Intensive Care: Escape to the Country (15 page)

“There’s a block of Cadbury chocolate in the pantry. Can you bring that out too please?” Kate asked sweetly.

“Your wish is my command.” He bowed theatrically and Kate giggled.

Kate rested her head back on the couch, reflecting on how comfortable she felt around him. They had become such good friends in a short amount of time and she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. She still wanted something more than friendship, but she was trying to ignore those feelings. It was pretty obvious he didn’t feel the same way she did.

The only sound in the room was the occasional sound of the logs in the fire as they crackled and popped, and Kate sighed. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. Patting her leg, she felt Matilda jump up onto her lap, purring as she turned herself in circles to find the most comfortable position.

Kate closed her eyes, repeating her mantra.

Just friends …

Kate opened her eyes and looked around. Joel was nowhere to be seen. Outside the sky was gray and inside the fire had burned down almost to coals. The television was still on but the sound had been muted. The opening menu sequence of the DVD was playing on repeat and Kate sat up and stretched and was shocked to see it was almost five o’clock. She had been asleep for nearly three hours! Her hot chocolate was stone cold on the coffee table in front of her and the block of chocolate was unopened. The house was dark and quiet. Kate moved around, switching on lamps and pulling down blinds, wondering what time Joel had left. Her washing basket sat in the middle of the kitchen table overflowing with all her freshly dry sheets which had been folded neatly. On top of the pile of linen sat a small piece of paper.

Kate, I let you sleep. You looked like you really needed it. When you’re up, come and check out the backyard. Joel.

His handwriting was neat and precise.

Kate opened the back door and gasped when she looked toward the back corner of her yard. While she had slept, blissfully warm and unaware, Joel had dug up and removed all the weeds in the old veggie gardens. He had unearthed old railway sleepers and they now formed neat and tidy edges around the existing garden beds. Star pickets were strategically placed around the garden beds, and chicken wire had been wrapped around to form a fence. The floodlight attached to the back of the house was on and it lit the whole backyard, showcasing his efforts.

Joel was bending over in the far corner of the yard wearing a brown oilskin coat that came almost to his ankles and his well-worn Akubra hat. Kate watched him for a moment, her brain trying to figure out what he was doing. He stood up and as he reached up to hammer another stake into the ground, his jumper lifted up and his shirt came away from where it had been tucked into his jeans, giving her a glimpse of his toned stomach. He sensed Kate’s presence and looked up, dropping his arm and bringing the hammer down to his side.

“So what do you think then, eh love?” He grinned and spread his arm open wide, indicating the veggie garden.

“Joel! I love it! I can’t believe you’ve done all this today.” Kate pulled on her gumboots that were sitting at the back door. She hugged herself in the cold.

“Grab a coat too, Kate, it’s turned a bit nasty out here.”

Reaching back inside the back door, Kate grabbed her warmest coat and pulled it on as she walked toward where Joel was working. As she got closer she frowned. “What are you making?”

“This,” he pointed to the pieces of timber on the ground, “is Rupert.”

“Rupert?”

“He’s your new scarecrow.”

“Oh, that’s perfect!” She clapped her hands together. “I’ve always dreamed of having my own scarecrow.”

“Have you got any old clothes? I’m almost done here. We’ll get him dressed and you can tell me where you want me to put him,” Joel said.

A cold misty rain had started to fall and the wind had picked up while Kate had slept. The branches of the gum trees were rubbing together, making a high-pitched, eerie sound. Kate found it strangely disconcerting. As she went back inside, wondering how to dress a scarecrow, she saw the lights of a car turn into her driveway.

Kate recognized the silver Audi the moment it pulled up in front of her house.

