The Honourable Army Doc (12 page)

Quinn reached into a pocket on the front of his uniform and pulled out a piece of paper. He unfolded it and began to read.

Quinn paused.

Ali didn’t know how he was still able to read. All around her she could hear people sniffing and sense them searching for tissues as tears ran down their faces. She couldn’t look at Quinn. She couldn’t look at anyone as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Julieanne may have wanted her funeral to be a bright occasion but she sure knew how to tug at the heartstrings and she wasn’t finished yet.

Quinn continued to read. ‘“Thank you, Mum, and
thank you, Quinn. I know you’ll take care of my babies. Beth and Eliza, always remember Mummy loves you.”’

Quinn folded the note and put it back into his pocket. He nodded at the line of uniformed men and, as one, they rose to their feet and stood, waiting for Quinn.

‘Julieanne’s final request,’ he said, ‘was to be laid to rest beside her father behind the church, but rather than following her pallbearers she would like everyone to gather on the steps out the front instead.’

Quinn’s friends stepped forward and that was when Ali realised they were going to be the pallbearers. Quinn returned to his daughters and took their hands as his friends picked up the coffin and, with military precision, carried it outside.

Helen followed her daughter’s coffin. She leant on the arm of another elderly woman, who looked remarkably similar and who Ali guessed was her sister, as they walked out of the church. Quinn and the twins went next and everyone else filed out behind them.

As the crowd gathered on the steps Ali realised that Julieanne had orchestrated this so that Beth and Eliza wouldn’t witness her being put into the ground. They’d be able to visit her grave later when it was covered with grass and looked less fresh but would be spared the reality and finality of death for today.

Two women stood waiting outside the church, one on either side of the front doors. Ali recognised them from Quinn’s birthday party. They were two of the school mums, Julieanne’s friends, and they each held a large bunch of pink helium balloons. Quinn took two balloons and handed one to each of his girls. Together Beth and
Eliza released them and watched them float away. The colour of the spring sky was almost identical to Quinn’s eyes and the girls’ balloons were bright against the brilliant blue.

As the balloons drifted away on the breeze Ali knew everyone was remembering Julieanne. Maybe her mother was right, she thought as she looked at their faces. How was she going to compete with a dead wife? Even a dead ex-wife. Julieanne had wanted to be remembered and that was only right, but did that leave room for
her
in Quinn’s life? Did it leave room for her in Quinn’s family?

She wasn’t sure and that was what she really wanted. She wanted to be loved not only by him but by his daughters. For the first time since meeting Quinn she thought perhaps she was hoping for too much.

She felt the air stir beside her and knew he was there.

‘I’m glad you didn’t wear pink. Red is your colour.’ His words were soft, spoken just for her, and the deep richness of his voice sent a shiver of longing through her core. Was it wrong to feel desire at a time like this? Was it inappropriate? She didn’t know but she couldn’t help how she felt.

‘Hi.’ She smiled at him, hoping that her presence would have the same effect on him as his had on her. ‘How are you holding up?’

‘Better, knowing you’re here.’ His eyes were bright blue, their colour intense, and he looked at her as though she was the only person he could see, as though all the others had vanished into the atmosphere. The sense that
they were alone almost had her leaning towards him intimately, until she remembered where they were.

‘Will you come back to the house?’ he asked. ‘Have something to eat? Please?’

Ali had noticed he never called it his house. He’d told her he’d bought it for Julieanne and the girls and he’d paid for it, but it was in Julieanne’s name and in his mind it obviously had nothing to do with him. Ali wondered who the house belonged to now.

She went to Julieanne’s wake in the vain hope she’d get to spend some time with Quinn but, of course, the house was full of people and Quinn was busy and they didn’t have one moment alone. But despite the occasion Ali couldn’t help feeling a sense of hope. She accepted that Quinn hadn’t been in love with Julieanne, not of late and maybe not ever, but recent circumstances had meant he had been emotionally bound to his ex.

But as of today there was no denying this was the end of a chapter. Now Quinn would be truly free to move on with his life and she hoped he would chose to move on with her. She might need to be patient but she was prepared to wait. Some things were worth waiting for and Quinn was one of them. Life was for the living and an occasion such as this only served to reinforce that point. Ali intended to have a life worth living.

