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So much for thinking she was an intelligent woman.
Sanity.
Highly overrated.
She obviously didn’t have any.
Michael Laing ruled her heart. Someone had to as she was obviously incapable.
‘Morning. You look like you had the night from hell.’
As Michael crashed into her reverie for real Steph tripped over her feet and stared at him as if he was a stranger.
‘Why are you up? Didn’t you sleep well?’
There were deep shadows smeared across his cheekbones, but only mild pain in his eyes. Plus a dose of resignation. What was that about?
‘I prefer those nights where I don’t know a thing until the alarm goes off,’ he admitted. ‘Want a cup of tea? Unless you’ve changed your morning fix?’
He remembered. ‘I’ll get it. You stay put.’ He wasn’t putting weight on that leg for her. ‘Want one?’
‘Please. And can you wake Chantelle? She needs to get up and sort Aaron or she’ll be late for work. Oh, and Zac’s outside in the back yard. He was crossing his legs when I came out here half an hour ago.’
‘I received my good morning nudge the moment I stepped out of my car.’ And then she’d shut the door on him, focused on not waking Michael. ‘What sort of doggy mother am I?’ Opening the back door she called, ‘Zac? Where are you, boy?’
A black and tan form charged her, skidded to a halt at her feet, a big head bumping her. Wag, wag, went that thick tail.
A lump filled her throat as she leaned down to rub Zac’s head, then his back. Already she was smitten. Oh, come on. She’d been lost from the first pat she’d given him. Like with Michael. The first day he’d arrived in the ED to start his contract she’d been hooked. Their first kiss had had her falling for him.
Yeah, she’d always been in love with him. It was how all her important relationships had started. She and Jill had known from their first morning on the school mat that they were best pals. Freddy much the same—if not on the school mat. If ever she’d needed proof that she wasn’t going to get over Michael now she had it.
But she already knew that.
Steph sighed and nuzzled her face against Zac’s neck. ‘How come you’re so quick to trust me?’ It didn’t say a lot for his affection for his previous owner. Or did it mean the other woman’s love had taught him there were only kind people out there?
‘He whimpers a lot in his sleep.’
She’d forgotten how near Michael was.
‘I think he does miss his other home, but he’s very happy with you. Sucks up love and attention like a sponge,’ he added.
‘Strange how he turned up at my house and never left. He was there every time I went home. Why, boyo? Did you sense I’d buy you sirloin once week as a treat?’
‘What’s not to trust about you, Steph?’
‘I used to be a flight risk.’ Standing up, she ran a hand over her messy hair. ‘I ran out of Auckland when you finished with me. Then I left Queenstown when the two girls I worked with fell in love and had babies. As for London and Europe—I could never stay in one place for very long. The moment things seemed to be going great I’d find something to be unhappy about.’
Michael flinched. ‘But you’re home for good this time, right?’
‘I am. No matter what happens here, this is where I belong. It’s about the only thing I’m sure of some days.’
She closed the back door to keep the early-morning cold at bay and headed to the bench and that tea she was supposed to be making.
Oops, Chantelle needed rousing.
‘As long as I can keep that at the front of my mind,’ she muttered as she headed down the hall, ‘and not let the fear of being dumped again get in the way.’
* * *
So she loved Michael. She really loved him. Trying to get over him was never going to work. And with her being back here, now she needed a new plan.
A deep breath made her lungs sting. Go after him. Woo him. Show him how she felt. Prove her love was real and honest and for ever.
Steph sagged against the wall. Could she do that? Her heart was already Michael’s, so what was there to lose?
‘Steph? You okay?’ Chantelle stood in front of her.
Great. Now Michael’s sister would have the wrong impression of her.
‘I’m fine. I was coming to wake you up, but seems I wasn’t needed.’
‘Michael won’t believe I’m capable of setting an alarm.’ It was said with a smile but there was weariness in her voice. ‘He’s a work in progress when it comes to trusting me to live my life without mishaps.’
‘He wants the best for you.’
Steph had seen the surprise in Michael’s eyes when Chantelle had rung yesterday to say she’d stay the night here in case he needed help getting about. That surprise had been replaced with relief, showing how worried he’d been about being on his own.
‘If I didn’t know that I’d have left town years ago.’ Chantelle opened Aaron’s door, glanced over her shoulder to Steph. ‘How is Grumpy Socks this morning?’
‘Sitting in the kitchen looking tired. Did you have to get up for him during the night?’ Steph asked.
Chantelle grinned. ‘What do you think? This is Michael we’re talking about—self-sufficient and always giving help, never asking for any.’
Steph huffed. ‘Should’ve known.’
His sister stared at her. ‘How well do you know him? I thought you—It doesn’t matter.’
Was that disappointment in her eyes? Why? For what?
‘We worked together for a couple of years a while back, so I know him well professionally.’
Which meant she knew his stalwart character, his kindness, gentleness, his concern for people in dire situations.
‘So why are you here now? This isn’t a work environment, even if he does need your nursing skills.’
Good question—and one she still wasn’t ready to answer out loud. ‘He begged. I folded.’
‘Michael begged?’ Chantelle stared at her, her mouth widening into an infuriating grin. ‘My brother begged you to help him out?’
Uh-oh. Trouble lurking.
‘His mates were pushing me to acquiesce. I think Michael asked me to stay over just to shut them down.’
Take that on board and smoke it.
‘You mean Max and Jock?’ Chantelle nodded. ‘That I can believe. I also know exactly what they’re up to. You so don’t know what you’ve got yourself into. You’re fried!’
‘Mummy, I want Bugsy.’
Saved by the boy. Once more. She owed him an ice cream.
‘I’ll get that tea I’ve been trying to make for the last ten minutes.’
Michael was at the bench, his hip propped against it, dropping teabags into mugs. ‘Chantelle in a good mood?’
A scheming one. ‘Why wouldn’t she be?’
‘She gets tired with Aaron and studying, and doesn’t always show how happy she is.’ He filled the mugs with boiling water.
‘Go and sit down. I’ll get these.’ Steph nudged him with an elbow.
Michael caught her arm, tugged her to face him. ‘I know you didn’t want to be here with me, so thanks again. I’m trying not to be a pain in the backside.’
Instant heat flared in her arm, sending sparks of desire along her arm. Not want to be with him? Wrong. She definitely wanted to be here. What she didn’t need was getting in a pickle over the sexual heat moving through her body at speed, sending her hormones into overdrive—all because his hand was on her arm.
Run that by me again.
‘Let’s move on. I am here—between shifts, at any rate. Someone has to make sure you don’t mow the lawns or finish chopping that firewood for a few days.’
‘I get it. You’ll be sleeping most of the day. I can’t do any noisy activities.?
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