‘Have dinner with me,’ he said abruptly.

It wasn’t really a question, and the suddenness took her breath away. Flustered, she could only open and close her mouth like an idiot.

‘I don’t know if I’m ready to date again. I mean if it is a date…’ She flushed deeply as he grinned widely.

‘That’s kind of what I had in mind.’ His eyes dropped to the ring finger of her left hand. ‘Perhaps you’re right,’ he said softly. ‘But, Georgie, I only had dinner in mind. That’s all.’

Her heart was thudding uncomfortably in her chest. What should she do? There was no doubt she found him attractive, almost painfully so. It was just his career. Hadn’t she repeatedly told herself that she would never want to be with a man who put his life in danger almost every day of his life? Logan would be gone in three months. Far better that she keep her distance. On the other hand, it was just dinner. What was the harm in that? Two colleagues sharing a meal.

Confused by the conflicting emotions whizzing around her brain, she shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.’

Logan took a step back, surprise written all over his face. Georgie guessed that he wasn’t used to being turned down.

‘Of course,’ he said smoothly. ‘I understand. Maybe another time?’

‘Sure,’ Georgie mumbled. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to run.’ And before he could say anything else she took off, as if the devil himself was behind her.

Anne Fraser was born in Scotland, but brought up in South Africa. After she left school she returned to the birthplace of her parents, the remote Western Islands of Scotland. She left there to train as a nurse, before going on to university to study English Literature. After the birth of her first child she and her doctor husband travelled the world, working in rural Africa, Australia and Northern Canada. Anne still works in the health sector. To relax, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, walking and travelling.

Recent titles by the same author:

MIRACLE: MARRIAGE REUNITED

SPANISH DOCTOR, PREGNANT MIDWIFE*

THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR’S SURPRISE PROPOSAL

FALLING FOR HER MEDITERRANEAN BOSS

* The Brides of Penhally Bay

Rescued: Mother and Baby

by

Anne Fraser

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To my daughter Rachel, with love.

CHAPTER ONE

GEORGIE MCARTHUR pulled herself up the almost vertical rock face, inch by painful inch. The day that had started with unseasonably warm sun was now, in true Scottish spring fashion, beginning to close in and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Despite the chill in the air, Georgie could feel perspiration beading her brow as she willed her stiff and unused muscles higher up the cliff. Taking a deep breath, she dug her fingertips into the rock and, finding the narrowest of footholds, dragged herself another couple of inches closer.

The ledge she was heading for was now only two feet above her and slightly to the right. This last bit of the climb was critical and she prayed the injured boy would stay still until she reached him. If he panicked now and the shelf crumbled, it could send him tumbling over the edge—and her along with him.

‘Stay as still as you can,’ she called out. ‘I’ll be with you soon, but I have to climb above you first. Okay?’ There was no reply. The child was hidden from her view by the ledge and Georgie fervently hoped he was all right.

Steadying herself, she continued climbing until she was above him. At last she could see him clearly. He was sitting huddled against the cliff wall, his legs in front of him, the left twisted at an unnatural angle. Without doubt it was broken, but how badly? The boy was pale and clearly distressed.

‘Almost there—just sit tight,’ Georgie said, inserting another bolt into the cliff. By climbing higher than the boy, she could suspend herself just above him until she made an assessment of the stability of the shelf of rock. The last thing she wanted was for her added weight to send them both plummeting to the ground.

Finally she was in position. The boy had been watching her wide-eyed while she’d made her preparations. He looked about nine years old, and his anxious, pain-filled eyes tugged at her heart. He was so little to be going through this on his own. Which begged the question: where was the adult—or adults—who had been with him? As far as Georgie knew, the call had come from a climber who had just happened to be passing when he’d spotted the brightly coloured jacket the boy was wearing. He’d immediately called the rescue services.

It had been Georgie’s bad luck to be visiting her brother Kirk at the mountain rescue clubhouse when the call had come through. The timing was all off. A few more minutes and she might have been out of the clubhouse and on her way home, absolved from feeling any responsibility for the young victim. But she had been there when the emergency had been phoned through.

‘There’s a problem up on Ben Nevis,’ Kirk had said grimly after answering his mobile phone. ‘A young lad is stuck on a cliff. No one knows how he got there, but it seems he’s hurt.’

Kirk had looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. ‘There’s no one else, Georgie,’ he’d said quietly. He’d glanced at the clock on the wood-panelled wall. ‘Damn it, I don’t think the others are going to be back any time soon and I can’t do much with this cursed wrist in a cast.’

Georgie had understood his frustration only too well. She’d known her action-mad brother had been angry with himself for not wearing protective gear when he’d gone go-karting four weeks ago. Now his arm was encased in a cast from wrist to elbow, confining him to the clubhouse, manning the phone.

He held her gaze as he dialled the number of the mountain rescue team and asked for an update. His face fell as he listened to the reply. Snapping the phone shut, he turned to Georgie.

‘They’re at least another hour and a half away from getting back—and the weather’s closing in. Damn, damn, damn.’

‘I can climb to him, Kirk.’ The words were out before she was aware she had been even thinking them. A little boy. Hurt. Alone. How could she not do something?

Kirk’s gaze swept her face. ‘Do you think that’s a good idea? You haven’t climbed for years.’

Georgie was already heading for the locker where her equipment was still stored. Kirk was right—she hadn’t climbed for years—though force of habit ensured she kept everything in tiptop condition. ‘It’s not something you forget, Kirk. Of course I’ll go,’ she said quietly. ‘There’s no one else and I am a nurse. And a mother. If that were Jess…’

Kirk squeezed her shoulder. ‘You don’t have to do this. Nobody will think anything less of you, not after what you’ve been through.’

But I would, she thought. I’d think less of me—and it’s me I have to live with. There was no way she could leave a child trapped, hurt and terrified on a ledge for any longer than was absolutely necessary. No matter what promises she had made to herself and to the memory of her dead husband.

She was already slipping into her harness. ‘And that’s why I’m going. I can’t let anyone else go through what I did.’

Her brother regarded her steadily. Whatever he read in her eyes must have reassured him. ‘Then I’m coming with you,’ he said, gathering his gear together. Gone was his laconic teasing mood of earlier. In its place was focus and determination.

‘What, with one arm?’ Georgie said. ‘Do you think that’s a good idea?’

‘Hey, me with one arm is still better than most men with two, sis. You know that.’ He grinned but she could see he was already focussing on the climb ahead.

‘Just as long as you don’t think I’m back for good,’ she said, deliberately keeping her tone light. She snapped her backpack closed. ‘C’mon, slowcoach. Let’s get going.’

It had taken half an hour of hard climbing to get where she was now. Luckily it was Kirk’s left wrist that was broken and by a series of improvisations he was able to take the strain of her weight on the rope.

‘I’m going to let myself slowly down beside you,’ she called out to the frightened child. ‘But first I’m going to drop a rope down. Tie it around your waist as best you can, okay?’

The boy nodded.

Georgie’s arms ached with tension as she lowered herself carefully onto the ledge. Gingerly she tested her weight. Good. Although there was barely enough room for her and the child, it seemed stable enough.

Quickly she crouched beside him.

‘What’s your name?’ she asked softly.

He didn’t answer. Instead, his lip started quivering and tears rolled down his cheeks. He looked at her with abject misery. Georgie guessed panic was only moments away. She had to keep him calm until help arrived. She would have to do the talking for both of them.

‘Well, I’m Georgie,’ she began matter-of-factly. ‘I’m a nurse and I used to work with Mountain Rescue. So I’ve done this kind of thing lots of time before.’ Lots of times before losing Ian, that was. She hadn’t been on a rescue mission since the accident and wouldn’t be here now if she thought she’d any choice. Whatever nightmares she carried with her, she was doing what she had to do. Even if it meant doing the very thing she had promised herself she would never do again.

