Wade's Woman Read online

  "What do you want me to do?"

  Tony laughed. “You don't have to do anything. I'm driving you back to Melbourne and we will begin our lives together. Your doctor won't want you now, not now that you've proved you can't be trusted and you've run away with your lover. When the time is right and your divorce comes through, then, my darling, we'll get married just like we should have done two years ago."

  "It won't work, Tony. It will never work. I have no feelings for you.” As she said the words she saw the fury explode in his eyes and realised she was dealing with a madman.

  "Do you think I care? You will love me if you know what's good for you.” He reached into the glove box and Tara gasped as he drew out a thin bladed knife.

  "So that's what you'll do, kill me if I don't comply? Well, do it now!” she cried. “Get it over and done with. I will never have feelings for you. I love my husband!"

  Tony leaned over her and she drew back as far as she could in the leather seat. Oh, please don't let me die like this, she prayed. Not without seeing Ryan again. Please ... But Tony surprised her as he pulled her hair free from its coiled plait wound around her head.

  "I bet Doctor Wade loves your hair,” he whispered. “So long and beautiful.” He suddenly slashed at the plait near the base of her skull and held it up in triumph. “I shall keep this as a trophy—like the red Indians used to do,” he laughed gleefully.

  "You're mad!” Tara spat the words at him. “Let me out of this car."

  In response, Tony started the engine. “No way, my love. We're off on our trip home to where you rightfully belong. If you don't want to cause us to have an accident I suggest you sit quietly.” He put the car in gear and drove along the lane until he turned on to the main road.

  Tara eyed the cottages as they passed, dimly lit with a welcoming light occasionally beaming on to the roadway. The snow had been cleared from the road and piled on to the hard edge in large mounds. She watched Tony's profile as he concentrated on driving. Suddenly Tara leaned forward, disengaged the door lock, and threw herself from the car. She landed with a hard thud on the side of the road.

  * * * *

  Ryan checked his watch. Half past three. It time to go home. He had finished his meeting at Marlston Hospital with the Director of Emergency, which had been the last of several pre-arranged meetings with various hospital staff. Pulling out his mobile he saw that he'd received two messages, the first from David. He frowned as he pressed the number to ring him back. It was unusual for David to call him unless it was something really serious.

  "Hi Ryan, are you on your way back?"

  "Yes. Why? What's up?"

  "Can you call into the surgery before you go home? I'd like to talk to you about something."

  "What? A problem with a patient? Why can't you tell me now?"

  "It's personal. I would rather talk to you face to face."

  David sounded uptight. Was he was having problems with Michelle? Ryan didn't think so, but who was he to say, the person who messed up every relationship he ever had.

  Getting into his vehicle, Ryan returned a call from his lawyer. He tensed as Brian Tobin answered.

  "Ryan, sorry to contact you at work, but I thought you might want to know this news."

  His heart began to hammer in his chest and he felt the saliva in his mouth dry as he answered. “Tell me."

  "Carol's dropped the case. She's letting you have the kids.” Brian paused, letting his words sink in.

  Ryan leaned his head against the steering wheel his eyes filling up with tears of relief. He couldn't believe it. Carol was letting him keep his kids?

  "What's the catch?"

  Brian laughed. “There's no catch. She and her husband have decided to move permanently to the UK and don't want to take the kids with them. Carol feels they would be happier with you. Perhaps they can go over there on holidays when they get older."

  "This doesn't sound like the Carol I know."

  "Well, I gather the main reason is that she's pregnant and wants to concentrate on her new baby. Her lawyer also told me on the quiet that she had a rough holiday with them, particularly Emma, and really felt she couldn't and didn't want to cope with them."

  "Hallelujah! Thank you, Brian, you have no idea what this means to me and Tara.” Ryan stumbled over Tara's name.

  "You're very welcome. You'll have to share the cost of cancelling the court case with Carol but, under the circumstances, I didn't think you'd mind."

