Zac suppressed a sigh. Maybe he should have a word to the base manager about being assigned to a different shift on the rescue service.
The call coming in meant that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
‘Missing child,’ Comms relayed. ‘Six-year-old boy. Red tee shirt, blue shorts, bare feet. They think he’s been swept off rocks at St Leonard’s beach. Coastguard’s sending a boat and the police chopper’s on its way but you’re closest.’
A six-year-old boy.
How long would he last in the water? How frightened would he be?
He was close to the same age Zac had been when he’d lost his mother. Summer could only imagine how frightened he would have been. He would have had the same soft dark curls by then. And big brown eyes.
Heart-wrenching.
She didn’t want to feel sorry for Zac, any more than she wanted his charm to get under her skin.
Maybe this kid could swim. She’d been able to at least keep herself afloat by the time she was four but Monty was right—she had sea water in her veins and life had been all about the sun and sand and surf back then. Happy days.
They were circling above the cliffs and rocks surrounding one of the many bays on Auckland’s north shore now and she could see the knot of people anxiously staring at the sea. Others were climbing the rocks, staring down into the pools where a small body could wash up with the incoming tide. In the distance, as they circled again, she could see a coastguard boat leaving a foamy wake behind it as it sped out from the inner harbour.
Her heart was sinking. It was too hard to keep feeling optimistic that this search would have a happy ending.
And one glance at how pale Zac was looking, with that fierce frown of deep concern on his face, and it was too hard to keep believing that he was some kind of monster.
Round and round they went. Monty focused on keeping them low and moving slowly over a small area, his crew peering down, trying to spot the smallest sign of anything in the soft blue swells of water or the whiteness as they broke over rocks.
Emergency vehicles were gathering at a nearby park above the beach. A police car and then a fire engine. An ambulance…
‘What was that?’
‘Where?’
‘I think I caught a flash of something red.’
‘Where?’ Summer narrowed her eyes, willing something to show up on the water below. The coastguard boat was there now. And a civilian dinghy. Even someone on a paddleboard.
‘Not in the water. Up the cliff. Take us round again, Monty.’
Another slow circuit but Summer couldn’t see anything.
‘I swear I saw it. About halfway up, where that pohutukawa tree is coming out sideways.’
Monty stopped their circling and hovered. Took them in a bit closer. A bit lower.
‘There…’ Excitement made Zac’s voice reverberate in her helmet. ‘Two o’clock. There’s a bit of an overhang behind the trunk. There’s something there. Something red…’
They hovered where they were as the information was relayed to emergency crews on the ground. A fire truck got shifted and parked at the top of the cliff, facing backwards. Abseiling gear and a rope appeared and then someone was on their way down to check out the possible sighting. For an agonisingly long moment, the fire officer disappeared after climbing over the trunk and crawling beneath the overhang.
Summer held her breath.
He reappeared, backing out slowly so it took another couple of seconds to see that he held something in his arms. A small child, wearing a red T-shirt and shorts. And then he held up his hand and, despite the heavy gloves he was wearing, it was clear that he was giving a ‘thumbs-up’ signal that all was well.
The boy was not injured.
The relief was surprisingly overwhelming. It was instinctive to share that relief with someone, as if sharing would somehow confirm that what she was seeing was real. Maybe Zac felt the same way because their eyes met at precisely the same instant.
And, yes…her own relief was reflected there. Zac had probably dealt with the same kind of heart-breaking jobs she had in the past, where a child’s life had been lost. The kind of jobs you would choose never to repeat if it was within your power—something they both knew was too much to hope for. But this time they’d won. The boy’s family had won. Tragedy had been averted and it felt like a major triumph.
The momentary connection was impossible to dismiss. She and Zac felt exactly the same way and the depth of a bond that came from the kind of trauma that was part of what they did was not something everybody could share. Even amongst colleagues, the ability to distance yourself from feeling so strongly was very different. Summer still couldn’t breathe past the huge lump in her throat and she suspected that Zac was just the same.
