by Lucy Clark
‘Yes. Once a month, I go to London specifically to see her.’
‘But you don’t like her much.’
‘I hardly know her.’
Danny frowned. ‘But you just said you visit her once a month.’
‘I do. You’ve got to understand, Dannyella, that life is very different in London from out here in the outback. I was raised by a nanny until I was four and then I went to the best boarding school money could buy. When I came home for visits, I wasn’t allowed to eat meals with my parents until I was sixteen and even then there was no real conversation. Most of the time my father was delayed at the hospital and then I was left alone with my mother. Once I had finished my training, I needed to get away. I worked in hospitals big and small but the red tape would frustrate me. When I was offered a rural position, I took it.’
‘So you have your own little rural community who have adopted you?’
‘In a manner of speaking.’
‘And you’re still enjoying it?’ She watched him closely. She had a hunch he was searching for something but she wasn’t sure what.
‘It has its moments,’ he replied carefully, and she decided to take pity on him and change the subject.
‘So when you go to see your mother once a month, what do you do?’ Danny had finished her eggs and was munching on a piece of toast while she waited for his answer.
‘Ordinarily we’d have dinner but of late she’s been having a succession of parties each time I visit, which she insists I attend. This is because, just recently, she’s been hinting that it’s time for me to “settle down”.’
Danny’s eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘Your mother’s telling you to get married?’
‘It’s time you produced an heir, Sebastian,’ he drawled in a slightly higher-toned pitch. ‘Frolicking around in the country may be amusing to you but you have responsibilities to live up to.’
Danny laughed. ‘And what did you say?’
‘I told her that I never “frolic” and I was quite happy doing what I was doing and had no plans to settle down any time soon.’
‘Impressive. How did she take the news?’
‘She stormed out of the room. I didn’t see her for the rest of that visit.’
‘When was that?’
‘Last month.’
‘And you haven’t seen her since?’
‘No.’
‘Does she know you’re here?’
‘I’m over twenty-one, Dannyella, so it’s all right for me to be in a pub.’
She laughed. ‘Now who’s being obtuse?’
‘I had my receptionist fax my itinerary to my mother out of common courtesy.’
‘Fair enough.’ She stood from the table. ‘Do you want some juice?’
‘No. I’m fine.’
‘OK. I’ll just grab a glass and then we can head off. We have a two-hour drive to get through this morning.’
‘Two hours? Why?’
‘For the clinic.’
‘The clinic is two hours away,’ he stated, as though he was trying to ensure a firm grasp on all the facts. He picked up their plates and followed her into the kitchen.
‘Yes.’ She poured herself a glass of orange juice and drank it down in one hit. ‘Ooh, that hit the spot.’
‘Skolling orange juice?’ he asked, and she smiled.
‘You are picking up the lingo fast.’
‘How could I forget “skolling”. Last night, I think every single man was treated to a chorus of “skoll, skoll, skoll,” every time someone toasted the baby.’
‘They’re as noisy as a pack of galahs, I’ll give them that.’ Danny laughed. ‘I didn’t see you chugging down a beer.’
Sebastian returned her smile. ‘Not my style.’ He reached out and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Danny gasped, her eyes widening.
The simple touch, the smile, the fresh scent of him from his morning shower—the whole package was too much for her. She looked away, desperate to control her thoughts. She’d given herself a stern talking-to this morning before coming to the pub and now she couldn’t remember a single thing she’d warned herself not to do. Sebastian made her forget all rational thought—especially when he touched her in such an intimate way.
‘I guess we’d better be going,’ he murmured a moment later. Had his tone dipped another notch or was she imagining things? She glanced up at him, only to find he was still watching her rather intently.
She nodded. ‘I guess we should.’ Move, she demanded of herself, and thankfully she did, putting the orange juice back in the fridge before heading out of the kitchen. How had things gone from nice and fluffy to potent and charged in a split second simply because Mac had touched her?
