by Lucy Clark
‘I know what happened. I’ve had at least twelve calls from various people letting me know what to expect.’ Bub turned and looked directly at Iris. ‘Honestly, darl, in this town there is no such thing as privacy.’ She looked away and said softly, ‘And sometimes that’s a good thing.’
‘Anyway, once you’re satisfied that Watson is as fine as fine can be, apart from a rather sore throat, which I’m sure can be soothed with the application of foods such as ice cream, jelly and custard, you might want to see the present I’ve brought you.’ Dex indicated Iris as he spoke.
Bub had a good look at Watson’s throat and finished her observations before turning to face Iris. The woman smiled brightly, taking both of Iris’s hands in her own. She sighed and nodded slowly.
‘You’ve brought me a paediatrician.’ She ignored Dex and looked directly into Iris’s eyes. ‘How wonderful that you’re here, darl.’ The words were so heartfelt, so sincere that Iris was quite moved by them. ‘First we were blessed with Melissa, who has been so wonderful for the female community, and now we have you—someone to look after our gorgeous children.’ Bub squeezed Iris’s hands before letting them go. ‘Welcome.’ And in the next instant Iris found herself being embraced warmly by the woman who so obviously ran this hospital.
‘Er…thank you.’
Bub let her go and then started fussing around Watson’s bed, straightening sheets and plumping pillows as she spoke. ‘Now, I know you’re only here for six months—a great pity Joss couldn’t talk you into staying longer but perhaps you’ll end up like Melissa and find yourself a nice young man and settle down here for good.’
‘Uh…’ Iris was taken aback by Bub’s words. She tried to think of a polite way of saying that such a suggestion was absolutely ludicrous and the last thing on her mind. ‘Well, it’s a nice offer and definitely something to consider.’
‘Good.’
Dex was momentarily puzzled. Obviously Bub didn’t realise Iris was already married. He waited for Iris to set the other woman straight.
‘But—’ Iris felt compelled to continue ‘—I’ve already secured another appointment at the end of my six months here.’
At her words, Iris felt all eyes on her. Watson’s, his mother’s, Bub’s and most of all Dex’s.
‘Where are you going?’ Dex asked calmly.
‘The children’s hospital in Melbourne.’ A moment of silence followed her announcement and she wondered what she’d done wrong. She was only here for six months. This was just a job and one that not only afforded her the opportunity to get out of Sydney but which would look good on her résumé, thereby securing her the job she was really after.
‘Oh.’ Bub was the first to speak. ‘Well, we wouldn’t want to stand in the way of a fancy job in the city but perhaps there’s still hope that you’ll meet someone and decide to stay for longer.’ She looked over at Dex. ‘Turn on the charm, boy. Be nice. Make Iris so happy she doesn’t want to leave.’
‘But…’ Dex was clearly confused. Wasn’t Iris already married? Perhaps it was her husband who didn’t want to stay in Didja any longer than six months. Rather than point out the obvious to Bub, he decided to simply turn the situation into a light-hearted moment. ‘What would you like me to do, boss? Propose right now?’ Even though the woman was married, he added silently.
Bub looked at him and smiled, the previous mood broken, to be replaced by one of joviality.
‘Why not? Start how you mean to finish,’ Bub added jokingly.
In a light-hearted and teasing manner, Dex immediately dropped to one knee and took Iris’s hands in his. ‘Iris Tennant, will you marry me?’
Iris glared at him for a second as though he’d grown an extra head. ‘No!’
Dex shrugged, stood up again and looked at Bub. ‘Can’t say I didn’t try,’ he remarked, and winked at Watson and his mother, who were laughing. Then he glanced at Iris, a little confused as to why she didn’t simply tell them that she was already hitched and that agreeing to marry him would only lead to a bigamy charge.
Instead, Iris looked around the room, even at the elderly woman who was dozing two beds up from Watson’s. She shook her head slowly. ‘You’re all stark raving mad.’
*
After her first week in Didja, Iris sat out in the courtyard, which was situated behind the apartments.