  Ryan finished the phone call with Brian and remained seated in the car letting the feelings come over him. Emma and Ben were his; they were staying with him. He could have wept with relief. He lifted the phone once again. He was going to let Tara know. Suddenly it became so important that he speak to her, even beg her to stay if she would after the way he'd treated her. Damn it, he didn't care about this Tony Martin, or any other man. He would fight for Tara. She belonged with him and the kids.

  He felt instantly stronger as he made the decision and rang Tara's mobile. Her voice mail was on, so he phoned the surgery. Lauren told him that Tara wasn't there. When he explained about the kids, he heard his staff cheering in the background and smiled. Next he phoned his home and Molly answered. She hadn't seen Tara either she said and was also excited when Ryan told her the news.

  "Don't say anything to Emma. I want to explain it to her when I get home,” he said.

  Where was Tara? He decided to drive home and beg her to stay if he had to.

  * * * *

  Tara lay in the snow where she'd fallen. As she tried to move an agonising pain shot up her arm. She knew she'd probably broken it. She could have other injuries she didn't recognize. Resting her head in the snow, she waited as she heard Tony bring the car to a stop, the brakes screaming in protest. He slammed the car door and she could hear his feet crunching through the snow towards her. Her heart sank. He would take her with him. Her bid for freedom would be pointless.

  "Who's there? What's happened?” A light blazed from the adjacent cottage and Tara recognised Janet West's voice. Tony's footsteps stopped and Tara heard him respond.

  "I'm sorry to disturb you. I thought I had a flat tyre,” he called.

  Tara lifted her head and began to crawl towards the light, gritting her teeth as the pain shot from her arm to her shoulder. “Janet, help me, help me!” she cried hoping that Janet would hear her feeble voice.

  "Tara? Is that you?” Janet moved closer and flashed a torch into the darkness showing Tara laying on the side of the road

  "Please don't worry, we've had a bit of an accident,” Tony said, moving the last few feet to kneel beside Tara. “I'll see to her."

  The next moment a crack from a walking stick on his shoulder knocked him back. “Get away from her, young man. My sister and I will see to her,” came a thunderous voice that Tara recognised as Thelma West's. “Janet, go and get my wheelchair and we'll bring Tara inside. You,” she shouted, jabbing the stick into Tony's stomach “get out of here before I call the police."

  Tony looked at the determined expression on the faces of the two sisters and turning, walked away. The next moment he had driven off in a shower of snow and slush.

  "Oh, my dear, what has happened?” Janet crouched beside Tara, who by now was shivering violently with shock and relief.

  Between them, the sisters managed to lift Tara into Thelma's wheelchair and manoeuvred her into their cosy front room. Tara was white with shock and they hurriedly covered her with warm rugs. Her head was swimming and she knew she was going to faint. Oh no, not now, was her last thought as she slid from consciousness. You've come this far, don't pass out now.

  * * * *

  "Doctor Wade, I'm sorry to trouble you on your mobile, but we have your wife here at our cottage.” Thelma spoke hesitatingly, still not used to using their new phone. “I'm afraid she's been injured."

  Ryan felt a cold hand clutch at his heart as he gripped the phone. “I'll be there in a few minutes,” he replied, his professional manner kicking in as he
responded to the distraught woman.

  Grabbing his medical kit, he called to Molly. “Stay with the kids, I'll be back as soon as I can."

  He had spoken at length with David, who had come in from the surgery. The shock and guilt he felt after what David had relayed to him about Tara had been driving him crazy. He had been at his wits end for the past two hours, unable to contact Tara. The worst thought was that Tara was meeting Tony Martin and God knew what might have happened.

  Normally it took about ten minutes to reach the West's cottage from his home but Ryan made it in less than five.

  He tore into the cottage, ignoring the sisters, his eyes only on Tara who was now conscious, but sat in Thelma's chair white and shaking. As soon as she saw Ryan, her eyes filled with tears as he knelt beside her. “Look what he did, Ryan,” she choked. “He ... he cut my hair."

  "Shh, Tara.” Ryan could hardly trust himself to speak. “Let me examine you. Can you tell me what happened?” His hands gently explored her limbs, probing for injuries.

