CHAPTER ONE
LIFE COULD BE so damned unfair.
There were days Sienna Burch hated being a paediatrician, today being one of them. Maybe she should bow out at the end of her contract, go buy a patch of land in a sleepy backwater and grow tomatoes and wear a long, billowy skirt.
Like hell.
While colleagues had warned her she’d been on a hiding to nowhere from the moment young Caleb was admitted with meningitis, she also knew parents trusted her to do all she could for their adored child. She always did that. But they also expected her to win, and unfortunately, that outcome wasn’t achievable every single time.
Another yawn pulled at her. It would be too easy to shuffle further down the SUV’s seat and drop into a deep sleep right here in her garage. Far too effortless. Elbowing the door open, she gathered her handbag and jacket up from the passenger seat before staggering upright.
Bed? Or food? She needed both. And a shower. Food took time because she’d have to clean up afterwards. Unless she went for the easy, not so healthy option of a toasted sandwich and only one pan to rinse out. There was ham and cheese in the fridge. Her tongue lapped her lips. Yes, she did allow herself a few semi-healthy treats. Sighing, she headed for the kitchen, flicked on lights, dropped the blind.
Boom, boom, boom.
‘What the—?’ Music loud enough to wake the dead thumped through the walls. ‘Great. Why tonight?’
The new guy next door nearly always had music of some genre on the go when he was at home, but rarely was it loud and intrusive. In the living room she flicked on more lights. Hopefully he’d notice she was home and cut the volume. That was when she heard laughter and voices. ‘He’s having a party. Wonderful.’ How did that happen when he was new in town on a temporary contract at the Rescue Helicopter base, temporarily replacing her real neighbour for three months?
Not that Sienna had met the guy, only caught a couple of glances of a well-honed body filling out jeans in a way that should have him a modelling contract with the manufacturers. Not her type at all. Oh, yeah, then what is? With her crazy schedule she rarely had civilised hours to have fun in.
The guy seldom seemed to be home either. Not unless he liked permanently closed windows and doors. Another blast of music slapped her. If only he had the place shut up tight tonight. How was she going to sleep with that going on?
Forget toasting a sandwich. Bread and cheese while tugging clothes off and getting under the shower was the way to go. Her bed was beckoning with relentless persistence. Only thing was, her mind couldn’t blank out the anguished cries of Caleb’s parents as they’d switched off life support. From past experience she knew there were no shortcuts getting through this anguish, that it took time and looking after herself—which meant getting adequate sleep.
Thump, thump, thump. And she’d thought the volume was at its max. Sliding right down her bed, covers up to her neck, pillow over her head, Sienna closed her eyes and counted sheep. Not that those dumb animals ever helped her out, but she needed to zone out, find oblivion.
Then her dad piped up in the
fog filling her head. Of course he did.
‘Relax. Enjoy life and all it’s got to offer. What’s happened to my girl who loved to track butterflies? Who wanted to grow wings and fly?’
His words taunted her whenever she was too tired to fight them.
‘Not tonight, Dad. Please.’
An hour later, Sienna tossed the pillow and covers aside to swing her legs out of bed. The headache pills she’d taken with her bread were not working as the drums in her head were louder and harsher than ever. Those weren’t the worst beats. Next door there had to be a whole band of drummers competing with each other; the noise level was so unbelievably high. The voices had also increased in volume.
All she wanted was eight hours straight being comatose. Hours where Caleb didn’t feature, where his parents’ sobs didn’t break her heart. Hours in which she couldn’t think about her promise to her father to lighten up some by Christmas. She’d settled here, in this city, bought this apartment for a reason and nothing or no one could be allowed to change it. Yet it seemed everyone was trying to.
Click, click. Her vertebrae pulled her straight. Time to confront her neighbour. Her muscles began to soften. She didn’t do conflict, unless she was fighting for a patient’s life. Yes, well, her patients needed her to get some sleep so she could think straight. Click, click. That music was going to shut down. Now.