How dare he
?
She swung open the front door to meet him before the car had even come to a complete standstill. Hands on her hips, Kate yelled at Marcus before he had even opened the car door.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

A second later his door opened and she saw from the interior lights of the car that he was still wearing his usual business shirt and tie. He clearly hadn’t yet spotted her standing there. Marcus opened the rear door and took his jacket from the hanger. He pulled it on, buttoning it up with one hand as his other hand closed the car door. The action was so familiar that for a moment Kate forgot about the past and everything that had happened between them. She was once again mesmerized by the man in front of her. At that exact moment he looked up and saw her standing there.

“Katie.” He started walking toward her and the gravel crunched under his perfectly polished leather shoes. “You can’t believe how long it’s taken me to find you.”

He was smiling and his words seemed genuine. Kate stood motionless in the doorway, her heart racing. The high-pitched blip of his car alarm sounded suddenly, surprising her, and the orange lights flashed in the dark as Marcus pressed the button on his key ring, locking the car.

“Not likely to get stolen out in the middle of nowhere,” he tried to joke, “but, you never know.”

Kate couldn’t find any words. She had tried desperately to forget him. Now that he was here, all she could think was how he appeared so out of place in her new surroundings. She was uncertain what to say or do. She tried to swallow but a thick lump had formed in the back of her throat. What the hell was he doing at her house?

“Katie?” Marcus was now standing at the bottom of the two steps that led up to the veranda. Behind her, the front door was still wide open. The inside light caused long shadows to fall across their bodies. “Aren’t you going to invite me in? I’ve missed you so much, honey. Please Kate, we have to get this whole mess sorted out. All my friends are asking where you are and I’ve had to tell them you’re doing a remote nursing placement.”

“You told them
what
?” Kate found her voice again and she was instantly furious. “You lied to your friends? What for? Why didn’t you just tell them the truth?”

He looked confused at her words and reached out his arms, inviting her to come to him. She stood rock still, her feet planted in the one spot. As he ascended the steps toward her, Kate moved backward, nearly tripping over the doorframe in her hurry to avoid contact with him. Just then she heard Joel’s voice calling out from behind her, and she instantly froze.
Crap!
He mustn’t have heard Marcus arrive.

“Eh Kate, love? Where are you? Have you found some clothes yet? We need to get Rupert dressed. He’s getting cold.”

In an instant Kate saw the look of confusion come across Marcus’s face, followed quickly by anger.

“Who the hell is that? And who the hell is Rupert?”

Before she could answer, Joel came up beside Kate in the doorway. “Oh hey,” he said. “I’m Joel.” He thrust out his hand, which Marcus ignored. “And you are?” He let the question hang in the air.

“Joel. This is Marcus Antony Thornton.” Kate used his full name, knowing that was how he preferred to be introduced.

“Oh.” Joel looked Marcus carefully up and down, taking everything in at a glance. “I should have guessed.”

Marcus’s eyes flashed and again Kate saw confusion reflected in them. Joel glanced briefly across at Kate but remained silent.

“Marcus, this is Joel.”

She made the introduction but didn’t try to explain who the man was at her side. As she stood awkwardly in the door between the two men, she felt heat emanating from Joel’s body and it gave her a sense of comfort.

“Go ahead, love. Invite him in. There’s no point having this conversation standing outside in the cold. I’ll go and stoke the fire and put the kettle on. Rupert can wait.” Joel spoke softly before turning to walk back down the hallway.

“Who the hell is he?” Marcus was angry and Kate knew from past experience that his temper escalated quickly when a situation wasn’t clearly explained to him. Her shoulders sagged.

“Come in then, Marcus, and I’ll explain.” She stood aside so he could pass her into the narrow hallway and closed the front door. “The lounge is through that door on your right.” She indicated the doorway and then followed Marcus into the room and watched as he glanced around him, taking everything in.

“This all looks very nice and homely, Kate.” She heard the lack of sincerity in his voice but ignored it.

Sitting on the edge of the couch, Kate jiggled her legs as she waited for Joel to finish stoking the fire and leave the room before she eventually spoke.

