Rescued by Her Mr. Right

by Alison Roberts

  She saw that the stretcher was already reaching ground level, where a team of people was waiting to rush it to the treatment area. A television crew was nearby, clearly filming the drama. Jack was already on the second ladder but his head was still over the top and he saw Harriet stumble as she stepped towards him.

  ‘You okay?’

  Harriet nodded. She couldn’t fall at the last hurdle, could she? It would be too disappointing. For Jack as well as herself.

  Gritting her teeth, she reached the ladder, knowing that her limp had to be visible. Jack moved down as she turned but she felt his hand reaching for her. Supporting her.

  He had his arm right around her as she stepped off the final rung.

  ‘I’m okay,’ she told him. ‘Honestly... I just need to rest for a moment. You go ahead.’

  ‘I’m not going anywhere without you.’

  ‘But...’ Harriet turned to where Frank’s stretcher was already at the entrance to the treatment area tent. The television crew was in hot pursuit and others were heading in that direction as well.

  ‘Every doctor on scene will be in there,’ Jack said. ‘They just need to make sure he’s stable for transport and then the air rescue crew will take over. I’ve done my job.’ He was smiling at Harriet. ‘And you did yours. You were brilliant. Frank’s going to make it, I’m sure of it. And, yeah, I know he’s got a hard road ahead of him but we both know it’s possible to get there.’

  He had both his arms around her now and his head bent so that only she could hear his words.

  ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he said. She heard him suck in a ragged breath. ‘I love you, Harry. I could have told you how much a million times by now but I didn’t and I’m sorry I didn’t.’

  Something fizzed within Harriet and burst into what felt like the emotional version of a fireworks show. Relief? Joy? Or was it just love being unleashed, free of any restraints that doubt could create?

  She threw her arms around his neck.

  ‘I love you, too, Jack. I just couldn’t tell you until you told me...’ Her breath escaped in what sounded like a cross between laughter and a sob. ‘How stupid is that? I’ve stopped myself saying it...oh, about a million times.’

  Their helmets knocked together as Jack tried to kiss her. Impatiently he pulled his off and tried again. His mouth was pressed hard against her own and his arms were around her so tightly it was impossible to breathe but Harriet couldn’t have cared less. It wasn’t, in fact, hard enough or tight enough right now.

  She had to gasp for breath when he let her go, though.

  And then she was smiling and smiling and couldn’t stop. Jack looped his arm over her shoulders and they both started walking towards the treatment area.

  ‘We need to finish this mission,’ he said. ‘So we can go home.’

  ‘Yes.’ Harriet tightened her arm around Jack’s waist. ‘That’s the place I want to be. As long as you’re coming with me.’

  ‘Try and stop me, babe.’

  Harriet was still smiling. ‘No. I’m not going to.’

  Jack pulled her to a halt. ‘How long will it take, do you think?’

  ‘I don’t know. I guess there’ll be a debrief and then we’ll have to wait for space on the chopper.’

  ‘No...’ Jack was grinning as he looked down at her. ‘That’s not what I meant.’

  Oh...the love in that look. The promise...

  ‘What did you mean?’

  ‘How long will it take to make up for all those missed opportunities? To say a million times how much we love each other?’

  ‘Oh...’ Harriet was drowning in that gaze. ‘I think it might take the rest of our lives. Until we’re old and grey, anyway...’

  Jack nodded slowly. ‘That’s what I was thinking.’ His mouth quirked. ‘May as well get on with it, then. I love you, Harriet Collins. I love you, I love you, I love you...’

  ‘I love you, too, Jack.’ Laughing, Harriet pulled him forward. The sooner they could get home, the better.

  ‘I think I’m winning.’

  ‘You could be right... Maybe I need a personal trainer to get me up to speed.’

  ‘I think you do... Hope you can find one.’

  Harriet’s smile hadn’t faded. She had found one, all right. The only ‘one’ she would ever need. Or want.

  EPILOGUE

  IT WASN’T HAMILTON ISLAND but it was a beach wedding.

  This was much closer to home and there had been no limit on the number of guests because there were plenty of barbecue stations available and everybody had brought something to share, picnic tables and rugs and chairs and games to keep the children happy. And who knew that so many members of Jack’s family had guitars? The music was live and loud and too tempting not to dance to as the party really got going.

  Hand in hand, Harriet and Jack were simply wandering, stopping to talk to all their guests, unable to resist a slow dance whenever a romantic enough song started, sometimes just taking a moment to stand together and watch others.

  ‘I hope someone’s getting lots of photos. I should have brought my camera.’

  ‘The bride isn’t allowed to be the photographer. It would get in the way of this...’ Jack bent his head to bestow a lingering kiss on his new wife.

  ‘But look...’ Harriet’s gaze was misty as she turned back to the group on the grass. ‘That’s your gran up dancing. With Minny. That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Minny’s only just learned to walk and she’s dancing...’

  ‘It’s in the blood.’ Jack was looking pretty misty-eyed himself. ‘You’ll see...oh, in about six months, isn’t it?’