‘More wine?’ Melissa asked, the two women enjoying the opportunity to simply sit down and catch up.
Iris shook her head. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’
‘So…your first week in the outback. How did it go?’
‘Busy. So many children and they’re all in need of a lot of attention.’
‘That’s how I felt after my first week. So many women needing help, needing attention, needing another female simply to talk to. It can get very lonely for the women and children out here.’
Iris nodded. ‘It’s interesting, though. Different and interesting.’
‘Challenging,’ Melissa agreed. She took a sip of her wine and relaxed more into the chair. ‘I’m glad the boys went to the pub tonight. They can drink a few beers with their friends, play a game or two of pool and break up a fight.’
‘Male bonding.’ Iris nodded and Melissa chuckled.
‘Exactly. And in turn we get to sit here and relax in peace and quiet, sharing a nice bottle of red. I’m really glad you agreed to come to Didja, Iris. It’s nice having you here.’
‘You’re not going to try and convince me to stay longer?’
Melissa raised her eyebrows at that statement. ‘What makes you ask that? Have you been pressured?’ She took another sip of her wine.
‘Only a bit. Dex proposed to me.’
Shocked, Melissa nearly spat her mouthful all over the place. Instead, she swallowed and then started coughing. Iris patted her on the back.
‘Sorry. Should have picked my time better before imparting that piece of information.’
‘What? When?’ Melissa kept coughing.
‘My first day here. He was only joking, I know that, but still…’ She shrugged. ‘It was rather startling.’ And sort of nice and flattering, and for some reason she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. In fact, throughout the week she’d caught herself sneaking glances at Dex, thinking about him and wondering what the look on his face would have been like if she’d said yes?
‘Does he know about your husband?’ Melissa had recovered now.
‘He knows Tennant is my married name but apart from you and Joss, no-one knows about my past.’
‘Pasts are a tricky thing. Unless your past affects your future, it should stay in the past.’ Melissa smiled warmly at her friend. ‘You’ve been through so much. Coped with so much. You’re an inspiration to me, Iris.’
Iris smiled, accepting her friend’s warm words. Then she paused for a second before asking, ‘And no-one’s said anything about my clothes?’
‘What you wear is your business. If you want to wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers, then you do it. No one needs to know why.’
The scars on her arms, upper legs and torso were something she’d had to live with on a daily basis. They were also a constant reminder of the tragedy she’d lived through, of fighting that fire, of losing her husband and almost losing her own life.
‘It’s just out here, in the heat, people might wonder why I’m rugged up like a polar bear.’
‘You’re a strong woman, Iris. You’re a survivor—in more ways than one. I like to surround myself with emancipated women and you are definitely one of them. If you’re comfortable, why worry what other people think?’
‘I’m so self-conscious about the scars. Still.’ The words were said softly. ‘I had thought that as time went on, as the red angriness started to fade from the affected areas, I’d be able to cope better.’
Melissa could feel her friend’s pain. ‘All I know is I’m glad you didn’t die. I remember sitting by your bed in the burns unit night after night after night, hoping and praying that you’d live. And y
ou did.’
Tears filled Melissa’s eyes and Iris felt a wave of her own coming on as her friend continued speaking such heartfelt words.
‘Physical scars you may still have but…’ She reached over and touched Iris’s hand. ‘But you’re still here. I’ve lost so many people, had them taken away from me. I’m just grateful you weren’t one of them.’ She sniffed and sat back, pulling a tissue from her pocket. ‘I’m also glad you’ve come to Didja. I don’t care if it’s only for six months. I don’t care if it’s to get away from Sydney or because it helped secure you a job in Melbourne. You’re here. I’m glad you’re going to be here for my wedding, to get to know my wonderful Joss as well as my crazy brother.’
‘Well…’ Iris sniffed and pulled herself together. ‘The crazy-brother part I could probably do without.’
Melissa sat back and laughed, before blowing her nose. ‘He is a bit full on is Dex but underneath he’s like a hurt little boy. He’s finally starting to let me into his life, to open up, and it’s fantastic. Still, he covers so much up with nonchalance and laughter.’
