by Lucy Clark
During the next hour and a half they saw a steady stream of minor ailments. As Danny was the official resident doctor and Sebastian was only here for two weeks and wouldn’t see these people ever again, she did most of the consulting. He helped out with the medical equipment and filled in the patients’ notes. He gave her advice and second opinions when necessary and enjoyed hearing the gossip of the people on the station.
Again, this was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Getting so involved in people’s lives was unheard of. Not that he didn’t get to know his own regular patients over time, he did, especially the ones he made house calls to, but although he chatted to those patients and saw them regularly, it was nothing compared to this.
These people not only told Dannyella about their physical ailments but their emotional ones as well. How did she cope? All the people took the opportunity to dump their problems on Doc Thompson’s shoulders—and she didn’t seem to mind one bit. He wasn’t sure he could cope with such an intense number of people—usually talking about the same thing but just from their different perspectives. Even so, Dannyella gave them all the individual attention they deserved and his opinion of her grew.
There was one thing he had noticed, however, and that was she was being rather clipped and curt with him…and he couldn’t, as hard as he tried, figure out why.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘I CAN’T believe you’ve let things get this bad!’ Danny said sternly to one of the stockmen on the second station they visited. ‘You’re a complete idiot, Hugh, and I’ll bet that Stan doesn’t know about this or he would have sent you to town to see me.’
‘Aw, come on, Doc. It ain’t that bad.’
‘That’s what you think. If you’d let this go any further, you could have lost your arm.’
‘What?’ Hugh paled and she gently nudged him back into the chair behind him.
‘Draw up a tetanus shot, please, Mac.’ She grabbed the sleeve of Hugh’s shirt between her hands and pulled, ripping it apart. She touched the infected gash with her gloved hand. Hugh flinched, though she knew he was trying to take it like a man. ‘It’s all right if you want to complain or make a noise,’ she said. ‘The guys can’t see or hear you, Hugh, and this has got to hurt.’
‘It’s…uh…not too bad,’ Hugh faltered as she touched the wound again.
‘It could have turned septic, Hugh. You would have been extremely sick. I’m going to give you a local anaesthetic so I can clean it up properly. You won’t be able to work for the rest of the day.’ She waited for Sebastian to get the injection ready before she administered it.
‘Aw, Danny. Don’t tell Stan about this, please?’
‘I won’t tell him that you were careless because you’d had too much to drink and gashed your arm on a piece of barbed wire, and also the medical particulars are protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, but he’ll need to know about it, Hugh, and you’re going to tell him.’
‘What? No, I’m not.’
‘Yes, you are. I need to see you in Dingo Creek at my clinic next week. You can’t keep this quiet any longer. For a start, I’m putting you on light duties. This wound is already infected, which means the dressing I put on is going to need changing every day.’
‘Yes, Doc.’ Hugh shook his head. ‘I’m done for.’
‘Nah, you’ll be sweet, mate. Accidents happen. Regarding your dressing, Cookie’s trained in first-aid procedures. He’ll dress your wound every morning and night for the next six days. You’ll be on antibiotics, which I have here, to help clear up the infection. Now, if you fail to do or take any of these treatments, I’ll knock your block off. Understand?’
‘Yes,’ he replied solemnly.
Once the anaesthetic had taken effect, Danny debrided the wound, with Sebastian helping her out. ‘I’m not going to suture it as it needs to heal from the inside out.’ She fixed a bandage in place. ‘Place a plastic bag or some clingfilm over it when you shower. Again, Cookie can help you out there. I don’t want it getting wet nor do I want it neglected.’
‘Yes. Uh, Doc?’ His tone was hesitant. ‘Would my arm really have got that bad…you know…so I might have…lost it?’
‘Yes, Hugh. Infections from things like barbed wire are very dangerous to a person’s health, especially out here.’ She turned and looked over her shoulder at Sebastian, holding out her hand for the tetanus shot. She took the syringe and turned back to Hugh. ‘OK. Have your tetnus shot and then you’re to go and tell Stan immediately.’ She administered the injection.
