Izzy sent him a glance. ‘The son or the father?’
The top edge of his mouth curled upwards but it wasn’t anywhere near a smile. ‘The kid’s all right. Just needs to grow up.’
‘How old is he?’
‘Eighteen and a train wreck waiting to happen.’
‘What about his mother?’
‘His parents are divorced. Vanessa Redbank remarried a few years ago.’ He waited a beat before adding, ‘She has a new family now.’
Izzy glanced at him again. His mouth had tightened into its default position of grim. ‘Does Damien see his mother?’
‘Occasionally.’
Occasionally probably wasn’t good enough, Izzy thought. ‘Where does she live?’
‘Melbourne.’
‘At least it’s not the other side of the world.’ She bit her lip and wished she hadn’t spoken her thoughts out loud. ‘I’m sorry...I hope I didn’t offend you.’
He gave her a quick glance. ‘Offend me how?’
Izzy tried to read his look but the mask was firmly back in place. ‘It must have been really tough on you when your mother left. England is a long way away from here. It feels like everywhere is a long way away from here. It would’ve seemed even longer to a young child.’
‘I wasn’t a young child. I was ten.’ His voice was stripped bare of emotion; as if he was reading from a script and not speaking from personal experience. ‘Plenty old enough to take care of myself.’
Izzy could imagine him watching as his mother had driven away from the property for the last time. His face blank, his spine and shoulders stoically braced, while no doubt inside him a tsunami of emotion had been roiling. Had his father comforted him or had he been too consumed by his own devastation over the breakdown of his marriage? No wonder Zach had an aura of unreachability about him. It was a circle of deep loneliness that kept him apart from others. He didn’t want to need people so he kept well back from them.
Unlike her, who felt totally crushed if everyone didn’t take an instant shine to her. Doing and saying the right thing—people-pleasing—had been the script she had been handed from the cradle. It was only now that she had stepped off the stage, so to speak, that she could see how terribly lonely and isolated she had felt.
Still felt...
When had she not felt lonely? Being sent to boarding school hadn’t helped. She had wanted to go to a day school close to home but her protests had been ignored. All Courtneys went to boarding school. It was a tradition that went back generations. It was what the aristocracy did. But Izzy had been too bookish and too shy to be the most popular girl. Not athletic enough to be chosen first, let alone be appointed the captain of any of the sporting teams. Too keen to please her teachers, which hadn’t won her any friends. Too frightened to do the wrong thing in case she was made a spectacle of in front of the whole school. Until she’d met Hannah a couple of years later, her life had been terrifyingly, achingly lonely.
* * *
‘When I was ten I still couldn’t go to sleep unless all of my Barbie dolls were lined up in bed with me in exactly the right order.’ Why are you telling him this stuff? ‘I’ve still got them. Not with me, of course.’
Zach’s gaze touched hers briefly. It was the first time she had seen a hint of a smile dare to come anywhere near the vicinity of his mouth. But just as soon as it appeared it vanished. He turned his attention back to the grey ribbon of road in front of them where in the distance Izzy could see the shape of a car wedged at a steep angle against the bank running alongside the road. Another car had pulled up alongside, presumably the person who had called for help.
‘Damien’s father’s not going to be too happy about this,’ Zach said. ‘He’s only had that car a couple of weeks.’
‘But surely he’ll be more concerned about his son?’ Izzy said. ‘Cars can be replaced. People can’t.’
The line of his mouth tilted in a cynical manner as he killed the engine. ‘Try telling Damien’s mother that.’
CHAPTER FOUR
WHEN IZZY GOT to the car the young driver was sitting on the roadside, holding his right arm against his chest. ‘Damien? Hi, I’m Isabella Courtney, the new locum doctor in town. I’m going to check you over. Is that OK?’
Damien gave her a belligerent look. ‘I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor. And before you ask—’ he sent Zach a glance ‘—no, I wasn’t drinking.’
‘I still have to do a breathalyser on you, mate,’ Zach said. ‘It’s regulation when there’s been an accident.’
