A Wedding in Warragurra
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Fiona Lowe
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CHAPTER ONE
‘BUT it isn’t pink.’
Kate Lawson heard the disappointment in the young girl’s voice as she browsed in the limited clothing section of Warragurra’s answer to Teen Gear. She glanced up and just caught the woebegone expression that matched the voice before a set of very broad shoulders partially blocked her view.
‘Not everything in life is pink or purple, Sasha.’ The deep, melodious voice carried a smile.
Kate grinned, wishing she could see the man’s face. Did he have a clue what he was up against? Shopping with tweens was a minefield. She knew only too well. She had a niece much the same age and a Girl Guide troop that kept her on her toes.
Sasha tossed her head and stuck a hand on her hip. ‘I do know that, Dad.’
‘So, perhaps it’s time to branch out and explore green and blue now that you’re twelve.’ Patience threaded through the words. He picked up a cute striped vest top. ‘What about this?’
Kate watched, fascinated and completely forgetting she was supposed to be finding a gift for her niece. That she was supposed to be ironing her nurse’s uniform and polishing her shoes for her first day back at work. Not to mention the million other things that needed doing in preparation for her return to the real world of Warragurra. She’d been gone six months, but she couldn’t hide for ever.
Sasha wrinkled her nose at the top that lay across her father’s arm.
Long masculine fingers trailed across the fabric. ‘It’s green but it has a fine pink stripe.’ He paused for a beat. ‘It matches your beautiful eyes. They’re green, just like Mum’s.’
His words wove magic. Sasha’s expression transformed from sceptical to delighted. ‘I’ll try it on. And these shorts, too.’ Sasha took the hanger from her father’s hand, grabbed the matching shorts and marched toward the change room.
Laughter bubbled up inside Kate at the exchange between father and daughter. He was good! Wily, but good. Sasha had no idea she’d just been outplayed. Usually dads lost the fashion battles, which was why mothers took on that role.
He turned toward the change rooms and caught her gaze, giving her a conspiratorial grin. ‘Let’s hope that saves me from a trip to Dubbo.’
Kate forgot to breathe.
Azure eyes flecked with myriad shades of blue sparkled at her, along with a slightly crooked smile. A smile that belonged to a pirate. A smile formed by a mouth that promised all things deliciously wicked.
Where on earth had that thought come from?
She gave herself a mental shake. She wasn’t shopping for a man. She wasn’t even window-shopping. Shane had cured her of every romantic notion she’d ever held.
Besides, this man was a husband and a father. He had a wife with beautiful eyes. Perhaps that’s why the errant thought had played across her mind. He was an unavailable man and her radar had relaxed.
She returned his smile. ‘I think your days are numbered and it won’t be Dubbo she’ll be demanding, but the shopping delights of Sydney.’
‘You’re probably right.’ His grin faded, chased away by a shadow that flickered across his face as he shoved his large hands into the pockets of his chinos.
‘Dad, what do you think?’ Sasha reappeared and did a twirl in her matching outfit, her eyes anxiously seeking his approval.
‘You look gorgeous, sweetheart.’
Sasha rolled her eyes. ‘You always say that, Dad, even when I’m splattered in mud after soccer.’
‘Well, you do.’ The love in his voice radiated around the shop.
Kate tried to ignore the slug of loss that turned over inside her like a lead weight. What would it be like to be loved like that?
‘Um, excuse me, but do you think this colour suits me?’ Sasha directed her question to Kate.
Kate took in the tanned, healthy glow of the child, her shiny chestnut hair and large, green eyes. ‘Your dad’s right. That green does suit you.’ A streak of mischief shot through her. ‘And you know what would look really great with it? One of those new belts and a matching bracelet and necklace. They’ve got a rack of accessories to match each outfit.’ She pointed toward the display.
Sasha’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the trinkets. ‘Ooh, and bags, too.’
The pirate groaned and shook his dark head, his thick curls shaking in resignation. ‘Thanks for that.’
His sarcasm wasn’t lost on Kate and she laughed. ‘My pleasure. I’m happy to help. Have fun.’ She picked up the same vest top for her niece and walked toward the checkout, a sense of lightness dancing through her. It had been a long time since she’d felt so carefree in Warragurra.
