The Family She Needs

‘Heaven.’

She’d figured it might be, since he hadn’t said a word since his first mouthful.

‘And the wine’s not bad either. Hope you’re up to walking home, because driving’s out.’

Logan topped up their glasses from the bottle he’d ordered.

‘Two weeks ago I stomped home in a right snot on three-inch heels—tonight’s not going to be a problem.’ She had on her favourite boots. ‘Not a drop of rain in sight either.’

‘No puddle-jumping, then?’

‘You spoilt that when you fixed the drains.’ She smiled to take any perceived sting out of her words, then changed the subject. ‘Where did you do your training?’

‘I followed James to Christchurch, which is just up the road from Ashburton, where we grew up. I had some half-baked idea that we could flat together, become best buddies and all that. Didn’t factor in that he already shared a flat with five other guys. But I soon teamed up with some other students and had a blast.’

‘There’s something about getting away from home. It changes you for ever.’

Except her father had insisted she return to the fold the moment she had her nursing qualification in her hot little hand and she’d complied. How different would her life have been if she hadn’t?

Logan started telling her about some of the pranks he’d got up to as a student. The wine ran out so they walked home, still talking about themselves.

For Karina, the best part was having Logan’s arm around her shoulders, holding her close to him. Her arm around his waist soaked up every movement, and had her dreaming of her bare arm against his skin. Her blood sizzled with desire.

I’m on a date. Yeah, and very shortly I’m going to be home, tending to Mickey and cleaning up the kitchen after Jonty. Hey, Cinderella, where’s the pumpkin?

Their date came to a jarring end the moment they walked in the door. Mickey and Jonty were arguing over who’d cheated at Snakes and Ladders. Was that even possible?

Karina shook her head and lifted Mickey up into her arms. ‘Bedtime for you.’ Tears streaked his sweet face and shadows underlined his innocent eyes.

‘Don’t want to go to bed,’ came the inevitable reply.

‘Want and get are two different things.’

He was exhausted. Overtired, as it turned out. Sleep did not come easily, so that by the time he did finally succumb more than an hour had passed and all the heat that had fired her body had buttoned off. Not that it would take much to fire it up again.

In the lounge, Logan and Jonty were talking about the rugby game on TV. Deflated further, she turned away, headed for the kitchen and the mess on the bench.

So much for a hot date. She’d overreacted to the intimacy of sharing a meal and being held close to Logan on the walk home. Of course he wasn’t interested in anything that might make life difficult between them when they dealt with the house, the surgery and Mickey’s future.

Angry at herself for even considering that they might have an interlude that was about them and nothing else, she banged pots and plates into the sink and turned the tap on so hard water drenched the front of her top.

* * *

Logan stirred the pumpkin soup he’d found in the freezer and checked the oven temperature. He’d found heat-and-eat buns right next to the container of soup. Everything was all set for when Karina came in from the surgery for lunch, which should be any minute now if they closed on time. It being Saturday, and theirs the only surgery open today, they might be overrun with patients.

He was getting a kick out of doing things with and for Karina. Like last night at the Thai restaurant. They’d been so relaxed together it had been marvellous: sharing those entrées and watching her perfect teeth bite into the spring roll he offered her. He’d been turned on all the way through the meal.

But that was nothing compared to the tension tightening his muscles as they’d walked home. All his muscles, which hadn’t made for comfortable walking. It would have been all too easy to stop and kiss her senseless. Hell, he’d wanted to kiss her right from the moment they’d left the house, heading for the pub. Her perfume had filled his vehicle, teasing and taunting. Her hands moving in the air as she’d chattered non-stop had had him aching to feel them on his skin.

With every step he’d wanted to stop and wrap Karina in his arms while he devoured her with kisses. But a little voice at the back of his head had prevailed. What if Karina took him too seriously? Thought they might have a future? Believed he’d change all his plans and stay on here with her?