‘Er…thanks, Docs.’
‘See you next week in my clinic, Hugh, and don’t forget to see Cookie before you turn in tonight.’
‘Uh…sure, Danny.’ With the look of a wounded animal, Hugh left their makeshift clinic, leaving them alone to clear up. Danny walked over to her sharps bottle and started to dismantle the disposable syringe.
‘Have I done something wrong?’ Sebastian asked.
‘What makes you ask?’
‘You’ve been behaving rather…short with me all afternoon.’
‘Hmm.’
She usually had a smile when she looked at him. Now there was nothing except a bland and indifferent expression. What on earth had he done to get her so offside? He’d been constantly going over things in his mind and the only conclusion he’d reached had been that amazing moment when they’d arrived at the first station. Had he done something wrong? Overstepped the boundaries? He’d always thought himself a pretty good judge of body language and Dannyella’s had certainly said she was interested.
He raked a hand through his hair as he helped her clean up. There didn’t appear to be much he could do about anything now so he’d bide his time and talk with her tonight.
Another hour later and they were heading away from the station. Dannyella was still quiet on the drive but he decided to ignore her as much as she was ignoring him. An hour later, she pulled the car off the road—or what he would call graded gravel made to look like a road—and started heading over the more uneven ground.
‘Is this what you call “going bush”?’
‘I guess.’
That was it—as far as conversation went—for another thirty minutes. She appeared to know where she was going but if she didn’t, they were in for one very long, silent drive. She slowed the vehicle down and pulled up beside a group of trees.
‘Coolabah trees?’ he asked.
‘Yeah. They’re gum-trees.’ She climbed out, her hat on her head, and headed around to the back of her truck. ‘We’ll camp here tonight. Do you like fish?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ She removed two fishing rods from the back of the vehicle. ‘Because we’ll be catching our dinner.’
‘At the billabong?’ Sebastian put the silly cork hat on and felt a spark of hope when he saw her lips twitch in amusement. It was quickly veiled.
‘Yes. This one’s quite large, so it can sustain a nice lot of barramundi.’
‘What if we don’t catch anything?’
She shrugged. ‘We don’t eat.’ She picked up the two swags and fishing rods and set off between the trees. Sebastian quickly picked up his overnight bag and followed. Until he was a little more familiar with the terrain, he wasn’t letting Dannyella out of his sight. Then again, he doubted that he wanted to let her out of his sight and it had nothing at all to do with getting lost!
He shook his head, the corks knocking each other as they dangled down in front. Such thoughts were starting to worry him but there was something about her. Something that made him want to know more, dig deep, way deep down and find out who this extraordinary woman really was.
They continued to unload everything in silence and he discovered she’d brought plenty of food with her so they wouldn’t, in fact, starve, as she had suggested.
The light was beginning to fade and Danny started gathering up some wood. They set up camp in a clearing, trees on one side and water on the other. Once the wood was in place, she took the fishing rods and
tackle box before heading down to the water. ‘Coming?’ she tossed over her shoulder.
Sebastian stripped off the shirt he’d been wearing, leaving his white cotton T-shirt on. After applying extra sunscreen, he repositioned his hat—corks and all—before setting off after her.
When they’d both dropped their lines, Sebastian said, ‘You can’t ignore me for the rest of my visit, Dannyella.’
‘That’s what you think.’
‘You’re being stubborn.’
‘You know nothing about me, Sebastian, so stop assuming.’
‘I’m not assuming anything. I’m asking questions because I’m trying to discover what’s made you so angry.’
‘I’m not angry. I’m annoyed. There’s a difference.’
He recast his line before saying, ‘This has something to do with that kiss we almost shared, doesn’t it?’