For the first time she realised she was ready to go back to work. At work she’d be surrounded by the security of familiar faces and colleagues who understood. Armed with support like that, of course she could cope with the town.
A shimmer of anxiety skated along her veins, which she promptly squashed. After all, how bad could coming back to Warragurra really be?
‘I need to talk to you.’ Jen, the office manager of the Warragurra Flying Doctors’ Base, called to Baden as he walked briskly past her desk.
‘Sorry, Jen. Can’t do it now, I’m late. Sasha had an excursion and somewhere between home and school the permission slip vanished. I’ve just debased myself totally, begging the vice-principal to bend the rules and allow her to go,’ Baden Tremont called over his shoulder as he quickly checked the contents of his medical bag.
‘I’m sure you charmed her with that smile of yours but I need to talk to you about—’
Baden briskly snapped the clasps of his large black bag closed. ‘Email me.’ He strode toward the door, knowing he was cutting his departure way too fine.
Jen jogged behind him, trying to keep up. ‘I already did but it bounced back as undeliverable and I’ve had to change—’
‘Did you tell Emily? She can fill me in on the plane.’ His hand connected with the doorhandle.
‘Yes, but…’ Jen’s words disappeared, captured by the hot wind and drowned out by the engine noise that surged inside when Baden opened the door.
Hell, he really was late. The early morning flight from Broken Hill was touching down. The smell of burning rubber seared his nostrils as he stepped out onto the already steaming tarmac.
Jen continued talking despite the noise. ‘Emily…Kate…flight…’
He only caught a few fragments of the words over the din but he had no time to stop. ‘Is Emily late?’
Jen shook her head and threw her hands up in frustration.
He gave her a grin, one that usually got him out of trouble, waved and mouthed, ‘Tell me at three.’
His last glance was Jen muttering as she stomped back inside.
He hated being late. But the balancing act of full-time doctor and full-time single father meant he was frequently late both professionally and personally. Five months ago when he’d moved to Warragurra from Adelaide, he’d thought the move to the country would give him more time. He’d got that wrong. Remote areas were medically under-resourced.
He took the plane’s steps two at a time as a familiar thrill zipped through him. Life might not be how he’d imagined it four years ago but being part of the Flying Doctors’ team went a long way toward providing him with professional satisfaction. He’d accepted that was how things had to be. His life offered professional satisfaction. He didn’t expect anything more.
The plane door closed behind him and he signalled to Glen Jacobs, the pilot, that he’d checked the lock. ‘Morning, Emily.’ He caught sight of his flight nurse’s legs as she leaned into a storage compartment.
Funny, he’d only ever seen Emily wear long trousers. Somehow he hadn’t imagined her legs to be quite so shapely. Or as long. Come to think of it, he’d never imagined anything about Emily. She barely made it to five feet four and her uniform always seemed to hang off her, giving her a shapeless look. The only thing he regularly noticed was how her hair changed colour every third week.
He and Emily had been a team since he’d arrived in Warragurra. Steady and reliable, she had a no-nonsense approach and got the job done. Home was often chaotic and sadness crept around the edges but Emily made work easy. She was like one of the boys. Happy to talk cricket, tennis and car engines, she was often found at the pub on a Friday night beating anyone brave enough to take her on at the pool table.
He heard her muffled greeting and kept talking, his back to her as he stowed his bag. ‘What’s Jen in a flap about? I thought she was telling me you were late.’
‘I think perhaps she was telling you I was Kate.’
He turned abruptly at the rich and throaty yet vaguely familiar voice.
A tall, willowy woman met his gaze. A startled look crossed her face, racing down to bee-stung lips, which compressed slightly before relaxing into a hint of a smile. Large brown eyes, their gaze serious, blinked against a flash of surprise. ‘H-hello.’
He guessed he looked equally astonished. Unexpected warmth spread through him at seeing her again. A type of warmth he hadn’t experienced in a long time. ‘Hello.’ He extended his hand. ‘I’m Baden Tremont and you cost me an extra forty-five dollars yesterday.’