‘A stupid wombat was in the middle of the road,’ Damien said. ‘I had to swerve to miss it.’
‘That arm looks pretty uncomfortable,’ Izzy said. ‘How about I take a look at it and if it’s not too bad we can send you home.’
He rolled his eyes in that universal teenage this sucks manner, but he co-operated while she examined him. He had some minor abrasions on his forehead and face but the airbag had prevented any major injury. His humerus, however, was angled and swollen, indicative of a broken arm. Izzy took his pulse and found it was very weak and the forearm looked dusky due to the artery being kinked at the fracture site.
‘I’m going to have to straighten that arm to restore blood flow,’ she said. ‘I’ll give you something to take the edge off it but it still might hurt a bit.’ She took out a Penthrane inhalant, which would deliver rapid analgesia. ‘Take a few deep breaths on this...yes, that’s right. Good job.’
While Damien was taking deep breaths on the inhalant Izzy put traction on the arm and aligned it. He gave a yowl during the process but the pulse had come back into the wrist and the hand and forearm had pinked up.
‘Sorry about that,’ she said. ‘You did really well. I’m going to put a splint on your arm so we can get you to hospital. You’re going to need an orthopaedic surgeon to have a look at that fracture.’
Damien muttered a swear word under his breath. ‘My dad is going to kill me.’
‘I’ve just called him,’ Zach said. ‘He’s on his way. The ambos are five minutes away,’ he said to Izzy.
‘Good,’ Izzy said, as she unpacked the inflatable splint. The boy was shivering with shock by now so she gave him an injection of morphine. She was about to ask Zach to pass her the blanket out of the kit when he handed it to her. She gave him a smile. ‘Mind-reader.’
He gave a shrug. ‘Been at a lot of accidents.’
Izzy hated to think of how terrible some of them might have been. Cops and ambulance personnel were always at the centre of drama and tragedy. The toll it took on them was well documented. But out in the bush, where the officers often personally knew the victims, it was particularly harrowing.
The volunteer ambulance officers were two of the people Izzy had met the other night at the pub, Ken Gordon and Roger Parker. After briefing them on the boy’s condition, she supervised them as they loaded Damien onto a stretcher, supporting his arm. And then, once he was loaded, she put in an IV and set some fluids running. The Royal Flying Doctor Service would take over once the ambulance had delivered the boy to the meeting point about eighty kilometres away.
Not long after the ambulance had left, a four-wheel-drive farm vehicle pulled up. A middle-aged man got out from behind the wheel and came over to where Zach was sorting out the towing of the damaged vehicle with the local farmer who had called in the accident.
‘Is it a write-off?’ Charles Redbank asked.
Izzy paused in the process of stripping off her sterile gloves. Although Zach had called Charles and told him Damien was OK, she still found it strange that he would want to check on the car before he saw his son. What sort of father was he? Was a car really more important to him than his own flesh and blood?
Zach put his pen back in his top pocket as he faced Charles. His mouth looked particularly grim. ‘No.’
‘Bloody fool,’ Charles muttered. ‘Was he drinking?’
‘No.’
‘He’s not seriously hurt.’ Izzy stepped forward. ‘He has a broken arm
that will need to be seen by an orthopaedic surgeon. I’ve arranged for him to be flown to Bourke. If you hurry you can catch up with the ambulance. It’s only just left. You probably passed it on the road.’
‘I came in on the side road from Turner’s Creek,’ Charles said. ‘And you can think again if you think I’m going to chase after him just because he’s got a broken arm. He can deal with it. He’s an adult, or he’s supposed to be.’
Yes, and he’s had a great role model, Izzy thought. ‘Damien will need a few things if he stays in hospital for a day or two. A change of clothes, a toothbrush, toiletries—that sort of thing.’
Charles gave her the once-over. ‘Are you the new doctor?’
‘Yes. Isabella Courtney.’
His eyes ran over her again, lingering a little too long on her breasts. ‘Bit young to be a doctor, aren’t you?’
