Praise for Alison Roberts

‘Readers will be moved by this incredibly sweet story about a family that is created in the most unexpected way.’

—RT Book Reviews on

The Honourable Maverick

‘I had never read anything by Alison Roberts prior to reading Twins for Christmas, but after reading this enchanting novella I shall certainly add her name to my auto-buy list!’

—CataRomance

‘Would you like to come in for a drink or something?’

Summer turned her head as well, and suddenly their faces were too close. She could see the genuine warmth of that invitation in his eyes.

What was the ‘something’ on offer as well as a drink?

Whatever it was, she wanted it. The attraction was as strong as it was unexpected. She could feel the curl of it deep in her belly. A delicious cramp that eased into tendrils and floated right down to her toes.

She’d been fighting this from the moment she’d first seen the man this morning, hadn’t she?

He was—quite simply—gorgeous…

She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t find anything to say. All she could do was stare at those dark eyes. Feel the puff of his breath on her face. Notice the dark stubble on his jaw and how soft it made his lips look…

Dear Reader,

Sometimes my inspiration for a story comes from something tiny that I see or hear that strikes a chord and keeps resurfacing.

About two years ago I moved from my earthquake-damaged home of the last thirty years in Christchurch to come to New Zealand’s biggest city: Auckland. I chose to live on the north side of the harbour bridge and found myself living within walking distance of a beach for the first time in my life. A very beautiful beach—Takapuna.

On a warm night last summer I was on the beach, looking out over a sea as calm as a huge swimming pool, enjoying the silhouette of the volcanic island of Rangitoto, when I saw something that was one of those tiny things: a paddle boarder, quite a long way offshore, who had a big dog along for the ride, lying on the end of his board. It tugged at my heartstrings to recognise the bond they clearly had, and it made me smile every time I remembered.

So that was my starting point. Now come and meet my heroine, Summer, who has a dog called Flint who rides on her board. You’ll get to spend some time on Takapuna Beach, too, where my gorgeous hero Zac is lucky enough to live. The sea isn’t always calm, of course. And what happens between Zac and Summer isn’t either…

Happy reading!

Love

Alison xxx

ALISON ROBERTS lives in Auckland, New Zealand, and has written over sixty Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ books. As a qualified paramedic she has personal experience of the drama and emotion to be found in the world of medical professionals, and loves to weave stories with this rich background—especially when they can have a happy ending.

When Alison is not writing you’ll find her indulging her passion for dancing or spending time with her friends (including Molly the dog) and her daughter Becky, who has grown up to become a brilliant artist. She also loves to travel, hates housework, and considers it a triumph when the flowers outnumber the weeds in her garden.

Daredevil,
Doctor…
Husband?
Alison Roberts

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Praise for Alison Roberts

Excerpt

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

HE WAS NOTHING like what she’d expected.

Well, the fact that he was tall, dark and ridiculously good-looking was no surprise for someone who’d been considered the most eligible doctor at Auckland General Hospital a couple of years ago but Summer Pearson had good reason to believe this man was a total bastard. A monster, even.

And monsters weren’t supposed to have warm brown eyes and a smile that could light up an entire room. Maybe she’d made an incorrect assumption when she’d been given the name of her extra crew for the shift.

‘Dr Mitchell?’

‘That’s me.’

‘Zac Mitchell?’

‘Yep. My gran still calls me Isaac, mind you. She doesn’t hold with names being messed around with. She’s an iceberg lettuce kind of girl, you know? You won’t find any of those new-fangled fancy baby mesclun leaves in one of her salads because that’s another thing that shouldn’t get messed with.’

Good grief…he was telling her about his granny? And there was sheer mischief in those dark eyes. Salad greens and names were clearly only a couple of the many things Zac was more than happy to mess around with. Summer could feel her eyes narrowing as the confirmation of her suspicions became inevitable.

‘And you used to work in Auckland? In A&E?’

‘Sure did. I’ve spent the last couple of years in the UK, though. As the permanent doctor on shift for the busiest helicopter rescue service in the country.’

The base manager, Graham, came into the duty room, an orange flight suit draped over his arm.

‘Found one in your size, Zac. And here’s a tee shirt, too. I see you’ve met Summer?’

‘Ah…we hadn’t got as far as a proper introduction.’

Because she’d been grilling him like a prosecution lawyer in a courtroom—making sure of the identity of the accused before firing the real ammunition? Summer felt her cheeks getting pink.

‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I’m Summer Pearson. Intensive Care Paramedic. I’ve been with the rescue service for nearly three years now.’

‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ An eyebrow lifted and his tone dropped a notch. ‘And it was all good.’

No…was he trying to flirt with her?

I’ve heard a lot about you, too. And none of it was good…

Pretending she hadn’t heard the compliment, Summer turned to Graham. ‘I’ll do the usual orientation while we’re quiet, shall I?’

A groan came from the doorway as another man entered the room. ‘Oh, no…did she just say the Q word?’

‘She did.’ Graham shook his head. ‘What’s your guess?’

‘Eight minutes.’

‘I’ll give it six.’ Graham grinned at Zac. ‘Running bet on how long till a job comes in after someone says the Q word. Worst performer of the week restocks the beer fridge. Meet Monty, Zac—one of our pilots.’

The men shook hands. Then they all looked at Summer and she tried to erase the expression that felt remarkably like a scowl from her face.

‘Three minutes,’ she offered reluctantly. Wishful thinking, maybe, but how good would it be if what was likely to be a complicated winch job came in and an untrained doctor had to be left on base in favour of experienced crewmen? ‘So I guess we’d better get started on the orientation.’

‘Just show him where everything is,’ Graham said. ‘Zac, here, is the most highly trained doctor we’ve ever had joining us. Fully winch trained. He’s done HUET and he’s even part way through his pilot’s training.’

Summer could feel the scowl creeping back. She refused to be impressed but it was difficult. Helicopter Underwater Escape Training was not something for the faint-hearted.

Zac was shrugging off the praise. ‘I’m passionate about emergency medicine, that’s all. And the challenge of being on the front line is a lot more exciting than working inside a controlled environment like an emergency department. Maybe I haven’t really grown up yet, and that keeps me chasing adventures.’

Immaturity was no excuse for anything. It certainly didn’t mitigate ruining someone’s life and then walking away. Summer tried to catch Graham’s eye. Could she tell him she really wasn’t comfortable working with this new team member?

She didn’t get the chance. The strident signal from the on-base communication system told them a job had come in.

Monty checked his watch. ‘Two minutes, ten seconds. You win, Summer.’

