Charles was a general physician whose patients numbered some of the wealthiest people in Melbourne. He knew what he wanted in life, did Charles, and he didn’t like hiccups.

What was happening now was clearly a hiccup, and it was the second hiccup in a week. The first had been on Tuesday when she’d knocked back his very reasonable request to marry him.

‘Erin.’ He looked straight past Dominic, seeing only her. His glance took her in, from her bare toes to her hair, still tangled and wet from the shower. ‘My God. You said you weren’t hurt. The crutches…’

‘I cut my foot,’ she said, and managed a smile. ‘Lots of little scratches. They’ll heal fast and I already look a lot better than I did last night. Charles, this is Dr Dominic Spencer. He came to my rescue.’

‘I’m very grateful,’ Charles said, and gripped Dom’s hand in what Erin knew would be an exceedingly manly handshake. ‘Not that there was any need. If she’d just phoned…’

He was grateful. As if he owned her. What more did she have to say to cut herself loose? ‘I told you,’ she explained, when he turned on his reproachful look on her. ‘I lost my cellphone, and by the time I got here it was three in the morning. I didn’t want to worry Mum and Dad.’

‘They’re worried now,’ Charles said, reproving. ‘Crashing the car-for a dog. Honestly, Erin, you know not to swerve for animals. You know better than most what tragedy crashes can cause. But I won’t say anything. If you’re ready, we’ll leave. We’ll take a look at your car on the way, see what we can salvage and ring the insurance people before we do anything. That car’s practically new. I don’t want it looted.’

I don’t want it looted. The proprietary thing was automatic.

She should never have let it get this far, she thought bleakly. But it had happened so gradually she hadn’t noticed. According to Charles, her parents had always assumed they’d marry. His parents had always assumed they’d marry. So had Charles.

It was only when he’d suggested they break the news to the parents this Easter and maybe take a family excursion to buy the ring that she’d realised how far those assumptions had gone.

Was marriage supposed to be like this? An assumption that it’d be good for all concerned?

So on Tuesday she’d tried to explain it but he’d simply smiled at her like an avuncular big brother. ‘It’s only nerves. It’s okay. Come home at Easter and we’ll discuss it.’

She so nearly hadn’t come. But her parents were already staying with Charles’s parents. They’d been planning this Easter for months. They’d all be so upset…

Charles was smiling at her. Waiting for an answer. Ready to start his very reasonable discussion again.

Dom was watching from the sidelines.

‘It’ll hardly be looted where it is,’ Erin managed. ‘And…um…Charles, there’s also the problem of Marilyn.’

‘Marilyn?’

‘The…my dog.’ She gestured to Marilyn on the floor behind her. ‘She was the one on the road last night. I’m keeping her.’

Charles glanced at the dog. And then glanced again. In horror.

Marilyn was rousing. Her intravenous line had provided her with fluids, antibiotics and pain relief. Her puppies had drunk their fill and were now sleeping.

With a weary heave, she stumbled to her feet. Dom had left a water bowl by her side. She inspected it with caution, looked up at the three humans watching her and then lowered her head to drink.

Erin found she was grinning. She glanced at Dom and he was grinning, too.

‘I’ll take the IV line out,’ Dom said, sounding exceedingly satisfied. ‘She’ll want to go outside.’

‘What,’ Charles said, in a voice that said he didn’t believe what he was seeing, ‘is that?’

‘It’s the dog I was telling you about,’ Erin explained patiently. ‘She had puppies last night. And I’m keeping her,’ she repeated. ‘I’m keeping them all.’

Ignoring them, Dom dropped to his knees. While Marilyn drank he slipped the IV line out, putting pressure on the entry point for a moment with a wad of clean tissues he tugged from his pocket. What sort of a man carried an excess supply of tissues? Erin wondered.

A guy who was used to life’s messes.

A really sexy doctor who was used to life’s messes.

‘That’s great,’ Dom said cheerfully, as Marilyn kept on drinking. ‘I’m thinking she’ll settle, wherever you take her. She was great this morning while I cleaned her side-she’s a lovely, placid pooch. You’ll have to give the rest of the antibiotic orally but she should be fine.’

‘You’ll have to give…’ Charles repeated faintly, and stared at Erin in horror. ‘You’re kidding.’

‘I’m not kidding,’ Erin said solidly. ‘I can’t leave her here.’

‘Why not?’

‘Dom has enough on his plate. He has kids.’

‘Kids like dogs,’ Charles said flatly. ‘I can’t believe this. You crashed the car for this?’

‘Hey,’ Dom said. ‘Mind the insults. You need to be wary of new mothers. Very hormonal.’

