Doug winced as he pushed back from the table. ‘Maybe you should call the doctor for me. Pain’s pretty bad...’ He sucked in a breath. ‘Getting worse by the minute.’
Zach mentally rolled his eyes as he reached for his phone. The one time he wanted some distance from Izzy Courtney and his father springs a turnaround on him. He considered waiting it out to see if his father recovered without intervention but he knew he would never forgive himself if things took a turn for the worse. His father’s health hadn’t been checked since William Sawyer had left on holidays. He was supposed to be monitored weekly for his blood pressure. Severe pain could trigger heart attacks in some patients and the last thing Zach wanted was to be responsible for inaction just because of a silly little tiff with the locum doctor.
He was annoyed with himself for reacting the way he had. He didn’t want Izzy thinking she had any hold over him. So what if she wanted to get a playgroup going before she left? It was a good idea—a great idea. It was exactly what the town needed. She was doing all she could in the short time she was here to make a difference. Once she was done waving her magic wand around he would wave her off without a flicker of emotion showing on his face.
That was one lesson he had learned and learned well.
Izzy arrived twenty-five minutes later, carrying her doctor’s bag and a coolly distant manner Zach knew he probably deserved. ‘He’s in the bedroom, lying down,’ he said.
‘How long has he been feeling unwell?’
‘Since before I got home. He’s run out of pain meds. It’s probably withdrawal.’
‘Is he happy to see me?’
He inched up the corner of his mouth in a sardonic curl. ‘You think I would’ve called you otherwise?’
Her brown eyes flashed a little arc of lightning at him. ‘Lead the way.’
Zach knew he was acting like a prize jerk. He couldn’t seem to help it. It was the only way to keep his distance. He was worried about complicating his life with a dalliance with her even though he could think of nothing he wanted more than to lose himself in a bit of mindless sex. He didn’t have her pegged as the sort of girl who would settle for a fling. She’d been engaged to the same man for four years. That didn’t sound like a girl who was eager to put out to the first guy who showed an interest in her.
And Zach was more than interested in her.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. How she’d felt in his arms, the way her mouth had met the passion of his, the softness of her breast in his mouth, the hard little pebble of her nipple against his tongue, the taste of the skin of her neck, that sweet, flowery scent of her that reminded him of an English cottage garden in spring.
‘Hello, Mr Fletcher.’ Izzy’s voice broke through Zach’s erotic reverie. ‘Zach told me you’re not feeling so good this evening.’
‘Pain...’ Doug gestured to his abdomen and his back; his breathing was ragged now, his brow sticky with sweat. ‘Bad pain...’
Zach watched as she examined his father’s chest and abdomen and then his back with gentle hands. He couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. He would have liked those soft little hands running over his chest and abdomen and lower. His groin swelled at the thought and he had to think of something unpleasant to get control again.
She took his father’s blood pressure, her forehead puckered in concentration as she listened to his account of how he had been feeling over the last few hours.
‘Any history of renal colic?’ she asked. ‘Kidney stones?’
‘A few years back,’ his father said. ‘Six or seven years ago, I think. Didn’t need to go to hospital or anything. I passed them eventually. Hurt like the devil. None since.’
‘I’ll give you a shot of morphine for the pain but I think we should organise an IVP tomorrow if the pain doesn’t go away overnight,’ Izzy said. ‘When was the last time you passed urine?’
‘Not for a while, three hours ago maybe.’
‘Any pain or difficulty?’
‘A bit.’
‘Do you think you could give me a urine sample if I leave you with a specimen bottle?’ she asked as she administered the injection.
‘I’ll give it a try.’
‘I’ll wait in the kitchen to give you some privacy.’ She clipped shut her bag and walked past Zach, her body brushing his in the doorway making him go hard all over again.
‘Might need a hand getting to the bathroom, Zach,’ his father said.
Zach blinked a couple of times to reorient himself. ‘Right. Sure.’
