One Kiss in Tokyo... (5 page)

He didn't generally do things on impulse. Not like this.

He might as well have painted on the table between them,
I like you
.

It made him feel a little odd. He had no idea what was normal for Katusko. Maybe she did date servicemen that she knew weren't there permanently? Maybe that suited her as much as it suited him. But somehow the curl in his stomach was telling him not to count on it.

‘I can look after myself,' she said sharply as she waved to the waitress. ‘Can we have the check, please?'

The waitress nodded and pulled the prepared check from her uniform.

Avery reached over and grabbed it. On the air base you could pay in dollars or yen. Luckily he had both. It was the one thing he had been able to organise.

Katsuko pulled some notes from her pocket but he shook his head. ‘Let me. You found me my keys, somewhere to eat and hopefully you'll point me in the direction of my house.'

He could tell she secretly wanted to argue but he handed the money straight to the waitress and slid out from the booth. ‘Shall we?'

She picked up her jacket and followed him out into the balmy night air. She nodded her head to the side. ‘This way.'

He swung his bag over his shoulder and fell into step alongside her. She pointed to places as they walked along. ‘Down that street is the high school. At the bottom of that road is the swimming pool. And there's a golf course if you're interested.'

He was watching her carefully. She seemed so comfortable in her own skin. He liked that in a woman. She was confident at work and confident in her personal life. She'd only revealed a tiny part of herself to him tonight but he definitely wanted to find out more. He stopped walking and looked at her. ‘Aren't we doing this the wrong way? Shouldn't I be walking you home?'

‘That would only work if this was a date. And this definitely
isn't
a date.'

‘It's not? Darn it.' He couldn't help but smile.

She stopped under a streetlight and turned towards him. She had a smile on her face too. ‘Are you always this infuriating?'

He leaned forward a little, stopping just a few inches from her face.

It was ridiculous. He wanted to kiss her. He really wanted to kiss her. But she was difficult to read and the last thing he could afford to do was upset a work colleague by making an unwanted move.

She was staring right at him with those dark, dark eyes.

There was no one else around them. The street was completely empty. But he still whispered. ‘Why don't you hang around and find out?'

Katsuko blinked. The smile stayed on her face and her eyebrows rose just a little.

She spun away, leaving her scent trailing around him, a mixture of jasmine and amber. He had to resist the temptation to inhale the scent completely.

She glanced over her shoulder as she kept walking. ‘Come on, lazy boy. Your house is just around the corner.' She had an easiness about her, a casualness that he could easily misconstrue. His brain might be addled from the long journey, the travel, and not helped by the two beers but he was finding her pretty mesmerising.

She stopped in front of a standard air force house and pointed to the number on the door. He swung his pack from his shoulder and pulled out the key. ‘Let me dump my bag and I'll walk you back to yours.'

He put his key in the lock and opened the front door. Her amber and jasmine scents were swept away by a musty odour. Katsuko let out a laugh. ‘Uh-oh. Remind me to buy you some air freshener.'

He winced, reaching inside the front door to flick on the light. ‘Do you think the whole place smells like this?'

She wrinkled her nose. ‘All I know is, if you report for duty tomorrow smelling like that, no one will work with you. It's damp. Like a men's locker room.'

‘And how do you know what a men's locker room smells like?'

She gave him a wink.

A wink.
An actual wink.

‘We all have our secrets.' She walked past him down the hall and opened a cupboard.

For around half a second earlier tonight he'd thought of backing off. Once she'd shared about her mum and dad and her painful past he'd wondered if Katsuko would really be the kind of girl who would be up for a fling.

But he'd kept flirting with her and she was flirting right back. Katsuko Williams was proving hard to resist, no matter how many red flags were flying in the back of his head.

‘I'll let you find your own way around your new home. All I need to show you is this.' She held up a bag.

‘What's that?'

‘Earthquake emergency kit. Dry rations, drinking water, basic medical supplies. There's a hard hat and gloves too. Oh, and a flashlight.'

‘Will I need it?' He didn't really like the sound of that.

She put the kit back down and held up her hands. ‘You're in Japan now, Avery. This is earthquake central. We average a thousand a year and have more drills than you could ever know. Just be sure to keep your shoes and flashlight next to your bed. They'll send you on training in the next few days.' She stepped right up under his nose and tapped a finger on his chest. ‘You'll soon be saying “Drop, cover, hold” in your sleep.'

She turned to walk away and waved her hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Captain Flynn. Go on now, get to bed and try and get rid of those huge bags under your eyes. Don't worry about me. I can find my own way home.'

She'd already started to walk slowly back down the path and he felt an unexpected pang of disappointment.

