Tara rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yes. A very good idea. I hope I didn't scratch it."
Ryan shrugged. “It's had worse. By the way, Tara, you don't need to be afraid of anyone, you know."
"Why?"
"Because no one's going to harm you ... not while I'm around."
CHAPTER FOUR
It was five weeks since Tara had first arrived in Glenroy Crossing. As Lauren had predicted, Tara did feel like part of the furniture. David had spent time teaching her the secret elements of four-wheel driving to make her feel confident driving on her own, even in the blustery weather conditions with a covering of snow on the ground.
She had established a routine for her patient lists and looked forward to visiting them, particularly the rascally Joe Thomas, who had recovered well from his heart surgery and Harry and Edna Norman. Between the three of them, they had managed to bring Harry's diabetes under control and his ulcerated legs and feet had at last healed. She and Lauren had established a good practice routine. Lauren transferred patients to her and booked her to assist Ryan and David.
Tara's thoughts turned to Ryan—indeed, it often seemed that she thought of little else. She might be comfortable in her work, but sharing a house with him was certainly causing a strain between them. Or was it just her? Was she the only one that felt the extraordinary sexual tension vibrating between them? The moments when their eyes met and held—until she would turn away, afraid he would see the longing in her face? The way she avoided his casual touch, frightened that she would lose control and throw herself into his arms, begging him to make love
But, I'm happy. I'm really happy. Tara hummed a song to Emma as she finished trimming the little girl's hair as they sat together in the warm lounge. The front door slammed and Tara's heart began to pound. Ryan was home.
"Look, Daddy! Tara cut my hair. Isn't she clever?” Emma danced around in front of her father as he entered the room.
Ryan grinned and dutifully admired Emma's freshly trimmed fair locks.
"I only tidied up the ends,” Tara explained. “They were a bit uneven."
"Looks great—thanks. I didn't know you were a hairdresser as well.” Ryan's manner was teasing as he sat on the sofa, bending to lift Ben on to his lap.
"Oh, there's no end to my talents,” Tara replied.
"She can do yours too, Daddy,” Emma chimed in, perching herself on the arm of the sofa and pushing her face into Ryan's. “Your hair is too long!"
Ryan laughed. “I know little pumpkin. I haven't had time to go to the barber. But I don't think Tara wants to cut my hair."
"I don't mind."
"There, you see, Dad—she will. And I'll be her helper and sweep the floor.” Emma bounced up and down with excitement as Ryan raised a dark eyebrow at Tara.
"Really, I don't mind,” Tara repeated. She saw the sudden sensual look in Ryan's eyes but chose to ignore it. “But you'll need to wet it first."
"I'll have my shower.” Ryan stood up and handed Ben to Tara, who pressed her face into the baby's soft neck to hide her confusion.
In a state of high excitement Emma positioned a chair in the kitchen and then set a towel in place and Tara's scissors and comb.
"Sit down, Dad. We're all ready,” she ordered her father when he entered the room.
Tara swallowed. Ryan had dressed in his jeans but left the top of his body bare. He was lean but powerfully built, with a smattering of dark hair across his chest. His skin had an olive tone and felt like silk under Tara's hand as she inadvertently touched him while placing a towel around his shoulders.
"Not too short,” he said, his voice deep as he turned to look up at her.
"Yes, sir.” Tara wiped her hands nervously on her trousers and then ran her fingers experimentally through his hair to gauge its length. Emma waited patiently in front of her father, clutching her broom at the ready.
"You are a very bad boy, letting your hair get so long, Daddy” she chided as Tara fought to control her trembling hands. His hair was thick and smelled sweetly of shampoo. Tara suppressed a wild urge to lean over and kiss the back of his neck. Instead, she began to methodically trim the unruly strands.
Emma chatted to herself, pretending to play “hairdressers” while Tara became more and more aware of the long silence between Ryan and her. As she worked, she felt her confidence grow as she ran her fingers along his scalp, revelling in the feel of the texture of his hair. Finally, she trimmed the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck and was about to remove the towel when Ryan caught hold of her hand.
