The Doctor's Return

by Narelle Atkins

  “No, I have fifteen minutes. There has been a bad car accident an hour out of town. A tourist has hit a roo.”

  “Oh, no, are they okay?”

  “The call just came in. An ambulance is heading to the scene and I need to be at the hospital right at seven.” He ate a mouthful of risotto.

  “It sounds like you’re in for a long night.”

  He nodded. “Thanks for dinner. This will keep me going, and I’m glad we ate early.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Are you going to church tomorrow?”

  “Maybe, although I was thinking about sleeping in.”

  “Why don’t you come to the night service?”

  She arched a brow. “I haven’t been to the evening service in years.”

  “It’s a youth service but I quite like it. The service starts at seven.”

  “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

  He stood. “I’m sorry I have to run out on you and can’t stay to help with the dishes.”

  “No problem. You did spend all afternoon moving my stuff.” She followed him to the front door and switched on the outside light. “I hope you have a chance to sleep tonight.”

  He slipped on his jacket. “We’ll see. I may end up sleeping the day away tomorrow.”

  “Take care.”

  He walked to his Jeep and she stood in the doorway, wrapping her arms around her body as a blast of cold air hit her from outside. He was right. His life was unpredictable, and he couldn’t make definite plans if he was on call.

  She whispered a brief prayer for the occupants of the car. She hoped and prayed Luke wouldn’t have to deal with a tragedy tonight.

  Chapter 5

  Luke stifled a yawn and slid into an aisle seat toward the back of Snowgum Creek Community Church. After a long night at the hospital, he’d slept late this morning before heading out for a ninety-minute bike ride around town. He’d needed the fresh air and stress release provided by the arduous course he’d chosen to ride.

  He glanced around the building as it filled with teens and young adults. Would Megan turn up tonight? The service started in five minutes.

  He shook his head, thoughts of Megan refusing to shift out of his mind. Yesterday and last night had been like old times. Their resurrected lighthearted friendship had ignited a yearning for more. A yearning he must deny, knowing her time in Snowgum Creek was only temporary. In less than twelve months, she’d leave town without a backward glance. This time he wouldn’t allow her departure to shatter his heart.

  The band stopped playing, and the service leader took hold of the microphone. After a brief introduction, the congregation stood for the first song.

  Megan appeared beside him halfway through the song, and he shuffled over to make room for her next to him.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she whispered.

  “I’d wondered if you were still coming.”

  “I was held up at the farm.” She draped her elegant full-length woolen coat over the back of the pew. “I stopped by this afternoon to collect a few things, and Mom didn’t want me to leave.”

  “She’s missing you already?”

  She nodded. “Crazy, huh?”

  The song ended and he sat, shifting on the hard seat to find a more comfortable position.

  Megan’s sweet perfume tantalized his senses, and his awareness of her, only inches away, intensified. He kept his gaze fixed on the service leader, trying to ignore the beautiful woman by his side.

  Who was he kidding? He hadn’t been able to resist her charms years ago, and nothing had changed. He sucked in a steadying breath. He was an adult, a doctor and capable of controlling all of his emotional responses.

  She stood with him for the second song, and she didn’t attempt to sing along. His curiosity was piqued. Why had she walked away from the church after being fervent about her faith in her youth? Another question lingered in his mind. Why had she chosen to come along tonight? Was she seeking to renew her faith and reconnect with God?

  Lord, You know Megan’s heart. Please draw her closer to You and strengthen her as she faces the challenges of life.

  He tried to block out Megan’s intoxicating presence and focus on the sermon. Maybe staying for dinner at her place last night had been a mistake. Had he crossed a line that was better left alone? Or was fatigue the problem? If he wasn’t so exhausted, maybe he’d have a tighter grip on his emotions.

  The service passed quickly, and before long they were singing the final song. He glanced at Megan. She seemed relaxed and more at ease than at the start of the service.

  The song ended and she perched on the edge of her seat, reaching for her coat.

  He dropped down beside her. “What did you think?”

  “The service is more modern than I remember.”

  “Yes, it’s very contemporary, which appeals to the youth.”

  “Did you have a rough night?”

  He nodded. “I went to bed around four and woke at midday.”

  She frowned. “Were the people in the car okay?”

  “We transported one patient to the spinal unit at Sunny Ridge, and the other two with less serious injuries stayed with us.”

  “I’m glad there were no fatalities.”

  “Me, too.” A late-night brawl outside the local pub had delayed him leaving the hospital by a few hours. The injured men were known troublemakers from out of town, and the police were called in to deal with them.

  Kara, an old school friend and coleader of the church youth group, caught his eye. He waved to her as she headed over in his direction.

  Megan followed his gaze, her eyes darkening. “She looks familiar. Do I know her?”

  “You don’t remember Kara from school?”

  “Oh, yes, I do now.”

  * * *

  Megan plastered a smile on her face. How could she forget Kara?

