looked at him doubtfully and then gave a reluctant smile. ‘If you’re sure it’s OK…’
‘Perfectly.’
With a neat co-ordinated movement, she moved her plate aside and leaned across the table towards him, her eyes alight with purpose. ‘Would this be a good time to talk about my patient list?’
‘Who said anything about you having a patient list?’
‘I already have the beginnings of one,’ she informed him smartly. ‘I have my new mum, Karryn.’
‘So you do.’ Jake acknowledged dryly. ‘And what did you come up with?’
‘I’ve outlined a programme of massage and gentle exercise for her and she seemed pleased with that and agreed to stay an extra few days.’
‘And?’
‘And what?
‘I don’t imagine you stopped there.’
She shrugged away his cryptic taunt. ‘I’m working on a way of perhaps making things a bit easier for when Karryn gets home from hospital.’
‘Oh?’ Jake’s eyes narrowed at her earnest expression and the tiny dimple in her cheek that gave the impression she was always on the brink of a smile. Damn and blast. If he lowered his guard for just a second, he knew he’d be leaving himself open to heartbreak again. He gave a rather curt nod of his head. ‘Tell me.’
‘Loretta’s put me onto the CWA.’ Maxi’s voice was laced with enthusiasm. ‘And from what she told me, their funding guidelines would seem to cover what I have in mind for Karryn and her family. Anyway, I’m going to pop in on Liz Maynard in the morning. I think between us we can work something out.’
Jake’s mouth pleated at the corners. ‘Just don’t get your hopes too high. There may nothing at all Liz can come up with. The CWA’s funds aren’t limitless and neither is their capacity to help people.’
‘I’m not about to give in to pessimism,’ Maxi declared stoutly. ‘I still believe in successful outcomes. I would’ve thought you did as well. You used to,’ she reminded him.
He gave a bleak kind of smile. ‘We’re in desperate times here, Maxi. Sometimes, no matter how much we wish it otherwise, there really is nothing we can do to change things.’
Maxi took a thoughtful swallow of her wine. She didn’t believe in giving up easily. There would always be something they could do. And for whatever time she had here in this tiny community, she resolved to find a way to do that something.
As they left the pub, she realised they still hadn’t discussed her patient list. Baby steps, then, she decided philosophically. She had enough to be going on with. And with a bit of luck, the rest would follow.
When they got back to the house, Jake unlocked the front door and stood aside for her to enter. In the lounge room, he tossed his keys on the coffee-table and swung round a bit awkwardly. ‘I’ll get house and surgery keys cut for you tomorrow. Meanwhile, do you have everything you need?’
Unfolding her clenched hands, Maxi held her palms against her thighs. ‘Yes, thanks. Um, what time do you usually have breakfast?’
He gave a hollow laugh. ‘I usually just grab a banana as I go. That’s breakfast.’
She gave a disapproving little shake of her head. ‘You can’t possibly start your day on a banana! How early do you leave for the surgery?’
‘Seven-thirty-ish,’ he said, his voice curiously gruff. ‘If there are patients to see at the hospital, I do a round first and then go on to the surgery.’
‘I could do your hospital round,’ she offered. ‘I’ll be going there anyway to start Karryn on her programme.’
He seemed to hesitate and then he said, ‘Fair enough. Thanks,’ he added, almost as an afterthought.
‘Then what?’ Maxi prodded. ‘I’ll come to the surgery?’
‘Will that be before or after you’ve seen Liz Maynard?’
She sent him a brief exasperated look. ‘After, I imagine.’ And, please, take me seriously, she wanted to add, but didn’t. She turned away. ‘I’ll say goodnight, then.’ Suddenly, it was all just too difficult.
Maxi couldn’t sleep. And it wasn’t as though the bed was uncomfortable. It wasn’t. And the sheets and pillowcases were of softest cotton, sweet and sun-dried. But she’d been overtired, she realised now, her thoughts all over the place.
She sighed and turned over, plumping up the pillow yet again. The absolute quiet was getting to her, unnerving her. That was until the cicadas started their concert outside her window, of course. It was driving her nuts. But that was nothing compared to the fright she’d experienced when a long mournful howl had pierced the night air and had had her jackknifing up, her heart banging inside her chest. Now, that was the stuff of nightmares.
Oh, lord… Closing her eyes, she began some relaxation techniques… Surely Australia didn’t have wolves, did it? But the howl had sounded like a wolf. And so close—so close…
She finally slept, rising early and strangely more in control. And under the needling warmth of the shower, even a three-minute one, she felt her body revive and her mind begin to focus.
Dressed for work in well-cut linen trousers and crisp white figure-hugging shirt, she made her way along to the kitchen, surprised that Jake hadn’t surfaced yet. She’d give him a surprise and fix breakfast.
Her eyes tracked around the kitchen. It was lovely, homely. She’d hardly had time to register anything last night, she thought, going forward to place her hand almost reverently on the scrubbed pine table, touching her fingers to the tiny dips and grooves in its surface and speculating about the doctors, young and possibly not so young, who had sat here. What stories they could tell now.
She moved across to the pantry and peered inside, raising an eyebrow in surprise. It was well stocked. And obviously down to the lady who came in—Marie. The fridge was similarly well provisioned and Maxi made a little sound of annoyance in her throat. There was no need for Jake to be skipping meals at all. Or as good as.
But, then, it wasn’t much fun cooking for one, she guessed. And wondered anew just how lonely and isolating it was for him here.
Locating bowl and whisk, she broke in several eggs and began to fluff them. A tiny frown pleated her forehead. Had disillusionment from their break-up driven him here? she wondered. Had her inability to join him really done that to him? She turned the beaten eggs into a pan and adjusted the heat.
‘What’s going on here?’
Maxi spun round from the cook-top and shot Jake a haughty little look. ‘Good morning. I’m fixing breakfast. And don’t tell me you don’t have time to eat.’
A little bemused, Jake leaned against the doorframe, watching her. She looked so absolutely right here, he thought, his mind sharpening with memory. Until he cautioned himself bleakly, silently, Just don’t get used to it, chum. There may be history between him and Maxi but there was definitely no future. He wasn’t about to set himself up to be hurt all over again.
‘Well, don’t just stand there, Doctor.’ Maxi beckoned him in. ‘I could use your help here. We need some toast to go with these scrambled eggs.’
Jake pushed himself away from the door and moved across the kitchen to look over her shoulder. ‘You really didn’t have to do this, Max.’ His voice was edged with a gruff quality, his hand of its own accord coming up to rest fleetingly at the nape of her neck.
Maxi felt warning signals clang all over her body and turned her head a fraction. With only the merest encouragement from him, she could have flung herself into his arms. Instead, she took a steadying breath, finding herself breathing in the fresh tang of his sandalwood shower gel. ‘I was up early,’ she improvised quickly. ‘It seemed