She picked up her helmet and jammed it on her head. She didn’t feel as if she’d won anything at all.

She was nothing like what he’d expected.

Well, she was small. No more than about five foot four at a guess. Her head barely reached his shoulder and that was including the spikes of her short blonde hair. Pocket rocket, his ED colleagues had told him. But don’t be fooled. She’s as tough as. And one of the best paramedics in the business.

But they’d also told him she was Summer by name and sunny by nature. And that she was great fun to work with. You’re a lucky man, they’d said.

He’d been expecting summer and he’d got winter instead. Funny, but he didn’t feel that lucky.

Or maybe he did. Here he was in a chopper again and he hadn’t realised how much he was missing the excitement of being airborne and heading for the unknown. Not only that, he was doing it over the sparkling blue waters of his home town instead of the grey British skies he’d become so familiar with. And they were heading for even more spectacular scenery on the far side of the Coromandel Peninsula—one of his most favourite places on earth.

‘Car’s over a bank,’ he heard through the speakers built into his helmet. ‘On the 309, between the Kauri grove and Waiau Falls. Ambulance and fire service are on scene.’

‘The 309’s still a gravel road, I presume?’

‘You know it?’ Monty sounded surprised.

‘Spent most of my childhood holidays on the Coromandel. I’m into water sports.’

‘Talk to Summer.’ Monty chuckled. ‘Queen of the paddleboard, she is.’

Zac would have been happy to do exactly that but it only took a glance to see that she had no desire to chat. Her face was turned away and she gave the impression of finding the view too fascinating to resist.

She still looked small, with the wide straps of her harness across her chest. The helmet looked too big for her head and while someone might be excused for getting the impression of a child playing dress-up, they’d only need to see her profile to sense a very adult level of focus and…what was it…judgement?

Yeah…He felt as if he’d been tried and judged and the verdict had not been favourable.

But he’d never even met the woman before today so what was he being judged on?

Was she some kind of control freak, perhaps, who didn’t appreciate having someone on board who had a medical authority higher than hers? Or did she require confirmation that a newcomer’s ability was what it appeared to be on paper?

Fair enough.

What wasn’t acceptable was making said newcomer feel less than welcome. Undesirable, even.

As if she felt the force of his frown, Summer turned her head. Her gaze met his and held longer than could be considered polite.

Yeah…she was fierce, all right. Unafraid.

Who was going to look away first? Defusing tension was a skill that came automatically for Zac. He might have had to learn it for all the wrong reasons when he was too young to understand but shades of that ability still came in handy at times. All it usually took was turning on the charm. He summoned his best smile and, for a split second, he thought it was going to work because she almost smiled back. But then she jerked her head, breaking the eye contact.

A deliberate snub? Zac tamped down a response that could have been disappointment. Or possibly annoyance. Neither would be helpful in establishing a good working relationship with this unexpectedly prickly young woman.

‘You should get a good view of the Pinnacles on your side in a few minutes,’ Summer said.

‘Might get a bit bumpy going over the mountains,’ Monty added. ‘I’ll get an update on scene info as soon as we get over the top.’

When he’d first started this kind of work, Zac would be using this time to go over all the possible medical scenarios in his head and the procedures that might be needed to deal with them. A chest decompression for a pneumothorax, perhaps. Management of a spinal, crush or severe head injury. Partial or complete amputations. Uncontrollable haemorrhage. But the list was long and he’d learned that there was no point expending mental energy on imaginary scenarios.

He’d also learned that it was better to start a job without assumptions that could distract him from the unexpected. And that he could deal with whatever he found. This time was better used to relax and centre himself. The view of the spectacular bush-covered peaks below them was ideal—and definitely better than trying to make conversation with someone who clearly had no intention of making his life any more pleasant.

‘ETA two minutes.’

‘Roger.’ Summer leaned forward in her seat to get a better view of the ground below. ‘Vehicles at eleven o’clock. I can see a fire truck and ambulance.’

‘Copy that,’ Monty said. ‘Comms? Rescue One. On location, on location.’

The chopper tilted as they turned. Monty was using the crew frequency now. ‘Turning windward,’ he advised. ‘I think the road’s going to be the only landing place.’

‘Got a bit of a tilt to it. No wires, though.’

‘No worries,’ Monty said. ‘Be a bit dusty, folks. Okay…right skid’s going to touch first.’

They had the doors open before the dust cloud had cleared. Zac released the catch of his safety harness first and hoisted one of the backpacks onto his shoulder as they climbed out.

Summer picked up the other pack and a portable oxygen cylinder and followed. Weirdly, it felt like she was used to working with this guy already. Maybe that was because he seemed to know exactly what he was doing and he wasn’t waiting to follow her lead. At least he stood back when they reached the knot of people standing by the side of the road near the fire truck so it was Summer that the fireman in charge of the scene spoke to first.

‘We’ve got the vehicle secured but haven’t got the driver out. It’s a bit of a steep climb.’

‘Single occupant?’

‘Yes. An eighty-three-year-old woman. Frances.’

‘Status?’

‘I’d say two.’ An ambulance officer joined them. ‘GCS was lowered on arrival. She’s confused and distressed. Airway seems to be clear but we haven’t got close enough to assess her properly yet and, given the MOI and her age, there’s every probability she has serious injuries.’

‘Access?’

‘Ladder. It’s a few metres short of the target, though. You’ll have to be careful but there’s plenty of trees to hang on to.’

‘Cool. We’ll go down and see what’s what.’ Summer glanced at Zac. Tall and broad-shouldered, his size and weight would make the climb and access to the vehicle much harder than it was for her. It would probably be sensible for him to suggest waiting up here on the road while she did an initial assessment and made their patient stable enough to be extricated by the fire crew.

‘Want me to go first?’ he asked. ‘And test the ladder?’

‘If you like.’ Summer passed her backpack to a fireman who was ready to secure it to a rope and lower it down. Not that it was needed, but she had to give him points for thinking about her safety.

Looking at the narrow ladder lying on the crushed and probably slippery ferns of the bush undergrowth on an almost vertical cliff face, she had to acknowledge those points.

‘Yeah…you going first is a good idea, Zac. There’ll be less damage done if I land on you rather than the other way round.’

‘Impersonating a cushion is one of my splinter skills.’ Zac handed his pack to the fireman and then turned without hesitation to climb onto the ladder. A rope attached to the top and anchored to the back of the fire truck was preventing it sliding downwards but it couldn’t control any sideways movement. Another rope was attached to the back of the small car that could be seen protruding from the mangled scrub and ferns a good fifteen metres down the bank.