‘I can walk you. I will. Let me lock up.'

She stopped walking and turned around, illuminated by the streetlight behind her outlining her figure and framing her face perfectly. ‘No. It's best you don't.'

Whoa.
He sucked in a breath.
Was he watching a scene from a movie? That was what this looked like.

His hand was already on the key but he stopped. She'd said no. The chivalrous part of him wanted to argue, but his rational head told him that Katsuko had lived here since she was a child. She knew this base like the back of her hand. She could find her way home safely without his help.

He paused in the doorway. ‘Katsuko?'

She looked up.

‘Thank you. Thank you for tonight.'

She gave a little nod.

He leaned against the doorjamb. It would be so easy to go on inside but he wanted to watch her walk away. Her outline was silhouetted as she strolled down the street. Her uniform hugged her curves well and there was a sass to her step. His head leaned against the doorpost. Fatigue was washing over him now. At the bottom of the street she turned again and shouted, ‘Hey! Avery?'

His head shot back up. ‘Yeah?'

‘The answer to your earlier question—'

His earlier question?

‘—is only when I tell him.' She was grinning broadly as she rounded the corner.

His brain tried to kick into gear. He closed the door behind him and tried not to inhale the smell. It would be windows open tonight. It didn't really matter anyway. He never stayed anywhere for too long.

A spark went off. And he smiled. The question. It had been about the Major General.
How often has he bitten?

He couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he went to find the bedroom.

CHAPTER THREE

H
E
WAS
ALREADY
there when she arrived for duty the next morning.

And yep. She liked him just as much in his scrubs as she did in his dress uniform. Darn it.

‘How did you get on last night?' Frank nudged her at the front desk.

‘What do you mean?'

The old rogue's eyes were twinkling and she felt herself start to bristle. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this would go. Nothing on this base was a secret. ‘I heard you took the new boy out for something to eat, then showed him back to his place. Get back late last night?' He nudged her again. Twice.

There was a giggle behind her. Seiko. The aerospace medical technician who had seen her with Avery outside the changing rooms.

‘Don't be ridiculous. Nothing happened.' She glared at Seiko and turned back to Frank. ‘And if I find out you're saying anything else...'

Frank held up his hands and laughed as he walked away. ‘He's a good-looking guy. Got to get in there quick. Who knows who else might decide to get friendly with him?'

Something uncomfortable crept down her spine. She didn't even want to think about that. And that was even more ridiculous because she hadn't even thought to ask him last night about his family. Or any attachments. Or any children.

She felt sick. For a few seconds last night she'd thought he might actually kiss her. Even more ridiculous. You couldn't just meet a guy and let him kiss you. News like that would sweep around the base quicker than a new karaoke song. She'd no intention of being the subject of anyone's gossip. Her father would flip.

He'd intervened twice that she knew of. And even though she'd joked with Avery last night, she'd never asked him to intervene. One guy had been boasting about dating the General's daughter—and boasting about a bit more than that. He'd ended up at a different base in Japan. Another guy who'd told her he was single had been mysteriously transferred after a few months of heavy dating. She'd heard later through the grapevine that he'd had a pregnant fiancée back in the US who was also in the service.

Neither guy had ever been mentioned but the General didn't take kindly to anyone making a fool of her.

Trouble was, Avery was kind of fun. And fun was what she needed right now. She might even have to warn the General off.

She'd heard Blake mention earlier that they weren't even sure how long his posting would be as he was covering for someone else. Her brain was telling her to back off. But she couldn't get over how comfortable she'd been around him—or how one look had given her a tiny buzz she'd never experienced before.

Even if it was only for a few weeks or months, what was the harm in seeing Avery Flynn?

She stalked down the corridor and checked the board to see how many patients were in the ER. A little voice drifted down the corridor towards her. ‘You smell funny.'

‘Do I?'

She almost laughed out loud. She peeked around into the cubicle. Avery was talking to a little girl with blonde curly hair. She was sitting on her father's knee as Avery bent in front of her. The father, First Lieutenant Bruce, caught Katsuko's eye and cringed.

‘Hi, Abigail. What is it today?'

She walked behind the curtain and knelt down next to Avery. The tidal wave of fresh aftershave swept over her. She tried to keep her face straight as she mumbled under her breath. ‘Wow. You've overdone that a bit.'

His eyes darted towards her and she thought he might actually blush, but he kept his cool and his brow furrowed. ‘You've met Abigail before?'

Katsuko nodded solemnly. ‘Abigail seems to like us here.' She counted off on her fingers. ‘We've had fingers glued together, an allergic reaction to the permanent marker she tried on her lips, a broken wrist from her trampoline and an X-ray for a dime she swallowed.'

