by Lucy Clark
Ethan pondered her words for a moment. ‘There’s no denying that your place is practical. It’s close to the clinic and hospital. That’s a bonus. There’s somewhere for me to garage my car. That’s good, too.’
‘You’ve heard me having morning sickness, seen me sleeping in your car and shared night-time snacks with me.’ She ticked the things off on her fingers. ‘I’m thinking that any other awkward moments we might share would pale in comparison to those.’
Ethan couldn’t help but laugh at her words. He found her openness completely refreshing as Abigail had rarely said what she’d been thinking. That had been part of their problem. He’d allowed himself to think she was fine and... He focused his thoughts on the woman before him, rather than his past. ‘You really are the most unique woman I’ve ever met.’
‘I’m going to take that as a compliment.’
‘You should.’
And there it was again. They were looking at each other with a strange sort of awareness, as though an invisible bond was forming between them. His gaze dipped down to encompass her mouth and watched as the smile disappeared, her tongue slipping out to wet her lips.
‘Thank you,’ she said quietly.
‘For...?’
‘For saying nice things like that—and meaning them.’
‘You’re not used to receiving compliments?’ He waved an arm around at the various people who were picking grapes. ‘Everyone I’ve met in this town simply adores you.’
She chuckled. ‘But most of them have known me since I was a young girl.’ She went back to snipping grapes and so did Ethan. ‘When I first started working in the practice with Dad, I used to think the respect I was given was by association. They respected my father, so they were giving me the benefit of the doubt.’
‘And now?’ Ethan crouched down to snip the lower bunches of grapes.
‘I know they respect me because I’m a good doctor and also because of the way I loved and respected my dad.’ CJ gestured to where some other people were cutting grapes a few rows away. ‘Take Robert, for example. He knew my dad, helped him restore cars, played darts with him and it wasn’t until my dad’s funeral that Robert told me how proud he was of me. Proud that I’d become a great doctor, like my dad. Proud because as my father’s health had deteriorated, I’d treated Dad with respect.’ CJ sniffed as tears sprang to her eyes. ‘It was nice to hear.’
‘You clearly still miss your dad very much.’
‘I do. Every day.’ She smiled and snipped another bunch of grapes. ‘I know the people of this town love me, which is one of the reasons I always refused to leave whenever Quinten voiced the idea.’
‘He didn’t like it here?’ Ethan asked cautiously. He was willing to listen to CJ talk about her husband but he didn’t want her getting upset. She’d already been standing on her feet for quite a while and although it wasn’t summer, it was a warmish kind of day.
‘He did at first. He came here from Sydney to start afresh after a bad business deal. We’d met, dated and were married within the year.’
‘That’s fast.’ He thought about he and Abigail, being friends throughout university and eventually taking their relationship to the next level many years later.
‘That’s what everyone said but I was determined, and so was he. And things were great for the first few years. I think he had some notion that wherever he went with his work, I would follow. A business deal came up in Sydney and he was all gung-ho, ready to just up and leave.’
‘But you couldn’t. You’re a country doctor with a busy practice,’ he stated.
‘Exactly. Dad’s health had deteriorated, I was working round the clock at the practice and helping my sister move Dad to Sydney.’
‘Perhaps Quinten thought you wanted to be closer to him?’
‘That was one of the arguments he put forward. Quinten was very good at manipulating situations to his own advantage. Yet where he was planning on living in Sydney would have been a two-hour drive in peak traffic from where my father was.’
‘It sounds as though—’ Ethan stopped and shook his head. ‘Never mind.’
‘It’s OK, I know what you’re going to say and you’re not the first person to say it. Quinten didn’t respect me. Not as a woman, or as a doctor.’
‘It does sound that way.’
‘It’s true. He told me that my refusal to leave and move to Sydney was what had ended our marriage for him.’
‘Did he leave?’
