New Bay

by Nell Dixon

  “It’s the RAF helicopter.” Petra licked her lips nervously.

  “What was the call out for?” Meg asked. She was surprised at how calm she sounded under the circumstances.

  “An elderly man was out walking along the cliff path. He must have gone too close to the edge, and he slipped. They can’t reach him from the cliff top so they were going to attempt a rescue from the sea. The helicopter might be able to reach with the winch but in this fog.” Tina’s voice tailed off and she gave a small shrug.

  Meg knew what she meant. The cliffs around New Bay were steep and crumbled easily from years of pounding by the rough Atlantic waves. To try and hold the lifeboat steady while a two or three man team attempted to get across the rocks and up the face of the cliff in the dark and fog would be a hazardous mission.

  The helicopter would hover and direct a searchlight to help the boat crew. If they could, then the crew would try to get a harness on the man so he could be lifted clear of the cliff and taken to hospital while the crew returned to the boat.

  Fear for Adam’s safety flooded through Meg making the acid churn in her stomach. She knew he was one of the team that would attempt to land and scale the cliff. A muffled collection of bangs outside the building made her start.

  “Sounds like the fireworks are still on in spite of the fog,” Petra muttered.

  “It’s a bit creepy hearing them from in here.” A woman Meg didn’t recognise agreed.

  “I’m going to make us all a drink while we’re waiting.” Tina got to her feet and went over to a tiny kitchenette at the back of the room. “I don’t normally wait for him down here but the kids are with my sister up at the fireworks.” She began to pull mugs from under the counter.

  “It’ll keep us warm and help pass the time.” One of the other women went to help.

  Meg glanced at her watch. Adam and the crew must have been out for at least two hours by now. She wondered how the other women could bear the waiting, not knowing what was happening out at sea.

  “Here you go, love.” Petra handed her a mug.

  “This is your first time here, isn’t it?” Tina patted her shoulder.

  Meg nodded, her fingers curling around her drink as she drew comfort from the heat.

  “It gets a bit easier each time. You always worry when the boat’s out, but my Brian is a good coxswain.” She tilted her head and smiled at Meg, her dark eyes sympathetic. “Adam’s girl, aren’t you?”

  Meg nodded, acutely aware of the attention of the other women. “Kind of.”

  “He’ll be right glad to see you here when he gets back.” Petra observed.

  Meg hoped she was right.

  * * * *

  Adam manoeuvred himself onto the tiny ledge next to his patient. Below him in the darkness, the waves roared and crashed against the rocks like angry beasts. He secured his position on the ledge grateful for the light from the helicopter as he checked the elderly patient’s vital signs.

  The man was in a bad way. He’d fallen several hours before and in addition to the injuries he’d received during the fall, his clothing was wet from the sea and the fog. Now his skin was cold and clammy and his pulse was weak.

  Working together with Tom he managed to carefully secure a spinal board to support his patient’s neck and back. The man had landed in an awkward position. If they were to get him to where the helicopter could winch him up they would first need to bring him further down the cliff to a level spot several feet below their present position.

  * * * *

  The women continued chatting and talking between themselves as they waited. Outside, the Christmas firework display fizzed and banged in the distance. Meg continued to listen to the dull drone of the helicopter hovering above the cliffs, knowing that as long as it stayed then the rescue was still in progress.

  “The helicopter’s moving.” Petra stood up.

  Meg listened hard, hearing the changed note of the engine.

  “They’ll be on their way back soon.” Tina bustled around collecting up the mugs and carrying them over to the sink.

  “Praise God.” One of the women kissed the rosary she held in her hand.

  Meg felt lightheaded with relief. The past few hours had been some of the worst she could remember. All she had been able to think about was Adam.

  The other women opened up the door into the main boathouse and turned on the lights in readiness for the boat to return. The tide was higher along the ramp now than when the boat had gone out. Meg was glad as it would make it easier for the crew to dock.

