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Rescuing Dr Macallister
Sarah Morgan
A&E nurse Ellie Harrison is immediately intrigued by the ruggedly handsome new doctor at Ambleside. Dr. Ben MacAllister is playing it cool but, the pace and excitement of the A&E department thrusts them together and reveals that Ben's growing attraction is as strong as hers.Then Ellie realises Ben has a secret that is holding him back, and she decides there is only one way to help him move on by offering herself as a distraction!



Ellie handed the baby back to her cousin
still misty-eyed from the experience
of the unexpected home delivery.
The baby was gorgeous.
Ben appeared in the doorway, his handsome features unsmiling. “How is she doing?”
Ellie smiled. “Come and see her, Ben. She’s beautiful!”
Was it her imagination or did his entire body tense?
“I need to make a phone call,” he said curtly. “Dress both of them warmly and I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.”
Ellie watched as he strode out of the room, wondering what on earth was wrong. Because something was wrong, she was sure of that.
Ben had saved the baby’s life—but now he was remote and untouchable again.

Dear Reader (#ulink_7b71ae41-6ed6-5195-9bd6-8aad98b905d0),
Perhaps you are driving home one evening when you spot a rotating flashing light or hear a siren. Instantly, your pulse quickens—it’s human nature. You can’t help responding to these signals that there is an emergency somewhere close by.
Heartbeat, romances being published in North America for the first time, brings you the fast-paced kinds of stories that trigger responses to life-and-death situations. The heroes and heroines whose lives you will share in this exciting series of books devote themselves to helping others, to saving lives, to caring. And while they are devotedly doing what they do best, they manage to fall in love!
Since these books are largely set in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, and mainly written by authors who reside in those countries, the medical terms originally used may be unfamiliar to North American readers. Because we wanted to ensure that you enjoyed these stories as thoroughly as possible, we’ve taken a few special measures. Within the stories themselves, we have substituted American terms for British ones we felt would be very unfamiliar to you. And we’ve also included in these books a short glossary of terms that we’ve left in the stories, so as not to disturb their authenticity, but that you might wonder about.
So prepare to feel your heart beat a little faster! You’re about to experience love when life is on the line!
Yours sincerely,
Marsha Zinberg,
Executive Editor, Harlequin Books
SARAH MORGAN trained as a nurse and has since worked in a variety of health-related jobs. Married to a gorgeous businessman who still makes her knees knock, she spends most of her time trying to keep up with their two little boys but manages to sneak off occasionally to indulge her passion for writing romance. Sarah loves outdoor life and is an enthusiastic skier and walker. Whatever she is doing, her head is always full of new characters and she is addicted to happy endings.

CONTENTS
COVER (#ua3532683-85ab-5e05-a1b8-5a249b90a011)
BACK COVER TEXT (#ucc6bc503-febd-5b8a-8412-3c03a86895a6)
Dear Reader (#ulink_d573a5e5-a07a-574a-a2b0-c182737444a0)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (#u3ccc8c93-0a5a-5cfb-85c2-a41139c47764)
TITLE PAGE (#ua09f3c9f-789e-5754-a16a-90b7bd6643b8)
PROLOGUE (#ulink_8c335fec-66bd-5feb-8b29-730463b53b7e)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_97794c76-70c9-5456-bede-94fa3a318f4d)
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_53b93f49-66c1-5308-9025-3f929b76dd5d)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
GLOSSARY (#litres_trial_promo)
COPYRIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
Rescuing Dr MacAllister
Sarah Morgan


www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

PROLOGUE (#ulink_367c6726-ce35-5c35-a566-48223bef429e)
HE HATED hospitals.
Ben MacAllister stared at the bold red sign for the Accident and Emergency unit and wondered what on earth had possessed him to take the job. It had been a moment of weakness and one which he was already bitterly regretting.
What the hell had he been thinking of?
He could have stayed in the clinic in Pakistan where they were desperate for doctors with his skills, or he could have done what he’d been promising himself for ages and taken a year off and travelled.
In fact, he’d had any number of options, all of which were considerably more appealing than the one that he’d chosen.
With an impatient sigh, he strode across the car park to the entrance. If he didn’t get himself inside the building soon he’d be climbing back into the car and driving back the way he’d come.
Forcing himself to move, he strode through the swing doors and stopped dead as the memories came rushing back. The smells, the noise, the bustle...
That one awful day that had changed his life.
Sweat broke out on his brow and he gritted his teeth to stop himself running.
This was never going to work.
He was about to turn and go back the way he’d come when his oldest friend came striding through the swing doors towards him, a stethoscope looped round his neck like a tame serpent.
‘Ben—great to see you!’
‘Nicholson.’ He clasped the hand that was offered, aware that his brief chance for escape had vanished. ‘How are you?’
‘Relieved to see you.’ Sean Nicholson shot a telling glance towards the crowded waiting room. ‘Where do they all come from? I’m trying to run this department with zero staff at the moment so you’re as welcome as alcohol on a stag night. Let’s go to my office and talk.’
Ben reluctantly kept pace as the other man led him down the corridor into a small office which over-looked the car park and the mountains beyond.
Sean waved a hand at a chair buried under a mound of papers. ‘Move those files and sit down.’
‘I’d rather stand.’ Ben paced over to the window and stared outside, feeling some of the tension in his body dissipate as he stared at the snow-capped mountains. It always soothed him to be in the mountains. It was a reminder that there was a world outside if things got too bad within the hospital. ‘Nice view.’
Sean smiled. ‘Being the senior consultant comes with some perks. It’s not the Himalayas, but we like it.’ His smile faded. ‘You stayed away too long. You look like hell, MacAllister.’
‘Thanks.’ He should have been offended by Sean’s blunt comment, but he wasn’t. After all, it was true. He did look like hell.
And he didn’t want to be here. It wasn’t going to work.
Sean’s voice was rough but there was sympathy in his blue eyes. ‘You needed to come back, Ben, and you know it.’
‘Is that what this is all about? Rehabilitation?’ Ben’s tone was weary and his mouth tightened. ‘When you called, you told me that you were desperate for doctors.’
‘I am desperate,’ Sean said calmly. ‘You have no idea just how desperate I am. I’m trying to run a department on fresh air at the moment. Having you here helps alleviate the problem and it makes my wife feel better.’
The expression in Ben’s eyes softened slightly at the mention of Sean’s wife. ‘How is Ally?’
‘Worried about you,’ Sean said frankly. ‘She wants you close by so that she can help.’
Ben’s expression was unreadable. ‘So basically you’re interfering?’
‘Well, it’s time someone did.’ Sean met his accusing gaze head on. ‘It’s been two years, Ben.’
‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’ Ben’s eyes glittered dangerously. ‘Is two years some sort of magic figure? Am I supposed to feel better just because it’s been two years?’
Sean sighed. ‘No. But it’s time you stopped running.’ He hesitated. ‘And maybe it’s time you talked about what happened.’
‘Why the hell would I want to do that?’
Sean looked him in the eye. ‘Because sometimes it helps to talk?’
Ben threw back his head and laughed. ‘That’s rich, coming from you! When have you ever talked about your feelings?’
Sean rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. ‘I talk to Ally.’
Ben lifted an eyebrow. ‘You’re offering to lend me your wife?’
‘I’m offering to lend you her listening skills. Ally wants you to come and spend some time with us.’
Ben’s mouth tightened. ‘You can tell Ally not to meddle.’ But he knew she meant well. He was very fond of Sean’s wife who was mature and sensible and knew exactly what she wanted out of life.
Unlike some women.
‘You can tell her yourself,’ Sean said crisply. ‘She wants you to come to dinner as soon as you’re settled in.’
Ben digested this information. ‘Don’t tell me— she’s inviting a spare woman?’