  ‘You still think we should keep it a secret?’

  ‘Well...it is after the wedding, I guess. It has been just about us so far. But let’s not make a big announcement. If it comes up in conversation, we can just slip it in and the news will spread like wildfire.’

  Harriet was nodding, but her attention had been caught by something else. A dog had come running out of the waves, a stick triumphantly clamped between his jaws. Behind him, she could see surfers catching the larger waves and, for a split second, she thought of Pete Thompson.

  And it didn’t push a single button, other than gratitude maybe.

  He’d disappeared from her life almost as suddenly as he’d come back into it—just a few weeks after that callout to the train accident. The surf was so much better in Hawaii, apparently. Good enough to tempt Sharleen to join him even. She spared another fleeting thought to wish them well. Sometimes it took something big to make it obvious that perceived problems weren’t really problems at all. To shine a spotlight on what was truly important. She squeezed Jack’s hand tightly.

  He returned the squeeze, looking down with one eyebrow raised. ‘What?’

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘That’s all.’

  ‘I love you, too.’ His smile was mischievous. ‘Love you, love you, love you.’

  ‘This isn’t a competition, Jack.’ But Harriet was laughing.

  The dog had reached the first picnic rugs now and that was the moment he chose to shake off the copious amount of sea water still clinging to his thick fur. People ducked for cover amidst shrieks of laughter.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ The dog’s owner was apologising profusely to the group on one of the rugs as Jack and Harriet moved closer.

  ‘Don’t apologise, Eddie,’ Harriet told him. ‘Harry’s a star. He’s allowed to have fun now, along with everyone else.’

  Sam was still wiping drops of water from her face. Luc was brushing sand off his trousers and Beth was giggling.

  Sam shook her head as she looked up. ‘I still can’t believe you chose a dog to be your bridesmaid. I could be very offended, you know.’

  ‘Harry was just the ringbearer. We decided to keep things simple.’ Harriet stooped to pat the dog. ‘Oh...he�
��s lost the flowers from his collar.’

  ‘I took them off,’ Eddie said. ‘I’m going to keep them in a special place. By that photograph you gave me. That was taken at this beach, wasn’t it?’

  ‘It was.’ Had that been the day that her new, wonderful life had really begun? When she’d taken that photograph and been aware of the first stirring of an attraction that she now knew was going to last a lifetime?

  ‘There’s not many dogs that get to be an important part of a wedding ceremony.’

  ‘We couldn’t not invite him.’ Harriet leaned closer to Jack. ‘He was the one who started it all. If he hadn’t done his Lassie act on the cliff that day, Jack and I might never have even seen each other again.’

  ‘And I might have died on that ledge.’ Eddie nodded. ‘But I should probably take him home soon. Before he makes any more of your guests wet.’

  ‘Too late...’ Jack was grinning at the sight of Harry the dog now being cuddled by several small children, including Toby. ‘I hope he likes sausages. Looks like he’s getting some of the leftovers.’

  ‘Oh, no... I know what happens when he eats too much.’ Eddie moved away to rescue his pet.

  ‘There’s enough leftovers to feed a small army.’ Blake put down the paper plate he was holding. ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to move for quite a while.’

  ‘Bit different to where you were posted in Africa, then.’

  ‘You’re not wrong, there, mate.’ But Blake had caught Sam’s gaze. ‘It’s good to be home again.’

  ‘I thought you were planning to stay longer with MSF,’ Harriet said. ‘Not that I’m complaining you got back in time for our wedding, mind you. We’ve got the whole SDR crowd here.’ She smiled at Kate and Angus, who were sitting close together, their hands entwined.

  ‘Even Alice.’ Kate waved towards her great-aunt, dancing away with a crowd, including Jack’s grandma. ‘Those ladies have got it going on, haven’t they?’

  ‘We had a good reason for cutting it a bit short,’ Blake added, and there was something in his tone that instantly caught everyone’s attention.

  ‘Oh...’ Beth’s eyes widened, her hand moving to the impressive bump of her own belly. ‘Are you suggesting...?’

  ‘It was supposed to be a secret.’ Sam frowned at Blake. ‘We didn’t want to steal any of Jack and Harry’s thunder today.’

  Harriet and Jack shared a glance. And a smile.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Jack murmured. ‘We’ve got a bit more of our own thunder, actually.’

  Sam’s jaw dropped as her gaze flew to Harriet’s. ‘No way...you’re pregnant, too?’

  ‘Oh, no...’ Blake put his hand over his eyes. ‘The SDR isn’t just going to be known as a dating agency. Now people will reckon we’re putting something in the water.’

  Laughter followed Harriet and Jack as they moved on a few minutes later.

  ‘I think we need to tell your mum,’ she said. ‘And your gran.’

  ‘If she ever stops dancing.’

  ‘And Talia, of course,’ Harriet added. ‘And the rest of your family.’

  ‘Our family...’