  She waited at the back of the group as they watched the sea, straining for the first glimpse of the fluorescent orange flashes of the boat on the water.

  “They’re coming!”

  Meg shrank back into the shadows as the women hugged each other laughing and clapping as the boat drew nearer. How would Adam feel seeing her there waiting with the other wives and girlfriends?

  The time taken by the crew to get the boat back into the boathouse seemed to take an eternity. Adam’s face was lined and drawn in the harsh halogen light making Meg’s heart squeeze with love and compassion.

  He didn’t appear to see her as he climbed out of the boat, slapping his comrades on the back and exchanging comments. Meg waited quietly in the shadows, her pulse thrumming with nerves.

  “Meg.” He stopped, his gaze locking on her face.

  “I had to come.” She stepped forward, her legs shaking.

  He glanced around at the other crew members and their partners all chatting and talking. “Give me five minutes.”

  She swallowed her anxiety as he disappeared into the changing rooms. What if she was making a biggest fool of herself? What if he didn’t want her now? She sucked in a breath and clasped her hands together trying to stop her hands from shaking.

  Adam emerged from the changing room having removed his waterproofs. “Shall we go?”

  Meg nodded, not trusting her voice enough to speak.

  He called goodnight to his colleagues. Leaving the brightly lit boathouse behind them, Adam and Meg stepped out into the cold, dark night.

  “I never thought I’d see you waiting for me at the boathouse.” His voice sounded weary.

  “When I heard there’d been a call out, I had to come.”

  They halted beneath the Christmas lights fringing the seafront. Meg’s heart thumped as she looked into Adam’s eyes. “I’ve been such an idiot, Adam.” Her throat dried, and she swallowed.

  He reached out his hand to gently lift a stray lock of hair from her face. “Meg, I know this isn’t easy for you, especially after what you told me this afternoon about your father, but you must see that I can’t give up this work.”

  A tear escaped from the corner of her eye and rolled down her face. “I know. I knew all along, really, and I would never ask you to give it up. That was why I thought it was impossible. If you and I were friends then I could bear it, push my worries about you being in danger to the back of my mind.” She dashed the rogue tear away with the back of her hand.

  “And now? What changed, Meg? Why did you come tonight?” His tone gentled.

  “I love you, Adam. I can’t keep trying to kid myself any longer.” Her voice broke on a sob.

  Suddenly, she was in his arms, her cheek resting against his shoulder while she calmed herself enough to continue.

  “Being a crewman is part of you. Being there tonight with the others helped me to see that. I’ll still worry and pray and be scared stiff every time there’s a call but I’ll cope.” She lifted her head to look at him, hoping he would see the love she felt for him.

  His lips brushed against hers before claiming her mouth more firmly. She slid her hands around his neck revelling in the taste of him and the feel of his body against hers.

  “I’ve loved you for so long, Meg,” he murmured.

  “I’ve loved you too, I just didn’t know how much.”

  “Let’s go home.” He gently pulled the collar of her coat further up around her
neck.

  Meg smiled back at him, she couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do more. With Adam by her side it was going to be a very happy Christmas.

  EASTER HOLIDAY

  Copyright © 2012 NELL DIXON

  To the fabulous Coffee Crew and Kimberley Menozzi, my patient and lovely critique partner.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Posy Carmichael gripped the steering wheel and winced at the ugly sound of metal on rock.

  “Useless sat nav!” She stopped the car before she could do any more damage. This clearly wasn’t the right road to High View Farm campsite. She’d had her doubts when she’d turned off the main road and into the narrow lane.

  Posy sighed and took in her surroundings. Grass banks rose on either side of her, primroses shining like pale gold pennies next to sprays of blue and white bells.

  Up ahead there was a break in the low, dry stone wall. With luck she could turn around and head back to the main road. Hopefully she hadn’t done too much damage to her flatmate’s car. If she had then she would never hear the last of it. Kara loved the beat up old junker like it was her baby. She’d only loaned the car to ease her guilt at backing out of her promise to accompany Posy on her camping adventure.

