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Her chin wobbled.
“Your card arrived last week in the post, with a letter from Leonie.” I took a step closer, firmly gripping the cardboard box. “Stacey, firstly, please let me thank you on behalf of my family.” My voice cracked. “When you saved my brother, you saved our world.”
Stacey inhaled sharply, swiping at the corner of her eye. “How is Liam?”
“He’s really good. No problems from the fire, thanks to you.”
Her lips curved slightly. “I’m so glad.”
“He talks about you all the time. Asks when he will get to dance with you again.”
We said nothing for a long moment before I placed the box down on the table.
“Why are you going into direct competition with Doc Larcombe’s practice?” she blurted.
I barked a small laugh. “What? No, Stacey. I’ve bought his practice.”
She reached out for the table to steady herself. “You what?”
“I resigned from the hospital before they held their press conference about the bullying investigation into Simon’s death. George approached me about whether I’d be interested before Pam told staff he was selling the practice. At the time, I wasn’t. I didn’t know what I wanted. But now, I do. Mel and Steve are mentoring me, and they are investors as well. And George is going to help one day a week for the next year or two as another mentor as I settle in.”
I stepped towards her.
“When I arrived months ago in Ballydoon, I was struggling to find meaning in my work. I was clinging to an idea of staying at the hospital to smash the systems and people that contributed to Simon’s death. All that did was keep me angry and miserable. Mum kept saying I needed to find my place in the world where I could make a difference.”
I took another step. I was so close now I could touch her if I reached out.
“And it took a special woman and a whole town for me to realise I could do exactly that right here.”
Stacey’s mouth fell open, but said nothing. I took one last step to close the distance between us.
“Everyone was talking about the sale of this building before the bushfire with Liam,” she said.
“Yes. I’d talked with George about the business then, and to the real estate agent about this property. Mel and Steve had been in my ear since their weekend visit about what the opportunity could mean for me. The sale went unconditional a week ago.”
“But how could you afford something like this?” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry, that was rude.”
“I sold my flat in Brisbane and my wages have been sitting in a bank account doing nothing but earn interest, so I decided to do something with it.”
She nodded, her eyes darting around the room.
“You’re wondering why would I buy this place too?”
She nodded again.
“Well, when we did the data entry that night of the Thai restaurant emergency with Brayden’s mother, I’d noticed one third of our patients live around Ballydoon or even further south. Having a part-time clinic here would save them a thirty-minute drive to Stanmore. Now that the sale is unconditional, the former owner has agreed to let me start construction. Plus, this property would give me a place to live other than the pub.”
And one day, hopefully, you’ll join me too,I thought.
Stacey slowly blinked. “Doc Larcombe gave me my nursing diploma. You broke a lot of rules changing my answers and sending the paperwork to college.”
“Firebird, I’ve been breaking the rules since the moment I met you.”
She blushed. I longed to touch her, hold her, but I stayed put.
“George said you weren’t mad that I sent in your diploma paperwork. When I found your assessment paperwork on George’s desk, I assumed becoming a nurse was the dream you told me about at the racetrack.”
“The Doc gave you my details,” she whispered. “You’re the city doctor he talked to about the refurbishment proposal for his practice.”
