Carrie Goes Off the Map Read Free

softly.
    Her heart started ricocheting madly. She knew something was very wrong. ‘Hard for you? What do you mean?’
    He was staring down at his glass again, swirling the whisky round in circles. ‘I’ve been sitting here for hours wondering how I was going to do this, but it’s no good,’ he said.
    She felt a cold sweat breaking out on the small of her back. ‘Huw, what are you talking about? I don’t understand you.’
    â€˜I don’t really understand myself, Carrie, but I do know there’s something I need to tell you.’
    â€˜Like what? Has your mother ordered the wrong flowers? Has the cake company gone bust?’ She tried one last stab at humor, pretending that he was only joking, that he wasn’t going to say something terrible, but he shook his head.
    â€˜It’s been tearing me up for weeks, Carrie. I thought the stag weekend would help—make me realize that this was what I wanted, that I’d be fine once all this wedding shit was over, but it’s no good. I can’t do this to me, and certainly not to you, love. God knows I’ve tried, but I just can’t do it. Carrie, I can’t marry you.’

Chapter 2
    Four months later, the sun was hot on Matt Landor’s back as he glared down at his boss’s face. The two of them were standing on the wooden veranda of the medical station, sheltering from the midmorning sun. Dr. Shelly Cabot was glaring back at him, arms folded, and Matt was trying desperately hard not to smile. If he did, she might think he wasn’t serious, and he’d never been more serious about anything in his life.
    â€˜It’s not that bad, Matt. You’ll be back here before you know it,’ she said in the voice she often used before inflicting major pain on one of their patients.
    â€˜It would be so much better if I didn’t go at all,’ he said, shifting position so she had to blink against the sun to answer him.
    â€˜We’ve talked about this. You need to get out of Tuman and go home to England. Drink tea. Play cricket…’ she said.
    â€˜Nice try, Shelly, but there’s a problem with that. I don’t drink bloody tea and cricket bores the crap out of me.’
    Shelly let out an exasperated gasp. ‘Matt, you know damn well what I mean. Go and do whatever the hell you Brits do. Get pissed and wreck a bar if you like. Just take a break. A proper break. For God’s sake, you could even try talking to someone.’
    That last piece of advice had Matt snorting in derision, but Shelly’s smile faded and her eyes hardened. ‘You’ve been here nearly a year and you’re overdue some decent leave. Even if you hadn’t been involved in the accident I’d still have expected you to go back home for a few weeks. After what’s happened, it’s an order, and if you don’t do as I say, so help me, I won’t have you back at all.’
    Ah, the accident. He’d known she’d bring that up sooner or later. It had been four weeks since it happened and he admitted he’d been shaken up by it… more than shaken, mate , a voice whispered in his head. He balled his hands into fists as he felt the tremor invade them, but finally let a smile touch his lips.
    â€˜Shelly, has anyone told you how sexy you look when you’re pissed off?’
    Her mouth opened in an O . ‘You cheeky, sexist basta—’
    â€˜Shhh. The children are listening.’
    On cue, a gaggle of kids burst out of the entrance to the medical station, swarming around them and dancing in excitement.
    â€˜Dr. Matt! Are you going?’ a boy shouted.
    â€˜When are you coming back?’
    A small girl slipped her hand in his, curling her warm fingers around his. ‘Why are you going away?’ she said, gazing up into his face.
    Matt held his breath. He couldn’t use a child to score points over Shelly, no matter how wrong he thought she was in sending