  Kara beamed a bright smile at Luke. “Hey, I was hoping to catch up with you before you left.”

  Luke smiled. “Do you remember Megan?”

  “Of course.” Kara’s smile wavered. “Long time no see.”

  “Yes, you’re looking well.” Kara hadn’t changed much since high school. Long, mousy-colored hair, wire-rimmed glasses and conservative clothing more suited to her mother’s generation. And never-ending devotion to Luke.

  “Thanks. Um, I heard you’d moved back to town. Are you staying long?”

  “At least a year.” She tossed her long glossy hair back over her shoulders, glad she’d taken the time to apply more makeup than her usual mascara and lipstick. “It’s a nice change from traveling all the time.”

  Luke gave Kara an indulgent smile that set Megan’s teeth on edge.

  “What did you need to talk about?” he asked.

  “The upcoming youth group camp. I’ve made the booking and wanted to confirm the date still worked for you.”

  He nodded. “I’m organizing Emily, a doctor friend of mine in Sunny Ridge, to cover for me at the clinic.”

  “Great.” Kara’s smile broadened, lighting up her face. “I’ll get the ball rolling on planning the weekend. We have ten weeks to pull it all together. Can you make it on Friday night?”

  “Yes, but I think I’m on call the following week.”

  “Sure.” Kara shifted her uneasy gaze to Megan. “I’ll leave you two to chat. Nice to see you again, Megan.”

  “You, too.” She pressed her lips together, disconcerted by the conversation she’d witnessed.

  Kara walked away and Luke’s frown deepened. “I thought you’d be happy to see Kara again.”

  “I wasn’t unhappy to see her.”

  “You weren’t exactly brimming with enthusiasm, either.”

  She bristled at the critical ton
e in his voice. “Have you forgotten? Kara and I weren’t exactly close in high school.” Rivals was a better description because Megan had won the prize: Luke.

  “High school was a long time ago.”

  “I know.” It seemed like an eternity since she’d last sat with Luke at an evening service in this church. Life had been much less complicated back then. “I heard you help out with youth group.”

  He nodded. “I try to attend most Friday nights, depending on work commitments.”

  “Your job must make it hard.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  She stood, her gaze taking in the groups of young people congregating around the building. “I feel too old to be here.”

  “No way. I often head out for coffee with the youth group, but I need an early night.”

  “Me, too.” The move had exhausted her, and she had a busy week coming up.

  “I’m glad Kara was able to book the camp.” He stood. “It was the only weekend this year that I could line up Emily as a short-term replacement at the clinic.”

  She nodded. Kara was going to spend an entire weekend with Luke. Megan tightened her grip on her purse. She had no claim on Luke, no reason for the green-eyed monster to lurk in the dark recesses of her suspicious mind. It was none of her business if Kara wanted to pursue Luke.

  Megan lifted her chin, determined to let it go. No good could come from holding a grudge against Kara.

  * * *

  Luke pushed his mountain bike past the squeaky gate and around to the back of Megan’s house, ready for their early-morning ride. His feet crunched on dew, the patchy morning frost remaining on the grass shaded by the house.

  Megan slouched in a chair on her back deck, slipping on her cycling shoes. Her bike leaned against the balcony railing, and sunlight created streaks of gold on the wooden decking.

  He smiled. “Morning, I see you’re all set to go.”

  She stood. “Yes. It’s a bit crisp but we’ll warm up soon enough.”

  She wore a purple long-sleeve cycling top and black full-length pants. The windchill could be a problem, and he was glad she was prepared.

  “Did you check your bike is up for the challenge?” he asked.

  “Not yet. I accidentally slept through my alarm.”

  “No worries.” He squeezed a tire between his fingers. “Do you have a bike pump handy?”

  “Isn’t it attached to the bike?”

  “Nope.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “I think it’s in the garage somewhere.”

  “I’ll pump up your tires with mine.”

  “Thanks. I’ll lock up the house while you do it.”

  Minutes later she followed him, wheeling her bike around to the front of her house. “Which route are we taking?”

  “I thought we could ride a circuit around town. There shouldn’t be much traffic at this time of day and there’s the steep hill climb to the lookout.”

  “Sounds good.”

  They rode single file along the tree-lined streets of Snowgum Creek before reaching the road up to the lookout.

  He dropped to a low gear and pushed through the winding climb, his warm muscles feeling the exertion. Megan cruised ahead, taking the steep hill in her stride. He pulled to a stop at the top, a few minutes behind her.

  She grinned, her face red and her breathing even. “Did you feel it?”

  He nodded, taking a minute to catch his breath. “You made it look easy.”

  “I push myself hard on the stationary bikes.”

  “I can tell.” His gaze took in the panoramic view of Snowgum Creek and the surrounding district. “I love this view.”

  “Me, too.” Sunglasses shaded her eyes, blocking out the glare from the early-morning rays. “Do you remember when we used to ride up here?”

  “How could I forget?” After school they’d race to the top, and then make out on the wooden bench only a few feet away.

