Fifteen
Later that afternoon Sophie sat opposite Dex at the dining table, playing a game of Battleship. ‘You’re in a good mood.’
‘It seems I am.’ The grin behind his mask was wide. ‘I emptied your first tank and I’m working on the second tank—as per your request. And your breathing exercises are working.’
‘They are?’ Hope filled her chest.
He nodded. ‘I wouldn’t lie to you.’
The back door opened, and something rolled smoothly across the floor. It was a cart of sorts, being pushed by Bree.
‘Where’s that oxygen tank? Stop looking, I found it.’ Bree unclipped one tank from Dex’s old trolley, then slid it into the new one. Completely ignoring Sophie, with no hi , nothing.
‘This is for you, your highness.’ Bree pointed at the cart made with large sturdy wheels. ‘I even added this slot to carry your junk around, like a water bottle. Plus, with these jacked up tyres, you’ll never get stuck in the dirt again. And if you really want to try your luck at some extreme off-road oxygenised hiking, here’s a strap to slip across your back to not irritate the ribs.’ Bree sounded like a car salesman on a midnight infomercial.
Sophie could tell Dex was impressed with Bree’s work. How could he not be? It was ingenious, really. And sweet, too.
There’s no way Sophie could compete with that. She was just the foolish nurse who should have left an hour ago after finishing Dex’s check-up.
‘You walked?’ Sophie asked Dex. Why didn’t he say that during the examination?
‘Technically, no. Dex was driven up to the back shed. Don’t worry, he didn’t stay long.’ Bree glared at Dex with heat. ‘How’s the trolley?’
From his seat, Dex gave a cunning grin at the redhead. ‘It’ll do.’
‘Anything else?’
‘You can give me a foot massage later, probably clip my toenails. I can’t get down there coz of my ribs.’
‘You’re flipping kidding me.’ Bree scowled, with hands on her hips.
‘Uh uh.’ Dex raised his finger at Bree, who was muttering under her breath.
‘You want Bree to give you a pedicure?’
‘What?’ Dex arched an eyebrow at Sophie.
‘Oh, yeah, I’m down.’ Bree gave an evil grin. ‘Let’s do pink polish with a few diamantes. I’ll go raid Harper’s stash.’
‘Bree?’ Dex said through gritted teeth, dragging off his mask.
‘Your wish is my command.’ Bree bowed in her long leather apron with a flourished wave as she backed out the door. ‘Only until dark, dick!’
‘Never! Your ass is mine, Witch.’ Dex slid his oxygen mask back on, with his eyes all sparkly as he focused on the game.
Even if it was none of her business, Sophie had to know the inside joke. ‘What’s going on?’
Dex looked up from the other side of his Battleship grid. The smile disappeared. ‘Nothing. Your move.’
‘Um, F1.’ She plucked a black pin from the board game.
‘Miss… I pick F1.’
‘You’re kidding.’ She scowled at her board and pushed in the red pin. ‘Hit.’
‘Then let’s try E1. ’
‘Hit.’ Again, she pressed a red pin into the plastic model of her ship. She swivelled around in her chair, looking for a reflective surface. The wall held some metal rods like fire pokers with funny ends on them, hanging on the wall like blackened swords. She’d never seen anything like it. ‘Is there a mirror behind me?’ Because he was kicking her arse.
‘No.’ But that smirk lifted the corners of his lips. ‘D1.’
‘Hit.’ She then mimicked the sound of a bomb exploding. ‘Game over.’
He held his hand out over the game’s board. ‘Is this where you congratulate me?’
She shook his large strong hand. ‘Well done, Admiral. Again, you’ve annihilated my entire fleet in record time.’ His boyish grin only made her smile.
‘Do you want to play something else?’ She was sick of getting hammered.
Yet the way his eyes crawled all over her, she shuddered at the possibilities of what he was thinking—even if it was a hot look on this guy.
‘Do you like being beaten?’
Why did that sound like there were two meanings to his question?
She packed away the game, hoping to clear the air. ‘I’m guessing you play to win.’
‘Always.’
She scooped up the pile of papers from the spare chair that they’d removed earlier to clear the table to play. ‘Do I put this paperwork anywhere special?’
‘Anywhere is fine. Charlie won’t mind.’
She put the pile of paperwork, some photo albums, and old newspapers on the table. ‘This is cool. Look at the old photos. And these old charts.’
‘Can I see that?’ Dex stood beside her to check out the map.
‘Is that the station?’
‘It is. It’s an old bore runner’s map. And a good one at that.’
‘A what?’
‘On a station this size they’d employ someone to just drive from bore to bore, while checking on the boundary fences, the troughs, and other watering holes, or dams, like this one.’ He tapped on the map. ‘This is Starvation Dam.’
Did the dam work with a name like that? ‘What are those little marks?’
‘Hmm… Good question.’ He paused, angling his head, standing so close to her she could see the individual lashes and the many colours that made up his dark eyes. They weren’t brown, they were a rich roasted hazelnut set in dark chocolate. Her favourite chocolate combination.
She leaned in closer, drawn to him.
‘Sophie, how are your off-road driving skills?’
‘Why?’ she barely whispered, as his manly scent wove its way around her like a spell, whispering promises of protection and unspoken passion.
Until Dex stepped back from her, snapping the map into a roll. ‘Well, I doubt you’ll let me drive that fancy SUV the hospital gave you, that has decent enough suspension to not hurt my ribs.’ He grabbed his new oxygen trolley and gave it a nod of approval.
‘It’s a company car.’
‘If anyone asks, I’ll just tell them you’re helping me, playing nurse. I’m a stockman who’s good at keeping secrets.’
‘That’s the first time you’ve called yourself a stockman.’
‘It’s what I do, sweetheart.’ He slid on his black, wide-brimmed hat and his sinful eyes shone beneath the brim.
Holy moly, he was the stuff of cowboy fantasies women dreamed about, making her heart hammer.
‘I can show you some really cool places to take some photos.’
‘Don’t tease me.’ Which he did just by breathing.
‘I’m up for an adventure. How about you?’ He held out his elbow, just like they’d done walking the hospital’s halls together like some old-fashioned courting ritual. But with Dex, it could be anything.