“Joel is a friend I’ve met up here. He’s been digging over my vegetable gardens today. Rupert is the scarecrow he just finished making for me.” Really, she didn’t know why she should have to explain. It was none of his business.

Marcus shook his head and she could sense his confusion. “So is he living with you?”

“No,” Kate replied indignantly.

“But you’re sleeping together?”

“Marcus! Other than the fact that that is none of your business, the answer is no. Joel is a friend. That’s all. There is absolutely nothing between us.” She was angrier with him than she could ever remember and was surprised at the way she defended herself when speaking to him. Marcus lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender and the silence between them was deafening. He wasn’t used to her standing up for herself.

Finally he spoke. “Why did you leave me, Kate?”

Marcus’s question was genuine and she heard the sincerity in his voice. He looked completely baffled and Kate had a fleeting moment of panic. What if she had read the situation all wrong, just as her mum and then Melissa and Joel had suggested? She could see by the look in his eyes that he legitimately didn’t seem to know the reason she had left. Something stirred in Kate’s heart. Seeing him again had dredged up memories of all the wonderful times they had shared together. She had been so in love with him.

Kate always thought herself blessed to have won his affections, and although there were times he’d been arrogant and opinionated, he had always treated her well. She shivered involuntarily as she remembered the way he used to slide his sunglasses down his nose, look over the top of them and wolf whistle at her whenever she modeled the new clothes he’d bought her. He was so generous, even if she didn’t always appreciate the over-the-top expensive outfits he purchased for her. She knew that giving gifts was his way of showing his love.

He was staring at her and for a fleeting moment she wanted to run to him and lose herself in his arms. That same magnetism was there, drawing her back toward him.

Was it all just one massive misunderstanding?

Thankfully Joel chose that moment to enter the room from the kitchen, his timing completely off. “Cup of tea anyone?” His Irish accent was even more pronounced than usual and Kate wondered if he was putting it on for Marcus’s benefit.

“Something stronger would be good,” Marcus replied.

Kate saw Joel frown slightly and she answered for him. “I’ve got some wine in the fridge if you’d like that.”

“I’d prefer a scotch.”

For a moment Marcus sounded so like his normal arrogant self that Kate was tempted to laugh out loud, but she could see that Joel was still frowning so she covered her mouth and coughed.

“You know I don’t drink scotch, Marcus, and therefore I don’t keep it in the house,” Kate replied. “I obviously didn’t picture you showing up here expecting it,” she added as an afterthought.

“I won’t have anything then,” Marcus replied.

Suit yourself.

“I’d love a hot chocolate please, Joel.” Kate tried to smile up at him, wondering if he was feeling as awkward as Marcus clearly was.

“No worries, Kate. Then I’m going to head home if that’s okay. It’s been a long day. I’ll be back tomorrow to finish getting Rupert dressed and if we’ve got time, we might even be able to get some seedlings planted in those veggie boxes.”

Joel’s usual smile was gone, replaced by a look Kate couldn’t determine.

Damn! He probably thinks I’m going to go back to Marcus.

Marcus and Kate sat in awkward silence as they waited for Joel to return from the kitchen. He placed her favorite mug in front of her. She could see two marshmallows floating in the milky froth, just the way he knew she liked it. Unexpectedly he reached down and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. Kate felt the brush of his lips near her ear and his stubble scratched her cheek. She also clearly heard the words he whispered to her.

“Forgive him.”

Her tightly wound body almost sprang out of the chair, and it took everything within her to remain sitting. Anger was coursing through her body so tangibly she could almost feel it. She just didn’t know who she was angry with the most. Marcus or Joel. She took deep breaths and the feelings began to subside.

Throughout the entire exchange, Marcus remained standing at the fireplace, trying to look relaxed with one arm resting on the mantelpiece but failing miserably. Kate wondered if the arm of his suit was going to get covered in dust as it had been a while since she had done any cleaning.

Marcus waited until he heard the front door slam before finally speaking. “Okay, so why don’t you tell me what’s going on here, Kate?” Marcus asked. There was no anger, no recriminations, just confusion and hurt in his tone.