Sean fiddled with some papers on his desk and avoided eye contact. ‘I’m not involved with the guest list. I just turn up and eat the food.’
‘Sean!’ Ben’s tone held a warning note and Sean sighed and raked a hand through his hair.
‘All right, there’s a possibility that she’s match-making...’
‘Possibility?’
Sean shifted uncomfortably. ‘Probability. You know Ally.’ He gave a shrug. ‘It doesn’t mean anything.’
Ben gritted his teeth. He had no intention of being set up. ‘Forget it.’
Sean sighed. ‘It’s only dinner! Dinner, and one available woman to talk to. It’s not as if you hate women—or are you trying to tell me that you’ve been celibate for the past two years?’
Ben chose to ignore that question.
‘I’m not interested.’
‘Oh, come on!’ Sean gave a disbelieving look. ‘I knew you in medical school remember? Women get cricked necks when you pass them in the street. You had more girlfriends than—’
‘That was a long time ago.’ Ben interrupted him with a grim expression on his face. ‘Things have changed.’
He’d changed.
Sean’s look spoke volumes. ‘You’re seriously trying to tell me that you haven’t been with a woman for two years?’
Ben’s dark brows settled into an ominous frown. ‘What business is that of yours?’
‘I’m your friend,’ Sean reminded him, ‘and I want to see you get your life back together. Maybe it would help to meet a decent woman and—’
‘Sean, listen to me.’ Ben’s voice was tired. ‘I know you think women solve everything, but in my case you’re wrong. My life is fine and I’m certainly not a good deal for any decent woman.’
Sean looked genuinely bemused. ‘Well, why the hell not? According to Ally, you’re stunningly good-looking—’ He broke off as he considered the implications of what he’d just said. ‘I grilled her over that, by the way. I’m not at all keen on the fact my wife freely admits to finding you irresistible.’ He shook himself slightly. ‘Anyway, that aside, apparently you’re the original macho action man and women love that, you’ve got money, you—’
‘I never realised you felt this way about me.’ Ben’s tone was dry and his friend waved a hand.
‘Relax. I prefer blondes. You’re not my type.’
Ben gave a short laugh. ‘I’m not anybody’s type. Not if they’ve got any sense. I don’t have anything to offer anyone. I’m not claiming to have lived like a monk, but I can honestly say that I haven’t felt anything for a woman for two years.’
And he doubted whether he’d ever feel anything again. It was as if he was dead inside. Even the few flings he’d had hadn’t really worked for him. Usually because the woman he was with so obviously wanted more than he was able to give.
Which was nothing more than brief physical satisfaction.
Sean looked at him. ‘Give it time. It’s grief that makes you feel that way.’
Grief?
Sean made it sound so simple, but Ben knew that it was so much more than grief that had locked his emotions inside himself. It was anger, too. Anger and bitterness and guilt.
Oh, yes, definitely guilt.
But Sean didn’t know any of that, of course, and why should he? Ben wasn’t in the habit of discussing his feelings with anyone. What was the point? It wouldn’t change what had happened.
And as for giving it time—well, it had been two years already. He’d given it more than enough time and nothing had changed. He still felt the same way as he had when it had first happened. As far as he was concerned, time had healed nothing.
‘How was Pakistan?’ Sean changed the subject neatly and Ben accepted the change readily.
‘Interesting. Challenging. Hard work.’
‘Good.’ Sean nodded briskly. ‘A bit like the job here, then.’
The job.
Ben opened his mouth to say that he didn’t think he could do it but the words didn’t come out the way he’d planned. ‘So when do you want me to start?’
He listened to himself and almost laughed.
What was he saying? Was he crazy?
He didn’t want to start at all. He wanted to turn around and walk out of the department the way he’d come without bothering to look back. Not submit himself to torture.
On the other hand, maybe it was time to face his demons.
‘You saw the waiting room. How about now?’ Sean gave a wry smile and fingered the stethoscope around his neck. ‘Only joking. The day after tomorrow will do fine. That should give you time to settle into the place I’ve found for you to live. It’s great. You’ll love it.’ He reached into his drawer and pulled out a set of keys and a map. ‘A log cabin in a forest. It’s easy enough to find but watch the roads. The weather has been filthy for almost twenty-four hours and there’s no sign of it letting up. Some of the roads are flooded and there are trees down, so go easy.’
Ben glanced out of the window. ‘After some of the roads in Pakistan—or rather the lack of them—I can cope with the Lake District. But I’m in no hurry, Sean. Why don’t you show me round while I’m here and then I can get straight on with it the day after tomorrow?’
‘You’re not dying to go and clean up?’
Ben rubbed long fingers over his roughened jaw and lifted an eyebrow. ‘Am I that bad?’
Sean looked him over. ‘Let’s just say I can tell you’ve been in the wilds for the last year. You’re what Ally would call rugged.’ He stood up and walked towards the door. ‘Do me a favour and lose the designer stubble and some of your hair before you start or the hospital management will be complaining.’
Irritated by what he saw as a complete irrelevance, Ben’s face darkened. ‘I thought you took me on for my medical skills, not my appearance.’
Sean held the door open for him to pass. ‘I did. But the way you look at the moment you’ll scare the patients.’ He gave a wicked smile and locked the door behind them. ‘Unless they’re female. You’ll also distract my nurses and they’re too busy for that. I want their minds on work, not sex.’
Ben shot him an exasperated look. ‘Why did I ever agree to help you out?’
Sean slapped him on the shoulder as they walked into the corridor. ‘Because I’m your best mate and you’d never let me down?’
Ben shook his head. ‘Because I’m an idiot.’ He stopped dead and stared at his friend. ‘I can’t promise you that this will work—you know that, don’t you?’
Sean hesitated and then nodded reluctantly. ‘Just promise me you’ll give it a few months at least.’
A few months?
Ben felt sick at the thought. At the moment he doubted his ability to get through the next few minutes, let alone a few months.
He should never have taken the job.

CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_d379e6d1-43b0-5320-b9e1-7ce7f318d1ed)
IT WAS a filthy night and the river was flooded.
Ellie stopped the car and stared in dismay at the murky dark water swirling directly in her path, illuminated by the beam of her headlights. In the summer months the river flowed obediently under the road, but in the winter, particularly after torrential rain, it swelled and burst its banks, flooding the road and forcing drivers to make a long detour through another valley.
But she didn’t have time for any sort of detour.
Lindsay was in labour. On her own and terrified in a farmhouse that was in the middle of nowhere.
Ellie flicked her windscreen wipers onto double speed and weighed her options.
Turn around and approach Lindsay’s farm from the other side of the valley?
No. She dismissed the thought instantly. It would take too much time and time was the one thing she didn’t have.
Which left only one other option.
She narrowed her eyes and stared through the darkness at the swirling water.
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Lindsay!’ She glared at the surging river as if sheer will-power could make the waters part like the Red Sea. ‘Why did you have to buy a house in such a remote place? What was wrong with a nice stone cottage in the middle of Ambleside?’
Apparently the midwife had been very relaxed and reassuring on the phone, reminding her that the baby wasn’t due for another four weeks and that the tightenings that Lindsay was feeling were probably normal.
Ellie peered at the swirling water and hoped the midwife knew what she was talking about. If she was wrong, Ellie would have to deliver the baby by herself, a challenge which she didn’t relish. She was an A and E nurse, not a midwife.
In fact, if it hadn’t been for Lindsay’s cry for help, Ellie would have gone back to work because you didn’t need to be a genius to know that the A and E department was going to be packed with injuries on a night like this.
Opening the car door, she flinched as a gust of wind tore it out of her hand and the rain flung itself in her face like water from a bucket.