  That stopped Harriet. She had to look around at the happy crowd surrounding them. She’d felt the lack of any relatives she’d had to invite to this special day. The SDR team was the closest thing to a family of her own that she’d had in her life.

  Until now...

  ‘It really is, isn’t it? I really belong.’ She reached up to put her arms around Jack’s neck. ‘I love you,’ she told him. ‘So much...’

  ‘Love you, too.’ His smile wasn’t mischievous this time. It wobbled around the edges, even, but he wasn’t going to let his emotions stop him. ‘Love you, love—’

  Harriet had her finger against his mouth. ‘That was it. A million and one. You can stop now. You win...’

  Except she didn’t really want him to stop, did she? She lifted her finger, stroking his lip gently as she did so. It felt like she was the real winner, anyway.

  Jack simply pulled her closer, his lips against hers as he spoke softly.

  ‘Oh, babe... Get used to it. I’m just getting started.’

  * * * * *

  We hope you enjoyed the final story in the Bondi Bay Heroes quartet

  And if you missed where it all started, check out

  The Shy Nurse’s Rebel Doc

  by Alison Roberts

  Finding His Wife, Finding a Son

  by Marion Lennox

  Healed by Her Army Doc

  by Meredith Webber

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Carrying the Single Dad’s Baby by Kate Hardy.

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  Carrying the Single Dad’s Baby

  by Kate Hardy

  CHAPTER ONE

  EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

  The letters stood out, white on a blue background. Just the same as they had in the last hospital where Beatrice had worked.

  Except at Muswell Hill Memorial Hospital she would be getting a fresh start. This was a new place, where nobody knew about her past, so nobody could pity her. Not for her divorce, not for the baby, not for the way her life had totally imploded four years ago.

  They’d all see her for who she was now. Beatrice Lindford, the new emergency consultant. Beatrice who was cool, calm and perfectly controlled. Who led her team from the front. And who’d baked brownies the night before to say hello to her new department.

  She took a deep breath, pushed open the swing doors with her free hand, and walked into the reception area.

  Michael Harcourt, the head of the department, was waiting for her.

  ‘Beatrice, lovely that you made it. Come and meet the team.’ He looked quizzically at her. ‘What’s in the boxes?’

  ‘Home-made brownies. Just my way of saying hello to everyone.’

  ‘You didn’t have to bring anything,’ he said with a smile, ‘but they’ll go down very well in the staff kitchen. Now, let me find someone to show you round... Ah, Josh.’ He called over one of the younger doctors. ‘Josh, I think you’re rostered in Resus with Beatrice, our new consultant, this morning. I’d like you to show her round before it all gets hectic.’

  Was it her imagination, or was Josh looking at her slightly oddly?

  ‘Beatrice, this is Josh, one of our juniors. He’s a good lad, but don’t ever let him drive you anywhere—unless you don’t mind risking ending up with a tension pneumothorax, eh, Josh?’ Chuckling, Michael walked away.

  Josh groaned. ‘Please don’t tak
e too much notice of what the boss just said. My pneumothorax was months ago, and it was only because I wasn’t used to go-karting on ice and I took the corner too fast.’

  ‘Go-karting on ice?’ Beatrice raised an eyebrow. That sounded like the definition of insanity, to her.

  ‘Sam—he’s one of the registrars and you’ll meet him shortly—thought it would be a good team-building exercise,’ Josh explained. ‘And it was. It was great fun. Except I, um, crashed. And nobody’s ever going to let me forget it. Ever.’ He groaned again. ‘Even in the Christmas secret Santa last year, I got a modified model motorcycle.’

  She smiled. ‘Oh, dear. So Sam’s a bit of a daredevil?’

  Josh smiled back. ‘He used to be. He’s changed a bit, now he’s a dad.’

  Babies.

  Of course people in the department would have babies and small children. The same as they would anywhere she worked.

  She wasn’t going to let it throw her. This was about her job, not her personal life.

  ‘Can we start with the staff kitchen so I can drop these off?’ She indicated the plastic boxes she was carrying.

  ‘Sure.’ He looked interested. ‘What’s in them?’

  ‘Brownies.’ The recipe they used at Beresford Castle that had actually got a write-up in one of the Sunday supplements, and made all the tourists come back for more. ‘I hope I made enough for everyone working in the department today.’

  ‘You made them yourself?’

  ‘Last night.’ With a bit of help from her niece and nephews.

  ‘That’s a lot of work. And it’s really nice of you.’

  ‘Just my way of saying hello to my new team,’ she said with a smile. ‘And I was planning on buying everyone a drink tonight after my shift, if you can maybe recommend somewhere. I’ve only just moved here, so I don’t really know the area yet.’

  ‘The Red Lion, just round the corner, is fairly popular,’ he said.

  ‘The Red Lion it is, then,’ she said.

  Once they’d dropped the boxes of brownies in the staff kitchen, with a note she’d written earlier propped against them inviting the team to help themselves, Josh showed her round the department and introduced her to the team.