"Thank you,” he whispered softly and pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand.
Tara closed her eyes at the exquisite agony his touch created before almost snatching her hand away.
"You're welcome,” she gasped.
* * * *
Confidently changing gears, Tara manoeuvred the land rover around a tricky corner as she drove along the main road to Glenroy Crossing the following day. It was mid-afternoon but she had already finished seeing her list of patients and was only six kilometres from home.
She gripped the wheel of her four-wheel drive tightly as a sudden gust of wind pushed against the vehicle. Winter had arrived with a vengeance in the High Country with a flurry of snow, the first fall of the season. Now a gale blew furiously, tossing the branches of the large trees lining the road making them creak and groan ominously.
Tara welcomed Mother Nature's strange mood. Nothing could affect how she felt. The pleasure of her work, the joy of going home to Emma and Ben, who would be waiting for her with their beaming smiles and loving hugs, and to ... Ryan.
She felt her body melt with heat at the thought of seeing him. His warm brown eyes would watch her and his slow, sensual smile would cause her heart to leap into her throat. The nods of approval he gave her when she had managed a particularly awkward patient well warmed her heart. She loved watching him play with Ben and laugh in delight at Ben's wobbly attempts to walk, and she loved the tenderness and love he gave to Emma when she clambered on to his lap after dinner ready to be told a story. The thoughts of him were pure joy to her.
Surely it was inevitable that sometime soon these feelings would overtake them and then what? Or perhaps Ryan felt nothing for her and was playing with her feelings.
What was the truth about Carol's accusations of Ryan's affairs? Tara hadn't seen any signs of his lovers waiting in the wings—no strange phone calls or mysterious letters.
She shrugged, deciding that it was none of her business and began to sing along with a song on the radio, tapping her foot in time. Yes, she was happy. Ryan was naturally protective and she felt safe and secure for the first time in years. She got on well with the practice team and had quickly become friends with David's wife Michelle and had visited her for coffee on several occasions.
Michelle was two years older than Tara and enjoyed being a full time mother to her son Tom. On Tara's last visit a few days ago, Michelle had joyfully told her that she was newly pregnant with their second child. She had invited Ryan and Tara and the children over for a barbecue on Saturday—tomorrow—and Tara was looking forward to it.
A fierce gust of wind rattled the vehicle. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She would be home in a few minutes and perhaps it would be just as well.
"Stop! Stop!"
Tara saw a woman running towards her along the road shouting at her and braked. The woman wrenched the door open and scrambled inside, panting heavily.
"What is it?” Tara's took in the woman's wild and distressed appearance and her hands tightened around the steering wheel
"Quick! You're the nurse aren't you? My husband's had an accident."
"Where?"
"Drive! I'll guide you."
The woman directed her off the road and through the entrance gate of a property.
"What's your name?” After the woman recovered her breath, Tara tried to get the woman talking. Her face was ashen and she appeared to be going into shock.
"Sally Rob
son. My husband is Roy. A tree ... has fallen on him.” She broke into deep, gasping sobs.
Tara rested a hand on her leg. “It's okay, Sally. Just tell me where he is."
Sally directed her to turn off at the first paddock where Tara had to drive up a steep embankment following the fence line. At the top stood a group of gum trees and she could see where a huge branch had broken away from the main trunk of the nearest one and fallen to the ground.
"He's under there,” Sally yelled above the wind as she flung the door open.
Tara grabbed her medical kit and mobile and ran after Sally to where a man lay on his back among the broken branches and foliage. Tara's brain raced as she scrambled over the branches to reach Roy's side. Dear God! How could he have survived this? She almost cried out in horror at the sight that met her eyes.
Roy had indeed been hit by part of the broken branch, but it was a huge sliver of wood that had sheered away with the lethal sharp end piercing Roy's chest through his work shirt and impaling him to the ground beneath.
Tara knelt beside the still conscious man, her eyes taking in his pale face beaded with sweat. She could see the branch deeply impaled in his chest but standing upright as if a gigantic spear had stabbed him.