‘I’m going to have a look at you then we’re going to make a plan to get you off here,’ she continued soothingly. ‘You did the right thing by staying where you were, didn’t you?’ Georgie felt along his leg. Yup, broken, as she’d suspected, but at least the bone hadn’t punctured the skin and she wasn’t dealing with a compound fracture. That was something. Gently she removed the shoe on his injured leg and felt for the pulses in his foot.

‘Can you feel me touching your toes?’ she asked.

He sniffed and nodded. Good. Circulation and nerves intact. But did he have other injuries?

‘Are you sore anywhere else? Any numbness or tingling—like pins and needles?’

The boy shook his head.

‘Okay. I’m just going to lift your T-shirt and have a quick look at your tummy and chest.’

Superficially, at least, there was no sign of anything seriously wrong. So far, so good.

She pulled the pack off her back and removed the inflatable splint.

‘I’m going to lift your leg and slip this underneath. It will hurt a bit, I’m afraid, but not for long, and once we have the splint inflated, your leg will feel a lot better.’ As gently as she could she wrapped the boy’s leg securely in the splint, his muffled cries of pain cutting into her heart.

When she’d finished, she gave him a quick hug. ‘You’re being very, very brave,’ she told him. Spasmodic shudders racked the boy’s body. It could be shock, pain or possibly internal injuries. Without proper equipment, her examination had been cursory at best. One way or another they needed to get him off the mountain and to a hospital. But how?

‘Kirk?’ she called into her radio. Her watch told her more than fifteen minutes had passed since she’d arrived on the ledge. It had only felt like a fraction of that time. ‘Okay. I’ve had a quick look. GCS is fifteen, pulse about 100, breathing normal. No obvious injuries to chest, abdomen or spine. His tibia is broken—a clean break, luckily—and I’ve splinted the leg.’

Kirk would know that they couldn’t be sure of anything until they could examine the child thoroughly and that the child needed to be taken to hospital as soon as possible. ‘There’s not a lot of room up here,’ she continued, managing a reassuring smile at the youngster, who was watching her anxiously, ‘but the ledge seems stable enough for now if we don’t make any unnecessary movements.’ She turned away and lowered her voice so that the boy couldn’t hear. ‘There’s no way we’ll be able to belay him off this ledge, though. It’s too risky.’

‘I’m ahead of you, sis,’ Kirk replied. ‘I’ve been in radio contact with RAF Gannet. They’ll be with you in less than ten minutes and I’ve told them it’s likely they’re going to have to airlift him off the ledge. Oh, and can you ask the boy who was with him? I find it hard to believe he was on his own.’

‘Copy that,’ Georgie replied, relieved that the rescue helicopter wasn’t far away. She should have known that Kirk would be on top of things. If he hadn’t broken his wrist he’d be doing the rescue rather than co-ordinating things from the foot of the cliff.

‘How’re you holding up?’ Kirk continued. Georgie could hear the concern in her brother’s voice even through the crackle of the walkie-talkie. He knew how difficult this was for her. Not technically, but emotionally.

Carefully, Georgie settled herself down next to her charge, putting an arm around him for warmth and comfort. ‘We’re both doing fine,’ she said, smiling down at the young boy. ‘We’ll sit tight and wait for the helicopter. I’ll try and find out the answer to your questions in the meantime. So far I haven’t even got a name. Speak later.’

The child, who had been listening to every word, started to cry in earnest. Georgie hugged his shoulders.

‘Everything’s going to be okay, I promise you. But we’ll need to let your mum and dad know what’s happened. Are you able to tell me your home number?’ To her dismay, the young boy cried even louder; big gulping sobs of pain and distress.

‘Hey,’ Georgie reassured him. ‘You’re not in any trouble—they’ll just be glad you’re all right.’

Waiting for the helicopter to arrive, Georgie tried again to get some information from the little boy.

‘Can you tell me your name?’ she coaxed softly.

His eyes were solemn blue pools, etched with pain and fear. ‘J-Jack,’ he whispered as his sobs subsided.

Georgie smiled. ‘Jack. That’s a very nice name. Where do you live, Jack? Here in Fort William?’

Once more his lips trembled and his eyes filled, tears spilling over.

‘It’s not your fault,’ Georgie consoled him hurriedly. ‘Accidents happen all the time, even when we’re careful.’ She swallowed memories of Ian, her words sounding hollow even to herself. How many times had she tried to tell herself the same thing? And how many times had she wondered if only? She pushed the thoughts away. Thinking like that would drive her crazy. It certainly wouldn’t bring her husband back.

The sound of a helicopter penetrated the still air and Georgie scanned the sky above. She squeezed Jack’s hand. ‘Not long now, sweetheart, until we get you out of here. And you’ll certainly have a story to tell your pals when you see them.’ The blades clattered loudly and the ground beneath them swirled with dirt as the downdraught from the aircraft battered the rock.

Georgie watched as a suited figure was lowered from the helicopter. In less than a minute he dropped, as light as a cat, onto the ledge beside them. He released himself from the rope and the helicopter swung away to a safe distance.

‘Dr Logan Harris.’ The man introduced himself with a slight gesture of his hand.

Relief came out in an explosion of breath. She hadn’t expected a doctor. Normally the winchman was someone with first-aid knowledge, not a doctor. She had a brief impression of glinting brown eyes and even white teeth.

‘What do we have? The mountain rescue guy told me you were a nurse.’

‘A broken leg,’ Georgie answered. ‘I don’t know if there are other injuries.’

Logan Harris yanked off his safety gloves with his teeth before crouching down to examine the boy, feeling across his ribs and abdomen.

‘There’s no obvious internal damage. He’ll be checked out properly once we get him to hospital. Help me get him strapped into this harness.’

Logan turned to the boy. ‘We’ll have you off here and in hospital in a jiffy,’ he said.

Working together in the cramped space, it only took a few minutes before Jack was securely fastened. Logan grinned his approval after he tested the last buckle. He spoke into his mike and the helicopter drew nearer.

‘I’ll take the lad up and come back for you in a second,’ he shouted above the roar of the helicopter. The downdraught whipped her hair across her face and she struggled to keep it out of her eyes.

‘It’s okay. I can make it down myself,’ she yelled back.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come back for you?’ He reached out his hand for the line dropped by the helicopter and clipped it to the boy’s harness.

For a moment there was nothing Georgie would have liked better. Although she had told Kirk that getting off the ledge would present no problem, that had been before the light had started to fade. It would be much trickier now. But the thought of getting into the helicopter caused her chest to tighten. She didn’t want to go on an aircraft, not as long as she had a choice.

‘No. It’s okay. Honest. You get Jack to hospital. I’ll be fine.’

As Logan finished preparing Jack for the ascent, the boy started to protest.‘M-Mum,’ he said, panic lacing his voice.

Georgie had to put her ear to his mouth to catch the words. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get hold of your mum as soon as we get you off here,’ she said.

‘N-no.’ The boy was having difficulty getting the words through his chattering teeth. ‘Mum. She fell. Down there.’ He pointed to Georgie’s right and down the mountainside. She followed his finger but could see nothing. ‘Mum was trying to get to me and she fell,’ Jack persisted.

Georgie put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘Where, Jack? Can you tell me exactly where she is?’

