Could single dad Ethan be the one...

To put Kate together again?

When kindhearted single father Dr Ethan Carr comes to vet Kate Conway’s rescue one night, it forges an unexpected bond between them. Could Kate be the perfect woman for Ethan and his young son to let into their life? If Kate can learn to trust again and let Ethan help her, perhaps they can both move on—and be a family!

Cursed with a poor sense of direction and a propensity to read, ANNIE CLAYDON spent much of her childhood lost in books. A degree in English Literature followed by a career in computing didn’t lead directly to her perfect job—writing romance for Mills & Boon—but she has no regrets in taking the scenic route. She lives in London: a city where getting lost can be a joy.

Also by Annie Claydon

The Doctor She’d Never ForgetDiscovering Dr RileyThe Doctor’s Diamond ProposalEnglish Rose for the Sicilian DocSaving Baby AmyForbidden Night with the Duke

Stranded in His Arms miniseries

Rescued by Dr RafeSaved by the Single Dad

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Healed by the Single Dad Doc

Annie Claydon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07495-7

HEALED BY THE SINGLE DAD DOC

© 2018 Annie Claydon

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Kate. Wishing you unicorns.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

CHAPTER ONE

DR ETHAN CONWAY WAS no stranger to the saving of lives. And also no stranger to the desolate feeling of having to accept that sometimes there is nothing that can be done.

And Jeff wasn’t ‘just’ a dog. He was Ethan’s dog. The gentle, giant Newfoundland would be over ninety now in human years. Old age was finally catching up with him and, if his gradual decline over the last three weeks hadn’t come as any surprise, it had still been hard.

‘All right, Jeff. She’ll be here in a minute.’ Ethan had parked the car in the empty forecourt of the veterinary surgery, and he twisted round in his seat. Jeff lifted his head slightly at the sound of his name and Ethan reached back, stroking the dog’s head. Jeff had been with him for nine years, through love and loss, dreams and shattered hopes, and the thought of losing him now hurt.

It’s okay to be upset about this.

The words of the pretty red-haired vet who’d seen Jeff last week sounded in Ethan’s head. He’d explained to her that, in the scheme of things, this wasn’t so bad and she’d cut through his bravado with one look.

Another car swung onto the forecourt, its headlights blinding him for a moment. It stopped at an interesting angle, taking up two parking spaces, and the driver’s door opened. Kate Foster got out, hurrying across to where Ethan’s car was parked.

‘I’ll straighten it up in a minute...’ Ethan wound the driver’s window down and she grinned at him. ‘Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry, my last call took a bit longer than I anticipated.’

‘I was early. And it’s good of you to see us so late in the evening.’

She brushed the idea away with a wave of her hand, even though Ethan knew from his earlier conversation with the receptionist that Kate had been working all day. Despite that, she was all fresh-faced energy as she craned her neck through the window of his car, her gaze seeking Jeff out.

‘Hello, Jeff. How are you doing, old boy?’

Jeff’s tail thumped on the seat and he raised his head again. Kate smiled, and Ethan provided the answer to her question.

‘He’s been a lot more comfortable since you saw him last week. I’ve been giving him the medication regularly.’

She nodded. ‘Good. Let’s get him inside and I’ll take a look at him.’

Kate unlocked the main door of the surgery and waited while Ethan unclipped the car safety-harness. Jeff lumbered slowly inside. The door slammed behind them and she squeezed past him in the narrow entranceway, leaving a scent of fresh air and flowers behind her as she walked through the darkened reception area and opened a door to the surgery at the back, flipping on the light.

‘Bring him through...’ She held the door open and Ethan bent, ready to lift the large dog up onto the examination couch. ‘That’s okay. Sit down there with him. He didn’t much like it up on the couch last time, did he?’

She’d only seen Jeff once before but she remembered. Ethan sat down gratefully on the long vinyl-covered bench which ran along one wall of the surgery, and Jeff sprawled on the floor next to him, leaning against Ethan’s legs.

‘You’ll be okay there for a moment? I’ve got to go and get my bag from the car.’ She gave a smiling shrug that, for one moment, dispelled the weight in his heart. ‘I should probably take another shot at that parking bay, too. I’m told the white lines are there for a reason.’

‘We’ll be fine. Call me if you need someone to wave you in to your space.’

She chuckled, and it occurred to Ethan that parking in a straight line wasn’t much in Kate’s nature. At work, she was thoughtful and methodical, but everything else she did betrayed a deliciously free spirit.

He heard the sound of the front door closing behind her. Then silence, broken only by the faint whisper of a car engine. A dull thud, and then silence again.

‘Better go and see if she needs some help, Jeff.’ Ethan shifted Jeff to one side a little and got to his feet. As he did so, the sound of a scream made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

No... Not so much a scream as a battle cry—the incoherent noise of blind effort and determination. Ethan ran to the front door, cursing as he fumbled with the catch in the darkness.

His eyes strained against the shadows cast by the high hedge which ran around the forecourt. Kate’s car had been backed into a parking space, and a few feet away she was struggling to escape from a dark form which was gripping her arm.

‘Hey! Let go of her!’ Ethan hollered at the top of his lungs and the shadow froze for a moment. That moment was just enough for Kate to land a punch, and as the man’s head snapped around his hood fell from across his face and Ethan saw him.

Young—early twenties, probably. Dark hair cut short. The details registered automatically in the back of Ethan’s mind as he made a charge towards them, a roar escaping from his lips.

The more she fought, the greater danger there was of her being hurt. But instinct had taken over and Kate was fighting. She aimed another punch at the man and he threw her to the ground. Ethan heard Kate yelp as the man aimed a kick at her ribs, before running out of the forecourt and across the road.

‘Kate...’ She was halfway to her feet, scrambling backwards away from him as Ethan slowed his pace, walking towards her. ‘Kate, it’s all right.’

His words weren’t registering. He’d seen this before, someone so frightened that they’d fight anyone off, even the people who came to help them. Ethan held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, his heart pounding.

She was stumbling towards her car, her eyes wide in the darkness, red corkscrew curls of hair escaping from the knot at the back of her head. Ethan tried to head her off, wondering whether she might be about to lock herself in her car and try to drive away, but she seemed more interested in the back of the vehicle than the driver’s door.

‘It’s okay, Kate. He’s gone now.’

‘Gone?’ The one word seemed to penetrate her panic. ‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes, I saw him run across the road and get into a van. They’ve driven away.’ He stepped forward and she practically fell into his arms, hugging him.

He could feel her body shaking against his. Ethan held her tight. This was...

It was almost...good. Almost the best thing he’d done in a long time. He smoothed the dishevelled curls on the back of her head, trying to focus on what he was supposed to be doing. Comfort. That was right.

‘You’ve had a shock.’ Ethan swallowed down the impulse to tell her that everything was all right now. However much he wanted to make it all right, that wasn’t in his power. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘No, I...’ He could feel her hands clutching at his sweater. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘We’ll get you inside and have a look.’ He made to lead her towards the front door of the surgery, but she resisted, suddenly breaking free of him.

