To their amazement a tear rolled slowly down the boy’s cheek and he brushed it away impatiently with his good arm. ‘I fell over the chair as I was leaving—I didn’t have time to clear it up. The jewellery was for my mam. I…I thought it would cheer her up. She never goes out or nothin’ like that, and she’s not been well. She’s stuck inside in that wheelchair all the time. I wanted to take her something back she’d like—she’s got nothing pretty.’
‘For God’s sake, lad, can’t you see that, whatever the reason, you’re not to steal from anyone?’
Zac looked at the three adults staring at him and said aggressively, ‘You don’t know what it’s like living in that street…there’s nothing for anyone there.’
‘Yes, we do know, Zac,’ said Atholl sharply. ‘We came from where you live. We know about the poverty, the broken families—and the parents who do their best in awful circumstances to keep things going. I guess your mother is one of those. She wouldn’t want you to mess this up. She knew it was a chance for you to get away from your life in the Gorbals for a little while—prove yourself in a challenge.’
Zac shook his head and muttered, ‘I didn’t mean to hurt no one…’
There was something pitiful about the boy and Terry felt the fact he wanted to give his mother something she could never have had showed a loving side to his character—if what he said was true.
‘Look, Zac, I said after the cannabis incident that you’d go home if you mucked up again,’ said Pete grimly.
Zac continued to look sullenly down at the ground. ‘So have I got to go?’
Pete sighed. ‘You’ve just saved me from being injured with no thought of your own safety—I think that speaks a lot about you.’ He looked at Atholl and Terry. ‘If they can manipulate his arm back into place, shall we give him another chance? There’s only a short time to go anyway.’
Zac remained gazing down rather like a condemned prisoner. When Atholl and Terry nodded their heads and said in unison, ‘One more chance, then,’ he looked up, quite startled, as if he hadn’t believed he’d ever be given another opportunity.
‘It’s up to you, Zac,’ said Atholl quietly. ‘You either go back in disgrace to your mother or stay on the straight and narrow. We’ve already reported it to the police so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and see if they prosecute you. Perhaps when they hear that you’ve returned the jewellery and apologised to the Mackies they’ll let it pass this time.’
The boy nodded miserably. ‘I have let you down, haven’t I?’ he muttered. ‘I like it here—I don’t want to mess this up.’
‘Well, see you don’t, then.’ Then Pete’s face softened and he patted Zac’s good shoulder. ‘I’m still very grateful to you for your quick actions, Zac. I know you’re a good lad at heart.’ He turned round to Atholl and Terry. ‘What about some hot, sweet tea for him?’
Terry looked at her watch and said dubiously, ‘He may have to be anaesthetised to put his shoulder back—I wouldn’t like to jeopardise the timing of that, so perhaps not.’
Pete’s mobile started ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket. They saw the expression on his face change to a mixture of amazement and concern as he answered it, then he turned to Atholl and Terry.
‘I—I don’t believe this,’ he stuttered. ‘Sal’s gone into labour—she’s in the hospital now!’
Atholl laughed. ‘That’s great news, and every cloud has a silver lining, Pete! It’s a good job you’ve got the mountain rescue team coming for Zac—they can take you back with them to the hospital! Terry and I and the lads will go back to The Culleens on foot.’
Pete looked worriedly up the glen where the mountain rescue team would appear from. ‘God, I hope they hurry—she could have had it by the time we get there!’
‘Calm down, Pete.’ Terry smiled. ‘It’s her first baby—it’s going to take a few hours yet!’
‘My Sal’s never late for anything,’ said Pete gloomily. ‘I bet it comes quickly!’
It was late at night and the boys had built a campfire when they’d got back to The Culleens down by the loch. The smell of cooking sausages and steak drifted over to Atholl and Terry sitting on the steps of the building away from the others. Len was softly strumming a guitar and Atholl slung his arm carelessly around Terry’s shoulders.
‘Will you look at those stars? It’s a brilliant night,’ he murmured. ‘It’s been a good day, despite poor old Zac’s accident—even if we did find out what a fool he’s been.’
Two months ago she had been at her lowest ebb, reflected Terry, and now here she was, close up and dangerously near to one of the dishiest and kindest men she’d ever met, in the most romantic setting! She could tell that Atholl was just being casually affectionate. He didn’t pull her against him, although every nerve in her body was telling her to put her head on his shoulder. How could she ever have believed that she was in love with Max, concerned only with himself and what he could get out of people? Of course he’d been a conman and duped everyone—including her father.
She looked up at Atholl’s firm profile, outlined in the dark, a quiff of dark hair falling over his eyes. What a contrast! Atholl was genuine, she could trust him, she was sure of that. Perhaps that was why she felt so guilty about not being entirely honest with him and what had really brought her up to Scuola. But she couldn’t tell him—not just yet, not until she was sure that there would be no repercussions because she’d given her word that she wouldn’t divulge a thing.