His face crumpled as fresh tears coursed down his cheeks. ‘I don’t know. I saw her coming towards me after I fell. Then she disappeared. I tried to phone her on my mobile, but she didn’t answer. She’s all right, isn’t she?’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll find your mum for you.’ She relayed the information to Logan, who wouldn’t have been able to hear the boy’s words above the noise of the helicopter. ‘He says his mother fell trying to reach him—we have no information about a female casualty. Have you?’

‘No,’ Logan replied, looking worried. ‘We’ll find out more when we get him out of here and somewhere safe.

‘Let’s get you into the helicopter and to the ambulance,’ Logan said to the boy. ‘Then the helicopter will have a look for her. Okay?’

He spoke into his mike and the helicopter moved until it was above them. The rotors whipped dust from the cliff side, forcing Georgie to bend her head against the dust that peppered her face. Logan turned to Georgie. ‘We’ll find the mother, don’t worry. We’ll be back as soon as we’ve dropped the lad.’

Logan and Jack were lifted up, and a sudden gust from the helicopter as it swung away almost made Georgie lose her tenuous grip. And she would have, if it hadn’t been for the sudden increase in tension from the rope. Thank God she had managed to drive a bolt into the rock and thank God Kirk was keeping the rope taut. She and her brother had been climbing together all their lives and there was no one she would rather have protecting her back.

Then, without warning, a chunk of the crumbling cliff under her foot broke away and rolled down the mountainside. Georgie pressed herself against the rock face and held on for dear life.

Now she was really in trouble. Panic spiralled through her body.

Before she could move, another piece of rock broke away, and she only had about a foot of ledge left to stand on. She had to get off the crumbling ledge—and she had to do it quickly. But for the first time in her life she was rooted to the spot, frozen with fear. She didn’t know if she could make her limbs respond to her commands.

Sorry, Ian. I know I promised myself I wouldn’t do this any more—for our daughter’s sake. But I didn’t really have a choice, did I?

Thinking of her little girl gave her the strength she needed. No way was her child going to lose two parents. Not while she had breath left in her body. Testing the rope still attached to her harness, Georgie forced her legs to move. She was not going to fall. Kirk still had a firm grip of the other end of the rope. There might yet be a danger that falling rocks from above could tumble down and hit her, but she wouldn’t think about that. She couldn’t abseil down for the same reason. Going higher wouldn’t work either. Above, there was only sheer rock face and the rope she was using wasn’t long enough. If she had more time, she could ask Kirk to send up another rope and join that one to the one she had. But time was a luxury she didn’t have. She had to move now. Staying where she was wasn’t an option.

‘I’m going move sideways and down to the next ledge, Kirk,’ she said into her radio. ‘There’s another casualty—the mother. The helicopter is going to look for her as soon as they drop the boy off.’

‘Be careful, sis,’ Kirk’s voice crackled over the radio. He didn’t need to say any more. He, more than most, would know exactly how dangerous the predicament she found herself in was.

Georgie eased herself over the side of the cliff. Don’t think about what can happen, she told herself. Think about something else. Think about your daughter waiting for you at home.

Looking down, a wave of vertigo washed over her. It had taken her precious minutes to travel less than a couple of feet and the cliff she was reaching for was still some distance away. Another rock tumbled from the ledge above, missing her head by inches. Her heart sank as she realised she still couldn’t risk going down or up. All she could do was to keep on inching her way to the side so she’d be away from the line of the falling rocks. Then she would have to think again. Maybe Kirk would have a bright idea.

Taking a breath to try and quell the rising panic, she continued to move sideways, concentrating on finding footholds and places for her fingers to grip in the sheer rock.

Glancing to her left, she noted with relief that she had moved far enough away from the crumbling cliff and the falling rocks. Good. At the very least, if she could hang on, Kirk would find a way to get her off the damned mountain.

She looked up as the roar of the returning helicopter once again whipped dust into her face. Not that it would do her much good. The wind had picked up, and where she had moved to was under an overhang. There was no way the helicopter could get close enough to the mountainside to lift her off. No, it was down to her and Kirk. Although for the life of her, she couldn’t see an easy way off the mountain.

Kirk came back on the radio. Perhaps he had a plan?

‘Georgie, they’re going to send someone down to get you off. Hold on there. They’ll be with you in a tick.’

Georgie looked up to find the helicopter hovering dangerously close to the mountainside. Didn’t they realise the danger?

‘Tell them it’s too risky,’ she yelled back in to the radio. ‘We’ll have to think of something else.’

But to her astonishment a figure was already being lowered from the body of the aircraft. She held her breath as the figure swung perilously close to the rock face. Then he was beside her, still suspended. Dr Logan Harris. What kind of doctor was he? No other doctor she knew acted as winchman.

He held out a harness. The noise of the helicopter was too loud for her to make out what he was saying but the message was clear and there was no time to argue. The longer the helicopter stayed in the air, the greater the possibility of it crashing. Georgie slipped the harness over her head. Then she was being gripped around her waist by strong legs. She unhitched herself from her rope and seconds later they were swaying in the wind as the helicopter lifted them up and swung them away from the mountain. Looking up, she found brown eyes glinting down at her. Unbelievably, he was grinning. If she hadn’t known it was impossible, she would have swore he was enjoying himself.

A few terrifying minutes later and helping hands were reaching out, pulling them into the safety of the helicopter. For a moment, Georgie lay in a heap, just getting her breath. It wasn’t as bad in the helicopter as she had feared. She couldn’t see outside and she could almost make herself believe that they were on the ground.

‘You okay?’ Logan Harris was searching her face. ‘You looked in real trouble there for a moment.’

Well, that was one way of putting it. If Logan Harris and the crew of the helicopter hadn’t risked their lives to get her off the mountain, God only knew what would have happened. She hugged her legs to her chest as a wave of nausea washed over her. Now she was off the mountain, she couldn’t stop shaking.

‘By the way, this is Toby.’ Logan indicated the man who had helped them on board. Toby flicked his finger at his helmet in a brief salute. ‘We dropped Jack off at the bottom. The ambulance is going to take him to Fort William General. He’ll be there by now.’

‘What about Jack’s mother?’ She managed to force the words past numb lips.

Logan’s radio buzzed and he listened intently. Then he and Toby moved to the open door and scanned the ground.

‘What is it?’ Georgie asked.

‘A call just came in. The hospital’s managed to get some more information from the boy. Apparently his mother’s definitely still out here. No one has reported a woman looking for the boy.’

‘She must be hurt. Probably unconscious. There is no way she wouldn’t have noticed what was happening with her son otherwise. She would have phoned for help at the very least.’

Georgie glanced at her watch. ‘It’s been an hour since we got the call about the boy. That means the mother’s been out there for at least that time.’

She and Logan looked at each other. If the mother had a head injury, time was critical. Georgie didn’t want to think of the alternative.

Suddenly Toby pointed to something. Two figures on the ground were waving their jackets furiously. It could only mean one thing.

‘I see her,’ Logan said.

Georgie crept across to the open side of the helicopter. Once again a wave of vertigo slammed into her as she saw the ground far below. What was going on? This had never happened to her before. The thought of being in a small plane again nauseated her, but she’d hoped it would be different inside a helicopter. But there wasn’t time to think about that now. The crewman was pointing to a flat piece of ground not far from where a body lay in a crumpled heap.

‘We can land there,’ he said, and spoke into his radio.

Mist was already covering the tops of the mountains, snaking ever closer to where the woman lay. Time was of the essence. If the mist got any thicker, visibility would make everyone’s job much more difficult. It was even possible that the helicopter would have to leave and they’d have to attempt to get the victim to hospital on foot.

As soon as the helicopter touched down, Logan jumped out. Georgie ran after him, struggling to keep on her feet in the wind of the slowing rotors.

