Luci sighed quietly. There was no point keeping everything a secret as she figured he’d find out most of it eventually anyway. His brother was in Vickers Hill, working with her father. There would be no secrets. Not that her father would talk about her but Luci knew there were patients who couldn’t resist gossip. And if Callum looked anything like Seb did, Luci knew there’d be no shortage of patients booking appointments with the new doctor. ‘I got divorced six months ago and I just felt I needed to get out of town for a while.’
‘Has it been messy?’
‘Not messy so much as awkward. My dad is the local doctor—Callum has gone to work in his clinic,’ she explained, ‘so everyone, and I mean everyone, knows me. My ex-husband and I grew up together, we dated since high school, got married at twenty-one and divorced at twenty-five.’
‘You were together, what, ten years?’
‘About that.’
‘That’s a long time. This must be tough for you.’
No one else, other than Flick and her parents, had really understood how her divorce had impacted on her but Seb had hit the nail on the head immediately.
Her divorce had turned her world upside down. Every day of her life had included Ben. He was part of her history. Their friendship and relationship had shaped her into the person she was today and it had been difficult to separate herself into her own person. Ben was wrapped up in her identity and she was having to shape a new one for herself. It had been tough. Really tough.
Perhaps it was the distance lending Seb perspective. Everyone at home seemed to be having just as much difficulty adjusting to Luci being single as she was, which was partly why she had decided, or agreed with Flick’s suggestion, to leave. The locals weren’t moving on as quickly as she would like, which had made things even more difficult for her. It had taken her a lot of adjusting but she was finally coming to terms with the end of her marriage, and she felt the process would be faster if she didn’t have to contend with local opinion as well.
‘It has been rough,’ she admitted. ‘I reckon a divorce is sad and stressful enough, without having an entire town involved. Because everyone knew us, had seen us grow up, they all seemed to think that our divorce was somehow their business. I was tired of everyone either feeling sorry for me because I couldn’t keep my husband or offering to set me up with their nephew, grandson or best friend’s boy.’
‘So you ran away?’
He was watching her closely and Luci could feel herself starting to blush. She wasn’t used to such close attention. She turned away, breaking eye contact. ‘It was time for a change.’
Feeling sorry for herself was self-indulgent. She needed to move on but in a town where everyone knew her business that was hard to do. The truth was she hadn’t coped well at all but that was none of their business. That’s why Flick had been able to talk her into this crazy idea to take a study break in Sydney, and looking around her now she had to admit that it hadn’t been such a mad idea after all. She was actually feeling like she was able to put her marriage behind her. But the demise of her marriage had also cost her the chance of motherhood and that wasn’t so easy to come to terms with.
But she preferred to think she was running towards her future rather than away from her past. She didn’t want to get pigeonholed, which was the danger if she’d stayed put, but there was no need to explain everything. Seb didn’t need to know it all. Unlike at home, she could choose to keep her secrets. This was her opportunity to tell people only what she wanted them to know and she intended to make the most of it.
‘Well, I reckon there’s plenty in Sydney to keep you so busy that you won’t have time to think. And I promise not to introduce you to any eligible men. Unless you ask me to,’ he added. He finished his beer, pushed back the cuff of his shirt and looked at his watch. ‘I have a meeting to get to but can I give you a lift home first?’ he asked as he picked up his helmet.
‘That would be great,’ she said, but she should have said no.
Seb offered her his leather jacket to wear for protection, just in case something untoward happened. His hands brushed hers as he slid the jacket over her arms and when his fingers brushed her neck as he fastened the strap of his spare helmet under her chin Luci thought she might melt on the spot. And she still had to get on the bike and sit behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. She wasn’t sure her brain could be trusted to convey all those messages.
She should have declined his offer, she’d remember that next time.
But it was too late now. She’d been on a motorbike before. It was probably no different from cycling—it would all come back to her once she got on. Her ex had a trail bike that he’d used to ride around his parents’ property and to school. He would pick her up every morning and give her a lift, but they’d been seventeen then. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ridden on the back of his bike, and as she wrapped her arms around Seb’s waist and felt his body heat radiating into her she thought she certainly didn’t remember feeling like this.
The bike vibrated between her thighs. She pressed her legs into the seat as she held on tight. Her face was tucked against his shoulder blade and she could smell him. He smelt fresh and tangy; there was a trace of citrus in his aftershave, lime perhaps.
She probably should have walked home but she was glad she hadn’t. She was quite happy right where she was.
LUCI’S MORNING STARTED with orientation at the family and community health clinic attached to North Sydney Hospital. She spent the morning getting her ID, setting up her email and running through the safety policies and procedures for the site. Once the administration side of things had been dealt with, she would start work. The course participants would be given a case load as the service tried to get through their waiting list. The system was under the pump, there were always more people who needed the service.
Her diary showed her running an immunisation clinic. It was an easy, straightforward introduction that didn’t require her to have detailed backgrounds or rapport with the clients. She worked steadily through the hours after lunch. She had bumped into Seb once but it seemed that the staff worked autonomously and she was almost able to forget that he was there. Almost.
But all that changed when her two-thirty client didn’t keep her appointment. Melanie Parsons had booked her son, Milo, in for his six-month check and immunisations. When she failed to arrive Luci pulled up her file on the computer. There were numerous entries and lots of red flags.
This woman was a victim of domestic violence. Her past medical history included three full-term pregnancies, one miscarriage and a long list of broken bones and medical treatment for bruising and lacerations. And they were only the things she’d consulted a doctor about. Luci would bet her house that there were more incidents that had gone unreported.
Luci picked up the phone and dialled the client’s number. The community health centre’s policy stated that all no-shows had to be followed up with a phone call. She checked the file again. It was possible that Melanie had just forgotten her appointment or was catching up on some sleep; it couldn’t be easy having three children under the age of five.
But the phone went unanswered.
Luci