‘You know, I don’t think Zac’s a bad lad at heart,’ she remarked. ‘No one who puts his own skin at risk to save someone else’s life can be all bad. And perhaps it’s almost a reflex action to steal something he thinks will be nice for his mother…’
Atholl looked down at her and smiled. ‘I don’t think you can imagine the world that Zac and I come from. Sometimes stealing is a way of life when you’ve nothing—can you understand that?’
Stealing a way of life? Terry pulled away from him suddenly, her expression hidden in the shadow of the wall. She understood only too well what he meant.
‘Dishonesty isn’t confined to the under-privileged,’ she said in a strange little voice. ‘Surely you know that, Atholl? Just read the newspapers if you want to know about everyone from politicians to solicitors who’ve strayed from the straight and narrow.’
She stood up and stretched, suddenly wanting to change the subject, to forget about crime and the reasons why people committed it. Atholl looked at her in surprise, sensing the change in her attitude, the raw nerve he seemed to have touched, and that fleeting sadness she sometimes showed. He was sure it was something to do with this Max who’d let her down—badly hurt her.
Then the sound of a vehicle drawing up by The Culleens made them both turn round and they could see Zac getting out of a taxi.
Terry welcomed the distraction—she didn’t want to get drawn into a conversation about criminals.
‘Zac! How’s the shoulder?’ she asked, walking towards him.
Zac grimaced. ‘Not so bad, I guess. They’ve put it in a sling and given me a note to go to my local hospital.’
Atholl joined them and Zac looked at the two doctors rather miserably.
‘I…I’ve something to say,’ he muttered. ‘I…I’m sorry about the necklace. I’ll go and see the old biddies tomorrow. I didn’t think about them when I did it. I just thought saw those things on a table when I looked through the window and thought they were pretty wee trinkets.’
‘Perhaps you will think now, Zac, before you do something so damn stupid again,’ growled Atholl. ‘You gave those old sisters a terrible shock. However I know they’ll feel better when you’ve apologised to them—and taken back the jewellery.’
‘Will the police bring charges?’ The boy’s young face looked stricken. ‘It’ll do me mam’s head in if she knows I’ve been in trouble again. I’ll be for the high jump.’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps if the Mackies speak up for you, you may just get a caution.’Atholl’s vo
ice was rough. ‘You’ll just have to pick yourself up again, Zac. I got into trouble but I managed to turn my life around. You can do the same.’
‘I think you’ve realised what a silly thing it was to do, haven’t you, Zac?’ said Terry. She was sure the boy was genuinely contrite about what he’d done. ‘Now, go and have some of that food the others are barbecuing—you must be very hungry.’
Zac nodded and slouched off, and Atholl sighed as they watched him. ‘Who knows? It may possibly have taught him something about being responsible for his own actions. If he’d done this in Glasgow he might never have been caught—perhaps told his mother he’d just found the jewellery or something.’
‘I think you’re right. He’s been caught twice here and he feels a fool.’
There was the sound of another vehicle drawing up, a slamming door and a hearty shout. Everyone turned round and a figure that turned out to be Pete came running towards them in the dark, waving his arms and yelling excitedly.
‘Hi, everyone. It’s a wee girl! Sally’s just given me a beautiful daughter! And they’re both absolutely fine!’
After the celebrations, toasting the new baby in beer and wine that Pete had brought back with him, Atholl, Terry and Pete strolled back from the barbecue to the barn. The boys had all turned in and the fire had been damped down. The air was warm, not a breeze stirring the trees by the loch.
‘What a day! I’m absolutely shattered. Becoming a father is extremely tiring,’ yawned Pete. ‘I’m off for some shut-eye. There’s spare sleeping bags in the cupboard, so make yourselves at home. You can have my office to sleep in, Terry—there’s a camp bed in there, and Atholl can kip with me.’
‘Thanks. I’ll be along soon,’ said Atholl.
Pete disappeared to his room and Terry lingered for a minute, smelling the balmy air of the warm night and listening to the rustlings and little sounds that were part of the surroundings. It seemed so peaceful after the excitement of the day, a time to reflect and wind down. Rather woozily she reflected that perhaps they’d all been a bit too enthusiastic in their celebration of the new baby’s birth. The result of drinking a glass or two on a relatively empty stomach had made her feel delightfully relaxed.
She was vaguely aware that Atholl had come to stand by her, looking at her profile as she dreamily watched the night sky.
‘What a lovely ending to the day—a new baby arriving!’ she murmured.
‘Yes—a lovely ending.’ His voice was very quiet.