The climbers, a man and a woman, had stumbled across the inert form a few moments earlier. It was a good thing they had, as Jack’s mother must have fallen some distance and had come to rest almost underneath an enormous boulder. It was unlikely she would have been spotted from the air or that a rescue team on foot would have found her either. The passing climbers had covered her with jackets, but looked relieved to have help.

‘I don’t know what happened. I think she must have slipped on the scree and banged her head, but I can’t be sure. I can see blood underneath her head, but we didn’t want to move her,’ the female climber told Georgie and Logan.

Georgie dropped to her knees beside Logan and the injured woman. Logan was checking her face. ‘Her airway is fine and her breathing seems to be OK too,’ he told Georgie.

‘Hello,’ she shouted into the woman’s ear, while Logan was searching for a pulse. ‘Can you hear me? My name’s Georgie and I’m a nurse. There’s a doctor here too. We’re going to help you.’

There was no response. ‘Pulse is weak and rapid.’ Logan said. ‘Can you check her level of consciousness?’

Georgie pressed the woman’s fingernail firmly. She groaned softly and pulled her hand away slightly. Good. At least she was responding to pain.

A spreading red stain under the woman’s head made it obvious that, whatever other injuries she had, she had taken a nasty blow to her skull and possible brain injury would be the main concern. Georgie slipped on gloves and felt around the back of the unconscious woman’s head to feel the extent of the blow. Her fingertips came away sticky with blood, but it was hard to tell how badly she had cracked her skull.

Logan was feeling along the woman’s chest and abdomen, checking for other injuries. ‘Nothing obvious,’ he said. Georgie knew that didn’t mean that there wasn’t something going on internally, though. Only a full examination at a hospital could verify that.

The unconscious woman groaned softly. Logan whipped out the small torch from the medical bag he carried with him and shone the light in her eyes. Although the pupils responded, the left pupil was bigger than the right.

The woman needed to get to hospital—and fast. Her initial head injury was bad enough but if there was more swelling inside the skull, the pressure would build up, causing permanent brain damage, possibly even death.

‘Has she been conscious at all?’ Georgie asked the climbers.

They shook their heads. ‘Not since we got here.’

Georgie put her mouth to the mother’s ear. ‘You’re going to be all right,’ she said, unsure whether the woman could hear her. ‘Jack’s okay. He’s off the cliff and being checked over in hospital. But he’s going to be fine.’

Without knowing more, Georgie knew they had to suspect a spinal injury. The sooner the woman was in a specialist unit the better. An A and E nurse she might be, but working in a well-equipped unit was entirely different from being outdoors in dying light in the wilds of Scotland with a woman who shouldn’t be moved unnecessarily until a proper asessment had been made of her condition. Thank God there was a doctor with her who obviously knew what he was doing. It was a good thing too that the RAF helicopter was standing by. If it wasn’t here, they’d be in much greater difficulty than they already were. She looked up to see Toby returning with a stretcher.

‘We need to get this lady straight to the Glasgow City General’s neurosurgery unit as quickly as possible. If we take her to the Fort William General she’ll only have to be transferred to Glasgow later. It’ll be risky lifting her onto a stretcher from here, but I don’t think we have a choice.’

While Logan spoke he was fitting a neck brace. ‘I can’t tell at this stage whether there’s a spinal injury. We’ll have to immobilise her as best we can for the trip.’

By this time, Kirk had joined them. He gave his sister a quick hug then stood back to let them get on with seeing to the fallen woman. He must have realised that, with his broken wrist, he would only get in the way if he tried to help.

Quickly Georgie, Toby and Logan, with the help of the two passing climbers, slid the stretcher under the injured woman, taking care not to cause any unnecessary movement, and strapped her in place. Moments later, they were loading her into the helicopter.

‘Do you want a lift?’ Logan asked. Once again he grinned and a dimple appeared in his cheek. ‘The weather’s closing in and you must be exhausted.’

She summoned the biggest smile she could manage. Apart from having Jess waiting for her at home, the last thing she wanted was to go up in the helicopter again.

‘The trip back down is a piece of cake,’ she told Logan firmly. ‘You just get Jack’s mum to Glasgow and don’t worry about me.’

Kirk stepped forward and placed his uninjured arm around Georgie’s shoulders. ‘She’s right. Georgie is the last person you have to worry about on these mountains. She’s like a cat,’ he said. ‘I’ll make sure she gets down in one piece.’

Logan seemed doubtful. ‘It’s getting dark.’ He jumped into the helicopter where Toby was securing the stretcher.

‘Hey, Georgie and I could go down this mountain blindfolded. Couldn’t we, sis?’ Kirk said.

Logan glanced up at Kirk, obviously noting the family resemblance for the first time. While Kirk’s hair wasn’t nearly as red as hers, it had the merest hint of russet in its dark depths. Apart from that, Georgie knew she and her brother had almost identical eyes.

‘I don’t like it, but who am I to argue? You two obviously know what you’re doing.’ Then he grinned at Georgie and unbelievably her heart did a crazy little dance in her chest. It was still beating rapidly as the helicopter lifted into the air, taking with it Dr Logan Harris.

‘Good work, sis,’ Kirk said once the helicopter had disappeared from view. ‘Are you okay? It looked a little hairy back there.’ He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. ‘It was a brave thing you did.’

Brave? Was it brave to do something when you had no choice? She had been terrified, but she had coped. She felt the old familiar surge of satisfaction. And, God, she had missed being out on the mountains, had missed being part of the mountain rescue team.

‘Let’s get out of here. I don’t know about you, but I could do with a pint.’ Kirk gave her a final squeeze before releasing her.

It wasn’t a pint Georgie could do with. Quite frankly a magic wand to miracle her to the bottom of the mountain was what she needed. Now it was over, her legs had turned to jelly and she wondered if she could keep them working long enough to make the descent. She also knew that if she couldn’t, Kirk was perfectly capable of carrying her down—plastered forearm or not—on his back if necessary. But she couldn’t do that to him. One way or another she would have to force her mind away from the climb and the feelings it had brought flooding back and focus on something else. Like Logan Harris, for example, a little voice from nowhere chirped in her head. Think of him. Think of eyes the colour of the moor in winter and a fleeting grin that could stop a heart.

CHAPTER TWO

ONCE they were down, all Georgie wanted to do was collapse in a heap. And hug her daughter. But before she could do either, she wanted to go to the hospital and check on Jack. The little boy was bound to feel frightened and lonely, especially without a parent to comfort him. She also wanted to reassure him that his mother would be okay. If Jack were her son, she’d want someone to do the same.

But first she needed to phone her mother. Mary had come with her to Fort William for the two-week holiday and would have heard her children were involved with a rescue. She’d be worried sick and Georgie couldn’t blame her. Ian hadn’t been the only member of the mountain rescue team to have lost his life in recent years.

Sure enough, Mary’s relief when she heard both her children were safely off the mountain was palpable.

‘Are you all right?’ she said anxiously. ‘I mean, I know you’re safe now, but it couldn’t have been easy for you. Not after…’ She didn’t have to finish her sentence. Her mother knew she had sworn never to go on a rescue again and although she regretted the reasons for Georgie’s decision, she had been grateful she would have one less child to worry about. If her mother had her way, Kirk would give up his position with the mountain rescue team too. Not that that was ever going to happen.

‘I’m okay, Mum. I was just glad I was there to help. I kept thinking if it were Jess up there, alone and frightened.’ She shivered. ‘How would I have felt if no one had gone to help her? And that’s why I want to go and check on Jack myself. They had to take his mum to a specialist unit in Glasgow, but he was taken to the Fort William General. He’ll be alone, worried about his mum and bound to be shaky after his experience.’