Abigail's father continued to cringe. He shook his head. ‘I know. I'm sorry. We can't seem to stay away.'

Avery opened up his hand. ‘Well, today is something different. Today we have beads.'

Katsuko stared at the small multicoloured wooden beads in Avery's palm. She dreaded to ask.

‘Can I have a set of alligator forceps, a set of bayonet forceps, a curved hook and a cerumen loop?' Katsuko gave a nod. It was the standard equipment that could be used to try and retrieve the variety of items that kids could stuff up their noses.

He pulled out a small pocket torch and spoke to Abigail. ‘I'm just going to tilt your head back and see if I can see anything up there.'

Abigail gave a giggle. ‘Red and purple,' she said happily.

Avery's eyes widened. ‘You stuck a red and a purple bead up your nose?'

Her father rolled his eyes. ‘This is what I'm up against.'

Katsuko had collected the equipment on the trolley and added a sterile dressing pack and gloves. She opened a nearby cupboard. ‘Some phenylephrine?'

Avery gave a nod. She prepared the equipment and waited until he'd explained what he was going to do.

‘Okay, Abigail. We can't leave those nasty beads up your nose. They could cause lots of trouble. So we need to try and get them back out.' He picked up some tissues. ‘We'll start easy. I'm going to get you to blow your nose while I hold one side closed. It might feel a bit strange, but just try and blow as best you can.'

Katsuko watched patiently. He had a nice manner with Abigail. Her dad looked exasperated and she couldn't blame him—their ER was becoming a second home to the little girl.

Avery examined the contents of the tissues and shook his head. ‘Okay, then, no beads. Let me have another look.'

He dropped to his knees again and checked with the torch. ‘I can definitely see one of them. It shouldn't be too hard to reach. Let's try a little phenylephrine first—this helps stop any swelling,' he explained to Abigail's father.

Katsuko handed over the medicine and waited until he'd applied it. She gave him a little wink and nodded to the father. ‘I expect First Lieutenant Bruce might want you to have a chat with Abigail while the medicine is working.'

Avery picked up on things quickly. ‘You're absolutely right, Nurse. I'll do that.'

He knelt back down and held up the bayonet forceps. ‘Abigail, I'm going to have to very gently put these inside your nose to pull out the beads. It won't hurt. You can stay on your dad's knee but I'll need you to stay very still. Can you do that for me?'

Abigail eyed the forceps suspiciously. They could be intimidating for kids, but Avery obviously believed in being straightforward.

Avery sat them back down. ‘You've been here a few times now. Everyone can have an accident, but sticking things up your nose isn't really an accident. Neither is sticking your fingers together or deciding to put pen on your lips. You had an allergic reaction that time. That could have been dangerous.'

‘I like it here,' Abigail said simply.

Avery straightened a little and glanced over at Katsuko.

He positioned Abigail back against her father's chest and got him to put one arm across her chest and the other on her forehead. ‘Are you okay holding her?'

He gave a nod. ‘I've had to do it before and I'm sure I'll have to do it again.'

Avery handed the torch to Katsuko, washed his hands and put on the gloves. ‘I'm going to stick with the bayonet forceps. I think they will be best.'

He positioned himself in front of Abigail and her father and tilted Abigail's head back gently, letting Katsuko shine the torch. He spoke quietly and calmly. ‘This will be over in a few seconds, just hold still.'

There was barely time to suck in a breath. Avery moved swiftly. The forceps were inserted, he grasped a bead and pulled steadily. There was a tinkle of the purple bead hitting the metal trolley. Abigail's eyes widened. ‘You got it.'

Avery nodded. ‘I got it. I'll give you a second then we'll have a look with the torch to see if I can see the red bead.'

‘He got it, Daddy, he got it.'

Her father sighed and looked relieved. ‘So he did.' He positioned Abigail back against his chest. ‘Now, hold still and let's see if he can get the other one.'

Katsuko bent down and shone the torch for him again. Avery didn't hesitate. He saw the bead and had the forceps in swiftly. The red bead landed on the metal trolley with a satisfactory ping.

Avery set the forceps down, pulled the gloves from his hands and walked back over to the sink.

He signalled to Katsuko and she understood instantly. ‘Lieutenant Bruce, can you come with me to fill in some paperwork?'

‘Oh, okay.' He lifted Abigail from his knee and sat her up on the ER trolley, following Katsuko from the cubicle. She knew that Avery wanted a chance to talk to Abigail alone. It wasn't that she had any child protection concerns. She didn't get that vibe at all. But it was obvious that something was going on in the little girl's head and if Avery could get to the bottom of it, maybe it would stop the frequent ER visits.

