The Reunion Of A Lifetime: The Reunion of a Lifetime / A Bride to Redeem Him. Fiona Lowe

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СКАЧАТЬ ‘Want to talk about it?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘Okay.’

      Okay? What woman ever said that to a refusal to discuss feelings? And yet, twelve years ago, he and Lauren had never talked about their emotions so in a way this ‘okay’ made sense. ‘What do you want me to do next?’ he asked, thinking about the patients in the waiting room.

      ‘According to the radio, there’s flathead biting off the end of the pier. You might be able to fill your day that way.’

      ‘Very funny.’

      She hit him with an uncompromising stare. ‘Or you can tell me why you’re in Horseshoe Bay when you clearly don’t want to be on holidays. Then I’ll let you see some patients.’

      ‘I thought doctors were supposed to be caring people,’ he grumbled, trying to hide his anxiety.

      ‘We are.’ Her hand rested on his arm. ‘But we can also be our own worst enemies.’

      He gazed down at her, wanting to lose himself in her clear gaze and kiss her until his mind was blank, but she wasn’t looking at him with anything other than concern for a friend. Damn it. He’d been the one to raise the friend issue. He’d planted that seed. What the hell had he been thinking? Every time he looked at her he wanted to pull her close, hold her tight and breathe in her fresh, sea scent. Who was he kidding? He wanted her naked—under him, over him, with him.

      He gave himself a shake and decided the bare bones were all she needed—all he was prepared to give. ‘I got caught in a cyclone.’

      ‘Oh, God. That must have been terrifying.’

      Not as terrifying as being home. ‘Yeah.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m fine but Australia Aid won’t put me in the field again until I’ve ticked all the trauma recovery boxes. The thing is, I’m better when I work.’

      She tilted her head, her beautiful eyes assessing him, and he got the feeling she saw straight through him. ‘How long since you last had a holiday?’

      ‘I don’t do relaxation.’

      ‘I can see that. You look exhausted.’

      Frustration bubbled in his veins. ‘Listen, I didn’t come to Horseshoe Bay to get the same lecture I’m getting from Australia Aid.’

      ‘That says a lot.’

      ‘Again...’ he breathed in deeply and tried to keep a lid on his temper ‘... I already have a counsellor, so...’

      Her brows rose. ‘Prickly.’

      He wasn’t touching that but his temper frayed anyway. ‘Can I work or not?’

      The cogs of her intelligent mind were reflected in her all-seeing eyes. ‘Until I’m back at work, you can do the morning session and finish at one.’

      That’s not enough. ‘It makes more sense for me to do the whole day.’

      ‘Not from where I’m standing. Do you have any idea how drawn you are? How unkempt you look?’

      ‘What the hell does that have to do with anything?’

      ‘It has everything to do with it. A lot of my patients are in better shape than you.’ She sighed. ‘Look, Charlie, I don’t know why you’re fighting your R&R but you need it. My offer’s a four-hour workday for three days and then we’ll review it. Take it or leave it.’

      The girl he’d once been able to talk round with flattery and kisses was nowhere to be seen. ‘When did you become such a hardball negotiator?’

      She didn’t laugh or smile and she didn’t reply using words—she didn’t have to, it was written all over her face. That’s when he remembered what she’d told him just before the car had careened at them.

       Divorced.

      He had an unreasonable urge to punch her ex-husband.

      * * *

      ‘Watching paint dry is more exciting than this,’ Charlie grumbled.

      ‘You have to be patient,’ Shaylee said, her elfin face set in a serious and determined expression. ‘Ian says the fish know if you’re in a bad mood.’

      Lauren laughed, loving the way children cut straight through the nonsense. ‘There you go, Charlie. Our lack of fish falls firmly at your feet.’

      Instead of rolling his eyes, Charlie grinned at her over the top of Shaylee’s head—all white teeth and sparkling eyes as blue as the sea that lay at their feet. A bolt of pleasure whizzed through her, zeroing in between her legs with a flash of heat, making her thighs tighten and the rest of her twitch. Being friends with Charlie was killing her.

      It was Saturday afternoon and they were on the end of the pier, trying to catch dinner. Lauren’s ribs were no longer hurting quite as much and after three days of enforced rest she had a bad case of cabin fever. She’d offered to take Shaylee fishing to free up her parents so they could attend and enjoy an eightieth birthday afternoon tea without worrying about a bored eight-year-old. Lauren wasn’t exactly certain how Charlie had ended up joining them on the pier, especially as he appeared to hate fishing, although she suspected he just hated being still. Was that why he was fighting his R&R? Perhaps she should suggest he do an ecotourism high-adrenaline holiday.

      I don’t do relaxation, he’d said. He wasn’t kidding. His line was jiggling up and down in his hand like he had a tremor or a tic. Each day, after his morning session at the clinic, Charlie had called in on her at the cottage and given her a quick handover while he made her lunch. She was positive she hadn’t mentioned the fishing plans to him and yet he’d materialised in the car park just in time to help carry the gear. Why? For a moment she’d toyed with the idea that he’d taken on board her advice to find ways to chill out but, watching him, she knew the idea to be ludicrous.

      ‘You won’t get a bite if you keep jiggling the rod,’ she said, deliberately glancing away from his seductive smile.

      ‘I’m creating excitement and anticipation in the fish world by constantly moving the hook.’

      She pursed her lips to keep from laughing. ‘Interesting strategy. Want to bet on it?’ Seriously? What are you doing?

      His eyes lit up. ‘Fifty bucks?’

      ‘I was thinking more along the lines of the person who doesn’t hook the first fish fillets the catch.’

      ‘Let’s take it one step further. The loser fillets and cooks.’

      His dimples twinkled at her, making her feel giddy. ‘You’re on, Charlie. I’m so going to win this.’

      ‘Lauren!’ Shaylee squealed. Her line bobbed up and down wildly.

      Charlie shot out his right hand to steady it and Lauren reeled in her own line before scrambling to her feet and kneeling behind Shaylee. ‘Okay, honey, we have to do this slowly.’

      ‘It’s СКАЧАТЬ