His fingers shook slightly as he dialled the number on his phone.
When he came back all traces of the lover had gone and his face was expressionless. ‘One of the firefighters, a cousin of mine, is badly injured an hour from town. They don’t think he’ll make it if they move him so I’m going up to stabilise him before the chopper comes in.’
She nodded and even had the presence of mind to thrust two bananas and a carton of juice into his hand. ‘You have to eat something.’ He headed for the door but then he stopped again and turned around.
‘Eliza.’ He shook his head as if unable to find the words, and she made it easy for him.
‘Later, or not at all. It’s been a big day, Jack, and yours will be even bigger. Good luck.’
Eliza watched him go and she stood looking out of the door as his car receded into the distance. What the heck was she doing? They’d been practically naked in the kitchen and she could guess what would have happened next. Unless he’d pulled a condom out of his pocket in a stellar example of self-control, she could have been pregnant and regretting this day for ever.
Or would she have? Did circumstances cause situations like this or were they just excuses? If she hadn’t cared about Jack, deep down, would she have been in this position?
She was way too close to the edge of falling for Jack and she needed to get a grip or leave town, now. Leave Jack before she found herself loving another man who needed healing. But she was trapped until Mary had her baby.
The soft, easily suckered side of Eliza whispered that maybe if he admitted to loving her she could think of them together with a glimmer of hope. But she was scared. Rightly so. She’d thought she’d been in love before—although she’d never experienced the intensity or reckless abandon she’d felt in the last few minutes. But that had probably just been exacerbated by the horrific drama of the day.
She’d just have to see what the next day brought but the glow remained.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘I THINK it would be better if we didn’t mention that I called out to see you at Dulcie’s,’ Jack said. ‘Just for a while.’
She froze and the morning round shattered into reality. Another ‘secret’ relationship.
Her face felt stiff as she struggled to keep it bland and fight down the sudden nausea that gripped her.
‘Why is that, Jack?’
He leant on the desk as he looked at her and he frowned. ‘Just don’t, OK?’
Eliza stared at this stranger she’d probably given her heart to. Was he going to give her a reason or tell her he wasn’t regretting last night? But, of course, he didn’t. She couldn’t believe how much of a fool she’d been. Again.
She’d seen this one coming. She’d opened herself to this risk and look where it had left her. Next-morning regrets from a man who should have grown out of them.
Not that she’d planned to shout their attraction from the rooftops but a look or a touch of his hand on hers at work, celebrating a new closeness, would have been good to her. Second thoughts and secret relationships were something she’d vowed never to settle for again.
Regrettably, she couldn’t leave today. She’d ring Julie, though, and get the agency moving on looking for a replacement. It could take weeks to get away but she could be strong for that long.
Jack behaved as if nothing had happened, and Eliza supposed she had actually given him the opportunity to do exactly that when she’d said to him ‘Later, or not at all,’ in Dulcie’s kitchen. But she hadn’t thought he’d take her up on it.
Eliza would have to be thankful that she’d woken up to Jack before she’d done something irretrievable.
She needed to immerse herself in work. Twenty-four seven.
‘I’d like to take Dulcie out on Saturday for the morning, back to her place to see her animals. Are you happy to give her leave?’
Jack thought about it and then tilted his head in agreement. ‘Of course. If you think she can manage it. It will be a good indication of her progress. I’ll bring her out if you like.’
Eliza’s hand tightened on the folder she carried and the paper actually creaked until she made herself loosen her grip. Jack at Dulcie’s again was the last thing she wanted, but there was nothing she could do to stop him.
‘If you think you should.’ The words only just escaped her clenched teeth but he didn’t notice. ‘We’ll finalise the time during the week.’
Jack seemed satisfied with that and finally he left the ward. Eliza walked away, turned into one of the empty rooms, leant back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was a fool, fool, fool!
Jack was confused and shaken by his response to Eliza last night and he was glad she wasn’t making an issue out of a moment. The trouble was, he wasn’t sure it had just been a moment. He didn’t want to destroy something fragile by rushing something that they both weren’t ready for. He’d done that with Lydia and had lived to regret it.
