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Karina’s lips twitched. And sent his hormones into a little spasm. She really was seriously distracting.
She told him, ‘Yes.’ And then, turning to Mickey, said, ‘Mr Grumpy should be in the potting shed, planting the tomato seeds. If he’s not you come straight back here and we’ll find him together. Okay?’ She held her hand up, palm out.
Mickey high-fived it. ‘Okey-dokey, hokey-pokey.’
Logan watched his nephew racing from the room and felt his heart stir just a tiny bit. Having Down syndrome wasn’t holding the kid back from enjoying himself.
‘Does he understand fully what happened to his parents?’
Sadness filled Karina’s eyes. ‘As much as a kid his age can. Sometimes he asks when Daddy’s coming home from work, or if Mummy’s going to make his dinner. There are nights when I find him crying into his pillow. But then I’ve found him doing that when he’s lost his favourite toy, so I could be completely wrong and he hasn’t got a clue why he now lives with me.’
‘From what my parents told me, you had a lot to do with him before the accident.’
Not a stranger, like him. Guilt raised its head again. Mickey hadn’t remembered him this morning. No surprise, considering he’d been about three the last time Logan had flown in for a quick visit. Thank goodness James had had the good sense to make Karina joint guardian with him. Even if she wasn’t family in any DNA kind of way, the boy had a firm constant in his life and wasn’t coping with a man who preferred working and living in exotic places. Make that who had used to prefer.
Mickey needed security—he needed the same people in his life day in and day out, to see the same kids at playgroup every time he went. He certainly wouldn’t get that tagging along with his uncle to desolate places on the African continent. Besides, that wasn’t an option after what had happened on his last tour. Far too dangerous.
Karina spoke quietly. ‘I’d been working here for a few months when the accident happened.’ She blinked furiously. ‘Mickey and I were great mates even then.’
‘Coming from Auckland to such a small place must’ve taken some getting used to.’
‘It was refreshing.’ She picked at a spot on the table. ‘Maria and I met in Auckland while doing our nursing training and became firm friends. Inseparable at times.’
She raised those beautiful eyes to his face and the sadness spilling out made him want to wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight.
He didn’t. Because he mightn’t be able to let her go. Because he needed to be held, too. Because he should have been here for Mickey, and even for Karina.
‘You were Maria’s bridesmaid. I vaguely recall a wedding photo.’
‘Hardly a bridesmaid when those two went out to lunch and came back married. They dragged me along, saying they had a surprise.’
‘There was a guy there as well.’
‘The law requires two witnesses.’
The words were flat. Her face had gone blank, her eyes expressionless.
The devil got hold of his tongue. ‘Who was he? I didn’t recognise him as one of James’s friends.’
He’d recently gone weeks without talking to anyone, bar demanding to be freed, and since then he’d apparently lost the ability to be circumspect.
‘My ex-husband.’
Never had he heard so much emotion in two little words. Anger, disappointment, despair, hurt, and a whole lot more. Something beyond his shoulder seemed to fascinate her for a long, drawn-out moment. Then she blinked.
‘We split very suddenly and I wanted a change of environment. Staying on in Auckland no longer worked for me.’ She continued spilling her guts. ‘About that time Maria decided to be a stay-at-home mum and asked me to fill her place at the surgery. I think she made that up, because she’d been managing very nicely until then. But I arrived here within days and I’m not likely to leave again.’
‘Only now you’ve got a wee boy.’
And a big heart. She didn’t appear to be struggling with everything she did, and yet her days had to be close to chaotic at times—especially given that Mickey needed a lot of attention with his condition.
‘A boy I’d do anything for.’
He got the message loud and clear. Don’t mess with Karina. Or Mickey.
‘So what do you do for a social life in Motueka?’ Might as well ask anything that came into his brain while he had her talking.
Karina shrugged. ‘Friday night drinks at a bar on High Street with a friend is more than enough for me. As I’ve no intention of marrying again I’m not joining the dating circuit.’
Unbelievably honest.
‘I can understand that.’