Even then he’d been unbelievably close to giving in to temptation. Then they’d walked in the front door and had been confronted with the chaos that was Mickey.

Mickey hadn’t wanted anything to do with anyone except Karina, which had left him out of the loop, so he’d joined Jonty in the lounge. In hindsight that had been a good thing, because it had given him time to cool down and realise what taking Karina to bed would have done to their relationship. He wasn’t prepared to make a mess of that just because he desperately wanted her. Not when he had to negotiate a truce on what to do with the house and the surgery.

The back door opened and a blast of cold air smacked into the kitchen, bringing him fully alert.

‘Something smells delicious.’ Karina skipped into the kitchen.

‘I’ve been raiding your freezer.’ When her eyebrows rose he added, ‘Soup’s the only thing on a cold day.’

‘I was hoping for something warm.’

Warm? You’re hot.

As she looked around, worry creased Karina’s brow. ‘Where’s Mickey?’

‘In the lounge, making a chart to keep score of who wins the most Snakes and Ladders games.’

While Karina went to see him Logan opened the oven and placed the buns on the rack. ‘Five minutes until lunch is ready,’ he called after her.

‘Mickey says he’s hungry. Again.’ She smiled from the doorway, where she stood with their boy in her arms.

‘Hope you don’t mind, but I also got out a beef casserole to thaw for dinner. I haven’t had anything like that since I was last at Mum’s, and the moment I saw the container my stomach started doing a loop-the-loop.’

He began ladling soup into bowls.

‘Go for it. Does this mean I’m not on dinner duty tonight?’

She sat Mickey on a chair and lifted his hair off his forehead, her hand automatically stopping to feel his temperature. She had all the instinctive parenting skills necessary, though she should relax a bit.

‘I’m a genius at heating pre-cooked meals.’

Her smile widened, then slowed. ‘Some of Jonty’s tests have come back. Looks like you’re on the right track—though the faecal occult blood result isn’t back. His white count’s slightly elevated, with a predominance of neutrophils, including band forms.’

‘That’ll be because of the numerous mouth ulcers. What about his B12 and folic acid? Iron?’ Logan placed a bowl in front of Mickey. ‘Blow on it first. It’s hot.’

‘Iron borderline normal. B12 and folate low.’ Karina picked up one of the remaining bowls and settled at the table. ‘Funny how I didn’t notice he was losing weight until you said something.’

‘You often don’t when you’re around someone all the time. Eventually it would have dawned on you. He says he’s lost seven kilos since Easter.’

‘Did he say why he’s been taking so much aspirin?’

‘Headaches, stomach pain, sore knees. The aspirin could’ve exacerbated the stomach problem and given him ulcers there too.’

Flicking the hot buns onto a plate, Logan placed them on the table and sat opposite Karina. This was cosy. A man could get used to it.

‘Careful, Mickey.’ Karina pushed his bowl closer to him.

‘How do you think Jonty will cope with a

strict diet regime?’ With Crohn’s disease some foods were definitely off the menu, and Jonty would have to work out which were the trigger food groups peculiar to him.

‘He’s not called Mr Grumpy for nothing.’

‘True.’

The soup was delicious and required total concentration.

‘From the way that’s going down, I’m guessing it’s also been a while since you had soup.’

When he raised his head he found Karina watching him with questions in her eyes. ‘I’d forgotten how tasty something as simple as pumpkin soup can be.’ Had he deflected those questions? What did she want to know this time?

He soon found out.

Karina licked her spoon until it shone, then asked, ‘Are you looking forward to going back to Africa?’

He shivered. ‘Yes.’

‘I’m getting mixed messages.’

Too damn observant. That was what she was. Come on. Think of something to say that won’t reveal the truth but isn’t a lie. Come on, he repeated in his skull.

‘I’m happy to go back. There’s so much to do there. It’s never-ending.’ As her brow furrowed he knew she wasn’t buying into his explanation. ‘I haven’t been in NZ long and I still need to unwind completely.’