Ali

A
LI HAD SLEPT
fitfully, her dreams full of strange images and of Quinn. She hadn’t seen him since Julieanne’s funeral three days ago. She assumed he was busy with the girls or his army mates or other things that kept him away from her, but he made regular appearances in her dreams, albeit in rather odd situations mostly involving her and him being naked in strange places, and this latest dream had been no exception.

She had never had erotic dreams until Quinn had taken her to his bed. Quinn had woken something primal in her and she was beginning to think she was completely corrupted. She stretched and rolled over. The subconscious version of Quinn was nice but if she was going to be sleep-deprived she’d rather she was losing sleep with the real thing in her bed. She tossed and turned for a while before deciding she was too restless to go back to sleep. She got out of bed and went downstairs, and did what she always did when she was edgy—she cooked.

She was just piling the last of the pancakes onto the stack when she heard a soft knock on the front door. She knew her parents had gone for their early morning walk and she wondered if they’d forgotten their key. But when she opened the door it wasn’t to find her parents. Quinn was standing on the other side, with the twins.

He looked a little the worse for wear. A day’s growth of stubble covered his jaw and his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, yet her heart still gave an odd little kick at the sight of him. He was paler than usual and she suspected there might possibly be a few new lines on his face, but to see him standing in front of her, the breadth of his shoulders filling the doorway, and knowing that she could reach out a hand and touch him, feel his warm flesh under her fingers for the first time in three days, gave her a thrill that sent a shiver of longing through her centre.

His head dipped as his gaze travelled from her head to her toes as he took note of her outfit. Her feet were bare and she was wearing yoga pants, a red T-shirt and no bra.

Was he mentally undressing her?

Images from her most recent dream took shape in her head and she felt a tingle of excitement surge through her and take control of her body. Heat pooled low in her belly at the junction of her thighs and she felt her nipples harden. Fortunately the girls were too young to notice her reaction to their father’s scrutiny but she crossed her arms over her chest Just in case.

‘Did we wake you?’ he asked.

‘No.’ Her voice sounded breathless. Just one glance
from him made her heart race so fast that she was panting and desperate for him to rip her clothes off and have his way with her. She cleared her throat and tried to pull herself together. ‘You’re up earlier than you should be, judging by the look of you. Late night?’ She knew the last of his army buddies were due to leave today and she assumed he’d had another night out with them.

Quinn nodded. ‘And an early morning, thanks to two girls who need to get out of the house.’

‘Did you want to come in?’

He gave a careful shake of his head and Ali wondered if she should offer him some paracetamol.

‘We’re on our way to the beach,’ he explained. ‘I need some fresh air and we thought it might be a good way to spend the day. We were hoping you might like to come with us. Are you busy?’

‘Not with anything that can’t wait,’ she said. ‘A day at the beach sounds lovely. Why don’t you come in while I get changed? I’ve been making pancakes if anyone is hungry.’

‘Pancakes!’ Beth exclaimed.

‘We love pancakes,’ Eliza added, as if further clarification was necessary, before they bolted to the kitchen.

Quinn wasn’t so quick off the mark. He removed his sunglasses and Ali saw that his eyes were tinged with red. She raised her eyebrows at him and said, ‘Do you want me to have the girls for the morning and you can go home to bed?’

‘I like the sound of those words but not necessarily in that order.’ He grinned before he stepped inside the door and kissed her.

Heat flooded through Ali as her nipples pushed against the fabric of her T-shirt and the heat in her groin intensified. She moaned and was tempted to take him up on his suggestion but now was not the time or place. Unfortunately the chance to have Quinn to herself didn’t happen all that often, and now that he was a sole parent as opposed to a single one, Ali could only assume that they’d have even fewer opportunities to be alone. ‘If you’ve got energy spare to fool around then I think you can manage a day with the girls by yourself,’ she teased.

‘I’d rather you came with me,’ he said as he ran his hand down the front of her T-shirt and rubbed his thumb over one erect nipple before sliding his hand to her bottom and pulling her in close. Ali could feel he was as aroused as she was and there was no doubting the double entendre of his words.

