Rescued by Dr. Rafe

by Annie Claydon

  ‘Okay. So what are you planning on doing?’

  ‘I’ll wait until Jack phones. Then I’ll decide.’ That was final, and there was nothing that Rafe could do about it.

  * * *

  Rafe had steeled himself against the possibility that he might bump into Mimi when he’d volunteered to help in the area. When he hadn’t, he’d had to steel himself against the possibility that he might not.

  Something about the way she moved had told him that it was her as he’d driven towards the figure in the rain, but he’d dismissed the idea, deciding that the woman was just another of those ghosts which had appeared before him and then turned out to be someone else. But as soon as he’d seen her start to run, he’d known. The kind of passionate loyalty that had sent her towards the wall of water instead of away from it might be foolish but it was Mimi all over and he still admired it.

  Not that she’d shown very much passion when he’d left. Perhaps cool indifference was all he’d deserved after the way he’d behaved, but it had still hurt. This bristling anger, the naked hostility would have been almost refreshing if it wasn’t so badly timed.

  ‘Come and sit in the car.’ He gestured back to where his SUV was parked and she glared at him. He shrugged. ‘Or you could just suit yourself...’

  She marched towards the car and, in a series of hurried movements, she managed to get her waterproof jacket off without getting too wet. When she was inside, she took off her overtrousers and heavy boots, hanging her coat on the clip behind her and dumping her boots in the footwell.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind my getting your car wet.’

  She was sitting in the front seat frowning at him, legs drawn up in front of her, her feet in a pair of thick woolly socks. One of the things that hadn’t changed about Mimi was that she was wiggling her toes. She always did that when she was unsure of her next move.

  ‘Nope. Any time.’ Rafe hung his own coat in the back of the car, and it started to drip.

  ‘We’re staying here. Until I say so, right?’

  ‘Yes. That’s right.’ Mimi and Jack had always been close and always looked out for each other, but that had never inspired this sharp ache of jealousy before and it took Rafe by surprise. It had been five years. Even if it felt like just a few days since he’d last wrapped himself in her warm scent before drifting off to sleep. If she and Jack were together now, it was hardly a surprise.

  She relaxed slightly into the seat. ‘Might take a while. If you get tired of waiting...’

  ‘You think I don’t care about Jack?’ They’d all been friends once. Whatever had happened since, Rafe still reserved the right to be concerned for him.

  Her honey-brown eyes considered the question for a moment. ‘No. I don’t think that.’

  She leaned forward, propping her phone on the dashboard, and Rafe wondered whether he should turn on the car radio to mask the silence. She looked just the same. Dark blonde hair, captured in a plait that was currently tucked into the back of her shirt. How many times had he watched her weaving it into that plait in the morning before she went to work?

  ‘What are you doing here, Rafe?’ The question had obviously been circulating in her head for a while and she didn’t meet his gaze when she asked it.

  ‘This area’s the worst hit by the weather conditions. All the hospitals in the county are sparing staff where they can.’

  ‘And you drew the short straw?’

  ‘I volunteered.’ Suddenly it seemed important that she know that. ‘I’m on leave for two weeks...’

  ‘This is your holiday?’ She raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Yeah. Beats the South of France any time.’

  She gave a little nod. ‘Thanks.’

  The thank you was more likely to be on behalf of her hospital to his, but Rafe preferred to take it personally and think that Mimi was actually glad to see him, despite the evidence to the contrary. All the same, she seemed to be relaxing a little now.

  ‘You and Jack are still a team, then?’

  ‘Not for much longer. I passed my exams and I’m a qualified paramedic now.’ She almost smiled. Almost but not quite.

  ‘You’re staying here to take up your promotion?’

  ‘No, I’m moving.’

  ‘Jack’ll miss you.’

  ‘I won’t be going that far...’ She broke off suddenly, staring at him. Maybe he’d been a little too obviously fishing for information. ‘Who I’m going out with is none of your business, Rafe.’

  ‘No, I know. But, out of interest, are you...and Jack?’

  ‘Like I said, none of your business. What about you?’

  ‘Nah. Jack’s not my type.’

  ‘I didn’t mean...’ The outrage drained out of her and she started to laugh. ‘He’d be very glad to hear you say that.’

  She fell suddenly silent, her brow creased in a frown, as if making her laugh had now become a hanging offence. Rafe settled back in his seat, watching the rain drum on the windscreen and wondering whether it was worth cracking a few more jokes, just to see how cross he could make her.

  CHAPTER TWO

  IT WAS A great deal easier to dislike Rafe when he wasn’t around. Mimi stared gloomily at her phone, her finger tapping impatiently on the small screen.

  The expected beep made her jump. A long text from an unrecognised number said that Jack was okay and in the Church Hall. He’d keep her updated as and when he knew more about the situation. And wasn’t that Rafe he’d seen with her on the other side of the water?

  When Mimi texted back that it was, she received a smiley face. Clearly Jack hadn’t thought about the ramifications of the situation. She might have a lift home, but she would really rather have walked than it turn out to be Rafe.