Willing the tears not to fall, Kate began by telling Marcus about the day she had come home to discover the text message from Cindy on his phone. Marcus let Kate speak without interrupting, which surprised her, as she expected the lawyer in him to be constantly interjecting and objecting, as he usually did. When she finally finished talking she looked up at him and was surprised by the look on his face. It wasn’t the look of shame or guilt or denial that she had been expecting and she was immediately filled with dismay.

Oh god, I’ve totally misconstrued the whole thing! Joel was right.
Kate’s heart thudded so loudly she wondered if he could hear. How was she going to fix this?

Marcus sat down gently on the couch beside her. “These cushions look good on this couch.” Marcus indicated the bright multicolored cushions that sat between them.

Kate pulled one of them to her chest and hugged it tightly, as though forming a barrier of protection, waiting for Marcus to respond. She knew he would have been listening to every word she spoke while at the same time formulating his carefully worded response.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Kate,” Marcus said, surprising her with his lack of eloquence. She had expected a long speech. Her heart plummeted.
Oh no!

“Tell me how,” she answered softly.

“Yes, Cindy did stay overnight. She’s a friend and needed somewhere to stay. But we were not having an affair.”

“What about the part in her text where she asks, ‘When are you going to talk to Kate?’” Kate had memorized the text message and even after months, the words were still burned fresh in her memory. “It’s pretty obvious you must have been sleeping together. She went home and broke it off with Jack and was waiting for you to do the same with me.” Kate hated the whinging sound of her own voice.

“No. That’s not how it was, Kate. I was going to talk to you about my new job.”

“Oh.” His answer surprised her and she wasn’t sure what else to say. Her stomach churned. It looked like maybe she’d been totally wrong this whole time. “But she wanted to catch up again later that night. To talk about your
future
.
”

Kate emphasized the word, all the while her brain was scrambling as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. Was he denying the affair? Could she go back to him?
Should
she? She shook her head but the thoughts only became more clouded. She tried to listen and focus on what Marcus was trying to say.

“Only because that’s what time suited us both. She’s my personal assistant for god’s sake! She’s been helping me work on a proposal for our boss for months and because of her help, I was finally offered the promotion we had always dreamed of. She was coming back to talk about
our
future.” Marcus was beginning to sound exasperated, a tone Kate knew and recognized. He used it often when he couldn’t get his point across.

“Promotion?” she echoed the word as a question. What promotion was he referring to? He’d never mentioned anything about it to her. Had he?

“The firm has offered me a new job. I was waiting for the right time to tell you that we’re moving to Hong Kong. That’s what Cindy was talking about. She’s coming too. As my executive assistant.”

“What?” Kate sat up straighter on the couch, shoving the cushion aside and looking at him in astonishment. “Hong Kong? You were going to tell me, out of the blue, with no warning, we were moving to another
country
?” She couldn’t believe his audacity.

“Katie! Relax. It’s not until next January. There’s still plenty of time for you to give notice here and tie up any loose ends. And when we move you won’t even have to work. I’m going to need you to be my hostess for lots of functions. You’ll love getting all glammed up. Just think, you can have your hair and nails done every week if you want to! I’ll be earning so much money we’ll even be able to have the penthouse apartment we’ve always dreamed about. The cost of living is so much cheaper in Hong Kong. Oh, and there’s a great expat community so you won’t have to worry about being lonely.”

Kate opened her mouth and closed it again. She was literally speechless. The nerve of the man!

“So, Katie darling, can we just move on and forget about this little misunderstanding? You know how much I care about you.”

He shuffled closer to her on the couch and tried to put his arm across the back of her shoulders. Kate shrugged his arm off and for an emotion-charged moment she didn’t respond. She hated any form of confrontation, but right at this moment she didn’t have a choice. She was dumbfounded at his arrogance and had to tell him what she thought.