This time she smiled a full, wide smile and the serious edge in her eyes softened, changing her look completely. ‘A girl lives to accessorise, Doctor, didn’t you know that?’
He laughed. ‘I’m learning fast.’
She stepped forward with natural grace, taking his hand with a firm grip. ‘I’m Kate. Nurse Practitioner.’
Her smooth skin glided softly against his palm and his mind emptied. A tingle of sensation shot through him, stirring his blood for the first time since Annie’s death.
Shocking him to his toes.
He abruptly dropped her hand. He covered his rudeness by indicating they should both sit down. ‘Pleased to meet you, Kate.’ Had she mentioned a surname? He forced a smile. ‘Call me Baden. We should buckle up. Sorry to have kept you waiting. Is Emily sick?’
Kate slid into her seat, crossing her long legs. Baden’s gaze followed the movement as if hypnotised.
Stop gawking. He dragged his gaze away and focussed intently on the buckles of the safety harness wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
‘I don’t think so. She looked her usual hale and hearty self this morning when she flew out to Barcoo Station with Linton.’
Confusion snagged him. ‘Linton Gregory? The doctor in charge of A and E at the base hospital?’
She nodded. ‘That’s right. A couple of times a year he spends two weeks with us. Emily always accompanies him as she has so much experience. It’s a good link between the two organisations. Bridge building never goes astray.’ Slender fingers expertly snapped the buckles of the harness in place. She tilted her head. ‘You’re frowning at me—is something wrong?’
He started at the direct question. ‘Um, sorry. It’s just this has a surreal feeling of being my first day at a new school where everyone else knows each other and how things work. The only problem is that I’m not the new person, you are.’
She laughed. ‘I’m not actually new. I’ve worked for the Flying Doctors for four years. I saw your name on the email that Jen sent out on Friday outlining the changes, so I assumed you were expecting me. Besides, didn’t Emily tell you?’
Your email bounced back as undeliverable. Jen had tried to tell him but what about Emily? He racked his brains. ‘Come to think of it, on Friday night she did thump me on the back after beating me at pool and said, “Doc, you’re a good bloke to work with.”’
Kate’s mouth broadened into a knowing smile. ‘That’s Emily’s code for saying goodbye.’
A thread of unease vibrated deep inside him. Goodbye? No. He wanted to keep working with Emily. Emily was safe and uncomplicated. She didn’t stir up sensations he’d forgotten existed. Surely Emily was just spending a couple of weeks with Linton as part of the bridge-building exercise.
Of course, that was it. Just a temporary change.
Once he’d embraced the exhilaration of change. He used to actively seek it out, loving to juggle up the mix. But when Annie had got sick, uncertainty had marched into their life, changing it for ever. Now he craved stability for himself and Sasha. Especially for Sasha.
Of course he could cope for a fortnight working with a tall and slender colleague even if her standard-issue blue blouse seemed to hug her in all the right places. She was a nurse, just like Emily. He swallowed a sigh as he caught sight of her toned calves. He didn’t suppose it was PC to suggest she wear trousers rather than shorts.
The engines burst into life, their noise immediately killing the conversation. Baden lifted his green headphones over his ears and adjusted the black mouthpiece so he could hear any last-minute instructions from Glen.
He loved take-off. Loved the roar of the engines, the thrust of power, the torque and the pressure against his chest as acceleration increased and the plane tilted for its fast climb. It gave him an endorphin rush every single time. He forgot his unease and relaxed into the power surge.
The red earth of the outback opened out underneath them, endless red sand bound together by green-grey spinifex. A ute far below sent up a plume of dust into the cloudless blue sky as it travelled along a straight road. Kangaroos bounded with purpose in the cool of the morning. In an hour or so they’d be sheltering in the shade of the gnarled gum trees that clearly marked the winding path of the muddy Darling River, once the transportation lifeline of outback New South Wales.
It took a lot of imagination to picture the ‘river jam’ of a century ago. One hundred paddle steamers had plied the river, their barges groaning with bales of wool as they’d connected the outback stations with the southern cities. In today’s drought, the river was a trickle of its former glory.