‘Sorry...sorry, I’m okay. I have to get my bag.’ Kate looked up at him apologetically, wiping the sleeve of her jacket across her tear-stained face. Flipping the car remote, she opened the boot, pushing a rug back to reveal a boot safe.

She sorted through her keys, pushing out a sharp breath as if to steady herself. But when she tried to open the safe, her hands were shaking too much.

‘Let me.’ Ethan held out his hand and for a moment panic flared in her eyes again and she gripped her keys tightly.

‘Yes... Sorry. Thanks.’ She handed the keys over and he opened the boot safe. Inside, he saw a small zipped bag which obviously held the drugs that she had been carrying.

He wished she’d stop apologising. And that she’d let him take her in his arms again so he could comfort her. He should tackle the first, as the second was a more selfish impulse.

‘This was why you fought him?’ Ethan put the bag into her hands and she clutched it to her chest, nodding.

‘I know I should have just let him take the car but I couldn’t bear to think that these would get into the wrong hands.’

She was twisting her mouth wryly, probably about to apologise again. Ethan cut her short.

‘You might have been a little too brave, but I can’t say I would have done any different. I don’t much like the thought of these getting onto the streets either.’ He’d seen the results of that, more than once. And, if he couldn’t entirely approve of a course of action that might result in Kate being hurt, he could understand her motives.

‘And you shouted for help.’ Ethan decided to concentrate on something that he could recommend entirely.

‘I...was just making a noise. I didn’t expect anyone to come. Thank you.’ She looked up at him and smiled suddenly. Really smiled, as if he were some kind of hero, and not just a man who had a chequered and uncertain history of being there when he was needed.

‘I’m just glad I was here to help.’ Ethan took the risk of putting his arm loosely around her shoulders again, and she nestled against him as he shepherded her slowly towards the main door of the surgery.

* * *

He didn’t seem to think anything of it. It was a big thing, running out of the surgery like that to help her. Ethan Conway was different from other men. Dependable, if ever she wanted to use that word again...

It was just the shock. The feeling that she wanted him to hold her and not let go would wear off, along with the tremor in her hands. He’d become just another guy, nicer to look at than most, but still easy to let go of.

But it seemed he wasn’t letting go of her. He walked with her to the drugs cupboard, waiting while she negotiated the series of locks that kept it secure. Then back into the consulting room, where Jeff was dozing in exactly the same pose as when she’d left Ethan and him.

‘I’ll take a look at Jeff and then I should call the police.’ Getting back to normal was what Kate needed to do now. She didn’t want to think about Ethan’s dark-blue eyes. Or the lilt of his accent, soft as the Yorkshire hills that could be seen from almost every part of this town.

‘No. I’ll make you a cup of tea. Then I’ll call the police.’

His suggestion sounded a lot better. But she’d already spent too much time wanting to lean on him. She didn’t want to compound the problem by showing him that she was hurt.

‘That’s okay, I’ll...’ Kate could feel her arm throbbing, from the elbow to the tip of her thumb. ‘Actually, a cup of tea might be really nice. Thank you.’

He raised his eyebrows at her sudden volte face. ‘Sure you’re all right?’

‘Yes, fine. I’d just really like a cup of tea. There’s a tea station behind the reception area.’ It would take him five minutes to make the tea and that would give Kate some time to inspect the damage. ‘Milk and three sugars, please.’

He nodded. ‘You feel dizzy?’

‘No, I always take three sugars in my tea.’ Kate looked up at him half-apologetically, and he nodded.

She waited until he’d closed the door to the surgery behind him and then carefully slipped her arm out of her jacket, rolling up the sleeve of her shirt. Her forearm was beginning to swell, and although the skin wasn’t broken it was an angry red. Kate turned on the cold tap, wincing as she let the cool water pour over her arm.

She could move all of her fingers and her thumb. Kate might be more conversant with animal physiology but a fractured bone didn’t look much different however many legs you had. This didn’t look like a fracture, and the swelling would probably go down by morning.

‘Don’t tell anyone, right?’ She whispered the words to Jeff as she carefully dabbed her arm dry with a tissue and rolled her sleeve back down. Sitting down next to him, she wriggled painfully into her jacket, and Jeff stretched, putting his head in her lap and drooling onto her trousers.

‘Yes, I know. I just don’t want any fuss.’ She’d bet that Ethan would make a fuss, and she didn’t want to feel how good it was to have him look after her.

He reappeared in the doorway, holding a cup of tea. Setting it down on her desk, he pulled the high-backed chair out. ‘Sit here. Jeff will be all right for a moment.’

Kate stared at him. No doubt Jeff would be all right. It was her own reaction to Ethan’s stubborn determination to look after her that she was worried about.

‘I’m a doctor. You took a nasty fall just now, and when the guy ran he caught you in the ribs with his boot. I’d like to make sure you’re okay.’

Damn it! When did doctors get to be blue-eyed, blond-haired handsome-hero material? Kate supposed that his profession must be in the notes that had been left on her desk somewhere, but at the moment she could barely think straight enough to remember her middle name.

‘If you’re thinking about telling me you’re all right again, then you should consider the possibility that adrenaline has a way of keeping the body going while you fight or fly.’

He had a point. Maybe she should have shown him her arm, to divert his attention from her ribs. But it was too late for that now, and mentioning any new aches and pains would only draw this out even further. Kate walked over to her desk, sitting down with a bump and wincing as pain shot up her back.

Ethan’s expression softened, and she tried to ignore the fact that the smile on his face was inspiring both confidence and an inappropriate wish to touch him. He pulled up a chair, sitting down opposite her.

‘What hurt you just then?’

‘My side. Where he kicked me.’ She brushed her hand across the spot, trying not to react to the pain that shot up her arm.

‘Okay. May I take a look?’

‘What kind of doctor are you?’ She made one last attempt at resistance.

‘The kind that knows the difference between a bruise and a cracked rib.’ He grinned at her. ‘Actually, I’m a trauma surgeon, so I’ve seen a fair number of both.’

‘Oh. Sorry.’ Kate felt herself redden.

‘That’s okay. Actually, everything’s okay, just in case you were thinking of apologising about anything else.’

This guy was a bloody dream. Relaxed, good-humoured, handsome. Her hero...

She had to get a grip. If she just did what needed to be done, one thing at a time, she’d be okay. Just draw the lines and stay within them. Forget about everything else. She slipped off her jacket and Ethan reached around to the spot she’d indicated, pulling her shirt up a little so he could see.

‘Lean forward a little more... That’s right.’

She felt the brush of his hands against her side. It had been a while since she’d shivered at a man’s touch against her skin and now wasn’t a good time to get reacquainted with the feeling. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to imagine herself somewhere else.