He certainly didn’t want half the town, most of them relatives, breathing down his neck if he courted Eliza, but he wasn’t certain Eliza understood that.
He hoped he hadn’t hurt her. He’d apologise if he had the next time he saw her, but a part of him was relieved that, on the surface at least, she wasn’t making a meal of last night. They’d sort it out. But he’d panicked when he’d pictured the buzz on the grapevine.
She didn’t realise what this town was like, the power of the gossip, the accidental destruction that could happen. Though it seemed he’d done some destroying of his own.
He had full intentions of pursuing Eliza, if she’d have him after the way he’d put it so badly.
But he was beginning to realise that nothing was worth the price of losing Eliza.
During the rest of the week Jack found out just how elusive Eliza could be, but it only made him more determined to break down her reserve. He’d never had a hard time apologising to a woman before. Especially now that he accepted he was falling more in love with her every day.
Eliza’s face kept him awake in the brief times he had to sleep or appeared in his mind when he opened his eyes in the morning. The memories of her skin against his, her breast beneath his hand and the connection he’d felt when he’d kissed her all taunted him.
As each day finished with Eliza more distant than before, he began to hope the visit with Dulcie would clear the air because it would give them both some time away from work. It had better. He was beginning to feel obsessed with Eliza May and he didn’t do obsession well.
On Friday night Eliza dusted and oiled furniture, although the smooth feel of the old timber made her think of Jack and the time she’d run her hands over his chest, solid and warm beneath her fingers. She had it bad. She scrubbed the kitchen, especially the table, but the memories wouldn’t clear from the room.
She spread fresh flowers in vases around the little cottage and threw the sparkling windows wide because she could still imagine Jack beside her and she wanted the rooms fresh and untainted.
She wanted Dulcie to get as much joy out of her visit as possible—somebody should—and Eliza wanted to stay busy so she couldn’t think of Jack back in this house again.
Saturday morning Eliza mowed the lawn and swept the verandas, and the activity almost kept her mind off the thought of Jack bringing Dulcie.
The weather turned on a sunny day and Eliza put extra chairs on the veranda in case Dulcie wanted to look out over the lawn.
She slipped into the shower an hour before they were due, and she dressed for Dulcie, not for Jack, but she needed to feel at her best for her self-esteem.
At ten o’clock Jack’s car pulled up and Eliza met them at the gate.
Dulcie’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Eliza! It looks so wonderful.’ Roxy barked and circled excitedly when she saw her mistress.
Jack, dressed in dark jeans and an open-necked shirt, looked so dear to her that Eliza’s heart sank. It was too late. She did love him. How on earth was she going to get through this day?
He walked
across with a white paper bag balanced on his hand and a wicked smile on his face. ‘I’ve brought a teacake.’ He handed it ceremoniously to Eliza before he opened Dulcie’s door and helped the older woman out of the car.
‘Down, Roxy.’ Dulcie laughed. ‘Yes, I know you want to lick me. That’s enough. Yucky.’
Eliza carried the cake and smiled at the dog’s excitement, all the time feeling as though she were looking through thick glass at the scene. Jack looked across at her strangely a few times but she just stared blandly back.
When Roxy had calmed down, Jack followed Dulcie up the path to the veranda. Although the older woman managed the path without strain, the steps were not so easy.
‘Take your time,’ Eliza said quietly, and with Jack’s help Dulcie finally reached her door.
Dulcie stared around with tears in her eyes. ‘It all looks so wonderful. How can I ever thank you, Eliza?’
‘You have—by letting me stay here. Besides, your feather bed is much better than the Bellbrook Inn.’
She ushered Dulcie in. ‘I bought biscuits because I’m a terrible cook, but now we have Jack’s cake we’ll put the kettle on and have a party.’ She glanced at Dulcie’s flushed face. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I’m not doing too bad with my walking, but getting onto the veranda was more difficult than I’d bargained for.’
