‘WHO THINKS THIS would be a good spot for a shelter? Let’s have a look. There’s a good amount of shade from the sun, but also lots of light filtering through the trees, and the ground is nice and flat to lie on. But, before we start to build anything, we have to check to make sure the area is safe. That means looking on the ground and clearing away any wet or rotting debris for a nice, dry sleeping area.’
Carly looked at each of the six Year Eight students in turn, making sure they were listening and engaged. Two of the boys were already on their knees clearing away soggy leaf matter. Two girls were gathering sticks. The other two were staring at her, nodding intently, just as she liked it.
What she didn’t like was that her thoughts kept winging back to the other night, to Owen and the kiss. And, even though it had been wonderful, sensual and delicious, she needed to keep her distance from him and rebuild her defences.
‘Miss?’ One of the boys was staring at her and she realised she’d lost her train of thought. Or, rather, had found a more pressing one instead of teaching...as she was being paid to do.
‘Oh, yes. Right. Keep hold of any long sticks and branches we can use to build the shelter walls. And check overhead to make sure nothing can fall on us in the night.’ Six heads turned to look skywards. ‘Excellent. Then we have to find a long log we can use as the main shelter strut. Bonus points for finding one with a V-shaped notch in it where we can rest branches and sticks to create a perfect angle for an A-frame shelter.’
A crack of dry wood had her turning to see Wayne, one of the more experienced teachers, running down the hill towards her. His face was pale and he looked shocked. ‘Carly, come quickly.’
‘What’s happened?’ She kept her voice and manner calm so the children wouldn’t detect any panic. Not that she was panicking. She’d learnt long ago to expect anything and everything by way of incidents on this island. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘There’s been an accident.’ Wayne’s eyebrows rose and his eyes narrowed in a gesture she took to mean hurry!
‘You can’t bring them to me here?’ In an emergency situation, she preferred to be closer to the camp if possible, which meant walking wounded should be brought down. That way she could co-ordinate everything, keep an eye on the camp and be on hand for anything else.
‘Yes, she’s okay to hobble down here. But, no.’
Which sounded like a lot of confusion to Carly. ‘Okay. Kids, I need you to go back to the lecture room and wait for me there. There’s a folder with photos of the kind of shelters we’re going to build. I’d like you to have a look at them and plan your design for when I get back.’ Grabbing the first aid bag she carried with her everywhere, Carly turned to the teacher. ‘Okay. Tell me as we walk.’
She followed him at a trot through the bush and up the steep hill behind the bunk rooms, listening to the man’s words. ‘Tegan and her friends were exploring up by the old mines and she fell onto an old, rusted metal spike. She’s got a big gash in her shin that looks quite deep. She’s very upset and wouldn’t move because she was freaked out by the blood.’
‘Right.’ Carly stole herself for what she was going to have to deal with. ‘There’s a lot of it?’
‘Not enough to make her weak or need a transfusion, but enough to freak a thirteen-year-old out.’
‘Okay. Noted. Don’t freak out at the blood.’ They turned off the main track and walked towards the Keep Out sign. She pushed the wire fencing down for him to clamber over. ‘But why were they here? This place is strictly out of bounds.’
The teacher turned and held the wire for her. ‘They were doing the orienteering challenge and got distracted by an adventure.’
She held back her irritation, keeping the lesson about following signs until later, once she’d assessed the patient’s mental state.
Which proved to be a good idea, as it turned out, because Tegan was sobbing as they approached. She was propped up against the base of a huge kauri tree trunk, her left leg extended out in front of her, covered in a waterproof jacket. ‘I’m... I’m sorry...miss.’
Carly’s heart squeezed at the girl’s distress. She knelt down to get a good look at the leg injury. ‘Hey. Right now, I’m more concerned about your leg than where you are. We’ll talk about that later. Can I have a look at the damage?’
The girl’s face crumpled again as she sobbed. ‘It’s nasty. And it hurts.’