‘Of course you have to go and see him. Wee Jess is tucked up in bed fast asleep,’ Mary said. ‘She won’t even know you’re not home. I’ve kept supper for you and Kirk. It can go in the microwave when you get back.’

Trust Mum to be worried about their supper. She had never accepted that both her children were grown up and able to look after themselves. Except they weren’t. At least she wasn’t. After Ian’s death, her mother had insisted on leaving her home here in Fort William and moving to Glasgow to help Georgie look after Jess. Her mother had given up her comfortable life without a thought so she could be with her daughter when she needed her, and had stayed. The only time her mother returned to her home town was when, as now, Georgie and Jess came too. Georgie was grateful. She’d never be able to work without her mother’s help and support. Apart from Jess, work was what had got her through those terrible months following Ian’s death.

But Georgie knew it was time she persuaded her mother that she could cope on her own. Jess had just been offered a place at nursery, starting in the autumn. With Jess at nursery full time, Mary was no longer needed as much to help with the child care. Although she would miss her mother terribly, she had to persuade her to come back here where all her friends and interests were. Georgie smiled. Kirk would become the full focus of Mary’s attention for a change. Although he loved their mother dearly, she was always going on at him to find a good woman and settle down. And Kirk wasn’t a settling-down kind of guy.

It took her another hour before she was able to leave the clubhouse. The rest of the team, who had returned from their rescue, were full of questions and refused to let her go until she had given them a blow-by-blow account. Like Kirk, they knew she hadn’t been out on a rescue since Ian had died and were concerned and anxious to hear how she had coped.

‘I’m okay,’ she reassured them. ‘It got a bit dodgy, but it all turned out okay.’

She couldn’t bring herself to tell them about the few minutes when she’d been terror-stricken and unable to move.

‘Does that mean you’re back with the team, Red?’ Mike, one of the guys she had climbed with many times before, asked.

‘No, Mike. Remember I live in Glasgow now? So it’s hardly going to happen.’

But apart from the fear, she had felt exhilarated—once it was all over. In many ways she had missed the companionship of the team as well as the adrenaline rush of climbing. But, she reminded herself, that life was finished. She had a daughter who needed a mother to be around for a very long time to come.

All in all it had been a couple of hours since the helicopter had left with Jack’s mother. By now there should be news of how she was doing. Perhaps the nurses at the Fort William General would have heard? Leaving Kirk and the rest of the guys, who were planning to move on to their usual watering hole, Georgie jumped into her small car and headed for the hospital, her mind still inexplicably filled with images of a dark-eyed man with a heart-stopping grin.

Georgie knew the staff at the Fort William General well. After all, she had worked with them for six years before moving to Glasgow. Whenever she was visiting Kirk in Fort William, she always dropped in for a cup of coffee.

Lindsay was on duty in A and E and after a brief hug and a disappointed look over her shoulder—she had always carried a torch for Kirk—led her to the cubicle where Jack was in the process of having his broken leg put in a cast. Jack looked up and his face broke into a smile. But it was the man sitting next to him playing on a games console who stopped her breath. Logan Harris! What on earth was he doing here? It was almost as if thinking about him had made him appear. He had peeled down his flying suit to his waist, revealing a hard, taut chest and powerfully muscled arms under his T-shirt.

Behind him, Lindsay wiggled her eyebrows questioningly and grinned. Like everyone else who knew about Ian, she was always telling Georgie it was time to date again.

‘Have a coffee with me if you have time?’ Lindsay said before she disappeared.

Logan got to his feet and held out his hand. ‘I just came to tell Jack about his mum,’ he said. ‘But I’m pleased to meet you properly.’ He shot another devastating smile in her direction and Georgie almost reeled from the force of it. Without his helmet she could see him properly, and if it were possible he was even more attractive than she had thought at first. Although not conventionally good-looking—his features were too rugged for a start—he had a charisma and easy confidence about him that suggested he was used to women finding him attractive. His hair was cropped short, military style, and his face was sculpted over high cheekbones. Only a scar, running from just underneath his cheekbone to the corner of his mouth, marred his good looks, but in some obscure way it only made him more attractive in Georgie’s eyes. Add a six-foot-something frame and a dose of sex appeal Georgie had only ever associated with film stars and it all added up to a mind-blowing package. All of this didn’t tie in with a man who would take the time out to stay with a frightened boy. Georgie was intrigued. And how on earth had he got back here from Glasgow? If he’d driven he must have raced along the roads at breakneck speed.

Long fingers grasped her hand in a firm grip, and sparks shot up Georgie’s arms.

‘Georgie McArthur,’ she said faintly. She dragged her eyes away from him and turned to Jack.

‘Hey. How’re you doing?’

‘Dr Harris says Mum’s awake, but still in Intensive Care in Glasgow. He says she’s going to have to stay in hospital for a day or two, but she’s going to be okay.’

The terrified little boy of earlier was gone. Now he knew his mum was going to be all right, excitement had taken over.

‘What about your dad?’ Georgie asked. ‘Wasn’t he with you?’ The light went out of Jack’s eyes.

‘He lives in Edinburgh. Mum and him aren’t living together right now. They say they’re having a little break from each other. But I don’t believe them. I think they’re getting a divorce. Mum’s been crying all the time. I made her come up here to try and get her mind off it and look what happened. If I hadn’t done what she told me not to, she wouldn’t have tried to come after me and fallen.’ His lips trembled as he remembered his terror.

‘Hey,’ Georgie said soothingly, ‘accidents happen. Your mum will be proud of how brave you were—I promise.’

‘Anyway, Dad’s with her now. He came from Edinburgh as soon as he heard she was hurt. He can’t come and see me ‘cos he doesn’t want to leave Mum on her own.’

Georgie read the hope in his eyes. It didn’t take a mind reader to know his nine-year-old mind already had his parents back together. Georgie prayed he wasn’t going to be disappointed.

‘The hospital says I have to stay in tonight. But Dr Harris says he’s going back to Glasgow tomorrow, so he’ll go with me in the ambulance car if I want.’

Georgie shot a surprised look at Logan. Surely such thoughtfulness was beyond what was required?

‘His mum was taken directly to the head injuries unit at Glasgow City. It seemed sensible. If we’d stopped here and she’d ended up having to be transferred there anyway…’ He lifted an eyebrow slightly, not wanting to complete the sentence in front of Jack.

‘I really, really want to see my mum—and dad.’ Jack’s lip trembled and Georgie’s heart went out to him. She knew he wouldn’t believe his mum was okay until he saw her for himself.

Georgie smiled reassuringly. ‘The Glasgow City just happens to be the best hospital in Scotland for people who have hurt their heads,’ she said. ‘I work there. So I know your mum is in very good hands.’

Logan looked surprised. ‘You do? Work there, I mean?’ He eyed her speculatively. ‘I assumed you were a nurse here.’

‘I used to be, until a few years ago. I’m just here on holiday. I’d take Jack myself but I’m not going back to Glasgow until Sunday night.’

‘I’ve got to go back there tomorrow anyway,’ Logan continued. ‘So it makes sense for me to go with Jack. It would save his father from making the three-hundred-mile round trip. I spoke to him on the phone and he’s relieved to have that taken care of.’

‘Don’t you have to go back with your crew?’ she asked. ‘To HMS Gannet? Isn’t that where the RAF is based? Aren’t you with them?’ A sticker on his T-shirt bore the name Major Harris.

‘I’m not actually with the RAF. I just happened to be visiting their base when the call came through and I was happy to volunteer my services.’

‘So how come you’re here? Didn’t you go with Jack’s mother to the Glasgow City General?’

