Hamish jumped out, too, and, having collected a couple of bags from the back of the car, Frazer disconcerted her further by taking her hand in his, linking their fingers as he walked around the ride of the building along a lighted pathway bordered by evergreen shrubs. For a moment ail her awareness centred on the point where his flesh touched hers, then he released her and inserted a key in the lock of a numbered front door, ushering her in ahead of him. Hamish bounded inside the warm, bright flat and disappeared. Closing the door, Frazer turned to face her.
'Can I take your coat?'
Callie slipped it off and watched as he hung it up, along with his leather jacket. `Where are we?' she asked, a flicker of concern tightening her verves.
`I promised the other most, important woman in my life that I'd bring you to meet her.' His dimpled smile in no way blunted the shock she felt at the words-shock that made her slow to react when he took her hand again and led her down the hall. `Come along.'
The very last thing she wanted was to meet one of his women. And she was scared to know what he meant by `the other most important woman in my life'. Callie tried to protest, to dig her heels in and insist he take her home, but they were already in a small but attractive sitting room, and her arguments died in her throat as she looked at the woman sitting in a comfy armchair by the fire, Hamish in her lap. The little dog jumped down and the woman rose stiffly to her feet, opening her arms to Frazer, a broad smile of pleasure on her face.
`Frazer, darling!'
`Hello, sweetheart.'
Callie watched as he enveloped the elderly grey; haired lady, who was as round as she was tall, inter a bear hug. When she was released, the woman turned with a smile, blue eyes twinkling with enjoyment and kindness.
`You must be Callie,' she greeted, holding out a hand in welcome. `Frazer has told me so much about you, my dear.' Her eyes twinkled with mischief. `You've made quite an impression.'
His hand resting at the small of her back, Frazer urged her forwards. `Callie, this is my grandmother Lily McInnes.'
Swept along with the introductions, Callie found herself sitting next to Lily, Hamish curled in front the fire at their feet, while Frazer made them all tea then busied himself with some festive decorations f the woman who was unmistakably his beloved gran. Discovering there was so much more to Frazer the casual playboy was dangerous. It would be much safer if she disliked him. But she didn't. Indeed, she was becoming more drawn to him by the hour.
`How are you finding Strathlochan, Callie? Are you settling in and enjoying your job?'
Although unused to such attention, Callie found herself relaxing. The elderly lady was marvellous. Full of life and humour. `I really like it here, and the job is all I hoped it would be,' she answered honestly conscious that Frazer was nearby and listening in as Lily continued to bombard her with questions.
`And what are you doing for Christmas, dear?' Surprised, Callie looked down at Hamish to hide her discomfort. `I'm not sure. I...'
`You must-come and spend the day with us,' Lily insisted, patting her hand. `No one should be alone at Christmas.
`Oh, no, I couldn't. I'll be fine. Honestly.'
She saw Lily share a look with Frazer before asking again. `Well, we'll see come the time. It's going to be our first year without the rest of the family, so we'd love your company. Frazer's sister, Fiona, married an Australian. Steve is a chef. He was working over here but they live in Melbourne now. My son and daughter-in-law, Frazer's parents, retired eighteen months ago, and last January they moved out there to be closer to their grandchildren.'
`I see,' Callie murmured, taken aback by all she was learning.
`Frazer, be a darling and check the cauliflower cheese I put in the oven. It should be ready soon, and then we can eat.'
Glancing round, she saw Frazer leave the room to follow his grandmother's bidding, but she had no opportunity to protest about staying for a meal as Lily 'as speaking again, chuckling as she gently rubbed Hamish's tummy with the rubber end of her walking stick as the dog rolled on to his back.
`Frazer had been working in London, mostly in A and E, but with a six-month stint on the helicopter with HEMS. He came back to Strathlochan when his parents left-he said it was time, but I fear it was so I wouldn't be here alone. Silly boy! He wanted me to live with him but I'd have none of it-even though we're s6 close.' Callie couldn't help but return Lily's effervescent smile. The woman was a real character. `I moved to this warden-assisted retirement place. As I said to Frazer, living with him would cramp my style.'
