CHAPTER ONE
ALYSSA PARKER DROPPED her bags in the middle of the lounge and stared around what would be her next temporary living quarters. She could pretty much see it all from where she stood. Dusting and vacuuming weren’t going to take up her spare time, like it had at the last place. She’d have to find something else to keep her busy after work. Take up knitting? Or hire a dog to walk every day?
Her phone rang. Tugging it from her jacket pocket, she read the name on the screen and punched the ‘talk’ button. ‘Hey, boss, I’ve arrived on Phillip Island.’ The bus trip down from Melbourne city had been interminable as she’d kept dozing off. It had taken the ferry crossing and lots of fresh air to clear her head.
‘How’s the head?’ Lucas Elliot, her senior midwife, asked.
‘It’s good now. Who have you been talking to?’ She and some of the crew from the Melbourne Midwifery Unit had gone out for drinks, which had extended to a meal and more drinks.
‘My lips are sealed,’ Lucas quipped. ‘So, Phillip Island—another place for you to tick off on the map.’
‘Yep.’ Her life was all about new destinations and experiences. Certainly not the regular nine to five in the same place, year in, year out, that most people preferred.
‘How’s the flat?’
‘About the size of a dog kennel.’ Stepping sideways, Ally peered into what looked like an overgrown cupboard. ‘It’s an exaggeration to call this a kitchen. But, hey, that’s part of the adventure.’ Like she needed a kitchen when she favoured takeout food anyway.
‘Ally, I forgot to tell you where the key to the flat would be, but it seems you’ve taken up breaking and entering on the side.’
She was Ally to everyone except the taxman and her lawyer. And the social welfare system. ‘It was under the pot plant on the top step.’ The first place she’d looked.
‘Why do people do that? It’s so obvious.’ Lucas sounded genuinely perplexed.
Still looking around, she muttered, ‘I doubt there’s much worth stealing in here.’ Kat, the midwife she was replacing temporarily, certainly didn’t spend her pay packet on home comforts.
‘Are you happy with the arrangements? I know you enjoy everywhere we send you, but this should be the best yet as far as location goes. All those beaches to play on.’
‘It’s winter, or haven’t you noticed?’ Ally shook her head. ‘But so far the island’s looking beautiful.’
His chuckle was infectious. ‘I’ll leave you to unpack and find your way around. You’re expected at the medical centre at eight thirty tomorrow. Dr Reynolds wants to run through a few details with you before you get started with the Monday morning antenatal list.’
‘Same as any locum job I do, then?’ She couldn’t help the jibe. She’d been doing this relief work for two years now. It suited her roving lifestyle perfectly and was the only reason she remained with the Melbourne Midwifery Unit. They’d offered her fixed positions time and again. She’d turned them all down. Fixed meant working continuously at the midwifery unit, which in turn meant getting too close to those people she’d work with every day.
The days when she set herself up to get dumped by anyone—friends, colleagues or lovers—were long over. Had been from the monumental day she’d turned sixteen and taken control of her life. She’d walked out of the social welfare building for the very last time. It hadn’t mattered that she’d had little money or knowledge on how to survive. She’d known a sense of wonder at being in charge of herself. Since then no one had screwed up her expectations because she’d been in charge of her own destiny. Because she hadn’t allowed herself to hope for family or love again.
‘I’m being pedantic.’ Lucas was still on the other end of the line. ‘I wanted to make sure everything’s okay.’
Why wouldn’t it be? She didn’t need him fussing about her. She didn’t like it. It spoke of care and concern. But Lucas did care about the people he worked with, which, despite trying not to let it, had always warmed her and given her a sense of belonging to the unit. Since she didn’t do belonging, it showed how good Lucas was with his st
aff.
She told him, ‘I’ll take a walk to get my bearings and suss out where the medical centre is as soon as I’ve unpacked.’ Tomorrow she’d collect the car provided for the job.
‘Even your map-reading skills might just about manage that.’ He laughed at his own joke. ‘I’ll leave you to get settled. Catch you in four weeks, unless there’s a problem.’