  "I ... I think I've broken my arm,” she said staring at Ryan's beloved face as his fingers ran softly over her head and shoulders. He was concentrating as he continued to examine her and his eyes didn't meet hers.

  "Janet, can you ring for an ambulance, please?” he asked. “My wife needs to go to hospital."

  Tara could hear Janet tentatively requesting an ambulance while Thelma, leaning heavily on her walking stick, stood directly behind Ryan.

  "She jumped from that man's car, Doctor. The porch light was on and I saw her from the window. It's a miracle she wasn't killed!” Thelma went into full flight as she explained how she had “seen off” the man, and Janet and she had brought Tara inside.

  Ryan half listened as he prepared an injection from his kit. “I'm going to give you a morphine shot to help ease the pain,” he said softly. “It looks as if your arm is broken, but I'll wait for the medics to come before strapping it. That will give the morphine time to kick in. Meanwhile, I'll set up a drip."

  As Ryan worked, Tara put a hand to her head feeling the short hair jagged against the back of her neck. “He violated me, Ryan,” she whispered. “You always loved my hair, and he ... spoilt everything. He knew you wouldn't love me without my long hair."

  It was then that Ryan registered what Tara was saying. He had been so concerned about her other possible injuries and getting some pain killing drugs into her that he hadn't been listening. Now his hands lovingly held her face, smoothing over a bruise on her cheek bone and grazes along her jaw. He realised she was in deep shock and so traumatised by the event that she scarcely knew what she was saying, but the fact that she kept referring to her hair was significant of the state she was in.

  Looking deeply into her eyes, which were already glazing over from the effects of the morphine he said, “You probably won't remember this sweetheart, but I love you. I love you with short, long or no hair, it doesn't matter. Now, close your eyes and let me care for you."

  * * * *

  "Ryan will be here shortly to take you home, Tara. I bet you'll be glad to see him. But I think he would have been much happier if you'd stayed in for a couple more days."

  Tara listened to Michelle and moved stiffly in her chair at the side of her hospital bed. The nurse had helped her to wash and dress and now she was waiting for Ryan. It was the day after the accident and she had spent a strange, dream-like few hours while hospital staff had thoroughly examined her, giving her a CT scan and x-rays to make sure she didn't have any hidden injuries. Her arm had been broken in the fall and had now been set in a large plaster cast. Except for numerous bruises and bumps which caused her discomfort each time she moved, she saw no reason to stay here.

  "You must be thrilled about Ryan's news,” Michelle said watching as the nurse stripped Tara's bed ready to remake.

  "Pardon? What news?"

  Michelle gave her an odd glance. “I gather you were pretty doped up when Ryan was telling you, so perhaps you don't remember. The news that Carol has dropped the custody case and Ryan will be keeping the kids. Isn't it great?"

  Tara twitched her coat into place as her mind whirled. Had Ryan told her? She couldn't recall it. Oh, she was so happy for him. But this would mean the end of their marriage, their marriage of convenience. How was she going to bear it? Oh Ryan, my love!

  Michelle touched her shoulder. “Are you sure you're well enough to go home, Tara? You look awful."

  "I'm fine,” she replied, gritting her teeth as she slowly stood up. It was at that moment that Ryan came into the room pushing a wheelchair

  "Hi, Michelle.” He acknowledged her but he had eyes for only Tara. “Ready, sweetheart?” he asked, moving forward to hold her.

  "I don't want a wheelchair,” Tara said, trying to back away from Ryan. “I'm perfectly capable of walking to the car park."

  Ryan and Michelle exchanged glances. When Michelle would have helped Tara, he motioned her away. “The car's at the front entrance, actually,” he explained quietly, “so you won't have far to go."

  They both followed Tara's slow progress along the corridor to the main entrance. Tara even stopped at the nurses’ station to thank the staff for looking after her. She was aware of the other two behind her, and although every joint seemed to scream out in pain, she refused to ask for help.—From now on she would have to look after herself.

  When she had said goodbye to Michelle and was in the vehicle, Tara laid her head against the seat as Ryan got in and started the engine.

