New Boss New Year Bride (12 page)

Melissa awoke the next morning to the faint buzzing of an aeroplane. She opened her eyes, unsure for a moment where she was. Then she heard high-pitched giggling and the patter of little feet down the hallway, followed by big thumping footsteps as a deeper voice growled.

She sat up in bed, remembering where she was and why she was there. The plane was sounding closer—the RFDS plane—and she glared at the clock.

‘Eight-thirty!’ Flicking back the cool cotton sheet, she quickly pulled a change of clothes from her bag and dressed, mortified that she’d slept so late. She had no doubt it was
because she’d tossed and turned for half the night, her mind filled with indecision about what she needed to do.

She tidied the room and gathered her bags together before opening the door, then quickly stepped back as she narrowly missed being run down by a three-year-old and a five-year-old, running past her door squealing.

What surprised her even more was Joss, who was growling as he chased after them. He stopped when he saw her, straightening from his hunched-over position, and smiled in that adorable way which simply melted her heart.

‘Morning.’

‘Hi. I see you’re…uh…busy.’

‘Yep. The RFDS plane is just arriving, and Ron’s driven out to greet them. Looks as though you’ll get to meet the crew today.’

‘Good. Right.’ Work. Talking about work was a neutral way to start the day. ‘I’ll go check on Gemma.’

‘She’s resting out on the verandah,’ he supplied, trying not to visually caress the woman before him. Melissa looked delectable first thing in the morning, her hair loose and gorgeous as it floated around her shoulders. It was an image he knew would stay with him for ever.

‘Good. It seems she made it through the night with no complications. That’s another good sign.’

‘Actually, she did have a pain.’

‘What?’

‘About an hour ago. But as you were sleeping and I was already awake Ron came and got me to check on her. Everything was fine,’ he rushed on, seeing the concern on Melissa’s face. ‘The baby’s heart-rate; Gemma’s blood pressure. No swelling. No bleeding. Everything’s fine,’ he reiterated.

‘Right. Good. Thanks.’ She paused for a moment and pushed a hand through her hair, wishing she’d been able to
find her hairband so she could put it back. ‘You could have woken me, you know.’

Joss had been so mesmerised by her actions, by the gorgeous blonde strands glinting in the sunlight, that he’d momentarily tuned out from what she’d been saying. ‘Oh. Yeah.’ He waved her words away. ‘It’s OK. It was no big deal. To let you sleep, I mean. It’s going to be a long day.’

‘It is?’ Melissa put her overnight bag down and pushed her hands into the pockets of the three-quarter-length jeans she’d packed, her cotton shirt falling over the waistband. ‘Listen, I’ve been thinking.’

‘Always a good start to the day,’ he replied, and she couldn’t help but smile. Joss stared. Why had she done that? Why had he provoked such a smile? She was beautiful. Completely and utterly breathtakingly beautiful first thing in the morning. Her lips were redder, her eyes were richer, and her hair was so glorious he was hard pressed not to reach out and sift his fingers through the silken strands.

‘Uh…I think it might be better if I go back on the plane with Gemma. That way she has immediate and constant care. I’m not suggesting,’ she quickly rushed on, ‘that the RFDS aren’t capable of providing such care. It’s just that—’

‘It’s a good idea.’ Joss nodded. ‘I was thinking along the same lines.’ Mostly because of Gemma’s health, but also because he wasn’t sure he could handle a three-hour drive back to town with Melissa sitting so close beside him and be able to keep his hands to himself.

‘You were?’ Did he want to get rid of her? Was it for Gemma’s sake he wanted her out of his ute for the drive back to Didja, or was it because of the repressed sexual tension which was palpable between them? ‘I mean. Good. That’s good. Good we’re both on the same page.’

‘Patient’s health comes first,’ he agreed. ‘Plus, it’s also a
good way for you to get to know Phemie. She’s one of the main RFDS doctors employed in this district.’

‘Phemie?’

‘Short for Euphemia.’

