Licence to Dream (17 page)

He gave a rusty chuckle. ‘Oh, I do. But unfortunately, I'm not in a condition to follow through on the opening shots. That'll have to wait until another time.’

‘You must be more delirious than I’d thought! You don't even like me. You – you suspect me of – ’ She broke off. What was the use of arguing with a man suffering from concussion?

‘You don't have to like someone to find them physically attractive.’

‘Well, I do! I have to like the person very much.’

She was furious that she’d responded to his touch. Where were all the smart answers with which she usually fended men off?

As she reached out to close the rear door, Tina pushed past her and leaped inside, just missing Ben's injured ankle. With a brief pause to lick the nearest hand, she installed herself beside him on the floor, with her head on his arm. She was panting heavily and dribbling on the leather upholstery.

Meriel tried to get hold of the dog’s collar without touching Ben. ‘I'll get her out again.’

‘Leave her where she is. We can't leave her wandering about the block, can we? She could get lost.’ His voice sounded clearer, his hand was caressing Tina’s head and there was a half-smile on his lips, though his eyes were hidden once more behind the sunglasses.

Meriel strapped herself into the driver's seat. ‘All right. Er – I'm sorry about the mess in your car.’ She glanced back at the pale blue leather upholstery. It was amazing how much dirt one large dog and one dusty man could spread around in a few minutes.

‘Doesn't matter. It’ll wash off. And your dog's more than earned a ride today.’

Tina gave Ben's hand another quick lick then looked from one human to the other as if to say let's go.

Meriel started the car, stealing glances in the rear view mirror to see how Ben was standing up to the movement. The car jerked as she pulled away, because she underestimated the pulling power of the engine. She heard him grunt in pain as she braked. ‘Sorry. I'm not used to a big car like this.’

‘Even a guardian angel is entitled to one or two mistakes.’

In the mirror, she could see how tightly his right hand was clenched on the top of the seat back. The jolt must have banged the ankle quite hard. He didn’t open his eyes for the rest of the journey and his mouth was a thin, bloodless line.

She went inside the hospital to get a wheelchair and an orderly brought it out. They were lucky and there was a doctor already working in the tiny A&E section, so they were seen by him a few minutes later.

He examined Ben, said, ‘Concussion’ and sent him to have his ankle X-Rayed.

Meriel waited on a very hard wooden chair till they wheeled Ben back. He was looking a little more alert, she thought, but now that his face had been washed, the bruise and swelling stood out starkly.

The doctor was very hearty and she could see that his loud voice was doing nothing for Ben's aching head. ‘Well, at least it isn’t broken, Mr Elless, so we just have to deal with bruising, concussion and a sprained ankle. Your – er,’ he shot a doubtful glance at Meriel, his eyes dropping to her ringless left hand, ‘your friend can take you home again if she promises to make sure you rest for a day or so and keeps an eye on you.’

‘Ms Ingram is just my neighbour – unfortunately.’ Ben had recovered enough to grin at Meriel as he said that. ‘I'd better book into a hotel. My uncle’s shack is no longer habitable.’

The doctor shook his head decisively. ‘I don't think that's advisable. If you haven't any friends or family who can help, we'll book you into hospital overnight.’

‘No way!’ snapped Ben, all traces of a grin vanishing from his face.

Meriel was reminded of his reaction to the suggestion that she call an ambulance.

‘Mr Elless, you
must
have someone with you to keep an eye on things, someone who can call for help if there are any other problems. Booking into a hotel is too risky.’

‘Well, it'll just have to do. I don’t have any family or close friends in Western Australia.’

He was looking so white and strained Meriel was afraid he’d collapse. She’d always been a sucker for someone in trouble so was only mildly surprised to hear herself saying, ‘You can come home with me, if you like, Elless. I've got a spare bedroom.’

She regretted the words as soon as they’d left her mouth, but she saw the look of utter relief on his face as he turned towards her and she couldn’t withdraw her offer.

Helping people wasn't always comfortable, but you had to do it. Even when a person thought you were a liar and a cheat.

‘I’ll get the nurse to give you instructions about keeping an eye on someone with concussion,’ the doctor said. ‘Bring Mr Elless back if you have any worries whatsoever about him.’