He glanced across at Kate. Her eyes sparkled and her face glowed as she peered out the window, her fingers spread against the Perspex. She didn’t look like an experienced flight nurse. She looked like a child on her first flight.
She turned away from the window and caught him staring at her. She gave an embarrassed shrug and spoke into her mouthpiece. ‘I love the view.’
‘It’s pretty spectacular if you’re not into green, rolling hills.’
She nodded. ‘I’ve been in Europe and although I adored the greenness, I’ve just realised how much I missed this view. There’s a certain rugged beauty about scrubby vegetation and red sand.’
Surprise snagged him. It was like putting together a difficult jigsaw puzzle. Right up to this point he’d thought she was a transfer from another base. ‘You’ve seen this view before?’
‘Oh, yes, lots of times.’ She picked up a procedures folder as if she was going to read rather than talk.
He tried to ignore the irrational feeling of being overlooked. ‘But not recently?’
She shook her head, her chestnut bob caressing her cheeks, highlighting the fine line of her jaw. She seemed to hesitate before speaking. ‘I’ve been away for six months. Today is my first day back.’
Suddenly things started to line up in his brain. He vaguely remembered seeing the name Kate Kennedy on orientation documents when he’d first started. It had caught his attention because the Kennedy name meant money in Warragurra. The family construction company built or renovated just about every substantial public building in the town and had contracts on many of the cattle stations.
That’s why she hadn’t mentioned her last name when she’d introduced herself—typical Warragurra style. His brief experience with the three prominent families in town had been the same. They all assumed you knew them by the nature of their community standing. ‘We must have just missed each other. I started in September last year. So you must be Kate Kennedy?’
Her jaw stiffened slightly, the tremor running down her neck and along her arm. ‘My surname is Lawson.’ The words snapped out, matching the flash of fire in her eyes. Her body language brooked no argument. It clearly said, Get it right and don’t ask why.
He recognised her posture. He’d used it often enough himself to deflect questions. But it was a strong response over a name. Perhaps Lawson was her professional name? A lot of his female colleagues retained their maiden names for work.
He let it slide, wanting to establish some working esprit de corps. ‘You must have left just before I arrived in Warragurra. Welcome back, Kate.’
‘Thanks.’ Her eyes softened. A wistful tone entered her voice. ‘I hope it’s going to be good.’
‘Coming back from a long break is always a bit of an adjustment.’ He remembered how tough it had been when he’d returned to work after Annie’s death. All those sympathetic faces. He pushed the memory away. ‘Still, two weeks working with me will be a good way to ease back into the routine and then you’ll be set to take over your usual clinic runs.’
She blinked twice and her smooth brow creased in a fine line. ‘This is my usual run.’
His gut tightened, his unease strengthening. ‘But Emily—’
‘Was filling in for me while I was on leave.’
Her quiet words exploded like a bomb in his brain. No. No. He didn’t want this. ‘So you and I, we’re now Flight Team Four?’
‘We are.’ She smiled again.
Her enthusiastic vibes radiated around him, sparking off a trail of heat that coursed through him, completely disconcerting him. His mind creaked to the inevitable, unwanted conclusion. ‘And Emily has been reassigned?’
‘She has.’
‘Right.’ The tightness of his throat strangled the word. Think. This wasn’t really a problem. He’d just ask for another nurse.
The booming voice of the regional director sounded in his head. Teamwork is the key. Get your hormones under control and deal with it.
A shadow floated through Kate’s caramel-brown eyes before resignation pushed it aside. She laced her hands in her lap. ‘I’m sorry this change of roster caught you by surprise but I’m sure it won’t take too long for us to get used to each other.’ She gave a throaty laugh. ‘After all, I don’t bite.’
An image of her lush, red lips and her white teeth nibbling his neck slammed into him.
This wasn’t happening. He didn’t react like this to women. He couldn’t. For years he’d seen women as colleagues, employees, sisters, mothers, friends. He packaged women into neat, safe boxes.
And that was exactly what he had to do now. Find a box for Kate. She would go into the workbox. And it would be a very secure, firm box with a lid that would not open.
He could do that. Of course he could do that.
How hard could it be?
