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‘Misty, and the friends I had alienated, saw it.’ Rueful grin there at the memory of how taciturn he’d been since his wife had died. ‘They ganged up on me and suggested I resign. Then told me about Ned, the Lake’s retired GP, and how he needed help for a few months. He’s got degenerative vision failure and I’ve been here ever since.’
He thought back over the last couple of years and how his mindset had altered for the better. ‘I’ve grown to love it here and I’m committed to providing the medical needs of the community. If those needs adjust then the hospital will darned well adjust too.’
He pointed to the north. ‘It made things interesting when the mine opened up twenty kilometres away and now the farmland is selling faster than the local government can subdivide. We have our first restaurant in town.’
‘A real restaurant in town? Very flash.’ She smiled, probably at the pride in his voice, and he laughed.
‘It is for us.’ He’d take her there one day. Angelo would love Montana.
He went on. ‘The hospital will get busier and the idea of a midwifery-led unit is not as far-fetched as you might imagine. There is a core of women in town who are very progressive and well read on their rights. They’d love women-centred care.’
She tilted her head. ‘And I thought you were just saying that to tempt me.’
He smiled and tried not to think about who was tempting whom, because that wasn’t part of the plan. ‘Now, why would I do that?’
She looked at him thoughtfully. ‘I don’t know. Perhaps you recognised my symptoms from your own past or maybe…’ She paused and considered him. ‘You just wanted someone else to have the headache of setting up a new service.’
He grinned. ‘Bingo! We could be a good team.’ He adjusted the flaps on the wing. ‘You ready? We’re going in.’
The noise of the plane engine changed and the little cabin tilted as they began their circling descent.
Dawn squirmed against her mother as her ears blocked from the altitude change. Montana slipped her little finger into her daughter’s mouth so she would suck and swallow and pop her ears.
As a diversion from the risks of landing small aircraft, Montana mulled over what Andy had said.
He seemed a little obsessed with the hospital and the town, and he lived with an older doctor and his housekeeper. Obviously he’d been devastated at the loss of his wife and now devoted himself to his work.
But what about friends? Or other women?
Didn’t he have a life?
Did he expect she’d be as committed as he was because she’d lost her husband too? Was that why he’d been so keen to have her come?
Maybe he’d planned to staff the hospital with bereaved doctors and nurses.
All good questions, she told herself.
She had to smile at her fanciful meanderings but they were coming in and the thoughts helped to divert her mind away from the ground looming up at her.
She hadn’t guaranteed she’d stay at the Lake and she might not feel the same next week. ‘I hope this works out as you plan. That Dawn and I can settle for a while.’
In the few seconds before he answered Montana realised that as the pilot he was responsible for the safety of their descent.
What was she thinking? Now was not the smartest time to distract the pilot.
‘Please, ignore me and concentrate.’ There was a squeak of sheer terror in her voice and he looked across at her and smiled reassuringly.
‘I’ve done this hundreds of times.’
She grimaced at him. ‘Why does that not reassure me? You only have to blow it once in a plane.’ She’d tried for lightness and she wasn’t sure she’d pulled it off, but he returned to her previous statement and his relaxed example helped her hands unclench.
‘I know there are no guarantees you’ll love the Lake like I do,’ he said. ‘That’s understandable. We’ll see what the next few weeks bring.’
They landed smoothly and taxied up to park near a tin shed that proclaimed a welcome to Queensland and Lyrebird Lake, and Montana thought how she would have felt welcome anywhere that had firm earth beneath her feet.
As they waited for the propeller to stop revolving Andy slid his hands onto his strongly muscled thighs and turned to grin at her. ‘Well, you survived your flight and here we are.’
‘Thank you for getting us here safely.’ Her comment was heartfelt. ‘Interesting airport.’ She looked around at the deserted tarmac, though there did seem to be some activity in a hangar across the grass.
Andy followed her gaze. ‘There are great people in the flying club out here. I’ll have to bring you out to one of their barbeques. It’s a fun evening under the stars with a bunch of larrikins.’
He inclined his head towards the hangar. ‘Though they do take their flying seriously and I can’t beat one of them in the flour bombing.’
The propeller swung on its last rotation and Andy flicked the last of his switches and then climbed out to come around to her side.
He opened her door and warm air rushed in and wrapped around her like welcoming arms. She hoped it was prophetic. She hadn’t expected to feel like that about the new town.
Andy reached in to undo the strap around Dawn and Montana’s seat belt, and the release of the restraint seemed almost symbolic of her new life.
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