She shook her head. ‘The business deal fell through, which he blamed me for. He was always looking for that “get rich quick” scheme, and I eventually discovered the truth behind his initial move to Pridham in the first place. He’d lost a fortune on the stock market. Of course, at the time he told me it was something else, someone else’s fault—never his. It was just lie after lie, and I was too naïve, as far as men went, and believed everything.’ CJ snipped a large bunch of grapes with extra force. ‘I’m not now. When you learn lessons the hard way, they tend to stick.’
‘You’re a strong, independent woman.’ It was a statement and CJ nodded firmly.
‘Damn straight.’ She held her snips in her gloved hand and rubbed her belly protectively. ‘I’ve got to be strong. The baby needs me.’
Ethan straightened and smiled. ‘Good to hear.’
‘Thanks for listening to me ramble.’ She moved her hand around to her back and began rubbing in the arch.
‘Thank you for trusting me.’ He looked down at their bucket. ‘I think that’s full enough. Shall we take it in?’
CJ nodded and removed the glove from her hand. Then, as they walked back down the row of vines towards the house, she linked her arm through his, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. When Tania had done the same thing earlier, he’d been slightly uncomfortable. Now, though, when CJ did it, he found nothing uncomfortable about her touch, neither did he see anything in her expressive eyes other than happiness.
Had they just become friends? He wasn’t used to making new friends this fast but perhaps that was because he usually held everyone at bay. Since Abigail’s death, he hadn’t let anyone new get close to him and yet as CJ had been talking he’d felt the urge to share his own story with her, to tell her of his own disastrous marriage so CJ would know she wasn’t the only one who had felt so broken-hearted.
‘CJ!’ The urgent call came through the house.
‘What’s wrong, Tania?’
‘Robert’s been stung by a wasp and he’s not feeling too good.’
‘What?’ Ethan was surprised. ‘There are wasps around here?’ They all headed for the door. CJ headed into the kitchen and rummaged around in Donna’s cupboards.
‘What are you doing?’ Ethan demanded.
‘Getting some pure honey. Grab my medical bag, will you? It’s over near the table.’ He did as she asked and once she’d found the honey they headed out.
‘So why are there wasps?’
‘When the birds peck the fruit, it makes them nice and sweet.’
‘Perfect for bees and wasps.’
‘There aren’t too many about, wasps, I mean. Where’s Donna?’ she asked Tania as the receptionist led the way to where Robert had been picking grapes.
‘She forgot the bratwurst so she’s gone to the shops.’ Tania led the way but when Ethan saw Robert, lying on the ground, his body beginning to shake, he ran ahead.
‘He’s going into shock.’ Ethan felt for Robert’s pulse and checked his breathing. ‘Someone get a blanket and call the ambulance. Robert? Robert, can you hear me? It’s Ethan.’ The response he received was a whimpered cry. ‘Did you know he was allergic?’ Ethan asked CJ.
‘No.’ CJ was working quickly, drawing up a shot of adrenaline before handing it to Ethan. As he was crouched down near Robert, it was easier for him to administer it.
‘Oh, Robert...’
His wife, Amanda, dithered and CJ quickly comforted her.
‘He’ll be fine. I’m going to treat the stings and the adrenaline Ethan’s administered will help settle things down.’
‘Will he need to go to hospital?’
‘I’d like to keep him in overnight just so we can keep an eye on him.’ CJ slowly knelt on Robert’s other side and opened the honey.
‘Oh.’
‘He’ll be fine,’ CJ reiterated.
‘What? What are you doing?’ Ethan asked as CJ glopped some honey onto the sting sites.
‘The honey soothes the skin. It also helps reduce swelling and any painful sensations. How’s Robert’s pulse rate now?’ She waited while Ethan placed his fingers to Robert’s carotid pulse.
‘Better.’
‘There’s a portable blood-pressure monitor in my bag.’
‘Great.’ He hauled it out and wrapped the cuff around Robert’s arm before pumping it up to check his BP. ‘It’s low but the adrenaline should bring it back up soon.’
‘How are you feeling now, Robert?’ CJ asked gently.
‘Sleepy.’