‘And on-the-spot proposals,’ Iris added.
‘Yes.’ Both women laughed.
‘What’s so funny?’ a male voice said from behind them, and they both turned to see the man in question, as well as Melissa’s fiancé, walking towards them.
‘You two are back early.’ Melissa accepted a sensual kiss from Joss. ‘What? No fights tonight?’
‘Nope.’ Dex sank into a chair next to Iris. Joss stood behind Melissa, his hands protectively on her shoulders. ‘Carto wasn’t there so Bluey had no one to pick a fight with.’
‘Wow. A Friday night in Didja with no fight to break up? Is that a first?’ Melissa asked.
‘Remember the first fight you had to assist me with at the pub?’ Joss asked his fiancée, his blue eyes twinkling in the early evening light.
Melissa laughed and nodded. ‘Do I ever.’
Dex groaned. ‘Don’t.’
Iris picked up on the amused tension. ‘What happened?’
‘Carto and Bluey got into their usual argument about football and started swinging punches,’ Joss began.
‘Don’t.’ Dex hung his head and shook it. Iris was now more intrigued than ever.
‘Dex, being the strong, virile man that he is,’ Joss continued, ‘decided to break it up.’
‘He was so macho,’ Melissa teased her brother. ‘Standing between the two men. Telling them to stop fighting.’
‘Yeah, really macho.’ Joss started to laugh. ‘Until Bluey accidentally punched Dex instead of Carto.’
‘I hate you both,’ Dex murmured, and looked at Iris. She was smiling brightly, her green eyes alive with anticipation and interest. Her hair was pulled back in its usual long single plait and she again wore the long cotton clothing which he was sure hid such a gorgeous, curvaceous figure. Still, the image she presented right now was…captivating. Didn’t she have any idea just how stunning she was?
‘He was out cold for a good thirty seconds,’ Melissa said, grinning at her brother.
‘And there we have it. Embarrassment is complete.’ Everyone laughed and Dex took a little bow. ‘Thank you both very much. You may go now,’ he announced.
Joss patted Melissa’s shoulders. ‘We’re being dismissed. Let’s go.’
‘Oh, right.’ Melissa stood.
‘It’s been such a hectic week, we’ve hardly had two moments alone together,’ Joss said by way of parting.
Before Iris could open her mouth and ask them both to stay, so she didn’t end up out here alone with Dex, both Melissa and Joss had disappeared through the rear sliding door into Melissa’s apartment.
Almost instantly, the atmosphere between the two who were left outside started to become uncomfortable. Iris had made sure that she hadn’t been alone with Dex since they’d walked around at the fair last weekend. Spending time with him, one on one, only brought more awareness of just how good-looking the man really was. She didn’t want to like him. She didn’t want to be attracted to him and one way to avoid such a thing was never to be alone with him.
Now here they were, sitting outside beneath a cloudless starry sky. Both, she presumed, slightly touched by the effects of alcohol and yet both completely alert to the other person. It was an odd sensation but even without looking at him Iris could feel him breathing, could sense the rise and fall of his chest, could feel his presence surrounding her.
‘So…’ Dex was first to break the silence. ‘Good week?’
‘Yes. Thank you. How about yours?’
Dex leaned back in the chair and considered it for a moment. ‘Let’s see, I’ve done a busy clinic every day, had three emergencies come in for A and E care, managed to talk Melissa into doing my house calls for me, annoyed Joss, teased Bub and proposed to a beautiful woman. All in all…a pretty average week.’
He stretched his arms up above his head, the cotton T-shirt he wore rising up slightly, the waistband of his shorts dipping slightly, leaving Iris with a glimpse of firm, muscled torso. A smattering of dark hair swirled around his navel and she found it difficult to avert her gaze. The last man she’d had such an overwhelming attraction to had ended up being her husband, so the only thing she could do was to ignore whatever it was she felt for her new colleague and never allow it to overwhelm her!