She’d woken up aroused and ready for sex and now his touch threatened to send her over the edge. She would love to sneak him upstairs to her room and strip him naked and make love to him but she would have to wait.

She stepped away from temptation. ‘Stop it,’ she panted, still fighting to catch her breath. ‘That’s not fair.’

‘Sorry.’ He grinned, looking anything but.

‘If I come to the beach, will you promise to behave?’ she asked.

‘Where’s the fun in that?’

‘You’re right,’ she agreed, ‘but do your best.’

‘Anything for you,’ he said, as he dropped another
kiss on her lips then walked casually past her on his way to the kitchen.

Ali watched him for a moment, enjoying the view as she caught her breath, before she followed him down the hall.

She set the three of them up in the kitchen with the pancakes and all the accompaniments—maple syrup, lemon, sugar and strawberries—before she went to change.

She dressed carefully. It would be too cold to swim but sunbathing might be an option, so she started with a red bikini—it didn’t hurt to stack the odds in her favour—and then pulled a T-shirt and jeans over the top. She tied a pair of red canvas lace-ups and threw a pair of shorts, a jacket, a hat and a towel into a bag.

By the time she joined them downstairs Quinn had tidied the kitchen and stacked the dishwasher. They were ready to go. Ali sent the girls to use the bathroom, giving her a moment alone with Quinn. While the girls are out of earshot she asked, ‘Whose idea was the beach?’

‘Mine. The girls need to be kept occupied and I’m feeling a bit restless. I grew up by the ocean on the Sunshine Coast. I figure I either needed some time by the water or some time with you. If I can have both, even better.’

‘So which beach did you have in mind?’

‘You’re the local, I thought I’d let you choose. All I need is some sea air and maybe a wave or two.’

Ali made a decision to take them to Victor Harbor via Port Elliot. As a destination it ticked all the boxes.
The weather forecast was perfect, still cool, which was to be expected at this time of year, but no wind, which would make a day at the beach far more enjoyable, and if the weather turned sour there were plenty of activities that didn’t involve the beach.

She offered to drive, which allowed Quinn to catch up on some sleep. He looked like he could use the extra hour and she doubted that even after her own interrupted, rather sleepless night she’d manage to relax enough to sleep if Quinn was sitting just inches away from her.

The weather forecasters had got it right. It was a glorious day on the South Coast. The water was glassy and smooth and Ali’s favourite stretch of beach was almost deserted, except for a few late-morning walkers and their dogs.

Quinn and the girls wasted no time in diving into the water. They tried to entice Ali to join them and she bravely rolled up her jeans and got her toes wet before declaring the water far too cold. The sun might be shining but the sea still held a winter chill.

She shook out her towel and sat on the beach and watched the girls playing with their father. Quinn lifted them onto his shoulders, one at a time, and they dived into the water from his man-made platform with squeals of delight. Ali could have sat there for hours, admiring Quinn’s physique. The water gathered in shiny droplets on his skin and his muscles flexed and bulged as he lifted his daughters.

The girls didn’t swim for long but they kept themselves busy building sandcastles while Quinn swam laps up and down the beach. The view wasn’t quite so
spectacular now that all she could see of him was his head bobbing in the water and his arms striking up and over as he pulled himself through the sea and Ali was able to turn her attention to other things. The day had warmed up enough to make it uncomfortable to stay in long trousers and she stripped off her jeans and changed into short white shorts and wandered along the water’s edge, looking for marine treasures for the girls to decorate their sandcastle with. She delivered several pretty shells and a couple of rocks worn smooth by the sand and sea to the girls just as Quinn emerged from the water.

She lay on her towel and watched him walk up the beach towards her. It was her turn now to hide behind her sunglasses and admire him. His hard body was slick with water and it glistened under the sun. He picked up his towel and lifted his arms above his head to rub his hair, affording her a very pleasant view of rippling abdominals. Her eye was drawn to the line of blond hair running into his board shorts and her fingers itched to reach out and follow its lead.