She took him over to the desk. ‘Chari, can Lieutenant Bruce get the paperwork he needs to fill in for his daughter, Abigail? And could you get him a coffee?'

Chari looked up from the desk and stood up, her telepathic powers working instantly. All of the staff in the ER were good at this kind of thing. Chari would know that Katsuko was stalling for time. She shot Katsuko a beaming smile. ‘Absolutely, no problem. Come with me, Lieutenant Bruce.'

Katsuko nodded and headed back to the cubicle. She could hear Avery talking to Abigail and she paused outside to listen.

He was joking with her. ‘So, you've been here quite a lot. What is it you like so much about this place?' He slapped his hand on his chest. ‘It's me, isn't it?'

The little girl shook her head, looking from side to side. ‘Don't be silly, it's not you. You just got here.'

Avery had moved her from the trolley to the chair but she jumped down and looked underneath the trolley.

‘Is it the candy? Did you hear that some of the nurses carry candy for kids?'

Abigail frowned. ‘Not all of them.' Then she smiled. ‘But Frank does. He has Jelly Bears.' She'd moved over to the curtains separating the cubicles and was trying to peer around them.

Avery walked over the pulled the curtain back. There was no one in the next cubicle. ‘Did you want to see something?'

Abigail walked over and bent down, looking under the other trolley, then shook her head and stood back up.

Katsuko couldn't help but grin. While her actions were curious, she was acting more like a little old lady than a kid.

Abigail pressed her lips together and looked carefully at Avery. ‘Can I go over there?'

She was pointing to the cubicles at the other side of the bay. Now Katsuko was definitely intrigued.

Avery spoke gently to her. ‘What are you looking for, Abigail?'

There was a long pause. It was clear she wasn't sure about replying. She looked around as if she was checking who was listening. ‘I'm looking for my caterpillar,' she whispered.

‘Your caterpillar?' Avery looked as confused as it was humanly possible to look.

‘I had it with me when I fell off the trampoline. I lost it. I didn't remember until I got home.'

Katsuko smiled. Now things were starting to make sense.

‘So why didn't you just ask someone to find it for you?'

The little girl pressed her lips together. ‘It matched a book that Nanna bought me.'

‘What was the book?'

‘It was about a caterpillar. You could stick your finger through the pages.' Katsuko nodded. She'd had the same book as a child. Most kids had probably had the same book.

Abigail's eyes filled with tears. ‘Nanna's gone now. I can't tell Daddy I've lost her caterpillar. He'd be angry.'

Katsuko caught her breath. Things were becoming crystal clear. This was why Abigail had created a range of reasons to come back to the ER.

Avery shook his head and pulled Abigail up onto his knee. ‘I don't think he would be, sweetheart. I think he's more worried about the fact you keep coming back here. Is that why you do it? You want to come and try to find your caterpillar?'

She nodded and he sighed. ‘What say I speak to my favourite nurse and see if we can try and find your caterpillar?'

‘Will she tell?' whispered Abigail.

‘I can promise you she won't tell. She's very good at keeping secrets.'

Katsuko leaned back against the wall for a second. She could still just see them. He had a good way with kids. He knew how to engage with them and he knew the right questions to ask. Not all military docs could do that. Most of them were used to dealing with adults instead of kids. There was something so sexy about seeing a guy who was good around children.

Avery stood up and put Abigail back on the chair. ‘Lieutenant Williams, are you around?'

She felt her chest swell a little. A tiny little part of her had hoped that he had been talking about her. But she hadn't really been sure.

She pulled back the curtain. ‘Yes, Captain Flynn.'

He smiled at her. ‘Do we have a lost property box here?'

She frowned. ‘I think we might have. But I'm not sure if there's much in it. Do you want me to look for something?'

He glanced over at Abigail. ‘Would you be able to check it for a caterpillar?'

Katsuko tried not to smile. She kept her face as straight as possible. ‘And what does this caterpillar look like, Captain Flynn?'

He knelt down next to Abigail. ‘Can you tell Katsuko what your caterpillar looks like?'

She nodded. ‘It's green and yellow. And squishy. With a red face and purple...things.'

Katsuko touched Abigail's shoulder. ‘Give me a second and I'll go and check.'

Avery shot her a grateful smile and it sent a little buzz right through her system as she walked down the corridor. It only took a few seconds to find the lost property box. Katsuko had a quick rummage through it. Umbrellas, hats, books and kids' jacket. There was even a single shoe. But no squishy caterpillars.