led her to the section of the waterfront below the Opera House where a concourse had been cleverly built to host a variety of small bars and eateries, all with open-air seating and a spectacular view of the harbour. It was packed with people—either tourists grabbing a bite to eat or locals coming for after-work drinks. Sara declined Craig’s offer of a snack, but she let him order drinks and soon found herself sipping a cocktail as she watched the city lights twinkle on across the harbour.

  She leaned back and sighed. It had been a magical day and she was sad it was almost over. And soon her stay would be over and she would be leaving Summer Beach, leaving Australia, leaving Craig…

  “Dr Murray! Can we have your autograph?”

  Sara turned around at the sound of eager young voices. She saw two young boys standing next to them.

  “Sure, no worries, mate.” Craig smiled and took the pens they handed to him. He scrawled his name on their shirts and they left beaming. But no sooner had they left than another person took their place. Then another. And another. Soon a small crowd was forming around Craig—not just of kids but adults as well.

  Craig took it all in his stride, talking and laughing good-naturedly as he signed autograph after autograph. Sara sat slightly apart, watching him uncomfortably. Whatever Ellie may have said about Craig’s humility, she could see that he really enjoyed meeting and interacting with his fans. Who wouldn’t enjoy a bit of celebrity? Sara thought cynically. And once you get used to the attention and adulation, it can be addictive.

  As the minutes ticked past, though, Sara began to feel resentful as well. This was the last precious bit of their day together and it was being ruined by all these stupid groupies! She watched a blonde woman reach a possessive arm around Craig’s neck as she posed for a photo with him. Sara decided that she had had enough. Standing up abruptly, she turned and walked away. A moment later, she heard a commotion behind her as Craig obviously saw her departure and broke away from his fans to come after her.

  “Sara!”

  Sara kept walking, her steps quick and angry. She ignored Craig as he called her again and didn’t slow down until he reached out and grabbed her arm.

  “Sara!” He pulled her around to face him. “What’s the matter?”

  How could he ask that? Sara seethed. She tried to pull her arm out of his grasp, but he wouldn’t let go. She looked around them. She didn’t realise that she had come so far when she had stormed off. She had walked all the way around the Opera House to the south side, where the Monumental Steps, a ceremonial stairway 100 metres wide, led down from the Opera House Forecourt to Macquarie Street.

  “Let go of me,” she said breathlessly.

  “Not until you tell me what’s going on. You’re angry about something.” His deep blue eyes searched hers. “What is it, Sara?”

  “I just… I got fed up, okay?”

  “Fed up?” He dropped her arm. “Are you annoyed because a couple of people wanted me to sign an autograph
?”

  “It wasn’t a couple of people,” hissed Sara. “It was dozens! And you looked like you were never going to stop! What were you going to do—just sit there all night signing autographs?”

  “These are my fans,” said Craig, his voice cold. “I owe it to them. They’ve been amazing in supporting me and my TV career. I can’t just turn my back on them. Unfortunately, this is part of being a celebrity. An important part.”

  “Yeah, I know all about that,” snapped Sara. “And I know how important it is to do anything to boost your showbiz career!”

  Whirling, she started down the Steps, just wanting to get away from him. But her foot slipped and, suddenly, Sara felt herself pitching forwards. She flailed her arms wildly as she tried to regain her balance—then she was being caught and held against a hard male chest. Her arms went instinctively around his neck as she felt him cradle her close to him. A rush of warmth enveloped her. It felt so wonderful being in Craig’s arms. Even furious at him as she was, she couldn’t help thinking she had never felt so safe and cherished.

  He held her close for a moment longer than necessary, then let her go. Gently, he steadied her as she stood back from him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Y-y-yes, I think so.” Sara straightened her skirt, feeling a bit foolish. Somehow, the near-fall had taken the wind out of her sails. Her anger had evaporated and she was left with a feeling of wistfulness. She didn’t want this wonderful day to end with them fighting.