Before she could move he spread his towel out on the sand beside her and flopped down onto his stomach. He propped himself on his elbows and the muscles in his arms bulged as they supported his weight.

‘Better?’ she asked.

Quinn turned his head to look at Ali. She was lying on her back, her breasts jutting up, round and firm against her tight T-shirt, and her tiny shorts barely covered her hips. Even though she was fully clothed, in his mind’s eye he could picture her in that exact pose but naked. Her posture was so seductive he felt himself
becoming aroused. He longed to reach across to slide his hand under her shirt, to feel her warm skin under his fingers and to pop the button on her shorts. ‘Much,’ he replied.

Ali rolled onto her side and dropped her top leg towards him, drawing his eye to the long, lean length of her thigh. Even at the end of a lingering, cold winter her leg appeared lightly tanned, courtesy of her Indian heritage. He itched to run his hand up her leg and under the frayed hem of her shorts to seek her warmth.

The combination of the sea, the swim, the sun on his skin were soporific, but far from feeling relaxed the vision of Ali lying stretched out in front of him stirred his senses and made his pulse race. He longed to lean closer to taste her lips. He longed to have her all to himself. He longed to strip off her tiny white shorts and make love to her.

If he had been ten years younger and hadn’t had two daughters in tow, he’d have tried to convince her to sneak off into the sand dunes with him. But he was older and wiser now, he could exert some self-control. They had plenty of time. There was no need to hurry. He would do things properly.

‘Stop looking at me like that,’ she said, interrupting his carnal daydreaming.

‘Like what?’

‘Like you haven’t eaten for a week.’

‘Swimming always makes me hungry,’ he said as he let his gaze travel down the length of her, pausing on her lips and her breasts, ‘but I’d settle for a taste of your mouth.’

He was pleased to see a blush stain her cheeks and her pupils expand, darkening her grey eyes, as she watched him devour her with his gaze.

‘That, I’m afraid, you’ll have to wait for, but I can take you to the bakery if you’re starving.’

‘Is that your best offer?’

‘Afraid so.’

‘All right, but you owe me a kiss.’

Ali just smiled as she began to gather their things. Quinn called the girls and then watched as Ali bent over to cram the towels into her beach bag, affording him a fabulous view of red bikini bottom and rounded buttocks underneath her white shorts. Quinn made some adjustments to his board shorts before picking up the bag and carrying it to his car.

Ali took them to the Port Elliot bakery for lunch then they drove into Victor Harbor and she resumed her role of tour guide. She parked on the foreshore and took them to ride the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island. The girls had done this before but it was a new experience for Quinn. The tram was an old, renovated, wooden double-decker carriage with an open top that was pulled by a very placid Clydesdale. The girls got to feed the horse an apple and then raced up the curved staircase to the top level to sit in the open air. As the horse began its slow, steady journey across the causeway to the island, the girls delighted in hanging over the side railing and waving to the people who were walking beside the tram.

Ali thought the girls looked adorable and as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Their blonde hair was being ruffled by the breeze and with the town, shielded
by massive Norfolk Island pines, sprawled along the coast behind them they looked like a tourist advertisement.

Quinn treated them all to an ice cream on the condition that they walked up to the lookout and then back to the mainland to burn off some energy. The girls bounded ahead and Quinn and Ali followed at a more sedate pace. Quinn tucked Ali’s hand into his elbow.

His actions surprised her. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Making sure you can’t get away.’

‘What about the girls?’ she asked, conscious that they weren’t aware of her relationship with their father.

‘They’re too busy having fun to notice and I’m not going to feel guilty about enjoying your company.’

But Ali wasn’t so comfortable. She was very aware that they might run into someone who knew Julieanne and who might think their behaviour inappropriate. She looked around to see if anyone was watching them.

‘You can relax,’ Quinn told her. ‘No one knows us here. It feels good to be away from town, to be somewhere I can just be myself, instead of feeling like I have to behave according to everyone else’s expectations.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Everyone in Stirling is treating me like a bereaved widower. I couldn’t hope to get away with walking down the main street in town holding your hand—not yet, everyone would think it’s scandalous—but I should be able to. They forget Julieanne and I were divorced.’