Jack stepped in. ‘The occupational therapist will concentrate on steps this week and that should help. Don’t rush—you’re planning for the long term.’
‘Sit down and I’ll get the tea.’ Eliza pulled out a firm chair from the table.
Dulcie smiled. ‘Can I get it? I know I’m being impatient, but I’d like to see how I manage in the kitchen.’
Eliza winced at thought of being left with Jack. ‘Fine, as long as Dr Jack carries the heavy teapot.’
Eliza and Jack stood in the centre of the room together and Eliza tried not to look into the kitchen where they had almost made love. When she glanced at him, Eliza found he was watching her.
‘The cottage looks great, Eliza.’ Those were his words but the expression in his eyes said, I remember you here.
Eliza felt the heat in her cheeks and looked away. She’d tried not to think about that day but obviously Jack had no such compunction.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep her voice even. ‘The cottage is easy to keep clean.’
Jack glanced towards the kitchen where Dulcie was still clattering dishes. ‘I’d like to come back this evening. We need to talk, Eliza.’
Eliza shook her head vehemently. ‘I’d prefer that you didn’t!’ She lowered her voice. ‘There’s nothing to talk about.’
Obviously Jack wasn’t used to people saying no to him. Well, he’d just have to learn, Eliza thought.
‘You can’t ignore what happened between us, Eliza.’
‘I thought we both agreed nothing did happen. If it had, I could certainly ignore it.’
Dulcie’s voice floated through. ‘Can you carry the tray, Eliza, please?’
‘I’ll get it and come back for the pot,’ Jack said, but he was watching Eliza as he stood up. Then he was gone but she could feel his look like a dose of sunburn.
This was too much. He’d discovered she was weak around him and he was relying on that weakness to break her resistance. What she couldn’t figure was why he’d suddenly decided she was worth the effort.
Dulcie walked carefully back into the room and her face showed her obvious delight with her first kitchen enterprise. ‘It wasn’t too bad. To carry things is a problem, but I could buy myself a cake trolley until I get steadier.’
‘Another couple of weeks will make a huge difference,’ Jack said as he followed her with a large pink enamel teapot. ‘Love the spout on this, Dulcie.’
‘It was my mother-in-law’s. She gave it to me before she died.’
Eliza tilted her head. ‘I didn’t know you were married.’ Anything to take her mind away from Jack.
‘Happily widowed,’ she said, and Eliza had to smile.
‘So who would be your next of kin? Do you have any children?’ As soon as she said it Eliza remembered Jack had said Dulcie had a daughter she was estranged from. It was too late now to take the questions back.
Dulcie’s eyes clouded. ‘One—but we haven’t seen each other for ten years. We’re stubborn women, the Gardners, and it took my pregnancy before I made up with my own mother.’
‘Maybe that’s when I’ll see mine, too,’ Eliza said, and then wondered what had possessed her to blurt that out. She wasn’t planning to get married, let alone the next step of having a baby, and she certainly had never thought of forgiving her mother enough to seek her out. Or maybe lately she had?
Many things seemed to be changing since she’d come to Bellbrook. She was more accepting of bushfires, was getting used to being the object of a town’s conversation, could almost consider living in the country again, and now she was even contemplating finding her mother.
Dulcie reached across and patted Eliza’s knee. ‘And you’ve never heard from her in all that time?’
‘She sends me birthday and Christmas cards but I’ve never answered.’ It didn’t actually sound very mature when she heard herself say it out loud. ‘We haven’t spoken since my father died.’
Dulcie shook her head. ‘If she’s still writing them she must be waiting for the day you answer.’
Jack lightened the moment. ‘Well, if my mother were alive I would be speaking to her. But, then, men are much easier to get along with than women.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Eliza was glad to change the subject. ‘Cut your cake and make a wish.’
Dulcie laughed and said, ‘If you touch the plate with the knife, you have to kiss the nearest girl.’
Eliza felt a sense of déjà vu. Now, why on earth would she remember her mother had said that all those years ago? It was probably the only pleasant memory Eliza had of her, and she began to wonder if maybe she had only remembered the bad things.
