Intensive Care: Escape to the Country (27 page)

“Way to go,” the man called out, his American accent sounding anomalous to her ears.

“Don’t mind us,” his wife called out, waving at them.

Joel gave them the thumbs-up sign and turned to look back at Kate, his face again one of serious contemplation. She returned his stare, gazing into his eyes. Raising both hands to touch his face, she ran her fingers over the sandpaper-like stubble on his jaw. Joel reached for her and pulled her head toward his as he kissed her again, this time with more intimacy and a sense of urgency. A small moan escaped her lips and he echoed it. His hand tilted her jaw up and he caressed her face as he began kissing her again and again, each time with more fervency. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave herself completely to him, not wanting the moment to end. She felt alive for the first time in years. When they finally broke apart, the American couple were nowhere to be seen.

“Wow,” Joel said.

“Wow indeed,” Kate replied, her heart still pounding with desire. They stood, locked in an embrace, foreheads touching. Her legs were shaking and she was having difficulty standing. She could feel his breath against her skin and warmth flooded through her whole body.

“Joel, why haven’t you kissed me properly until now?” Kate asked, pulling back slightly.

Joel looked serious for a minute and Kate wondered what he was going to say. He led her by the hand over to an area of shade and pulled her down beside him on the soft grass. She rested her head in his lap and he stroked her hair with one hand as he began to explain.

“Kate, being around you makes me want to take our relationship into an area I’m not prepared to go just yet.”

Hope plummeted to her toes and her whole body stiffened. Joel stopped stroking her hair when he saw her frown. He massaged the spot between her furrowed eyebrows. “Don’t frown, Kate. Let me explain. You and Marcus lived together, didn’t you?”

Kate hesitated, not sure why he was asking. It was a rhetorical question. Joel already knew the answer. “Yes we did. For almost three years.”

“And you were sleeping together?”

Kate felt her cheeks redden. This was a bit awkward. “Yes of course,” she answered.

“I’m not judging you, Kate. Beck and I lived together too. And we slept together. That means it’s been hard for me to be around you and not want to immediately take you to bed too. Let me assure you, I wanted to almost from the first moment I laid eyes on you. But I also wanted to wait.”

“I don’t understand.” Kate kept frowning. “Why? For the past few months we’ve been seeing each other almost every day. I thought you were just taking things slowly because you were being a gentleman. Then one minute ago you just kissed me so passionately that my body is aching for more of you, and now you’re telling me you don’t want to have sex with me?” Kate shook her head, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “I don’t get it.”

“Oh Kate love. It’s not that I
don’t
want to. But I needed to know you were going to stay. I couldn’t jump into another serious relationship and then have you pack up and go back to Sydney. Birrangulla is my home and I needed to know you were prepared for it to be your home too. Forever.”

Kate nodded. “I understand what you’re saying, but why didn’t you just ask me? Isn’t it obvious to you that I plan on sticking around?”

“I should have asked you, I know. I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me all this now, and it’s out in the open. I just thought you weren’t that interested in me.”

Joel lifted Kate’s head from his lap and changed positions so that he lay down on the grass beside her. He rolled onto his stomach, propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her. Again she clearly read the longing in his eyes, and she hoped he could see that it was mirrored in her own. He reached for her hand and placed it on his chest. She felt his beating heart beneath the fabric of his shirt. What she really wanted to do was run her hands up beneath the thin cotton to touch his skin and feel the muscles she knew lay there.

“Not interested? Oh, you couldn’t be more wrong, Kate love. Every part of my body is aching for you right now. From that night we went out for dinner I’ve had so much trouble being around you and keeping my hands off you.” He groaned. “You have no idea how hard it’s been. I’m sorry if it felt like I was holding back. You’re right, I was. And I’m sorry I didn’t try to explain it sooner.”

“So what you’re saying is you want me, but you don’t want me. I’m totally confused here, Joel.”

“How can I explain this better?” Joel looked up into the sky, as though searching for inspiration. “Kate love, I want our first time together to be something magical. You’re too special for me to just have casual sex with you without getting to know you properly first.” He looked at her again. His eyes were almost navy blue in color, full of seriousness. “I don’t want to sleep with you until I know for sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

What did he just say?

Kate sat up suddenly and a wave of dizziness came over her. She felt light-headed and wasn’t sure if it was from the warmth of the sun or from what Joel was saying.

 “Hang on! Five minutes ago you just kissed me properly for the first time, and now you’re talking about spending the rest of your life with me?” Kate’s mind was spinning in all directions, unable to make sense of what he was saying.

“Yes, Kate, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want your face to be the first thing I see when I wake up every day.”

Joel bent down and she could see the passion as it flared in his eyes. He kissed her again and she responded hungrily. When they finally broke for a breath he rolled away from her onto his back and moaned. He reached for her hand and entwined her fingers with his. Together they lay side by side on the grass and watched as a tiny white cloud crossed the sky overhead.