  She relayed the factual part of the message as dispassionately as she could, trying not to look at Rafe. The thought that she might need him wasn’t particularly pleasant, but she was going to have to face facts. She’d get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.

  Her phone beeped again. Another long text. Mimi read it carefully.

  ‘What does he say?’

  ‘The stuff in his medical bag’s ruined. The water got to it.’ Mimi had been hoping against hope that at least some of the medical equipment that Jack had been carrying would have survived the drenching. ‘He’s staying with the patient until he finds a way to get her out, and there are some people coming down to try and get a second bag across. We’re to get it packed and ready, and wait for them to call.’

  ‘Tell him okay.’

  ‘Yeah.’ She’d just done that. Mimi surveyed the torrent of rushing water in front of them and hoped that the people who were coming to meet them had some idea how they were going to get the bag across the river, because she didn’t have a clue.

  Rafe turned in his seat. ‘I’ve got pretty much everything he might need.’ He surveyed the boxes and bags in the back of the SUV. ‘What’s the patient’s condition?’

  Trust Rafe to come prepared. He always came prepared, never thinking that someone else might have the situation under control.

  ‘She’s pregnant.’

  Irritation tugged at his mouth. ‘I know that.’

  ‘Well, that’s all. She’s not in labour yet, but we were going to transport her to the hospital anyway, due to the weather conditions. No complications that I know of, but best...’ She was about to say that they’d best send whatever they could to deal with any eventuality, but Rafe had already got out of the car and was walking around to the tailgate. Opening it, he selected a sturdy holdall and began to stack it with boxes.

  Mimi puffed out a breath and pulled her boots back on. She had no doubt that Rafe would do the right thing, or that she would, but it seemed that they were both going to do the right thing in the most unpleasant way possible.
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br />   The storm had done its worst and seemed to be easing off a little now. They didn’t have to wait long before four figures appeared on the other side of the river, carrying what looked like climbing gear.

  Her phone rang and she answered it.

  ‘Hi, is that Mimi?’ A woman’s voice on the other end of the line, shouting over the roar of the water. ‘I’m Cass... Fire and Rescue...’

  At last, some good news. It was always good to have a firefighter around, even in the pouring rain.

  ‘Hi Cass, Mimi here. How’s Jack?’

  ‘He’s fine. We’ve taken him up to the village to dry off and we’re going to try to get a line over to you now.’

  ‘What’s your plan?’

  ‘Along the river to the east the land rises on this side. I’m thinking we may be able to throw a rope to you and winch the bag across.’

  ‘Right you are; we’ll meet you there. We have two bags.’

  ‘That’s great. Thanks.’ The line cut and Mimi shouldered one of the bags. Knowing that Rafe would follow with the other, she slid carefully down the slope at the side of the road and walked into the trees.

  Under the canopy of the leaves, the ground was wet but undisturbed and the clingy mud by the side of the road less in evidence. Rafe’s long strides quickly caught up with her.

  ‘There’s some high ground on the other side of the river, about a quarter of a mile in this direction. They seem to think they can get a rope across.’

  He nodded. Apparently he’d run out of things to say, or perhaps he’d decided that keeping the peace was the better option right now. In the silence, broken only by their footsteps and the drip of rain from the trees, Mimi resolved to do the same.

  She thought she’d left this all behind. Taken charge, caught whatever life could throw at her and thrown it back. But right now she felt just as alone as she had five years ago, when Rafe had left, and still weighed down by the memories from her past.

  Seventeen years old and clinging to her twin brother, Charlie, on the night they’d heard their parents had died in a car crash. Promising that they’d always be there for each other...

  That promise had been kept. And, as the pain of their loss had diminished, Mimi had known that Mum and Dad would be proud of the way that she and Charlie had stuck together.

  Twenty-one years old. She’d thought that she’d been in love with Graham, and then he’d slapped her down with that list. A comprehensive catalogue of Mimi’s faults and failings, which he had used to justify having slept with someone else behind her back.

  She’d let him go, but somehow the list had been harder to shake. Stamped on her brain, a reminder that she was irretrievably flawed and a warning against ever trusting a man again.

  But Rafe had made her believe that one last try might be possible. He had been the handsome doctor in attendance when Charlie was brought into A and E, so terribly injured, after falling from a window. It was thanks to his skill and quick action that Charlie still had some mobility left in his legs, and could pull himself up from his wheelchair and walk a few steps.

  Twenty-three. When Rafe’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer she’d tried so hard to support him, the way he’d supported her and Charlie, but he’d shut her out over and over again. Every day she’d felt him slip away a little more, and when he’d finally left it had been just a confirmation of everything that the list had taught her. She just wasn’t good enough. And it hurt so much more to be not good enough for someone you really loved.

  Mimi had picked up the pieces and set her goals. Helping Charlie regain his independence. Getting her paramedic qualification. Wiping Rafe out of her life, and never giving any man the chance to break her heart again. And she’d achieved them.

  So how come she was wet through, trudging through a wood with Rafe? Feeling all the insecurities that she thought she’d put behind her. Wondering what he was thinking, and whether he might be comparing her with someone else and finding her lacking.