‘I know, honey. Look away.’ Carly glanced up at one of Carly’s friends and beckoned her over. ‘Pop your arm round Tegan and give her a hug while I have a look.’ She peeled back the coat and, sure enough, the wound was wide and deep, and far beyond her skill set. It was still oozing blood, which had also carpeted the ground. ‘It looks like you need stitches, and we need to find out if your tetanus injection is up to date. I can manage small wounds, but this is a bit too tricky for me to deal with.’
‘Do I have to go...?’ There came a stuttering inhaled sob. ‘To...hospital?’
‘I’m going to let the doctor decide. We’ll have to take you over to the island medical centre, unless I can get him to come here. I’ll radio in and see if he’s free.’
Wayne stepped forward. ‘That’s a big call. We can take her over there.’
‘He has clinic in the morning and then does visits in the afternoons. He could be anywhere on the island right now. But he only lives in the next cove over so he might be closer than we think. I just need to find his whereabouts.’
If I can get over my embarrassment about the kiss. Her cheeks heated as she pulled out the satellite phone and called him.
‘Hey, Carly.’ His voice was thick with warmth and her body reacted to it with a full-on blush. And heat. So much heat and need. It didn’t seem to matter that her head had decided the kiss had been a bad idea, her body wanted more.
It was the first time she’d spoken to him since she’d dashed away on Saturday night. Since the kiss that had been ever-present in her head. She relived his taste, the exquisite press of him in her arms. The way he’d made her feel. All giddy and turned on and discombobulated and yet safe at the same time.
Had made her feel like that. But giving in to their desires had been stupid. She cleared her throat and imbued her tone with as much professionalism and urgency as she could muster. ‘Owen, I’m up at the old copper mine site with a young woman. She’s got a nasty shin wound from a rusting metal spike and it’ll need stitches.’
‘Right.’ The honey seeped away and his tone relayed a sharp alertness. ‘I can be there in twenty. Tetanus status known?’
‘No. Can you check, please?’ Carly relayed the girl’s personal information for him to check on the national vaccination system.
‘Okay.’ He came back to her. ‘I’ll have a look. See you very soon.’
The way he emphasised ‘very’ made her heart trip with excitement. ‘Sure. We’ll get her down to base before you arrive. See you there. Over and out.’
They had to convince Tegan to walk first. And somehow between now and then Carly needed to get her body into line with her head.
After taping some gauze and wadding as a rudimentary compression dressing over the gash, she explained, ‘Tegan, I know it’s going to be hard for you, and that your leg hurts, but we do need to get you down to the camp.’
‘I...don’t want...’
‘I know. But the sooner we get you there, the sooner we can give you the right pain killers and get you comfortable. Plus, I’ll make you some hot chocolate. That makes everything better.’ Hot chocolate was always the answer to every woe, as far as Carly was concerned.
The girl gave a sniff, a sob and then a shaky, ‘Okay.’
Between them they managed to help Tegan down to the little medical room and wait for Owen’s arrival. Carly tried not to watch out for him, instead busying herself with instructions to the little group she’d had to leave earlier, and then double-checking on Tegan and making her a jug of hot chocolate for when Owen had assessed the wound.
And then there he was, striding across the jetty with his medical bag slung over his shoulder. Her heart jolted and jigged and she told herself to stop being silly. They were both professionals. They could deal with an emergency without letting the kiss get in the way.
Couldn’t they?
But she wasn’t sure how to act around him now. Before...before the kiss...she’d been able to put him into a ‘friend’ box and a ‘colleague’ box, but now the edges had all been mussed up and she didn’t know how to feel or how to be. Which explained her shaky hands as she pulled back the temporary dressing to reveal the nasty gash on Tegan’s leg.
To his credit, Owen showed little emotional reaction to the wound or the blood as he examined Tegan. ‘I’m going to have to do some fancy needlework to get this sorted. But don’t worry, I’ll try to make it look as good as new.’