CHAPTER TEN
IZZY WAS SITTING on one of the kitchen chairs with Popeye on her lap when Zach came back in, carrying a urine sample bottle inside the press-lock plastic bag she’d provided. She put the dog on the floor and stood, taking the sample from him and giving it a quick check for blood or cloudiness that would suggest infection, before putting it next to her bag on the floor.
She straightened and kept her doctor face in place, trying to ignore the way her body was so acutely aware of the proximity of Zach’s. ‘Your father should be feeling a little better in the next half-hour or so. Make sure he drinks plenty of clear fluids over the next twenty-four hours. If he has any trouble passing urine, don’t hesitate to call. If the bladder blocks I can insert a catheter to drain it until we can get him to hospital. But I don’t think it will come to that. It seems a pretty standard case of renal colic. Being less active, he probably doesn’t feel as thirsty as much as he used to. Older men often fail to keep an adequate intake of fluids.’ She knew she was talking like a medical textbook but she couldn’t seem to stop it. ‘That’s about it. I’ll be on my way. Goodbye.’
‘Izzy.’ His hand was firm and warm on the bare skin of her arm. It sent a current of electricity to the secret heart of her.
Izzy met his gaze. It wasn’t hard and cold with anger now but tired, as if he had grown weary of screening his inner turmoil from view. Her heart stepped off its high horse and nestled back down in her chest with a soft little sign. ‘Are you OK?’
His mouth softened its grim line. ‘Sorry about this afternoon. I was acting like a jerk.’ His thumb started stroking the skin of her arm, a back-and-forth motion that was drugging her senses.
‘You’ve got a lot on your mind right now with your dad and everything.’
‘Don’t make excuses for me.’ His thumb moved to the back of her hand, absently moving over the tendons in a circular motion. ‘I was out of line, snapping your head off like that.’
Izzy gave him a mock reproachful arch of her brow. ‘Fairy dust?’
His thumb stalled on her hand and he looked down at it as if he’d only just realised he’d been stroking it. He released her and took a step backwards, using the same hand to score a crooked pathway through his hair. ‘Thanks for coming out. I appreciate it. I think you’ve won my dad over.’
What about you? Have I won you over? Izzy studied his now closed-off expression. ‘I hope he has a settled night. Call me if you’re worried. I’ll keep my phone on.’
He walked her out to the car but he hardly said a word. Izzy got the impression he couldn’t wait for her to leave. It made her spirits plummet. She’d thought for a moment back there he’d been going to kiss her, maybe even take it a step further.
She hadn’t realised how much she wanted him to until he hadn’t.
* * *
Caitlyn Graham turned up at the clinic the following day with Skylar. ‘Sorry about missing our appointment,’ she said. ‘I took the kids for a drive to see a friend of mine on a property out of town. I forgot to phone and cancel. There’s no signal out there so I couldn’t call even when I remembered.’
‘No problem,’ Izzy said. ‘Just as long as Skylar’s OK.’ She inspected the little tot’s forehead and asked casually, ‘How are the boys?’
‘They’re at school,’ Caitlyn said. ‘Jobe made a fuss about going. He hates it. He has a tantrum about going just about every morning.’
‘Is he being bullied?’
‘W
hat, at school? Nah, don’t think so. Wayne would have a fit if he heard Jobe couldn’t stand up for himself.’
‘Did you get the bag of toys Zach dropped in for the kids?’ Izzy asked.
Caitlyn’s expression flickered with something before she got it under control. ‘Wayne wasn’t too happy about that. He doesn’t think it’s right to spoil kids, especially if they’re not behaving themselves.’
‘Does Wayne get on well with the kids?’
‘All right, I guess.’ Caitlyn brushed her daughter’s fluffy blonde hair down into some semblance of order. ‘They’re not his. None of my kids are.’
‘Do you have any contact with Jobe’s father?’ Izzy asked.
‘No, and I don’t want to.’ Caitlyn’s expression tightened like a fist. ‘Jobe’s got it in his head Connor is some sort of hero but he’s just another loser. Connor caused a lot of trouble between Brad and me—that’s Eli and Skylar’s dad. It’s what broke us up, actually.’
‘What sort of trouble?’