As they waited for the paperwork, Ben stared up at Meriel from the wheelchair. ‘I've hardly endeared myself to you lately. I must be the last person you'd want as a house guest.’

‘You are. And I doubt
you
want to be indebted to me. But if you've nowhere else to go, you can't afford to be picky, and I daresay I can put up with you for a few days. Think how virtuous I'll feel afterwards!’

‘Do you have a spare bed? You didn't seem to have much furniture.’

‘Oh!’ How ridiculous that she hadn’t even thought of that. ‘No, I don't. But I'd intended to buy one for when friends come to stay. We can stop off at the furniture store and get one. They delivered my things the same day last time.’

‘I'll buy the bed, then.’

‘Look there’s no need to do that.’

‘I’m buying it.’

 ‘Well – all right.’

He was still staring at her, but his voice lost that hard edge as he asked, ‘Are you sure about this, Meriel?’

‘I'm sure I'm crazy to make the offer, but you don't have any other option apart from the hospital, do you? Unless you like taking risks.’

‘No. I definitely don’t like taking risks with human lives, mine or anyone else’s. They can be extinguished all too easily.’ There was a pause, then, ‘Thank you. I’m extremely grateful.’

She could sense him studying her while the nurse gave instructions about what danger signs to watch out for in the day or two after concussion and when she sneaked a glance at Ben, his brow was wrinkled, as if he was puzzled.

As they left the hospital he was wheeled to the car, then the orderly took the wheelchair away.

‘You’ll need a walking stick, at least,’ she said. ‘Look, I’ll stop at a pharmacy. They’re bound to have one.’

‘Thanks.’ He slid backwards into the car, receiving a boisterous greeting from Tina.

Meriel called the dog to order while he levered himself carefully into position and leaned back with a tired sigh.

She drove into town and stopped at a pharmacy. ‘I won’t be long.’

Ten minutes later she came back with a walking stick, a couple of cans of lemonade and a bottle of cold water, which she gave to Tina bit by bit, only spilling about half of it.

‘All right to go now, Ben?’

He handed her the empty can. ‘Thanks. You think of everything.’

She drove slowly along the main street and stopped the car outside a furniture shop. ‘I'll just go in and buy the bed.’

‘I’ll pay.’ He fumbled in his pocket pulling out his wallet, but couldn’t find his credit card. ‘There’s a cheque book somewhere in this car. We’ll find it when we get back. And buy a queen size bed.’

She looked at him suspiciously.

‘I'm a tall man.’

‘But it's a waste of money. I mean, a queen size is nearly twice the price of a single. And if it's only for a short time – ’

‘I like my comfort. Single beds are designed only for children and anorexic dwarfs, as far as I'm concerned. Tell the furniture people I’ll pay when they deliver it.’

‘Well, do what you want, but I'd like to make it plain from the start that I'm not keeping the bed afterwards. I don't need bribing to help a neighbour in distress.’

‘Is this the right time to discuss that?’

He was looking at her as if she was his enemy, not his benefactress, so she glared right back. ‘Just so we get things straight from the start, Elless.’

He closed his eyes. ‘All right, Ingram. Whatever. I do solemnly promise to take the bed away with me afterwards. I'll need it in my next place anyway. I'll have to find somewhere to rent as soon as I can get about again. It's obvious I won't be able to live in my uncle's shack. Pity it couldn’t have lasted a few months longer, though. It was perfect to be able to live on site and use it as an office.’

She watched him move his head restlessly and grimace. His face had gone paler again. She went into the furniture shop without any more argument.

‘All arranged,’ she said cheerfully when she came out. ‘Let's go home. The furniture will be sent over shortly.’

‘One more thing – ’ his voice was tight and harsh.

She paused with her hand on the ignition key. ‘What?’

‘You’re not the only one making conditions. This kindness of yours won't make me raise my offer for your property by one brass razoo.’

His eyes were hidden behind the sunglasses again, his lips set in that tight, thin line once more. If he hadn’t been hurt, she would have pushed him out of the car there and then. ‘Nor will your present piteous state make me accept your offer to buy my house, Elless. Somerlee is not for sale and never has been. The idea that I'm blackmailing you is just a figment of your – your lurid and over-heated imagination.’