‘Take a deep breath. In...’ She felt his fingers around her ribs. Kate filled her lungs with air and her head began to swim.

‘Out...’ His fingers moved higher. ‘Just relax.’

Relax? Really?

‘Favourite place?’

‘What?’ Kate was dimly aware that his gentle examination had stopped.

‘Your favourite place. Mine’s at the top of Summer Hill. Do you know it?’

‘Yes, I know it.’ It was beautiful there, the hillside stretching gently down to woodlands and fields, small villages in the distance. It was a lovely spot, but not Kate’s favourite. Despite the fact that London had chewed her up and spat her out, she still loved the place.

‘Sitting by the river, in London. At dusk, watching the lights come on along the Embankment.’

‘What part of the Embankment?’

‘I like... You know the part by the statue of Boudicca?’ Kate could almost hear the buzz of the traffic and the quiet sound of the water. She felt calmer now, just imagining it.

‘Yes, I know it. I’ve always rather liked the cast-iron lamp stands they have there. The ones with dolphins at the base.’

‘Yes, they’re great. You know London?’

‘I studied down there. Deep breath.’

Kate obeyed him without thinking. She was leaning against him now, his hands splayed around her back and sides. Relaxed, almost in an embrace...

She sat up abruptly, the picture of home that had been so real in her head suddenly dissolving. Ethan smiled slowly.

‘Gotcha.’

‘So you did. You’re satisfied now?’

He nodded. ‘Yes. I don’t feel any sign of broken ribs. You may well hurt in the morning, though. May I see your face?’

He was going to do this face to face now? Kate fixed her gaze on the far corner of the room, so as not to meet his. She felt Ethan’s thumb on her brow, smoothing back her hair. She must look such a mess...

‘Just a graze. You might have a bruise there tomorrow.’

When he spoke, her concentration broke, and she looked at him. His face was a model of propriety, but his eyes... Those eyes would be wicked in any setting.

It was all in her own mind. A blue-eyed prince in shining armour. Someone who could chase away dragons and then gently inspect for any damage. It was beguiling.

‘Okay...thanks.’ Kate pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and coiled the mass of red curls back into a neat knot at the base of her neck. The everyday movement seemed to calm her a little.

‘Anything else?’

‘No. Thanks, there’s nothing else.’ Her arm hurt like crazy, but she needed this to end. Needed to get on to the next thing on her mental list of things to do after a mugging. ‘We should call the police.’

‘I’ll go and call them now.’ He stood up, pulling his phone from his pocket, easy and unhurried, as if there was nothing to worry about. Clearly he was planning to do it out of earshot.

‘Thanks. I’ll...drink my tea.’

Kate waited until he’d gone and stood, stretching her limbs, trying to shake off the feeling of numb dread that suddenly accompanied being alone. Jeff raised his head, his tail thumping on the floor, and Kate walked over to sit beside him and stroke his head.

‘All right. Everything’s all right, Jeff.’

But everything wasn’t all right. She needed to stop being a victim and get back to doing her job.

* * *

‘Kate... Run...’ Mark had shouted the words and then taken off, running away from her down the deserted street.

One o’clock in the morning and she’d only had eyes for him, not noticing the two men lounging at the entrance to her local underground station.

But she hadn’t been able to run. Her bag had been slung across her body and she’d felt it being pulled, the strap tightening around her. Someone had dragged at her arm, pulling her watch from her wrist.

She’d tried to scream then, but there had been a hand over her mouth. So frightened. She’d been so frightened.

‘Be quiet.’

One of the men had held her from behind and the other had searched her, feeling her neck and hands for jewellery. Then he’d cut the strap of her bag and taken that.

That might have been the end of it. Kate had been praying they’d just take what they wanted and go. But they hadn’t. She’d felt someone push her backwards, and in a moment of helpless terror she had known there was no way she could avert what was going to happen next.

She’d felt herself crash down the metal-edged stairs. Lying at the bottom, against the closed gates that led into the station, she’d sobbed for Mark—but he had already gone.

* * *

The sound of the door opening brought Kate back to the here and now, her heart thumping to the beat of memories that suddenly seemed new and raw again. Whatever had made her think that moving away would allow her to leave all that behind?

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you jump.’

She wasn’t aware that she had jumped. Just that the familiar feeling of dread was back again, threatening all she’d done to chase it away. Kate couldn’t let it back in.

‘I’m okay. Really. I just have to get back to normal.’ She wasn’t even sure what normal was at that moment. Her nerves were jangling with alarm, and she was acutely aware of every sound outside the window—even the cars, passing in the road outside, which normally went unnoticed.

‘Sometimes normal doesn’t quite hack it.’ He spoke quietly and Kate realised that she must have snapped at him. She took a deep breath.

‘I’m sorry. It’s just a shock. I thought I’d be safe here...’ Kate pressed her lips together. Something about Ethan made it all too easy to talk.

‘Safe?’

‘I moved up to Yorkshire from London a couple of years ago. I reckoned it couldn’t happen...’ Kate shrugged. Of course street crime happened here. It just hadn’t happened to her, and that had given her a false sense of security.

‘Something like this happened to you in London? Were you hurt?’ Not only did he make her want to talk, he listened as well, reading between the lines. It was a lethal combination.

‘I... Look, I appreciate your concern, but I’m all right.’ Kate hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Maybe he wouldn’t see that she was crying. ‘I know what to do next and I really need to just get past this. I don’t want to talk about it any more.’

She felt the brush of something on her cheek. When she opened her eyes, Ethan was wiping a tear away with a tissue.

‘Okay.’ He gave her a smile. ‘But I should warn you that closing your eyes builds up the pressure.’

Despite everything, Kate choked with laughter. ‘That’s your considered medical opinion, is it? That if I close my eyes my head will explode?’

‘Risk averted.’ He gave her cheek another dab with the tissue and handed her a fresh one.

* * *

She was trying so hard to get on top of this. And she wasn’t giving herself any time to be hurt or frightened—just swallowing it all down, to a place where it could do the most harm. Her free spirit seemed crushed under the weight of it all.

But she clearly wanted him to back off, and she was probably right. Ethan had no qualms about tending to her injuries, but anything else... That was wandering into the realms of emotional support, and Kate would be better off looking for that elsewhere.

‘When did the police say they’d be coming?’ She’d dried her eyes and seemed more composed now.

‘About another half hour. I’ll wait with you.’ He held up his hand to quiet her protests. ‘They said they wanted to speak with me as well. I saw the guy’s face.’

She nodded, and Ethan wondered whether Kate had. If so, she seemed intent on burying that as well.

‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look at Jeff now.’

Actually, he did mind. She’d just had a frightening experience and she should be concentrating on herself. But, if Ethan couldn’t calm her, it seemed that Jeff could. When she stroked his head she stopped shaking and a little colour returned to her cheeks.

‘When you’ve finished your tea...’