Stuffing the phone back in her pocket, she headed into the bedroom and dumped a bag on the bed. At least it was a double. Not that she had any man to share the other half with. Not yet. Who knows? There might be a hot guy at the surf beach who’d like a short fling, no strings. Her mouth watered at the thought of all those muscles surfers must have. Winter wouldn’t stop those dudes getting on their boards. There were such things as wetsuits.
After dropping her second, smaller bag full of books and DVDs out of the way in the corner of the lounge, she slapped her hands on her hips and stared around. Four o’clock in the afternoon and nothing to do. Once she started on the job she’d be fine, but these first hours when she arrived in a new place and moved into someone else’s home always made her feel antsy. It wasn’t her space, didn’t hold her favourite possessions.
Except… Unzipping the bag, she placed two small silver statues on the only shelf. ‘Hey, guys, welcome to Cowes.’ Her finger traced the outlines of her pets. If she ever got to own a pet it would be a springer spaniel like these. Make that two spaniels. One on its own would be lonely.
She hadn’t forgiven the Bartlett family who’d given her these on the day they’d broken her heart, along with their promise they’d love her for ever. She’d wrapped the statues in an empty chocolate box and tied it with a yellow ribbon, before burying them in the Bartletts’ garden. The gift had been a consolation prize for abandoning her, but one dark day when she’d felt unable to carry on, she’d remembered the dogs she’d abandoned and had sneaked back to retrieve them. They’d gone everywhere with her ever since, a talisman to her stronger self.
Having the statues in place didn’t make the flat hers, though. Again Ally stared around. She could do a lap of the cupboards and shelves, learning where everything was kept. By then it’d be five past four and she’d still not know what to do with herself.
This moment was the only time she ever allowed that her life wasn’t normal. Define normal. Doing what other people did.
Standing in the middle of a home she’d never been in before, didn’t know the owner of, always brought up the question of what would it be like to settle down for ever in her own place.
As if she’d ever do that.
What if it was with a man who loved me regardless?
The answer never changed. That person didn’t exist.
She followed her established routine for first days in new towns. First, off came her new and amazing knee-high black boots, then she pulled on her top-of-the-line walking shoes.
Sliding on her sunglasses, she snatched up the house key and stuffed it and her wallet into her pocket and headed out. There had to be a decent coffee shop somewhere. Might as well check out the options for takeout dinners, too. Then she’d head to the nearest beach to do some exploring.
The coffee turned out to be better than good. Ally drained the paper mug of every last drop and tossed it into the next rubbish bin she came across. The beach stretched ahead as she kicked up sand and watched the sea relentlessly rolling in. Kids chased balls and each other, couples strolled hand in hand, one grown-up idiot raced into the freezing water and straight back out, shouting his head off in shock.
Ally pulled out her phone and called the midwifery centre back in the city, sighing happily when Darcie answered. ‘Hey, how’s the head?’
‘Nothing wrong with mine, but, then, I was on orange juice all night.’
‘You shouldn’t be so quick to put your hand up for call.’
Darcie grumped, ‘Says the woman who works more hours than the rest of us.’ Then she cheered Ally up with, ‘You can move into my spare room when you get back to town. As of this morning it’s empty, my flatmate having found her own place.’
‘Great, that’s cool.’ Darcie was fast becoming a good friend, which did bother her when she thought about it. But right this moment it felt good to have a friend onside when she was feeling more unsettled than usual at the start of a new assignment. Today she sensed she might be missing out on the bigger picture. This was the loneliness she’d learned to cope with whenever she’d been shuffled off to yet another foster home full of well-meaning people who’d always eventually packed her bags and sent her away.
‘You still there?’ Darcie asked.
‘Did you get called in today?’
‘I’ve just finished an urgent caesarean, and I’m about to get something to eat.’
‘I’ll leave you to it, then. Thanks for the bed. I’ll definitely take you up on that.’ After saying goodbye, she shoved her hands deep into her jacket pockets and began striding to the farthest end of the beach, feeling better already. Being alone wasn’t so bad when there were people at the end of a phone. At least this way she got to choose which side of the bed she slept on, what she had for dinner, and when to move on to the next stop.
A ball came straight for her and she lined it up, kicked it back hard, aiming for the boys running after it. One of them swung a foot at it and missed, much to his mates’ mirth at a girl kicking it better.
