by Tina Beckett
‘Where are you going? Don’t leave me!’ Karen grabbed hold of her hand in panic and Molly paused.
‘I’m just going to see what’s happened. I’ll only be a second.’
She eased her hand free and picked her way around the chunks of masonry that littered the living room floor. The apartment was a mess but it was only when she reached the bedroom that she discovered the full extent of the damage. There was a gaping hole now where the front wall should have been. She didn’t dare go any closer because the floor was tilted at an angle but, from what she could tell, it appeared that the entire front section of the building had collapsed.
Molly’s heart was racing as she made her way back to the living room to find the radio receiver, hoping that someone would be able to tell her how long it would take before they got her and Karen out. However, one glance at the shattered remains of the handset soon put paid to that idea. All she could do now was pray that help would arrive before the rest of the building collapsed as well.
‘Some bits of the front wall have collapsed,’ she explained as she crouched down beside the sofa. She dredged up a smile, deciding that it would be better to play down the true extent of the damage. The last thing she wanted was to cause Karen any more stress. ‘I’m sure they’ll sort it out so let’s concentrate on you and this baby, shall we? Have you decided on a name yet?’
‘Mike and I decided that we didn’t want to know what sex it was—we preferred to wait and see when it was born. So it’s Holly if it’s a girl and Nicholas if it’s a boy,’ Karen replied and then groaned. ‘Oh! Here we go again.’
Molly checked the time but there was no doubt that Karen’s contractions were coming closer together, a sure sign that the birth was imminent. She held Karen’s hand until the pain eased and nodded. ‘You’re doing really well. It shouldn’t be long before your baby is born so what I need now is something to wrap him or her in. Do you have a blanket handy?’
‘Everything’s packed in that green case near the window in our bedroom.’ Karen’s face screwed up as she focused on getting through the next contraction.
Molly bit back a sigh because the case, along with everything else at that side of the bedroom, was now in the car park.
‘I’m afraid I can’t get at it at the moment so we’ll have to use something else, like a towel, for instance. That would be fine.’
‘Oh. Well, there’s clean towels in the bathroom cupboard.’
‘Great.’ Molly hurriedly fetched a couple of towels and placed them on a nearby chair. She checked Karen once more. ‘The baby’s head is crowning, so you’re nearly there.’
She carefully supported the baby’s head as it emerged, checking that the umbilical cord wasn’t wrapped around its neck, which could prevent it breathing. Then first one shoulder and then the other were delivered. The rest of the body slid out in a rush as the child began to cry lustily.
Molly laughed in relief. ‘Congratulations! You have a beautiful little boy who, from the sound of it, has a fine pair of lungs.’ She cleaned the baby, tied and cut his umbilical cord, then wrapped him in a towel and handed him to Karen. ‘Well done. You were absolutely marvellous, especially as you didn’t have the benefit of any pain relief.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Karen murmured, staring at her baby son in awe. ‘It was worth all the pain to be able to hold my own child in my arms at last.’
Molly left them to get to know one another while she tidied up. Once the afterbirth had been expelled, she left the apartment and gingerly made her way towards where she had entered the building. There was no sign of the passageway that the crew had cleared for her, only a heap of rubble. It looked as though they were trapped up here until help arrived. Once again she found herself wishing that Sean was there with her before she drove the thought from her mind. It would be stupid to allow herself to become dependent on him.
* * *
Sean had never pulled rank before but he had no qualms about doing so now. The rescue crew had set up a long ladder with a cage on the top and were proposing to enter the building to search for Molly and Karen by using that. He shook his head when the officer in charge explained once more that his men were all trained in the use of first aid.
‘No, it’s not enough,’ he said shortly, determined that if anyone was going into the building, it was going to be him. The thought of having to stand here and wait any longer for news was more than he could handle. He needed to find Molly and make sure that she was all right. He would never forgive himself if anything had happened to her.
It was hard to deal with that thought but he needed to convince the other man it was essential that he was included as part of the team. ‘There’s a woman up there who is about to give birth under the most difficult circumstances. Add to that the fact that the baby is premature and you can see why it’s vital that I go with your men.’
The officer obviously saw the logic of what he was saying. Sean sighed in relief when he was briskly told to get kitted up. One of the crew attached him to a safety harness before he was helped into the cage along with two other men. Nobody said anything as the ladder slowly rose; Sean suspected that everyone was feeling as anxious as he was. However, this wasn’t only a rescue mission for him. He was trying to save the woman he loved.
His breath caught painfully but there was no point trying to deny how he felt any longer. He loved Molly and he wanted to be with her, but could he do so when it would mean breaking his promise to Claire? He sucked in a deep breath of air. Somehow he had to find a solution to this dilemma because one thing was certain: he couldn’t face the thought of a future without Molly.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MOLLY COULD FEEL her fear rising as the minutes ticked past. How long had it been since the front wall of the building had collapsed? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Twenty, even? Surely something should be happening by now.