‘Needlework?’ The girl stared up at him.
‘Stitches. I’ll give you some pain relief first, then I can clean it all up without causing you too much pain.’ He drew up some anaesthetic into a syringe and said in a soothing voice, ‘Tegan, this is a local anaesthetic. I’m sorry to say it might sting a bit, but then when it starts to work you won’t feel a thing.’
He injected the tissue around the wound, explaining everything he did.
‘Ow!’ Tegan’s eyes snapped closed and her face crumpled.
‘I know. I’m sorry. You’re doing so well, Tegan. This anaesthetic is like magic. Just wait and see.’ He waited for her to open her eyes, then held the girl’s gaze and smiled, which made her smile back, and made Carly smile too. He was so good with Tegan. He’d been so good with Wiremu and Simon. He was a world-class good guy. And he was still chatting brightly.
He washed his hands and opened a sterile suture pack. Then he slid on some gloves and got Carly to pour saline into a pot before he syringed it over the wound, giving it a thorough clean.
Carly assisted, trying not to catch his eye and willing her trembling hands to settle. Since when had she had shaking hands in response to a man?
Since the man in question was so close, smelt so good and kissed like a god. Too bad the minutes she’d spent trying to align her head and body had come to nothing.
As Owen expertly sewed up the wound, he distracted Tegan with conversation. ‘You’re going to have an interesting story to tell everyone back home. Talking of... I’ll need to have a chat with your parents in a minute. Just to let them know that you’ve had a little fall and that I’m sorting you out.’
Tegan grimaced. ‘My mum will go mad. They’ll want to come over and take me home.’
Carly stroked the girl’s hand. ‘Do you want to go home?’
‘No. I want to stay here with my friends.’
Owen’s eyebrows rose. ‘Are you sure? You won’t be able to swim for a few days because of the stitches, and I’m going to have to give you an injection, because your tetanus wasn’t up to date. And some antibiotics, in case there were any nasty bugs up there. It’s not going to be so fun just sitting around. Won’t home be more comfortable?’
‘I don’t want to miss out. Can I just sit and watch the others?’
‘FOMO. I totally get it,’ Carly chipped in. ‘But I’ve got some books you can read if you get bored.’
‘I brought some with me. I’m reading the CHERUB books again.’
‘Brilliant.’ Owen grinned and he looked so boyishly handsome and delighted that Carly’s heart did a little flip. ‘There’s nothing like spy stories to take your mind off your leg. So, it’s decided then. If your parents are okay with it, I’ll check the dressing every day until you go home with the rest of your group.’
‘Thank you.’ The girl beamed up at him.
‘No problem. Just don’t go off-piste next time. Stick to the path.’ His tone became just a tad more assertive. ‘Stick to the rules.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Tegan looked at Owen and then at Carly. ‘I’m so sorry, Carly.’
‘I know you are.’ Carly didn’t feel much like telling the girl off now, especially given that Owen had handled it so well. ‘Off-piste’ was the perfect way to describe the side trip to the mine. ‘Here’s your hot chocolate. Sit here for a while and drink it. Dr Cooper will chat to your parents.’
Carly took the opportunity to leave them to the call. It had been an easier interaction with Owen than she’d expected but she definitely needed to get away from him.
She was just finishing up outside the lecture room with the shelter group when she saw him striding across the grass towards her. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. What was he going to say? How did he feel about the kiss? What did he want from her?
What did she want from him?
The answer to every question was simple and difficult at the same time. She just didn’t know. Apart from the jittery heart and excitement rolling in her tummy, of course...she knew about that. And the desire to kiss him again. And the many, many reasons why she shouldn’t.
She clapped her hands to get her students’ attention. ‘Okay, everyone. We’re finished here. Well done for some great ideas. Go wash up for lunch.’
‘Carly.’ Owen’s tone was friendly, but his manner was...she couldn’t describe it...apprehensive?