‘Oh, goody. I can rig this one.’ Jack grinned and the devil glinted in his eyes as he raised the knife.
Eliza panicked. ‘Well, that would be you, Dulcie. I’m off to wash up.’ Eliza pushed back her chair but she wasn’t quick enough.
Jack sliced into the cake, scraped noisily against the plate underneath and swooped to drop a kiss on her cheek as she leant forward to rise. The kiss was warm and sweet and very quick, but Eliza felt the aftershocks of his lips on her skin and knew that she had to get out of there.
‘And one for my other nearest girl.’ Jack laughed and proceeded to peck Dulcie’s cheek as well.
‘Don’t you hate a show-off?’ Dulcie laughed but her cheeks were pink with pleasure.
The morning passed swiftly and before Dulcie began to tire they finished with a walk around the animals so Dulcie could say goodbye. Jack helped her back into his car.
‘Thank you both so much. I’ve had a lovely morning.’ Dulcie struggled with her seat belt but finally managed to do the clasp without help. ‘I’ll see you on Monday, Eliza.’
‘You did beautifully, Dulcie.’
Jack walked round to the driver’s side of his vehicle and paused before getting in. He looked at Eliza across the roof. ‘I’ll see you this evening.’
Eliza didn’t flinch. She’d go out straight after she’d cleaned up. ‘Not here, you won’t.’
Before Eliza had a chance to get away, she heard the sound of Jack’s car coming up the road and she gritted her teeth. He’d said evening. She dashed across, locked the front door and then scooted through to the kitchen to slip out the back.
Roxy appeared beside her but seemed torn between the sound of Jack’s approaching car and walking with Eliza.
‘Come with me.’ Eliza urged the dog to follow her round the corner of the house and out into the shelter of the trees. If she stayed on the fence line, she should be protected from view. She stamped down the thought that she was being melodramatic.
�
�Eliza?’ Jack’s voice floated across the paddock and Roxy barked.
Eliza winced. ‘For goodness’ sake, Roxy. Either be quiet or go and see him, but don’t come back to me.’ Of course Roxy went to see Jack and showed him the way to Eliza.
Eliza resigned herself to looking foolish if she didn’t find a good reason for lurking in the bushes and she glanced around frantically for one.
A vibrant patch of purple everlastings would have to do as a reason for her position. She began to break off the thick stems and had collected a sizable bunch before Jack appeared.
Jack tried not to smile at Eliza pretending to pick flowers. He’d seen her dash across the yard and had had a fair idea where she was even before Roxy had telegraphed to the world that her temporary mistress was hiding in the trees. ‘Gone bush?’
Eliza tucked her hair behind her ear, but it promptly slipped out again. ‘I asked you not to come.’
Asking was putting it kindly, Jack thought. ‘Actually, it was more of an order not to visit.’ Of course, that had made him want to come more.
She glared at him briefly and if she’d had any kind of fairy magic he would have keeled over from that look. Then she went back to picking those ugly flowers, which he couldn’t see why anyone would want.
‘You’re not very good at following orders,’ Eliza muttered.
He shrugged. ‘Never have been—but I could learn.’
‘I doubt it.’ She wasn’t meeting his eyes and that was frustrating in itself. This new wall she’d erected between them was currently impervious.
‘What is it you want from me, Jack?’ Now she was staring at him and the fire in her eyes made him wonder what he’d done to ignite this white rage. ‘Are you looking for a free feed, a shoulder to cry on or just sex?’
He opened his mouth to dispute them all but she wouldn’t let him talk.
‘You don’t want commitment, you’ve told me nothing about your past and you don’t want your safe little world disturbed to risk your heart. Now you want a fling on the side as long as we keep it secret. What’s in it for me, Jack?’ She spread her arms wide and talked to the treetops. ‘I’ll tell you what’s in it for me. Nothing.’ She glared back at him. ‘Now I’ll tell you what I’m willing to risk! Also nothing! So there you go. We’re the perfect pair to stay apart. Now, will you leave?’
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