‘We were heading in that direction when the Fort William General radioed to let us know they had a visiting neurologist from Glasgow who was spending the day teaching some junior doctors here. It made more sense for her to go with Jack’s mother and there are people I need to talk to here. So the helicopter picked her up and dropped me off. She phoned a few minutes ago to give us an update. That’s how we know she’s doing okay.’ He winked at Jack.

Georgie was more and more curious. She waited for him to continue.

‘And, since you are obviously interested, it so happens that the Glasgow City General is going to be my home for the next three months.’

Georgie’s cheeks grew warm. It was a Highland habit she hadn’t ever really managed to lose—this interest in other people. City people thought it was nosy to ask questions, Highlanders knew it was only polite interest—or at least that’s what they told themselves and each other.

Logan slid her a look and the wheels clicked into place. There had been talk in the A and E department of a consultant from one of the forces coming on loan for three months to look into setting up an emergency medical retrieval team similar to the one the army had perfected. Could it be this man? Georgie had expected someone a lot older for some reason. Someone closer to retirement age. Not this hunk.

‘Are you the doctor who is coming to set up the new emergency service?’ she asked bluntly, ignoring the way her heart was doing a little dance behind her ribs.

‘Got it in one.’ He moved his hand in a mock salute. ‘Major Harris at your service. How did you know?’

‘As one of the A and E nurses at the Glasgow City General, I’d heard the rumours, but I don’t make it to the inter-departmental meetings as often as I should so I’ve only gathered bits and pieces.’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘I’ve been on holiday here for the last couple of weeks, so I must have missed the latest.’

He grinned back and her heart did that complicated manoeuvre inside her chest again. ‘I’ll be there on Monday,’ he said. ‘I’ve a bit of information gathering still to do, including forming links with the other emergency services in the area. Which reminds me, I don’t suppose you have a number where I can get hold of the mountain rescue team leader, do you?’

She raised an eyebrow.

‘We’ll be working with them at some point, so I want to talk to them. I might as well do it now, seeing as I’m here for the night. No point in wasting an opportunity.’

Georgie thought for a moment. Jess would be fast asleep and likely to remain so for the remainder of the night. Kirk and the rest of the team would still be hanging out at the inn where they met most evenings to dissect the day’s climbing and the rescue. She could just give Logan Kirk’s telephone number and leave him to make his own arrangements. But that would be churlish. She made up her mind.

‘You met the team leader earlier—my brother Kirk. I can give you a lift to where he and the rest of the team will be, if you like.’

He smiled broadly. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’

Georgie and Logan left Jack, who had dozed off while they’d been speaking. Georgie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lindsay was no longer outside in the A and E area. She must have gone for her break, which was just as well. Georgie knew her ex-colleague’s curiosity would have known no bounds had she seen her leave with Logan.

Outside, Georgie watched in amusement as Logan folded his long legs with difficulty into the passenger seat of her Mini. Even with the seat pushed back to its furthest position, he still looked cramped.

The last of the sun had disappeared from the sky when they set off from the hospital, the full moon the only light on the dark road.

‘The inn is a few miles out of Fort William,’ she explained. ‘At the foot of the mountains. All the climbers meet there to analyse the day’s climbing and plan their next climb. After that they relax with a pint or two and maybe some music.’

‘Does the inn have rooms?’

‘Yes, but it’s a holiday weekend, so I’m afraid it’s likely to be booked up. Loads of people travel up at this time of the year to climb the mountains. Some come from as far away as London, or Europe.’ The implication of what he was asking hit her. ‘Of course, you don’t have anywhere to stay, do you?’

‘’Fraid not. I didn’t expect to find myself here, let alone staying the night. I don’t even have a toothbrush with me. I assumed it would be easy enough to get a room somewhere.’

She hesitated. What she was about to suggest was making her feel like a teenager asking someone out on a first date, which was ridiculous. It was simply the polite thing to do. ‘Then you’ll just have to stay the night at our house. There’s plenty of space. And it will mean you and Kirk will get a chance to talk without interruptions.’

‘He’s staying with you?’

‘Actually, we’re staying with him. My mum’s there too and my daughter, but there’s still a room free.’

She glanced across at him. Even in the dark she could see his eyes drop to her left hand where she still wore her wedding ring.

‘And your husband? Did you leave him behind in Glasgow?’

‘I’m a widow,’ she said shortly, hearing the hitch in her voice. Saying the words still brought a lump to her throat.

‘I’m sorry,’ Logan said.

Silence stretched between them. This was the part when she usually got twenty questions. But thankfully Logan didn’t ask any more. Either he thought it was none of his business or he could tell from her voice that she didn’t want to talk about it.

‘Thanks for the offer of a room,’ he said finally, ‘but I couldn’t put you out. I’m used to making do wherever I can find a bed. I’m sure I can persuade the inn to squeeze me in somewhere. Even if it’s in a hut outside.’

Georgie shook her head. ‘Nope. Sorry. Highland hospitality won’t allow it. There is no way my mother would forgive me if I let you fend for yourself.’

‘If you’re sure—great. Thank you.’

‘That’s settled, then. I’ll phone Mum once I’ve dropped you and ask her to make up the spare room.’ Although Georgie kept her voice matter-of-fact, her heart was doing its little dance again.

‘Where do you call home?’ Georgie asked. ‘I can’t place your accent.’ Damn. Here she was doing the question thing again, just when she’d promised herself she wouldn’t. But she couldn’t help it—she was intensely curious about this enigmatic man.

‘People tell me I don’t really have an accent. Probably because I’ve travelled all over.’ A shadow crossed his face, to be replaced seconds later by an easy grin. ‘That tends to happen when you’re a regular with the army.’

‘But there must be somewhere you call home!’

‘I’ve rented a place in Glasgow for three months, simply because I didn’t fancy staying in a hotel for that long. It’s the first time in years that I’ve stayed for that amount of time in one place. So I guess it’s home for the time being.’

Georgie felt a pang of sympathy. Her dad had been in the army before he’d retired. She had hated being moved from pillar to post, never really having time to make friends or settle down before moving on. The first time she had ever had somewhere to call home had been when her father had taken early retirement and moved the family to Fort William where his parents had lived all their lives. The last few years of Georgie’s childhood had been spent somewhere settled and she had thrived. Since then, Georgie’s life had been rooted in Scotland and her family and she could think of nothing worse than not having a place to call home. If it hadn’t been for the support of family and friends after Ian had died, she’d never have been able to cope.

‘And your family?’

It was as if the shutters had come down. The atmosphere in the car turned decidedly cool.

‘The army is my family,’ he said briefly. His mouth curved in to a half-smile. ‘Anyway, I’d rather talk about you.’

Some pair they made. He didn’t want to talk about his life and she didn’t want to talk about hers.

However, she couldn’t help wondering what he wasn’t telling her.

The road was rising steeply but Georgie knew the West Coast like the back of her hands. She could almost have navigated them in her sleep. The mountains of Glencoe rose like cloaked giants on either side of the road. She never failed to feel the brooding loneliness of the place where the Campbells had massacred the MacDonalds.

‘Have you always climbed?’ Logan asked.

‘Since like for ever. My father took me out on the hills as soon as I could walk. If I got tired, he’d fling me like a rucksack on his back.’ Georgie smiled at the memory, before the familiar tug of grief pulled at her heart. Although her father had died four years ago, she still missed him. ‘I was brought up here. I’ve climbed every hill in Scotland, including the Munros, at least twice. I joined the mountain rescue team when I was eighteen. Unfortunately tourists and even experienced climbers constantly underestimate our mountains—especially how quickly the weather can change. I’ve even seen women set off in their high heels for a four-hour climb. And then they’re surprised when they twist their ankle and have to be rescued. I also volunteer as a rescue medic at the annual downhill cycle race that’s held in Fort William every year.’

