Second Chance (22 page)

There was a general consensus in
the nods.

“Worse than when they just think
you’re one they need to protect,” she continued.  “They think they can tell you
off for doing something they consider dangerous when you’re friends, but get
shackled to them and boom!  That caveman attitude quadruples.”

Another general consensus nodding.

“So what are you going to do?” Ash
queried.

“Keep giving the flowers away, I
guess.  What else can I do?”

“How about not accepting them in
the first place?”

Tam looked blankly at her.

“You know, when the florist comes
tell them you’re not accepting them.  In fact, ring the florist in Ellor’s Loop and tell her you consider them to be harassment and you don’t want them sent to you
anymore.”

Tam lowered the fork.  “I never
thought of that.”

“It’d fix the secret admirer.”

“Yeah, it would.”  Reaching for
her purse, she drew out her mobile and dialled the florist.  Once she’d
finished telling the florist, who agreed to tell her admirer and not send her
anymore flowers, Tam hung up.  “Wow, I feel so much lighter.  Wish I’d thought
of that sooner.  I owe you, Ash.”

“No worries.”  Ash shrugged. 
“That’s what friends are for.”

“And if your secret admirer turns
up, we’ll help you bury him,” Molly said.  “’Cause friends do that, too.”

Horror crept through Tam.  “You
think he’ll turn up?”

“What makes you think it’s a male
admirer?” Dee walked back into the kitchenette.

“Huh.”  Molly thought a moment
before shaking her head.  “Nah.  A woman has enough brains to just come out and
say she loves someone.  Men?”  She tapped her temple.  “Not so much.”

Dee looked at her incredulously. 
“This from the woman Kirk had to chase and pin down?”

“And this from the woman who
wouldn’t tell Ryder how she really felt?”  Del jerked a thumb at Dee.

“This could get ugly.”  Elissa
leaned back and stretched.  “Simon’s going nuts trying to figure out who
pinched the fire station roster.”

“A whole file of rosters?” Del took a sip of iced coffee.  “That’s going a bit far.  Who would want a file of
rosters?”

“Actually, a copy of the fortnight
only was stuck up on the wall.”  Ash debated the situation thoughtfully. 
“Scott said it wasn’t really secure, flapped around a bit, but not enough to
rip off like it did.  Parts of it were still attached to the wall.”

“The Stealth Thief is the bogey
man of Gully’s Fall.”  Molly grinned.  “It’s driving the cops batty.  Kirk is
so baffled.  It’s a cute expression on him.  He’s usually so sure of himself.”

“So you’re entertained by your
husband being baffled,” Dee drawled.

“Hey, it’s funny.”

“Does he know how supportive you
are…not?”

“Sure.”

“And yet he keeps you around.”

“What can I say?  I’m special.”

“Really?  You want to go there?”

Elissa glanced at her wrist watch.
“Darn, as delightful as it would be to watch you two go for it, I have to get
back to work.”

“Me, too.”  Ash stood, started
collecting the various lunch wrappers and empty containers.

The rest of the afternoon was
busy, time flying by, and Tam was glad when it finally drew to an end.

Passing the vet clinic, she saw
Grant’s four wheel drive pull out.  Spotting her, he waved, blew her a kiss and
drove onwards.  Within seconds her mobile rang.  Pulling over to the side of
the road, she braked and answered it.  “Emergency?”

“Farm call,” Grant said.  “A mare
is foaling and she’s not doing well.”

“Ah, poor thing.  Hope she’s
okay.”

“I’ll know more once I get out
there.”

“Drive safe.”

“I will.  Hey, baby?”

Oohh, that sent warm tingles
through her, especially when combined with that deep voice.  “Yes?”

“I hear there’s a fair coming to
town this weekend.  You up for it?”

“Sounds like fun.”

“Excellent, I’ll talk to you more
about it tomorrow.”

“Okay.  You drive safe.”

“I miss you already.”

She laughed.  “You nut.”

“That’s the part missing you.”

“Well, Doc,” she said coyly, “if
you return early enough, knock on my window and you might get lucky.”

“Really?”

Yep, his voice definitely perked
up.  It made her feel bolder.  “Mmmhmm.”

“What if I’m not early, though?” 
He sounded sad.  “I’ll be all alone.”