Way too much information, Logan. He knew from the slight widening of her eyes that she’d read between the lines of his simple statement and understood he was as uninterested in finding a soul mate as she was. He’d seen far too many relationships bite the dust in Africa. Commitment to the health organisation left little time for anyone or anything else.
Karina said, ‘You want to sell this place?’
She was forthright. He’d give her that.
‘Yes.’
He’d be the same.
‘Why?’
‘I’ve seen the builder’s report the lawyers have had done. This place needs major repairs and maintenance, which won’t come cheap—especially for a property nearly eighty years old. A comfortable house with no financial worries for you seems a good idea. Though what you’d do for jumping puddles I’m not sure,’ he added, forcing a smile.
A smile that she chose to ignore as she stood up, stretching as tall as possible on her toes, which still left her well short of his chin. ‘Haven’t you left something out?’
‘Like what?’
Those eyes that had entranced him now appeared to be ready to slice him to shreds. He was about to get an earful. Her cheeks were reddening, her mouth tightening.
‘The bit where you will then be free to fly off into the sunset, knowing there’s nothing here for you to worry yourself over. Your nephew will be well cared for, and he won’t miss out on a thing because there won’t be any repairs to pay for. You’ll have done your bit for your family.’
His family? Yes, she certainly knew how to twist the knife. As he opened his mouth to explain that his nephew was better off being with her, she cut him off and added to his distress.
‘I will never sign any sale agreement you draw up. Never. Get it?’
Her forefinger stabbed his chest—hard. Strange how he wanted to wrap his hand around that finger and kiss the tip.
She hadn’t finished. ‘This is Mickey’s home until the day he doesn’t need one any more.’
She couldn’t have put it more bluntly than that. Yet he sensed a well of emotion and need behind her statement. What for, or why, he had yet to figure out. He’d also have to work harder on persuading her that his way was best for all of them. And the reasons she believed were not necessarily behind his thinking. Though she wasn’t entirely wrong about those either.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_e4907f9c-c9ce-534c-9a7b-10843cbb88da)
OF ALL THE stubborn, thoughtless, selfish men in the world, Logan Pascale had to be top of the pile. Karina bit down on the words threatening to spill off her tongue and headed out to the shed to find Jonty. The stubborn, thoughtless, selfish man followed her.
‘I need to replace that dressing for you,’ she informed the older man down on his knees trying to unscrew the broken handle of a spade. She’d do her best to ignore Logan for now.
‘They don’t make these handles like they used to,’ Jonty grunted.
Beside the old man Mickey sat on his butt in spilled potting mix. ‘I’m helping Mr Grumpy.’ He reverently held a pair of pliers in his hands.
Jonty didn’t look up as he said, ‘I don’t need the dressing changed. There’s nothing wrong with this one.’
The bolt suddenly flicked free and spun across the floor.
Mickey crawled after it. ‘I got it.’
Karina squatted beside Jonty. ‘You don’t want to get an infection.’
‘Pish. I’m healthy. No infection’s coming near me.’ The second bolt was giving him as much trouble as the first.
Logan hunkered down on his haunches opposite them. ‘How’d this break?’
Go away and leave us be. Her teeth snapped shut, sending vibrations through her skull.
‘Damned rocks,’ Jonty griped.
Karina wasn’t giving in. ‘Let me see that arm, please.’
The old man glanced at Logan. ‘Women, eh? Bossy creatures—think they know best.’
Logan laughed: a warm sound that briefly lifted her black mood.
Then he won points by saying to Jonty, ‘I know what you mean, but in this instance I think Karina’s right. An infection in your arm could be debilitating for some time. You might have to delay finishing that digging.’
Jonty’s knuckles were white as he tried to budge the bolt. ‘I guess.’
‘Here. Can I get that?’ Logan asked in an offhand manner that made it easy for Jonty to accept his offer.
‘You do that while Miss Bossy, here, does her nurse routine.’
Smothering a smile, Karina removed the dressing and cleaned Jonty’s wound. It would have been better doing it inside, but Jonty would never agree. ‘It’s looking good. You were very lucky not to have that spike go any deeper.’
‘I got two dozen eggs this morning,’ he muttered.
Good, there’d be some spare to trade for fresh bread at the bakehouse down the road. ‘They’re laying well, considering it’s winter.’