* * *
Harry sat on the edge of the deck, a warming bottle of beer swinging from his fingers. Midnight had been and gone. If only he could say the same for his visitors. Unfortunately they all seemed intent on burying their raw grief in loud music and lots of shouting and talking.
A tight-knit group, they’d naturally turned to each other today when they heard the news of the loss of their top pilot after the helicopter he was flying back from having the machine serviced went out of control and hit the ground. The cause of the crash was as yet unknown, and likely to be for weeks, if not months, but the mechanics were on high alert. Bet the crews would be too, come tomorrow.
Lights came on in the apartment next door, then the deck was flooded in a yellow glow.
Oh, oh. Trouble on the horizon? Harry shrugged and sipped the beer, not really enjoying it yet reluctant to set it aside. His hands always had to be busy. If only he had something to do to fill in the hours before this lot were ready to head home in the taxis he’d order, and pay for. Being the new boy on the block, he hadn’t known Gavin Bradley well, but the guy was a legend in the emergency air service—his reputation for spot-on retrieval in difficult conditions ran the length of the country. He would be missed very much.
A shadow crossed the end of the drive, turned in his direction. The shadow became human, walking with confidence and yet at the same time almost with caution, like a young girl with little care to burden her. Then she came into the light, making her way up towards him, an opposing grim expression on what might be a beautiful face if she wasn’t carrying the weight of the world on her back. Apparently this was the girl next door. Only he could see now her girl days were long gone, morphed into someone who stole the breath away from him and tightened his groin without any input from his brain.
Harry slowly drew another mouthful of beer—it really was foul—and put the bottle down on the deck beside him. ‘Hello. So we finally get to meet.’
That delicious mouth flattened further. ‘This is not a social call.’ Her voice was husky—and laden with barely contained anger.
‘That’s a shame.’ In more ways than he cared to admit, even to himself. Close up, she was even better looking than he’d first thought. Her flawless skin covered perfect facial bone structure. ‘I’m Harry, by the way.’
That startled her. ‘Sienna Burch,’ she snapped. Hadn’t she expected to be introducing herself?
‘So what can I do for you, Sienna?’ Though he kind of had an idea what was getting her knickers in a twist. It was late on a working night, and the guys inside were a little loud.
‘Could you please turn the music down? Or preferably off? I need to get some sleep.’ Her expression wasn’t softening, but that didn’t quieten his pulse. A bit of a challenge in the making?
Over the past weeks he’d been vaguely aware of her coming and going at all hours, but hadn’t got around to introducing himself. Nothing unusual in that when he was on a short stint in a town he was unlikely to return to. His breath caught. He had to be slipping—because behind whatever was tightening her face this particular woman was a stunner, and he was partial to stunners. Fess up, he liked women, full stop. Especially hot, shapely, downright beautiful ones. If that made him shallow then he could live with that. It suited his mantra: keep moving on.
‘Excuse me. The music?’
‘I’ll give it a go, certainly.’ Now he could hear one of the girls crying behind him. That’d been a while coming. Apart from initial tears everyone had been stoic, but he’d known it was only a matter of time before they showed their grief in the teary form. And he was supposed to charge in and turn the music off and make like everyone should go home?
‘I’d prefer that you actually did it, not make a half-hearted attempt. I’ve had a long, difficult day and I need to sleep.’
Bet your day was a breeze compared to the one these guys are dealing with.
‘I’m sorry about that. I will do my best, but I have to warn you my colleagues are suffering an enormous shock and this is their way of letting off steam.’ It wasn’t as though he had the sound turned up to full volume every night of the week. This was a one-off.
That tight mouth wasn’t giving an inch. ‘I see.’
No, she didn’t. ‘Have you seen the news today?’
‘As if.’ Finally that mouth softened a fraction, and Sienna lifted her chin slightly. Definitely beautiful in a classic way. ‘What did I miss?’