She snorted with derision. ‘Do you have any idea just how tight and small this community is? Not only did Beth send me daggers, but your little charade will now be gossiped about right around the community. She would have been on the blower, telling all and sundry, the instant we left, if not before. By the time we get back to Dingo Creek tomorrow evening, they’ll have the shotguns out for the wedding.’
‘Wedding?’
‘Well, no, thank you, mate. I don’t like being used. Not by you. Not by anyone.’ She dumped her rod down on the ground and stormed off.
‘Dannyella?’ He put his own rod on the ground and went after her. ‘Dannyella? What on earth are you talking about?’
She waved him away, not bothering to turn around. A hand landed on her shoulder, a firm hand which stopped her in her tracks. Slowly, she pivoted to look up at him, her eyes now blazing.
‘Please, don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you.’
‘I’ll do whatever I please.’
‘What is the matter?’ He placed both hands on her shoulders and peered down into her blue eyes. He now saw both anger and annoyance but also something else. Pain. It was there as sure as the sun was setting in the sky. ‘Please? Talk to me.’
‘I know you used me.’ She tried to shrug but found she couldn’t. Even shifting slightly beneath his touch had her skin breaking out in goose-bumps.
‘How?’
‘You pretended you wanted to kiss me so that when Beth returned she wouldn’t be all over you.’
‘What?’ He looked at her as though she’d grown an extra head.
‘Now, I wouldn’t have minded pretending we were an item to get Beth off your back because, trust me, she would have latched on like the worst type of leech, but all you had to do was ask. Instead, you…’ She couldn’t go on. She couldn’t say that he’d turned her insides to mush with one simple look. Or that he’d increased her heart rate just by the merest touch on her skin.
Both of those things were happening to her now and the list was starting to grow. His thumbs, resting at the top of her collar-bone, were now starting to move in the tiniest of circles and the action was causing her knees to weaken and her head to fill with cotton wool. Rational thought seemed to be a thing of the past whenever Sebastian touched her.
‘Do you honestly believe I would have done that?’
‘How…?’ She swallowed, clearing her dry throat. ‘How should I know? I hardly know you, remember!’
‘Well, I certainly had hoped you would know me well enough to realise I wouldn’t trifle with a person’s affections. If I’d thought Beth anything other than a harmless girl who knew how to bat her eyelids, I would have told her straight out that I wasn’t interested. As it was, there was no need to say so.’
‘That’s right because she brought your cup of tea in and caught us ogling each other!’
‘You don’t like me…ogling you?’
The word sounded foreign on his lips but she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. ‘I didn’t say that.’ She was interested in him. She just wasn’t sure whether she should give in to the emotions swirling around inside her. Trying to focus on such a serious conversation with those ridiculous corks bobbing in front of his face was actually quite difficult.
‘Then what are you saying, Dannyella?’ His tone was deep, rich and soft, enveloping her.
‘You kept holding my head in place even after she walked into the room. You wanted her to see us like that. Why else would you have done that?’
‘You really don’t have any idea?’ He slid both hands up her neck to cup her face, his thumb caressing her lips once more. They were back to the beginning. ‘You’re beautiful,’ he continued when his question was met with a blank gaze.
‘Mac.’ She rolled her eyes in disbelief.
‘You don’t believe me? Let me tell you what I see.’ He lifted her ever-present bush hat from her head and sifted the fingers of one hand gently through her hair. ‘Your hair is the colour of rich, dark chocolate and I like the way it curls slightly in the humidity.’ He caressed her cheek with his fingertips. ‘Your skin is smooth and sunkissed with a smattering of freckles which I find delightful.’
No man had ever spoken like this to her before. She wasn’t the type of woman to sit and read poetry and although she kept telling herself they were only words, she couldn’t help the way those words were making her feel. No…it wasn’t the words but the man. She was breathless, anxiously anticipating what he would say next.