CHAPTER TWO

ETHAN WOKE EARLY. There was something wrong about today and right from the start he felt off-balance.

His first thought wasn’t for Jeff, sleeping peacefully in the dog basket in the conservatory. Nor was it for his son, Sam, who he could hear playing upstairs, driving his toy cars up and down the wall. It was for Kate.

She’d told him she was all right so many times, but he was pretty sure she wasn’t. Perhaps she’d feel better this morning, but Ethan doubted it.

He picked up his phone and put it down again. If Kate had managed to get some sleep last night, she wouldn’t welcome him waking her just to ask how she was. And Ethan doubted that he’d get any kind of meaningful answer. She’d just repeat the mantra she’d been using last night.

I’m okay.

For about fifteen minutes she had seemed okay. Ethan had let her examine Jeff and she’d suddenly snapped out of her shocked misery and into an easy, professional manner. For one moment, he’d envied Jeff her smile and then decided that whatever worked, worked.

Ethan could understand wanting to get on with life. When his wife had died eighteen months ago, his work had given him some relief. It was something that occupied his mind fully, temporarily driving away the pain and guilt.

Kate’s not your responsibility.

That ought to be his mantra. Jenna’s death had brought Ethan’s own responsibilities into sharp focus. He’d let his wife down, too busy and too tired to notice that she was more than just a little under the weather, as she’d claimed. And now he had to concentrate all his energies on giving Sam the love he needed. If Kate’s smile tempted him to forget that, then he had to turn away from it.

‘Dad?’

Ethan turned to see Sam in the kitchen doorway. ‘Hey, Sammy. Got my hug for me?’

Sam ran into his arms and Ethan hugged him tight. He’d promised his son this, during the dark days after Jenna had died. A hug every morning and one at night. Last night, he’d driven home as fast as he could, afraid that he wouldn’t make it, but Sam had stayed awake, falling asleep in Ethan’s arms almost as soon as he’d made good on his promise.

‘Grandma said a lady was hurt by bad men. And you saved her.’

Ethan resisted the impulse to tell Sam that Grandma was exaggerating again. Didn’t every kid need to know that his Dad was capable of chasing away the shadows?

‘It was just one bad man. I shouted and he ran away.’

‘But you saved her?’ Sam gave him a deflated look.

‘Yes, I saved her. What would you like for breakfast?’ At the weekend, breakfast was their time, and Sam got to choose whatever he wanted.

‘Bangers and mash!’

Ethan raised his eyebrows, and Sam cackled with laughter. It seemed his son was turning into a practical joker, and the ache of having no one to share this with tugged at his heart.

‘Waffles!’

‘Okay, waffles it is.’ Ethan set Sam down on his feet before he could change his mind again. His phone rang and he glanced at it. An unrecognised number ruled out Kate, the hospital and his parents, and anyone else could leave a message.

* * *

Two hours later, Ethan presented himself at the police station. He was half an hour early for the appointment he’d made with the police officer who’d called him and he intended to use that time wisely. The officer at the desk didn’t recognise him, and he supposed that his absence had seen some changes here.

‘I’m Dr Conway. Inspector Graham is expecting me.’

‘You’re the duty doctor?’ The officer at the desk shot him a look that wasn’t wholly welcoming.

‘No, worse luck.’

Ethan heard Mags Graham’s voice coming from behind the partition that divided the waiting area from the officers working behind the desk. Then the entrance door opened and Mags beckoned him through, closing the door behind him and shaking his hand warmly.

‘Waiting for the duty doctor, are you?’ Ethan looked around him. There were a few familiar faces who nodded a greeting in his direction.

Mags rolled her eyes. ‘This guy’s not as quick as you used to be.’

‘Brave man. I was always far too afraid of you to keep you waiting.’

‘Like hell you were.’ Mags chuckled, leading him upstairs to her office and gesturing towards a group of chairs which were arranged around a small table to one side of her desk.

‘So, what can I do for you, Ethan?’

‘I witnessed an attempted mugging last night.’

Mags nodded. ‘Yes, I pulled the file. Kate Foster. You dashed to the rescue.’

Ethan ignored the part about rescuing. He’d feel happier if everyone would stop saying that. ‘I’m a little concerned.’ Ethan frowned. He’d spent most of the morning telling himself that he shouldn’t be concerned about Kate.

‘On the record? Or off?’ Mags was giving him that look—the one that told Ethan she knew full well that there was something he wasn’t planning to say.

‘Off the record. I think that this isn’t the first time that Kate’s been attacked. She wouldn’t talk about it last night and she seemed very intent on telling everyone that she was all right. I’m not so sure she is, though.’

That should do it. Keep a professional distance, report what you know and leave it at that.

‘Right.’ Mags frowned. ‘I see from the notes that you insisted she be driven home last night.’

‘I thought that was sensible.’

‘Yes, it was. We would do that normally anyway, and I imagine you haven’t forgotten that. Is there anything we don’t know about the scope of the attack last night? Something you’re keeping quiet about?’

‘No, I’m just concerned for her.’ There it was again. Concern. Ethan knew that Mags was justifiably proud of the station’s record for supporting victims of crime. Kate had needed him last night, but this morning he should back off.

Mags leaned back in her chair, her brow furrowed in thought. ‘I’m going to say this as a friend...’

‘Sure.’ The signs were clear. He was in for a dose of Mags’s straight talking.

‘It’s not unusual for witnesses of a crime to feel very protective towards people they’ve seen attacked. It’s a perfectly natural reaction.’

‘I’m aware of that.’ Ethan’s words sounded sharper than he’d meant them to. Mags was only trying to help, and the truth was that he did feel protective towards Kate. Perhaps Mags was right, and it was all down to the sudden rush of emotion he’d felt when he’d heard her scream.

Mags leaned forward in her chair. ‘Look, Ethan. If someone I cared about was in the hospital, I’d be the first one sitting in your office, looking for a bit of...clarity. And you’d be telling me what I’m about to tell you.’

‘To butt out and let you do your job?’

Mags laughed. ‘I was thinking of putting it much more nicely than that. We’re expecting Ms Foster any minute now, and she’ll be seeing Laura, who’s one of our best officers. My suggestion is that you wait and see her afterwards.’

Mags’s perceptive gaze scanned his face for a moment, seeking out any clue that there was more to this than he’d told her already. Ethan was beginning to feel a little foolish.

‘Thanks, I appreciate it. And I’m sorry if I’m overreacting.’ He was overreacting. He’d seen senseless loss before and felt the tragedy of it. And somehow, when he’d least expected it, Kate’s predicament had pushed all the wrong buttons.

‘Nonsense. If everyone cared as much as you do, I’d be out of a job.’ Mags smiled, seeming to consider the matter closed. ‘Now, let’s see the latest photo of Sam. I know there’s one on your phone.’

And there were photos of Mags’s two daughters in her desk drawer which Ethan wanted to see too. He should stop worrying about Kate and come to terms with the fact that what he felt was just a result of the circumstances they’d found themselves in last night.

