'Jake is specialist help,' Glenda said stoutly. 'He's Dr. McDonald's son.'
'Charlie McDonald?' The plump little country doctor straightened and beamed. 'Charlie's son? Oh, my dear, have you come home?'
'No,' Jake said shortly. 'This is not my home.'
But as he examined Glenda with a lot more care than he'd done the night before, as he gave solid advice, and then finally as he drove back to the lodge, the phrase kept playing in his head.
Had he come home?
Of course he hadn't. This could never be home.
Why not?
It didn't make any kind of sense. This was the place his mother hated.
'The walls closed in on me in that place,' she'd told him. 'Everyone knew everyone else's business. You couldn't get away. Your father was everyone's best friend. Everyone thought he was their own property. Everyone thought I was their property. It's claustrophobic-people clutching you, needing you, you can't imagine.'
He could imagine. Doreen had clutched him, and as soon as Glenda arrived at the hospital she'd done her own clutching. Then the local doctor. Even Rob …
'Great that you were here,' he'd said. 'You know, if you were to consider staying, this valley needs doctors more than it needs rain.'
It was as though he was being hammered. Too much had happened too fast. And on top of the myriad emotions he was feeling towards a family he felt he no longer knew, he'd made love to a woman who'd twisted his heart.
Was it only two days ago that he'd met her?
Disturbed, and tired beyond bearing, he pulled the car over to the verge and closed his eyes. He desperately needed to sleep. A power nap would keep him going, and it'd also clear his mind. He'd used this technique often during his career, when things were closing in on him, seemingly too difficult. He'd simply stop, clear his mind of everything, sleep a little and, when things percolated back, the white noise would be gone and only the urgent issues would stay.
He lay back in the car seat, letting everything fade. Maybe he slept for a little. When he opened his eyes a flock of white cockatoos had landed in the paddock beside the car. They were screeching and wheeling like something in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.
And yes, things were clearer.
No matter the pressures mounting on him, he didn't belong here. No matter that it had been his father's home, it wasn't his home. The screeching of these unfamiliar birds cemented it.
But Tori …
Tori was different. The thought of her was front and centre in his mind, still right where she'd been when he'd gone to sleep. She was one special woman.
The white noise was the claustrophobia of this environment, of the needs of this valley. That had to be removed. It had nothing to do with him. Tori was separate.
Maybe they couldn't be separated.
Well, if not … He had no place here. His life, his work, his future were in Manhattan. The past two days had changed nothing.
Except he might have fallen very hard for a woman called Tori.
Tori rang the hospital as soon as she woke. 'Things are fine,' Susie told her. 'Doreen's already in Melbourne North Western. She's seen a cardiologist and they're putting a stent in later this afternoon. It seems a relatively straightforward block and amazingly there looks to be little long-term damage. He thinks she'll be fine. Glenda's still here. Jake told me your suggestion about the hand therapist, and she's with her now. Jake's lovely, by the way. Glenda says he was your five-minute date. How about that?'
She blushed. Nothing was secret in this valley.
'He's nothing to do with me.'
'No, dear, but if you could have him be something to do with you I'd very much appreciate it,' Susie said briskly. 'The valley needs someone like him so much, and his father's reputation has gone before him. People would trust him.'
'He lives in the States.'
'He has houses here,' Susie pointed out. 'So if you could think of any way to make him stay … '
'Suse … '
'Just saying,' Susie said and laughed. 'Is he home with you now?'
'No.'
'He should be soon, then. Rob's got a couple of things to do in town. The arrangement is that Jake'll bring back the car at five and pick up Rob and Glenda, so that gives you a whole lot of time all by yourselves. So see what you can do, my dear. I've been advertising for a partner for years. If you can do it with one five-minute date I'll be very pleased indeed.'
She chuckled and disconnected. Tori stared at her phone as if it was poison.
The valley gossips had been at it already.