‘Ugh...’ Gasping and scrubbing the water away from her eyes with her hand, she forced the car door shut and picked her way down to the edge of the water. Within minutes she was soaked, the pelting rain turning her long dark hair as sleek as an otter’s, her dark lashes clogging together as she tried to see through the darkness.
How deep could it be?
She’d driven this way only the day before and the road had been clear. It had been raining for twenty-four hours but surely the water level couldn’t have risen that fast?
The secret was to drive quickly and not hesitate.
She’d done it before in her youth, she reminded herself. Plenty of times.
Her mind made up, she hurried back to the car and scraped a hank of sodden hair away from her face.
Now that she’d made her decision, her eyes gleamed with anticipation and she started the engine, set her jaw and pressed the accelerator to the floor.
As she hit the water the car jerked and for one terrifying, breath-stealing moment she thought she was going to be stranded in the middle of the roaring river. And then she heard the engine splutter and the car suddenly surged forward and bounded out the other side as if it was relieved to be clear of the water.
She gave a whoop of triumph which turned to a groan as the car gave another splutter, choked and then stopped.
‘Oh, no—don’t do this to me.’ She turned the key again but there was no response.
Her little car might have made it through the ford but there was no way it was going any further. She flopped back in her seat and stared out of the windscreen in dismay.
Now what?
All her thoughts were on Lindsay, alone, afraid and possibly in labour less than a mile away.
Lindsay—not just her cousin but her best friend.
There was no way anything was going to stop her reaching her.
Which meant she was going to have to walk the rest of the way.
But at least now she was on the right side of the water. She’d just have to leave the car where it was and sort it out later.
Reaching into the back of her car for her coat, she dragged it on, grabbed her bag and opened the car door again, bracing herself as she confronted the elements.
If anything the rain had increased and in seconds she was drenched to the skin, her vision distorted by the volume of water streaming over her face. The wind was so fierce she could hardly stand, let alone make headway up the road, and she swore under her breath as she battled to stay upright.
She’d barely made any progress when she heard the unmistakable sound of a car engine from behind her. Turning quickly, she saw headlights flickering in the darkness as another car made its way towards the ford.
For a moment she tensed. The water was deeper than it looked, but there was no way of warning the driver. She just hoped he wouldn’t suffer the same fate that she had.
He didn’t.
Ellie watched enviously as the car surged through the water without any alteration in speed and then leapt out the other side as if it had barely noticed the impediment. Great. What wouldn’t she have given for a car like that on a night like this?
Still, she might be able to make use of it.
Ignoring the fact that the wind was trying to tear her coat from her shoulders, she braced her legs apart, stood in the middle of the road and windmilled her arms.
Oh, please, please, let the driver stop.
If the driver could drop her at the end of Lindsay’s lane, she’d save precious time.
The car pulled up and there was a soft purr as the window on the passenger side slid down.
The wind whipped her sodden hair across her face and she raked it to one side impatiently as she leaned inside to talk to the driver.
‘Thank goodness you stopped!’ She was shouting to make herself heard above the wind. ‘I need a lift, it’s an emergency.’
Without waiting for an invitation, she yanked open the door and clambered into the passenger seat, giving an exclamation of disgust as the wind tried to drag the door from her hand.
With considerable difficulty she slammed it shut, closed the electric window and turned to the driver with a relieved smile.
‘What a night! Thank goodness you came along when you did. I was in a spot of bother.’
There was an ominous silence and in the darkness the driver’s features were barely visible. When he finally spoke, his voice had a hard edge. ‘Do you have a death wish?’
The temperature inside the car suddenly seemed lower than outside, and Ellie’s merry smile faltered slightly as she looked into glittering black eyes.
‘Of course I don’t have a death wish.’
‘You took an absurd risk.’
‘By driving through the ford?’ She gave a chuckle and toed off her wet shoes. ‘I hate to point out the obvious, but you drove through it, too!’
‘In a vehicle designed for those sorts of conditions,’ he growled. ‘The same can’t be said for your car.’
‘Wasn’t she amazing?’ Ellie squinted through clogged lashes towards her little car, her tone warm with affection. ‘I mean, I know she conked out on me but at least she made it through the water.’
‘You could have been killed.’
‘Relax, will you?’ She smiled cheerfully as she peeled off her soaking wet coat and pulled her sodden jumper over her head. ‘I’ve got nine lives.’
‘Not any more.’ His voice was clipped. ‘You just lost at least three back there in the river.’
Why was he so angry?
‘I’ve been driving through that ford since I was young, although admittedly I haven’t done it for a while now. There was no danger.’
She dropped her wet clothes onto the floor of the car and tugged her wet shirt out of her trousers.
‘Are you planning to remove all your clothes?’
‘Just the outer layers,’ she assured him. ‘I’m soaked to the skin and I don’t want to get hypothermia. What I really need is a towel. I don’t suppose...?’ Her voice trailed off as she saw the expression in his eyes. ‘No, you’re not the type to carry a towel in the car.’
He seemed to struggle to find his voice. ‘I don’t generally need towels when I drive,’ he said finally, and she rubbed her arms to keep warm.
‘Well, you should,’ she told him. ‘They can be very useful. I remember one time when I was driving home from work, I passed this injured sheep—’
He blinked in disbelief. ‘Sheep?’
‘Yes, sheep.’ She gave him an odd look and then shrugged and carried on. ‘Anyway, she’d managed to wriggle her way under the barbed-wire fence and she was totally wedged and every time she moved the wire embedded itself deeper in her wool and— why are you looking at me like that?’
‘I’ve never met anyone that talks as much as you. I’m wondering when you breathe.’
‘I can breathe and talk,’ she assured him. ‘As I was saying, she was stuck, and I’ve tried rescuing sheep with bare hands before and it’s always been a disaster, but luckily I had a towel in my car and so I used that and it was brilliant. I always carry one now. You should too.’
He stared at her for a long time and then finally stirred and cleared his throat. ‘I’ll remember that. In the meantime, I do have a blanket on the back seat. Please feel free to use it.’
‘Oh, thanks.’ Completely unselfconscious, Ellie reached into the back, grabbed the blanket and then shook herself like a drenched kitten. Droplets of water flew from her dark hair and landed on the driver. ‘Gosh, I’m soaked and freezing. Can we turn your heating up?’
‘Be my guest.’
She glanced at him warily as she fiddled with the controls of his fancy car.
‘You’re looking at me in a funny way. I suppose you think I’m very forward, but I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to get hypothermia. I remember once when I got really wet—’
‘Do you always talk this much?’
‘Are you always this tense?’ She peered at him, trying to read his expression in the semi-darkness. ‘Have I made you late or something? It was very kind of you to stop.’
‘You were standing in the middle of the road,’ he reminded her with exaggerated patience. ‘I had no choice but to stop. It was that or run you over.’
‘If you’re trying to convince me that given the choice you would have driven past me and left me there, you won’t succeed,’ she said cheerfully. ‘No one would be that heartless.’
There was a long pause and when he finally spoke his tone was chilly. ‘You have a worrying faith in human nature.’
She frowned. ‘No, I haven’t. Most people are very kind-hearted. Like you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along when you did. You’re my knight in shining armour and I’ll love you forever.’ She snuggled under the blanket and gave him a wide smile which faltered when she saw the look on his face. ‘What? Why are you looking at me like that? What have I done now?’
In the gloom his expression was hard to read but she sensed his exasperation.
‘Are you always this reckless?’
‘Reckless?’ She subdued a yawn and snuggled deeper under the blanket. ‘When was I reckless?’
‘When?’ He lifted one dark eyebrow and his expression was ironic. ‘Well, let’s see—was it when you drove the ford in a car no bigger than a sewing machine, or flagged down a total stranger, climbed into his car, stripped off your clothes and declared undying love—’
‘Not undying love exactly,’ Ellie corrected him with a quick frown. ‘More eternal thanks.’