Tam grinned.  “Even if you’re late
you might get lucky.  You just never know.”

“You can’t take this back, Tamara,
you know that, right?”

“Are you getting all stern on me?”

“Caveman.  I prefer caveman.”

“I’m a little worried about your
ego.”

“Let me handle my ego.  You worry
about handling me.”

“Baby,” she purred, “maybe I will
handle you.  Hand or mouth?”

There was silence then, “Shit!”

Concern spiking through her, she
jerked upright.  “Grant?  Are you all right?”

“Nearly ran off the road.”

“Flat tyre?  Wildlife?”

“You.”  He groaned.  “I can’t deal
with the picture of you handling me with either hand or mouth, not if I’m to
get to the farm without sporting a stiffy.”

She giggled.

“You’re an evil woman.”  There was
a definite grin in his voice, but also a little heat.

“Maybe there’ll be a stern
librarian waiting for you when you get home,” she said innocently.

“So,
so
evil.”

Laughing, Tam reached for the
mobile.  “I’ll let you go.  I’m going home for a shower and tea.”

“Sounds like heaven.”

Tam couldn’t help but muse on how
much she’d changed since coming to Gully’s Fall, how much more confidence she’d
grown in herself, and it was mostly Grant’s doing.  His touches, his kisses,
his genuine pleasure in her body.

He didn’t see her weight, her
looks, or anything else that was superficial.  He liked her for herself, his
carnal desires so very evident when they were together.

And he didn’t care who knew how
much he liked being with her, how much he wanted her.  Her self-confidence,
which she hadn’t realised had been so low in certain areas when it came to
herself, had had a massive boost.

She owed him a lot.

Pulling into the driveway, she
turned off the ute and looked at Aunt Maree’s house. 

Yeah, she owed Grant a lot.  A
slow smile curved her lips.  And she knew just how to repay him.

~*~

Midnight.

Closing the front door wearily,
Grant dropped the car keys and mobile phone on the hall side table and made his
way into the kitchen.  Tam had obviously been by earlier and put Bird and
Frog’s cage into the laundry.  Bless her little soul.  He missed her, would’ve
liked to see her smiling face greeting him.  Too late now.

Fergus and Slinky were waiting for
him, one whining and the other meowing.  Gretel appeared a few minutes later
just as Grant finished spooning food onto their plates.

Gulping down several mouthfuls
from the iced coffee container, he leaned his forehead against the ‘fridge and
groaned.  Man, he was beat.  Bushed.  Buggered.  But the mare and foal were
fine.

Plodding back out to the laundry,
he tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, kicked off his boots and staggered
bare-arsed naked back into the house, locking the door behind him.  A trip to
the bedroom for clean boxers and then to the shower.

Hot water cascaded down his back
as he leaned his forehead against the wall and groaned in relief.  It hadn’t
been an easy labour, he’d actually thought he was going to lose the mare, but
luck, expertise and a whole lot of praying had diverted a huge disaster.

Now he could relax.  He was going
to flop into the bed and sleep for a week.  Or until the alarm woke him up for
work.

Rousing, he shampooed his dusty,
sweat-streaked hair, soaped his body and rinsed, watching the dirt flow down
the plug hole.  He repeated before turning off the water and grabbing the towel
slung over the overhead rail holding the curtain closed around the old
fashioned bath tub.

Oh yeah, he could sleep for a
week.

Pulling on the clean boxers, he
finger combed his hair back and brushed his teeth before he finally felt human
again.

Slinging the towel over the rail,
he walked out into the hallway to hear the mobile ringing.

He groaned. 
Please, not the
mare.  Not the foal
.  Hurrying to it, he saw the name and smiled, lifting
it to his ear.  “Hey, baby.”

“Hey.”

“I thought you’d be asleep by
now.”

“I was thinking about you.  How
are the mum and baby?”

“Doing fine.”  Leaning his hips
back against the hall side table, he settled in for a chat.  Might be tired,
but never too tired to chat to his woman.

Yep, he sure did like that. 
His
woman
.  Hmm, maybe he should go over and knock on her window.  Probably get
gelded by her Aunt for waking them up.

“So everything is all right?”

“Yep, I-”

“The animals?”

“Yes, I-”

“You?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Hang up and get to your
bedroom.  Now.”  She hung up.