‘OK, but I need you to stay awake, just for a bit longer. We’re going to get you to hospital where you’ll be pampered like a prince.’
‘Whitecorn?’ The question from Robert was weak.
‘No. Pridham, that way you’ll be nice and close to Amanda.’
‘Amanda?’
‘I’m here, darling.’
CJ watched as Amanda knelt down and bent to kiss her husband’s cheek. Even at their age, they were still there for each other. CJ rubbed a hand over her stomach, making a silent promise that she’d always be there for her child—no matter what. She glanced up and was startled to find Ethan watching her. They shared a brief moment when they seemed to connect on such a personal level, then he returned his attention back to their patient.
CJ followed suit and concentrated on the stings. ‘The swelling seems to be reducing,’ she told Robert. ‘Does it still hurt a lot?’
‘I’ve had worse.’
Amanda’s concerned laugh helped lift the mood. ‘That’s the spirit.’
‘Ambulance is here,’ Tania called.
Just before they shifted Robert onto the stretcher, Ethan took his blood pressure again and was happy to report it had improved dramatically.
‘Told you you’d be fine,’ CJ reassured Robert as the stretcher was manoeuvred into the rear of the ambulance.
Donna arrived home from the shops and was quickly being brought up to date on the situation.
‘I’ll travel in the ambulance with him,’ Amanda said. ‘Could someone bring my car to the hospital?’
‘I’ll arrange it,’ replied Donna. ‘CJ, you and Ethan go get Robert settled in and, Ethan—’ Donna fixed him with a determined look ‘—afterwards I want you to take CJ home and make sure she has a rest.’
‘Good call.’
‘Here are your bags, CJ,’ Tania said as she came running out from the house. She smiled at Ethan. ‘See you tomorrow.’
Ethan escorted CJ back to his car after thanking Donna for a wonderful morning.
‘I can drop you home first.’
‘Pardon?’
‘I can drop you at home first and then go to the hospital to see Robert settled.’
‘It’s all right. Robert might get worried about me if I don’t turn up.’
‘I’ll tell him you’re having a rest. It’s what pregnant mothers do.’
‘Still, I don’t want to worry him. He likes to fuss over me as his own grandchildren live too far away.’
‘It appears most of the town of Pridham—and Whitecorn, for that matter—love to fuss over you.’
‘Yes. It’s nice.’
He could imagine it would be for her. She wouldn’t take it for granted either. Instead, it was obvious she appreciated every single person’s protective attitude towards her and her unborn child.
It didn’t take them long to get Robert settled and once CJ was satisfied with her patient’s vital signs, Ethan took her home.
‘Off to bed, sleepyhead.’
‘OK.’ She stifled a yawn and shuffled off towards her bedroom. ‘Wake me if anything exciting happens.’
That was the last Ethan saw of her for the rest of the day. He knew she’d wake up an hour or so later and specifically made sure he was out of the house. He went for a drive, enjoying the scenery and the ambience of the area. It was relaxing, colourful and a million miles from the hustle and bustle of Sydney.
When he returned it was night-time and again there was no sign of her. He went to his room and got ready for bed. He had clinic tomorrow morning and house calls in the afternoon. Although the pace was different from Sydney, the patients still had real complaints and he owed it to them to be alert.
He glanced over at the clock. It was only nine-thirty and here he was, tucked up in bed. If his colleagues could see him now, they’d laugh. Perhaps it was the manual labour he’d done that morning that was making him feel so exhausted. ‘Or maybe it’s the way you can’t seem to get CJ out of your head,’ he muttered, and buried his head beneath the pillow, forcing his thoughts in a completely different direction.
CHAPTER FIVE
FOUR-FIFTEEN. The digital clock had to be wrong. He’d been tossing and turning for hours. Surely it was almost morning! He flung the covers back, climbed from the bed and pulled on his robe. He needed a drink, and not just water from the bathroom tap.