Melissa smiled again, but this time it was more relaxed. ‘Great name.’

‘Great woman.’ He stood there, staring at her, watching her every move, wanting to plant his mouth over hers more with each passing second. Did she have any idea how beau—? No. He cut the thought off. He couldn’t think like that. He needed to find a way to put some distance between them, and also find a way to stop wanting a repeat of yesterday afternoon, when she’d let him kiss her.

Joss felt a tugging at his shorts and looked down at Bridget. ‘Hello.’

‘Come on, Dr Jossy,’ said the five-year-old. ‘You’re the growly ogre chasing the princess and the prince through the forest.’

‘Yeah. Come on,’ three-year-old Lee chimed in.

‘Best get to it, then.’ Melissa picked up her bag again.

Joss’s answer to his little friends was to assume his hunched-over ‘growly ogre’ position, and the two children ran away squealing with delight. Joss instantly straightened again. ‘That should hold them for a moment.’

‘I’d best go check on Gemma. Make sure she’s ready for this transfer.’ Melissa took a step away, but was stopped when Joss placed a hand on her arm.

‘Wait a second.’ He dropped his hand, as though the touch had burnt him. The itch to touch her hair was becoming overwhelming. ‘Lis?’

‘Yeah?’ Her heart-rate had started to increase at the way he was looking at her.

‘I’m…um…’ He stopped and breathed out, staring at her
loose blonde hair. He couldn’t resist her any longer and reached out to touch the silken locks. ‘Glorious,’ he whispered. ‘The colour, the feel of it. So soft and silky.’

Melissa parted her lips at his touch, unable to believe how incredibly intimate it was to feel his fingers in her hair. ‘Joss?’ His name was a breathless whisper.

‘Hmm?’ He swallowed, and then, as though realising what he was doing, he instantly dropped his hand and moved back. ‘Oh, gosh, Lis. I’m sorry.’ He closed his eyes for a second before looking at her once more.

‘I need to tell you that I’m not sorry about yesterday, but that doesn’t mean it can happen again…and again,’ he rushed on. ‘Even though we might want it to.’

She dragged a breath in and slowly let it out, desperate to control her mounting heart-rate. ‘Agreed. Yes. You’re right. We’re colleagues.’

‘Yes, we are.’

‘We both have plans. Things to achieve.’

‘Yes,’ he agreed again.

‘I didn’t come to town looking for…’ She put her bag down again and indicated the space between them. ‘For this.’ Or to feel how amazing it was to have him touch her hair, or her shoulder, or to hold her hand, or to gather her firmly to his body. She hadn’t come here looking for any of that.

‘You came to get to know your brother.’

‘Exactly. That’s what I need to focus on. That and getting to know the people of this community.’

‘Yes.’ Part of him wanted to point out that
he
was part of the community, and that
he
wouldn’t be averse to getting to know her a lot better. Thankfully, he was able to refrain. He had to keep his distance for both their sakes.

‘Dex. I need to focus on getting to know Dex. He’s important to me.’

‘And so he should be. I do understand where you’re coming from, Lis.’

‘Good.’ She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That’s good.’

‘Yes, it is. It’s very good,’ he agreed, knowing they both not only sounded like fools but were probably lying to themselves. But taking a step back, a very big step away from the turbulent emotions of yesterday, from the way she’d felt so perfect in his arms, was most definitely the right thing to do.

‘I’m glad we had this chat.’

‘So am I.’

They were both running, both hiding beneath the nearest table, locking their hearts up tight, unable to take the risk. At least not just yet.

‘Good. Well…you drive safe now. You hear?’

‘I will.’

‘I’d best go find Gemma.’

‘Yes.’

And with that she turned and walked away from him.

T
WO
days after she was admitted to the Didja hospital Gemma was airlifted back home by the RFDS. Melissa had performed the tests, done the scans and come to the conclusion that it was an ante-partum haemorrhage—as she’d first suspected.