He was still grinning. Laughing at…Charles? At her situation? Erin turned a shoulder to tell him what she thought of that-and tried to concentrate on Charles. ‘I have to take her.’

‘Not to my parents’, you can’t,’ Charles said bluntly. ‘Mum’d have kittens.’

‘That’d add to the menagerie,’ Dom said, still grinning.

‘Your mother would have forty fits as well,’ Charles added. ‘And I can’t imagine how Peppy would react.’

‘Who’s Peppy?’ Dom asked, interested. ‘Great Aunt Peppy?’

‘Peppy’s my mother’s poodle,’ Erin snapped. She could do without the levity.

‘Your parents and Charles’s parents live together?’

‘We’re having a family Easter,’ Erin said, trying not to sound…strained. Knowing she hadn’t pulled it off. ‘Our parents are old friends. Charles’s parents asked us all for Easter.’

‘That’s great,’ Dom said, and suddenly the laughter was gone. His tone had turned implacable. ‘That’s six adults to look after one dog and three pups. Two dogs if you count Peppy.’ Behind him, his phone started ringing. ‘Can you excuse me? I need to answer this.’ Then he glanced at Marilyn who was looking-meaningfully-at the door. ‘Could you guys take Marilyn out to the garden? Now she’s off her IV line, I’m thinking she might need a walk.’ He carried his phone into the kitchen and closed the door.

Walk. Right. Not so much a walk as a stagger, Erin thought. For both of them.

She ignored Charles for the moment-she was taking Marilyn and there was nothing she could do to help him come to terms with the inevitable. Dom’s wellingtons were at the door-used, she guessed, for carting wood in the rain or something equally bucolic and messy. This was where she was now, she thought ruefully. Country and messy. She hauled on the boots over her dressings, and then-as Charles still didn’t move-she limped to the stairs. Marilyn followed.

They struggled, but both of them made it down the couple of shallow steps and onto the grass. Marilyn sniffed the grass in appreciation, cast Erin a look of what seemed to be gratitude and did what was expected.

Last night in the dark and confusion and fear Erin had thought the dog was fat. Now she saw the too-prominent ribs, the sunken face. The legs that trembled. But the terror of the night was over. Marilyn turned her big, ugly face up to the morning sun as if soaking in its warmth. Erin gazed down and felt her heart wobble.

Last night it had seemed as if the world was ending-for her as well as for Marilyn. Last night, as the car had rolled, for a long terrifying moment she’d thought she might die. Marilyn had been close to death. This morning the sun was glinting on the sea, on both of their faces, on their lives, and here they were, ready to start again.

For this dog, life was about to change. It must, no matter what. Even if her own life changed in the process. For that was how she felt right now. It was as if she’d never felt the sun on her face before. Like she’d woken from a dream and found a new reality.

Maybe she was being dumb. Fanciful. But she looked down at Marilyn and her resolution was absolute. Knocking Charles’s proposal back was only the start of it.

‘Hey,’ she said softly, and squatted on her heels in the soft grass. It hurt a bit but her foot was nothing compared with what Marilyn had been through. ‘You’re a dog in a million.’

‘She’s not,’ Charles said from the veranda. He’d made no move to help. He seemed too…stunned. ‘Erin, get serious. If this guy…’

‘You mean Dominic.’

‘If this guy can’t take her…’

‘He can’t. He’s the only doctor for the town and he’s a single dad.’

‘Then she has to be put down,’ Charles went on, inexorably. ‘You know that. She’s a stray. No one wants her.’

‘Do you mind?’ She put her hands over Marilyn’s ears. ‘Do you know what she’s been through? Someone threw her out of their car.’

‘All the more reason to do what’s sensible,’ he said, and then softened his tone. ‘Sweetheart, I know you’ve had a rotten shock. If this guy can’t take the dog…’

‘I’m not your sweetheart.’

‘And I can’t take the dog.’ Dominic was abruptly with them again, pushing the screen door wide with a bang and striding down the steps with speed. ‘Sorry, but I need to go. I’ve called a neighbour to come over and care for the boys but I can’t wait. I’ve had a call-a kid with nut allergy. Jamie’s gone into anaphylactic shock. They’re driving him to meet me. Can you stay with the boys until Dulcie gets here?’ He was heading for the garage at a run. ‘Great to meet you both. See you again some time.’

Anaphylactic shock…

Erin’s mind switched into medical mode, just like that. If a child’s reaction was severe…

This was what she did.

Without making a conscious decision, she found herself running, not noticing her feet, reaching Dom’s car almost as he did.