‘Hey. Thanks for coming over so quickly.’ Her mouth suddenly felt dry. Everything felt stuttered and difficult compared to the other night, with marshmallows, hot chocolate, the glowing fire and the magic of his mouth. ‘Apparently Tegan was upset by all the blood but you put her at ease. You’ve got a friend for life there, Dr Cooper.’
‘I’ll make sure to come and check her dressings tomorrow.’ He frowned. ‘How come there’s bits of rusting metal around the island?’
Oh...that was what he wanted to talk about. She almost sagged in relief. She knew they had to address the kiss, but she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to do it right now. ‘It’s from old mining machinery and it’s impossible to move, I’m afraid. A lot of it has been absorbed into the landscape. Nature has almost subsumed it and few people even know it’s there. But I’ll make sure I put up a bigger sign and more barbed-wire fencing. There’s always something.’
‘Good.’ There was a pause. He shoved his hand deep into his pocket then looked right at her. ‘Look, Carly, I think we need to have a quick chat.’
And she knew exactly what it would be about. But he was right; they needed to sort out their boundaries whether she was brave enough or not. ‘Okay. You’d better come over to the house.’
He hadn’t even known he was going to say those words until they’d tumbled from his mouth. It had been easy to talk to her with the buffer of an emergency between them, and he could have just waved goodbye and got back into his boat, but that would have been the coward’s way out. They’d stepped over a line and they needed to deal with it. Even if he felt tongue-tied and off-balance.
He was not sure about going over to her house, being surrounded by her things and her scent, being alone with Carly. Every minute spent away from her was a torture of needing to see her again, railing against his decision not to. Every second spent with her made that decision fade into nothing.
Truth was, he was smitten, and he didn’t know how to cope with that. His relationship with Miranda must have started with a little smitten-ness, but he couldn’t remember it. ‘Don’t you need to get back to your students?’
‘No. It’s fine. I’m finished for the day now. Like you, I tend to have structured stuff in the mornings then wing the afternoons.’ A little frown hovered over her eyes as they strolled to her house, and he wondered what she was really thinking behind all this small talk. ‘This afternoon the teachers and kids are going for a hike over to the Mansion House for a history lesson, so I’m going to do paperwork.’
‘I’ve never managed to get to the Mansion House.’
‘Oh, you should.’ The frown lines smoothed out a little. ‘It’s a beautiful old colonial building and used regularly as a wedding venue. There are lots of photos of the island over the years charting its history.’
‘I should take Mason.’
‘He’d love it. You can either walk over the hill or take the boat round—there’s plenty of mooring, and a little cafe with home baking and the best ice-cream on the island. And a lovely beach to cool off with a swim, if it’s a hot day. All quite safe.’
Safe. That was what this conversation was. Polite, well-mannered and avoiding the very thing they should be talking about.
The inside of her cottage was cosy and homely, with well-worn furniture and what looked like hand-made knitted throws in rich blues and subtle reds. It was a home, unlike the place he was living in. Mason needed a home. Owen made a mental note to add soft furnishings to his next online shopping list. Not something he’d ever thought he’d give a damn about, but he could see how they added softness and comfort. Mason needed that.
Carly led him into the kitchen and put the kettle on. He watched as she gracefully moved around her space. She was dressed in the short shorts for teaching, hiking and water sports, which he now knew to be her work outfit, along with a blue T-shirt with the bright yellow Camp Rāwhiti logo above her heart. The sunlight streaming through the big bay window caught the red in her hair, making him transfixed. She turned and gave him a hesitant smile as she dropped tea bags into two cups.
His gaze landed on her lips and, even though he knew their conversation had to be about not kissing, it was the only thing he wanted to do right now. So, he avoided the subject altogether. ‘How did it go with the buyer?’
Her smile wavered and she shrugged. ‘I don’t think she was interested. She certainly hasn’t put an offer in or anything.’