He gritted his teeth. ‘You’re not safe to be let out alone. Didn’t your father teach you never to accept lifts from strange men?’
For a brief moment Ellie’s smile faltered. ‘Yes,’ she said in a small voice, ‘I suppose he did.’
‘So what were you doing, flagging down a total stranger?’
‘Well, it was that or die of exposure,’ Ellie said logically, pushing away thoughts of her beloved father. ‘Dad may have taught me not to accept lifts from strange men, but he also taught me to use my head in a crisis. And tonight is definitely a crisis.’
‘I could be anyone.’ His voice had a hard edge, but Ellie just smiled trustingly and snuggled further under the blanket.
‘I’m sure you’re a lovely person. In my experience, most people are.’
‘Then you obviously haven’t had much experience,’ he said roughly. ‘How old are you?’
He flicked on the internal light and she blinked.
‘You shouldn’t ask a woman her age. It isn’t polite. And you shouldn’t be influenced by appearances.’ Ellie’s voice tailed off as she saw him properly for the first time.
As their eyes met her breath jammed in her throat and her mouth fell open.
Wow.
The man was stunning. Seriously, breathtakingly good-looking.
She knew she was staring but she couldn’t help it. What woman wouldn’t stare when confronted by a man like this one?
His hair was too long and there was at least two days’ growth of stubble around his jaw, but never in her life had she been faced with a vision of such raw, untamed masculinity. Her eyes feasted slowly on the lean perfection of his face, the bold, dark eyebrows and firm, unsmiling mouth.
A long silence stretched between them and finally he spoke. ‘What’s the matter?’ His tone was rough. ‘Now that you’ve seen me properly, are you finally thinking that you might have been foolish to climb into my car?’
‘No.’ She shook herself and smiled at him, incurably honest. ‘Actually, I was thinking that when women kiss you, they probably keep their eyes open.’
He seemed to have lost his powers of speech and she tilted her head to one side and looked at him curiously.
‘What’s the matter? I’m just saying that you’re so good-looking it would be a terrible waste to close your eyes.’ She gave an impish smile and he shot her a look of pure, undiluted disbelief.
‘Do you always say exactly what’s in your head without any thought for the consequences?’
‘Always,’ she confessed. ‘I can’t stand people who say one thing and mean another. And don’t tell me no one’s ever told you you’re good-looking before. You must have heard it a million times.’
He studied her, not a flicker of expression on his handsome face. ‘Not in these circumstances.’
‘You’re shocked, aren’t you? But I don’t see why. You must know you’re good-looking.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s no big deal. Just a statement of fact. Like saying it’s raining.’
‘Raining...’ He gave her an odd look. ‘Right.’
‘Well, at the end of the day looks aren’t important, are they?’ she said simply. ‘Being with a person is about loving them for what’s inside, not for what’s outside.’
His dark eyes gleamed strangely in the darkness. ‘Absolutely.’
Ellie wriggled down in the seat and placed her feet on the heater to warm them. ‘I mean, someone can be rich and good-looking but what use is that if they’re no fun to be with?’
‘What use indeed?’ His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her antics from his side of the car. ‘Are you sure you’re quite comfortable?’
‘Perfectly, thank you.’ She beamed at him happily, ignoring the sarcasm in his tone. ‘I’m still pretty cold but this is a great car. Your heater is very efficient.’
‘I’m glad you approve.’ His tone was dry. ‘And now are you going to tell me what you were doing, risking your neck driving around on a night like this?’
Ellie gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth. For a brief few moments she’d totally forgotten about Lindsay. ‘Oh, heavens. Lindsay! You have to drive me to the top of the lane, quickly. We can’t spend any more time chatting.’
‘We?’
‘All right.’ She blushed prettily. ‘So I’m the one that did the chatting, but now can we make a move? Please! We’ve wasted so much time already. It’s an emergency.’
He didn’t shift in his seat. ‘What sort of an emergency? Don’t tell me—another sheep?’
‘Not a sheep. It’s my cousin. She thinks she’s in labour,’ Ellie explained quickly, and he lifted a dark brow.
‘She thinks she’s in labour?’
Ellie shrugged helplessly. ‘Well, it’s her first baby and it’s four weeks early so we’re hoping she’s wrong.’
‘And you’re a midwife?’
‘Sadly, no. I’m a nurse.’ She swallowed and secured the blanket more firmly around her shoulders. ‘The midwife is trapped on the other side of the valley—the wrong side of the floods. I don’t think she’s had much experience of driving through fords.’
‘Clearly a sensible woman,’ he observed, and Ellie pulled a face.
‘A bit pathetic, actually, but there we are. She’s coming the long way round, which is going to take her ages. Fortunately she didn’t sound that worried on the phone. It’s Lindsay’s first baby, and she doesn’t think it will come for a while yet, but I’m not so sure...’ She broke off and he lifted an eyebrow.
‘And why is that?’
‘Because I’ve got one of my feelings.’ She wrinkled her nose anxiously. ‘Which is a problem because I didn’t even get a chance to consult my textbook before I came out.’
‘And are your—er—feelings usually reliable?’
‘Always,’ Ellie said firmly, cuddling the blanket more tightly around her. Her teeth were starting to chatter and she’d never felt so cold in her life. ‘And on top of that her husband is away so, you see, I absolutely have to get to her.’
‘Right.’ His long fingers tapped the steering-wheel. ‘But it wouldn’t exactly have improved the situation if you’d drowned yourself and all the rescue services had been forced to come out to extricate you from the river.’
‘They wouldn’t have been able to. There’s been a pile-up on the motorway, which is why they weren’t any use to Lindsay.’ She twisted in her seat and looked at him with concern. ‘Are you hungry?’
‘Hungry?’ He was clearly taken aback by the question. ‘What on earth makes you ask that?’
‘Because you’re very cross,’ Ellie pointed out gently, her tone sympathetic. ‘You needn’t worry. I get cross when I’m hungry, too. You should eat something straight away to get your blood sugar up.’
There was a long pause and when he spoke his voice wasn’t quite steady. ‘I’m not hungry.’
‘Tired, then?’
‘Not tired.’ He looked at her and shook his head slowly, exasperation glittering in his dark eyes. ‘I’ve just never met anyone quite like you before.’
‘Well, I haven’t met anyone like you before either,’ Ellie confessed, frowning slightly as she looked at him. ‘You may be gorgeous to look at but you’re very tense and you don’t show your feelings. It’s impossible to know what you’re thinking by looking at you, which is always a bit worrying in a person. Now, do you think you could just stop lecturing me and give me a lift to the top of the road? While we’re sitting here, getting to know each other, she could be in the final stages of labour.’
She could have been mistaken but she thought she detected a glimmer of laughter in his eyes as he flicked off the internal light. ‘Come on, then, I’ll take you. If I don’t, there’s no knowing what you’ll get up to. You need a bodyguard.’
He released the handbrake and drove up the road, handling the car skilfully as he negotiated the fierce storm and the lethal driving conditions.
‘Directions?’
‘Further up on the right.’ She paused, her teeth chattering, looking for landmarks. ‘Stop here!’
The man pulled up and squinted down the dark track. ‘I don’t see anything.’
‘Well, the farmhouse is in a dip.’ Ellie released the blanket and he frowned at her.
‘What are you doing now?’
‘I’ll walk from here.’
‘Like hell you will.’ He muttered something under his breath and swung the vehicle into the lane.
She gasped and grabbed the seat to steady herself as it jolted viciously into the first pothole. ‘You can’t drive down here. You’ll lose your suspension.’
‘This is a four-wheel-drive,’ he reminded her, his expression grim as he adjusted the headlights, his eyes fixed on the track. ‘Just hang on.’