‘She was lucky the scrub cushioned the impact,’ the fireman said. ‘Probably why she’s still alive.’

Zac was halfway down the ladder now and climbing carefully enough not to make it swing. Summer caught the top rung and turned her body to find a foothold. She loved the kind of challenge this sort of job presented. The ladder was easy. Getting down the last stretch when you had to slide between trees was harder. There were fire crew down here but it was Zac who was moving just ahead of her and every time he caught himself, he was looking back to make sure she’d reached her last handhold safely.

It was Summer who needed to take the lead as they got close enough to touch the car. A small hatchback well buried in undergrowth left virtually no room for a large man to see much. The front passenger window had been smashed. Summer put her head in the gap.

‘Hi there… Frances, is it?’

The elderly woman groaned. Her voice was high and quavery. ‘Get me out. Please…’

‘That’s what we’re here for. My name’s Summer and I’ve got Zac with me. Are you having any trouble breathing, Frances?’

‘I…I don’t think so.’

‘Does anything hurt?’

‘I…I don’t know…I’m scared…’

Summer was trying to assess their patient visually. Pale skin and a bump on the head that was bleeding. She could see the woman’s chest rising and falling rapidly. The more distressed she was, the harder it would be to assess and try to move her.

The window on the driver’s side was broken too and suddenly there was movement as the prickly branches of scrub got pushed aside. The face that appeared was wearing a helmet. How on earth had Zac managed to get down that side of the vehicle?

Not only that, he was reaching in to touch the woman. To put a calming hand on her forehead, probably to stop her turning her head to look at him in case she had injured her neck.

‘It’s okay, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘We’re going to take good care of you.’

Sweetheart? Was that an appropriate way to address an eighty-three-year-old woman?

‘Oh…’ Frances didn’t seem offended. ‘Oh… Who are you?’

‘I’m Zac. I’m a doctor.’

‘Do I know you?’

‘You do now.’ He leaned in further, a lopsided smile appearing as he make a clicking sound like someone encouraging a pony to move. The sound was accompanied by a wink.

‘Oh…’ The outward breath sounded like a sigh of relief. There was even a shaky smile in response. ‘Thank you, dear. I’ve been so scared…’

‘I know.’ His voice was understanding. Reassuring. Was he holding a hand or taking a pulse in there? ‘Summer—are you able to open the door on your side? It’s jammed over here.’

With the assistance of a fireman and a crowbar, the answer was affirmative.

With the new space, Summer was able to ease herself cautiously into the car. The creaking and slight forward movement of the vehicle made her catch her breath but it terrified Frances.

‘No…help…’

This time it was Summer as well as their patient who took comfort from Zac’s confident tone. ‘The ropes just needed to take up the extra weight. You’re safe. There’s a great big fire engine up on the road that’s not going anywhere and the car is very firmly attached to it. Relax, sweetheart…’

There it was again. That cheeky endearment. Summer wouldn’t want to admit that skip of her heart when it seemed like the car was beginning to roll further down the cliff. She most definitely wouldn’t want to admit that warm feeling the use of the endearment created. How powerful could a single word be? It could make you think that someone genuinely cared about you.

That you were, indeed, safe.

Suddenly, it was easy to focus completely on the job she needed to do. Summer unhooked the stethoscope from around her neck and fitted it into her ears.

‘Take a deep breath for me, Frances.’

There was equal air entry in both lungs and a pulse that was a little too fast and uneven enough to suggest an underlying cardiac condition, although Frances denied having any. The worst bleeding from lacerations in papery skin needed pressure dressings for control because blood pressure was already low and Summer eased a cervical collar in place as Zac held the head steady.

‘Sorry, Frances. I know this is uncomfortable but it’s to protect your neck while we get you out. We can’t examine you properly until we get you up to the ambulance.’

‘That’s all right, dear.’ But it was Zac that Frances was looking at for reassurance. His hand she was holding through the window as Summer worked quickly beside her in the car.

‘Are you sure nothing’s hurting, Frances?’

‘My chest is a bit sore. And my arm…’

‘We can give you something for the pain.’

But Frances shook her head. ‘I can bear it, dear. It’s not that bad…’

Summer glanced up at Zac, who was still supporting the elderly woman’s head and neck. ‘We can reassess after we move her but I think we can probably wait till we get up to the top before worrying about IV access.’

‘Absolutely.’ Zac nodded. ‘The tubing and trying to carry a bag of fluids will only create a complication we don’t need. Bit of oxygen might be a good idea, though, do you think?’

‘Sure.’

They explained how they were going to get her out of the car, using a backboard to slide her towards the passenger side and then turning her to lie flat as they lifted her out onto a stretcher.

‘You’ll be quite safe,’ Summer said. ‘We’ve got lots of strong young firemen to carry you up the hill.’

‘Oh…I’ve caused everybody so much trouble, haven’t I?’

‘It’s what we do,’ Zac told her. ‘If people didn’t have accidents or get sick, we’d be out of a job.’ He was smiling again. ‘And we love our job, don’t we, Summer?’

This time, she really couldn’t help smiling back so she tilted her head towards her patient. ‘Indeed we do. Okay, Frances. You ready to get out of here?’

Getting her out of the car had to be done as gently as possible because there could be fractured bones or internal injuries that hadn’t been recognised due to position and limited access but if there had been any increase in pain during the procedure, Frances wasn’t complaining. Cocooned in a blanket and strapped securely into the Stokes basket stretcher, she looked almost relaxed as the rescue team began the slow process of inching the stretcher up to the road.

In the relative safety of the ambulance, it was Zac who led a more complete examination while an ambulance officer filled in some paperwork.

‘Next of kin?’

‘I haven’t got any. Not now.’

‘Is there anyone you’d like us to call?’

‘Maybe my neighbour. She’ll take care of the cats if I don’t get home tonight. Oh…that’s why I was driving today. There’s a special on in the supermarket at Whitianga. For cat food.’

Zac got an IV line through fragile skin with a skill that was unlikely to leave so much as a bruise and Summer hooked up the IV fluids, aware of how meticulous and gentle the rest of his survey was, despite being rapid enough to get them on their way as soon as possible. ECG electrodes, blood pressure and oxygen saturation monitors were in place and Zac was keeping an eye on all the readings. A raised eyebrow at Summer had her nodding. The heart rhythm wasn’t dangerous but was definitely abnormal and would need treatment.

‘You don’t get dizzy spells, do you, Frances?’ Zac asked. ‘You weren’t feeling sick before the accident?’