‘I’ll just quickly get my hat,’ he said as she strode to the door.
‘Whack on a pair of jeans or trousers so you don’t get bitten and also pack a change of clothes. Swimsuit a necessity. I’ll meet you in the car.’ She didn’t bother to stop, didn’t bother to turn around as she spoke. She needed a few minutes alone to pull herself together. She had to spend the next two days with him and, for the most part, alone. How was she going to survive the two-hour drive when all she could think about was his mouth pressing hard and hot against her own?
She climbed into the four-wheel drive and waited. ‘You’re a mature and calm adult,’ she told herself. ‘And from what he’s told you this morning, he’s wa-ay-y out of your league so just forget it and go back to some nice easy banter.’
Good pep talk, she thought, proud of herself. Of course, she felt her newfound sensibilities fly out the open window the instant he walked out of the pub. He carried a small overnight bag, probably made from the finest leather in the world. A pair of navy trousers had replaced his shorts but the hat on his head made all romantic notions float away with the breeze.
Danny threw back her head and laughed.
‘What’s so funny?’ he asked as he climbed in beside her. ‘You’re not seriously going to wear that?’ She pointed to the hat.
‘Halley and Max told me it was perfect.’ He grinned and flicked one of the corks that dangled by a string from the wide brim of his bush hat.
‘Yeah, perfect for a joke. You’ll poke yourself in the eye with those things. You should take them off.’
‘Take them off?’ he queried.
‘Absolutely, and you’ve got the next two hours to do it in.’ She started the engine, glad the awkwardness had gone. He seemed to instinctively know when to keep things light.
‘Now,’ he said as she turned right at the top of the street, ‘what’s a galah?’
An hour later, she’d told him about the noisy pink cockatoos who squalked far too loudly all the time, answered questions about the non-deciduous native trees and was providing him with a run-down of their next two days.
‘We’re camping?’
‘Yes.’
‘Overnight.’
‘Yes.’
‘Where?’
She shrugged. ‘Don’t know yet. We’ll find somewhere.’
‘Do you do this often?’
‘Every month, Mac. I drive out and visit three or four cattle stations, covering a different part of my allocated territory each month.’
‘How long does it take you to do all of them?’
‘About five months. So I guess I see most people twice a year. It’s just basic health checks, immunisations of children, keeping up to date with the gossip. If they need to see me at any other time, they can come to Dingo Creek for one of my weekly clinics—and a lot of them do—but some of these stations employ a lot of people and with me coming to them it helps keep absentee costs down.’
‘Doesn’t that suck up a lot of your time, though?’
‘Don’t you do house calls?’ Danny bristled slightly. Was he criticising her?
‘Well, sure, but—’
‘But what? Why is this different?’
‘Why not take the chopper?’
‘Because we only do that in emergencies
. This is just routine.’
‘So every month you head out by yourself.’
‘Yes.’
‘Isn’t that dangerous?’
Danny laughed. ‘For who?’
‘For you. You might run out of petrol or…hit a kangaroo. I’ve done my research, Dannyella. I know the outback isn’t safe.’
‘Safer than any city,’ she pointed out. ‘Most of the people who have died or had problems in the outback were tourists, Mac. I’ve lived here all my life—except for when I went to med school in Darwin. The locals are more than capable of looking after themselves in an emergency. We pack enough supplies to get us through and we’re fine.’
‘But what if you have engine trouble or something like that?’
‘Well, for a start I could radio for help, but I know how to change a tyre and repair a ruptured fuel line. As for the wildlife, why do you think most of the vehicles out here have enormous bull-bars on the front?’
‘To protect you from bulls?’
Danny chuckled. ‘Bulls who are normally disguised as big red roos! Dusk and pre-dawn are the worst times of day for wildlife on the road so if I’m driving around that time, I’m extra-careful.’
‘What do you do if you hit one?’
‘I take the gun I carry in the back and make sure that poor animal is put out of its misery. It’s the humane thing to do.’
