Chapter 2
Brad stared at his uncle’s letter, trying to ignore his heart thumping. He’d spent the whole flight and drive out here trying to convince himself that Lyrian would be long gone.
That he didn’t care if she was.
That he was better off without her.
Mostly just trying to convince himself not to get his hopes up.
To have an opportunity like this dropped straight in his lap…
Trouble was, his uncle’s letter made very little sense.
Lyrian didn’t want me to tell you, you have to know that. She made me promise. Don’t be too angry at an old man, okay?
She needs your help, even if she says she doesn’t. I know this is going to be hard to understand, lad, but Lyrian isn’t from our world. She doesn’t understand most of the things we take for granted.
I would have left the house to her, but, well, that would have just put her in the spotlight. Instead, I’m counting on you. I know you’re a big, hot shot doctor back in America, but some things are more important than a job.
She needs you, Brad.
Watch out though, she can be a little skittish. Don’t ask too many questions. Just…
Help her, please?
Brad took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm his heart.
He couldn’t help being transported back to that magical week.
He’d been staying with Nate in Sydney when Uncle Henry had called. Said he needed some help. He’d been asking Nate, but Brad’s twin brother had a studio booked for a week and couldn’t take time off. Brad had offered to go in his stead.
When he’d arrived, Henry hadn’t seemed to need help. In fact, he’d already had some.
The young woman staying with his uncle, helping him with the cooking and cleaning Henry had said, had captured Brad’s interest immediately. Her blue curls flashing in the sun. Her smile as wide and infectious as the blue sky. Her eyes sparking and teasing, always tempting.
She’d been so unlike any woman he’d ever met. He’d tried to tell himself that her impulsive and carefree nature wasn’t suited to him at all, but he hadn’t been very successful.
He hadn’t been able to resist. And she certainly hadn’t been pushing him away.
He shook his head.
His uncle’s request was just what he’d been hoping for. Uncle Henry had to guess that. Why would his uncle think he would be angry?
And what did he mean, not from this world? Lyrian was certainly special, and more than a little quirky, but that was a far cry from not from this world. Had the old man been in a worse way than Brad had realised?
“Did you speak to my uncle, in the last few weeks?” Brad asked the lawyer.
“Not recently,” the man admitted. “He came in to write up his will about three months ago, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
“Did he seem… all there?” Brad asked cautiously.
The lawyer hesitated. “He seemed, on edge,” he admitted. “And a little strange. But he seemed more than capable of making his own decisions.”
Brad stared at the letter again. Apparently the old man had managed to seem coherent to others.
And the lure of a chance that Lyrian might speak to him again, might even need him, tempted him to ignore the red flags this letter raised.
Either way, there was only one way to find out what was going on. “When can I take a look at the house?” he asked.
“You can go out now if you like,” the lawyer said. “I’ll give you the keys. I’d take you out myself, but I’m the only one in the office. I’ll get the paperwork in order for you this week. How long do you plan to be in Australia?”
That was the question, wasn’t it?
“I can wait a week,” Brad allowed. “But probably no more than that.”
Even a week was pushing it. Finding someone to take his position for that long on such short notice hadn’t been easy. If it had been for anything other than a death in the family, he doubted he would have managed it.
His uncle had said that some things were more important than a job, but Brad’s position as a cardiac surgeon wasn’t easily filled. He had a responsibility to his patients, and to the hospital. He couldn’t take any longer even if finding a replacement had been easy.
“We’ll make it a priority,” the lawyer said smoothly.
“Thanks.”
Brad pocketed the key and headed back out to the pickup, dumping the papers the lawyer had given him into the back seat.
He headed out to his uncle’s property, remembering his way this time. Even so, he almost missed the dirt track turnoff. He’d only been here the once before, and that had been a little over twelve months ago.
The bittersweet memory of that day hit him, distracting him as he drove, the memory as big and bold as if he were living it again.
He didn’t have a clue where he was going. Thank heavens for the GPS on his phone.
Half way down the dirt road, the car began to cough and splutter, and slowly slid to a halt.
Great.
Just what he needed.
Brad climbed out of the car, the heat hitting him as soon as he left the air-conditioned cabin. He lifted the hood and stared at the engine.
It looked like an engine. A dusty, dirty engine.
He could repair a man’s heart, but he didn’t know the first thing about cars.
He sighed and pulled out his phone. It was going to cost him a fortune to get someone to come out here to give him a tow.
As if his day wasn’t already bad enough, there was no phone reception.
Why had he agreed to do this? Whatever Uncle Henry needed surely could have waited a week until Nate had time to help out.
Brad stared back up the road. When had he last had reception? The GPS had been working when it directed him down this road. So about three miles back. He glanced the other way. About the same distance to the house. His uncle would give him a hand. The old man knew all about engines.
He heaved a sigh, and started to walk. He hadn’t made it more than a few steps when he saw a cloud of dust in the distance.
Someone was coming.
Maybe it was his uncle?