What the hell…?
 
Bewildered, Grant stared at his phone.  She’d rung him up, sounded all
concerned and sweet, and then ordered him to bed? Maybe being up so late didn’t
do anything for her temper.

Okay, definitely not going over to
knock on her window.  He liked his balls just where they were.  But tomorrow he
was going to find out just what had her so snappy.

Still gripping the mobile, he
strode down the hallway, switching off the lights as he did so, until he walked
into his bedroom - and stopped dead.

Sitting upright in his bed, a
mound of pillows at her back, was Tam.  She must have been here the whole time
and for some reason hidden from him.  That she’d actually be present was enough
to lighten his heart, but what made his eyes widen was the vision she presented.

Knees drawn up to provide support
for the book she was reading, the sheet low on her waist making a little tent
to hide the slick treasures he knew lurked beneath.

But whoa boy, what made his
interest perk right up was Tam herself.  Dressed in a satin nightie with
spaghetti straps, all pink satin with wide, creamy lace edging that lovingly
traced her impressive cleavage.

His gaze went from that cleavage
to her face.  Oh man, she wore glasses, only these were dark framed, very
librarian look, very bookish.  And all that thick, shiny hair was piled up in a
thick topknot held by, of all things, a pencil stuck through the twist.

Oohh boy.  He could feel the
anticipation curling through him, especially when he saw another pencil in her
fingers, the eraser end tapping her lips as she looked at him through those
sexy glasses.

Looked sternly, not a smile on her
face.

Oh boy, stern librarian!

“Hey.”  Grinning, he started forward. 
“I do like the-”

“Stop right there.”  She pointed
the pencil at him. 
“Now.”

Involuntarily responding to the
order, Grant raised his eyebrows.

Those green eyes drifted over him,
one delicate brow arching.  “You know, Grant, I’ve been checking out your
books.”

“As in stamping them out?”

“As in, smart arse, looking at
what you do to them.”

“I read them.”

“Is that what you call it?”  With
deliberate, slow movements, she placed a bookmark in the open book and shut it
with great care before placing it on the bedside table.

Watching her slide her legs out of
bed at the same time she tossed the sheet aside, Grant realised he was no
longer sleepy.  Nope.  He was wide,
wide
awake.  Wide awake, intrigued,
and ready for some fun of a very nefarious kind.

Enjoying the anticipation - not to
mention the very pleasing view of Tam in a satin nightgown that barely covered
her bosom and skimmed her knees, a naughty slit in the side edged with lace
giving him an enticing view of a bit of rounded thigh - he was definitely a
happy man.  His shaft was perky, his tiredness had vanished, and he had a
feeling the night was going to end awesomely.

When she picked up a long satin
and lace dressing gown that matched her nightgown and drew it on, he objected. 
“Baby, don’t bother putting that on.  It’s just going to come right off-”

“Did I give you permission to move
or speak, Dr Wilson?” Her tone was as cool as a southerly breeze.

His eyebrows shot up.  “Uh - no?”

“That’s right.  I didn’t.”  Tam
picked up a plastic ruler and ran the edges through her fingers as she
contemplated him with her head angled to one side.

Just how stern was she going to
get?  Knowing his little Tam, her nerve would give out.  Maybe.  Hell, he
hadn’t thought she’d go this far just yet.  He watched her closely, trying to
guess her next move.

Tapping the ruler against one
palm, she approached, her gaze running over him.  No way could she miss the
bulge that was starting to appear at the front of his boxers.

Stopping right in front of him,
she reached out and placed the pointy edge of the ruler lightly on the bulge. 
“Dr Wilson, I have to tell you that your choice in boxers is odd.”

“What?”  Befuddled, all his
attention focussed on the ruler touching him, he blinked.

“Your boxers, Dr Wilson.”

He glanced down to where the ruler
touched the bulge of his shaft.  “What about my boxers?”

“They have dinosaurs on them.”

“Well…yes.”

“Why do you have a dinosaur
roaring with his open mouth right on your fly, Dr Wilson?”

“My sister’s idea.”

“You have a strange family.”

“You have no idea.”  He grinned,
reached for her.  “But you will -
ow!
”  Stunned, he blinked down at
her.  “That was my knuckles!”