‘I don’t think so. I really can’t remember…’

‘What medications are you on?’

‘I don’t take anything, dear. Apart from my calcium tablets. I’m as healthy as a horse. Haven’t needed to see a doctor for years.’

‘Might be a good thing that you’re going to get a proper check-up in hospital then. Bit of a warrant of fitness.’

‘I don’t like bothering a doctor when I don’t need to.’

‘I know. My gran Ivy is exactly the same.’

‘How old is she?’

‘Ninety-two.’

Summer found herself sliding a quizzical glance in his direction as she gathered dressings and bandages to dress some of the superficial wounds more thoroughly. It wouldn’t occur to her to think about, let alone tell others, anything about her own family. What was it with him and his grandmother? Nobody could miss the pride in his voice and it just didn’t fit with the whole cheeky, bad boy vibe. And it certainly didn’t fit with his reputation.

‘She still swims every day,’ Zac added. ‘Has done her whole life. Reckons she’s half-mermaid. Does it hurt if I press here?’

‘Ooh…yes…’

‘Can you wiggle your fingers?’

‘That hurts, too…Have I broken something?’

‘It’s possible. We’ll put a splint on it and keep it nice and still till you get an X-ray. We might give you something for the pain, too. You don’t have to be brave and put up with it, you know. Sometimes, it’s nice to just let someone else take care of you.’

Frances got a bit weepy at that point but the transfer to the helicopter and their take-off a short time later was enough of a distraction.

It didn’t quite distract Summer. Was Frances stoic and uncomplaining because there was no point in being anything else? Was there really nobody who needed to know she’d had a bad accident other than her neighbour?

The thought was sad.

Maybe more so because it resonated. As the chopper lifted and swung inland to head back to Auckland, Summer watched the people on the ground get smaller and a cluster of houses in the small township of Coromandel where Frances lived become visible. They vanished just as quickly and Summer turned, wondering if the elderly woman was aware and distressed by how far from her home they were taking her.

‘Morphine’s doing its job.’ Zac’s voice sounded loud in her helmet. ‘She’s having a wee nap.’ His eyes were on the cardiac monitor. ‘She’s stable. Enjoy the view.’

But Summer still felt oddly flat. What if she’d been the one to have an accident in such an isolated location? Who would she call if she was about to be flown to an emergency department a long way from her home?

It was moments like this that she noticed the absence of a partner in her life with a sharpness that felt increasingly like failure since she’d entered her thirties and everyone her age seemed to be getting married and starting families. There was nobody to call her ‘sweetheart’ and really mean it. No one to make her feel cherished and safe. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to find someone—relationships just never seemed to work out.

If she was really honest, though, she hadn’t tried that hard. She’d told herself that there was plenty of time and her career had to take priority but it went deeper than that, didn’t it? Moments like this always made the loss of her mother seem like yesterday instead of more than fifteen years ago and what she’d been taught about not trusting men was as much a part of those memories as anything else.

Would she put her father down as next of kin? Not likely. She hadn’t seen him since her mother’s funeral and there was still anger there that he’d had the nerve to turn up for it.

She’d probably do what Frances had done and opt to put a call in to a neighbour to make sure her pet was cared for.

No. Her life wasn’t that sad. She had a lot of good friends. The guys she worked with, for starters. And her oldest friend, Kate, would do anything to help. It was just a shame she lived in Hamilton—a good hour’s drive away. Not that that was any excuse for the fact they hadn’t seen each other for so long. Or even talked, come to that.

And, boy…they had something to talk about now, didn’t they?

With Zac monitoring Frances during the flight and clearly happy that the condition of their patient was still stable, there was no reason why Summer shouldn’t get her mobile phone from her pocket and flick off a text message.

Hey, Kate. How’s things? U home tonite?

The response came back swiftly.

Late finish but home by 10. Call me. Be good 2 talk.

It would. Her friend might need some prior warning, though.

You’ll never guess who’s back in town!

CHAPTER TWO

‘ZAC…WHEN DID you get back into town?’ The nurse wheeling an IV trolley through the emergency department was overdoing the delighted astonishment just a tad when she caught sight of the helicopter crew coming out of Resus.

‘Only last week. Didn’t see you around, Mandy.’

‘I was on holiday. Giving my new bikini a test run on a beach in Rarotonga.’

‘Nice.’

‘It was. Is. Pink—with little purple flowers. Might have to give it another outing at Takapuna on my next day off.’

It was no surprise that Mandy chose to assume he was referring to the bikini rather than the Pacific island. Confident and popular, she had flirting down to a fine art. There were rumours that it went further than flirting but Summer preferred to trust her own instincts and Mandy had always been willing to help when their paths crossed at work and good company at social events. The smile was as friendly as ever right now, but somehow it struck a discordant note. Maybe it had been the tone in Zac’s voice. Or the warm glance that had flashed between them.

No surprise there, so why was it so annoying?

Because her instincts had been trying to convince her that Zac wasn’t the monster she’d heard about? That someone who could treat a frightened elderly patient as if she was his own beloved granny couldn’t possibly be that bad? They’d just finished handing Frances over to the team in Resus and Zac had promised to come and visit to see how she was as soon as he was back in the department again. There had been tears on her wrinkled cheeks as she’d told Rob, the ED consultant taking over, that this ‘dear boy’ had saved her life.

‘That’s our Zac.’ Rob had grinned. ‘We’re lucky to have him back but we’re letting him out to play on the helicopters every so often.’

It was a reminder that she was on Zac’s turf now because his primary job was as another one of the department’s consultants. After three years of working in Auckland, both on the road and in the rescue service, Summer felt as much at home in this environment as she did on station or at the base but something subtle had just shifted in unspoken ratings. Zac was the person Frances considered to be her lifesaver. He was also a doctor and clearly not only respected for his skills but well liked. Probably more popular than Mandy, even?

Did none of them know what she knew about him?

She’d been close to doubting the truth herself but seeing the way he and Mandy had looked at each other was a wake-up call. She’d been in danger of being sucked in by that charm. Like countless other women, including Mandy. And Kate’s sister, Shelley. Had she really been prepared to dismiss how Shelley’s life had been wrecked?

‘Hey, Summer.’ Mandy was still smiling. ‘Have you guys stolen Zac away from us?’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it.’ She kept her tone light enough for her words to pass as a joke. ‘I’m sure he’ll get sick of us soon enough and he’ll be all yours again.’

Mandy’s sigh was theatrical. ‘Dreams are free,’ she murmured.