She went to the bedroom door but she could see very little from where she stood. She stepped tentatively into the room then stopped abruptly when she felt the floor give beneath her feet. She backed out of the door, her heart racing nineteen to the dozen as she realised just how serious the situation was. The whole building could collapse at any moment from the look of it and she, Karen and the baby would be trapped inside.
It was hard not to show her concern as she went to check on Karen. She was cradling baby Nicholas to her breast when Molly went into the sitting room and she looked hopefully up at her.
‘Has the rescue team arrived?’
‘Not yet, but I’m sure they won’t be long now,’ Molly told her, crossing her fingers behind her back. Maybe it was a lie but it was better than worrying the poor soul to death by telling her the truth. ‘How are you doing? Do you feel all right?’
‘Fine.’ Karen smiled down at the baby. ‘I have this little fellow to look after and he’s my main concern now.’
‘He’s beautiful,’ Molly said truthfully. ‘And, what’s more, he’s probably one of the first babies to be born on Christmas Day this year. That makes him even more special.’
‘We certainly won’t forget his birthday!’ Karen declared, laughing. She sobered abruptly when there was a loud crash from the direction of the hall. ‘Oh, what was that?’
‘I’ll go and see.’
Molly hurried to the door, her heart sinking when she saw that a large hole had appeared in the hall floor. It looked as though the floor of the apartment had given way and she could only pray that the damage wouldn’t extend to the living room as well. She was just about to suggest to Karen that they moved into the bathroom when a light suddenly appeared through the living room window and the next second a metal cage holding three men swung into view.
Molly felt relief pour through her when she immediately recognised Sean amongst them. There was no time to check if he had seen her, however, because one of the other men was gesturing to
her to keep away from the window. She hurried over to the sofa and crouched down beside Karen and the baby, shielding them as best she could as their rescuers broke the window. It took a couple of attempts to break through the toughened safety glass but at last they managed to gain entry. Molly rose unsteadily to her feet, unable to hide her relief when Sean came hurrying over to her.
‘Are you all right? Please tell me you’re not hurt!’
He gripped her shoulders and her racing heart beat all the faster when she saw the fear in his eyes. No one seeing it could doubt that he had been worried about her, deeply worried too. And that thought seemed to unleash all the emotions she had tried so hard to bury. She wanted Sean to worry about her. She wanted him to care about her safety and wellbeing as she cared about his. She wanted him to feel all those things when he looked at her because she loved him.
Molly took a deep breath as she finally faced up to the truth. For the past two years she had tried to fall out of love with him but she hadn’t succeeded. She loved Sean every bit as much now as she had ever done, even if he could never love her.
‘I’m fine. Really I am.’ She forced herself to smile although there was an ache gnawing away inside her. Although there was no doubt in her mind that Sean cared about her, it didn’t mean he loved her like he loved Claire. The thought that she could only ever be second best in his eyes hurt unbearably but she couldn’t dwell on it. There was too much to do at the present time and she needed to focus on that. ‘How soon can we get Karen and the baby out of here?’
‘Straight away.’ His expression was grim as he glanced at the other woman then turned back to her. ‘The crew don’t think the building is going to remain standing for very much longer so we need to get everyone out of here as quickly as possible.’
Molly nodded, not needing to hear anything more as she hurried over to Karen and helped her to her feet. One of the crew held the baby while another man helped Karen climb into the cradle, not an easy manoeuvre when there was a yawning drop beneath them. Once Karen was safely seated on the floor of the cradle, they carefully passed the baby to her and then helped Molly step on board. Sean followed next, shaking his head when she asked if they were waiting for the last crew member.
‘The cradle will only hold three adults so they’ll need to come back for him.’
It seemed to take for ever before they reached the ground although Molly knew for a fact that it was mere minutes. Her legs were trembling when she climbed out and she was glad of Sean’s support as she walked shakily over to the ambulance. Karen’s husband was already there, waiting for them, and he climbed in as well. Once everyone was safely on board, Sean turned to her.
‘You’re to go with them.’ He shook his head when she opened her mouth to protest. ‘No arguing, Molly. You need to get checked over at the hospital.’
‘But I’m fine, Sean,’ she began then stopped abruptly as he silenced her in the most effective way possible—with a kiss. Her head was whirling as she climbed into the back of the ambulance because, crazy though it sounded, that kiss had felt as though it had come straight from his heart. What did it mean? Was it possible that Sean loved her after all? She hugged the idea to her all the way back to the hospital, afraid to let it go in case it disappeared into the ether.
* * *
It was another half an hour before Sean was finally free to return to the hospital. All the casualties had been seen by then and either sent on their way or transferred to A&E. Amazingly, there had been no fatalities, which was a miracle considering the severity of the accident. The fire crew had the blaze under control now and the air accident investigators were on site. The people who lived in the apartments were being housed temporarily in a nearby hotel so at least they had somewhere clean and safe to sleep tonight. Sean turned to Mac as they left the site together.
‘Thanks again for your help, Mac. We wouldn’t have fared half as well if you hadn’t been here.’