In no position to argue, she did just that, bracing herself as the vehicle lurched from the left to the right.
Finally he reached the end of the lane and they could see that every light in Lindsay’s farmhouse was blazing.
He pulled to a halt and unlocked the doors.
In an impulsive gesture, she leaned across, briefly kissed his rough cheek and then shrugged the blanket off her shoulders and grabbed her sodden clothes.
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved my life. Now, go and get yourself something to eat.’ She grimaced as she slid her feet into her soaking wet boots and, without giving him a chance to speak, slid out of the car and sprinted to the front door, knowing that it would be open. It was always open. Lindsay refused to lock it.
‘Linny?’ She paused in the hallway and shouted for her cousin. ‘Lin? It’s me. Where are you?’
She heard a muffled sob and took the stairs two at a time. ‘Lindsay?’
Throwing open doors, she charged around the upstairs of the farmhouse until she finally found her cousin crouching in a ball in the bathroom, her face streaked with tears.
‘Oh, Lin...’ Ellie dropped to her knees and scooped her cousin into her arms. ‘It’s OK. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be fine.’
‘I thought no one was ever going to get here—’ Lindsay broke off with a gasp of pain and clutched at Ellie’s hand. ‘Paul’s away and it’s going to take him hours to get home, the midwife is stranded, I thought I was going to be on my own...’
Ellie hugged her tightly. ‘You’re not on your own. And you should have known I’d get here.’
Lindsay gave a sob. ‘If the midwife couldn’t manage it, how come you could?’
‘I had a stroke of luck,’ Ellie said evasively, not wanting to mention the ford. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Scared. It’s not meant to come this early, and I’m not meant to be at home. Oh, Ellie, what’s going to happen?’
‘You’re going to have a baby, and it’s going to be fine.’
‘Ugh!’ Lindsay shrank away from her. ‘You’re soaked!’
‘Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a storm raging outside,’ Ellie reminded her. ‘It’s raining.’
Lindsay gave a soft gasp of pain and rubbed her bump gently. ‘This is the Lake District. It always rains. It has to or we wouldn’t have lakes. You’d better help yourself to some dry clothes.’
‘In a minute.’ Ellie looked at her closely. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Honestly?’ Lindsay bit her lip and shook her head. ‘No. I’m really panicking. I know it’s all going to go wrong.’
‘Why should it go wrong?’
A deep male voice came from behind them and Ellie turned in surprise and shock. For a brief moment she’d forgotten about the man in the car. When she’d left him at a run she’d assumed that he’d be driving back down the lane and out of her life. Instead, he was leaning against the doorway of the bathroom, surveying them both through slightly narrowed eyes.
Lindsay glanced at him and then back at Ellie, her expression bemused. ‘I— Who are you?’
‘A doctor. In the circumstances, I thought you might be glad of some help.’
Ellie gaped at him. He was a doctor? ‘You don’t look like a doctor.’
‘You shouldn’t be influenced by appearances.’ His gaze mocked her as he reminded her of their earlier conversation and she gave a weak smile.
‘Touché.’
Lindsay was staring at him. ‘You’re an obstetrician?’
‘No.’ His tone was clipped and businesslike. ‘But I have delivered plenty of babies in the course of my career. Your cousin mentioned that she isn’t a midwife so I thought I’d better check whether you needed help before I left.’
Ellie felt her body flood with relief. She’d been secretly terrified that she’d end up delivering the baby on her own. But he was a doctor.
He’d saved her life twice in one night.
‘We need help,’ she said firmly, ‘most definitely, don’t we, Linny?’
Lindsay looked apprehensive. ‘But we don’t know him, El.’
‘I do. He’s already rescued me once tonight already and it’s only nine o’clock. Trust me, he’s a hero. Cool, calm and totally in control. The perfect person to have around in a crisis. A bit tense, maybe...’ Ellie’s green eyes twinkled with laughter as she glanced at the stranger ‘...but he can’t help that. I’ll make him a bacon sandwich if I get a minute. I’m sure his blood sugar is low.’
‘My blood sugar is fine. And I’m beginning to think I should have left you stranded by the side of the road.’ He looked at her with exasperation and then his gaze flickered to Lindsay. ‘Is she always like this?’
‘Worse usually,’ Lindsay informed him, a weak smile touching her lips despite her own predicament. ‘She’s totally irrepressible. Says what she thinks and always laughs at the wrong time.’
Ellie looked indignant. ‘I don’t see that there’s ever a wrong time to laugh.’
Lindsay was staring at the doctor. ‘What did you mean when you said you should have left her at the side of the road? Why was she at the side of the road?’
Ellie reached for a towel and started rubbing her hair. ‘My car broke down.’
Lindsay’s eyes widened. ‘Why?’
‘Who knows?’ Ellie ignored the man’s ironic glance. ‘Anyway, this man saved me. And his name is—is...’
She broke off and stared at him blankly, suddenly aware that she hadn’t even asked his name.
‘Maybe you should have asked me that before you climbed into my car and stripped off,’ he suggested softly, and Lindsay’s expression was comical, her voice little more than a squeak.
‘What does he mean, you stripped off?’
‘I was soaking wet,’ Ellie explained quickly, glaring at the man crossly. What was she supposed to have done? Stayed in her sodden clothes?
He watched her for a long moment and a ghost of a smile played around his mouth.
‘I’m Ben MacAllister,’ he said finally, turning his attention back to Lindsay. ‘I can assure you that I’ve delivered babies on several occasions in conditions far more challenging than this.’
Ellie looked at her cousin. ‘There we are. Fate brought him to your doorway.’
Lindsay put a hand on hers and took a deep breath, clearly battling with a contraction. After about a minute she spoke again. ‘I don’t know. I...’ She dropped her voice, clearly embarrassed. ‘We don’t know him, Ellie. And we don’t really need him. You could do it if you had to.’
Oh, no, she couldn’t!
Ellie patted Lindsay’s hand and shot Ben a pleading glance. No way did she want him leaving!
‘Lindsay, I’m an A and E nurse, not a midwife,’ she pointed out hastily. ‘I’ll be here to help Ben and give you moral support, but I can’t take responsibility. You know I can’t. It wouldn’t be right. And I’ve known him long enough to know we can trust him. And, anyway, I’ve got one of my feelings.’
Lindsay groaned. ‘Good or bad?’
‘Good,’ Ellie said in a definite tone. She had to convince Lindsay. They needed a doctor.
Her eyes slid to his broad frame but he was still watching Lindsay, his eyes flicking down to his watch as she was racked by another contraction.
‘Only three minutes since the last one,’ he said softly. ‘I’d say this baby is in rather a hurry.’
‘Oh, God, I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want to have it at home.’ Lindsay gave a whimper of panic and Ben crouched down so that he was at her level.
‘Home is a great place to have a baby, Lindsay. Where I’ve been working, home is where everyone has their babies. I realise that you don’t know me, and you’re right to be cautious...’ the look he shot Ellie was meaningful. ‘But in this case I promise you can trust me.’
Lindsay stared at him dubiously. ‘It’s just that, well, you don’t look like a doctor.’
That was true enough, Ellie reflected. He looked like a film star.
The corner of his mouth moved slightly. ‘Because I need a shave? Do you want me to call someone who can vouch for me? Or you can give me a razor and I’ll shave here in your bathroom if it will make you feel better.’
There was humour in his tone and something else—a calm confidence that seemed to reassure Lindsay. ‘No—there’s no need to do that, and I’m sorry if I sound rude but I’m just panicking.’ She winced and shifted her position slightly. ‘You see, the baby is breech and they think I’ll need a section. I’m nobody’s idea of a good candidate for a home birth.’
