LITMIR.BIZ

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excuse to avoid going home and facing the truth that Celine was never coming back. He’d worked until he was so tired he could fall into bed and sleep.

      He should be grateful to Sarah. She hadn’t forced this holiday on him, he had. By all accounts, she appeared to be the perfect locum, despite being an arrogant ‘suit’ from Auckland. Okay, not totally arrogant, but she was going to have difficulty fitting in here with those city mannerisms.

      His eyes were riveted on the way her legs moved as she negotiated the crowd. Long, long legs that he imagined going— Get a grip. She was a colleague, not some female to be drooled over as though he was a sex-starved teenager. He winced. He was sex-starved. And only now beginning to notice. It had been so long he could barely remember what making love was like.

      Now was not the time to find out. Which was another reason to wish Sarah on the other side of the planet.

      Reaching her, he leaned down for her case at the same moment that she grabbed the handle.

      ‘Let me,’ he said quietly. And tried to breathe normally. The skin on the back on her hand was soft, smooth. Strands of blonde hair settled on her cheek. His heart stuttered. Such a mundane and delightful thing.

      ‘I can manage,’ she retorted.

      ‘I know, but let me.’

      Her mouth fashioned a fleeting smile. ‘Thank you.’

      This close he could see the dark shadows staining her upper cheeks. ‘Do you feel up to driving, or would you rather come back for your car in the morning?’

      ‘What, and have you hauling all those cases between vehicles?’ She managed another almost-smile. ‘I’ll follow you. Is it far?’

      ‘About five kilometres, on the other side of town.’ Thinking of the short street of shops, mostly farming and fishing suppliers, he knew Sarah would be shocked. There was one, surprisingly good, café run by a couple who’d opted for the quiet life after many years of running a business in Christchurch. Hopefully their coffee would be up to this woman’s expectations.

      Sarah pulled the outside door open. ‘Allow me.’

      ‘Oh, no. After you.’ Dan gripped the edge of the door above her head.

      She shrugged and ducked under his arm, out the doorway, bang into a throng of people crowding the steps. Leah danced along behind her. Fishermen crowded the porch, gathering to celebrate the rescue operation’s success.

      ‘Careful, lady!’ someone exclaimed. ‘Those steps are slippery.’

      Sarah teetered at the edge of the top step. She put a hand out for balance but there was no railing to grab. Tripping, she made a desperate attempt to regain her footing. The heel of her sandal twisted, tipped her sideways and she went down hard, crying out as she thumped onto the concrete.

      ‘Sarah.’ Dan dropped her case, pushed through the men to crouch down beside her. ‘Don’t move. Let me look.’

      She was on her backside, one leg twisted under her. ‘I’m fine. Just help me up, please.’ She put a hand out to him.

      ‘Wait until I’ve checked your leg.’

      ‘There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s my foot that hurts. Probably bruised.’ Putting her hands down on either side of her hips, she tried to stand, but couldn’t. ‘Are you going to give me a hand, or do I ask someone else?’

      ‘Sit still.’ Those sandals weren’t helping. ‘How do you expect to be able to stand up on that narrow spike you call a heel?’

      ‘Typical male. Women are born to walk on heels,’ she retorted through clenched teeth. Leaning to one side, she straightened her leg out from under her bottom, and bit down on her lip.

      He gently felt her ankle, then her foot. The tissue was soft, already swelling, and her sharp intake of breath confirmed his suspicions. ‘I think you’ve broken at least one bone. An X-ray will verify that.’

      He’d call the radiology technician on the way to A and E. Technically a fracture in the foot could wait until the morning, but he didn’t want this particular patient finding their small hospital lacking.

      ‘That easily? That’s crazy.’ Sarah shook her head at her foot as though it was responsible for her predicament, and not those ridiculous shoes.

      So much for Sarah taking over his practice this week. He should be pleased he’d be going to work. But even he understood his promise to Leah was meant to be kept. It didn’t matter he was terrified he wouldn’t measure up as a full-time dad for three months, and that Leah might revert to the disconsolate little girl he’d finally handed over to his family to help. He’d promised to try. Now, before he’d even started, their time together had to be postponed. He might’ve resented Sarah coming here, but right now he’d give anything to have her back on both feet and eager to get started.

      CHAPTER THREE

      SARAH hobbled after Dan as he carried a sleepy bundle of arms and legs into the weatherboard house. Leah had been tucked up in Jill’s bed when Dan had finally had time to pick up his little girl on the way home from hospital.

      Guilt for keeping this tot out late swamped Sarah. Due to her clumsiness Leah hadn’t been with her dad when she should’ve been.

      ‘Make yourself comfortable while I tuck Leah into bed,’ Dan snapped over his shoulder, not easing Sarah’s heavy heart.

      He had every right to be annoyed with her. As had the other people whose time she’d intruded upon. Jill had driven her car here and someone had followed to pick her up. The radiology technician had gone into the hospital especially for her. And then there was Dan, who hadn’t bothered to hide how he felt about this development.

      Injuring her foot was a pain in the butt for her, too. If she hadn’t been so intent on putting some space between her and Dan, it wouldn’t have happened. The X-ray showed two broken bones. Her foot was twice its normal size and hurt like crazy. Thank goodness for painkillers.

      Ignoring his order, Sarah followed Dan down the hall. Was he a good dad? Inexplicably she wanted to watch him tuck the child into bed, wanted another peep of Leah looking so cute with a blanket hitched under her chin and a bedraggled teddy bear squashed against her face. ‘She’s gorgeous,’ she whispered, afraid of waking the girl, worried Dan might tell her to go away.

      ‘Especially when she’s asleep.’ Dan’s soft smile made Sarah’s heart lurch. His big hand smoothed dark curls away from Leah’s forehead. ‘Actually, she’s gorgeous all the time but, then, I’m biased.’

      ‘So you should be.’

      Dan placed feather-light kisses on his daughter’s cheeks and forehead. ‘Goodnight, sweetheart.’

      From deep inside, in the place she hid unwanted emotions, something tugged at Sarah. A reminder of how much she’d been looking forward to having a family of her own when she and Oliver were married. That man had taken a lot from her.

      ‘Are you all right?’ Dan stood in front of her.

      ‘Yes, of course.’ Or could these emotions come from something else? An image of her own father tucking her into bed floated across her mind. As if. That was a fantasy. Dad had always been at work at her bedtime. No, she was overtired and getting confused.

      ‘Your room is at the end of the hall. You’ve got an en suite bathroom so you won’t have plastic toys to trip over.’ Dan turned back towards the kitchen. ‘I’ll bring your cases in.’

      ‘Thank you. I’ll put the kettle on. Do you want a hot drink?’

      ‘If you wait a few minutes, I’ll get that. Go and put your foot up.’

      ‘Dan, I am not incapable of boiling water.’

      Loud knocking prevented Dan from answering, which by the tightening of his mouth and the narrowing of his eyes had saved

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