"Hi Roy, my name is Tara. You're in trouble and I'm going to call for some help.” Tara kept her voice low and calm as she pulled out her mobile.
She saw the fear flare in his eyes. “You're going to be all right,” she reassured him. “Sally, come close and stay with him,” she shouted to the anxious woman as she stood up and pressed the surgery number. The next moment she was speaking to Ryan.
"I'm at the Robson's property,” she yelled over the wind. “Roy Robson has been impaled by a falling branch. It entered just below the left clavicle. There's little blood at the wound site, but he is barely conscious and going into shock."
Ryan's voice sounded strange and distant as Tara struggled to hear him. “Get a line into him and prepare to resuscitate, if necessary, Tara. I'm on my way. I'll phone for the ambulance."
"Hurry, Ryan.” Tara forced her voice to remain level. “We ... need you.” But the connection had already been broken.
"There's my coat plus a couple of rugs in the car, Sally. Can you get them for me?” Tara knelt by Roy again hastily undoing her kit and taking Roy's pulse and blood pressure.
"Ryan's on the way. I'm going to set up a saline drip to get some fluids into you.” As she spoke, Tara quickly tapped up a vein in Roy's arm and inserted a cannula to take the intravenous feed.
"Here you are.” Sally pushed the rugs at Tara who wrapped them around Roy's inert body, using her coat as a pillow to support his head.
"Is he going to die?” The question was wrung from Sally who stood to one side, the wind tearing at her clothes. Tara stood up and holding the bag of saline solution in one hand, managed to give Sally a reassuring hug. “We'll do our very best to save him. I want you to drive back to the road and direct Ryan up here so we don't waste any time. It will be dark soon."
Sally nodded and ran towards Tara's vehicle.
Tara checked Roy's pulse and blood pressure again. His pulse was weaker and his blood pressure was dropping. She shone her penlight in his eyes and saw that his pupils had begun to dilate.
"Stay with me, Roy. You're going to make it,” she yelled at him.
"I feel weird,” he gasped, clutching her hand.
"I know. I'm going to give you an adrenaline injection, which will help you.” Tara prepared the shot, almost breaking the phial in her haste.
Roy closed his eyes as Tara looked anxiously down the hill. Please hurry, Ryan, please. She turned back to monitor her patient.
When she lifted her head she could see Ryan's vehicle speeding up the track followed by Sally driving Tara's car. Both Ryan and David leapt out and ran towards her.
Ryan rested a hand on her shoulder as he peered down at Roy. “How's he doing?"
Tara could feel ridiculous tears gathering in her eyes as she continued to hold the saline bag. “Pulse sixty, blood pressure eighty over forty. He's gone into shock. I've given him a shot of adrenaline."
Ryan and David knelt on either side of Roy as they examined him. David swore. “What a bloody great stake. We'll have to saw it off before we can move him. We'll never manage him in the ambulance otherwise."
Ryan turned to Sally. “Was Roy working up here with a chain saw?"
"Yes. It's under the branches. Roy's been building the fence all afternoon."
The two men looked at each other. Ryan spoke first. “Right, let's do it, Dave. Keep monitoring him, Tara."
Tara stood to one side for a moment. David held on to the branch above Roy's chest with both hands and Ryan started up the chain saw with a roar. The surplus wood came away quickly and neatly, leaving ten centimetres still protruding incongruously from Roy's chest.
"I think we should risk giving him another adrenaline shot, don't you?” Ryan queried. “I'm worried about his colour but if we need to resuscitate it could be tricky with that thing in him."
David nodded in agreement as Tara bent and took Roy's pulse and blood pressure again. “Pulse is very weak. I think he might be bleeding into his chest, Ryan. Should you intubate?"
Placing his stethoscope over various points on Roy's chest, Ryan listened intently. “Yes, I think you're right. The stake has probably punctured his lung, but at least it missed his heart. It's more urgent that we do a chest drain, though. Come on, I'll need both of your help for this."