  Perhaps Craig felt the same way, because his voice was gentle as he said, “I think we’d better start heading back. Are you okay to walk back to the Jeep? I can go and drive it around, if you prefer to wait here.”

  “No, no, I’m fine. I can walk,” Sara said.

  “Good.” Craig gave her a slight smile, then put a solicitous hand under her elbow as he guided her back along the concourse, around Circular Quay, to where they had parked the Jeep.

  They didn’t talk about his fans again and Sara was happy to sit in a contented silence as the powerful vehicle navigated its way out of Sydney and back onto the freeway. The drive back to Summer Beach seemed to be shorter than coming down the coast that morning, and all too soon, they were turning down a familiar street and pulling up in front of Ellie’s beach cottage.

  The lights were on in the house. Ellie would be waiting, eager to hear the details of their day, Sara realised. She paused with her hand on the handle of the car door, suddenly reluctant to leave the cosy intimacy of the Jeep interior.

  “Thank you. I had a really wonderful day,” she murmured, looking shyly at Craig.

  His face was in shadow and she couldn’t read his expression. “Me too,” he said.

  He was silent for a moment, then leaned suddenly across the car seat and kissed her, hot and hard. Sara felt everything in her respond to the touch of his lips. She wanted to throw her arms around him and lose herself to the kiss. But a part of her mind was still remembering the scene in front of the Opera House and a voice in her head was warning her not to get in too deep. With an effort of will, she broke the kiss and forced herself to open the door.

  Sara slammed the door behind her and stepped onto the sidewalk, watching as the Jeep did a U-turn, then sped back down the street. Soon its tail lights were nothing more than red blurs in the distance.

  She stood in the dark, staring after it. She raised a hand and touched her lips. They felt swollen and slightly bruised, but also tingling with life. And they mirrored the way her heart felt. She caught her breath as the realisation hit her. She hadn’t been looking for it, hadn’t meant it to happen, had been telling herself over and over again why she couldn’t let it happen. But it was too late.

  She was falling in love with Dr Craig Murray.

  CHAPTER 13

  Sara had spent a lazy day in Ellie’s garden, reading a book, enjoying the sunshine and daydreaming intermittently about Craig, reliving their wonderful trip to Sydney yesterday. She wondered if he would call later. Her pulse gave a little jump as she thought of hearing his voice, with its sexy Australian drawl, and she gave shake of her head. You’ve got it bad, she thought with a wry smile.

  Still, she had long since given up fighting her feelings. She knew she only had another week and a half in Summer Beach, but she just focused on the time she could spend with Craig while she was here. She refused to think beyond that, although a part of her mind did start treacherously wondering how quickly she could find a new job here and how difficult it would be to bring Coco over…

  The sound of the front door opening and shutting interrupted her thoughts. It must be Ellie, home from work. She was early, Sara thought in surprise. She stood up from the sun lounger and stretched. It was time she went indoors anyway. The afternoon sun was weakening in the sky and the mosquitoes were starting to get a little too aggressive for comfort.

  Sara went into the house to find Ellie standing in the kitchen. She was about to make some teasing comment about the early return when she noticed her cousin’s face.

  “Ellie? What’s wrong?”

  In answer, her cousin pointed to a magazine she had just thrown down on the kitchen counter. Her eyes were distressed. “I’m sorry, Sara.”

  Sara stepped forwards to look. It was an Australian gossip magazine called G’day! and on the front cover was a photograph of her and Craig. They looked like they were embracing passionately in front of the Sydney Opera House. A bold headline across the picture read: Aussie Beach Vet’s hot Yankee romance!