  "I'm so glad about the children,” she said, trying a smile out for size for she truly was happy for him.

  "Yep! You could have knocked me down with a feather when I got the news. Now, as soon as we've sorted out your stepbrother, we can get on with our lives."

  Tara turned to look at him. “How do you know about him?” she asked her eyes wide with bewilderment.

  "David told me everything. I'm only sorry you felt you couldn't tell me."

  She hesitated, hearing the hurt in his voice but unable to respond to it. “I don't want to talk about him,” she replied turning her face into the pillow.

  "We need to. In fact, I think there are quite a few things we need to talk about. When I get you home and the kids have seen you, then you're going to bed and I'll bring you a cuppa."

  Tara knew only too well when Ryan was determined about something and she decided to keep quiet. Besides, she hurt so much—not just her body but her heart felt as if it had been torn from her body. And yet, Ryan was talking about bringing her cups of tea.

  * * * *

  After greeting the children and receiving their hugs and kisses and a present of flowers from Emma, Tara lay against the pillows exhausted. Ryan made no comment when she insisted on going to the end bedroom and even placed an electric radiator in there, making it warm and comfortable. Dutifully drinking the tea that Ryan had brought in, she summoned the remainder of her strength for the talk Ryan wanted to have. She supposed he would discuss the legalities of their marriage and when she would leave. Perhaps he would let her stay on as his nurse, but she didn't think she could bear that after all they had shared.

  Ryan sat on the edge of the bed. She studied his handsome face and his warm, compassionate eyes. He was feeling sorry for her already.

  "Before you say anything let me make it easy, “she said quickly. “We made an agreement that when we knew the result of the case, our marriage would end. Well, things have worked out marvellously well and I'm so glad. So I'm releasing you from our contract. I don't expect anything from you and as soon as I'm well, I'll move on."

  "Where will you go? Back to Melbourne?"

  "Maybe. I gather that you instigated the police charges against Tony."

  "I certainly did. I assume that you approve?"

  Pushing her hands through her short, jagged-ended hair, she turned away. Ryan was watching her closely and she was determined not to cry. Why couldn't this be over? Why does he have to sit there waiting for me to break down?


  Ryan leaned forward, grasped her hands in his, and lifted each one to his lips, pressing gentle kisses on them. “Tara, let's cut to the chase, shall we? You know that David filled me in on the situation you had with Tony. I'm so sorry that I thought badly of you, that I didn't trust you."

  Tara felt a blush warming her skin at the feel of his lips on her hands and his nearness.

  "It doesn't matter now.” She tried to sound casual.

  "It does bloody well matter. I promise I will always trust you in the future, no matter what. I hope you will feel the same about me."

  "The future?"

  Ryan's hands roamed over her face and touched the yellowing bruise on her cheek. “Yes, the future. Our future. Did you really think I would let you go? I love you too much, Tara. I think I have loved you from the very first night when you stood there in the passage, challenging me in my own house. You adore my kids, our kids, don't you?"

  Tara could only nod, her eyes widening.

  "We are right for each other, my darling. How I could ever think you had a lover, I don't know. I was so jealous I lost my sense of reason. You were even willing to give away your inheritance so you could be free of Tony and his mother. Am I right that part of reason for that was because you wanted to stay with me and the children? I don't deserve your forgiveness for acting the way I did but I'm asking for it anyway. Will you forgive me?"

  He laid his dark head against her and Tara placed her arms around him, her face raised in a silent prayer of thanks. “There's nothing to forgive,” she murmured, smoothing her fingers through his thick hair. “I love you, too, Ryan and I want to stay—as your wife."

  Ryan looked up then and kissed her on the mouth as tenderly as if she were made of the most fragile china. “You probably don't remember, but directly after the accident you were very upset that Martin had cut your hair. You said he had violated you."

  Tara nodded as tears trembled on her lashes.

  "And yes, he did violate you. It shows what a madman he is, but understand, my darling, that I love you just as you are. You had beautiful hair, but it was nothing to how beautiful you are in here,” he said his voice husky with emotion as he gently tapped his fingers against her heart.