She forced herself to look away, turning her head and lifting her eyes to look out at where the land met the horizon, the tops of trees in silhouette. It was very relaxing. The wine had also been relaxing. What was annoying her now was the man beside her, who was still twisting from side to side, his arms still above his head, his body still on display for her to see.
‘So an average week for you includes proposing to someone?’
Dex’s answer was to chuckle and the sound washed over her, soothing some of those jagged nerves. He was trying to be nice, she knew that, and he couldn’t know of the unwanted feelings he was stirring up within her.
He moaned as he stretched and then lowered his arms. ‘Man, my shoulders are tight. How are yours?’
Iris was surprised by the question and accidentally broke her resolve to not look at him. ‘Fine.’
‘Pity. I was hoping if yours were tight, too, we could help each other out.’ He looked at her and grinned. ‘You know…sort of an I’ll massage your shoulders if you massage mine kind of deal. Purely platonic. Purely professional. I just have knots in my trapezius I can’t reach.’
Iris bristled. The last thing she wanted was to be touched—by anyone. ‘Well, my muscles are fine, thank you very much, and I’m sure you’ll have no difficulty of finding someone to relieve your muscular aches and pains. Just ask one of those lovely ladies who were impatiently standing in line to kiss you last weekend.’
Dex watched as Iris shifted in her seat and couldn’t believe he’d made her uncomfortable. It certainly hadn’t been his intention to offend so what had he done now? He hadn’t kissed her. He hadn’t proposed to her. All he’d done was hint at getting her to massage his shoulders because they were sore…and because usually his charm worked on almost everyone he met. Almost. His new colleague, however, appeared very stand-offish and it made him wonder what had happened in her past to make her that way.
When he’d tried to link arms with her at the fair last weekend, she’d been as stiff as a board yet trying very hard to be polite and keep him at a distance. When he’d attempted to kiss her…well, even though she’d shocked him by slapping him across the cheek, it had brought a smile to his face every time he’d thought of it. She had spirit and she intrigued him yet Dex was picking up a strong sensation that she wanted to keep a firm distance away, not only from him but from everyone else in the town as well.
She hadn’t mentioned her marriage or anything to do with her husband during the past week, not that he’d had the chance to have any conversations with her. Every time he’d walked into the kitchenette in the clinic, if he’d found Iris in there on her own, she’d quickly excused herself
and disappeared into her consulting room. Unable to ask her directly, Dex had been so interested he’d checked her résumé and discovered she was a widow.
It had helped him to fill in a few gaps and explained why sometimes, when he’d been watching her, he’d sensed a deep loneliness about her. Yet at other times, like this evening when she’d been around Melissa, he’d seen her laughing brightly, her eyes sparkling as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
However, despite the different sides of Iris he’d managed to glimpse so far, the one he liked best was when she’d been watching him stretch. He hadn’t intentionally stretched his muscles to show off his body—he stretched his muscles because they were tense. He’d been out helping a mate put up a back fence yesterday afternoon and his muscles were sore. He’d stretched—and Iris had looked.
What Dex hadn’t expected was that he’d liked her visual caress more than he’d care to admit. The woman had plagued his thoughts quite a bit during this past week and he wasn’t used to that at all. He didn’t mind the fact that he was interested in her but he was wary that he’d had a difficult time wiping her from his mind, especially at night-time.
When he’d discovered she was indeed available, he’d been secretly pleased but then he’d started asking himself why. Why should he be pleased? Iris was just another colleague. Just another woman and a woman who appeared to have quite a few things she needed to work out in her personal life. He knew Didja would help her—it was the magic of the outback—but as far as he was concerned, he needed to keep his distance from the gorgeous woman sitting beside him. But for some strange reason thoughts of Iris persisted.
He wanted to ask her questions, to listen to her talk, to hear her laugh, to watch a smile play about her lips. It had been made abundantly clear to him that he was definitely attracted to her but he knew the attraction would never last. It never did. People changed. They moved on. And he had locked his heart away, determined it would never get hurt again.