‘You know how to shoot a gun?’
‘Of course. It could be a matter of survival in the outback.’
Sebastian shook his head in wonder.
‘What?’ she asked, glancing across and seeing his expression.
‘You’re the most self-sufficient woman I’ve ever met.’
Danny laughed. ‘Because I can fend for myself? What kind of women have you been hanging out with? Debutantes?’
‘Basically—and not by choice, I might add.’ His tone was dry. ‘How long does each station take to get through?’
She laughed again. ‘Yeah, I’d want to change the subject if I was you. It depends on the number of people. Usually an hour or two. Although having you along we may get through things a little quicker and we could be back at the pub in time for a cold one before Maisy closes the bar tomorrow night.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner that we were heading out overnight?’
‘What would you have done?’ she countered, and he frowned. ‘You would have packed a change of clothes.’ She shrugged. ‘You’ve done that. I’m providing everything else. Swags, food, sunscreen—maximum protection,’ she added, thinking of his very white skin. ‘And insect repellent.’
‘Swags? As in swagman?’
She smiled. ‘I see you know the nation’s unofficial anthem. Yes, swags—just like the jolly swagman. I’ll even see if we can camp by a billabong.’
‘Wow. So what are swags?’
She laughed. ‘You’re worse than a little kid in the questioning department. A swag is your bedroll. A swagman is a person who carries his bed with him and sleeps wherever he wants. Historically, he was more a drifter or a tramp who either worked occasional jobs or stole to survive. Hence the swaggie in the song stealing the sheep.’
‘I presume we don’t need to steal our food tonight?’
‘No.’
‘And we won’t be sleeping in tents?’
‘No way. Do you think I’m going to let you miss a great Aussie adventure by not sleeping under the stars?’
‘I guess not.’
‘I’ll bet you’ve never done it before.’
‘No, I can’t say I have.’
‘Well, you’re in for a real treat.’ She was very interested to see how he would cope, positive that the mozzies, flies and heat would drive him crazy.
‘Ooh, Danny. Who’s your handsome sidekick?’
Danny looked through the flyscreen door at Sebastian, who was bringing in the second medical kit, then back to Beth. She didn’t appreciate the way the twenty-one-year-old was eyeing him up. ‘Sebastian MacKenzie. A doctor from England. He’s only here until the end of next week.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say no if he wanted to park his shoes under my bed, even if it was just for a few days.’
‘Oh, that’s real subtle, Beth. What would your father say?’
‘He’d never know.’ Beth giggled.
‘Besides, I think he might be a tad too old for you. He’s twelve years older than you,’ Danny whispered as Sebastian headed up the steps towards them.
‘I like mature men,’ Beth whispered back, then changed her tone to croon, ‘Hi, there, stranger,’ as Sebastian walked in the door. ‘Put that heavy-looking box right over here.’ The short-haired blonde slipped her hand through his arm and led him over to the table. ‘I’m Beth.’
Had Danny imagined it or had Beth stuck her chest out even further than before? She shook her head and sighed, opening the medical kit she’d been carrying, hoping Beth would take the hint. The blonde didn’t move. ‘We need to get set up, Beth, so if you wouldn’t mind…’ Danny trailed off, indicating the room in general.
‘Oh. Can I help?’
Danny opened her mouth to speak but Sebastian beat her to it. ‘I’d love a cup of tea,’ he said with a charming smile. ‘Would you mind making me one, please?’ He took off his cork-infested hat and placed it carefully on the table.
Beth’s smile was radiant. ‘I’d love to. I’ll be right back.’
‘And I like it quite strong, so let it sit for a few minutes,’ he said. ‘Two sugars and a drop of milk. Thank you so much, Beth.’ He smiled again as Beth left the room.
‘Well, there’s another admirer to add to your list.’ Danny busied herself with getting things set up. She couldn’t let him see the way he’d smiled at Beth had irritated her. She was nothing to him except a doctor for him to observe for his study.