Ben was suddenly still, although his expression didn’t change.
‘In that case I need to examine you and see if we’ve time to get you to hospital.’
Not by a flicker of an eyelid did he betray his concern, but Ellie knew he must have felt it. Even with her limited obstetric experience, she knew that breech births should take place in hospital.
Lindsay was looking at him with frightened eyes. ‘And what if there isn’t time? What happens then?’
‘Then I deliver a breech here.’ He sounded so relaxed and confident that even Lindsay started to look less traumatised.
‘And have you done that before?’
‘Of course.’
Ellie looked at him curiously, wondering if he was bluffing. Had he really delivered a breech?
Lindsay still looked worried. ‘Everyone told me that breech babies should be born in hospital. What if it all goes wrong—?’
‘It won’t go wrong.’ Ben rose to his feet with athletic grace, totally in control and sensationally attractive. ‘It seems to me that three of us and a baby cramped together in this small bathroom is pushing the realms of comfort. Let’s move into your bedroom, shall we? Then I can take a look at you. If there’s time to get you to hospital, I promise that I’ll get you there.’
Lindsay looked at him and then nodded, and Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_fdba6b7f-246a-56e0-81e2-2c032384c5ec)
WITH considerable help from Ben, Lindsay struggled through to the bedroom and settled down on the bed with a groan.
‘Don’t get too comfortable,’ Ben said immediately, pulling off his jacket and tossing it to one side. ‘I’m just going to nip down to my car for my bag and then I’m going to examine you.’
Ellie glanced sideways at her cousin, knowing what a private person she was and wondering how she’d react to the prospect of being examined by Ben, but Lindsay was breathing steadily, clearly thinking of nothing but her baby.
Ben strode out of the room and was back only minutes later, a large bag in his hand.
Lindsay lifted her eyebrows and gave a weak smile. ‘You must have been a Scout. Are you always this prepared?’
‘Since I started working in remote parts of the world.’ Ben gave a glimmer of a smile as he pushed up his sleeves and made for the bathroom. ‘Experience has taught me that it’s wise to always carry at least a basic supply of equipment with me.’
‘You don’t need to use that bathroom,’ Lindsay called after him. ‘I was only in there because I was cleaning it. There’s an en suite over there...’
She gestured with her head and Ben followed her instructions, grunting with satisfaction as he found the large bathroom.
Ellie was staring at her cousin in disbelief. ‘Why were you cleaning the bathroom? You’re in labour, for goodness’ sake.’
Lindsay shrugged sheepishly. ‘Nesting, I suppose. I decided it needed doing.’
‘You’re mad,’ Ellie stated with conviction, glancing up as Ben called over his shoulder from the bathroom.
‘Can you run me through your obstetric history while I wash my hands? This is your first pregnancy—correct?’ He turned on the hot tap and reached for the soap.
Lindsay answered his questions as thoroughly as she could before breaking off and whimpering as another pain hit her. ‘Oh, Ellie...’
‘Breathe with her,’ Ben instructed over his shoulder as he lathered his hands and forearms with soap, ‘and then get me some clean towels.’
He certainly wasn’t given to small talk, Ellie mused as she held Lindsay’s hand and reminded her how to breathe.
Lindsay followed her cousin’s cue and breathed out slowly, perspiration glistening on her forehead.
‘I’m OK now. Thanks. You know where the towels are.’
Quickly Ellie fetched the towels and piled them on the chair.
Ben helped himself and then sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do. First of all Ellie is going to have a hot shower and change out of those wet things. While she’s doing that, I’m going to take a look at you so that we know what we’re dealing with.’
Ellie suddenly realised that seeing Lindsay had distracted her from the fact that she was freezing cold.
Without further argument, she reached into her cousin’s wardrobe and dragged out a pair of jeans and a soft jumper and made for the shower.
Five minutes later her skin was glowing pink and warm from the hot water and the shivering had stopped. She dried her hair roughly with the damp towel and then walked quickly back into the bedroom, startled to see Lindsay smiling. What on earth had made her smile? Not Ben surely?
He glanced at her and his own smile faded, his dark gaze suddenly hard. ‘Get back in that bathroom and dry your hair properly.’
Obviously the smile was reserved for Lindsay.
Rolling her eyes, she returned to the bathroom, picked up the hair-dryer and waved it absently in the direction of her hair until it fell in soft, dark waves around her shoulders.
Lindsay looked at her critically as she walked back into the room. ‘You’d better help yourself to a belt or you’re going to lose those jeans.’
Ellie glanced down at herself, a rueful expression on her face. It was true that the jeans were loose, but they’d do.
‘Look at her,’ Lindsay murmured to Ben as she rubbed a hand over her stomach. ‘She puts on my pre-pregnancy jeans and they’re too loose. I hate her. She’s got legs up to her armpits and boobs to die for, and the worse thing is she never notices.’
‘It’s just a body, Lindsay,’ Ellie mumbled. ‘Everyone’s got one.’
Lindsay opened her mouth to say something else and then groaned as another contraction hit her. Ellie was by her side in an instant, holding her cousin’s hand and helping her breathe slowly.
‘I can feel something! It’s coming, I know it is. Oh, Ellie do something!’ Lindsay clutched her hand tightly and Ellie looked helplessly at Ben.
‘Get me some more light,’ he ordered, tugging on a pair of gloves and preparing to examine Lindsay again. ‘Lindsay, I’m going to take a look now and see what’s going on.’
Ellie grabbed a bedside lamp and removed the shade, exposing the bulb, while Lindsay looked on anxiously, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘Well?’
Ben’s face gave nothing away and when he spoke his tone was casual. ‘Well, you’re right when you say it’s coming. I can see a little bottom.’
‘Little? If it’s a little bottom it can’t be yours, Linny,’ Ellie joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room.
Lindsay gave a weak smile, but there was no disguising her panic. ‘So it’s too late to go to hospital?’
‘Before the birth, yes,’ Ben said calmly. ‘After you’ve had the baby we’ll get you there. I want you to stand up, Lindsay, and hang onto Ellie. Arms around her neck, feet wide apart... That’s it—great.’
‘It’s going to fall on the floor,’ Lindsay muttered, and Ben shook his head.
‘It’s not going to fall anywhere. Trust me, Lindsay. Just hang onto Ellie and do as I say.’
Ellie winced as Lindsay’s fingers dug into her shoulders.
‘That’s good, Lindsay. Well done.’ Ben’s voice was deep and reassuring, his movements steady and confident as he worked. ‘That’s the bottom and the legs delivered.’
Lindsay gave a sob. ‘Is its head stuck?’
‘It’s not stuck. But we don’t rush this bit,’ Ben explained. ‘The head has to be delivered slowly. Just breathe and be patient.’
Two minutes later Lindsay dug her nails into Ellie’s shoulders again and there was a sudden wailing, just as they heard footsteps on the stairs.
‘Congratulations,’ Ben said softly. ‘You have a little girl.’
‘The door was open so I let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.’ The midwife bustled into the room and broke off in astonishment at the sight of the bawling baby in Lindsay’s arms. ‘So you were in labour.’
Ellie caught Ben’s eye and looked away again quickly.
‘It would appear that way,’ he drawled.
The midwife was staring at him with shock and blatant disapproval. ‘You delivered the baby?’
Ben didn’t spare her a glance, instead focusing all his attention on Lindsay.
‘He’s a doctor,’ Lindsay said weakly, and the midwife seemed flustered.
‘Oh. Well, naturally I didn’t think... I mean, he doesn’t look...’
Satisfied that all was still well with Lindsay, Ben lifted his dark head, his handsome face blank of expression. ‘As you’re here, you can take over and deliver the placenta. I didn’t have any Syntometrine so at the moment she’s having a physiological third stage.’