But he wasn’t supposed to have an emotional connection to others like this, given what Summer knew about him. It was confusing. Not to be trusted.
The radio message telling the rescue crew to stand down broke the atmosphere. Monty’s delighted whoop as he turned away and swept them back towards base added a third person to the mix and suddenly it became purely professional again and not at all confusing.
‘How lucky was that?’ They could hear the grin in Monty’s voice. ‘The kid decided to go climbing instead of getting washed out to sea.’
‘Small boys can climb like spiders.’
‘Only going up, though. It’s when it’s time to go down that they realise they’re stuck.’
‘He must have been scared stiff,’ Summer put in. ‘Good thing there was the overhang to climb under.’
‘He probably knew he’d be in trouble. No wonder he decided it was safer to hide for a while.’
‘He won’t be in trouble.’ Zac’s voice was quiet. ‘Or not for long, anyway. I’d love to have seen his mum’s face when she gets to give him a hug.’
This time, Summer deliberately didn’t look at Zac but kept her gaze on the forest of masts in the yacht marina below. She didn’t want to see the recognition of what it was like to know you’d lost someone precious and what a miracle it would be to have them returned to you. Zac must have dreamed of such a miracle when he was the same age as that little boy in the red tee shirt. How long had it taken to understand that it was never going to happen?
She’d known instantly. Did that make it easier?
If she’d met his gaze, it might be a question that was impossible not to ask silently and maybe she didn’t want to know the answer because that might extend that connection she’d felt.
A connection that felt wrong.
Almost like a betrayal of some kind?
Life didn’t get much better than this.
A quiet, late summer evening on Takapuna beach, with a sun-kissed Rangitoto island as a backdrop to a calm blue sea. The long swim had been invigorating and it was still warm enough to sit and be amongst so many people enjoying themselves. There weren’t many people swimming now but there were lots of small boats coming in to the ramp at the end of the beach, paddle-boarders beyond where the gentle waves were breaking and people walking their dogs. A group of young men were having a game of football and family groups were picnicking on the nearby grassed area.
It was the kind of scene that was so much a part of home for Zac he’d missed it with an ache during his years in London. This beach had been his playground for as long as he could remember. He loved it in all its moods—as calm as an oversized swimming pool some days, wild and stormy and leaving a mountain of seaweed on the beach at other times. Little room to walk at high tide but endless sand and rocks to clamber over at low tide. Kite surfers loved it on the windy days and paddleboards reigned on days like this.
Funny that he’d never tried that particular water sport. Maybe because it looked a bit tame. For heaven’s sake—it was so tame, there was somebody out there with a dog sitting behind the person who was standing, paddling the board.
A big dog. A small person. They were attracting attention from some of the walkers and Zac cou
ld see the pleasure they were getting from the sight by the way they were pointing and smiling. More than one person was capturing the image with a camera. He took another look himself. The dog was shaggy and black. The paddler was a girl in a bikini and even from this distance she was clearly attractively curvy.
He’d finished rubbing himself down with his towel so there was no reason not to head back to the house for a hot shower but there was still enough warmth in the setting sun to make it pleasant to stand here and that pleasure certainly wasn’t dimmed by watching the girl on the paddleboard for a few more moments as she headed in to shore. How would the dog cope with the challenge of staying on board as they negotiated even small waves?
It didn’t. As soon as the board began to ride the swell, it jumped clear and swam beside its owner, who stayed upright and rode in until the board beached itself on the sand. It was only then that Zac realised who he’d been watching.
What had Monty called her?
Oh, yeah…the queen of the paddleboard.
Who knew that that flight suit had been covering curves that were all the sweeter when there wasn’t an ounce of extra flesh anywhere else on her body? The muscles in her arms and legs had the kind of definition that only peak fitness could maintain and she had a six-pack that put his to shame.