‘Whew! She’s worse than a piranha.’ Sebastian chuckled and Danny felt immediately better.
‘She wants to leave the station and the only way her father will let her do that is if she’s married.’
‘Remind me to keep out of her way, then.’
‘What? You don’t want to take a bride back to England with you? Surprise Mummy?’
‘Dannyella.’ His tone held a hint of warning but his smile belied any seriousness.
‘I bet you she’d throw a wobbly if you did that.’
He laughed. ‘It’s hard to imagine my mother throwing anything, let alone a wobbly.’
He stopped laughing and smiled, tenderly tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. ‘I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you.’ His hand lingered on her cheek as he gazed down into her eyes. The world seemed to fall away and it was just the two of them, standing there, focused solely on each other.
‘Captivating,’ he murmured as he brushed his thumb ever so lightly across her lips. The action caused her to gasp, her lips parting slightly before her breath escaped in a rush as her breathing intensified.
His thumb slowly made the journey back and her eyelids fluttered closed, her breath now coming in rasps. The pain she felt, the sheer torture at not having his lips where his thumb was, started to tear at her. Ever since she’d started teasing him at their initial meeting, Danny had wanted to know what his kiss would feel like, taste like.
She knew instinctively that it would feel right against her own mouth. That their lips would meld in perfect synchronicity as though they’d been waiting their whole lives to meet up and press against one another. The yearning, the deep, painful yearning, was starting to become unbearable—especially when he touched her like this.
His fingers moved lower, caressing her skin before cupping her chin and gently tilting her head upwards. Her eyes opened and she stared into his. The blue irises had darkened considerably and held a storm of repressed desire. His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and back again, and she instinctively knew that he was as anxious to have the distance between them disappear as she was.
‘Here’s your—’
Dannyella gas
ped, her gaze flicking momentarily to Beth as she walked into the room and back to Sebastian. She tried to move but his hand remained cradling her face for another split second before he looked away. Slowly he dropped his hand back to his side and turned to face Beth.
‘Ah, thank you very much,’ he said, crossing over and taking the mug from her hands. He sipped. ‘Excellent.’ He put the mug down. ‘Right, Dannyella. Let’s get back to work.’
Danny wasn’t sure whether or not she could move. Certainly the glare coming from Beth should have been enough to fry her to a crisp where she stood.
‘Dannyella?’ Sebastian looked over his shoulder at her. ‘What happens next?’
She stared at him in complete amazement. How should she know what was going to happen next? He was the one who had almost kissed her, not the other way around. She should be asking him the question.
‘I’ll leave you to your clinic,’ Beth said coldly, and stormed from the room.
The fuzziness in Danny’s head began to clear. She watched Beth’s retreating back before turning to look at Sebastian again. ‘I guess you’d want the portable sphygmomanometer out, wouldn’t you?’ he asked rhetorically.
He was all business and politeness and she realised, rather belatedly, he’d been talking about the clinic when he’d asked her what would happen next. He was so cool, calm and collected, it infuriated her. What was worse, it appeared he’d staged that tender moment with her simply to drive Beth away.
Danny clenched her teeth, more in anger at herself for being so gullible and giving into him. She stalked over to the window and closed the heavy curtains which hung there in order to give the room more privacy. She then switched on the overhead light and left the room, needing a few seconds alone to pull herself together.
Outside, the jackaroos and jillaroos were just riding in. She walked over to say g’day and let them know the clinic was about to start. In the back of her mind, the scene with Sebastian was on constant replay and she wished for some way to stop it. Work. Work would no doubt help but the main problem there was he was involved in her work. He was here to observe her, as well as helping out a little, and she was extremely conscious of every move he made.
With a resigned sigh she headed back inside, determined to be professional and focus on her patients. The uncertainties she felt regarding Sebastian were forcefully pushed to the back of her mind and, amazingly, appeared to be staying there.