‘What on earth is that?’ Lindsay looked worried and the midwife was quick to explain, dragging her gaze away from Ben with visible effort.
‘It means that we haven’t given you an injection to make your uterus contract, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s quite capable of doing it by itself. It will be no problem at all for a young, healthy thing like you.’
The midwife hurried to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands, talking over her shoulder as she did so. ‘I came as quickly as I could but the roads are terrible. There’s an awful storm outside.’
Ellie caught Ben’s eye again and this time failed to stifle a giggle. The midwife had a real talent for stating the obvious. She was beginning to think that Lindsay had had a lucky escape.
Lindsay obviously thought so too because she struggled to sit up, panic in her eyes as she looked at Ben.
‘Please, don’t leave me.’ She glanced furtively towards the bathroom. ‘I—I really want you to be here. I trust you.’
Ben was still for a moment. ‘I’m not leaving you,’ he said, his voice rough and yet gentle at the same time. ‘I’m going to warm the car up so that I can drive you both to hospital once the midwife has delivered the placenta.’
At that moment the midwife bustled out of the bathroom and overheard the last comment.
‘Oh, she won’t be going anywhere for a while. The roads—’
‘I’ll worry about the roads,’ Ben said tersely. ‘You worry about the placenta.’
The midwife looked taken aback. ‘Oh— Well, yes...’
Ben strode out of the room and Ellie flung open the wardrobes and found some warm clothes for Lindsay.
‘Where have you stashed all the baby things, Linny?’
‘In the chest of drawers in the box room.’ Lindsay gave a moan. ‘Ellie, will you hold her for a minute? Just until we get this bit over with?’
Ellie took the baby immediately, staring in awe at its delicate features. ‘Oh, you are so beautiful,’ she cooed. ‘No way can you be Lindsay’s...’
Lindsay gave a weak laugh and the midwife gave a grunt of satisfaction as she finally delivered the placenta.
‘There we are, pet. All done.’ She checked it carefully and dropped it into a kidney dish. ‘Now then, let’s get that baby on the breast to help your uterus contract.’
She helped Lindsay sit up and Ellie handed the baby back, still misty-eyed from the experience.
The baby was gorgeous.
‘Right.’ She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. ‘Baby clothes.’
Ben appeared in the doorway, his handsome features unsmiling. ‘How is she doing?’
‘All finished,’ the midwife said briskly. ‘Just having a little feed.’
Ellie smiled. ‘Come and see her, Ben—she’s beautiful!’
Was it her imagination or did his entire body tense?
‘I need to make a phone call,’ he said curtly. ‘Dress both of them warmly and I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.’
Ellie watched as he strode out of the room, wondering what on earth was wrong. Because something was wrong, she was sure of that.
She had one of her feelings...
Ben had saved the baby’s life. He’d been warm and kind to Lindsay, but now he was remote and untouchable again.
Why?
The midwife went downstairs to fetch something from her car and Ellie and Lindsay were finally left alone.
Lindsay turned to her with an excited smile. ‘Ellie, he’s gorgeous!’
‘He?’ Bemused, Ellie stared at the baby and then at her cousin. ‘It’s a girl!’
‘I’m not talking about the baby!’ Lindsay rolled her eyes. ‘I’m talking about Ben. Superman, or rather Superdoctor. Where on earth did you find him?’
Ellie hesitated. ‘I told you. My car broke down.’
‘And?’ Lindsay looked at her. ‘When my car breaks down I get the emergency road service. I don’t get anyone like Ben.’
Ellie rubbed the toe of her shoe on the carpet. ‘I flagged him down.’
‘You thumbed a lift?’ Lindsay’s voice rose. ‘Ellie, you shouldn’t take such risks! It’s dark, for goodness’ sake!’
‘You sound exactly like him.’ Ellie suppressed a yawn. ‘He’s done nothing but lecture me since I climbed into his car.’
‘And he’s right!’ Lindsay looked troubled. ‘There are some real perverts in the world, El.’
Ellie sighed. ‘You’ve been reading too many newspapers. Does he look like a pervert to you?’
‘No.’ Lindsay gave a sheepish grin. ‘He’s gorgeous. One hundred per cent virile male. Rough and wicked-looking. The sexiest man I’ve ever seen— apart from Paul, of course,’ she added hurriedly. ‘So what are you going to do about it?’
‘Do? What do you mean, what am I going to do about it?’ Ellie stared at her and laughed. ‘What do you expect me to do?’
‘I don’t know—but something.’ Lindsay’s eyes were shining with excitement. ‘You can’t let a man like that go to waste. Why not tell him you think he’s gorgeous and see what happens?’
‘I’ve done that already,’ Ellie confessed with a faint smile. ‘He was shocked.’
Lindsay gasped. ‘You told him he was gorgeous?’
‘Well, he is.’ Ellie shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s just the truth.’
‘Yes, but most people don’t often tell the truth,’ Lindsay pointed out, laughing until she clutched her sides with a groan. ‘Don’t make me laugh—I’m sore all over.’
‘I’m not trying to make you laugh and frankly I don’t see what’s so funny. Now he obviously thinks I’m a tart as well as reckless,’ Ellie said gloomily, and Lindsay burst into further noisy laughter.
‘A tart? You? Oh, that’s rich. You’ve never even had a proper boyfriend.’
‘Will you keep your voice down?’ Ellie glared at her and Lindsay covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.
‘Sorry. It’s just that you’ve always said that you’ve never met anyone worth the effort.’ The laughter turned to speculation. ‘He might be worth the effort, Ellie.’
Ellie looked disapproving. ‘Linny, I’ve only just met the man! And, anyway, he makes me nervous.’
‘Does he now?’ Lindsay’s eyes were searching. ‘Well, that might be a good sign. Why does he make you nervous?’
‘I don’t know...’ Ellie gave a small shrug and stared at her fingers. ‘He’s very...controlled. And self-contained. And disapproving. I suppose he’s just different from the men I’m used to mixing with.’
‘That’s because you mix with a crowd of boys, not men,’ Lindsay said softly, ‘and there’s nothing boyish about Ben MacAllister. He’s a cool-headed, self-possessed, incredibly sexy man.’
‘Lindsay, you’ve just had a baby,’ Ellie reminded her. ‘You shouldn’t be thinking about sex.’
‘I’m not thinking about sex for me,’ Lindsay defended herself. ‘I’m thinking about sex for you.’ She gazed down at the baby and then looked at Ellie with a contemplative look on her face. ‘I just want you to meet someone special. You’re so pretty. I have no idea how you’ve kept men at bay for so long.’
Ellie shrugged and blushed slightly. ‘You know why. I just haven’t ever met anyone that I’ve wanted to—that’s seemed...’ She broke off and gave a shrug. ‘That’s seemed like the right man to—to—you know.’
‘Well, you couldn’t do better than Ben MacAllister.’ Lindsay gave her a dreamy look. ‘You only have to look at him to see that he would definitely know what to do with a woman in bed.’
‘Lindsay, those hormones are going to your head!’ Ellie started to laugh, her expression shocked and exasperated. ‘I’ve told you, I’ve only just met him.’
She hadn’t even thought of Ben MacAllister in those terms. And she didn’t intend to.
It was too unsettling.
She helped dress the baby and Lindsay in warm clothes, and then sprinted down the stairs to find Ben.
He was in the kitchen, talking quietly into his phone. As she walked into the room, his gaze flickered to hers and he quickly finished his conversation and looked at her questioningly.
‘Is she ready?’
For a moment Ellie stood rooted to the spot, remembering what Lindsay had said about him knowing what to do with a woman in bed. Her eyes rested on his broad shoulders and then drifted down to the long, powerful legs and she blushed slightly.
Oh, for heaven’s sake!
