Return of the Maverick. Sue MacKay
he’d started. He’d known the acid of her tongue over the phone, but nothing else about her. He’d expected a middle-aged paragon who was efficiency personified. No one had told him she was drop-dead gorgeous, and that was with a helmet on and wearing those dreadful Spandex cycle shorts with the padded seat.
Movement out of the corner of Brad’s eye caught his attention. Two youngsters were picking up a bike from the side of the road, a bike that looked suspiciously like Erin’s. ‘Hey, you two.’
The boys stopped, glanced over their shoulders, apprehension on their sulky faces. Little blighters had been about to steal the bike. ‘Put that down now.’
Their apprehension grew, but they remained quiet.
Erin looked around. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Those two were borrowing your bike.’ He’d managed to stop their silly escapade.
Her head spun around so fast she had to be giddy. Her eyes hardened, and she stormed across to retrieve her cycle. Damn, but she looked even more beautiful when she was angry. Something he didn’t need to know. But his brain seemed to be filing it away for later anyway.
She growled at the boys in a low voice that stroked his raw nerves. ‘You were going to steal my bike? How dare you? If you want a bike, get a job and earn the money for one. I should report you to the police.’
One of the boys scoffed, ‘Yeah, right, lady.’
The other glared at her defensively. ‘Who’d give us a job?’
She looked from one boy to the other, a frown scrunching her forehead. ‘I would, if I could. Unfortunately there aren’t any jobs for schoolkids where I work.’
Brad noted how hope flared quickly in the lads’ eyes, and disappeared as rapidly. Poor kids. Maybe he could think of something. But in the meantime they still owed her an apology. He turned to the boys. ‘Haven’t you two got something to say to this lady?’
Like twins they screwed their noses into sneers and rolled their eyes at her. But they did mutter, ‘Sorry.’
‘I imagine that’s as good as I’m going to get.’
He sighed. He’d heard these sorts of comments throughout his youth. People always expected the worst of kids from the wrong part of town, and judging by the worn and ill-fitting school uniforms these two were wearing, that was exactly where they came from. ‘You could give them a break.’
‘What? Am I supposed to congratulate the boys for being would-be thieves? They need a good dressing down.’
True, and they’d get one from him if their parents weren’t forthcoming. Did he know these boys’ families? It might be better for him if he left them alone and headed straight to the clinic. Don’t get involved. Don’t stir up the past any more than you have to.
But he still shook his head at Erin in warning before turning to the boys. ‘Come on, you two. Let’s get out of here.’
Before he hauled this woman into his arms, bike and all, and kissed her until her legs couldn’t hold her up. Banging his hand on his head, he muttered, ‘What the hell’s the matter with me?’
He tried to concentrate on the lads, tried to ignore her as she checked the road was clear before cycling away. She was going to be furious when she learned who he was. Why hadn’t he introduced himself once he’d realised they’d be working together?
Because he didn’t want to see the disdain at what she perceived to be his lack of compassion towards David any sooner than he had to. Had she heard about his badboy reputation? Would that add to her scorn?
But as those trim legs pumped the pedals he couldn’t stop staring after her. His hungry gaze followed her out onto the road. Her backside, clad in those cycling shorts, was a sight not to be missed. It sent his temperature soaring, his heart racing, and his groin aching. He really tried to look elsewhere, for his own sake, but he couldn’t. He watched as she weaved amongst the traffic, his gaze following her until she finally disappeared from sight.
Unfortunately he couldn’t disappear off the radar for the next few months as he’d committed to helping David adjust to his illness. That took precedence over everything. Over everyone, including blue-eyed beauties. The same one who’d rightly accused him during that phone conversation of putting David second.
Home. The one place he’d been too ashamed to return to. The place he and his ex-wife had been in a hurry to leave and make a fresh start away from his bad image. Away to a city where he didn’t have to explain to a patient that while he might’ve stolen a shirt off their washing line years earlier, he could now competently diagnose their illness. In Adelaide his wife had finally begun to carve out the lifestyle she’d craved all her underprivileged childhood. Brad had always known Penelope had used him to get out of Blenheim but he’d understood her, and loved her enough to give her what she wanted. Big mistake.
His marriage had been the one subject that had been taboo between him and David. The older man had seen further ahead than Brad could, had known no one could feed Penelope’s hunger. David had foreseen no amount of wealth would give her what she needed, and he’d argued long and hard with Brad not to marry her. Brad had believed he could provide more than enough to keep his wife happy. Time had proved David right, Brad wrong, and cost him his son.
He and David had patched the rift between them enough to get along again, but the deep affection they’d always known since David had first taken him into his home as a fourteen-year-old was missing. The man who’d kept him out of court, made him accountable for his own actions and, finally, set him on the right path to a successful career now needed looking out for.
Brad glanced at the two boys skulking along beside him. He’d expected they’d have taken off by now. ‘You two hungry?’
Two heads flicked around, astonishment in their eyes. ‘Yes.’
‘Okay, back to the shop. I saw some buns and sandwiches in a cabinet that should fill the hole in your bellies.’
‘Cool.’
‘Thanks, man.’
‘Call me Brad.’ His step lightened. He liked it that he could do something for those that life gave a rough deal. He put on his confident, competent doctor’s face, the one that hid his nervousness about facing up to people he’d hurt in the past.
Then there was Erin. He had to front up to her too. At least she hadn’t featured in his past. Neither was she going to feature in his future. Settling into David’s place in the practice had just got a whole load more difficult.
CHAPTER TWO
ERIN rushed into the medical centre as though being chased by a hungry lion, knowing she’d have kept a lot of people waiting. She had an immunisation clinic and the waiting room was full of young mothers and their toddlers. ‘Sorry I’m late, everyone, but there was an accident and I stopped to give a hand.’
‘It’s okay, we heard,’ one of the women said as she shoved a pacifier in the mouth of a screeching child.
A curly-haired toddler grabbed at the hem of Erin’s straight denim skirt, tugging her to a halt.
‘Hey, gorgeous, how are you today?’ Erin bent down and swung Katie Bryant into her arms.
Big brown eyes stared back at her out of a pale face with shadows on her cheeks. One tiny fist tapped Erin’s chin.
‘I guess that means you’re fine.’ Erin kissed the top of Katie’s head and gently placed her back on her feet. ‘Is she not sleeping too well?’ she asked Alison, Katie’s mother.
‘Too much sometimes. I never have trouble putting her to bed these days.’
Maybe she was overreacting but Erin decided she’d get Annie or Dr Perano to take a look at Katie before her injection. The little girl didn’t look quite right, not