‘There you go.’ Logan handed back the screwdriver and a few screws.
‘You look like your brother.’ Mr Grumpy squeezed Logan’s shoulder. ‘Sorry about James, lad. We miss him and Maria around here.’
Weren’t men supposed to be reticent? Mr Grumpy had said more words in the last ten minutes than he often uttered in a whole day.
Karina taped on the new dressing and gathered up the old one. ‘There you go.’
‘Thanks, lass.’
‘Is Mickey okay with you until I’ve got lunch ready?’
Jonty rolled his eyes and took the spade minus its handle back from Logan.
‘That’s a yes, then.’
She thought Logan would remain in the shed, but he was quickly on his feet to go with her.
The problem with walking towards the house after having heard Logan mention maintenance was that she looked hard at the weatherboard walls and window frames. The paint was peeling in places, and some of the boards did show signs of rot. The putty around the glass panes had cracked and in places had fallen out completely.
‘Yeah, it does need an overhaul,’ she admitted grudgingly under her breath.
The guy had supersensitive hearing. ‘A major undertaking, involving a lot of time and effort to restore the whole building.’
She spun around, skidding on the sodden grass. His hand quickly caught her arm, steadied her, then instantly dropped away.
Rubbing the place where those strong fingers had gripped, she raised her head and told him, ‘Think about how wonderful this old building could look with a new coat of paint and those windows picked out in a shade of green to fit in with the grounds.’
The large grounds in which the lawns were mowed once a month, whether they needed it or not, summer and winter. And in which the trees should have been pruned and the wayward hedge needed cutting off at the roots.
Logan’s eyebrows were in danger of disappearing under that mop of dark hair. His flat mouth quirked up into an annoying smile. ‘You have a wonderful imagination.’
‘What are your plans? Are you in town for long?’
‘As long as it takes to make you see reason and get this place on the market.’
He didn’t half labour the point. The breath she dragged in chilled her bottom teeth. ‘Then you’ll be here a long time.’
Could she ask him to leave his half of the money in the property as a loan to her? No, she couldn’t. She’d only just met him, but she was over his incredulous glances already.
‘I’ll buy a lotto ticket tomorrow.’
‘Why not go easy on yourself and accept that selling is the right thing to do?’
Logan held open the back door and indicated she should go ahead of him. Heading directly to the bathroom, she dropped the small bag containing Jonty’s old dressing into the bin. Her head spun with retorts but she managed to keep the brakes on her tongue. He didn’t—and wouldn’t—have a clue how important a refuge this house was to her. Here, she was in charge and her opinion counted. Here, her family and her ex didn’t tell her what to do with her days.
Back in the kitchen, she got out the bread and margarine, some hardboiled eggs and lettuce, and began making sandwiches. The clock didn’t stop for Logan. She needed to get back to work.
When he parked his butt on the corner of the table, looking as if he had no intention of moving until he got his point across, she knew a moment of fear. What if he won this crazy battle and the house was sold out from under her? Would it be so bad to live in another house in Motueka? Yes, it would. Jonty wouldn’t be next door, griping and grumbling at her while he watered her vegetables, or complaining that he hated boiled carrots more than tinned peas and yet eating every last mouthful on his plate whenever she cooked his dinner—which was most nights else he’d starve. He’d never learned to cook; his late wife had been old-school and believed that was her role.
Another argument against Logan’s plan to sell was that the medical centre would have to shift. Or, worse, close down, forcing the patients she’d come to know to transfer to other centres.
Surreptitiously studying this stranger as she spread margarine, it shocked her to realise that he looked as though he belonged here. He had every right to be here. No denying that, much as she wanted to. But looking as if he fitted right in—that was too much to absorb. So she wouldn’t. She’d carry on the fight in the hope that eventually she’d get it through his very handsome skull that she meant every word she uttered.
Starting with: ‘You honestly think I should walk away from this?’ She waved her hand in the direction of the surgery through the wall. ‘Tell all the patients, “Sorry, but we’re not interested in looking out for you any more”? People don’t like change, Logan.’
‘Are you sure it’s not you that dislikes change?’