‘I was glad to be able to help,’ Mac told him, shaking his hand. He sighed as he glanced back at the ruined building. ‘It makes you appreciate just how lucky you are when a thing like this happens, doesn’t it? Bella used to live in one of those apartments. Thank heaven we moved out when she was expecting Grace. I don’t know what I would have done if she’d been caught up in this.’
‘Very scary,’ Sean agreed soberly, inwardly shuddering at the thought. He understood only too well how it felt to know that the woman he loved was in danger and not be able to do anything about it.
‘Too right!’ Mac clapped him on the shoulder then headed over to his car. ‘Oh, Merry Christmas! I’d forgotten it was Christmas Day in all the chaos.’
‘And a Merry Christmas to you too,’ Sean replied, smiling as he climbed into the car that was waiting to ferry him and the rest of the team back to the hospital. It was almost five a.m. by then which meant there was barely an hour left before the day shift arrived for duty. He knew that he would be expected to file a report about what had happened during the night but it would have to wait. There was something far more pressing he needed to do at this moment.
Molly was in the staffroom when he tracked her down. She was sitting slumped in a chair with her eyes closed and looked infinitely weary. She had obviously showered since she’d got back because her beautiful red-gold hair was still damp, the riotous curls tumbling around her face and giving her the appearance of one of Botticelli’s famous cherubs.
Sean felt a huge wave of love sweep through him as he looked at her. He had come so close to losing her tonight and it had made him see just how much he loved her. He loved her with every fibre of his being, with his heart and his soul, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life showing her how he felt, but was it possible? Could he leave the past behind and look towards the future—a future which he longed for so very much?
He must have made some sort of a sound because her eyes opened. Sean felt his heart lift when he saw the love that burned in their depths. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Molly loved him every bit as much as he loved her and it seemed almost too much to know that this kind and beautiful woman was prepared to love him after the way he had behaved towards her in the past.
‘Hi!’ Her voice was low, gentle, filled with so much love that Sean’s heart overflowed with emotion.
‘Hi, yourself,’ he said, unable to hide how he felt. When she held out her hand, he didn’t hesitate; he simply strode across the room and pulled her to her feet. Glancing up, he laughed softly as his eyes alighted on the decidedly wilted bunch of foliage pinned to the ceiling. ‘Hmm. That seems propitious. Do you think someone’s trying to tell us something?’
‘Maybe. Although I doubt if we need anyone’s help at this moment, do you?’
Raising herself on tiptoe, she pressed her mouth to his and he sighed deeply. The kiss was filled with so many emotions that he would have needed the best part of a lifetime to sort them all out but he didn’t need to do that, did he? Each and every scrap of emotion simply led to one conclusion—that Molly loved him.
He kissed her back, letting his lips tell her exactly how he felt—how much he loved her; how scared he had been of losing her; how he longed for them to be together for ever; and how he feared it might not be possible. And she obviously understood. There was a wealth of sadness in her eyes when she drew back, a pain that cut him to the quick because he didn’t want to hurt her, not when he simply wanted to love her.
‘Will you come home with me, Sean?’ she said quietly and he heard the tremor in her voice and hated himself all the more for making her feel like this. Molly should be rejoicing, filled with happiness at the thought of what the future held in store for them; she definitely shouldn’t be experiencing this kind of heartache.
‘Are you sure, sweetheart?’ His voice caught and he had to force himself to continue but he had to make the situation perfectly clear. ‘You must understand that I can’
t make any promises. I wish I could but...’
‘I’m sure.’ She pressed her fingers against his mouth, stopping the words because she didn’t want to hear them. She gave him a tight little smile. ‘I don’t expect anything more than you feel able to give me.’
‘Oh, Molly!’
Sean drew her to him and kissed her hungrily. That she could be so generous, so giving, was almost more than he could bear.
He let her go when the sound of footsteps alerted them to the fact that the day shift was arriving. He and Molly exchanged pleasantries with several members of staff, brushing aside their eager questions about what had gone on during the night by claiming that they were too exhausted to talk about it right then. Everyone seemed to accept it so that in a remarkably short time they were able to leave.
Sean led the way to his car, opening the door for her while she climbed inside. He slid behind the wheel and turned to her. ‘Happy Christmas, Molly. Let’s make this the best Christmas Day ever, shall we?’
‘Yes, let’s.’
She smiled back at him, her expression filled with so much love that he had to stop himself reaching out and hauling her into his arms. However, this wasn’t the place, he reminded himself as he started the engine. They needed somewhere a lot more private than the car.
A shudder ran through him at the thought of what would happen when they got to Molly’s house. He and Molly were going to make love and, although it was what he wanted more than anything, he knew that afterwards he would have to decide what he intended to do. It wasn’t going to be an easy decision but one thing was certain: he couldn’t leave Molly in a state of limbo. It wouldn’t be fair.
* * *
Molly lay in her bed listening to the sound of the shower running while she remembered all the other times when this had happened. Sean would be taking a shower in the bathroom while she lay in her bed and waited for him...