‘Ellie?’ His voice was sharp and she jumped slightly, hoping that he couldn’t read her mind.
Blow Lindsay and her fantasies! She couldn’t relate properly to the man any more.
‘Er, she’s fine, considering.’ She couldn’t keep the admiration out of her eyes. ‘You were amazing. I know how difficult that delivery was, but you made it look like a picnic.’
‘We were lucky,’ he said grimly, and she shook her head.
‘No.’ Her voice was soft. ‘You were skilled. Don’t think I can’t see that, and don’t think I’m not grateful because I am. Very.’
His dark eyes rested on hers for a long moment and a shiver ran through her.
He really was astonishingly attractive.
She pulled herself together. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you were saying about taking her to hospital. Maybe the midwife is right. Maybe we should wait until the storm dies down. They both seem OK for the moment and those potholes—’
‘Scared, Ellie?’ He lifted one dark eyebrow a fraction, his tone faintly mocking. ‘This from the girl who drove through a flood, flagged down a stranger and ripped off most of her clothes in my car? Are you trying to convince me that you’ve finally developed a sense of danger?’
‘I’m not scared!’ She glared at him and then gave a worried sigh. ‘Well, not for myself. For Lindsay and the baby. I just think maybe now the baby has been safely delivered, maybe we should wait—’
‘We’re not waiting.’ Ben thrust the phone into the pocket of his jeans and strode past her but she caught his arm.
‘Less than an hour ago you were telling me off for driving in that storm.’
His gaze was steady. ‘But this time I’ll be driving.’
She was outraged. ‘You’re a total chauvinist!’
‘Ellie, engage your brain.’ His voice was weary. ‘I have a car which is designed to operate in this weather. Your cousin has just had a difficult delivery. The longer we leave it, the worse the roads will get. I think everything is fine, but I’m not an obstetrician or a paediatrician and I’m not taking any chances. She’s going to hospital right now.’
Without waiting for a response from her, he strode out of the room and up the stairs to Lindsay, leaving Ellie staring after him.
He was right, of course. It was important to get Lindsay to the hospital. She hurried back out to the hall and glanced up the stairs. Ben tossed her his car keys.
‘Get some blankets and put them on the back seat. Strap her baby seat into the car and I’ll bring them out in a minute. The heating is already on full.’
Without waiting to argue, Ellie did as he instructed, sprinting back to the bedroom and dragging blankets out of the cupboard.
At the top of the stairs she slithered past Ben who was supporting Lindsay and carrying the baby.
She opened the front door and gasped at the strength of the wind.
The temperature had dropped and the freezing rain had turned to snow, the huge white flakes reducing visibility even further.
It was not a good night to be out in a car.
Pushing the thought aside, she made a dash for it, opened the back door and threw the blankets inside the car. She had no doubt that Ben was preparing for all eventualities but she didn’t even want to consider the possibility that they might be trapped in there.
Fastening her seat belt with frozen fingers, she glanced up to see Ben in the doorway with the baby in his arms. It was so well wrapped up it was barely visible.
Seconds later Lindsay was in the car and the baby was safely strapped in next to her.
‘I’m scared she’ll get cold,’ Lindsay breathed, and Ben slammed the car door shut and checked the heating.
‘Keep those blankets on her and she’ll be fine. She’s had a feed so that should help. I’ll drive as carefully as I can but this might be a rough ride,’ he warned them as he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
The midwife waved them off and they made it back down the farm track with no problem and turned onto the lane that ran near Lindsay’s farm.
Ellie saw Ben’s fingers tighten on the steering-wheel and knew from the tension in his shoulders that the roads were bad, the snow making the driving conditions slushy and dangerous.
‘The quickest way to the hospital is back through the ford,’ she said quietly, and she saw him nod briefly.
How long had they been at Lindsay’s?
How much rain had fallen in that time?
As he approached the water Ellie closed her eyes and held onto Lindsay’s hands, but she needn’t have worried. The four-wheel-drive barely hesitated as it plunged happily through the water and up the other side.
Lindsay looked out of the back window and gasped. ‘There’s your little car.’ Suddenly understanding dawned and she stared at Ellie, horrified. ‘Oh, my God! You broke down because you drove through the ford, didn’t you? That’s why you got to me so quickly! Oh, Ellie! Whatever made you take such a risk?’
‘I love you,’ Ellie mumbled, ‘and no one else seemed prepared to try it. Don’t worry about the car. I’ll sort it out tomorrow.’
‘I’m not worried about your car, I’m worried about you!’
‘Don’t be.’ Ellie gave her a cheerful smile. ‘I’m not the one who’s just had an upside-down baby.’
‘She was the right way up,’ Lindsay pointed out, and Ellie shook her head.
‘No. Medically speaking she was upside down.’ She chatted away, distracting Lindsay as Ben negotiated the lethal road conditions. Once they hit the main road things improved slightly and Ben handed her his phone without taking his eyes off the road. The snow was falling silently onto the windscreen, obscuring his vision.
‘Call A and E. Ask for Sean Nicholson. Tell him our estimated time of arrival is five minutes. Ask him if we go to A and E or the labour ward. I spoke to him earlier and he should have fixed something up by now.’
Ellie stared at him, puzzled. Sean was the consultant in charge of the A and E department. How did Ben know him?
She shook herself and punched the number into the phone. Now wasn’t the time to worry about things like that or to tell him that she worked in that department and knew Sean very well herself.
She spoke to the receptionist and got through to Sean easily.
It was clear that Ben had already briefed him fully. ‘They’re expecting her on the labour ward,’ he said immediately. ‘Get MacAllister to use Entrance 6 and pull the car right up to the door. There’s a midwife waiting for her.’
‘We’ll be five minutes.’
Ellie handed the phone back to Ben, relayed Sean’s instructions and gave Lindsay’s hand a squeeze.
Lindsay looked at her, her eyes overly bright in the darkness. ‘Well, this wasn’t exactly what you’d call a textbook delivery.’
‘And since when has life gone according to the books? Mine never does,’ Ellie pointed out, and Lindsay grinned.
‘That’s because you read romance novels. Life is never like that.’
Briefly Ellie caught Ben’s glance in the rear-view mirror and then he was pulling up outside the entrance of the hospital.
‘OK, we’re here. Let’s get you checked out.’
Without further conversation he undid Lindsay’s seat belt, scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing and walked briskly the short distance to the medical team who were waiting with a wheelchair.
Then he returned to collect the baby.
Ellie followed, surprised to see Sean Nicholson hovering. ‘Hello, handsome. What’s an A and E consultant doing in a place like this?’ she quipped, and he gave a lopsided smile.
‘Interfering. Checking that the obstetrics team is doing its job.’
‘Well, thanks a lot, Nicholson.’ Jed Matthews, the obstetric consultant, glared at him and then smiled at his patient. ‘Hello, Lindsay. I hear you’ve been giving everyone heart failure.’
Lindsay stared at all the doctors in amazement. ‘Why am I getting all this attention? The baby’s been born!’
‘Well, you’re our VIP this week.’ Jed laughed. ‘That and the fact that, for some unknown reason, Obstetrics isn’t busy at the moment. Give me the low-down, Ben.’
‘It was a breech delivery but everything seemed fairly straightforward...’ Ben raked his dark hair out of his eyes as he ran Jed through the details of the delivery and then turned to Lindsay and gave her a brief smile. ‘You were brave. You did well.’
He turned on his heel but Lindsay reached out a hand to stop him leaving.
‘Wait!’ Her tone was urgent. ‘You can’t go! Not just like that. I haven’t thanked you for everything you’ve done. Paul is going to want to talk to you. If it hadn’t been for you...’ She bit her lip, visibly flustered. ‘Where can I get hold of you?’

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