“Me too. I’ll be over the road at Dorothy’s. My waistline will be twice the size by tomorrow night from all the cakes she gives me.” Brett finished his drink, stood, and followed Autumn.
“She seems a sweet lady. I had a few words with her yesterday.” Autumn undid the latch on the door and turned, almost bumping into him. There was that perfume again. The corridor was narrow and he could bend in and kiss her without much effort. He didn’t. For the first time in his life, he was not going to rush things. When he got a kiss from the lovely Autumn, he wanted it to be more than a peck on the cheek.
Instead, he edged past her and walked down the path and waved back.
“Goodnight, Brett.”
“Goodnight, Autumn.” For now, he would go home and lie in bed thinking about all the ways he could make her happy with surprises that would stimulate as well as excite.
Brett drifted off to sleep contemplating a hot dream with the doctor where she could use her bandages to tie him to the bed. He would need a long cold shower in the morning.
His phone was ringing. He must have fallen asleep. It was late and only phone calls you didn’t want to get came at this time of night. It was his brother’s number.
“What’s up, Jake?” Brett’s stomach turned as he asked the question, dreading the answer.
“It’s Mom. She called me earlier—said she didn’t feel well. By the time I got there, she was burning up. I rang the ambulance and they’ve taken her to hospital.”
“It’s her kidneys again, isn’t it?”
“Seems that way.”
“I’ll drive down overnight and see you tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
Autumn was settling in to life in Katoomba well. Her job filled her days and her evenings were spent working on a paper she would be presenting at a conference in Sydney. Okay, so she hadn’t seen that much beyond the town, but that would come. One day she would go on a bushwalk as they called it here. She would have said a hike back in England. She still wanted to go to Sydney too.
There was one thing, or rather, one person she was missing. Her next-door neighbor, Brett. He’d sent a message saying he would be away in Melbourne because of a family emergency. She hated to admit dependence on someone, but even after knowing him for only a few days, he had made her smile. Autumn had looked forward to seeing him when she got home. Poor guy would think she was being a pest.
She hoped everything was okay with his family but didn’t want to intrude. It was the doctor in her. The two of them might have had a close moment in the bathroom, but she didn’t know much about him apart from the fact her neighbor was hot and useful around the house. She needed to stop daydreaming and get back to work.
Her next patient was waiting. Even after just a couple of weeks, there were a few older patients who were working their way into her heart. She tried to stay analytical but sometimes they’d say things that made her melt. Her neighbor Mrs. Jenkins was coming today.
Autumn walked out to the waiting room and called her name. Dorothy got up and strode over with a bounce in her step. She was eighty years old but was still sprightly. Autumn hoped to have just as much pep when she got older.
Dorothy sat across from her and grinned. She didn’t look very sick.
“Hello, Dorothy. I’ve seen you across the street, tending to your garden. I’m Autumn Blake and I am here replacing your doctor. How can I help you today?”
“I want to have you look at my hands. I’m struggling a bit with my garden. I don’t like to complain as I know other eighty-year-olds who can’t do much. I struggle opening jars and bottles as well.”
She had watched her neighbor sing as she worked on the flowers in her garden. It made her smile.
Autumn took Dorothy’s right hand and ran her fingers over the skin which was dry but unbroken. The finger joints were swollen and hot. The symptoms pointed to arthritis. As a doctor, she was amazed the woman had not asked for pain relief before. Her fingers were so inflamed that she struggled to straighten them out.
“You’ll need to have an X-ray to exclude rheumatoid arthritis but, in the meantime, I’m going to recommend you get some hand therapy. I will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and you can use some heat on your joints. Come back and see me next week and we can discuss a long-term action plan once we get the results of your X-rays.”
Dorothy pursed her lips. “I hate taking tablets but will if it means I can stay in my garden.” She placed her hands back in her lap. “I’ve always loved the cottage you are living in. You know what? You should come and have a cup of tea and cake with me.”
“That would be lovely.”
“I noticed Brett has been away again. It’s probably his mother. She’s been sick, poor lady.”
“I’ve only just met him but I’m sure he will be back soon.” Autumn felt uncomfortable talking about her neighbor who had been her patient, even if only once.
“Well, I should let you get on with your work. I’ll see you for a cup of tea later.”
“Um, okay.” Autumn saw Dorothy back out to reception.
That was how she found herself eating cake at five o’clock that evening on the balcony at the front of Dorothy’s house. She had been on her way into her cottage and ready to put her feet up when she had heard the call from across the road. The cake was good—homemade carrot cake with a big dollop of cream. She could feel it adding inches to her waist with each mouthful. The house was beautiful as well, inside and out.
“So how long are you here for and what are you running away from?”
Autumn choked on a mouthful of cake.
Dorothy jumped up—active for one of her age—and smacked her on the back. “My son always ate his food too fast. I got used to giving him a whack on the back.”
The hit worked and Autumn was able to inhale a larger breath. She was still in shock from the question. So much for the sweet, old lady across the street. This one had teeth of steel.
Autumn could get up and walk home because she knew she didn’t have to answer. Something deep inside told her to take a chance and say something. Heaven knew, she could do with a few friends. Dorothy came back with a glass of water for her.
“So, in answer to your first question, I have a contract for six months. As far as the second one goes, I left an ex-husband, and a stalker, and a job that was okay. I felt something was missing and I really needed a break.”
Dorothy laughed then took her hand. “I’ve had an ex-husband. Should have gotten rid of him long before I did. Was useless when it came to stimulating a woman. It was all business to him and had to be efficient, but he had money. The divorce meant I could buy this place, so there can be silver linings.”
“I didn’t get much money but I’m glad to be free. You chose well and this house is amazing. I love the stonework and the big wooden front door and, of course, the garden,” Autumn said.
“The interior is beautiful but the high ceilings make it hard to heat in winter, though the thick walls make it cool in summer. The garden is my haven. I can while away hours here. I even have an Instagram page for my flowers. I have quite a few followers.” Dorothy sighed as she gazed at her garden.