  Sara snatched up the magazine and flipped to the article inside. There were more pictures of her and Craig—his arm around her, holding her close, her face buried in his chest—taken from various angles. She realised what it was: they were pictures taken at the moment she had slipped on those steps and Craig had caught her. They must have been captured by some secret paparazzi lens and the way some of the pictures had been taken made it look like they were indulging in a serious PDA session. Underneath the photos was a block of text which read:

  Our very own Dr Craig Murray, star of Aussie Beach Vet, was seen showing a sexy visitor around Sydney’s famous Opera House. But she wasn’t just any American tourist—turns out that the beautiful blonde is Sara Monroe, ex-girlfriend of American actor Jeff Kingston, who shot to stardom with the hit TV series Rogue Protector. Kingston is due to star in several Hollywood blockbusters this year, but it’s his relationship with the delectable Ms Monroe that has gripped the U.S. recently. Their well-publicised split caused Monroe to go on an eating binge, gaining several dress sizes, and requiring rehab and therapy. A friend told reporters, “Sara is devastated. She knows she shouldn’t have let herself go like that, but Jeff was the love of her life and losing him destroyed her.”

  However, it looks like our Craig has no problem handling a woman with “real curves” and Monroe might be luckier in love on this side of the Pacific. A romance with a Hollywood babe could be just what our sexy beach vet needs to take him to the next level. Rumours of a six-figure sponsorship deal now seem to be confirmed. And judging from the photos, it looks like Monroe can’t keep her hands off our hunky Aussie heartthrob either! Now that she’s got her claws into him, let’s hope Craig is up to date with his annual vaccinations!

  “I don’t believe it.” Sara stared at the page, her hands shaking as they held the magazine.

  Ellie put a gentle hand on her arm. “Sara…”

  “I DON’T BELIEVE IT!” Sara felt her whole body shaking now. She didn’t know if it was with humiliation, fury or just plain shock. “The whole thing is just one massive lie! I never went on an eating binge after Jeff and I broke up; I never needed therapy and rehab—God, and I never said I had ‘let myself go’ after we split! For that jerk? Why don’t they talk about how Jeff lied and used his so-called love for my ‘real woman’ looks to score brownie points, when all along he was dissing me behind my back? And those pictures! They make it look like Craig and I were being totally shameless in public—we weren’t even embracing! I’d tripped
on the steps and he’d caught me, that’s all. They’ve engineered it to make it look like we’re kissing passionately! I would never… I…” She ran out of breath and had to stop, panting, as she tried to gather her thoughts.

  “I know.” Ellie’s voice was soothing. “I know that you wouldn’t do anything like that. Sara, these magazines always just print garbage they make up half the time. That so-called ‘friend’ they quoted—none of your friends would say anything like that; it’s complete fabrication.” Ellie furrowed her brow. “I just can’t understand how they knew so much. It almost feels like they were tipped off—”

  “It was a set up,” said Sara through clenched teeth. “I remember now. Craig had a phone call from his agent just before we went to lunch and I overhead him telling her to ‘go ahead’ if she thought it was a good move. I’ll bet he was approving this. She was way too interested in me when we met and I’m sure she called her media contacts as soon as we left her office.” Her face darkened. “She’d been telling Craig that he needed some good publicity—some personal interest story—to improve his media ranking and his chance of getting this sponsorship deal… I guess I was the convenient idiot that he used to boost his image.”

  “I can’t believe Craig did this,” murmured Ellie. “He just doesn’t seem—”

  “Well, you’re wrong,” said Sara flatly. “I saw him with some of his fans and he’s pretty dedicated to his celebrity career. He might come across all humble and whatever here in Summer Beach, but in reality, he’s just out for himself.” She gave a bitter laugh. “I knew he was too good to be real. I was a fool. Again.”

  She tried to say it lightly, but inside, she was hurting. Her heart felt like it had been punched out of her chest and then crushed on the ground under a spike-heeled stiletto. She hadn’t thought that it would be possible to feel worse than she did when she’d first learnt of Jeff’s betrayal back in L.A., but she was wrong. That feeling was nothing compared to the devastation she felt now. She realised that with Jeff, it had been her pride hurt more than her heart. But this time, it was her heart that was being torn apart.