Ethan headed out to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to check that the coast was clear. Had CJ been up already? He glanced around the darkened room. There were no signs that anyone had been in the kitchen. No jars of chocolate spread left out, no dishes in the sink. Perhaps she’d packed everything away in the dishwasher.
Regardless, the kitchen was empty now. Ethan hurried over to the sink and filled the kettle with water then switched it on. While he was waiting, he looked through the herbal teas CJ had in the cupboard, and decided on Sleepy Baby tea, as it prescribed a relaxing outcome.
Herbal teas had been a more recent addition to his ‘new lifestyle’ campaign. Melody had suggested it, saying that it often helped her to get a good night’s sleep. ‘You need at least six hours of REM sleep, Ethan.’
‘I get six hours of sleep,’ he’d argued.
‘In one block?’ Her questions had been pointed. ‘Didn’t Leo suggest you cut down on your caffeine? How many cups do you usually have?’
Ethan had shrugged. Most days he lost count but even he knew it was too much. He did what he needed to do in order to get through his day, being as effective as possible, and he said as much to his sister.
‘But you’re not being effective.’ Melody had reached out and taken his hand in hers. ‘Don’t you see that? You may be keeping up to date with your paperwork, your research projects, and being a brilliant surgeon to your patients, but at the end of the day you’re being ineffective to your own health.’
‘I don’t care,’ he’d told her, the soft, caring tone doing more to damage his self-control than anything else.
‘About your own life?’ Tears had instantly sprung to Melody’s eyes and it was then, seeing his sister’s worry and concern, that Ethan had started to actually listen to her biggest fears for his health. He’d tried to change, tried to cut down on the caffeine, but about four weeks after that conversation his body had decided to take control of things by having a mild heart attack.
‘Morning.’ CJ’s soft, cheery greeting startled him, and it was only then he realised that the memories had brought tears to his own eyes. Ethan quickly sniffed and turned his attention to finding a cup and putting the teabag into it. ‘Junior’s doing the morning exercise routine a little later today. Maybe there’s hope.’
‘For what?’ Ethan glanced over his shoulder at her, noting she looked absolutely
adorable with her hair all messed up and stuck out at funny angles. Her robe was hanging open and her feet were in those ridiculous fluffy slippers. She looked...good enough to eat. Ethan cleared his throat, willing the kettle to hurry up and boil.
‘That Junior’s going to grow out of being an early riser,’ she answered.
Ethan’s lips quirked slightly. ‘Wishful thinking?’
She crossed both her fingers and held up her hands, making him smile even more. ‘Something like that. What are you drinking?’ She peered into his mug on her way past him to the fridge.
‘Herbal tea.’
‘Mmm. Sounds good.’
Without saying another word, Ethan took another cup down and added another teabag. ‘Sugar or honey?’
‘Honey, please.’ She took some cheese out of the fridge and headed over to the bread bin where she retrieved a small baguette. ‘Hungry?’
‘No, thanks.’
She closed the bread bin, picked up a knife and a plate before seating herself at the table. ‘So why can’t you sleep?’ She spread some cheese onto the bread.
Ethan looked at her, his mind filtering through several different things he could say. Thankfully, the kettle switched itself off and he almost pounced on it, pouring water into the waiting cups. ‘Adjusting to a different place.’
She swallowed her mouthful. ‘Miss your own bed?’
‘Something like that,’ he murmured. When the tea was ready he took hers to the table before walking towards the door with his own mug. ‘See you later in the morning.’
‘You’re not going to stay and keep me company?’
She’d asked him that before and he’d stayed. Because he’d stayed, he’d become better acquainted with her. After their time picking grapes together, he would now say that they were becoming friends and if that was so, wouldn’t that mean she’d want him to talk about his own life? Part of him did want to tell her about Abigail, to open up and be free from his self-imposed exile, but the other part—the logical part—wanted to leave the kitchen and find a way to return their relationship to one of strict work colleagues. However, it was because she was an open, honest, giving person, that he knew if he didn’t stay, at least for a few minutes while he drank his tea, and keep her company, she might be offended.