No one knew about last night. All they knew was that she'd walked out of a five-minute date, and she was sharing a house with Jake. Yet already … Already …
She felt her cheeks flush. Jake would hate it. She hated it.
She would not have last night sullied by gossip.
So move on, she told herself. Move on fast. Jake was on his way home. She needed to be out of here.
Make another phone call.
'Yes, of course,' she was told by a women whose sympathy was matched with the efficiency of six months' post-bushfire organisation. 'You've been almost the last one left living up on the ridge. There're three homes left in our relocatable village. You can take your pick.'
Feeling more and more panicked, Tori decided she could sort her gear later. She gathered Rusty and headed out the drive.
She turned out the stone entrance-and almost hit Jake coming in.
She stopped. It was only courteous. She had to say goodbye.
She'd made love to this man. What had she been thinking?
She knew exactly what she'd been thinking.
He climbed out of the car and she was caught again by how good he looked. Yes, his pants were creased and when she looked closely there were a couple of grass stains on his shirt. He needed a shave. His hair needed a brush.
He looked incredibly hot.
He climbed out and smiled at her and hot didn't begin to describe it. He made her heart turn over.
'Where are you going?' he asked, peering in her passenger-side window and Rusty practically turned himself inside out in order to reach him. Tori pressed the window button, the window slid down and Rusty was in Jake's arms in a flash. Jake submitted to being licked, and even laughed as the little dog squirmed his ecstasy in finding his friend.
His friend. Her friend. This man was seriously, seriously sexy.
'I'm going to see my new home,' she said, frantically attempting to firm something inside her that felt very much in need of firming.
'Can I come with you?'
Could he come? Um, no. Um, not wise.
But Rusty was licking his nose again, he was laughing and what was her head doing, saying no? Of course he could come. She could no sooner deny this man than fly.
'Of course,' she said, and he opened the door and climbed in. Uh-oh. Where was her escape plan now?
'You don't have anything else to do?' she asked, half hopeful.
'I need to be back at the hospital at five to collect Rob and Glenda. That's four hours.'
'You don't need to sleep?'
'I've slept.'
'You've slept?'
'For at least an hour. Any more is for wusses,'
'Right,' she said, thoroughly disconcerted, and restarted the engine and headed down the valley to her new home. With her man beside her.
Her man who wasn't her man. A Manhattan doctor.
Jake.
The relocatables were set up as a village. From a distance they looked like rows of shoeboxes lined up side by side.
Even from the road Tori could see there was no use checking out the three she'd been offered and choosing between them. They'd be exactly the same.
'What is this place?' Jake demanded, staring around in dismay.
'Home,' Tori said resolutely, heading for Shoebox 86. The key was in the door. She pushed it open and bit back a gasp of dismay.
Home?
Not.
She'd need to make it home fast, she thought, or the resolution she'd decided on would fail her. Somehow what had happened last night had seemed the catalyst for moving on, but now … Staying near Jake any longer seemed dangerous. This was the sensible option.
But this was beige. And Jake was still here.
So … She'd use him again, she thought. She'd use his energy.
'We need to shop,' she said briskly, but Jake wasn't listening.
'You can't stay here. It's like a budget motel.'
'It's better than a budget motel,' she snapped. 'It's new and it's comfortable and it's mine.'
'So what will you do here?'
'I've been offered a job in a pet clinic on the outskirts of the city.'
'Was that what you were doing on the ridge?'
'My father and I ran a horse clinic,' she said, 'with a small-animal practice on the side. There were scores of horse studs on the mountain. There's not a lot of horses up there now, though, and there won't be for years, so it's pets only.' A furrow appeared between her eyes and she shrugged. 'No matter. Last night showed me I can move on and I will.'
She was looking around, taking careful assessment. 'But you're right, I can't live here like it is now,' she said. 'I need to go shopping.' She glanced at her watch, hesitating. 'I should have come alone, but we have time before you've promised to pick up Glenda. If I wait until after then I won't have stuff today, and I need this place to be cheerful tonight.'