Tina growled in her throat and they both fell silent.

Before Ben could say anything else hurtful, Meriel started up the engine.   All she could see in the rear view mirror was a pair of sunglasses and a badly bruised forehead. She tried to blink the tears from her eyes but they overflowed and she had to reach up to brush them away. She hoped he hadn’t noticed her moment of weakness.

‘I need to buy some groceries.’ She stopped the car and slid out before he could toss another insult at her. She found the idea that he considered her a mercenary opportunist very painful indeed. Not because it was him, she decided, taking a deep breath and holding her head higher. No, it was nothing to do with him personally. It would have been painful whoever it was who held such a low opinion of her, because she prided herself on her integrity.

When she came back to the car she found Tina graciously allowing him to scratch behind her ears. From the expression of blissful idiocy on the dog's face, the man was no stranger to canine weak spots.

What stupid weakness had made her offer him her spare bedroom?

Grandpop’s training, that’s what. He had been a firm believer in people helping one another, at whatever cost to themselves.

At first it was a relief when Ben didn’t speak, then she started worrying about what he was thinking or whether he was still drifting in and out of consciousness. He was probably thinking that she was crazy doing this, she decided as she turned off the road and bumped along the track to her house.

That would be the one thing they agreed on. She was absolutely crazy.

When she stopped, he insisted he could get out of the car without her help but took only a few halting steps towards the house using the walking stick. He was swaying and shaking his head as if to clear it. Dizzy still, obviously.

Meriel marched up to him and took his free arm in a firm grip. ‘You'd better let me help you, Elless. I don't want you falling over. You've done yourself enough damage for one day.’

‘Thanks.’ His voice was no longer slurred but it still sounded as if it were an effort for him to frame the words. ‘I thought I was OK when I was sitting down, but I'm still a bit dizzy when I try to move around.’

While she fumbled for her key, he sagged against the doorpost and pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head. ‘Phew! It's a lot more comfortable in the shade, isn't it?’

She turned the key in the lock and tried to step aside to let him in, but somehow, he moved the wrong way and their bodies collided again.

He chuckled, a soft tired sound, but a chuckle nonetheless.

‘What's so funny?’ she demanded, trying to guide him towards the family room.

‘You are. Trying not to touch me.’

‘I – I – ’ Words stuck in her throat.

‘I don't bite, you know, especially when my head is aching like this.’

She immediately felt guilty for thinking of her own feelings when he was in pain. ‘I'll get you a glass of milk and some painkillers as soon as you're safe on the couch. Come and sit down until the bed arrives.’

As they reached the couch, he swung her round and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. ‘Thank you, Ingram. You really did save my life today.’

She realised with a fluttery feeling of shock that he was right. It hadn’t struck her so forcefully before, because she’d been too busy rescuing him and getting him to the hospital. She’d actually saved a life. ‘Oh, I – it's – someone else would have found you. Or you’d have crawled out of the debris eventually.’

He eased himself down on the couch with a sigh of relief. ‘I don't get any visitors and I wasn't expecting any deliveries, so I’m fairly certain no one else would have found me.’

‘Oh. Well, it was Tina who found you, actually,’ she said, trying to turn it into a joke. ‘Don’t forget to buy her that bone.’

‘She didn't get me out from under the rubble. You did. At some risk to yourself. And for that I'm extremely grateful.’ Again that tired whisper of a chuckle.

‘What are you laughing at now?’ she demanded.

‘Well, in some societies, if you save another person's life, you're responsible for them from then onwards.’

She stiffened. ‘That's merely a primitive superstition!’

‘I wouldn't mind you being responsible for me, Ingram,’ he said, turning the full force of his devastating smile on to her. ‘Especially if you have anything to drink in that fridge of yours. I’m afraid I’m thirsty again.’

She became abruptly aware of her duty as hostess and temporary nurse. ‘I'll get you a glass of milk right away, then you can take the painkillers safely. Or would you rather have a cup of tea?’

‘I'm not a tea drinker. And I don't think this is quite the time for strong black coffee or even a beer. Do you?’