‘One of the blood vessels which takes food to the baby isn’t working too well. What we can do, however, is give you daily injections and monitor you. That way the baby will receive what it needs to grow, and also you’ll be able to stay home. Complete bed-rest, though.’ Melissa had been stern.

Thankfully, Rajene, the woman who had helped deliver Gemma’s last four children, had come to the hospital to visit Gemma, and Melissa had discovered that Rajene, who was almost seventy-five years old, had trained as a midwife in an island country called Tarparnii. Whilst she held no official qualifications in Australia, she was more than capable—and close enough in distance—of giving Gemma the daily care required. Joss had confirmed that he trusted Rajene, and that she was indeed a very good midwife, so Melissa’s initial fears were calmed.

‘I will make sure she does not do too much. I will help her. You shall see. This babe will be as strong as the others,’ Rajene promised.

‘I have no doubt.’

During the following week Rajene called Melissa on a daily basis to report on Gemma’s condition.

‘She is behaving well and very much resting. We are all so proud. Peter and Yolanda are doing marvellous with the helping. Gemma stays in her bed or on the sofabed. Blood pressure has improved to normal levels, the babe’s signs are good, and there has been no more bleeding.’

It was much the same as Rajene had reported the day before, but this was the type of good news Melissa didn’t mind hearing again and again. ‘Good to hear. Thank you, Rajene.’

As she put the phone down, she reflected on her first full week in Didja. It had been mostly good, with the people of the community still continuing to welcome her. She’d visited the pub a few nights, but on others had preferred simply to unwind in her apartment.

On those nights she would lie on her bed beneath the ceiling fan, trying to get cool and pretending to read a book, whilst all the time she’d listen for noises coming from Joss’s apartment next door. She’d learned that his apartment was a mirror image of her own, which meant that their bedroom walls were a shared wall. It was strange to think that when she put her hand up to the wall he was on the other side. Sleeping. In his bed. Probably wearing next to nothing.

She closed her eyes, trying to school her thoughts. She was in the middle of a clinic and she was once more thinking about her boss. This wasn’t professional behaviour at all, and she knew she needed to conquer the emotions Joss continually evoked within her.

Melissa had been as jittery as a cat on a hot tin roof until Joss had arrived safely back in Didja after their house-calls. He’d come instantly to the hospital to check on Gemma,
where Melissa had taken great pleasure in announcing the results of their patient’s tests. Afterwards he’d disappeared into his apartment, and she hadn’t seen him until the next day.

Neither had mentioned the kiss, even though the attraction they were working hard at ignoring was still definitely palpable between them. But they both had things to do and concentrate on, and that was exactly what they were doing.

Even yesterday, when Joss had given Melissa her medical check-up, he’d been the consummate professional. Bub had been present as he’d checked her blood pressure, listened to her chest, checked her eyes and taken a blood sample.

‘It’s all just for insurance purposes,’ he’d explained, before beginning.

‘I completely understand. Standard procedure when starting a new job in a medical environment,’ she’d replied, very aware that Bub was watching them very closely, no doubt picking up on the undercurrents which both doctors were working overtime at ignoring.

On the Friday two weeks after she’d been out on the house-calls with Joss—two weeks since he’d held her in his arms and kissed her so passionately—Melissa finished off her clinic and headed to her apartment.

She didn’t feel like going to the pub this evening. She knew Dex was going, but during her time here he’d been merely polite and professional, treating her like just another colleague and nothing more. She knew she shouldn’t feel hurt, but she did, and she couldn’t face going to the pub and having her brother ignore her yet again.

But that’s not the real reason, she told herself as she quickly did her dinner dishes and poured herself a relaxing glass of wine. She closed her eyes and gripped the kitchen counter with both hands as she admitted the real reason she
didn’t feel like company tonight—because Joss had been out all day on house-calls and he still wasn’t back yet.

Of course Dex had initially been meant to go, and when she’d learned that Joss was doing them again she wondered whether he’d volunteered this time around. Perhaps it was simply easier for him to leave the clinic for a day and therefore not have to worry about running into her.

