Tempting Taine (27 page)

His
expression
clouded
and
his
voice
was
uncharacteristically
serious
as
he
replied.
‘
It
depends
on
the
relationship.
Take
my
children
for
instance.
’
Dixie
glanced
at
him
sharply
but
he
didn't
appear
to
notice.
‘
Those
with
pneumonia,
meningitis,
gastroenteritis,
polio
-
you
name
it.
To
know
I
can
give
some
of
them
back
their
health,
that
they'd
all
certainly
die
if
I
wasn't
there,
is
the
most
satisfying
thing
in
my
life.
’

‘
Well,
yes,
there's
always
one's
patients
.
’
Dixie
thought
of
her
mission
for
handicapped
children
but
knew
she
needed
more
even
than
that.

They
walked
slowly
up
the
wide
wooden
steps
flanked
by
purple
ice plant,
onto
the
iron
lace-edged
verandah
and
through
the
front
door
into
the
large
front
hall.
Dixie
shrugged
out
of
her
jacket
and
threw
it
on
the
hall
chair.

‘
How
come
you're
back
in
New
Zealand?
’
And
coming
to
Granny's
funeral?
she
wanted
to
add.

‘
Annual
leave.
Actually
I
left
in
a
hurry
several
weeks
before
my
leave
was
due
because
Uncle
Reg
was
ill.
’

‘
I
hope
he's
better.
’
This
was
offered
for
the
sake
of
politeness
only.
Reg
Ryan's
name
stuck
in
her
throat.
After
her
mother
had
done
a
runner,
the
bank
where
Reg
was
manager
had
called
up
the
mortgage
and
the
farm
had
to
be
sold
.
Thank
Goodness
they'd
been
able
to
retain
the
house.

‘
No,
he
isn't.
He
died,
’
Nate
said
quietly.
‘
Last
week.
Didn't
you
know?
A
letter
was
sent
to
you.
’

Why
they
should
contact
her,
Dixie
didn't
know.
Then
she
thought
guiltily
of
the
pile
of
unopened
mail
that
had
accumulated
in
the
rush
of
her
grandmother's
death.

‘
No.
I
didn't
know.
’

Nate
opened
his
mouth
to
say
something
and
then
apparently
changed
his
mind.

‘
You've
had
a
lot
of
funerals
lately,
’
she
said
sympathetically.

‘
So
have
you,
I
believe,
’
he
said
softly.

So
he
knows
about
my
mother's
death,
she
thought.
That
had
been
eight
months
ago
now.
Dixie
couldn't
pretend
great
sorrow.

Aunt
had
said
loudly
that
it
was
the
first
funeral
she'd
been
to
where
all
the
pallbearers
had
inside
knowledge
so
to
speak.
And
that
didn't
count
Dixie's
father
who
had
been
killed
by
a
bull
before
she
was
born.

They'd
all
helped
her
mother
to
spend
the
money
and
ruin
the
farm
so
they
might
as
well
help
to
carry
her
to
her
grave,
Dixie
thought.

Nate
passed
a
hand
over
his
head
and
Dixie
noticed
how
pale
he
looked.

‘
How's
the
head?
’

‘
Bursting.
I'll
take
some
pain killers.
’

‘
I'll
take
you
straight
to
your
room.
Then
you
can
shower.
’
A
modern
shower
had
been
one
of
the
few
changes
Dixie
had
made.
‘
You
don't
smell
too
good,
’
she
added.

‘
Thank
you.
And
did
you
get
honors
at
your
Finishing
School?
’
he
asked
facetiously.
‘
Anyway
it's
called
animal
magnetism.
’

Dixie
laughed
as
they
continued
up
the
red
paisley
hall
runner
to
his
bedroom.
‘
I'll
put
a
chair
in
the
shower
for
you.
Don't
lock
the
door.
’

‘
Whaaat
,
’
he
squeaked,
‘
With
a
vampire
like
you,
kid,
on
the
loose?
’

‘
I'm
not
“
kid
”
any
longer,
Grandpa.
’

His
eyes
dwelled
midway
down
her
blue
jumper
and
he
raised
one
eyebrow.
‘
I've
noticed,
’
he
said,
grinning.

Dixie
was
annoyed
to
feel
color
rising
in
her
face.

‘
Look,
Nate
Ryan,
be
sensible.
How
long
has
it
taken?
’
She
glanced
at
her
watch.
‘
Barely
an
hour
and
we're
back
to
the
nonsense
of
seventeen
years
ago.
You
know
there's
a
danger
of
fainting
under
the
shower.
’