A curtain twitched open nearby. ‘We need that trolley, Mandy. When you’re ready?’

‘Oops.’ Mandy rolled her eyes, blew a kiss in Zac’s direction and disappeared with her trolley.

It was only then that Summer felt the stare she was receiving. A level stare. Cool enough to be a completely different season from a few seconds ago when Mandy had been present.

Had he guessed that she hadn’t been joking? That she’d been wishful thinking out loud? Did she care?

No.

Then why was she suddenly feeling like a complete bitch? Helicopter crews were notoriously tight teams. They had to be. This was Zac’s first day on the job and, under any other circumstances, he would be a welcome addition to the team. Perfect, in fact. She’d never gone out of her way to make a newcomer feel unwelcome. Ever.

She got a glimpse of how she must be coming across to Zac and she didn’t like what she saw.

And that was even more annoying than feeling as if she had a running battle between her head and heart about what sort of person he really was. Or watching him confirm his ‘bad boy’ reputation by encouraging Mandy.

Summer was being someone she didn’t even recognise.

‘We’d better take this stretcher back upstairs. Monty’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.’ She couldn’t meet his gaze any longer. Was this unfamiliar, unpleasant sensation what it felt like to be ashamed of yourself? She needed to find some way to rectify the situation. But how?

She manoeuvred the stretcher into the lift. They would be airborne again within minutes, either on their way back to base or onto another job. They had to work together so, at the very least, she had to be professional and to stop letting anything personal get in the way of that.

She broke the awkward silence in the lift just before the doors opened at roof level. ‘Great job, by the way…with Frances.’

Talk about being damned by faint praise.

And she’d all but announced to Mandy that she’d be delighted if he decided he’d rather stay within the four walls of the hospital’s emergency department from now on. How long would it take for that message to get dispersed amongst his colleagues?

He’d been looking forward to this. Coming into the department as a uniformed HEMS member to hand over his first patient. Showing everybody that this was where his passion lay and that he was good at it. This was supposed to be the start of the life he’d dreamed of. A job that used every ounce of skill he possessed and challenged him to keep learning more. A balance of the controlled safety of a state-of-the-art emergency department with the adrenaline rush of coping with the unexpected in sometimes impossible environments. The chance to do exactly the job he wanted in the place he’d always wanted to do it in—close to the only family he had, in a city big enough to offer everything, a great climate and, best of all, the sea within easy reach. Beaches and boats. The perfect playground to unwind in after giving your all at work.

But the blue sky of that promise of fulfilment had a big cloud in it. A dark cloud that threatened rain. Possibly even hail and thunder.

How ironic was it that her name was Summer?

‘Yes?’

Oh, Lord…had he said something out loud? The microphone on his helmet was so close to his mouth, it could easily pick something up, even with the increasing roar of the rotors picking up speed to take off. Like the ironic tone of her name. He had to think fast.

‘Cute name,’ he offered. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever met a Summer before.’

‘My parents were hippies. Apparently I got conceived on a beach. After a surfing competition.’

Monty’s laugh reminded him that this conversation wasn’t private. ‘I never knew that. No wonder you’ve got sea water in your veins.’

It was the first piece of personal information Summer had offered. Monty’s amusement added to a lighter atmosphere and Zac wanted more.

‘A summer memory to keep, then?’

‘Yeah…’

‘Not many people know where they were conceived. I wouldn’t have a clue.’

‘Maybe you should ask your mother.’

‘My mother died in a car accident when I was seven and I never knew my dad. I got brought up by my gran.’

‘Oh…’ She caught his gaze for a moment, horrified that she’d been so insensitive. ‘Sorry…’

‘No worries. It’s ancient history.’ Zac was happy to keep the conversation going. ‘You got any siblings? Spring, maybe? Or Autumn?’

‘Nope.’

The word was a snap. She could offer personal information but he wasn’t welcome to ask for it.

Zac suppressed a sigh. Maybe he should have a word to the base manager about being assigned to a different shift on the rescue service.

The call coming in meant that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

‘Missing child,’ Comms relayed. ‘Six-year-old boy. Red tee shirt, blue shorts, bare feet. They think he’s been swept off rocks at St Leonard’s beach. Coastguard’s sending a boat and the police chopper’s on its way but you’re closest.’

A six-year-old boy.

How long would he last in the water? How frightened would he be?

He was close to the same age Zac had been when he’d lost his mother. Summer could only imagine how frightened he would have been. He would have had the same soft dark curls by then. And big brown eyes.

Heart-wrenching.

She didn’t want to feel sorry for Zac, any more than she wanted his charm to get under her skin.

Maybe this kid could swim. She’d been able to at least keep herself afloat by the time she was four but Monty was right—she had sea water in her veins and life had been all about the sun and sand and surf back then. Happy days.

They were circling above the cliffs and rocks surrounding one of the many bays on Auckland’s north shore now and she could see the knot of people anxiously staring at the sea. Others were climbing the rocks, staring down into the pools where a small body could wash up with the incoming tide. In the distance, as they circled again, she could see a coastguard boat leaving a foamy wake behind it as it sped out from the inner harbour.

Her heart was sinking. It was too hard to keep feeling optimistic that this search would have a happy ending.

And one glance at how pale Zac was looking, with that fierce frown of deep concern on his face, and it was too hard to keep believing that he was some kind of monster.

Round and round they went. Monty focused on keeping them low and moving slowly over a small area, his crew peering down, trying to spot the smallest sign of anything in the soft blue swells of water or the whiteness as they broke over rocks.

Emergency vehicles were gathering at a nearby park above the beach. A police car and then a fire engine. An ambulance…

‘What was that?’

‘Where?’

‘I think I caught a flash of something red.’

‘Where?’ Summer narrowed her eyes, willing something to show up on the water below. The coastguard boat was there now. And a civilian dinghy. Even someone on a paddleboard.

‘Not in the water. Up the cliff. Take us round again, Monty.’

Another slow circuit but Summer couldn’t see anything.

‘I swear I saw it. About halfway up, where that pohutukawa tree is coming out sideways.’

Monty stopped their circling and hovered. Took them in a bit closer. A bit lower.

‘There…’ Excitement made Zac’s voice reverberate in her helmet. ‘Two o’clock. There’s a bit of an overhang behind the trunk. There’s something there. Something red…’

They hovered where they were as the information was relayed to emergency crews on the ground. A fire truck got shifted and parked at the top of the cliff, facing backwards. Abseiling gear and a rope appeared and then someone was on their way down to check out the possible sighting. For an agonisingly long moment, the fire officer disappeared after climbing over the trunk and crawling beneath the overhang.