Izzy had faced similar comments for most of her medical career. She did her best to not let it get to her. Just because she had a youthful appearance, it didn’t mean she wasn’t good at her job. ‘I can assure you I am quite old enough and have all the necessary qualifications.’
‘Your left brake light isn’t working,’ Zach said to Charles.
Charles rocked back on his heels, his gaze running between Izzy and Zach like a ferret’s. ‘So that’s the way it is, is it? Well, well, well. You’re a fast worker. She’s only been in town, what, a couple of days?’
Zach’s jaw looked like it had been set in place by an invisible clamp. ‘I told you three weeks ago to get it fixed.’
Charles’s smile was goading. ‘She’s a bit too upmarket for you, Fletch. And what would your old man say if you brought a posh Pommy girl home, eh? That’d go down a treat, wouldn’t it?’
Izzy marvelled at Zach’s self-control for even she felt like punching Charles Redbank. Zach looked down from his considerable height advantage at the farmer, his strong gaze unwavering. ‘I’ll give you twenty-four hours to get that light seen to. Ian Cooke is going to tow the car into Joe’s workshop. He’s gone back to town for the truck now. I’m heading to Bourke for a court appearance tomorrow. If you pack a few things for Damien, I’ll swing by and pick them up before I leave in the morning.’
‘Wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble,’ Charles said, with a deliberate absence of sincerity.
‘It’s no trouble,’ Zach said. ‘Damien’s a good kid. He just needs a little direction.’
Charles’s lip curled. ‘What? And you think you’re the one to give it to him?’
‘That’s your job,’ Zach said, and turned away to leave. ‘Coming, Dr Courtney?’
Izzy waited until they were in the car before she said, ‘Is there a special section in the police training manual on how to handle jerks?’
He gave her a look as he started the engine. ‘He’s a prize one, isn’t he?’
‘You handled that situation so well. I was impressed.’ She pulled down her seat belt and clicked it into place. ‘Quite frankly, I wanted to punch him.’
‘Two wrongs never make a right.’
Izzy studied him for a beat or two. ‘Are you really going to Bourke for a court appearance tomorrow?’
He turned the car for town before he answered. ‘I have the day off. It’ll be an outing for my father if I can convince him to come. Take his mind off his own troubles for a change.’
‘He’s very lucky to have you.’
‘He’s a good dad. He’s always tried to do his best, even under difficult circumstances.’
The township appeared in the distance, the sprinkling of lights glittering in the warm night air.
‘You did a good job out there tonight.’ Zach broke the silence that had fallen between them.
Izzy glanced at him again. ‘You were expecting me not to, weren’t you?’
‘Have you worked in a remote region before?’
‘I did a short stint in South Africa last year.’
His brows moved upwards. ‘So why Outback Australia this year?’
‘I’ve always wanted to come out here,’ Izzy said. ‘A lot of my friends had come out and told me how amazing it is. I spent a few days in Sydney on my way here. I’m looking forward to seeing a bit more after I finish my six months of locums. Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, maybe a quick trip up to Broome and the Kimberleys.’
Another silence fell.
Izzy felt as if he was waiting for her to tell him her real reason for coming out here. It was what cops did. They waited. They listened. They observed. She had seen him looking at her ring hand while she’d been strapping up Damien. He’d been a cop too long to miss that sort of detail. ‘I also wanted to get away from home for a while. My parents weren’t too happy about me breaking off my engagement a couple of months ago.’
‘How long were you engaged?’
‘Four years.’
‘Some people don’t stay married that long.’
‘True.’ She waited a moment before saying, ‘Margie told me you’d gone through a break-up a while back.’
‘Yeah, well, I can’t scratch my nose in this town without everyone hearing about it.’ His tone was edgy, annoyed.
Izzy pushed on regardless. ‘Were you together long?’
He threw her a hard glance. ‘Why are you asking me? Surely the locals have already given you all the gory details?’
‘I’d like to hear it from you.’
He drove for another two kilometres or so before he spoke. ‘We’d been seeing each other a year or so. We had only been engaged for a couple of months when my father had his accident.’