‘But you live in Glasgow now?’

‘Yes. And have done for the last two and a half years. I’m not really part of the mountain rescue team any more. Today was unusual. I just happened to be hanging out at the clubhouse with Kirk when the call came through. The team was out on another call, so I said I would go.’ She took a shaky breath, remembering how she had frozen and the vertigo she’d experienced. It had never happened before, but this had been the first time she’d climbed since before Jess had been born. Just as well, then, that she was no longer part of the team.

Georgie felt Logan’s eyes on her and when she glanced his way he was looking thoughtful.

‘What’s the most difficult rescue you’ve been involved with?’

His question was unexpected and hit her right in the solar plexus. She couldn’t bear to think about the most difficult rescue. She had spent the last two and a half years trying not to think about it.

‘Georgie?’ Logan prompted. Her silence must have told him she didn’t want to talk about it. ‘It’s okay,’ he said ‘You don’t have to tell me. God knows, there’s stuff I don’t want to talk about.’

So she was right. There was a lot more to Logan Harris than met the eye. He puzzled her. On the one hand, he seemed to be a typical all-male action man—on the other, he had this surprising thoughtfulness. He had cared enough to go and see Jack, knowing the child would be frightened and anxious.

She didn’t know whether she was relieved or disappointed when the lights of the inn broke through the darkness.

‘We’re here. I’ll make the introductions and then get away and help Mum with the spare room.’ Right now all she wanted was to be away from this man’s searching eyes—and his questions.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to at least ask about a room here? Maybe I’d be lucky.’

‘Honestly, there’s no problem. Whatever you prefer. If there isn’t space or you just change your mind about asking, Kirk will bring you back with him. Actually, come to think of it, he’ll probably insist on it. You can drive his car, otherwise, knowing my brother, he’ll be tempted to drive himself—even with one arm in plaster. And he drives like a madman at the best of times.’

‘Seems like you and your brother are one of a kind—you both enjoy putting your lives in danger,’ Logan said, and Georgie couldn’t tell whether it was approval or the opposite in his voice.

Little did he know that he had got it completely wrong. Kirk might still love pitting himself against the mountain, and she might have done once, but all she wanted these days was an easy life. A safe, uncomplicated life for her and Jess.

Inside, the inn was a cacophony of sound. Someone had brought out an accordion and Kirk had retrieved his fiddle from behind the bar and in his typical nothing-is-going to-stop-me-doing-what-I-want way had tucked the instrument under his plastered left arm while he played the strings with his right. When he spotted them he waved.

‘Trust Kirk not to miss a chance to play the fiddle.’ Georgie indicated her brother with a nod of her head. ‘He’ll be over as soon as he finishes the set.’

‘Hey, Red.’ A stocky man with a woollen hat rushed to their side. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’

Logan mouthed ‘Red?’ at her with a broad grin on his face. Georgie wished Rob and the rest would get over using the nickname they had given her when she’d been a teenager and had first started hanging out with them.

‘Rob, this is Dr Logan Harris. He wanted to meet you guys and to speak to Kirk in particular. I need to get home. Would you mind telling Kirk that Logan would like a word when he’s free? And tell him Logan will be staying the night at the house?’

‘Sure thing, Red. Hey, how’s that wee kiddie of yours? Kirk’s always telling us she’s the spitting image of Ian.’

‘Will you stop calling me Red?’ Georgie muttered in his ear, before straightening. ‘Jess is fine. Growing fast. I brought her in the other day, but I gather you were up some mountain—as usual. I’m away back to Glasgow tomorrow night, so you’ll have to wait until next time, I’m afraid.’

Once more she was conscious of Logan’s eyes on hers. Unable to help herself, she slid him a glance. He was looking at her wedding ring.

‘The guys will look after you. I’ll see you later, Logan,’ she said, and quickly made her escape.

As she drove home Georgie couldn’t stop thinking about Logan. He was coming to work at the Glasgow City Hospital! And he would be working in the same department as her too! Or would he? The chat about the doctor coming to set up the new service hadn’t been terribly specific as to where he’d be based, but he was bound to be in the department some of the time at least. For some crazy reason her heart started doing its little dance at the thought. Stop it! she told herself angrily. You don’t know the first thing about him. Except that he is sexy as hell. And not just mildly attractive either. More like blowing- your-socks-off, drop-dead gorgeous!

The realisation hit her like a ton of bricks. It was the first time she had even thought about another man, let alone found one attractive. A shock of guilt and dismay shot through her. How could she even think of another man when she had loved Ian so much? Eventually, sometime—in the year dot maybe—she would have to move on with her life. People had told her time would heal, that eventually her heart would mend, but she hadn’t believed them. If that meant forgetting about Ian, she didn’t know if she wanted her heart to heal. Forgetting about him, her first love, the father of her child, seemed so disloyal. What was she thinking? She could no more forget Ian than fly to the moon. But some easing of the pain that had almost crushed her had to be good.

She shook her head. All this turmoil just because she had met a man who made her pulse race. She didn’t even know if he was married. Someone as gorgeous as him was bound to be. Besides, the look in his eyes, the excitement, the thrill of danger. She had seen that look before. In Ian’s eyes.

Married or not, Georgie thought impatiently, Dr Logan Harris was not for her.

‘And you say you’re going to be working with this man?’ Mary asked as they made up the bed in the spare room. ‘What’s he like?’

Kirk had telephoned to say that the inn was full and Logan was taking up Georgie’s offer of a bed for the night.

‘Oh, you know. Tall,’ she replied evasively. Her mother was also always telling her it was time to move on. Georgie knew as soon as Mary saw Logan she’d start imagining all sorts of scenarios. All sorts of never-going-to-happen scenarios. ‘Anyway, you’ll meet him yourself. If not tonight, at breakfast tomorrow.’

‘And he’s an army doctor?’ Mary persisted. ‘What’s he going to be doing in Glasgow, then?’

‘Setting up a medical emergency retrieval service. He’s only there for three months—or so I understand.’

‘Is he young?’

‘Thirty-something at a guess. C’mon, Mum. I know what’s going through your mind. But forget it. He might be married for all I know. And, anyway, I don’t want a relationship with another man.’ She twisted her wedding ring. ‘I still miss Ian, Mum.’

This time she couldn’t help the catch in her voice. Her mother stopped what she was doing and came over and hugged her. ‘Ian would want you to move on with your life, you know. All he ever wanted was your happiness. You can’t mourn him for ever.’

‘I know that. I guess I’m just not ready yet. Besides…’

‘Go on,’ Mary prompted.

‘Besides, even if I were, I could never fall for someone who puts his life in danger on a daily basis. Not after what happened to Ian. If I do meet someone else, believe me, it’s going to be someone whose idea of a wild night is watching an action movie on the telly.’

‘I can’t imagine you being happy with that sort of man. You’ve always craved excitement.’

‘Honestly, Mum. I’ve had enough excitement to last me a lifetime. All I want now is to make a home for me and Jess. Somewhere secure for both of us.’ She looked at Mary, noticing, not for the first time, that her mother was getting old. Despite her protestations, Georgie could tell the arthritis in her left hip was getting worse. ‘It’s time we let you get back to your own life. You’ve put it on hold for long enough.’

‘That’s not what I meant when I said it’s time for you to get over your grief,’ Mary protested. ‘You know I love looking after Jess. It’s you I’m worried about.’

‘I couldn’t have managed these last two and a half years without you, you know that. But, as you say, it’s time I stood on my own two feet. And part of that means letting you get back to your home. You can’t tell me that you don’t miss it.’

