and the scent of eucalyptus floated in the night air.
But Heath didn’t notice anything. He could still remember the scent of Phoebe, sitting so close to him at work, could see her beautiful face, and nothing he did was successful at pushing those images from his mind. He could vaguely hear the mutterings of his father and his sister, but none of it registered. His mind was consumed by thoughts of Phoebe and he felt uneasy. Her sweetness. Her sincerity. She had stumbled into his world and into his arms quite literally, and for some inexplicable reason he couldn’t shake her from his thoughts. But he wouldn’t break another rule. He had to ignore this fleeting infatuation.
Heath came back to the conversation to see two sets of eyes on him, seeking answers. He didn’t like the fact that a family inquisition was developing on the back porch because there was another one going on in his mind and one was more than enough to endure. Two would certainly send him crazy.
‘The air-con is now working and that’s all that matters. Let’s leave it at that. Phoebe is a surgeon, in town to meet the terms of her employment contract. And, by the way, Tilly, she can’t be your babysitter.’
‘My babysitter? That’s a little unfair. She knows no one, and she was alone in her house, and I thought she’d enjoy a swim and a chat. And, FYI, Oscar totally commandeered her for the better part of two hours and that was not my plan—it was his.’
‘Well, I’m here only until Dad’s knee mends. End of story. So I hope Oscar doesn’t get comfortable with the current arrangements. It’s all only temporary.’
With that Heath stood up and went inside to find his son. Reading him a story was always a highlight of his day, but that night it would also serve as his avenue of respite from the barrage of questions about Phoebe.
And for a short while it might also silence those inside his head.
‘I like Phoebe,’ Oscar told his father as he went to turn out the light. ‘She’s neat.’
‘As in tidy?’
‘Daddy, you’re being silly. Not tidy. She’s fun—and she makes you happy too.’
Heath was taken aback by his son’s words. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Well, I saw you smile. You don’t smile very much. I always thought you were sad, but now that Phoebe comes over you’re happy more. That makes me happy too. It’s almost like we’re a family—like Aunty Tilly and Uncle Paul.’
Phoebe called London after she’d eaten her takeaway dinner. She wanted to chat with Susy and hoped with the time difference that while it was evening in Adelaide she would catch her young barrister friend before she left in the morning for court in London.
‘Phoebs, how are you?’
‘I’m great—how are you, Susy? And how’s work? Anything interesting that you can talk about?’
‘I’ll put you on loud speaker—trying to finish my make-up before I rush out the door.’
‘If it’s not a good time I’ll try another day,’ Phoebe said as she rested back into the three soft white pillows on her bed.
The ceiling fan was moving the air above her and Phoebe had opened a window on the approaching darkness. She knew she would be in air-conditioning all of the next day and she wanted to sleep with fresh air, even if it was a little warm.
‘No, I’m good to talk. Nothing to report. There was a guilty verdict in the grand theft case, which I was thrilled about, and today I’m selecting the jury for a new IT case. Possession of data with intent to commit a serious offence. Same old, same old.’ Susy laughed. ‘I do love my job. We’ve been securing a high percentage of convictions lately, so it makes it all worthwhile. Unfortunately there’s never a shortage of bad guys needing to be put away. But let’s forget about me—how are you on your adventure Down Under?’
‘It’s hot—melting hot, to be accurate.’
‘Well, I don’t feel even a teeny bit sorry for you, if that’s what you’re hoping for. I spent last night in my Wellingtons, overcoat and scarf, shovelling snow off my car in case I need it in an emergency. I’ll take the Underground into London again today. So, my sister from another mother, stop complaining—’cos while you’re over there, getting a suntan, I’m warding off frostbite!’
Both women laughed.
Then Susy’s voice became momentarily stern. ‘Seriously, Phoebs, has the creep left you alone? And your mother—is she finally coming to terms with the fact that Niles won’t be a member of the family?’
‘It’s Giles …’
‘I know … but I prefer to disrespect him at every opportunity, and forgetting his name is a start.’
‘I promise he’s out of the picture completely. Mother is still not convinced, but I’ve given up on telling her that cheating is a deal-breaker.’
‘Absolutely,’ Susy agreed, in her prosecuting barrister tone. ‘Guilty, charged and dumped. I do wish there was a way to lock him and those tarts away. Pity there’s no legal avenue to put the lot of them behind bars and throw away the key.’
‘In a perfect world there would be, but I’m trying not to think about him any more. Just onwards and upwards. I’m starting work tomorrow with … Heath.’ Phoebe stumbled over his name.
‘I thought you were working with Ken Rollins? Who’s Heath?’
‘His son, actually. Ken needed emergency knee reconstruction. His son’s a podiatric surgeon too, so he’s stepped in to help out for the next few weeks.’
‘I hope you’re not disappointed? I know you were really excited to be working with Ken.’
This was now the third time she had been asked and still her answer remained the same. Disappointed, no … confused, yes … and now she was feeling a little melancholy about what had made Heath the man he was.
‘I was looking forward to working with Ken, but I’m sure Heath will be an equally good operator.’
‘So good to hear you back to your old optimistic self, Phoebs. I’d love to chat and hear all about Heath, but I have to dash. The Underground waits for no one,’ Susy said. ‘Hope sonny-boy is not too nerdy or dull—but it’s only for a few weeks. Talk tomorrow. I’ll call you.’
With that, Suzy hung up.
Nerdy? I wish … Dull? Not in anyone’s book. In fact she had to admit that Heath seemed perfect … if a little battle worn.
Heath arrived at the practice early the next morning. He had a surgical list beginning at one, with two post-operative patients and two new patients in the morning. Phoebe’s day was light—three morning patients and two in the afternoon. Heath had arranged it that way to allow her to settle in.
Generally December was not busy, as most patients delayed non-urgent treatment, particularly surgery, until after the busy holiday season. By the time her patient numbers increased Heath knew he would be back in Sydney and his father would be back on deck.
‘Good morning,’ Tilly greeted