“Does any of this give you an idea of how interested I am in you?” he asked eventually, turning to face her.

“Yes,” Kate replied, squeezing his hand and returning his smile, “it certainly does.”

The world had just tilted on its axis again. He was sliding toward her faster than she’d ever imagined was possible and she couldn’t be happier.

He loves me. And he wants me.

“It should be illegal to smell sausages cooking this early in the morning, don’t you agree?”

Kate recognized Joel’s voice but it took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her. She turned and saw him standing there, surrounded by a colorful sea of runners, all ready to start the race. He was dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt and her heart sped up at the sight of how handsome he was.

“Hey!” She went to him and hugged him tightly, inhaling deeply, smelling a combination of lemon-scented aftershave and coffee beans. It was a smell she would forever associate with him.

“How did you sleep last night?”

“Not well to be honest. The nerves have kicked in now, that’s for sure.”

Kate looked around nervously. She’d never competed in a fun run before and was blown away by the sheer number of people already gathered to watch and cheer on their friends and family. It was only seven o’clock in the morning but the haze over the mountains suggested it was going to be another humid day. She was glad the race was early as she didn’t relish the idea of running for two and a bit hours in full summer sunshine. She jogged a little on the spot, wishing her stomach wasn’t doing backflips. Joel looked at her and grinned again.

“So you’re definitely going to run the full twenty-one?”

“I’m certainly going to try.”

“You’ll do fine, love. You’ve trained for this. Just don’t think of it as a race. Go out there and have fun. Remember, that’s why it’s called a
fun
run.” He grinned again and she felt herself relax slightly. “I’ll be cheering you on at different spots around the river, so make sure you look out for me.”

“I wish you were running with me.” Kate reached out to touch his arm. She knew he would have loved to have been running too, but it had taken him a lot longer to get over his pneumonia than he’d expected.

“Next year, I promise,” he replied, with a smile.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Kate answered. “Although …maybe you should ask me after the race. I might never want to do this again!”

The public address system screeched and Kate had to put her hands to her ears as Hugh Cartwright took the microphone from the stand. He was dressed in his mayoral robes and Penelope stood beside him, attached to his arm like an overdressed leech. They both looked ridiculously out of place and Penelope certainly looked like she didn’t want to be there. Kate had a fleeting thought. How had she managed to have her hair and makeup so perfect at that time in the morning? Through the crackle and static, Kate made out most of his words.

“Welcome runners to the Rotary Club of Birrangulla’s fifth annual fun run! As you know, all proceeds from today’s run are going toward equipment for our special care nursery at the hospital. By now I hope you’ve all trained hard and got as many people to sponsor you as possible. So, without further ado, I say go out there and run for the kids!”

There was a huge cheer from the crowd of onlookers and the runners began to push closer toward the starting line. Kate’s stomach was in knots. Why on earth had she agreed to do this? She took her place in the middle of the massive crowd of competitors and adjusted her headphones which were connected to her iPod. Joel had made her an awesome playlist, and that, combined with him cheering her along the way, was what was going to get her through the next couple of hours.

“Smile Kate,” she heard him call out. She turned and found his face in the crowd. She smiled nervously and gave him a thumbs-up sign. He snapped her picture on his phone and blew her a kiss. Then, before she was even really ready, the siren sounded and they were all off, racing down the hill toward the river, cheered on by what appeared to be the entire population of Birrangulla.

Just over two hours later, Kate crossed the finish line. She stumbled to a stop and walked around blindly with her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. She was suddenly aware of a group of people surrounding her and applauding her and it took a moment for her to realize every member of the intensive care unit was there to see her finish, from doctors to nursing staff, even a few of the cleaners and kitchen staff. She vaguely wondered who was looking after the patients and then realized it didn’t matter. The most important thing today was that she’d finished the race and accomplished something she’d set out to do.

“Well done, Kate!”

“You did it!”

“Go girl.”

“You raised the most money out of anyone from the hospital!”

She heard their words of encouragement but it was Joel she was looking for. A hand touched her back. She turned and he was standing there, his ever-present grin showcasing his dimples. He handed her a bottle of water, which she gulped down thirstily.

After she’d drunk the entire bottle, Joel pulled her close, ignoring her sweat, and kissed her full on the lips. Her legs were still shaking and her breathing was still ragged but she didn’t know whether it was from the after effects of the run or from his passionate kiss. There was no hiding his feelings for her now.

There was a cheer from her staff and Kate grinned. She didn’t feel in the least bit embarrassed by Joel’s public display of affection.

“Well done, Miss City Chick. I think you’ve just proven to the town of Birrangulla that you’re over halfway to becoming a local,” Joel said when he let her go.

“I don’t care about that! I just want one of those sausages!”

Everyone laughed and soon after the group dispersed, leaving Joel and Kate standing in line as the fragrant smell of onions wafted over them from the barbecue. Kate accepted the sausage from the man behind the trestle table and Joel handed him a two-dollar coin. She wrapped the thin paper serviette around the bread and covered the sausage and onions in tomato sauce before taking a large bite.

