Page 29 of Stockman's Stormcloud

She turned around. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘The stupid wheels on this thing aren’t designed for off-road excursions.’ He struggled with the oxygen cart’s skinny rubber wheels, that were trapped between the crazy stone paving. Then he picked it up like a handbag, and they were heavy canisters.

‘Don’t exert yourself, Dex. Most patients stay inside with those oxygen carts, which are—’

‘Don’t tell me what to do.’ He gave her a fierce scowl. ‘I get enough lip from Bree. I don’t need it from you, too.’

Her temper flared like a shot of fire. ‘Just because you’re fighting with your girlfriend, don’t take it out on me. I’monly trying to do my job.’ She pointed at her work uniform. ‘Me, nurse.’ She then pointed at him. ‘You, patient.’

‘My what?’ He screwed his face up at her as if he’d tasted something bad. ‘You don’t think that Bree is my girlfriend, do you?’

Her face pulsed with embarrassed heat. She couldn’t face the guy. Instead, she unclipped the wrought-iron gate and headed for the vehicle’s back door.

But he snuck up on her so fast, only to breathe in pants as he gripped her arm while dumping the oxygen trolley with a thud on the red dust.

‘Take it easy, Dex, and breathe.’

‘I am, dammit.’ He wore the mask but spoke through gritted teeth. ‘Bree is not my girlfriend.’

‘Are you sure?’

He rubbed his temple as if to hide his light-headedness—or a headache coming on. ‘What the hell gave you that idea?’

‘Bree acts like it. Doing up your place, sitting by your bed all night.’

Dex shook his head.

‘She’s not?’ Why was her heart daring to do some weird happy dance in hope?

‘Hell. No.’ Even sick, he was powerful, standing squarely in front of her with his tight t-shirt accentuating his toned chest. ‘Bree is just a mate.’

Nope, Bree was more than a mate. She had to be. Why else would Bree go to all this effort, except to make this guy her partner.

But it was also none of Sophie’s business. Dex was a patient, and she was leaving.

She dragged out the spare oxygen canister from the back seat of her work car. ‘This is for you.’ She then rummaged around in her backpack, pushing her camera lenses aside to dig deeper into her bag.

‘That’s a lot of camera gear. Are you a photographer?’

‘I’m learning. It’s why I moved out here. I wanted to take photos of the outback landscape and lifestyle.’ She was expecting him to tease her, or roll his eyes at her, but Dex said nothing.

‘Got it.’ From her bag, she pulled out two boxes and passed them to Dex.

‘What’s this?’

‘Dominoes. And a pack of playing cards.’

‘Why?’

‘You can play solitaire or build a house of cards. And Dominoes are fun to knock over.’

He arched an eyebrow at her like she’d gone and lost her marbles.

‘Look, this will allow you to build things with your hands while staying indoors and resting.’

His eyes narrowed at her for only a second. ‘And you’ll bring out Battleship?’

She shouldn’t. She should swap her shift with someone else and lose that mud map to never find Elsie Creek Station again.

---