In silence the three prepared the now unconscious man so that Ryan could insert a tube in the side of his chest and drain the excess blood, which was filling his lung cavity.
Tara marvelled at Ryan's medical kits, which were like mini operating theatres, providing the instruments required for such an emergency.
"Dave, you hold him over to one side and, Tara, prep the wound site for me and then collect the loss in that bottle,” Ryan said, nodding to a sterile container as he discarded his surgical gloves and pulled on a new pair. “Sally, shine this torch so we can see properly. The light's starting to go."
Everyone worked together as Tara first swabbed the skin with antiseptic. Ryan carefully made a small incision with a scalpel into the chest wall and tried to insert a tube into the wound. Tara held her breath as Ryan hesitated. “It's okay; I'm in,” he declared triumphantly and watched as blood began to drain through the tube into the bottle Tara was holding.
"I'll fix this in place and then we're starting to get somewhere,” Ryan explained, fastening the tube securely with surgical tape.
"I can hear the ambulance,” Sally cried.
"Flash your torch, Sally, in case they miss us,” David said, still holding Roy's body in place.
"I'll go and meet them. They won't be able to drive up here.” Ryan took off in his vehicle to meet the two paramedics.
Ten minutes later Roy was stabilised and ready to be taken to Marlston Hospital. Ryan had supervised his preparation and then rung the hospital's emergency department to explain Roy's condition. They agreed that David should go in the ambulance along with Sally.
"Keep him bagged, Dave, and be aware you may have to intubate, although his airway is clear at the moment. Also, tell them in emergency to watch out for infection when they get that damn hunk of wood out."
David gave a salute as the door closed and with a wail of sirens the ambulance took off at speed.
Ryan looked up the hill where he'd left Tara clearing up the mess. She's done a great job and kept a cool head. He drove back slowly to where she was loading his kit ready to place in the vehicle.
She had put her coat on but he could see she was shivering, and he wasn't sure whether it was from the cold or reaction.
"I think that's it,” she said, looking around with the flashlight in the growing dusk. “I'll see you at home, I guess.” She went to get into the vehicle only to be stopped by Ryan.
"You're okay to drive? We can pick your car up in the morning, you know."
Tara pulled away. “I'm fine, thanks."
"We need a debrief on this, Tara."
"Why? Did I do something wrong?” She was immediately on the defensive.
"Absolutely not, but that was a very unpleasant accident and it helps to talk it through."
Ryan, watching her closely, saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “There's no need,” she said, holding up a hand to keep him from stepping closer.
"Tara, come here. I don't know about you but I need a good old-fashioned hug,” he said, pulling her into him so her head lay against his chest. He wrapped his cloak around her so she was cocooned against the cold and the outside world. Her arms went around his waist as she suddenly burrowed into him.
"There, it's all right,” he murmured, his lips caressing the soft hair wound around her head in its usual long plait. She smelled of jasmine and lavender. He gently rocked her against him, realising that he wanted to do more than hug her. He wanted to kiss her soft eyelids, caress her long, elegant throat and feel her silken skin against his. He wanted to make love to her.
Suddenly she pushed away and he stepped back in surprise. “We'd better go. The children will be waiting for us,” she said in a rush. “I'll take my own car."
With that she hurriedly got in, reversed the vehicle, and drove down the hill leaving Ryan standing there staring after her.
"Well, my beautiful Tara Mason. I don't know who was more turned on by that hug, you or me,” Ryan said aloud as he slowly got into his vehicle and began the trek home.
CHAPTER FIVE
Michelle made an exaggerated grimace as she sliced pieces of green pepper and tossed them into the salad. “Oh, if I'd seen Roy, I would have fainted for sure."
"It was a bit gruesome,” Tara admitted, swinging her legs to and fro from her perch on one of Michelle's kitchen stools. She watched Ryan through the window as he and David leaned over the barbecue under the huge porch. Emma and Tom were throwing snowballs on the lawn, while Ben was securely tucked away in Michelle and David's bedroom having a well overdue nap.
"It's a miracle he survived,” she added.
Wade's Woman Page 5