‘Girls can do anything better.’ She grinned and continued walking a few metres above the water’s edge, feeling happier by the minute. How could she remain gloomy out here? The beach was beautiful, the air fresh, and she had a new job in the morning. What else could she possibly need?
The sun began dropping fast and Ally stopped to watch the amazing reds and yellows spreading, blending the sky and water into one molten colour block, like a young child’s painting. Her throat ached with the beauty of it.
Thud. Something solid slammed into her. For a moment, as she teetered on her feet, she thought she’d keep her balance. But another shove and she toppled into an ungainly heap on the sand with the heavy weight on top of her. A moving, panting, licking heavy weight. A dog of no mean proportions with gross doggy breath sprawled across her.
‘Hey, get off me.’ She squirmed between paws and tried to push upright onto her backside.
One paw shoved her back down, and the dark, furry head blocked out all vision of the sunset. The rear end of the animal was wriggling back and forth as its tail whipped through the air.
‘Sheba, come here.’ A male voice came from somewhere above them. ‘Get off now.’
Sheba—if that was the name of her assailant—gave Ally’s chin a final lick and leapt sideways, avoiding an outstretched hand that must’ve been aiming for her collar.
‘Phew.’
Her relief was premature. The dog lay down beside her as close as possible, and farthest away from the man trying to catch her. One paw banged down on her stomach, forcing all the air out of her lungs.
Somewhere behind her a young child started laughing. ‘Sheba, you’re funny.’
The sweet childish sound of pure enjoyment had Ally carefully pushing the paw aside and sitting up to look round for the source. A cute little boy was leaping up and down, giggling fit to bust.
‘Sheba. Sit now.’ The man wasn’t nearly as thrilled about his dog’s behaviour.
Ally stared up at the guy looming above her. ‘It’s all right. I’m fine, really.’ She even smiled to prove her point.
‘I’m very sorry Sheba bowled you over. She doesn’t understand her own strength.’ As he glanced across at the child his annoyance was quickly replaced by something soft she couldn’t read. ‘Adam, don’t encourage her.’
‘But it’s funny, Dad.’ The boy folded in half, still giggling.
Ally clambered to her feet, dusting sand off her jeans, and grinned. ‘What is it about kids and giggling? They don’t seem to know how to stop.’ Just watching the boy made her happy—especially now that the dog had loped across to bu
nt him in the bottom, which only made the giggles louder. Laughter threatened to bubble up from deep inside her stomach.
The guy was shaking his head, looking bemused. ‘Beats me how he keeps going so long.’
Ally winced. Slapping the sand off her left hip just made it sore. Sheba must’ve bruised her.
‘Are you all right?’ the man asked, worry darkening his expression. ‘Look, I apologise again. I hope you haven’t been hurt.’
‘Look,’ she used his word back at him. ‘I’m fine. Seriously. Sheba was being playful and if I hadn’t been staring at the sunset I’d have seen her coming.’ She stuck her hand out. ‘I’m Ally. That’s Sheba, and your boy’s called Adam. You are?’
‘Flynn. We’ve been visiting friends all day and needed some fresh air before settling down for the night.’ He looked at her properly, finally letting go the need to watch his boy and dog. ‘What about you?’
‘Much the same. The beach is hard to resist when the weather’s so balmy.’ He didn’t need to know she’d only just arrived. Running her hands over the sleeves of her jacket, she smoothed off the remaining sand, trying to refrain from staring at him. But it was impossible to look away.
Despite the sadness in his eyes, or because of it, she was taking more notice of him than a casual meeting on the beach usually entailed. The stubble darkening his chin was downright sexy, while that tousled hair brought heat to her cold cheeks. If she played her cards right, could this be the man she had her next fling with?
She glanced downward, taking in his athletic build, his fitted jeans that defined many of his muscles. The sun glinted off something on the guy’s hand and she had her answer. A band of gold. Said it all, really.
‘Can I call you Ally?’ Adam bounced up in front of her.
Blink, blink. Refocus on the younger version now that the older one was out of bounds. ‘Of course you can.’ As if they were going to see each other again. Though they might, she realised, if Flynn brought his son to the beach often. She’d be walking along here most days that she wasn’t caught up with delivering babies and talking to pregnant mums.