The Vet from Snowy River by Stella Quinn
CHAPTER
41
‘What are you doing here, Aaron?’
‘Vee, you’re upset, I get it, but you’ve been through a terrible time.’
She had, yes. And the slick-haired man standing in front of her had played a part in that.
‘The court case sucks, totally, but we can put that behind us. Change your plea, you’ll do a few community hours pulling up weeds by the riverbank in Queanbeyan, and it will all be over.’
‘I’m not guilty of the charge, Aaron. You knew full well I wasn’t trying to listen in on people, but you went and dobbed me in anyway.’
‘Hon, you know me, as honest as the day is long. I felt it was my duty.’
She could feel a red haze of rage welling up.
‘I do know you, yes, and so I know it’s just a damn sham, this honesty of yours. You telling people something is true doesn’t make it true. The way you tell people how talented you are, how smart you are.’ She choked down the frustration she had bottled up. Which part of the words she was saying did he not understand? The stay away part? The I blame you for ruining my life part?
‘Vee, I’m here, you don’t need to be brave on your own.’
‘How are you here? How did you find my home address?’
‘Business name registration search, of course. You’re not the only journalist who can dig up information, Vee.’
‘Aaron,’ she said, putting so much heat into the word he finally shut up. ‘I’m not guilty of the charge that’s been laid against me. You know why?’ She was probably spilling the beans about Sue’s defence strategy, but she was past caring. ‘Recording conversations on purpose, that’s what’s illegal. Guess what?’
He held his hands up in the air like he was placating an hysterical victim. Well, newsflash, buddy: she was not hysterical, she was angry. And she, Vera De Rossi, was done with feeling ashamed and feeling like a victim.
‘Vee, babe—’
‘My aunt had dementia. She didn’t have conversations, which you would know if you’d ever bothered to visit her with me when you and I were together. I’m not guilty, I’m going to win this court case, and you and your mean-spirited mates at Acacia View can get the heck out of my face.’
She finished on a roar, and though her roar was coming out all breathy and choppy, it felt like she’d unstoppered a cork.
‘You don’t know what—’
‘Quit bugging me, Aaron.’
‘You’ll regret this when you calm down.’
‘Get out of my doorway so I can shut my door.’ Where the heck was her phone? Was Aaron really going to not leave? Did she need to call the police?
The sound of a throat clearing made her spin towards the stairs.
A man stood there, one hand on the banister railing, looking like six feet of chiselled sunshine. ‘Everything okay up here?’
Josh.
His horrified gaze skittered over Vera, her face pale but determined, trying to get rid of the jackass lodged in her doorway.
Aaron.
Ex-boss.
Ex-boyfriend.
And soon to be ex a couple of front teeth if he, Joshua Preston Cody, had anything to do with it.
Vera looked at him. ‘Aaron’s just leaving. If he doesn’t then—well, yes, actually, I would like your help. If you’re offering, that is.’
He took a predatory step forward. ‘Oh, I’m offering,’ he said, his eyes on Aaron’s. ‘Downstairs. Now.’
The guy turned his head to stare at him and Josh felt a degree of satisfaction when the man’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m going. Cool your jets, mate.’
‘I’m not your mate.’
The guy, Aaron, stood stock-still for a moment, as though debating whether or not to make an issue out of leaving, then hit the stairs.
‘I’ll call you soon,’ he called up to Vera.
‘Please don’t,’ Josh heard her mutter.
He waited until the slap of thin-soled shoes had disappeared down the stairwell, then took a breath. ‘You want to tell me what that was about?’
She slumped in the doorway. ‘I think … I think he’s a bit unhinged, Josh. He wasn’t listening to a thing I was saying.’
‘Maybe it’s time you talked to someone about that. It doesn’t have to be me …’ Hell, he was the last guy on the planet who was going to be bothering her at her door like that jackass. ‘But someone.’
‘Josh?’
She looked vulnerable, and wretched. He stayed where he was, because it killed him to see her like that and know she didn’t want his help.
‘Yes?’
‘You reckon you could just give me a hug for a minute and pretend I’m not the world’s biggest idiot?’
Was she—
Heck.
He took two giant strides, hauled her into his arms, and rested his head on hers. ‘I can hug you for as many minutes as you need.’
He held her there, his mind racing. Aaron was clearly a nutjob, this darned trial was stripping the life out of the woman he’d lost his heart to, and he didn’t know where he stood in all of this.
‘Vera? Honey? Are you okay?’
She nodded. ‘I will be.’
He held her face in his hands and gave her a thorough inspection. She looked tired, and strain had left shadows the colour of bruises beneath her eyes. He’d bet a million bucks she’d been worrying about the cat, or the trial, or god knows what else all night instead of sleeping. He ran his hands down her arms, stopping when he reached a rough cloth about her hand.
‘Holy heck, what happened?’
‘Oh,’ she said, holding her hand up. Blood was seeping through some scrap of chintzy-flowered fabric. ‘The scissors must have cut deeper than I thought.’
‘He attacked you with scissors?’
‘No! God no. I was doing some sewing when there was a knock at the door. I was surprised because I don’t get visitors. I jabbed myself.’
He ripped off the cloth and investigated. ‘You need stitches.’
‘Bloody hell. I wrapped it up so quick I didn’t see how bad it was. Faulty pain receptors … it’s a cook’s hazard from all the slicing and dicing and hot pans. Hell, the scissors were rusty, too.’
‘Lucky you, one tetanus shot coming right up. I’ll drive you to the hospital.’
‘Really, Josh, I don’t need—’ She paused, and he waited for her to finish.
She placed her hand—the one that wasn’t bleeding—on his chest. ‘Actually, I’d like that. I’d like that a whole lot.’
He tried not to let his wounded heart leap at the idea that maybe she was talking about more than a ride to the hospital.
‘And Josh? Maybe you and I could have a talk. There’s some stuff I need to say … that is, if you want to.’
He took a breath. ‘Once the doctor’s checked you out, you can tell me anything you need to.’