A laugh sounded behind them, a rich, attractive sound, and Callie turned to see Frazer's eyes spark ling, twin dimples creasing his cheeks, his affection for his grandmother obvious.
`You're a wicked woman, Gran,' he teased `Goodness knows what you'd get up to with all the single gentlemen here without me to keep an eye ors you.'
Callie tried not to be affected, to harden her hearing to this warm and endearing side of him. Concerned for his grandmother, he had given up a lucrative job and exciting lifestyle in London to come back here and make sure she was all right and had company. That, combined with his skills as a doctor, his kindness to patients and colleagues alike, meant her, view of him had changed drastically from that fit unfortunate meeting.
Unlike Frazer, she had never had any family had never known her parents, had never had a happy Christmas. Her childhood had been one of loneliness, of never belonging, of having no one to depend on or trust but herself. Life's lessons had been hard.
Anything beyond friendship with Frazer was out of the question, but day by day she was realising what might be possible here in Strathlochan...if she could just open up enough to reach out and allow herself to be drawn into the warmth of this community, to grasp the friendship offered by Frazer, Annie, Francesca and her other colleagues.
CHAPTER SIX
`RELAX between contractions, Moira,' Frazer instructed, glancing up to see Callie holding the woman's hand, encouraging her to rest before the next effort was needed.
With the helicopter grounded due to adverse weather conditions, they had answered an emergency call to this isolated farmhouse because their ail terrain vehicle was the only one that could reach the property through the deeply lying snow. A road ambulance, local GP Hannah Frost and a midwife had all been forced to turn back. It had immediately apparent when he and Callie had arrived in the early evening that there was no way to evacuate the mother to-be before the baby was delivered. Thankfully, she was only a week short of full term, this was her fifth child, and she had experienced no problems with this or any previous pregnancy. Baby number five was being born at home in the middle of a blizzard, a power cut thrown in for good measure.
`I know my others have come quickly,' Moira murmured now, panting for breath, `but I never expected this! Oh...here comes another pain!'
`You can do it, Moira,' Callie reassured her, adjusting the Entonox. `You're doing really well. Wait for the next contraction and push with it.'
`The head's showing, Moira,' Frazer told her with a smile, thankful for the battery-powered lights her husband, Dougie McStay, had been able to rig up for them.
The contraction subsided and Moira flopped back, taking a break from the gas. `Remind me never to do this again.'
Frazer chuckled. `Rest For a few moments. Has the Pain gone?' he asked, and Moira gave a weary nod. The pause didn't last for long before another contraction came and Moira cried out, reaching again for Entonox.
I need you to push hard now. Big push,' Frazer encouraged.
`I can't,' Moira sobbed. `I-'
Callie soothed her. `Yes, you can. You're nearly there now. Take a big breath.'
`Come on,' Frazer insisted, as more of the head of the face appeared. `Come on, keep going.'
`Well done, Moira. It's hard work but you're doing well,' Callie praised her, moving aside so Dougie, who had been to check that the other four children were safely sleeping in their rooms, could take her place and hold his wife's hand through
t final stage.
The labour continued, and Frazer looked toward the window, unable to see out in the darkness but fleetingly concerned that the winter weather h taken another turn for the worse. They hadn't expected to be delivering the baby here, and now the deteriorating conditions threatened to prevent the driving back to Strathlochan that night. The wind whistled around the windows and snow continued pile up outside. Who knew when the power might be restored?
Under the Entonox, Moira was sleepy between contractions, and Frazer had to call to her to keep her focused. `Moira, I need you to push now.'
`Push, Moira.' Callie's voice joined his own urging the weary woman along.
`Come on, love.' Burly and awkward, but surprisingly gentle, Dougie wiped the beads of perspiration from his wife's face with the cloth in his free h `You can do it.'
`I want it over,' Moira wailed.
Frazer remained calm and understanding but authoritative, as he helped to bring her baby safely in the world. `Not long now. Pant for a few moments Good. Now, take a big breath-that's it. Come on and again. Big push...wonderful.'