‘So you came back home.’
‘Yeah.’
‘She didn’t want to pull up stumps and come with you?’
‘Nope.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. I’m not.’ He pulled up in front of her cottage and swivelled in his seat to look at her. ‘Was your fiancé a doctor?’
‘A banker.’ She put her hand on the door. ‘Um, I should go in. It’s getting late.’
‘I’ll walk you to the door.’
‘That’s not necessary...’ It was too late. He was already out of the car and coming round to her side.
Izzy stepped out of the car but she misjudged the kerb and stumbled forward. Two iron-strong hands shot out and prevented her from falling. She felt every one of his fingers around her upper arms. That wasn’t all she felt. Electric heat coursed through her from the top of her head to the balls of her feet. She could smell the scent of his skin, the sweat and dust and healthy male smell that was like a tantalising potion to her overly sanitised city nostrils. Her heart gave a skittish jump as she saw the way his grey-blue gaze tracked to her mouth. The pepper of his stubble was rough along his jaw, the vigorous regrowth a heady reminder of the potent hormones that marked him as a full-blooded man.
‘You OK?’ His fingers loosened a mere fraction as his eyes came back to hers.
‘I—I’m fine...’ She felt a blush run up over her skin, the heat coming from the secret core of her body. ‘I’m not normally so clumsy.’
He released her and took a step backwards, his expression as unfathomable as ever. ‘The ground is pretty rough out here. You need to take extra care until you find your feet.’
‘I’ll be careful.’ Izzy pushed a strand of hair back off her face. ‘Um, would you like to come in for a coffee?’ Oh. My. God. You just asked him in for coffee! What are you doing? Are you nuts?
His brows twitched together. ‘Coffee?’
‘Don’t all cops drink coffee? I have tea if you’d prefer. No doughnuts, I’m afraid. I guess it’s kind of a cliché, you know, cops and doughnuts. I bet you don’t even eat them.’ Stop talking!
‘Thanks, but no.’
No?
No?
It was hard not to feel slighted. Was she such hideous company that a simple coffee was out of the question? ‘Fine.’ Izzy forced a smile. ‘Some other time, then.’ She lifted a hand in a fingertip wave. ‘Thanks for the lift. See you ar
ound.’ She turned and walked quickly and purposefully to the cottage knowing he probably wouldn’t drive away until she was safely inside.
‘Dr Courtney.’
Izzy turned to see him holding her doctor’s bag, which she had left on the back seat of his car. Her cheeks flared all over again. What was it about him that made her brain turn to scrambled mush? ‘Oh...right. Might need that.’
He brought her bag to her on the doorstep, his fingers brushing against hers as he handed it over. The shock of his touch thrilled her senses all over again and her heart gave another skip-hop-skip inside her chest. The flecks of blue in his eyes seemed even darker than ever, his pupils black, bottomless inkwells.
‘Thanks.’ Her voice came out like a mouse squeak.
‘You’re welcome.’
The crackle of the police radio in the car sounded excessively loud. Jarring.
He gave her one of his curt nods and stepped down off the veranda, walking the short distance to his car, getting behind the wheel and driving off, all within the space of a few seconds.
Izzy slowly released her breath as she watched his taillights disappear into the distance.
Stop that thought.
You did not come all this way to make your life even more complicated.
* * *
Zach found his father sitting out on the southern side of the veranda when he got back to the homestead. He let out the tight breath he felt like he’d been holding all day and let his shoulders go down with it. ‘Fancy a run out to Bourke tomorrow?’
‘What for?’
‘Damien Redbank had an accident this evening. He’s fine, apart from a broken arm. He’ll be in hospital a couple of days. I thought he could do with some company.’
‘What’s wrong with his father?’
‘Good question.’ Zach took off his police hat and raked his hands through his sweat-sticky hair.
Doug gave him a probing look. ‘You OK?’
Zach tossed his hat onto the nearest cane chair. ‘I’ve never felt more like punching someone’s lights out.’
Flirting with the Socialite Doc (Mills & Boon Medical) Page 4