  Posy flinched as she eased the car forward into the rut she’d been trying to avoid. Behind her, the tent poles and pegs clattered and rattled as she jolted along to the gap in the boundary. She placed the car in reverse and backed into the entrance of the field ready to turn around.

  The rear wheels skidded on the muddy grass. Posy changed into first gear and hoped she would manage to get out ahead of the tractor she could hear approaching down the narrow track. To her dismay the wheels of the car spun around as she revved the engine, failing to gain any purchase on the soft ground.

  “Noooooo.” She moaned and gave the accelerator a last desperate nudge. A fine spray of mud shot from the back of the car to coat the back bumper and window.

  The blue nose of a tractor chugged into view and stopped in front of her. Posy sucked in a breath. The way her day was headed she’d probably get told off now for trespassing. She lowered the window as the driver of the tractor dismounted from his cab and came over to her.

  “I take it you’re stuck?” The man bent so his head was level with her window.

  “I was trying to turn round.” Posy had a glimpse of dark blue eyes and a rugged jaw before the owner of the tractor stood leaving her with a view of green farm overalls.

  “I’ll pull you out with the tractor.” His voice sounded resigned as if he were used to tugging stranded motorists from the entrance to his fields every day of the week.

  Posy opened the car door and went to get out. Her shoe sank in the soft earth, with a soft, squelching sound.

  “Do you want me to help?” She wobbled on one leg trying to extricate her foot from the sticky gloop.

  “You’re fine. Just stay in the car and put it in neutral with the handbrake off when I tell you.”

  She slipped back into her seat and tried to scrape the mud from her shoe onto the car mat. The previously unsmiling lines of his mouth had now softened into the hint of a grin as he began to attach the rope to the front of her car. Clearly, he found her encounter with the mud amusing. If she hadn’t felt so mortified at being stupid enough to get both lost and stuck Posy might have considered her rescuer attractive.

  “Okay, rope's on; give me a minute to get back in the cab.”

  She finished her attempt to clean her shoe, resigning herself to spreading mud over the interior of Kara’s beloved car. She would have to valet it before she handed it back.

  As soon as she heard the rumble of the tractor engine Posy obeyed her rescuer's instructions. As she released the hand brake she prayed the tractor wouldn’t pull the front off the little car. Much to her relief the car rolled forward onto the track with a small sucking sound as it came free of the mud.

  The tractor engine stopped and her rescuer climbed down from the cab to untie the rope.

  “Thank you for pulling me out. It’s not my car and I think I may have already dinged the side on a rock.” Posy checked the ground this time before getting out of the car.

  “I expect you were following your sat nav?” The man grunted as he coiled the rope back up into long, lazy loops.

  “Well, yes. I need to get to High View Farm campsite.” Even though she was wearing her heels, the stranger was still a good six inches taller.

  “You found High View Farm all right. The campsite entrance is half a mile further along the main road. The mail-outs do tell you not to follow the sat navs, though.” He finished coiling the rope and hooked it on the back of the tractor.

  “I didn’t get any instructions.” Trust her boss not to have passed all the information along and High View Campsite’s website had been under construction when she’d Googled it for background information.

  The man raised his eyebrows. “Funny, Emma’s usually very efficient.”

  Posy opened her mouth to explain and promptly closed it again. She couldn’t tell him why she was there, especially if he was connected to the campsite.

  “My, um, friend, got the details. I guess she forgot to tell me that part.” She could feel colour building in her face. She was rubbish at telling fibs. “I’m Posy Carmichael.” She held out her hand.

  Her rescuer wrapped work-roughened fingers briefly around her hand. “Noah Penwarren.”

  “Well, thanks again for pulling me out of the mud.” Posy extricated her fingers still trying to ignore the delicious tingle of excitement she’d experienced when Noah had held her hand.