Moira cried out with the effort of her labour. `Good, good.' Focused on what he was doing Frazer altered his position. Another big breath, and then a really good push with
the next contraction.' `Nearly there, Moira, the baby's head is free. One ore big, big push,' Callie extolled.
Frazer checked that the cord was not around the neck and carefully rotated to ease the shoulders out.
`Biggest push you can. You can do it. Any second now.'
`It's a boy!' announced a delighted Dougie a few moments later, leaning down to plant a kiss on his wife's flushed cheek. `After all those girls, we have a son!'
Frazer noted the shimmer of tears in Callie's stunning eyes as she gave the exhausted mother an injection to stimulate the uterus to contract and aid delivery of the placenta. He put the clamps in place and encouraged Dougie to cut the cord, the farmer beaming with pride. Smiling himself, always moved at a birth, Frazer handed the baby to Callie, who cleaned and checked him before wrapping him gently, rubbing his chest and clearing his airway. She glanced up, and he met her gaze when the first thready wail turned into a furious howl, shocked by the look of wistful longing and edge of pain on her face.
Apgar scores seven and nine at one and five minutes,' she informed him, and he breathed a sigh of relief that all was under control. `Baby is doing well.' A short while later the placenta was delivered intact, and Callie made Moira comfortable in a clean bed before settling the baby in his mother's arms.
`Sorry about this, Doc, but it looks as if you are stuck here for the night.' Dougie grimaced as he returned to the room. `It's wild out there. The warmest place in the house is the living room. I've made up the fire and put mattresses, pillows and duvets in there. There's a downstairs bathroom, too. And I've left torches and candies in the kitchen. The stove is solid fuel, so the kettle is on if you want a drink. Help yourself to anything you need.'
Frazer glanced at Callie. She looked nervous, but he couldn't deny a moment of delight at the prospect of being stranded with her for a white. He looked back at Dougie and smiled. `We'll be fine. I have my mobile phone, so I'll contact the base and let them know what's going on. Be sure to call us at any time if you are worried about Moira or the baby,' he in instructed, shaking the proud father's hand.
'Will do, Doc. Thank you both for everything. Se you in the morning.'
Downstairs, in the dark, Frazer sensed the building tension between himself and Callie. While she disappeared to the bathroom he made them mugs of hot chocolate, then went to the living room, lighting some candies and moving the sofa back so he could set the mattresses in front of the fire. Tossing a few more logs on, he waited impatiently for Callie to arrive. In the days since the decorating party and taking her to meet his grandmother, he hadn't been able to stop thinking of their impromptu kiss. It had been far too short and far too public, but it had been like a taste of paradise and he couldn't wait to do it again-to kiss her properly. And more. ..much more. He wanted to taste her all over, love her for hours.
He looked round as the door opened and Callie came into the room. She had removed her flight suit, but she was covered from neck to toe in a layer of thick baggy jumpers and a pair of loose jogging bottoms. Frazer bit back a smile, overwhelmed by a wave of affection and desire. She looked so cute, impossibly appealing...and apprehensive. He saw her eyes widen as she looked at the mattresses close together by the fire, and he took her arm, leading her forward before she had a chance to voice the protests he knew were building inside her.
`I've spoken to Archie and updated him on the situation. All being well, the weather will settle and he helicopter can pick us up in the morning. We can come back for the vehicle when the roads are open.' Encouraging her to sit in the warm, he handed her a mug. `Here, have some hot chocolate: `Thanks.'
`It really ought to be champagne, to mark the occasion.'
Her expression was thoughtful in the flickering from the fire and candies. `Dougie was so happy having a son. And he was great at the birth.'
`He's an old pro at this.' Thinking of the large and y family upstairs, he felt a pang of envy grip him-one that would have shocked him mere months ago. `I didn't mean that, though. I meant it should be us celebrating.'
'Celebrating what?' she asked with a frown, sipping her drink.
`Our first baby together!'
