‘That makes sense. I … Well, I hope we’ll see each other again.’
‘I was hoping to come back for the town dance that everyone has been talking about. I was wondering if—’
A harsh ringtone interrupted him and Justin pulled the phone from his pocket and grimaced. ‘Always on call. Sorry.’
***
Anna watched him as he spoke into the phone. Had he been about to ask her to the dance? Her heart leaped at the thought. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Justin. No man had looked at her the way Justin did, not since the accident. In fact, even before her face was ruined, no man had ever looked at her quite the way Justin did. She didn’t want him to walk away.
She turned away to give him more privacy and watched the injured bull eating his breakfast. She was absurdly proud of herself for walking into that yard and pouring feed into a metal bin. It seemed such a small thing, but for her, it had been like climbing a mountain—a mountain that Justin had helped her climb. Having him standing by the gate meant she wasn’t alone and vulnerable if something went wrong. But it was more than that. His belief in her was stronger than her own had been. She had taken some of that belief into herself and she knew now that next time, she would walk into that yard without hesitation.
Behind her, Justin laughed at something his caller said. It was a joyful sound, open and carefree. The sort of laugh everyone should have.
When he replied, there was an intimacy to his voice. ‘Next couple of days. This is a really nice town, but it will be good to be back home.’
The words took her by surprise, as did the look on his face. Of course there were other people in his life. People she knew nothing about. Maybe even a girlfriend, although Justin seemed too honourable to have asked her out if he was seeing someone else. But he had a life of his own in another place. He wouldn’t give all that up for a woman with a face out of a nightmare.
A car turned into the driveway at high speed and skidded to a stop in a shower of small stones. A woman leaped out.
‘Help me. Please.’
Anna was at her side in a flash. On the back seat of the car, a medium-sized dog lay wrapped in a blanket. The cloth was dark with blood and blood stained the white paw that protruded from the blanket.
‘He was hit by a car,’ the frantic woman said. ‘Please help him.’
The dog whined pitifully. Anna’s heart clenched. ‘I’ll do my best. First we need to get him inside without making any of the injuries worse.’
‘I brought him straight here. We’ve just moved in up the road and I saw your sign.’ The woman was hovering so close to the door, it was all Anna could do not to push her aside. She wasn’t helping.
She was trying to figure out the best way to get the animal out, when Justin appeared beside her.
‘Can I help?’
‘Please. I’m going to pull him towards me. Can you take his body and hindquarters as he comes? Carefully. He’s got some broken bones and he’s in a lot of pain.’
The dog’s owner sobbed loudly.
‘What’s his name?’ Anna asked.
‘Olaf. My daughter named him after the character in the Disney film.’
‘And you are?’ Justin’s voice was gentle.
‘I’m Tania.’
‘All right, Tania. Try not to panic. You’ve got the best vet in the Hunter Valley helping out. Just give us some room.’
The woman seemed to take some comfort from Justin’s words. She stepped back, but only a little.
‘Come on, Olaf.’ Anna stroked the injured dog’s nose. ‘Let’s get you inside so we can have a good look at you. Ready, Justin?’
‘Ready.’
Anna pulled the blanket towards her and cradled the dog’s head and shoulders in her arms. As she stepped back, Justin squeezed in beside her to support his body and hind legs.
‘I’ve got him. I can take all of him now.’ Justin adjusted his hold to take the full weight of the dog. Anna laid the animal’s head carefully on Justin’s strong arm.
‘This way.’