* * *

The VIPER system meant that witnesses were protected from any contact with the person they were being asked to identify, using computer images instead of a traditional identification parade. Ethan had listened carefully to the instructions, as if this were the first time he was hearing them, and was sure of his choice. The young police officer who had been through the process with him left him in the interview room to wait, bringing him a cup of tea and the morning paper.

He drank the tea and pretended to read the paper. After ten minutes, the door of the interview room opened and Kate appeared, Mags standing behind her in the doorway.

She just hadn’t been able to resist it. Mags had asked a couple of oblique questions about his love life over the photos of Sam, and Ethan had ignored the suggestion that it might be time to consider dating. Then she’d seen Kate, put two and two together and come up with five.

It was a perfectly reasonable mistake to make. If things had been different Ethan might well have asked Kate out for a coffee and seen where that led. But, if time had softened his grief over losing Jenna, it hadn’t softened the feeling that he’d let her down. Or the resolve that his first and only priority had to be Sam now.

‘They said you were waiting.’ Kate’s smile seemed brittle. And, even though the day was warm, she was wearing a thick sweater and jacket, as if to ward off some nameless chill. Ethan’s heart bumped in his chest. Maybe his worries hadn’t been so illogical after all.

‘Yes. I wondered if you’d like a coffee. From somewhere other than the police canteen.’

Kate shrugged. ‘Don’t you have something to do?’

Mags’s thoughtful gaze was fixed on Kate. ‘I’m afraid maybe he does. I won’t keep him too long.’

Ethan swallowed down the impulse to tell Mags that he could think of nothing more important right now than taking Kate by the arm and marching her outside into the fresh air.

‘What, Mags?’

‘I’m sorry about this, but the duty doctor hasn’t come yet, and I have a man in the cells who was looking a little under the weather when he came in and is getting worse by the minute. He’s just shown the custody sergeant a bite on his leg.’

‘Bite?’ Kate turned to her suddenly.

‘Yes. It’s not a human bite. We don’t know what it is; it looks a few days old. Ethan, I wouldn’t ask, but...’

He didn’t have any choice. Ethan opened his mouth to ask whether Kate might wait somewhere for him but she spoke first.

‘I’m a vet. I’ve seen practically every kind of bite there is. Had quite a few of them.’

‘I’m sure that Ethan can deal with it.’ Mags hadn’t seemed to notice that some of the colour had suddenly returned to Kate’s cheeks and she stood a little straighter.

‘I’d appreciate Kate’s opinion.’ He was rewarded by a smile that didn’t seem quite as strained as the last one.

‘Fair enough.’ Mags shot Ethan a questioning look but didn’t argue. ‘I’ll get the medical kit brought down.’

* * *

This morning had been horrible. Before the taxi had arrived to take her to the police station, Kate had walked around her cottage checking everything. Locks. Dripping taps. She’d pulled all the plugs out of their sockets and then walked around the cottage a second time. She hated herself for doing it, but she couldn’t help it.

The identification hadn’t been much better. All she’d really wanted to do was to put this behind her, but the gentle voice of the woman police officer who’d showed her a set of short videos on a computer screen had screamed victim. She’d assured Kate that she wouldn’t come face to face with her assailant, and Kate had wanted to scream back that she wasn’t afraid.

She wasn’t afraid, at least not of the man last night. She was afraid of herself. That she’d allow the bad dreams, the routines repeated over and over again, to take over her life the way they had last time. She’d been able to hide that from everyone but herself, but being unable to step out of her own flat had almost ruined her career and shown her that Mark’s promises about sticking with her had been just empty words.

But, somehow, seeing Ethan had calmed her. Maybe because his final words to her last night were that he had to go in order to see his son before he went to sleep. A son meant a partner. And a partner meant that Ethan was unavailable. She could count him as a friend without any fear that she’d be tempted to step over the line.

‘You’ve done this before?’ Ethan seemed to know his way around the police station, walking ahead of the two police officers who were accompanying them.

‘Yes, I used to be on the police surgeon’s call roster. I gave it up a couple of years ago, to spend more time with my son.’

‘And you worked here?’

‘Mostly.’ He looked behind him, smiling at the woman police officer who’d popped her head around the door after Kate had finished her identification. ‘Inspector Graham was so impressed by my abilities that she had me assigned here most of the time.’

‘In your dreams. As a police officer, I have a duty to protect the public, and keeping you from bothering anyone else seemed like the way to go.’

Ethan chuckled. The easy respect between the two was clear. He must be good at his job, and perhaps Kate would get the opportunity to watch and learn a little.

* * *

The man was lying on the platform bed in his cell, a couple of blankets covering him, the custody sergeant standing at his side. Ethan glanced at the name on the custody record and leaned over him.

‘Gary, I’m Dr Conway. I hear you’re not feeling well.’

Gary opened his eyes, shading them from the light with his hand. ‘My head’s splitting.’

Probably a hangover—he stank of alcohol—but it was as well to make sure.

‘You were drinking last night?’

‘Yeah. It’s what got me in here.’

He glanced up at Mags and she nodded. It probably wasn’t entirely the drink that had got Gary locked up for the night, but whatever else he’d done wasn’t Ethan’s business. He preferred to be the cog in the system that didn’t have to make judgements about others.

‘All right. Have you hit your head at all, or fallen?’

‘Dunno. Don’t remember. My leg hurts.’

‘I’ll take a look then. Is that okay?’

‘Knock yourself out, mate.’ Gary closed his eyes again, and warning bells began to ring at the back of Ethan’s head. He would have preferred it if Gary had been screaming for attention, because this lacklustre disinterest in what was happening around him didn’t bode well.

A glance over his shoulder told him that the custody sergeant was ready to step in if Gary started to kick. Kate was out of range, standing quietly in the corner of the cell. Taking the blankets from Gary’s legs, Ethan carefully rolled up the leg of his sweat pants.

Underneath was a haphazardly applied dressing of plaster and a bandage. Ethan cut off the dressings and saw the deep gash on the man’s leg.

‘This is a bite?’

He felt, rather than saw, Kate move closer, looking at the wound carefully. ‘I think that’s from a lizard. Lizard bites sometimes bleed very freely.’

‘This is deep.’ Ethan gently felt the skin around the wound. It was swollen and hot to the touch.

Kate turned her attention to Gary, poking his shoulder. He opened his eyes and kept them open, clearly liking Kate’s smile a little better than he did Ethan’s. Who could blame him?

‘Was it a lizard that bit you?’

‘Great, big ugly thing with sharp teeth.’

‘About this long?’ She held out her hands to indicate something of about three and a half feet in length. ‘Brownish colour with a light belly? Scales?’

‘Yeah, scales. Quick on its feet as well. My mate bought it from somewhere.’ The man closed his eyes again.