He'd hoped to make her smile, for this to be a bonding experience, but he was horrified when the colour drained from her face and she turned away. Clearly he had unwittingly touched a raw verve.
`Callie, what's wrong?'
`Nothing.
Damn. It was like taking a couple of steps forward and several back with her. He had seen how affected she had been by the birth, but the tears now shimmering in her eyes revealed such hurt and disappointment he felt as if he'd been kicked in the gut. The urge to comfort and protect her was too strong to ignore. He gave in to his instincts. Despite being stripped down to his boxers and T-shirt, he took the empty mug from Callie's trembling fingers, set it aside, then sank down next to her and drew her gently into the circle of his arms.
Shocked, Callie held herself stiffly within Frazer's embrace, trying to resist the impulse to let go. She knew he hadn't meant anything by his remark, but it had affected her just the same, because she had worried since her treatment about whether she could ever have babies. Her oncologist had told her there was no reason why she shouldn't have children once she'd had the all-clear and was off the medication. No reason except never finding a man who would fancy her now she was damaged goods-even if she could ever bring herself to risk trusting one again.
All too conscious of Frazer's nearness, his warmth, the steady beat of his heart as he cradled her head against his chest, she sucked in a steadying breath, alarmed at the hiccuping sob that threatened to break free. She tried to pull away but Frazer wouldn't let her.
`Relax, sweetheart. Let me hold you, tare for you.' His voice, soft and husky in the near darkness, sent a quiver through her and she found her resistance melting away. `Talk to me.'
W-what about?'
One hand gently stroked the feathery strands of her short hair. `The day I took you home from the hospital you told me you had no family, that you had always been alone.'
What else did I say?'
`That your creep of a husband had left.' He paused a moment, and she felt him inhale and exhale deeply before he continued. `You said he'd told you that you weren't desirable.'
`Right.'
`Wrong.' Frazer's fingers sank lower, setting up a nerve-tingling caress on her bare neck. `You do know Ed was crazy, right?'
Callie shrugged, unable to answer. Frazer had no idea what had happened to her. . .and she could never tell him. If he found out, he'd reject her, too.
`You seriously believe you are undesirable?' he prompted now, shifting their positions so his lips could whisper across the sensitive hollow behind her ear, h
is breath warm against her skin, his tongue-tip teasing and tickling. 'I'11 just have to prove to you how wrong you are.'
`Frazer...'
Callie heard her own uncertainty as her protest died in her throat. She hesitated, torn between her constant need to be guarded and the temptation to give in to the madness of this night out of time and seek comfort with Frazer. Trembling, she curled into the erotic touch of his mouth. She wanted him so badly. but she was scared. Maybe tonight was her one chance to indulge her feelings, to know what being with him was like. In this place, huddled for warmth, he wouldn't see, wouldn't feel. She could take this one chance. It would have to last her a lifetime, because she wouldn't be able to repeat it, but she would mate a special memory. And she was sure it would be better than she could ever imagine. She had never felt with anyone the way she did with Frazer. Ed's touches and kisses had never stirred her the way Frazer's did. He only had to look at her to set her aflame, make her ache with a desperate need. But what she was thinking was crazy. How could she carry it off?
Outside, the howling wind rattled the windows of the old farmhouse and she shivered. Frazer's arms instinctively tightened around her. `Cold?'
`A bit,' she allowed, although she was bothered by far more than the drill of the air.
`Come here.' Pulling-the other mattress Closer, he drew her down with him in front of the fire, then covered them with the cosy duvets. As she lay on her ride, he snuggled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and spooning her back against him. `Better?'
Callie didn't trust herself to speak. She felt ridiculously small and vulnerable next to Frazer's athletically muscled frame, with his heat surrounding her, making her all too conscious of his maleness, his raw sexuality. The temptation to succumb to the driving need to turn over and ask for what her body craved was unbearable.
`Tell me about Ed.' His words diverted her from her wayward thoughts even while his lips nibbled along the back of her neck, fanning the flames of her need. 'Flow long were you married?'
Their Christmas Vows Page 7
