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Wedding at Sunday Creek
Leah Martyn
English doctor to Outback bride…?Medical Director Jack Cassidy doesn’t expect a red carpet when he arrives at Sunday Creek’s Outback hospital, but he’s taken aback by English doctor Darcie Drummond’s frosty reception!Darcie knows she needs to make up for their shaky start, but she’s flustered by Jack’s absurdly good looks and wild masculinity. Still recovering from her last relationship, she can’t be tempted into another. But could this Australian doc be the man to soothe away Darcie’s past hurts and help her love again?
Jack scrubbed a hand roughly across his cheekbones, reminding himself to get some eye drops. His eyes felt as though a ton of shell grit had been dumped there.
He hadn’t slept well. His thoughts had spun endlessly, always centred on this waif of a girl sitting opposite him: Darcie Drummond.
But she wasn’t a waif at all. That was just his protectiveness coming into play. And she wouldn’t thank him for that. She was capable of taking care of herself. More than OK. He’d better smarten up.
‘Darcie, I need you on board with all these changes. Otherwise nothing’s going to work for us in any direction, is it?’
His plea came out low and persuasive and Darcie felt relief sweep through her. What he said made sense. They couldn’t afford to be offside with one another. Professionally, they were doctors in isolation. It was simply down to her and Jack to make things work. Otherwise she’d have to leave. And she definitely didn’t want that.
LEAH MARTYN loves to create warm, believable characters for the Mills & Boon
Medical Romance™ series. She is grounded firmly in rural Australia, and the special qualities of the bush are reflected in her stories. For plots and possibilities, she bounces ideas off her husband on their early-morning walks. Browsing in bookshops and buying an armful of new releases is high on her list of enjoyable things to do.
Recent titles by Leah Martyn: (#ulink_ca7d2c49-dfdf-591c-9920-e9c515f6899d)
OUTBACK DOCTOR, ENGLISH BRIDE
REDEEMING DR RICCARDI
DAREDEVIL AND DR KATE
WEDDING IN DARLING DOWNS
THE DOCTOR’S PREGNANCY SECRET
These books are also available in eBook format
from www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Wedding at Sunday Creek
Leah Martyn
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Claire, for professional insight
and delicious bubbly as we celebrate
the launch of my twentieth book for Mills & Boon.
Contents
Cover (#u3e815ba5-6813-54b8-8d82-79ca69882c0c)
Excerpt (#ue0161786-39db-53b7-87ec-5e0550914223)
About the Author (#u7beaa3b0-c4dd-510d-a780-2f0071636b18)
Recent titles by Leah Martyn (#u1d7eadb2-2fa2-5e2b-887b-8130732efda4)
Title Page (#ue851516e-fdc2-51b7-baef-25c0c3c56cf8)
Dedication (#ue98cb1a5-56da-56fd-b7a0-20a2c71c853e)
CHAPTER ONE (#ua8664f42-7594-5a69-b4b3-f52c7f936b85)
CHAPTER TWO (#ua49a5144-ff6a-50f9-878f-f2dd9e892742)
CHAPTER THREE (#ucdcca7f2-77c2-5649-8a46-0de1ab08146e)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u10e8a11c-75ce-5d61-9be0-a891bc75f01a)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_303ddec0-b323-5ec0-a0ce-af6a9957ade3)
DR JACK CASSIDY, trauma surgeon, part-time explorer sometimes lover, stood away from the aeroplane, slowly absorbing the rich, bold colours of the Australian outback. And thought, unlike England, there was no elegant restraint out here. The colours were in-your-face heart-stopping and glorious.
He breathed in deeply, his eyes picking out the silhouettes of a family of kangaroos grazing in a nearby paddock. Big reds, he decided, feeling exhilarated by the sight. It felt good to be home. Added to that, he’d finally stepped away from the train wreck of a long-term relationship and felt freer than he had in months. Riding the upbeat feeling, he wheeled back towards the plane, where his luggage was waiting on the airstrip, and bent to pick up his bags.
The hospital was only a short walk away. He understood from his telephone interview that presently there was only one doctor at the Sunday Creek hospital, Dr Darcie Drummond. And that’s where his knowledge of her began and ended. He just hoped Dr Drummond wasn’t into role demarcation in the practice. If she expected him to just sit in his office and administrate, then she’d have to change her thinking.
Jack Cassidy intended to be a hands-on boss.
* * *
With the merest glance at her watch, Darcie decided it was time to go home. The hospital would call her if she was needed. Rolling her chair away from the desk, she stood and moved across to the window, looking out.
It was still hazy towards the west and she knew the grey bank of cloud in the sky was caused by intermittent bush fires. Nothing to worry about, the locals had assured her. It was the regular burning off of long grass or bushfire fuel and the rural fire brigade would have everything under control.
Darcie just hoped they did...
‘Knock, knock.’
She spun round, several fronds of dark hair zipping across her cheekbones as her gaze swivelled to the open doorway. A man, easily six feet if she was any judge, and someone she didn’t recognise, lounged against the doorframe.
Out of nowhere, every nerve in her body jumped to attention. Darcie blinked, registering blue eyes, dark hair, knife-edge cheekbones and a mouth that had her instantly imagining fantasies that only existed in her dreams. She swallowed dryly. ‘Can I help you?’