‘It could be a monitor lizard. Their bites often don’t hurt much at first, but give it twenty-four hours and they can become infected very quickly. If he’s been drinking he probably didn’t register the pain.’ She turned to Ethan. It was a relief, but no particular surprise, to see that she was calm and collected. Almost welcoming the opportunity to do something which didn’t revolve around last night.

‘It’s certainly infected.’ Ethan took a surgical marker pen from the first-aid kit, drawing around the edge of the hard red lump that surrounded the bite, and noting the time so that any increase in the swelling could be monitored.

‘You think we should call an ambulance?’ Mags anticipated his next request.

‘Yeah, this definitely needs to be looked at. I’ll clean it and dress it to stop the bleeding.’ He looked up as a young man appeared in the doorway, holding a medical bag.

‘Sorry I’m late. If I could take a look at the patient now—’

‘This is Dr Conway,’ Mags broke in. ‘He’s worked with us before.’

‘Oh.’ The young doctor looked flustered and more than a little put out. Ethan stood, holding out his hand.

‘If I can fill you in on the details, maybe you can take things from here.’

* * *

‘His face... If looks could kill.’ Kate smiled up at him as they walked out of the police station.

Ethan shrugged. ‘If he’d got to the patient first, I don’t imagine he could have done any better. I personally thought my diagnosis of a lizard bite was quite inspired. And I made it so quickly!’

The look of smiling outrage that Kate shot at him was exactly what he’d been aiming for. ‘Your diagnosis?’

‘Yeah. It was me that said lizard first, wasn’t it?’

‘I don’t think so. What kind of lizard was it you had in mind again?’

Ethan chuckled. ‘Oh, you know. One of the ones with teeth.’

‘They’re the ones you really don’t want to bite you.’

‘My thoughts exactly. And whoever did say lizard did a very fine job.’

He hadn’t planned on this. Before he’d seen Kate this morning Ethan had managed to convince himself that Mags was right and that the urge to see Kate, which had escalated into need, was just a result of his having witnessed the attack on her last night. But now laughter was buzzing between them and all he wanted to do was put his arm around her. To try and make her forget the things that had made her so hollow-eyed when he’d first set eyes on her this morning. It was confusing.

She looked up and down the high street as if she wasn’t quite sure which way to go. Then she smiled up at him. ‘I’m just looking for the bus stop. The police still have my car. Apparently there are some fingerprints and fibres on it.’

‘Can I give you a lift home?’ Somehow, making the decision to stay rather than go made him feel better. Sam was occupied and with his grandparents. Why shouldn’t he spend some time with Kate?

‘Thanks, but I’m not going home.’

‘Where are you going, then?’

Kate hesitated, as if that wasn’t something she really wanted him to know. Ethan raised his eyebrows in a signal that he wasn’t going to accept silence for an answer.

‘Actually, I’m going to the hospital. My arm really hurts, and I thought I’d go to the minor injuries clinic.’

Ethan rejected the urge to ask her why on earth she hadn’t mentioned this last night. ‘I’ll give you a lift there, then. We can pick up a coffee on the way, if you like.’

‘They gave me some tea.’

‘Me too. I need something to wash the taste away.’ He grinned at her. ‘And coffee from the vending machine at the hospital isn’t going to do it.’

She laughed suddenly. ‘Yes, okay then. Thanks, coffee and a lift would be great.’

* * *

‘I can walk from here. It’s only down the road.’ Ethan had gone to fetch the coffee, and that had given Kate some time to think. It felt safe in his car, but that was only a temporary relief, and she had to get used to functioning on her own.

‘It’s Saturday, and there are bound to be queues at the minor injuries clinic. If they’re too long I can take a look at your arm myself.’ He settled back into the driver’s seat.

No. Feeling safe with Ethan was one thing. Relying on him was something very different. And she had the perfect excuse.

‘I’m sure your partner won’t thank me for keeping you away for so long. Didn’t you say that you gave up working at weekends to spend more time with your family?’

‘With my son. My wife died eighteen months ago and it’s just me and Sam now—’ He broke off as Kate’s hand flew to her mouth.

‘Oh. I’m so sorry.’

He nodded, seeming almost as lost for words as she was. ‘It’s... I didn’t intend to be so blunt. I just can’t think of a more tactful way of saying it.’

Kate swallowed hard, suddenly wanting to take a large swig of the coffee he still held in his hand. A sugar rush would be good right now.

‘It’s up to you to say it however you want. What you and your son are comfortable with is what matters.’

Ethan smiled suddenly, nodding. ‘Sam’s the one who really matters.’

‘Of course. And I’m sure he wants you home on a Saturday morning, doesn’t he?’

‘Not this morning. I took him over to my parents when I knew I was coming down to the police station, and they’ve promised him a trip to the adventure park. I doubt he’ll appreciate me coming home too soon.’

It would be wiser to turn his offer down nicely and get out of the car. But Kate couldn’t do it, not now. She reached for the cardboard beaker in his hand.

‘Thank you. It’s very kind of you.’

He grinned, reaching for the ignition, and then thinking better of it and leaning back in his seat, taking a sip from his own drink. ‘My pleasure. Anyway, I’m intrigued to know whether you’re actually going to drink that.’

Kate peeled the plastic top from her beaker, squinting at her drink. ‘Why, what have you put in it?’

‘Only what you asked for—an extra shot of espresso, whipped cream and caramel. Just one sugar, this time. It sounds...interesting.’

‘Ah. So you’re a “don’t put flavours in my coffee” type, are you?’ His medium-sized cup, alongside her large one, indicated that he probably was. Kate took a sip from her beaker and rolled her eyes in an expression of defiant bliss.

Ethan chuckled and started the car.

* * *

It had been a relief to tell Kate where he stood. Letting her know that Sam was the single most important thing in his life now and hearing her obvious acceptance of that had cleared away his doubts and allowed him to concentrate on the matter at hand.

A and E was crowded and so was the minor injuries clinic. Kate seemed to be sticking close by his side, nursing her arm against her chest, and Ethan reckoned it must be really hurting her. He decided on a quieter place, away from the noise and activity, and steered her towards the lift.

‘This is your office?’ She looked around as he opened the door and ushered her inside. ‘It’s very tidy.’

‘I don’t spend much time in here. Not much chance to make a mess.’ Ethan wondered what Kate thought of the straight lines and utilitarian order. Her own surgery was neat and comfortable but one wall broke the pattern, an exuberant mass of photographs, obviously added piecemeal as and when people provided pictures of the animals she’d treated.

It was a sobering thought. Last night, her free spirit seemed to have been crushed under the weight of shock and distress. This morning, it was as if she was undergoing some internal struggle. He’d seen flashes of that delicious exuberance, but she was still frightened and bemused, still trying to cope by putting everything back in its proper place.

‘Is this your son Sam?’ She was looking at the framed photograph on his desk, tucked neatly behind the phone.