Summer held her breath.

He reappeared, backing out slowly so it took another couple of seconds to see that he held something in his arms. A small child, wearing a red T-shirt and shorts. And then he held up his hand and, despite the heavy gloves he was wearing, it was clear that he was giving a ‘thumbs-up’ signal that all was well.

The boy was not injured.

The relief was surprisingly overwhelming. It was instinctive to share that relief with someone, as if sharing would somehow confirm that what she was seeing was real. Maybe Zac felt the same way because their eyes met at precisely the same instant.

And, yes…her own relief was reflected there. Zac had probably dealt with the same kind of heart-breaking jobs she had in the past, where a child’s life had been lost. The kind of jobs you would choose never to repeat if it was within your power—something they both knew was too much to hope for. But this time they’d won. The boy’s family had won. Tragedy had been averted and it felt like a major triumph.

The momentary connection was impossible to dismiss. She and Zac felt exactly the same way and the depth of a bond that came from the kind of trauma that was part of what they did was not something everybody could share. Even amongst colleagues, the ability to distance yourself from feeling so strongly was very different. Summer still couldn’t breathe past the huge lump in her throat and she suspected that Zac was just the same.

But he wasn’t supposed to have an emotional connection to others like this, given what Summer knew about him. It was confusing. Not to be trusted.

The radio message telling the rescue crew to stand down broke the atmosphere. Monty’s delighted whoop as he turned away and swept them back towards base added a third person to the mix and suddenly it became purely professional again and not at all confusing.

‘How lucky was that?’ They could hear the grin in Monty’s voice. ‘The kid decided to go climbing instead of getting washed out to sea.’

‘Small boys can climb like spiders.’

‘Only going up, though. It’s when it’s time to go down that they realise they’re stuck.’

‘He must have been scared stiff,’ Summer put in. ‘Good thing there was the overhang to climb under.’

‘He probably knew he’d be in trouble. No wonder he decided it was safer to hide for a while.’

‘He won’t be in trouble.’ Zac’s voice was quiet. ‘Or not for long, anyway. I’d love to have seen his mum’s face when she gets to give him a hug.’

This time, Summer deliberately didn’t look at Zac but kept her gaze on the forest of masts in the yacht marina below. She didn’t want to see the recognition of what it was like to know you’d lost someone precious and what a miracle it would be to have them returned to you. Zac must have dreamed of such a miracle when he was the same age as that little boy in the red tee shirt. How long had it taken to understand that it was never going to happen?

She’d known instantly. Did that make it easier?

If she’d met his gaze, it might be a question that was impossible not to ask silently and maybe she didn’t want to know the answer because that might extend that connection she’d felt.

A connection that felt wrong.

Almost like a betrayal of some kind?

Life didn’t get much better than this.

A quiet, late summer evening on Takapuna beach, with a sun-kissed Rangitoto island as a backdrop to a calm blue sea. The long swim had been invigorating and it was still warm enough to sit and be amongst so many people enjoying themselves. There weren’t many people swimming now but there were lots of small boats coming in to the ramp at the end of the beach, paddle-boarders beyond where the gentle waves were breaking and people walking their dogs. A group of young men were having a game of football and family groups were picnicking on the nearby grassed area.

It was the kind of scene that was so much a part of home for Zac he’d missed it with an ache during his years in London. This beach had been his playground for as long as he could remember. He loved it in all its moods—as calm as an oversized swimming pool some days, wild and stormy and leaving a mountain of seaweed on the beach at other times. Little room to walk at high tide but endless sand and rocks to clamber over at low tide. Kite surfers loved it on the windy days and paddleboards reigned on days like this.

Funny that he’d never tried that particular water sport. Maybe because it looked a bit tame. For heaven’s sake—it was so tame, there was somebody out there with a dog sitting behind the person who was standing, paddling the board.

A big dog. A small person. They were attracting attention from some of the walkers and Zac could see the pleasure they were getting from the sight by the way they were pointing and smiling. More than one person was capturing the image with a camera. He took another look himself. The dog was shaggy and black. The paddler was a girl in a bikini and even from this distance she was clearly attractively curvy.

He’d finished rubbing himself down with his towel so there was no reason not to head back to the house for a hot shower but there was still enough warmth in the setting sun to make it pleasant to stand here and that pleasure certainly wasn’t dimmed by watching the girl on the paddleboard for a few more moments as she headed in to shore. How would the dog cope with the challenge of staying on board as they negotiated even small waves?

It didn’t. As soon as the board began to ride the swell, it jumped clear and swam beside its owner, who stayed upright and rode in until the board beached itself on the sand. It was only then that Zac realised who he’d been watching.

What had Monty called her?

Oh, yeah…the queen of the paddleboard.

Who knew that that flight suit had been covering curves that were all the sweeter when there wasn’t an ounce of extra flesh anywhere else on her body? The muscles in her arms and legs had the kind of definition that only peak fitness could maintain and she had a six-pack that put his to shame.

Zac found himself sucking in his stomach just a little as he moved towards where she was dragging the huge board out of the final wash of the waves. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen her and maybe this was a great opportunity to get past that weird hostility he’d been so aware of today. There’d been a moment when he’d thought it was behind them—when they’d shared that moment of triumph that they no longer needed to try and spot a small body floating in the sea—but it hadn’t lasted. Summer had been immersed in paperwork when he’d signed off for his first shift and she’d barely acknowledged his departure.

He summoned a friendly smile. ‘Need a hand?’

‘Zac…’

He was possibly the last person Summer might have expected to meet here on the beach. The last person she would have wanted to meet? She was having to share yet another patch of her turf. First the base where she worked. Then the emergency department that was also part of her working life. Now this—not exactly her home but a huge part of when she spent her downtime and a place that was very special to her. And he was…he was almost naked.

Oh…my… The board shorts were perfectly respectable attire for the beach but the last time she’d seen him as he left the base that afternoon he’d been wearing real clothes. Clothes that covered up that rather overwhelming expanse of well tanned, smooth, astonishingly male skin. He’d obviously towelled himself off recently but droplets of water were still clinging in places. Caught in the sparse hair, for example, between the dark copper discs of his nipples.

‘I’ve been swimming.’

Oh, help… He’d noticed her looking, hadn’t he? Hastily, Summer dragged her gaze upwards again. His hair was wet and spiky and his expression suggested that he was as disconcerted as she was by their lack of clothing. Suddenly, it struck her as funny and she had to smile.

‘No…really?’

