Tim guffawed.
She rounded on him furiously. “You ignoramus! David’s hurt!”
“Only his ankle. He’ll be fine.”
“Says you. I’m going home to look after the poor dear.” She hurried from the room. “I feel so bad.”
“How many times have I heard that?” He stood up and stretched. “Think I’ll head for home myself, Rick. Thanks for the iced chocolate, Cherry.”
“Uh – you’re welcome.” Cherry was standing uncertainly by the chair.
“Don’t see me out, I can do it myself.” Tim winked at Rick. “Have a good, or should that be great – day.”
Rick grinned. Oh hell yeah, he intended to take full advantage of this windfall.
No sooner had Tim left than Cherry started to move around the table. “I better go, too.”
“What? No.” Rick stepped in front of her. “You don’t need to go.”
“But your sister—”
“Donna is fine. Trust me, love, my sister and her husband have these falling-outs often, and she always turns up at either my place or my parent’s until David comes looking for her, which isn’t usually very long. They kiss and make-up, though he’s really outdone himself this time.” He couldn’t stop his lips twitching in amusement. “You’ll get used to it.”
“But—”
“No buts. Donna won’t take long to go, and this is the first time in nearly a week that we’ve had time together.”
Cherry smiled. “We went to a movie two nights ago. I cooked tea for you on Thursday and Sugar spent the whole time afterwards sitting in your lap until you got that call-out.”
“I’m lucky to get a good meal into me on a on-call night. My guardian angel was watching out for me. I got time to spend with you and those two miscreants you call cats.” It had been a relaxing time while they’d chatted and the cats snoozed contentedly, Sugar snuggled on his lap.
“Last weekend was a picnic with my friends.”
“And what an experience that was.” Rick grinned. “I like your friends. At least Susie lets me sneak a peak at the hospital roster now.”
“She’s a little overprotective.”
Rick had to agree, but he couldn’t blame Susie. In fact, that very protective streak in her towards Cherry made him admire her. Anyone who was on Cherry’s side got his automatic vote of friendship.
The picnic had been fun. Robbo and Ben got on well with Rick, and Maxie and Susie were friendly with him outside of the hospital walls, especially when he proved to be easy-going and cheerful, happily falling in with their plans for the day. There was no distinguishing in their varied professions.
“Susie is a free spirit, it’ll take a special man to hold her down.” Cherry smiled. “Robbo’s trying to be that man.”
Reaching out, Rick took her hand. She looked up at him questioningly, and his heart just bloomed with warmth as it always did when she looked at him. “Free spirits are wonderful, but there’s only one spirit I’m interested in capturing.”
That expected flush spread across her cheeks and she glanced away.
Before he could say anything, Donna ran past the door. “I’m off! Bye Rick! Nice to meet you, Cherry!” The door banged shut behind her.
Rick shook his head. “Typical Donna. I’ll see her off.”
She was already jumping in a taxi when he got to the gate. She waved to him, yelled her thanks again, and the taxi pulled away. The visit was typical Donna-style. A whirlwind of temper, humour, and rapid mood swings.
Amused, Rick returned to the house. Shutting the door behind him, he entered the kitchen again to find Cherry gazing out the window into the backyard.
“Nice yard,” she said. “It’s going to need some work, though.”
Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. She relaxed back into him, and he savoured the feel of her softness. “True. But I don’t intend to do too much to it.”
“Oh?”
“It’s a rental. It’s not a real home.”
“True again. But you need it to look nice, to feel like a home.”
“Maybe, but it’ll still be missing someone.” He nuzzled the silky strands of hair tickling his chin.
Cherry didn’t answer, but neither did she pull away. They stood there in companionable silence and he let the peace of their togetherness seep into him. The house was quiet, it was just the two of them. The two of them with nothing to take their attention from each other.
“Do you know it’s been a week since we made love?’ Rick murmured. Immediately he felt her suck in a breath. “I say we remedy that right now.”