Marion Lennox - Stormbound Surgeon

‘Your lawyer?’

‘Henry,’ he told him. ‘Malcolm’s father. We spent a bit of time looking at resorts on the internet, and nearly every resort we found had shops. And swimming pools. And lots of commercial extras. The big ones even had medical facilities. We looked a bit further and we found resorts like this one will be. A health resort with an acute-care hospital and all the ancillary things. Pharmacies, physiotherapists…you name it, we can have it here. Your stepfather left enough money to build the nursing home itself, but as it is it’s not a real resort. So we approached the bank.’

‘You approached the bank.’ Amy was almost speechless.

Joss beamed. ‘Yep. I even wore a tie, and Henry came, too. They were really nice to us. Especially when Henry outlined the financial foundations this place is built on. You have a mansion worth millions and a great nursing home and incredibly valuable land-and you own the lot.’

‘But-’

He was brooking no interruptions. ‘You know, in six years you stand to be an obscenely wealthy woman. This place is worth a fortune, and it’ll be worth much, much more if you develop it. And with what’s here already-the climate, the place-Iluka is the best place in the world to recuperate in. We’ll attract clientele from around the globe.’

‘But I can’t afford-’

‘Yes, you can,’ he told her. He was holding her then, cradling her in his arms and enjoying her confusion. Or enjoying just holding her. Life had been cruel to this woman for far too long. This was his gift.

As Amy was his own sweet gift.

‘We’ve done our homework and the bank sees this as a really viable investment,’ he told her. ‘It won’t all be done at once, but as every stage works out we’ll go on to the next. We have provision for a wonderful little town, whose main industry will be a state-of-the-art health resort. Its centre will be the hospital. This place is a gold mine, and the finance people agree. The bank will do very nicely out of it.’

‘I don’t understand.’ She was so confused she was almost speechless, and his enjoyment grew. This felt…wonderful!

‘We’ll attract medical people from everywhere,’ he told her. ‘In fact, we already have. This district is screaming for decent medical facilities. When the council builds a new four-lane floodproof bridge and improves the road to match…’

‘A bridge?’

‘The council’s agreed to build a bridge, and they’ve already negotiated government assistance. They see-like me-that this is a goer. And it is! Amy, I’ve already sounded out four doctors who have been aching to find somewhere like this to settle. So far there’s two physicians, an anaesthetist, a gynaecologist-and me. We have everyone behind us. The government authorities are more than eager to have a major medical centre established in this area but until now they haven’t had anywhere that would attract doctors. Doris in Bowra is so overworked she’s near to collapse and she almost fell on my neck when I ran this plan past her. So…’ He smiled and held her back at arm’s length. ‘How does that sound? For a beginning?’

‘I…’ She stopped, unable to go on. ‘It sounds unbelievable.’

‘It’s not.’ Joss’s eyes were lit with excitement, aching to share his wonderful dreams with her. ‘It’s entirely believable. And workable. As part of the resort we’ll build smaller cottages to house all the new workers, plus specialist houses for people like Marigold and Lionel who need help but want to stay in their own homes. We’ll build a huge workshop for activities-we’ve even designed a shop-front for it so that Lionel can sell his kites and all those matinée jackets can find a home. Anything that’s part of the resort can be as commercial as we like. By the way, the place will be big enough to need part-timers-volunteers-so people like Marie and Thelma will be able to do as much or as little as they like. Oh, and Malcolm…’

‘Malcolm?’ Amy was no longer breathing. She didn’t need to. Who needed to breathe with this joy?

‘I’ve spent some time with Malcolm in Sydney,’ he told her. ‘He’s recovering but he’s one very sorry boy.’

‘As he should be.’

‘Charlotte’s been to see him, too, and laid his future on the line. If he wants to marry her then he comes to live here because Iluka’s full of people who care. That’s what she said. And he’s desperately worried about how you’ll take it, but…’

‘But?’

‘Well, the man is a decent accountant, even if he is a dope where relationships and boats are concerned. In fact,’ Joss said grudgingly, ‘despite his dopiness where boats are concerned, he’s really quite clever. He worked out all the financial stuff. We do need a competent accountant, and he’s incredibly excited about the project. So if you think you can bear seeing him again…’

‘Why could I not bear to see him?’ She was breathing again, but the joy within was threatening to overwhelm her. ‘Why on earth not?’

‘He betrayed you.’

‘He betrayed Charlotte and she loves him. If she can forgive him, who am I to be judgemental?’

‘You don’t still love him-just a little bit?’ He was looking anxious. That was crazy, Amy thought jubilantly. Crazy.

‘How on earth can I love Malcolm-when I love you?’

‘You love me?’

‘I’d better,’ she said. ‘If you’re going to be Medical Director and cut ribbons then I don’t see that I’ve got a choice but to stick around.’

‘You’re going to be Director-In-Chief, and you can cut ribbons, too.’

‘I thought I got to hold the handbags.’

‘I’ll leave my handbag at home,’ he said magnanimously. ‘If that’s what it takes.’

‘Gee, thanks.’

‘But it could work.’ He was still anxious, she thought. He was gazing at her with all the hope in the world. Like Bertram asking for someone to give him a ball.

No.

Not like Bertram.

Like Joss, asking her to give him a future.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them he was still looking at her with hope.

‘Amy?’

‘Mmm?’

‘Will you marry me?’

There was a long indrawn collection of breath and Amy glanced toward the doorway. How many heads could fit around one door?

‘Can I have a puppy?’ she asked.

‘Ten.’

‘Can I have a baby?’

‘Ten.’

And she was laughing, joy and love and wonder all struggling for supremacy.

Love won. It always did.

‘Of course I’ll marry you,’ she told him as he gathered her into his arms and held her close. ‘Of course I’ll marry you. Oh, my love… Now and for ever.’

The entire population of the Iluka nursing home broke into applause-and Amy and Joss didn’t even notice.

Iluka was as it should be.

Almost as soon as the new bridge was built people started drifting toward Iluka. There were things going on here. Jobs were being advertised. Construction was starting on the new hospital.

People came and saw and fell in love.

The day had been sun-soaked and beautiful. Families were packing up on the beaches. The ice-cream van had closed for the day. There were elderly couples walking on the beach, catching the last of the sun’s rays.

It was the end of another glorious day in paradise, as a cluster of Iluka’s long-term residents stood on the sand to watch Joss Braden and Amy Freye exchange their vows.

‘Come prepared for wet feet,’ the wedding invitation had stated, because Joss and Amy knew where they wanted to be married. So this motley assortment of wedding guests hoisted their skirts and rolled up their trousers. Their bare toes were soaking in the shallows.

Amy and Joss stood on their rock above the waves, and the last of the sun fell on their faces as they faced each other with love. And certainty.