“Mm, that’s so good,” she spoke with her mouth full, her words mumbled.

“Can’t say that’s what I expected you to eat after running for nearly two and a half hours!”

“Two hours and six minutes thanks very much!” she said, checking her watch again. She was exceptionally proud of her time. She was also quietly proud of how much money she’d raised for the hospital. It felt good to be giving back to the community. “Anyway, I don’t care whether they’re full of fat – this is delicious.” She took another bite to prove her point.

Joel reached out and touched her cheek with his finger. There was something sensual about the way he did it.

“You had sauce all over your face.”

“Oh. Thanks.” She reached up and touched the place where his finger had landed. “And thanks for cheering me on.”

Joel had been waiting at various points along the course for her. Each time she’d seen him up ahead waving, her heart had exploded with joy. As she’d passed him, he had clapped loudly, calling out her name. Rather than embarrass her, she felt like she was running in the Olympics with her own personal cheer squad. His encouragement had spurred her on.

Finishing her sausage, she scrunched the serviette in her hand and looked around for somewhere to throw her rubbish.

“Over there.” Joel pointed to a row of bins.

“Thanks.” She dumped her garbage and wiped her sticky hands down the front of her shorts just as she saw the mayor and Penelope approaching her.

Joel grinned at her. “This will be interesting.”

“Ah, Kate,” Hugh Cartwright called out as he got closer to her, “it looks like I’ll be needing to hand you the keys to the city if you raise this amount of money every year.”

Kate blushed at the compliment.

Penelope stood to one side, seemingly forgotten by Cartwright. She was also maintaining a distance from Kate, who was still sweating and probably beginning to smell.

“You did very well to run the whole distance,” he boomed.

Kate adjusted the brim of her peaked cap and looked at Joel. “I couldn’t have done it without this man,” she said, reaching out and putting her arm around his waist. “He cheered me on every step of the way.”

“As I said he would,” Cartwright replied with a cheesy grin. “So, we’ll be seeing you next year then, will we?” he thundered again. Couldn’t the man hear how loud he was?

“Absolutely!” Kate replied.

“Good.” He slapped Joel on the back. “Looks like she’s a stayer, lad! Might make a local out of her yet.”

He strode off and Penelope trotted behind him, struggling to keep up in her stiletto heels. Kate stifled a laugh. She’d never met a man with such a high opinion of himself. Nor a woman so clearly unsuited to be his partner.

Laughter carried across the park and Kate turned to watch a group of children running around. The bunting strung between the trees flapped in the gentle breeze and Kate sighed with pleasure at the sight before her. She belonged here.

 “Do you want a coffee?” Joel asked when they were finally able to break away from the crowds of people. Every few steps they’d bumped into someone else they knew. “I know somewhere that will open up especially for runners.” He bent down and kissed the side of her neck. Anticipation rushed through her, followed quickly by reality.

“You know what? As much as I’d normally say yes, all I want to do is go home, shower and sleep. In that order. Feel free to bring me coffee any time after about two o’clock. How does that sound?”

The next week passed in a blur of activity, the way things usually did in the lead up to Christmas. The unit was as busy as ever, reminding Kate that illness and emergencies didn’t stop because the date on the calendar said it should. Between covering shifts for staff members on annual leave and attending countless end-of-year Christmas parties, she’d found it difficult to find time to hang out with Joel.

Their kiss at the mansion had unlocked the floodgates of passion, reminding her of something her mum used to say. “Once you kiss, you can never go back to holding hands.” There was still plenty of kissing
and
holding hands, but it was getting more difficult to keep their hands off each other. He was true to his word though, maintaining his gentleman-like stance, and they hadn’t slept together. Although she knew how serious he was about their relationship, there had been no more talk about the future. Kate wasn’t worried, she was just enjoying every day spent getting to know him better.

One hot night he’d shown up and surprised her by dragging a massive pine tree into her house. She’d already bought a small plastic Christmas tree from Target but he made her take it down, stating it wasn’t Australian to have a fake tree. He’d put on a Michael Bublé Christmas CD, cranked the music up loud and together they’d decorated his monster tree. It was so tall they couldn’t even put a star on top. In the end, when they’d stood back to admire their handiwork, even Kate had to admit the effect of the decorations and the fresh smell of pine made Christmas seem more real. She had grown up with fresh Christmas trees and mismatched decorations, and Joel’s tree brought back many fond childhood memories.

She reflected on her last Christmas with Marcus. He’d never been that much into celebrating Christmas, saying it was just for kids. She’d begged him every year for a tree and finally he’d given in and gone out and purchased one from David Jones. He’d somehow managed to convince the salesperson to sell him the fully decorated tree from the window display. It was a white tree with blue and silver decorations. Perfect for their minimalistic apartment, but not in the least bit Christmassy. Kate had hated it but never said a word.

Luckily, Joel had promised her this was going to be a Christmas for her to remember, and she could hardly wait.