‘One of the rescue helicopters went down this morning.’
She gasped. Now that tightness was taking a backward step. ‘With serious consequences I take it.’
‘The pilot died and the other pilot on board is in a serious condition in the ICU at Auckland Hospital. Fortunately they didn’t have medical crew or a patient on board or there’d be more casualties.’
Another gasp, and Sienna moved closer. ‘I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I didn’t hear about that.’
What did she do for a living? Take gym classes in a cave? That tee shirt and those fitted leggings highlighted a well-formed body with muscles in the right places and soft curves to add a sensuality that teased him. Like he needed this right now. But it seemed certain parts of his body were out of sync with the sadness roiling in his mind. They wanted action. They weren’t getting any.
Then Sienna added, ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry.’ Another step and she was beside the deck.
‘It’s been a huge shock for everyone. You understand I’m filling in at the helicopter rescue service?’
‘Yes.’ She leaned her tidy butt against the handrail post. ‘I haven’t been very neighbourly, but I’m hardly ever at home.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll be gone in a month.’
Sienna straightened again. ‘Anyway, I do need to get some shut-eye. My day wasn’t a lot better.’
Her frostiness did nothing to detract from her looks, but however much she needed some quiet his loyalties lay with those inside his apartment. ‘Maybe, but I’m giving these people the chance to de-stress before making sure they get home safely. You could join us and wind down from whatever upset you with a wine and some music.’
‘It would take a lot more than that.’
He had to ask. ‘What happened?’ Damn it, why couldn’t he just mind his own business? Now he’d have to listen to some story that barely registered compared to the crash, as well as be sympathetic.
‘I lost a patient. A six-year-old boy.’ Her bottom lip trembled.
Damned if he didn’t want t
o haul her into his arms and hold her until the trembling stopped. His fingers gripped the beer bottle as if his life depended on it. ‘That’s terrible. You’re a doctor?’ Not a gym instructor, then.
‘A paediatrician. The best, and the worst, job out there.’ Her voice was low and slow.
She’s a doctor?
That explained the hours she was away from home. Who’d have thought it? But then, why not?
We don’t all come with labels on our foreheads proclaiming our medical knowledge. And why can’t doctors be beautiful, and have stunning figures?
Just because he’d never met one quite as attractive as Sienna Burch, didn’t mean they didn’t exist.
Then she yawned.
Which got to him, made him want to soothe her to sleep. ‘The kids are the worst cases. They always get to me, even if only for a greenstick fracture.’
‘And the parents. They’re hurting as bad. They want to take the pain into themselves so their babies don’t have to suffer, and it’s torture when they can’t.’ Sienna lifted her head and stared at him, her own pain obvious.
She took her job seriously, but it was hard to find a good doctor who didn’t. Impossible. Thoughtlessly he reached across with one hand to touch her arm. So much for hanging on to his bottle as a shield. ‘I totally understand.’ Squeezing lightly, he hurriedly pulled away. But it was too late. Warmth trickled from her skin through his fingers and up his arm.
Sienna was upright—and uptight. ‘If you can’t turn the music off then at least lower the decibels.’
Sarah, one of the pilots, appeared on the deck. ‘I think everyone’s ready to head home now.’
Harry stood up and found his neighbour’s head came up to his chin. Not often that happened. ‘There you go. You should be able to get that kip soon.’
‘I appreciate it.’ Sienna turned and stumbled down the path, not so youthful in her movements now.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Somehow she’d woven her way under his skin while being the antithesis of the open, cheery women he usually went for. She hadn’t effused sympathy, nor had she been cold about what had happened, just contained. But then, she was used to other people’s pain. ‘See you,’ he called after her, the temptation to goad her just a little way too hard to ignore. If she could shake him up, then he could return the favour. ‘Maybe we’ll both be at home at the same time one night this week.’ Unlikely since he was rarely here and then mostly only to eat and sleep.