Page 20 of Doc Rock
Ford nodded slowly and surprised himself when he said,“That sounds good. What’s your charity?”
“We support victims of domestic violence. Help themgetaway and back on their feet.”Clara’s voice hitched a little as she said it, and Taylor patted her knee.
Ford didn’tknowwhat the story was, buttheremust be something in Clara’s past that made this important to them.“Great. I’ll make a donation.”
“Fantastic.”Clara nodded enthusiastically.“Hel was meant to be the doctor at your concert, but proposed instead. She was gutted to miss your show. She’ll be stoked to meet you on Sunday.”
Ford’s ears pricked up. He kept having dreams about the blonde doctor. Maybe Claraknewher.
“I met the doctor who came to our show,”he said casually.
“Mai? She didn’t mention meeting Midnight Thunder when wesawher last week.”Clara frowned.“Did she say anything to you?”
Taylor shook his head.“No.”
“Weird.”Clara shrugged.“Most people would tell their friends if they met a world-famous band.”
Her name was Mai.
Ford wondered ifit wouldbe strange to ask for her last name and opened his mouth to do it when Clara spoke again.
“She’ll be there Sunday too.”
Ford nodded, pretending his heart hadn’t just skipped in a completely ridiculous way at those innocent words.
By the end of the evening, Ford had decided he was going to like his break in Burra Creek. He spent so much time laughing with Clara and Taylor that his sides hurt.
He was even looking forward to going to a baby shower so hecouldmeet more of their friends.
And maybe, just maybe, a small blonde doctor.
Chapter 9
Mai
Mai stared down at the card in her hand.
Donald Granger. Manager.
She'd looked at it a million times over the last few days. Donnie’s words ringing in her head.
‘I can understand why you walked away from the band. I can’t understand why you walked away from him.’
She hadn’t been able to sleep, lying awake thinking about Ford.
Why had she walked away from him?
When she was twenty-two, it seemed so logical to leave everything behind, including him. Now, at thirty-eight, the decisions she’d made in her youth didn’t seem so sensible.
Taking the card, she crumpled it up and threw it away. No goodcouldcome of raking up the past. However much she thought about Ford, he didn’t think the same about her; he’d moved on very publicly, so contacting Donnie was pointless.
Mai looked in the mirror, examining her outfit for Clara and Taylor’s baby shower. Her pink glasses perched on her nose as usual; what wasn’t usual was her carefully applied makeup.
While her eyeliner wasn’t quite at the raccoon proportions of Sie,it wasway more than she usually wore. Tilting her headaround, she realised how much she liked the look she'd avoided for so long, just because it reminded her of the girl she no longer was.
The deep pink dress she wore was fitted through the bodice and flared out at the waist into a full skirt, making her look a little bit like a cupcake.
She giggled.Sie would have hated this outfit.