Zac found himself sucking in his stomach just a little as he moved towards where she was dragging the huge board out of the final wash of the waves. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen her and maybe this was a great opportunity to get past that weird hostility he’d been so aware of today. There’d been a moment when he’d thought it was behind them—when they’d shared that moment of triumph that they no longer needed to try and spot a small body floating in the sea—but it hadn’t lasted. Summer had been immersed in paperwork when he’d signed off for his first shift and she’d barely acknowledged his departure.
He summoned a friendly smile. ‘Need a hand?’
‘Zac…’
He was possibly the last person Summer might have expected to meet here on the beach. The last person she would have wanted to meet? She was having to share yet another patch of her turf. First the base where she worked. Then the emergency department that was also part of her working life. Now this—not exactly her home but a huge part of when she spent her downtime and a place that was very special to her. And he was…he was almost naked.
Oh…my… The board shorts were perfectly respectable attire for the beach but the last time she’d seen him as he left the base that afternoon he’d been wearing real clothes. Clothes that covered up that rather overwhelming expanse of well tanned, smooth, astonishingly male skin. He’d obviously towelled himself off recently but droplets of water were still clinging in places. Caught in the sparse hair, for example, between the dark copper discs of his nipples.
‘I’ve been swimming.’
Oh, help… He’d noticed her looking, hadn’t he? Hastily, Summer dragged her gaze upwards again. His hair was wet and spiky and his expression suggested that he was as disconcerted as she was by their lack of clothing. Suddenly, it struck her as funny and she had to smile.
‘No…really?’
‘I’d offer you my towel but it’s a bit damp.’
‘I’ve been standing up. I’m not actually that wet.’
Just as she spoke, her dog emerged from his frolic in the waves, bounded towards them, stopped and then shook himself vigorously. It was like a short, sharp and rather cold shower.
‘Flint… Oh, sorry about that. My bag’s just over here. I’ve got a dry towel in there.’
‘No worries.’ Zac was laughing. He reached out his hand. ‘Hey, Flint…’
The big dog sniffed the hand cautiously, wagged a shaggy tail politely and then sat on the sand, close enough to lean on Summer’s leg. He looked up and the question might as well have been a bubble in the air over his head.
Friend of yours? Acceptable company?
Summer touched the dog’s head.
Yes. He’s okay. I’m safe.
Maybe it was the genuine laughter that had made a joke of something many people would have found annoying. Or the way he’d reached out to make friends with Flint. She might not let people too close but she’d always trusted her instincts about their character and there was nothing here to be ringing alarm bells. Quite the opposite, in fact.
‘So, do you need a hand dragging this thing somewhere? It looks heavy.’
‘No. Jay’ll come and get it soon. He’s busy giving someone a lesson at the moment.’ Turning the board sideways on the soft sand close to her brightly coloured beach bag, she sat down on one end. ‘I’ll just look after the board until he’s done.’
‘Jay?’
‘He runs a paddleboard business. I hired one the first time I came to this beach and fell in love with it. I’ve been coming back ever since.’
‘And Flint? He fell in love with it too?’ Zac sat down, uninvited, on the other end of the board but somehow it felt perfectly natural. Welcome, even.
‘He was in love with me.’ The memory made Summer smile. ‘Jay was going to look after him while I went for a ride, the first time I brought him here as a pup, but Flint wasn’t having any of it. He just came after me. Luckily, Jay shouted loud enough for me to hear so I could fish him out of the water before he got so exhausted he sank. He fell asleep on the board coming back in and that’s been his spot ever since.’ She laughed. ‘You’re sitting on it right now. That’s why he’s standing there glaring at you.’
‘Oh…my apologies.’ Zac shuffled closer to Summer and Flint stepped onto the end of the board, turned around and then lay down in a neat ball with his nose on his paws.