When she’d paid a quick visit to the hospital before leaving for the day, Bub had tut-tutted about ‘poor Joss’.

‘He’s not what he used to be. There’s something wrong with him. I can feel it.’

‘Do you think he’s sick?’ Melissa asked.

‘Not sick, but—oh, I don’t know. Out of sorts, I guess is the best way to describe him. He snapped at Areva last Monday, and he’s only been going to the pub on occasional nights. Incidentally,’ she said, eyeing Melissa closely, ‘he’s been going on the nights that you
don’t
. What is this? Tag team socialising? Only one of you can go at a time?’

‘I think you’ll find that Dex is usually there, so if Carto and Bluey decide to have another scrap there’s at least one doctor on hand.’

‘That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.’ Bub sighed and lowered her tone. ‘There’s something going on between you and Joss.’

‘No, there isn’t.’

‘OK. Let me rephrase that. There
should
be something going on between you and Joss. Even a blind man can see that you’re both—’

‘Don’t say it.’ Melissa held up her hand. ‘He’s a colleague. Nothing more. Dex is my brother. Nothing more.’ She tried not to choke on the words as she said them. ‘I’m learning to deal with those two facts, and right now I don’t particularly want to talk about it, if you don’t mind.’

Bub could see the strain on Melissa’s face and smiled in acquiescence. ‘Of course, darl. Go. Rest. Things will settle down eventually. You’ll see.’

‘I hope so, Bub.’ And so she’d left, and decided that for tonight relaxing in her apartment was a definite must. There was a nice cool breeze, and Melissa decided to sit outside to try and unwind. At the rear of their apartments was a communal courtyard, and she carried her wine glass out through the back door towards the outdoor setting. It was quiet and peaceful, and she placed her glass on the table and sat, sighing heavily as she looked up at the stars.

‘They’re much brighter in the Outback, don’t you think?’ Joss spoke from just behind her, and Melissa jumped at the sound of his voice. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.’ He walked over and sat in the chair opposite her.

‘You’re back!’

‘No. Actually, this is a holographic image I had made up weeks ago, designed to keep people away from my relaxing courtyard.’

‘
Your
relaxing courtyard?’

‘Dex rarely comes out here.’

‘So you’ve had it all to yourself for quite some time, then?’

‘I have, but…’ he pondered for a moment ‘…I guess I can share.’

‘Does that mean the holographic projection is about to end?’

Joss grinned at her, loving that they were on the same wavelength. She understood him. It was just one more thing that helped fuel the attraction he felt for her. They might not have spoken much in the past two weeks, they might have been playing a slight avoidance game with each other, but it hadn’t helped to change the way he thought about her—which was constantly.

He felt as though he was going around in circles and living in a perpetual state of confusion. Melissa was his colleague. She’d be here for quite some time. Tonight, instead of keeping his distance from her, he’d decided to seek her out and to hopefully try and come to a better arrangement than the avoidance one they were currently operating under. He had no idea what that arrangement might be, but it had to be better than where they both were at present.

‘Hopefully not,’ he replied.

‘So…how were house-calls?’

‘Good. Fine. Quite boring compared to the week we went out, actually. No emergencies. No pregnant women. No rampaging bulls.’

‘Do you mean to tell me that isn’t the usual way things run?’

He chuckled, and she allowed the sound to wash over her. He was definitely in a good mood and she wasn’t about to ignore that fact.

‘Today was lots of immunisations. Check-ups. That sort of thing.’

‘The usual?’

‘Basically, yes. How about you? Anything exciting happen in today’s clinic?’

Melissa thought for a second, mainly because she couldn’t get over how jittery she felt having him there, talking to her. She’d missed him, she realised. Missed just sitting and talking as they had out on Gemma’s verandah. But, whilst she was delighted he’d sought her out, she was still a little wary at why he had. Did he have something drastic he needed to impart? Was he simply trying to be nice? She’d just have to go along for the ride and see where it ended up.