‘Picking fights. Saying things about Brad that weren’t true. Punch-ups on the street. Making me look like trailer trash. I took a restraining order out on him. He can’t come anywhere near me or Jobe.’
‘What about Brad? Does he have contact with Eli and Skylar?’
‘Now and again but Wayne’s not keen on it. Thinks I might be tempted to go back to him or something. As if.’ She rolled her eyes at the thought. ‘Wayne’s no prize but at least he brings in a bit of money.’
‘What does he do?’
‘He’s a truck driver. He does four runs a week, sometimes more. He’s the first man I’ve had who’s held down a regular job.’
‘It must get lonely out here for you with him away a lot,’ Izzy said.
‘It’s no picnic with three kids, but, as my mum keeps saying, I made my bed so I have to lie in it.’
Izzy brought up the subject of a playgroup at the community centre. Caitlyn shrugged as if the thought held little appeal but Izzy knew apathy was a common trait amongst young women who felt the world was against them. ‘I’ll let you know once we get things sorted,’ she said as Caitlyn left the consulting room. ‘Skylar will enjoy it and we might even be able to do an after-school one if things go well so the boys can come too.’
‘I’ll think about it. See what Wayne says. I like to fit in with him. Causes less trouble that way.’
Izzy closed the door once Caitlyn had left. It was a shock to realise she had no right to criticise Caitlyn for accommodating her partner’s unreasonable demands.
Hadn’t she done more or less the same with Richard for the last four years?
* * *
Margie put the reception phone down just as Izzy came out of her room. ‘That was Doug Fletcher. He passed a couple of kidney stones last night. He’s feeling much better.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’
‘Not only that,’ Margie continued with a beaming smile, ‘he asked me to go over there tonight. I’m going to make him dinner.’
‘That’s lovely. I’m pleased for you.’
‘I have a favour to ask.’
‘You want to leave early?’ Izzy asked. ‘Sure. I can do the filing and lock up.’
‘No, not that.’ Margie gave her a beseeching look. ‘Would you be a honey and invite Zach to dinner at your place tonight?’
‘Um...’
‘Go on. He’ll feel like a gooseberry hanging around with us oldies,’ Margie said. ‘A night out at your place will be good for him. It’ll give him a break from always having to keep an eye on his dad.’
‘I don’t know...’
‘Or ask him to join you for a counter meal at the pub if you’re not much of a cook.’
‘I can cook.’
‘Then what’s the problem?’
Izzy schooled her features into what she hoped passed for mild enthusiasm. ‘I’ll give him a call. See what he’s up to. He might be on duty.’
‘He’s not. I already checked.’
* * *
Zach was typing a follow-up email to his commander in Bourke when Izzy came into the station. He pressed ‘Send’ and got to his feet. ‘I was going to call you. My dad’s feeling a lot better.’
‘Yes, Margie told me. He called the clinic earlier this morning.’
‘You were spot on with your diagnosis.’
‘I may not know a triceratops from a stegosaurus but I’m a whizz at picking up renal colic.’
Zach felt a smile tug at his mouth. ‘You doing anything tonight?’
She gave him a wry look. ‘Apparently I’m cooking dinner for you.’
‘Yeah, so I heard. You OK with that?’
‘Have I got a choice?’
Zach found it cute the way she arched her left eyebrow in that haughty manner. ‘I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble. I can pick up a bite to eat at the pub. Mike hates it when I do, though. He says it puts his regulars off.’
‘You don’t have to go in uniform.’
‘Wouldn’t make a bit of difference if I went in stark naked.’
Her cheeks lit up like twin fires. ‘Um...dinner’s at seven.’
‘I’ll look forward to it.’ She was at the door when he asked, ‘Hey, will your stand-in boyfriend Max be joining us?’
She gave him a slitted look over her shoulder and then flounced out.
* * *
Izzy had cooked for numerous dinner parties for her friends when living in London and she’d never felt the slightest hint of nerves. She was an accomplished cook; she’d made it her business to learn as she’d grown up with cooks at Courtney Manor and wasn’t content to sit back and watch, like her parents, while someone else did all the work. From a young age she had taken an interest in preparing food, getting to know the kitchen staff and talking to the gardeners about growing fresh vegetables and herbs.