As a dusty pickup drew closer, Brad stepped out from the car and waved his hands.
Hopefully the driver was a normal person, not a maniac. He was suddenly aware that he was in the middle of nowhere, with no phone reception. Who knew what he would find out here. Surely he was due for a lucky break?
Perhaps he was, because the person who stepped out of the pickup was a woman. Not that she looked normal by any stretch of the imagination. Pale, sky blue curls bounced around her shoulders, and her skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent.
As if in contrast, she wore a grease stained pair of overalls over a bright pink t-shirt.
Brad did a double take.
Nate had taken great pleasure in showing him all the weird and wacky things here in Australia, but this one was his favourite.
“Hi, I’m Brad,” he said, stepping forwards and holding out his hand.
She stared at it for a moment, before reaching out her own hand and taking his.
Her hand was cool and gentle. For some reason, a wave of goosebumps ran up Brad’s arm.
The woman didn’t say anything though. Didn’t offer her name in return.
Brad itched to ask, but he reminded himself he had more pressing concerns. He didn’t need distractions right now. Even fascinatingly gorgeous ones like this.
“Sorry to trouble you,” he said. “But something seems to be wrong with my car. I don’t suppose you can give me a lift up the road?”
She flashed him a smile. “Let’s take a look.”
Her voice was light and raspy, almost a little breezy.
Brad’s heart gave a leap, and a few other parts did as well as she bent over the engine, her overalls pulling tight around her butt.
He moved to one side, and focused his eyes on the engine. “I have no idea what it is,” he said. “It’s just a rental car. I suppose I’m going to need to get a new one.”
“Hose popped off,” she said cheerily. “That happens a lot in this heat.” She reached her hands into the engine, and fiddled for a few minutes. “There you go, it should be right now.”
Brad couldn’t help staring at her in admiration. Gorgeous and practical.
“You know a bit about cars, do you?”
He almost kicked himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Why couldn’t he have come up with something clever and witty?
She gave a strange laugh. “I have four brothers, and none of them know the first thing about cars. I figured one of us should.” Her smile slipped a little when she mentioned her brothers, and Brad felt a hint of some sort of tragedy.
That, mixed with the four brothers, made him hesitate. Probably best to be careful around her. He’d come up against a protective brother a time or two. It was never much fun. If there was something else in the family history, they’d probably be even more protective.
But for some reason, even with the fact that he only planned to be here for a week, that wasn’t enough to dampen his interest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
She looked him straight in the eye. “That’s because I didn’t tell it to you.”
Her eyes were a pale blue, with flecks of green. For a second, he could have sworn her pupil elongated, like a cat’s eye, but when he blinked, it was normal and round.
Maybe he’d been in the sun too long.
A breeze rushed over them both, cooling his skin, and making her hair flare out around her shoulders.
“I’m Lyrian,” she said softly.
He pulled up in front of his uncle’s house, the paint seeming even more dilapidated and pealing than it had last time. His uncle’s old dog, Luna, started barking furiously from her kennel around the side of the house, but the sound barely made it into Brad’s consciousness.
Being here, the house, the smell of summer in the air, so different from the winter he’d left behind in America, it just brought it all back.
Oh, sure, after that first meeting, things had gone pretty well for a while. Lyrian had practically dragged him into the barn and made love to him.
He certainly hadn’t been objecting.
Trouble was, she’d then spent the next five days teasing and laughing, and staying just out of his reach. His uncle stayed out of their way while Brad followed her around like a sad puppy, trying to pretend he wasn’t infatuated with her.
He’d finally won her over the day before he’d been due to leave. This time their lovemaking had been even more spectacular.
Even though he’d known the idea was crazy, he’d impulsively asked her to come back to America with him.
That had been when everything had fallen apart. She’d pulled back and he’d seen her frown for the first time ever. “I didn’t mean to give you the wrong idea.” Her expression had been troubled. “There can never be anything more between us than this.”
Her words had thrown him. Usually he was the one pulling back, not wanting to get serious.
The way she’d been flirting with him all week certainly hadn’t given him any thoughts that she might not be interested. He could get that she wasn’t ready to move half way around the world for a guy she’d only known for less than a week, but that hadn’t been what she’d said.
When she’d fled into the house and locked herself into her bedroom and refused to come out again, he’d hoped maybe she did like him. That she was just overwhelmed.
That if only he could find a way to explain, she’d get it, and they’d be able to fix things.
He’d tried to talk to her through the bedroom door, even just to say goodbye, but she’d refused to reply.
Brad stared at the front door, his heart twisting in pain at the memory.
What was he doing here now?
Was he hoping for an explanation that was twelve months overdue?
He knew she was wrong for him. She was a free spirit, drifting from one thing to another. He had a career plan, and no intention of deviating from it. If she wasn’t prepared to move, then nothing could come of this, even if they had been perfect for each other.
But logically evaluating the situation didn’t help at all. No amount of telling himself this was a bad idea stopped his heart aching, or his mind hoping she’d talk to him now.