‘I sure hope so.’ He gave a cool imitation of a smile. ‘I’m your new medical director.’
He had to be kidding.
Darcie’s disbelieving gaze ran over him. She wouldn’t have expected a suit and tie but this guy looked as though he’d just come down from a Himalayan trek. He was wearing combat trousers and a black T-shirt, his feet enclosed in hiker’s boots that came up over his ankles.
He didn’t look like a senior doctor at all.
At least, not the ones she was used to.
‘I came on the plane,’ he enlightened her. ‘You weren’t expecting me?’
‘No—I mean, yes. That is, we knew you were coming, we just didn’t know when.’
He rumbled an admonishing tsk. ‘Don’t you read your emails? I sent my arrival details through a couple of days ago.’
Oh, help. This was going to sound totally lame. ‘Our computer’s anti-virus protection has turned a bit iffy lately. It’s culling messages that should be coming through to the inbox. And a tree fell over some cables yesterday, bringing the internet down. We do the best we can...’
Jack caught her cut-glass English accent and frowned a bit. What kind of a hospital was she running here? Or attempting to run. Switching his gaze from her heated face to the sign on her door, he queried, ‘You are Dr Darcie Drummond?’
Almost defensively, Darcie pulled back from the intensity of his gaze and cursed the zing of awareness that sizzled up her backbone. How totally inappropriate, she admonished herself. And grief! She’d forgotten his name! ‘Yes, I’m Darcie Drummond.’ Moving quickly from the window, she offered her hand.
‘Jack Cassidy.’ He took her hand, easily enfolding it within his own.
Darcie took her hand back, almost shocked at the warmth that travelled up her arm. ‘You must think this is all terribly unprofessional,’ she apologised.
One eyebrow quirked above Jack Cassidy’s extraordinarily blue eyes. ‘Thought of getting someone in to check your computer?’
Of course they had. ‘We’re rather isolated here,’ she said thinly, as if that should explain everything. ‘Technical help is never easy. You just have to wait until they get to you.’
He made a click of annoyance. ‘The hospital should have priority. You should be out there, kicking butt.’
Darcie bristled. She knew whose butt she’d like to kick! And she was puzzled as well. She’d read Jack Cassidy’s CV. That information had actually come through on her email. He’d been working in London for the past year. Surely he hadn’t drifted so far from his Australian roots not to realise their rural hospitals were chronically under-resourced?
‘I take it you do have running water?’
Darcie’s hackles rose and refused to be tamped down.
OK—he was taking the mick. She got that. But enough was enough. ‘We draw water from the well outside,’ she deadpanned.
Jack’s smile unfolded lazily, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Nice one, Dr Drummond. He felt his pulse tick over. The lady had spirit. And she was a real looker. Working with her should prove...interesting.
He lowered himself onto the corner of her desk. ‘I need to make a couple of phone calls, check in with the hospital board. Landline working OK?’
She sent him a cool look. ‘Yes, it is.’ She indicated the phone on her desk. ‘Make your calls and then we’ll see about getting you settled in.’ With that, she turned and fled to the nurses’ station.
And female solidarity.
* * *
Darcie palmed open the swing door and went through to the desk. ‘He’s here!’
Nurse manager Maggie Neville and RN Lauren Walker paused in mid-handover and looked up.
‘Who?’ Maggie queried.
Darcie hissed out the breath she’d been holding. ‘The new MD.’
‘Cassidy?’ Maggie’s voice rose a fraction. ‘I didn’t see anyone come through here.’
‘He must have cut through the paddock and come in the back way,’ Darcie said. ‘He’s in my office, now.’
‘Oh, my stars!’ Lauren’s eyebrows disappeared into her blonde fringe. ‘It must have been him I passed in the corridor. Big guy in combats, flinty eyes, out there sexy?’
Darcie nodded, her teeth meshing against her bottom lip. Lauren’s description was OTT but Darcie supposed Jack Cassidy had come across as very...masculine.
Lauren snickered. ‘I thought he must have been an actor come in for some treatment!’
Darcie and Maggie looked blank until Maggie asked, ‘Why on earth would you think that?’
‘Keep up, guys!’ Lauren said, making a ‘duh’ face. ‘There’s a reality series being shot out at Pelican Springs station. The film crew and cast are living in a kind of tent city. I can’t believe you didn’t know.’
‘All news to me,’ Maggie said cryptically. She flicked a hand. ‘With you in a minute, Darc. We’re just finishing up the report.’ Maggie went on to tell Lauren, ‘Keep an eye on Trevor Banda, please. If that old coot is up and walking—’
‘I’ll threaten him with a cold shower,’ Lauren promised cheerfully. She slid off the high stool. ‘Ciao, then. Have a nice weekend, Maggie.’
‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ Maggie muttered, before returning her attention to Darcie. ‘So, we have a new boss at last. Someone to take the flak. What’s he like?’
Absurdly good looking. Darcie gave a one-shouldered shrug. ‘He seemed a bit...strutty.’
‘You mean stroppy?’
‘No...’ Darcie sought to explain. ‘Strutting his authority.’
‘Throwing his weight around,’ Maggie interpreted with a little huff. ‘Well, we’ll soon sort him out.’
‘Maybe it’s just me,’ Darcie reconsidered, thinking she had possibly said more than she should about their new boss. ‘He caught me unawares. I looked up and he was just...there.’