‘A house—a place—is nothing compared to being with those you love when they need you. And you still need me. I’ll stay as long as you need me, mo ghràigh,’ her mother said quietly. ‘You know that, don’t you?’

When Georgie woke up the next morning she was astonished to find it was after eight. She had fallen into bed soon after they’d finished getting the spare room ready and had gone out like a light. Probably something to do with yesterday’s unaccustomed exercise.

Throwing the bedclothes aside, she sprang out of bed. Normally Jess would have woken her long before now, jumping on the bed or crawling in beside her for a story, but the house was ominously quiet. She rushed to Jess’s room. It was empty. Where was she? Mary was going out for the day and had obviously gone already, so Jess couldn’t be with her. Kirk would have left for the hospital ages ago. Georgie was beginning to panic. Could Jess have let herself out of the house? What if she had wandered into the street? Or to the stream that flowed near the house?

Heart in mouth, Georgie charged into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. Jess was sitting at the table next to a bemused Logan, chatting away. In her panic Georgie had completely forgotten he had spent the night. She hadn’t heard him and Kirk come in.

Her daughter’s plump, toddler cheeks were flushed pink and her hair was a tangle of curls around her face. She looked, as usual, adorable. ‘Jess,’ Georgie breathed, almost dizzy with relief.

‘Mummy!’ Jess cried happily when she saw Georgie. ‘Uncle Logan’s been reading to me.’

Uncle Logan? Where had that come from? Jess was usually shy with strangers.

Amused, slightly stunned brown eyes found hers. ‘She toddled into the kitchen before Kirk left, wanting a story read to her, so I was happy to oblige. We enjoyed “The Enormous Crocodile” twice and before that we watched a DVD about some strange teddy bears with holes in their stomachs—um, let me see, three times, or was it four?’

Poor Logan. He obviously hadn’t a clue that there was nothing Jess liked more than undivided attention. And equally obviously he had never been confronted with the Teletubbies either!

‘You should have sent Jess in to me,’ she remonstrated softly, feeling slightly guilty. ‘I’m usually up by now. I don’t know how I managed to sleep through my alarm…’

‘Your mother wanted to wake you, but I said to let you sleep as long as possible.’

‘Oh! How long have you been up?’

‘Since six. Don’t worry, that’s my usual time.’ Logan grinned, his eyes creasing at the corners, and Georgie’s heart tumbled. His eyes travelled across her body and she blushed as she realised she was only wearing pyjama bottoms and a very skimpy top. Hastily, she retreated out of the kitchen.

‘I’ll just get dressed. Then I’ll make us some breakfast,’ she said over her shoulder.

‘Take your time, Jess and I have had porridge oats already,’ came the amused reply. ‘And I think there are still several books in Jess’s pile.’

After a hasty shower and a too-long dither over what to wear, Georgie settled on black jeans and a moss-green V-neck jersey before returning to the kitchen. Logan and Jess were still at the table looking at books, but Georgie was sure his eyes were beginning to glaze over. There was, after all, only so much of books for a three-year-old anyone, except a parent, could take. Thinking of which, she still didn’t know whether he was married and had children. Someone this comfortable with a three-year-old was bound to have his own. Dismayed at the stab of disappointment she felt at the thought, Georgie picked Jess up and squeezed her tight.

‘I think we’d better give Uncle Logan…’ she slid a pointed look in his direction ‘…a little break, don’t you?’

Jess was bubbling over with excitement ‘He’s been telling me about the ‘copter he flies and he says he’s going to work in your hospital, Mummy. Is that true? Can he live with us and Granny in Glasgow?’

‘Logan will want to stay in his own house, mo ghaol. Now, off you go and get dressed. Call me if you need help.’ The thought of Logan living with them was sending all sorts of unwanted fantasies fizzing around her brain.

Georgie placed her daughter back on her feet and gently prodded her in the direction of her bedroom. Jess, with a great show of reluctance, left them alone.

‘Speaking of which, where is the flat you’ve rented in Glasgow?’ Georgie asked politely.

‘On the Clyde, overlooking the river. It’s small but has everything I need. Down to the latest music system. It’s also handy for the hospital.’

‘And will your family be joining you?’ Georgie asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

As he quirked an eyebrow in her direction she added hastily, ‘You seem so comfortable with Jess I thought you must be used to kids.’ The words were out before she could stop them.

Logan grinned ruefully. ‘Nope. No wife. No nephews, no nieces. Or brothers or sisters.’

‘What, none at all? What about your parents?’ She was doing it again. Opening her mouth before she had engaged her brain.

Once again a strange look crossed Logan’s features.

‘They’re dead. When I was a kid,’ he said shortly.

Georgie could have bitten her tongue. She had gone in there with two big feet. How terrible to grow up without parents. It really was time she learned when to keep her mouth shut.

Before she could apologise, Logan held up a hand. ‘Would you mind if we changed the subject?’ Although his voice was light, there was a tightness around his mouth that told Georgie he was hurting.

Georgie switched on the kettle, glad that she had her back to him so that he wouldn’t see her confusion—or her pity. She knew instinctively that Logan would hate sympathy. But someone must have brought him up. An aunt perhaps? Grandparents? Why, then, the reference to the army being his family? She wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything about this man. And he wasn’t married. That shouldn’t make a difference to her but it did. She was burning with curiosity, but his expression made it clear that the subject was closed. At least for now.

‘Coffee?’ she asked.

Logan shook his head.

‘I think it’s time I went to the hospital to collect Jack. I’m sure he’s desperate to see his folks.’ He was no longer the smiling, relaxed man of earlier. His voice was stiff and his eyes hooded. It seemed her open curiosity had upset or annoyed him.

There was nothing for it but to call the taxi for him, and they waited for the few minutes it took to arrive in uncomfortable silence. When the taxi tooted its arrival, Logan stood and held out his hand. Still bewildered, Georgie shook it.

‘Please thank your mother for me—and Kirk. Tell him the information he gave me will be invaluable.’ Just then Jess appeared at the doorway, dressed in a bizarre combination of dress and shorts. Despite the tension in the room, Georgie had to smile. It was typical of her daughter. If she couldn’t choose what to wear, she simply wore everything she fancied.

Jess ran up to Logan and flung her arms around his legs.

‘Are you coming back?’ she asked, tilting her head up to read his expression.

Logan crouched down beside her, his face relaxing into a smile. ‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘But perhaps I’ll see you in Glasgow? I’ll certainly be seeing your mum there.’ He turned to Georgie, looking as if he was about to say something. But when the taxi gave another impatient toot of its horn, Logan sketched a wave and left them alone.

In the taxi, Logan sank back against the seat, his mind filled with images of Georgie. Her red curls, framing a delicate face; her impish smile that couldn’t quite disguise the sadness in her grey eyes. He thought about the lie he had told her. It was one he was used to telling when anyone asked, but it didn’t make him feel any better—although his parents might as well be dead. Over the years he had said it so often, sometimes he almost believed it. What was the alternative? Telling people that his mother had abandoned him to the care system when he was just two years old—younger than Jess. It had been bad enough when he’d been a child in school. His teachers had treated him differently when they’d known he was in care. They’d expected him to show behavioural problems—and so he had. He’d kept getting into trouble. Nothing too serious—a broken window, playing truant—but it had been enough to convince his teachers he had no future. If it hadn’t been for the army cadet programme one of his care workers had suggested, he probably would have lived up to everyone’s expectations and amounted to nothing. But the discipline of army life had suited him. He had buckled down at school and made something of his life. If his teachers knew he had made it through medical school, they wouldn’t believe it. He owed the army big-time.

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