But preparing a meal for Zach in an Outback town that had only one shop with limited fresh supplies was a challenge, so too was trying not to think about the fact she was sure that food was not the only thing they would be sharing tonight.
She put the last touches to the table, thinking wistfully of the fragrant roses of Courtney Manor as she placed an odd-looking banksia on the table in a jam jar, the only thing she could in the cottage that was close to a vase.
Izzy looked at Max sitting at the end of the table. It had taken her half an hour to blow him up manually as she didn’t have a bicycle pump. He was leaning to one side, his ventriloquist dummy-like eyes staring into space. ‘I hope you’re going to behave yourself, Max.’ Why are you talking to a blow-up doll? ‘No talking with your mouth full or elbows on the table, OK?’
The doorbell sounded and Izzy quickly smoothed her already smooth hair as she went to answer it. Zach was standing on the porch, wearing an open-necked white shirt with tan-coloured chinos. His hair was still damp from a shower; she could see the grooves where his comb or brush had passed through it. Her first ‘Hi...’ came out croakily so she cleared her throat and tried again. ‘Hi. Come on in.’
‘Thanks.’
She could smell the clean fresh scent of fabric softener on his shirt as he came through the door, that and the hint of lemon and spice and Outback maleness that never failed to get her senses spinning.
‘I brought wine.’ He handed her a bottle, his eyes moving over her in a lazy sweep that made her insides feel hollow. ‘Something smells good.’
Izzy took the wine, getting a little shock from his fingers as they brushed against hers. ‘I hope you’re hungry.’
‘Ravenous.’
She swallowed and briskly turned to get the glasses, somehow managing to half fill two without spilling a drop in spite of hands that weren’t too steady. ‘Max decided to join us after all.’ She handed Zach a glass of the white wine he had brought. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’
A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us?’
Izzy felt her own smile tug at her lips. ‘He’s not
one for small talk.’
‘I’m known to be a bit on the taciturn side myself.’ The smile had travelled up to his eyes with a twinkle that was devastatingly attractive.
She led the way to the small eating area off the kitchen. ‘Max, this is Sergeant Zach Fletcher.’ She turned to Zach. ‘Zach, this is Max.’
Zach rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. ‘Mmm, I guess a handshake is out of the question?’
A laugh bubbled out of Izzy’s mouth. ‘This is ridiculous. I’m going to kill Hannah. I swear to God I will. Would you like some nibbles?’ she asked as she thrust a plate of dips and crackers towards him. ‘I have to check on the entrée.’
His eyes were still smiling but they had taken on a smouldering heat that made the backs of her knees feel tingly. ‘Do you think Max would get jealous if I kissed you?’
Izzy’s stomach hollowed out again. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never kissed anyone in front of him before.’
He put a hand to the side of her face, a gentle cupping of her cheek, the dry warmth and slight roughness of his palm making her inner core quiver like an unset jelly. ‘I wouldn’t want to cut in on him but I’ve been dying to do this since last night.’ His mouth came down towards hers, his minty breath dancing over the surface of her lips in that tantalising prelude to take-off.
Izzy let out a soft sigh of delight as his mouth connected with hers, a velvet brush of dry male lips on moist, lip-gloss-coated female ones. The moment of contact made shivers flow like a river down her spine, the first electrifying sweep of his tongue over her lips parted them, inviting her to take him in. She opened to the commanding glide of his tongue, shuddering with need as he made contact with hers in a sexy tangle that drove every other thought out of her mind other than what she was feeling in her body. The stirring of her blood, the way her feminine folds pulsed and ached to be parted and filled, just like he was doing with her mouth. The way her breasts tingled and tightened, the nipples erect in arousal.
His hands grasped her by the hips, pulling her against his own arousal, the hard heat of him probing her intimately, reminding her of everything that was different between them and yet so powerfully, irresistibly attractive.
Flirting with the Socialite Doc (Mills & Boon Medical) Page 10