Sebastian ran his index finger down her nose as he continued. ‘Your nose is beautiful.’ He gazed at her. ‘Your eyes are the colour of sapphires which shine with laughter and life and right now they’re not sure whether to believe the words I’m saying.’ He cupped her face again and brushed his thumb slowly over her lips once more. ‘Your lips have been very patient because they beg for me to kiss them. I’ve dreamt about it, Dannyella, and I know you’ve dreamt about kissing me as well.’
He angled his head down, bringing their faces closer together. A cork tapped her nose and a nervous bubble of laughter overflowed. It helped to lighten the atmosphere between them, which had been charged with nervous anticipation. ‘Yes,’ she admitted with a small nod. ‘You’re right. I…have dreamed about you kissing me but…’ She reached up and tapped one of the corks. ‘This hat was never part of that picture.’
He chuckled and the sound warmed her through and through, which was ridiculous really as it was still very hot. ‘How about taking it off?’
He removed the hat and within another half-breath had gathered her close into his arms. The action took her breath away. ‘Never argue with a woman who’s right.’
His hands locked around her back at her waist. The feel of him against her was enough to make her swoon. She felt her knees give way but it didn’t matter—Sebastian only held her closer. She wanted to touch him, feel his skin beneath her hands. Her heart was pounding so fiercely against her ribs that she was positive he could hear it. Her lips parted to let the pent-up air escape as she rested her fingers on his arms.
Slowly, she slid her hands up his arms, her fingertips tingling at the sensation. His biceps were slightly flexed beneath the cotton T-shirt he wore. She traced their outline over the material before continuing the journey up to his neck. Her fingers toyed with the ends of his short hair as his head made its agonisingly slow descent towards hers.
‘Mmm.’ He kissed her neck, working his way around to her ear. ‘You definitely taste better than I imagined.’ His words were thick with desire, which intensified his accent. She loved it!
Unable to resist, she nuzzled her nose into his neck and kissed the skin beneath. A pleasant shudder coursed through his body and she smiled, a surge of feminine power washing over her.
Butterfly kisses were spread around her neck, over her cheek before he eventually made his way to her lips, taking his time. She wasn’t about to complain. The longer he prolonged the inevitable, the more her body and mind screamed for it.
After what seemed an eternity, his mouth was pressed against hers. The kiss was soft, gentle and a little wary. It held a hint o
f moisture and the scent of sweat. It was a heady combination.
Her eyelids fluttered closed as she gave herself up to the sensations, wanting to savour and enjoy at the same time. He was more than she’d dreamt about as his mouth continued to move sensually over hers. She sighed into him, opening her lips to grant him further access. His tongue traced the perimeter of her lips, making them quiver slightly, before he deepened the kiss. It was as though something inside him had snapped and where things had been moving exceptionally slowly before, they were now rocketing along.
Hungry, deep and possessive. His mouth roamed over hers, his hands kneaded at the base of her spine and when he groaned with pure desire, she felt herself lose all rational thought. This time, they had no audience. This time, they had no one to interrupt them. This time, she let her body overflow with the mounting desire she’d been keeping at bay since Monday.
‘Mmm,’ he murmured as he pulled back slightly. ‘I could get used to this.’
Danny smiled up at him. ‘So could I.’
He bent his head and kissed her again before reluctantly putting her from him. ‘Although I could go on, I don’t think now is the time.’ He turned and put his arm over her shoulders, looking out at the majestic sunset. ‘It’s beautiful here.’
‘It’s one of my favourite spots.’
‘I don’t mean just here.’ He spread his arm wide, indicating the entire place. ‘Here. The outback. Its rugged beauty is simply breathtaking.’
Danny frowned and pulled away slightly to look up at him. ‘I think you might have heatstroke.’
He smiled. ‘Why? You don’t think it’s beautiful?’
‘Of course I do. I love the outback, I’m just surprised you like it, too.’
‘Why?’
‘You’ve only been here for a few days, Mac.’ She smiled up at him. ‘You don’t know her moods. She can be deadly or she can be like this—so breathtaking.’ He gazed down at her and when she met his gaze again she smiled sheepishly. ‘Sorry.’
