The Opal Miner's Daughter by Fiona McArthur

Author:Fiona McArthur [McArthur, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781761040696
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

They ended up at Silvia’s pub checking out the beer garden. Well, that’s what Riley had said she wanted to do, so he went along with her.

There’d been raised eyebrows at the two single docs sipping drinks together, his light beer and her sparkling wine, but eventually the few locals in the beer garden ignored them. Newcomers waved in a friendly way and he realised he didn’t do this often – get out and socialise with the locals. He just saw them in his rooms and stayed with his own company.

Today he concentrated on his escort, but sadly she was the one with the questions and of course she had no hesitation in firing them. Her determined chin rested on her palm, elbow on the table, green eyes on his like the curious cat she was. ‘Where did you work before here?’

‘Mostly southern Sydney, but later in Port Macquarie.’

She nodded. ‘I know where that is. Halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the coast.’

‘You’ve been there?’

She shook her head. ‘A client came from there to see me.’

‘People travel a long way to see you, don’t they?’

Her mouth curved on one side, softening her usually serious expression. ‘Not as far as some of the ones I’ve met in the last week. But I’m not getting sidetracked. We can talk about my work later.’ She waved away her life. ‘Were you a GP in Port Macquarie?’

‘Yep. Just for a bit, to help my dad cut his hours. I don’t know how the docs with young families manage. Down there, they have to spread themselves around to be dad and husband, or wife and mother, as well as on-call GP. My sister’s a GP and she said the same thing. We both came home to the parents when William was diagnosed with severe depression, to lighten the load. Then I followed him to the Ridge.’

She nodded in understanding. Of course, she’d understand. ‘So, your parents still live there?’

‘You’re nosy.’ When she didn’t answer or look away he sighed. ‘Still in Port Macquarie, yes.’ He didn’t want to talk about it any more. He waved his hand as if to push it away. ‘You know what happened then.’

Well, she didn’t, but that was as much as he was telling. It was time to change the subject. ‘How did your parents go with the reunion this morning?’

She tapped her glass with her fingernail, her eyes wide. ‘I haven’t even given them a thought. Which is odd really, when that’s why I’m here.’

‘No doubt they’d be happy to hear that,’ he said drily. ‘You can be nosy.’

She laughed – it looked good on her, softening her eyes, rounding her hot mouth – and he slipped the question in while she was relaxed. ‘Tell me about your boyfriend?’

He saw the shift in her eyes as she looked away and the tightening of her mouth. Her gaze came back to him. ‘Josh?’

She sounded calm. Good. ‘If that’s his name, then yes.’

‘Why?’

‘I want to know if you’re available, of course.’

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