The Outback Doctor's Surprise Bride by Amy Andrews

Author:Amy Andrews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2013-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

HELEN and James didn’t bother shopping or cooking for the next two weeks. As she had expected, the good people of Skye had provided. A steady stream of gourmet dishes arrived morning and night. James flattered each offering and its bearer outrageously as they arrived and earned himself an even more elevated status in the community.

‘You are shameless,’ Helen said, shaking her head after she’d watched him flirt with Lola from the post office one morning.

James held the apple pie up to his face and inhaled the just-out-of-the-oven aroma. ‘The least I can do is show my appreciation for such generosity,’ he said with faux injured innocence.

‘Appreciation? Lola practically melted into a puddle at your feet.’

He grinned. ‘Is there something wrong with making a woman feel good about herself?’

His dimple taunted her and she rolled her eyes.

‘What?’ He chuckled. ‘Can I help it if I have a way with women?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ she teased. ‘You’ve got the grandmothers eating out of your hand.’

James remembered the heat of her mouth against his. Not just the grandmothers. He smiled. ‘I seem to recall a certain registered nurse who had a little trouble keeping her hands off me.’

Helen’s breath stopped in her throat at his cheeky reminder. Her thoughts froze. It took a second for her higher functions to return. ‘A temporary aberration, I can assure you. Your charm may have every woman with a pulse in Skye all aflutter but you can save it with me, James Remington. I don’t charm that easily.’

James laughed. ‘I’ve noticed.’

His newfound hero status soon became a little overwhelming. People, strangers, thanked him in the street. His drinks were bought for him at the pub. The Skye Herald ran a story on him. The local schoolchildren from Josh’s class sent him a poster with his picture from the paper stuck in the centre and ‘Our Hero’ in bold print at the top.

The community embraced him enthusiastically, like a long-lost son. He’d never felt so adored in his life. It was a total revelation for him. He’d locumed in small towns before but Skye had welcomed him with open arms.

He supposed, aside from Josh, his leg had a lot to do with it. It was harder to stay aloof from the dynamics of the town when he couldn’t easily escape it. Not that he’d deliberately kept himself aloof in other places but he had been able to roam away on weekends to explore the local area—and he had. Here he was grounded and when he walked down the street, everyone knew him.

It felt surprisingly good. They were fine people with hearts of gold and their pleasure at seeing him was always genuine. Everywhere he went and everything he did, a strong sense of community prevailed. From the chook raffles at the pub on Sunday night to the friendly Friday night footy competition to the monthly barn dance, Skye thrived on its kinship.

James had never really felt like he’d belonged anywhere. But as Skye embraced him he began to feel a connection.

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