  The straps of the bag were cutting into her shoulder and she shifted it a little. She would deal with it. She felt bad, but that had never stopped her before. It would pass. Rafe would be history again, very soon.

  As they approached the place that Cass had indicated the canopy of trees thinned slightly, giving way to long grass, which had been flattened and muddied when the river broke its banks. On the other side she could see Cass’s party, climbing a rocky outcrop that rose twenty feet above the level of the fast-flowing water.

  ‘If they’re going to get a line across, this is the place to do it.’ Rafe had come to a halt, looking around.

  ‘Yep.’ Mimi looked up at the iron-grey sky. ‘At least it’s stopped raining.’

  He nodded. Finally it seemed they’d found something that they could agree on.

  Cass and the men on the other side were securing the end of a long rope around the trunk of a tree. She was as tall as the men with her, and seemed to be directing them. As she worked her hood fell back off her head, showing a shock of red hair, bright against the browns and dirty greens of the landscape.

  Mimi’s phone rang.

  ‘We’re ready.’ Cass didn’t bother with any preliminaries. ‘I’m going to try and throw a line to you. Be ready to grab it.’

  ‘Okay. Standing by...’ Mimi looked up at Rafe. ‘There’s a rope coming over.’

  He nodded, and Mimi saw Cass swing the rope and throw it. The coil at her feet played out, but the rope was too light to travel far and dropped into the middle of the river, immediately carried downstream by the current. The men behind her hauled it back and she tried again. It travelled further this time, dropping into the river just yards from their reach and Mimi heard Rafe puff out a breath almost at the same time as she did.

  ‘They need to find something heavy to weight the rope...’ His voice was loaded with frustration.

  Mimi bit back the temptation to tell him that he was stating the obvious, and that it seemed that Cass was already doing something about it. She had to get a grip. Rafe was acting perfectly reasonably and she should at least try to be civil with him. But she was still reeling from the double shock of nearly losing Jack and then of seeing Rafe again.

  She watched as Cass selected something from one of the backpacks they’d brought with them and tied it carefully on to the end of a thinner, lighter length of twine. When Cass threw again, the line came whizzing across, followed by a shout of triumph as it cleared the river, the weight dragging along the ground as the twine sank into the water and was pulled downstream.

  Mimi ran for it but Rafe was faster and he was already there, catching the weight just in time. Mimi took hold of the twine and together they dragged it clear of the water, pulling it back and winding it securely around the trunk of a tree.

  Her phone rang again and there were more instructions from Cass, which Mimi relayed on to Rafe. A rope was hauled across and secured, along with clips and a pulley.

  ‘I wonder where she got all this stuff from.’ Mimi could see that the nylon ropes were strong and of high quality.

  ‘It looks like mountaineering equipment. This is a carabiner...’ Rafe was securing the rope around the tree with a no-nonsense-looking clip. ‘Watch your fingers.’

  ‘Well, give me a chance...’ Mimi whipped her hand away as Rafe tested the strength of the anchor and the rope snapped tight around the tree trunk.

  He waved to the party on the other bank and the bag began to move. Slowly at first, and then speeding through the air, over the water. A small pause while it was unclipped on the other side, and then the pulley came spinning back towards them.

  Mimi looked at the water, boiling over jagged rocks twenty yards downstream. She was afraid, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting across the river. ‘You have a harness?’

 
Cass didn’t seem to hear her, and Rafe shook his head.

  ‘Leave it.’ He clipped the second bag on to the pulley. As it began to move, he tugged at the ropes that anchored their end of the line around the tree trunk, assessing their strength.

  Mimi knew exactly what he was thinking. Rafe was going to insist on being the one to make that perilous journey, with or without a harness. It had always been this way with him.

  He’d been just the same when they’d lived together. Strong, dependable, always the first to get to grips with a problem and always the first to solve it. His quiet resourcefulness was one of the things that had drawn her to him but, after a while, standing back and watching Rafe deal with everything had begun to lose its charm.

  And yet she’d done it. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Rafe and she’d tried so hard to be the woman he wanted, someone he’d think was good enough to spend his life with.

  Fat lot of use that had been. His family had obviously been hoping he’d find someone from the same background as him—big house, private education, an appreciation of the finer things in life and the money to buy them. They had probably heaved a joint sigh of relief when Rafe had left her.

  She wasn’t about to let Rafe walk all over her again. ‘I’ll go first. I’m lighter than you are.’ She spoke casually, even though she knew that the words would be like a red rag to a bull.

  ‘You will not.’

  ‘Just watch me, Rafe.’ She threw the retort at him, watching as the group across the river retrieved the second bag. As they did so, a crack sounded across the water. One of the ropes came whipping towards them and she felt herself falling sideways as Rafe tackled her to the ground. The rope described an arc in the air above their heads and flopped down next to them.

  ‘Ow! Did you have to do that?’ Mimi rolled away from him, straight into a patch of mud. She’d been trying so hard to show him that he didn’t need to protect her any more. Rafe sweeping her off her feet, however dispassionately he’d done it, was the last thing she needed.

  ‘Nope. Could have just let it take your head off.’ He had the audacity to grin at her.