Zac was so close to Summer now that she could feel the warmth of his skin. His bare skin. His legs were bent and she could see sand caught in the dusting of dark hair. The legs of his board shorts were loose enough to be exposing skin on his inner thigh that looked paler than the rest of him. Soft…
She cleared her throat as she looked away. Maybe that would clear inappropriate thoughts as well. ‘So why Takapuna? Auckland’s got a lot of beaches to choose from when you need an after-work dip.’
‘It’s been my backyard for ever. That’s my gran’s house up there.’ He was pointing to the prestigious row of houses that had gardens blending into the edge of the beach. Multi-million-dollar houses. ‘The old one, with the boat shed and the anchor set in the gate.’
It was impossible not to be seriously impressed. ‘You live there?’
‘I know…’ Zac pushed his wet hair off his face. ‘It’s a bit weird. I’m thirty-six years old and I’m still living with my gran. But the house is on two levels. Gran’s upstairs and I rent the bottom half and it’s always just worked for both of us. She’d deny it but I think she’s relieved to have me back. I’m relieved too, I have to admit. I worried about her while I was away. She’s a bit old to be living entirely on her own.’
‘A bit old? Didn’t you say she was in her nineties?’
‘Ninety-two. You wouldn’t think so, though, if you met her. She reckons ninety is the new seventy.’ Zac turned his head. ‘She’d love to meet you. Would you like to come in for a drink or something?’
Summer turned her head as well and suddenly their faces were too close. She could see the genuine warmth of that invitation in his eyes. What was the ‘something’ on offer as well as a drink?
Whatever it was, she wanted it. The attraction was as strong as it was unexpected. She could feel the curl of it deep in her belly. A delicious cramp that eased into tendrils that floated right down to her toes.
She’d been fighting this from the moment she’d first seen this man this morning, hadn’t she?
He was—quite simply—gorgeous…
It wasn’t just his looks. It was his enthusiasm for his work. His charm. That smile. The way he loved his grandmother.
She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t find anything to say. All she could do was stare at those dark eyes. Feel the puff of his breath on
her face. Notice the dark stubble on his jaw and how soft it made his lips look…
The board beneath her rocked a little as Flint jumped off. Maybe he’d knocked Zac slightly off balance and that was why he leaned even closer to her. It was no excuse, though, was it?
You really shouldn’t kiss somebody you’d only just met. Somebody who you were probably going to be working with on an almost daily basis.
Summer couldn’t deny that she’d been thinking about kissing him. Couldn’t deny that sudden attraction. Had it been contagious?
Who actually moved first or was it just the result of that movement on top of already sitting so close?
Not that it mattered. Nothing seemed to matter for the brief blink of time that Zac’s lips touched her own. The touch was so electric that she jerked back instinctively. She’d never felt anything like that…
Flint’s deep bark couldn’t be ignored. Jay was walking towards them. The random sound of a frog croaking from her beach bag was another alert. She had a text message on her phone.
Real life was demanding her attention but, for a crazy moment, Summer wanted it to just go away. She wanted to sit on the sand as the sun set.
She wanted to kiss Zac again.
Properly, this time…
‘So…’ Zac had noticed Flint’s enthusiastic greeting and must have guessed that it was Jay coming to collect the board. ‘How ‘bout that drink?’
Summer was also getting to her feet. She’d scooped up her bag and was checking her phone. It could be an emergency call-out.
Except it wasn’t. It was a text from Kate.
It’s driving me nuts trying to guess. You don’t mean Zac M, do you? OMG. If it is, stay AWAY.
Somehow Summer managed a friendly introduction between Jay and her new work colleague despite the chaos in the back of her mind as memories forced themselves to the surface.
Driving Kate up to Auckland late that night because Shelley had been hospitalised after an attempted suicide. Listening to the hysterical account of the man she’d been abandoned by. The father of her baby. The monster who’d tried to push her down a staircase when he’d learned that she was pregnant…
Daredevil, Doctor...Husband? Page 3