  “No problem. “

  “I’m not usually this ditzy. This is my first camping trip.”

  Noah’s lips twitched as if he were biting back a smile. “You’d better follow me along the lane. When you get to the end turn left and you’ll see the sign for the campsite. Emma will be in the office to check you in.”

  Posy got back into her car wondering who Emma might be. Was she his wife? She hadn’t noticed a wedding ring. Girlfriend, maybe? She was surprised at how disappointed she felt when she considered that Noah might already be attached.

  She followed the tractor along the lane, her gear clanging and bumping in the back of the car. Noah pulled into a field just before the main road. Posy drew level with the field entrance and lowered her window.

  “Thanks again for your help.” She had to shout above the noise of the tractor.

  “See you around.” He lifted his hand in a farewell wave.

  * * * *

  Noah watched as the little mud-spattered car turned onto the main road. If Posy stayed more than a day at the campsite he’d be amazed. From the top of her well-groomed head to the tip of her formerly shiny spiky shoes, everything about her said ‘city girl’. It had taken him some effort not to laugh when she’d said it was her first time camping. He hoped she had a pop-up tent and not one with poles and guy ropes.

  It might even be worth a ride past the field later just to see if she’d managed to build her tent. Heaven help her if she chipped one of her pretty pink varnished fingernails hammering in the pegs. She’d had a nice smile though, and her figure in her fitted denim jeans and tee shirt had been well worth a second look.

  He shook his head. This field wasn’t about to plough itself while he sat daydreaming about a city girl. Besides he’d sworn off girls like Posy. He needed someone practical and dependable who’d enjoy living on the edge of a small town surrounded by nothing but fields and animals. Not a flighty girl with big eyes who’d pine for her nail tech and a sushi bar.

  * * * *

  Posy’s spirits lifted when she spotted the hand-painted wooden board signing the way to High View Farm campsite right where Noah had told her it would be. She took the turn and drove carefully up the well maintained track leading to a small cluster of buildings.

  The site was certainly in a beautiful spot. A fairly flat field at the top of a small hill in the lee of an old farm house with distant views
of the sea. Posy stopped the car in front of the small white building signed ‘Reception’ and headed inside.

  “Hello, I’m Emma, can I help you?” A pretty dark-haired girl sat behind the counter. Racks of brightly coloured tourist leaflets covered the wall and folders labelled 'Places to Eat' and 'Transport' were on the counter top.

  “Hi, I’m Posy Carmichael, I believe my friend made a booking for me.”

  The girl smiled at her. “Oh yes, a Mrs. Olivera, I think. I hope you found us all right?”

  “Um, well I did go a bit wrong. My friend forgot to pass on the info about not following the sat nav.” Posy’s cheeks heated as she confessed to her mistake. “Luckily, someone called Noah rescued me.”

  The girl laughed. “Oh, that would be my brother.”

  “It was very kind of him. I’d managed to get myself stuck trying to turn the car round.”

  “Poor you. Would you like a cup of tea and then I’ll show you where your pitch is and give you a key to the shower block?” Emma smiled, her blue eyes kind as she made the offer.

  “Oh, I’d love a cup of tea.” Posy accepted gratefully and took a seat in one of the armchairs which stood in the corner of the room next to a tiny table. She couldn’t decide which of the news was most welcome; the offer of a drink, or that Emma was Noah’s sister.

  Emma brought a tray of tea with a plate of biscuits while Posy completed the paperwork for her stay.

  “I hope you’ll enjoy camping here. We’re a fairly new site; we only opened at the end of last year.”

  Posy flushed. “I’ve never camped before.”

  Emma smiled once more. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it quite quickly. There are only a few guests here right now but we are quite full for the Easter bank holiday, so lots of people arriving tomorrow. If you get stuck with anything let me know and either Noah or I will help you.”

  “You’ve both been very kind to me already.” Posy sipped her tea. Emma had been so welcoming. It looked as if her article on High View Farm campsite would be a positive one.