‘Is that good or bad?’
‘It’s frustrating, to be honest. I feel like I’m in limbo.’
So did he—caught somewhere between his warring heart and head. If he’d been free and not a father, he might have gone with his heart and suggested a fling before she left. But he wasn’t free, he had a child to think about. The spectre of the kiss hung over them and if he didn’t say anything it’d always be there.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘Look, Carly. I’m so sorry, after what I said about not wanting a distraction. I shouldn’t have kissed you.’
Her cheeks pinked and she gave him a hurried nod. ‘No. Well, yes. I mean, I kissed you first, I think. And I’m sorry too. I was out of order.’
‘I think we both got carried away with the lovely night sky and the marshmallows and the fire.’
‘Yes.’ She poured hot water into the mugs and didn’t give him any more eye contact, but she said, ‘It’s something, isn’t it? This thing we’ve got going.’
‘This thing we’re not going to act on.’
‘Yes. That thing.’ She finally lifted her head and looked at him, and he could see the same struggle he was experiencing mirrored in her eyes. He could see lightness and some darkness, need and affection, confusion, hope and regret... But nothing had really happened between them apart from the kiss. And yet, it felt as if something was happening.
Her eyebrows rose. ‘It’s weird. I haven’t wanted to kiss another man since Raff died, and yet here I am, wanting to do it again, even though I’m leaving and I won’t be back for a long time. If ever. Well, I will come back, obviously, because Mia and Harper are here, but you know what I mean... I’m going. You’re staying. You’ve got Mason. I’ve got plans.’
Wow. He hadn’t expected all that. It was a revelation and a responsibility. A revelation, because he hadn’t expected her to say something so honest. And a responsibility, because the first kiss after something so traumatic as losing your husband had to be perfect. Symbolic or something, he imagined. Was that why she’d run off—because it hadn’t been perfect? Because he wasn’t Raff? Because it was too soon, too much?
He wasn’t sure how to react, because she’d just admitted she wanted to do it again and they really shouldn’t. ‘It’s just a physical thing, I think. Two people on their own and all that. I know I sometimes feel kind of lonely.’ Now he just sounded like a loser. ‘Well, not lonely. Alone. You know how it is.’
But she smiled again. ‘Yes. Alone. That’s exactly right. Which is fine, until it isn’t. Some days you don’t even notice the silence, and some days it’s deafening and you just want someone to talk to, right? Like this.’
‘Like this.’ Except, he was probably making a mess of it all. ‘Okay. So we’re both agreed—it can’t happen again.’
‘Agreed. Let’s drink to it. No kissing.’ She handed him a mug of steaming tea and they clinked cups together. ‘You have my permission to stop me if I make a move.’
He laughed, grateful they could both see the funny side of this—even though it did nothing to erase the torment and deep ache to spend more time with her. He was relieved, too, that it was a mutual thing and he wasn’t dreaming it. ‘Back at you, Carly. I mean, I can control myself. It’s just hard around you.’
‘I’m not sure we should even say things like that.’ She pressed her lips together, but the smile spread across her face. Heat and need hit her eyes. ‘But I’m glad you did. And I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling it.’
‘We’ll just have to stick to a hands-off, mutual appreciation society.’
‘A mutual appreciation society.’ She giggled. ‘Yes. That’s what it is. At least we can laugh about it. In another life, we might have made something of it, right?’
He ached to make something of it right now. To touch her again, to kiss her. To make love to her right here in this kitchen. The only thing he could do was keep his distance until she left. ‘I’d say so. Yes.’
‘Bad timing, then.’ She shrugged, looking up at him through impossibly long eyelashes. ‘You’re a good guy, Owen Cooper.’
‘Which goes to show how little you know me.’ He took a sip of tea to stop himself from saying any more, or something he might regret.
Because in another life, where Carly was concerned, he’d have preferred to be very bad indeed.