‘Yes, that’s him. He’s five now.’ The framed photograph was just over a year and a half old, the last one that Jenna had taken of him, and Ethan had stuck a more recent one of Sam in the corner of the frame.

‘He’s a beautiful little boy.’ She was studying both photographs carefully. ‘You must be very proud of him.’

‘Yes, I am. He’s got a great sense of humour, and he’s kind.’ Sam’s dark hair and eyes were like Jenna’s.

‘Does he want to be a doctor when he grows up? Like his Dad?’

‘No, he has bigger fish to fry. He wants to be a superhero and save the world.’

She gave a little laugh, putting the photograph back down again, tilting it carefully so that it was in the exact same place she’d found it. ‘That’s close enough to being a doctor, don’t you think?’

Saving the world wasn’t exactly Ethan’s thing; he confined himself to doing the best he could. The photo on his desk was a reminder of that. Sam was smiling at his mother. They’d been a happy family. Two weeks later, Ethan had left for work, too hurried to do anything other than take Jenna’s assurances that the urinary infection she had was a little better. That night he’d stayed at work and the following day Jenna had been taken into hospital. By that time, the sepsis had too tight a hold on her.

‘Let’s have a look at your arm, then.’ He turned his mind to things that were still possible to change, watching as Kate pulled her jacket off painfully.

She got tangled in the sweater as she pulled it over her head, and he leaned forward to help. As he pulled it off her arm, she caught her breath in pain.

‘That’s really hurting you.’

She nodded, as if making a shameful admission. ‘It does hurt a bit.’

‘Let me see, then.’ He gently rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. The arm was swollen from wrist to elbow, the skin bruised and inflamed.

‘And you didn’t notice this last night?’ Ethan couldn’t help the gentle reproach.

‘It hurt a bit then, too.’

And she’d pretended that it was nothing, the same as Jenna had. The thought clawed at his heart.

‘All right. I’m going to want an X-ray.’

‘It’s not broken.’

‘Let me be the judge of that. You’re in my surgery now.’

‘Okay, doctor.’

Ethan smiled. He wasn’t going to allow her to go until he was sure that she was physically all right, and it seemed that Kate was finally coming to accept that.

* * *

‘There’s no fracture, which is always good.’ Kate had craned over his shoulder while he reviewed the X-rays, and Ethan had been momentarily blinded by her scent. Now that she was back in her seat he could think more clearly. He paused for a moment to admire the fine structure of her bones, and then forced his mind back to the matter at hand.

‘You have some bruising there. He grabbed your arm?’ Ethan avoided the very obvious fact that the bruising was in the shape of a handprint.

‘Yes.’ Kate twisted her other hand around, trying to demonstrate, but her thumb was on the opposite side from the handprint. Slowly, shyly, she held her arm out towards him.

Ethan felt something block his throat. Gently, he laid his fingers on her arm over the bruises. ‘Like this?’

‘Yes. Just like that.’

Her gaze met his. An unspoken message that somehow tenderness might wipe away the violence. His hand, placed in the exact spot her attacker’s had been, might somehow heal her.

‘Well there’s some trauma, and it’ll be painful for a while, but with rest it should improve in the next week or so. The bruising will fade eventually.’ If he could have erased the bruises now, Ethan would have given almost anything to do so.

She nodded. Ethan wondered whether kissing it better would make any difference, the way he did with Sam’s bumps and scrapes, and decided that was way out of his medical remit.

‘Use ice packs to relieve the swelling. And I’m going to give you a sling.’

‘But my work...’ Alarm registered in her eyes.

‘Maybe you should take some time off work. Just a few days, to get over the shock.’

She shook her head, pulling her arm away from his fingers and cradling it in her lap. ‘I don’t want to take time off work. I want things back to normal as soon as possible.’

‘Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?’

‘Yes, I’m sure. This is what I want.’

There was no disagreeing with her. And, even if he could, perhaps Kate was right about this and he was wrong. But he could at least attend to her medical needs.

‘In that case, I’m going to insist you wear the sling for a week. You need to keep that arm rested to allow it to heal.’

Kate nodded. ‘All right. I can get one of the veterinary nurses to help me at work.’

This was a victory of sorts. Ethan hid his smile, scribbling a note on his pad to send down to the dispensary. ‘I’m going to prescribe some painkillers as well. Just enough for a few days. If you have significant pain after that, you should go and see your own doctor.’

‘Thanks. I think I’ll be wanting those.’

There was one more thing he had to ask. He didn’t even want to think about it, but maybe it would be better coming from him.

‘Have the police seen your injuries?’ Ethan kept his eyes fixed on the pad in front of him, as if he were checking what he’d written and this was just an aside.

‘No.’

When he glanced up at her, her cheeks were bright red. Ethan knew that the officer she’d seen would have asked about injuries, and Kate had probably repeated the mantra that she was okay. She’d probably turned down the offer of victim support as well.

‘You know, don’t you, that they’ve caught the man?’ She nodded. ‘And that they’ll be wanting as much evidence against him as they can gather. It’s up to you, of course.’

It was, technically, up to Kate. But Ethan had no doubt that there would be an attempt at persuasion. Maybe it was better coming from him.

‘They’ll want photographs, won’t they? To show in court. They did that the last time.’

So she had been hurt before. It seemed to Ethan that Kate was fighting not just this incident but her memories of the last one.

‘Yes, they will. As a medical practitioner, it’s my duty to encourage you to report any injury that’s the result of a crime. As a...friend, I’ll tell you that this is a difficult process, but one that may well help you to feel better in the long run. It helps if you decide to do it on your own terms.’

She thought for a moment. Then that spark of resilience flashed in her eyes. ‘Yes, you’re right. Can you do it?’

The thought that she trusted him was almost overwhelming. Ethan could do it. He’d documented and photographed injuries many times before for police use. If there were any question about his personal involvement in the crime, then he’d take the flack that Mags would almost certainly dispense.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes. Positive.’ Now that Kate had made up her mind, she seemed impatient for action.

‘All right. I’ll go and get the forms and see if I can find a nurse.’ An impartial observer would be good on two counts—first to countersign the forms. Mags would like that. And second to help Kate pull up her shirt at the back and position her arm. Because, if the first time he’d touched her had been intoxicating, now it was almost becoming a craving.

CHAPTER THREE

THIS WAS NOT GOOD. A hero, someone who would appear out of nowhere and save the day... It was every girl’s dream, which was absolutely fine, just as long as that hero didn’t think he could remove himself from the imaginary world and infiltrate reality.

And Ethan Conway was more than six feet of solid reality. The kind that made her melt when she looked at him and shiver whenever he touched her. He’d stepped out of a dream, and was wreaking havoc with her waking world, and she’d let him do it. She’d given in and allowed him to help her.

He’d been in the right place at the right time. That was all it was. If she could just concentrate on not being so needy, then Ethan wouldn’t seem so much of a hero.