‘I’d offer you my towel but it’s a bit damp.’

‘I’ve been standing up. I’m not actually that wet.’

Just as she spoke, her dog emerged from his frolic in the waves, bounded towards them, stopped and then shook himself vigorously. It was like a short, sharp and rather cold shower.

‘Flint… Oh, sorry about that. My bag’s just over here. I’ve got a dry towel in there.’

‘No worries.’ Zac was laughing. He reached out his hand. ‘Hey, Flint…’

The big dog sniffed the hand cautiously, wagged a shaggy tail politely and then sat on the sand, close enough to lean on Summer’s leg. He looked up and the question might as well have been a bubble in the air over his head.

Friend of yours? Acceptable company?

Summer touched the dog’s head.

Yes. He’s okay. I’m safe.

Maybe it was the genuine laughter that had made a joke of something many people would have found annoying. Or the way he’d reached out to make friends with Flint. She might not let people too close but she’d always trusted her instincts about their character and there was nothing here to be ringing alarm bells. Quite the opposite, in fact.

‘So, do you need a hand dragging this thing somewhere? It looks heavy.’

‘No. Jay’ll come and get it soon. He’s busy giving someone a lesson at the moment.’ Turning the board sideways on the soft sand close to her brightly coloured beach bag, she sat down on one end. ‘I’ll just look after the board until he’s done.’

‘Jay?’

‘He runs a paddleboard business. I hired one the first time I came to this beach and fell in love with it. I’ve been coming back ever since.’

‘And Flint? He fell in love with it too?’ Zac sat down, uninvited, on the other end of the board but somehow it felt perfectly natural. Welcome, even.

‘He was in love with me.’ The memory made Summer smile. ‘Jay was going to look after him while I went for a ride, the first time I brought him here as a pup, but Flint wasn’t having any of it. He just came after me. Luckily, Jay shouted loud enough for me to hear so I could fish him out of the water before he got so exhausted he sank. He fell asleep on the board coming back in and that’s been his spot ever since.’ She laughed. ‘You’re sitting on it right now. That’s why he’s standing there glaring at you.’

‘Oh…my apologies.’ Zac shuffled closer to Summer and Flint stepped onto the end of the board, turned around and then lay down in a neat ball with his nose on his paws.

Zac was so close to Summer now that she could feel the warmth of his skin. His bare skin. His legs were bent and she could see sand caught in the dusting of dark hair. The legs of his board shorts were loose enough to be exposing skin on his inner thigh that looked paler than the rest of him. Soft…

She cleared her throat as she looked away. Maybe that would clear inappropriate thoughts as well. ‘So why Takapuna? Auckland’s got a lot of beaches to choose from when you need an after-work dip.’

‘It’s been my backyard for ever. That’s my gran’s house up there.’ He was pointing to the prestigious row of houses that had gardens blending into the edge of the beach. Multi-million-dollar houses. ‘The old one, with the boat shed and the anchor set in the gate.’

It was impossible not to be seriously impressed. ‘You live there?’

‘I know…’ Zac pushed his wet hair off his face. ‘It’s a bit weird. I’m thirty-six years old and I’m still living with my gran. But the house is on two levels. Gran’s upstairs and I rent the bottom half and it’s always just worked for both of us. She’d deny it but I think she’s relieved to have me back. I’m relieved too, I have to admit. I worried about her while I was away. She’s a bit old to be living entirely on her own.’

‘A bit old? Didn’t you say she was in her nineties?’

‘Ninety-two. You wouldn’t think so, though, if you met her. She reckons ninety is the new seventy.’ Zac turned his head. ‘She’d love to meet you. Would you like to come in for a drink or something?’

Summer turned her head as well and suddenly their faces were too close. She could see the genuine warmth of that invitation in his eyes. What was the ‘something’ on offer as well as a drink?

Whatever it was, she wanted it. The attraction was as strong as it was unexpected. She could feel the curl of it deep in her belly. A delicious cramp that eased into tendrils that floated right down to her toes.

She’d been fighting this from the moment she’d first seen this man this morning, hadn’t she?

He was—quite simply—gorgeous…

It wasn’t just his looks. It was his enthusiasm for his work. His charm. That smile. The way he loved his grandmother.

She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t find anything to say. All she could do was stare at those dark eyes. Feel the puff of his breath on her face. Notice the dark stubble on his jaw and how soft it made his lips look…

The board beneath her rocked a little as Flint jumped off. Maybe he’d knocked Zac slightly off balance and that was why he leaned even closer to her. It was no excuse, though, was it?

You really shouldn’t kiss somebody you’d only just met. Somebody who you were probably going to be working with on an almost daily basis.

Summer couldn’t deny that she’d been thinking about kissing him. Couldn’t deny that sudden attraction. Had it been contagious?

Who actually moved first or was it just the result of that movement on top of already sitting so close?

Not that it mattered. Nothing seemed to matter for the brief blink of time that Zac’s lips touched her own. The touch was so electric that she jerked back instinctively. She’d never felt anything like that…

Flint’s deep bark couldn’t be ignored. Jay was walking towards them. The random sound of a frog croaking from her beach bag was another alert. She had a text message on her phone.

Real life was demanding her attention but, for a crazy moment, Summer wanted it to just go away. She wanted to sit on the sand as the sun set.

She wanted to kiss Zac again.

Properly, this time…

‘So…’ Zac had noticed Flint’s enthusiastic greeting and must have guessed that it was Jay coming to collect the board. ‘How ‘bout that drink?’

Summer was also getting to her feet. She’d scooped up her bag and was checking her phone. It could be an emergency call-out.

Except it wasn’t. It was a text from Kate.

It’s driving me nuts trying to guess. You don’t mean Zac M, do you? OMG. If it is, stay AWAY.

Somehow Summer managed a friendly introduction between Jay and her new work colleague despite the chaos in the back of her mind as memories forced themselves to the surface.

Driving Kate up to Auckland late that night because Shelley had been hospitalised after an attempted suicide. Listening to the hysterical account of the man she’d been abandoned by. The father of her baby. The monster who’d tried to push her down a staircase when he’d learned that she was pregnant…

So many buttons could be pushed by memories that could never be erased.

And she’d actually wanted to kiss him again?

‘I’ll give you a hand closing up,’ she heard herself saying to Jay as he picked up her board. She barely glanced over her shoulder. ‘See you later, Zac.’

CHAPTER THREE

HE HAD NO one to blame other than himself.

How stupid had he been?

Even now, a good twenty hours after the incident, the realisation that he’d kissed Summer Pearson was enough to make him cringe inwardly. Or maybe it was an echo of the flinch his current patient had just made.