‘Andy and James came in for their check-ups.’

‘Good to hear. Rich is a stickler for follow-up appoint
ments. A lot of bosses don’t let their jackaroos have time off for follow-ups.’

‘Well, they were both here and are generally doing fine. James had popped a few stitches. Thankfully Mindy had come to the rescue with her expert bandaging, so there was no infection. I’ve sorted him out now.’

‘How did he pop his sutures?’

‘He was horse riding.’

Joss shook his head. ‘He would have been in trouble for that.’

‘Yes. He said that Rich tore strips off him.’

‘He’s a good boss. Firm. Has his head screwed on, does Rich.’

‘So you’ve said.’

‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to sound like a broken record.’

‘You don’t.’

‘And how have things been going with Dex?’

Melissa shrugged. ‘He’s polite and all, but that’s about it.’

‘He’s very slow. Takes a lot of time to process things.’

‘You’ve said that before as well. I’m starting to wonder whether it wasn’t a mistake, coming here.’

Joss felt as though she’d slapped him. He’d sought her out tonight in order to try and figure out a different way to deal with the attraction they felt. He’d hoped she was on the same page as him, wanting to move forward rather than to go around and around in circles, and now she was talking about leaving? He was stunned. ‘You want to leave?’

‘I don’t know.’ She shook her head and looked up at the stars. ‘I don’t know what I want any more. I’m confused.’

‘Well, you can’t leave,’ he bristled, still a little shocked to have heard her speak that way. Just as well he hadn’t come right out and confessed how she made him feel, because that would have been sacrificing himself yet again. ‘Aren’t you happy here?’

Melissa laughed without humour. ‘Joss, since I arrived my sedate, calm little life has been turned upside down and inside out.’

‘Dex will come around.’

‘I’m sure he will—but the question remains, do I need to be
here
when he does? I mean, I could leave, go work in Perth, write e-mails to him. When he’s finished processing, when he’s finished figuring things out, he could call me and then we could catch up. We wouldn’t be living in each other’s pockets.’

‘But you have a contract,’ he felt compelled to point out. He needed to stop all this talk of her leaving. She wasn’t leaving. She
couldn’t
leave. He needed her. Both for the clinic and for himself. However, there was no way he could tell her that. Not now.

‘I know, Joss. Relax. I’m just thinking out loud.’

‘So you’re not happy here? Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Remember when I told you I was trying to like myself, to figure out who I really am? Well, I’m still trying to do that—but between you and Dex the confusion side of things reigns quite high.’

He sat up a little straighter in his seat. ‘You’re confused about me?’

Melissa laughed again and shook her head. ‘What rock have you been living under?’

‘Oh.’ A dawning realisation crossed his face. ‘
That
type of confusion. Yeah, well, I’m right there alongside you when it comes to
that
type of confusion. We’ve both come from prior relationships that didn’t work out, and in my case things not only didn’t work out, I was completely betrayed. It’s difficult to recover from something like that.’ He took a deep breath. Maybe this was a good time to open up to her a little. He knew he needed to do it, and now was the perfect moment. ‘When
we were with the Etheringtons I found it really easy to talk to you.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Some of the things you said—such as liking yourself and being able to forgive your birth mother—really hit home. So I guess it might be time for me to open up a little, to tell you more about myself. But this isn’t an easy thing for me to do.’

‘Are you sure you
want
to do it?’

If there was ever going to be anything real between them then Joss needed to tell Melissa about his past. About
all
of it. It would also be a test to see how exactly she would react to what he was about to say.

‘I am.’

‘OK. I’m all yours…er…I mean I’m ready to listen, Joss.’

‘Right.’ He took a few deep breaths before plunging in. ‘My fiancée, Christina, literally changed overnight, and I found myself facing a total stranger. I had no idea she was so deceptive, so dishonest, but apparently when things didn’t turn out the way she planned she decided jumping ship was a far easier option than trying to understand.’