* * *

Kate had learned her lesson, the last time she’d been mugged. It had been two days before Mark had come to see her. Looking around and declaring that he hated hospitals, he’d dumped an ostentatious bunch of flowers across her legs, making Kate wince in pain, and then had selected a chair, brushed it off with a handkerchief and sat down.

After the attack, as soon as she’d been able to get someone to help her with the phone, Kate had made frantic calls, trying to find out whether Mark was all right. She’d heard that he was professing himself to be a bit shaken up, but that he was uninjured, and her friends had expressed surprise when they’d heard she was in hospital. Mark had never thought to mention that.

‘It’s every man for himself in these situations, Kate.’ Mark had seemed keen to justify his actions, but suddenly guilt had cut into his air of nonchalance.

He couldn’t have known. That was what Kate had been telling herself. He’d thought that she’d be able to run too, and that was why he hadn’t come back. And afterwards...? Perhaps he’d felt guilty and that had kept him away.

Mark’s mouth twisted suddenly. ‘You need to keep your wits about you a bit more.’

‘I... I couldn’t get away...’ Tears had blurred her vision and Kate had tried to blink them away. However needy she’d felt, however battered and bruised, it had been clear that Mark didn’t want to see it.

‘Like I said—if you’d been taking notice, then you would have been right behind me.’

Mark had shaken his head slowly, as if her slow-wittedness left him at a loss.

And that had been the end of it. Mark had talked about a film he’d gone to see—one that they’d been planning to see together—and had left exactly one hour after he’d arrived. He’d clearly been keeping his eye on the time.

She’d asked one of the nurses to give the flowers to a woman at the other end of the ward, who didn’t seem to have any. Mark wasn’t coming back.

And he’d been right in one thing. If Kate couldn’t look after herself, then no one else would.

* * *

Kate stubbornly refused to call Ethan, and he hadn’t called her. For three weeks she’d worked solidly, trying to get her life back into some semblance of normality. And then his name showed up on her caller display.

This must be the call she’d made him promise to make. She tapped the answer button, smiling into the phone, trying to inject some of that smile into her tone.

‘Hi, Ethan. How’s everything?’

‘It’s Jeff. He’s failing fast.’ His voice was broken with emotion.

‘Okay. Why don’t I drop in and see you? I’ve just finished my Friday evening surgery, and I can be with you in half an hour.’

‘Are you sure? That would be great.’

‘That’s fine. No point in having you come all the way here.’ If Ethan was going to lose Jeff tonight, then it would be better for both he and his dog if they were at home. Then a thought struck her.

‘What about Sam? Is he there?’

‘I’ve explained everything to him. He seems to be taking it better than I am...’

Ethan’s voice faltered and Kate wished she could hug him. This must be so hard for him. Not only dealing with his own feelings but also trying to decide what was best for Sam.

‘I’ll call my mother and ask her to pick him up. He can spend the night with my parents. Perhaps we can take things from there?’ Ethan seemed to pull himself together suddenly.

‘Okay, that’s a good idea. I’ll see you soon.’

Kate ended the call and pulled on her jacket. Then she hurried outside to her car.

* * *

Ethan had hoped that Sam would be gone by the time that Kate arrived. But his son was dawdling, obviously waiting for something before he went with his grandmother, and Ethan didn’t have the heart to hurry him up.

The doorbell rang, and Sam ran to the door with him. ‘Why don’t you go upstairs and help Grandma?’ Ethan tried to deflect Sam but Sam shook his head stubbornly.

‘No!’ Sam pressed his face against the glass in the front door, trying to see through the frosted panels. Ethan saw movement outside, a blur of red hair and the wave of an arm. Sam waved back.

‘Out of the way, then.’ Sam stepped back a little, allowing Ethan to open the door.

‘Hello.’ Sam greeted Kate before Ethan had a chance to.

‘Hello. You must be Sam.’ Kate smiled down at his son and Sam nodded.

‘Are you the lady who might take Jeff to heaven?’

Sam had clearly taken everything that Ethan had told him and put it together in his own way. Ethan flashed a look of apology at Kate, gently trying to move Sam away from the doorway.

Both of them ignored him. Kate bent down and Sam escaped his grip, joining her on the front porch.

‘Yes, I am.’ She reached out, brushing the back of Sam’s hand with one finger. ‘Is it all right with you if I come in?’

Sam looked Kate up and down, obviously thinking about it. Kate was smiling, and any interruption was suddenly impossible, as the two sized each other up.

‘Dad says that Jeff’s very, very old.’

‘Yes, he is.’ Kate’s tone was gentle.

‘Will he see Mummy in heaven?’ Sam’s question delivered a knife to Ethan’s heart. He saw Kate’s gaze flip up towards him, in the way that most people’s did when Sam asked questions about his mother, but she didn’t back off or change the subject, leaving Sam to wonder what was going on.

‘What do you think, Sam?’

‘He will.’

‘I think you’re right.’

If Kate really was an angel, come to take Jeff to heaven, then she made a very good one. She almost shone in the evening sunshine, which slanted across the porch—red-haired, with soft, honey-coloured eyes, which were unafraid of Sam’s questions. Sam seemed to see it too, stepping towards her and laying his hand on her knee. Then he leaned forward, whispering into Kate’s ear, and Ethan strained unsuccessfully to hear what he was saying.

‘Yes, of course I will.’ Kate crooked her little finger, hooking it around Sam’s. ‘There. That makes it a promise.’

Sam nodded, clearly satisfied, and ran into the house and straight up the stairs to his grandmother. Kate got to her feet.

‘How’s your arm?’

‘Fine. Gives me a twinge now and then, but it’s okay.’

She was smiling. She was wearing a short-sleeved top, which allowed Ethan to see that the bruises on her arm had faded now. More than that, there was a lightness about her. Maybe she’d been right in getting straight back to work. It seemed that the last three weeks had lifted the burden that had rested on her shoulders.

‘I’m sorry about Sam ambushing you.’

‘That’s okay. He’s working it out for himself.’

Ethan thought about asking Kate what Sam had said to her and decided against it. If Sam had wanted him to know, he wouldn’t have made such a show of whispering in Kate’s ear. It seemed that Sam had grasped the concept of having secrets now, and Ethan supposed he should respect that.

She leaned forward, the evening sunlight tangling in her hair. For a moment, Ethan couldn’t move. ‘Can I come in, then?’

‘Oh. Yes, of course. Thanks for coming.’

He showed her through to the conservatory, and she walked across to Jeff’s basket, kneeling down. It looked as if Jeff was just sleeping, and Kate was stroking him gently, but Ethan knew that she was examining him.

‘I think...’ She looked up at him suddenly. ‘Is Sam going now?’

‘Yes, in a minute. As soon as my mother gets his things together. I think he’s been waiting to see you.’

She pressed her lips together, in an unspoken understanding that this was hard. ‘I think that if Sam has any goodbyes to say...’

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