‘Sorry, mate. It’s just the local going in. It’s a deep wound.’

‘Tell me about it. As if it wasn’t bad enough getting bitten by the damn dog, I had to rip half my leg open on the barbed wire fence getting away from it. Bled like a stuck pig, I did.’

‘I’ll bet.’ Zac reached for the next syringe of local that Mandy had drawn up for him. ‘Almost there. We can start stitching you up in a minute.’

‘You won’t feel a thing,’ Mandy assured him. ‘You’ve got the best doctor in the house.’

‘At least he’s a bloke. D’you know, there were two girls on the ambulance that came to get me?’

‘Hadn’t you heard, Mr Sanders?’ Mandy’s tone was amused. ‘Girls can do anything these days. Can’t we, Zac?’

‘Absolutely. I’d say you were a lucky man, Mr Sanders. Can you pass me the saline flush, please, Mandy? I’d like to give this a good clean-out before we start putting things back together.’

He took his time flushing out the deep laceration. He’d do the deep muscle suturing here but he had every intention of handing over to Mandy to finish the task. It might do his patient good to realise that girls could be trusted to do all sorts of things these days.

Like fly around in helicopters and save people’s lives. Not that he’d seen Summer do anything that required a high level of skill yesterday but he was quite confident that she had the capability to impress him. He was looking forward to a job that would challenge them both.

At least, he had been looking forward to it.

What had he been thinking on the beach yesterday evening? That because she seemed to be thawing towards him he’d make a move and ensure that she actually had a good reason to hate working with him?

Idiot…

Except it hadn’t been like that, had it?

Zac reached for the curved needle with the length of absorbable suture material attached. He touched the base of the wound at one side.

‘Can you feel that?’

‘Nope.’

‘Okay. Let me know if you do feel anything.’

‘Sure will.’

Zac inserted the needle at the base of the wound and then brought it out halfway up the other side. Pulling it through, he inserted it in the opposite side at the same level and then pulled it through at the base again. This meant he could tie it at the bottom and bury the knots to reduce tissue traction, which would give a better cosmetic result.

His patient was happy to lie back on his pillow, his hands behind his head, smiling at Mandy, who was happy to keep him distracted while Zac focused on his task.

‘What sort of dog was it, Mr Sanders?’

‘No idea. Horrible big black thing. Bit of Rottweiler in it, I reckon, judging by the size of those teeth.’

Zac tried to tune out from the chat. Tried not to think about big black dogs. But the suturing was a skill that was automatic and it left his mind free to circle back yet again to how things had gone so bottom-up on the beach.

He’d been enjoying himself. Taking pleasure in sitting beside an attractive young woman, sharing his favourite place with someone who loved it as much as he did. Feeling as if he was making real progress in forging a new professional relationship because of the way Summer had been telling him about part of her personal life. Loving the idea of such a faithful bond between owner and dog that a bit of ocean wasn’t about to separate them.

And suddenly something had changed dramatically. He’d been shoved sideways by the dog and Summer had been looking at him and it felt as if he was seeing who she really was for the first time and he’d liked what he was seeing.

Really liked it.

But he didn’t go around kissing women just because he found them attractive. No way. He would never force himself on a woman, either. Ever. Being made to feel as if he had done that stirred feelings that were a lot less than pleasant.

The needle slid in and out of flesh smoothly and the wound was closing nicely but Zac wasn’t feeling the satisfaction of a job being done well. He was in the same emotional place he’d been left in last night, when Summer had virtually dismissed him and walked away without a backward glance.

If it wasn’t beyond the realm of something remotely believable, he might have decided that it was Summer who’d initiated that kiss but the way she’d jerked back in horror had made it very clear that hadn’t been the case.

He felt as if he’d been duped. Manipulated in some incomprehensible way. Pulled closer and then slapped down. Treated unfairly.

The final knot of the deep sutures was pulled very tight. The snip of the scissors a satisfying end note.

Okay…he was angry.

He needed to put it aside properly before it had any chance of affecting his work. At least he was in the emergency department today. He was due for another shift on the helicopter tomorrow but maybe he’d find time to ring the base manager later and ask if he could juggle shifts.

With a bit of luck, he could find another crew to work with, without having to tell anybody why he couldn’t work with Summer again.

The call-out had been more than welcome.

‘Big MVA up north.’ Her crew partner today was Dan. ‘You ready to rock and roll, Summer?’

‘Bring it on.’

It was very unfortunate for the people in the vehicles that had collided head-on at high speed on an open road, but Summer had been suffering from cabin fever for several hours by now. She needed action. Enough action to silence the internal conflict that seemed to be increasingly loud.

The usual distractions that a quiet spell provided hadn’t worked. She should have made the most of the time to catch up on journal articles or do some work on the research project she had going but, instead, she’d paced around. Checking kits and rearranging stock. Cleaning things, for heaven’s sake.

A bit like the way she’d acted when she’d got home last night and couldn’t settle to cook or eat any dinner because she kept going over and over what had happened on the beach.

Trying to persuade herself that that kiss had been all Zac’s idea. That she hadn’t felt what she had when his lips had touched hers.

She was still experiencing those mental circles today and, if anything, they were even more confusing, thanks to that conversation she’d had with Kate late in the evening.

Of course he’s charming. Why do you think Shelley fell for him so hard?

But it was more than a surface charm designed to lure women into his bed on a temporary basis.

Zac cared. About elderly patients. About small boys who might have been washed off a rock and drowned.

Small boys. Children. Presumably babies. And if he cared about other people’s children, it just didn’t fit that he’d abandoned his own. The story was getting old now. Maybe she hadn’t remembered the details so well. Kate had been happy to remind her.

Yes…of course he knew Shelley was pregnant. That was why he tried to push her down the stairs.

So why hadn’t Shelley pressed charges or demanded paternal support?

She was too scared to have anything more to do with him. And she planned to terminate the pregnancy, remember? Only, in the end, she didn’t…

And Zac had been on the other side of the world by then. And Shelley had had one health issue after another. Always at the doctor’s or turning up at the Hamilton emergency department Kate still worked in. Things hadn’t changed much, either—except now it was her son who always seemed to be sick or getting injured. The whole family had to focus on supporting Shelley and little Felix and sometimes it was a burden.

‘Are you going to tell Shelley?’ she finally had to ask.

God, I don’t know…I might have a chat to her psychiatrist about it. The new meds seem to be working finally, at the moment. It might be bad news to throw a spanner in the works…

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