  She pulled off her bike helmet and slipped her sunglasses on top of her head. “We used to have a lot of fun together.”

  “Yep, back in the days when I could beat you up the hill.”

  She laughed. “You weren’t far behind me today, and don’t forget cycling is part of my job.”

  He sipped water from his bottle. “We’ll have to go for a ride through the pine forest one day and see what your cycling endurance is really like.”

  “You’re on, and I’m confident you won’t find me lagging behind.” She leaned her bike against the back of the bench, her gaze fixed on the township below. “I haven’t been up here in years. Snowgum Creek has grown over the last decade.”

  He nodded. “A new estate has been built on the eastern side of town overlooking the mountains.”

  “I can understand why. The view is breathtaking.”

  He joined her beside the bench, his attention drawn to his half-built house on top of a hill on the edge of town. His first residential property investment, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to live and work in Snowgum Creek.

  She flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Are you set to stay here indefinitely?”

  “Yes, this town is my home.” He sucked in a refreshing breath of cold mountain air, knowing she couldn’t fathom his attachment to this part of the world. One day he hoped to fill his sprawling new home with children of his own. Megan wasn’t the settling-down type who would be content with the small-town life of doctor’s wife and mother. Any thoughts in that direction were futile.

  * * *

  Megan tucked her purse under her arm as she walked out of the clinic and into the Saturday-morning sunshine. A cool breeze stirred up the fallen leaves on the path, inspiring her to quicken her pace. The cottage garden at the front of the clinic contained a couple of hardy flowering plants that had survived the midwinter frosts.

  She adjusted her soft woolen scarf around her neck. They’d had a few light snow showers this winter, the weather milder than usual. She glanced at her watch, thankful she had time to duck home before meeting Luke for lunch at a café on the main street.

  They had arranged a business meeting to discuss how she’d settled into working in the clinic. Luke had referred a number of exercise physiology patients her way, although most of her work was at the hospital.

  Luke’s work schedule was crazy. They passed each other in the clinic and hospital, but he often didn’t have time to stop and chat. Church and their occasional outdoor cycling rides or gym classes were the only opportunities she had to talk with him.

  She turned in the direction of her house and a man approached her, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

  “Megan.”

  She froze. No, this couldn’t be happening. Jason should be at the ski fields, not in Snowgum Creek!

  He stepped out in front of her, blocking her path.

  “Megan, it’s good to see you.”

  She cringed. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s my weekend off, and I thought I’d take a break, travel around.”

  Yeah, right. As if that was the real reason he was here. “Why Snowgum Creek?”

  “I remembered how you used to talk about your hometown.”

  “Oh.” Her stomach compressed into a tight knot, her gut instincts screaming that she was right.

  He didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere, a wide smile covering his tanned face. How could she get rid of him without causing a scene? This side of the quiet, tree-lined street was deserted, the clinic now closed for the day.

  “How come you’re not working at the resort this year?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I wanted to do something different, explore other opportunities.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can.”

  “Everyone misses you.” He s
hoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s not the same without you.”

  The intensity in his voice drove a shard of fear into her heart. He seemed determined to engage her in conversation, making no move to leave.

  “I heard through the grapevine that you’d moved back to your hometown.”

  She nodded. No big surprise that he knew her current location, since the crew at the ski resort were like family. A couple of her ski friends had messaged her, wanting to know her whereabouts. But none of them had suggested they were planning an impromptu visit to Snowgum Creek.

  She shuffled from one foot to the other. “Look, I need to get going.”

  He stood his ground. “Do you have lunch plans?”

  Her mouth gaped open. No way would she willingly spend any more time in his company, let alone lunch. “Actually, yes.”

  He puffed out his chest, raising his chin. “Why don’t you have lunch with me instead, show me the sights?”

  She drew in a deep breath. “No, I have other plans.”

  Just then Luke’s Jeep honked and the locks clicked. She glanced back at the clinic, a flicker of hope rising inside her.

  Luke strode along the path, his head turned in her direction. He rushed straight past his Jeep, the brake lights flashing to indicate he had relocked it as he reached the sidewalk.

  She let out an enormous sigh. Her rescuer had arrived.

  Jason shoved his sunglasses up on his forehead, his eyes piercing. “Who is that guy?”

  She attempted to smile, her confidence starting to return. “A friend and colleague.”

  Luke moved to her side, his mouth drawn into a frown. “Megan, are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She stood taller and stared at Jason. Time to move him on. “Enjoy your weekend in Snowgum Creek.”

  Jason nodded, his challenging gaze zeroing in on Luke before switching his attention back to her. “Megan, why don’t we go out to dinner tonight, since you already have lunch plans? The Chinese restaurant looks good.”

  Chapter 6

  Luke clenched his fists, ready to do battle with Megan’s so-called friend. He sized up his opponent. His accent had a refined city twang, and his clothes screamed urban chic. No doubt he was the guy Megan wanted to avoid.