In the silvery light her hair looked fairer, her dark eyes larger. God, she was beautiful. Atholl felt his throat catch at the sweetness of her face, the tip-tilted nose, soft lips and high cheekbones that gave a heart-shaped definition to her face. Since the morning when he’d gone to wake her up in her bedroom, he had become more and more aware as the day had gone on that Terry was everything he wanted—the kind of woman he’d dreamt about but had thought he’d never have a hope in hell of meeting.
When Zara and he had split up, yes, he’d been bruised and mortified—but mostly he’d been furious that she had duped him. If this was what happened when you thought you’d met the right person, he’d vowed he’d be very, very wary before getting involved again. And now Terry had come into his life and the picture was changing rather rapidly.
Atholl bent down, picked a stone up from the shore and skimmed it across the loch, so that it bounced three times and the circles of water rippled out, gleaming in the moonshine. He wondered how long he could go on working and living so close to Terry in a kind of teasing no-man’s land where they flirted with each other, then backed off in a tantalising dance. He had to tell her honestly what he felt—and he wanted to know how she felt about him.
‘I think I’ll turn in now,’ Terry said, starting to walk back across the shingly shore.
Atholl put out his hand and took hers, pulling her back slightly. ‘Terry…wait a moment. Don’t go yet.’
She turned round to him, slightly startled, and then the moon went behind a cloud and for a second they were plunged into almost total darkness. Terry’s foot slipped on a smooth rock as she stepped back and she stumbled, almost falling to the ground before Atholl grabbed her, slipping his arm round her waist.
‘Careful, we don’t want any more accidents today,’ he murmured.
Terry giggled, the effect of the wine beginning to kick in rather forcefully.
‘You’re making a habit of this, catching me when I fall.’ ‘That’s fine by me. I want to be there for you whenever I’m needed.’
‘That sounds rather serious,’ she said flippantly.
She leant against him for a second, thinking how heavenly it was to relax against the hard wall of his chest, feel the thud of his heart against hers.
‘You’re very strong,’ she teased, the inhibitions she’d had about getting too intimate with Atholl floating away rapidly.
He grinned, his teeth white in the dark. ‘I need to be strong, with you falling about all over the place…’
His arms tightened about her and he bent his head to hers, and she felt the evening stubble of his chin prickly against her skin. His lips touched hers gently and it felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering inside her—then that puritanical voice at the back of her mind whispered that she should march away quickly at this point. With a great effort she pulled away from him, putting a few paces between them.
‘We shouldn’t do this, Atholl,’ she said, rather fuzzily, trying to enunciate carefully. ‘Let’s keep things strictly platonic, then neither of us will get hurt, like I was with Max and you with Zara.’
A moment’s silence and then he said harshly, striding forward and catching her arm, ‘That’s laughable, Terry. You’re nothing like that woman. You and she…Why, there’s no comparison. She cheated on me, told me so many lies.’
‘But everyone has baggage from the past that they might not want to reveal. Atholl, there are things about my background—’ she started to say.
Atholl put his finger on her mouth. ‘Hush. You’re perfect as you are.’ His arms tightened around her and he gazed down at her silently for a moment, then murmured, ‘There! I’ve said it! God, Terry, I know you feel something for me too. When we’re in the same room it’s like there’s no one else there—just the two of us. Sparks fly when we’re together, honey, admit it!’
He started to kiss her face, covering her brows, her mouth and neck with soft kisses, making her dizzy with delight. She put her arms round his neck and looked into his eyes.
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I admit it.’ Had they reached a watershed of some kind on this soft, balmy night? She stroked his thick dark hair back from his forehead and smiled. ‘I want to forget about Max and…everything,’ she said simply. ‘I want to enjoy myself.’
He grinned. ‘I’ll try and ensure that you will, darling.’
And Terry didn’t draw back when he pulled her gently onto the soft mossy ground under the trees by the loch, where the smell was earthy and sweet. He ran his finger down her jaw and her neck, smiling as she responded with a delighted wriggle of her body.
Then he started kissing her face, her lips, trailing his warm mouth down her neck, murmuring her name. Terry felt as if she was back in her dream—Atholl holding her against his chest, his hands stroking her body gently but insistently until every erogenous zone in her body screamed for more.
She lay back on the soft earth and stretched languorously, loving the feel of Atholl’s hard muscled body, and the certain knowledge that he was as aroused as she was! Then he knelt up for a second, his legs on either side of her, looking down at her with twinkling eyes.
‘What a way to end the evening!’ And Terry laughed because it was exciting and wonderful to undress him as he did her, forget any qualms and enjoy the moment. Funny how quickly it had come to this, she thought dizzily, both of them naked against each other, warm skin against warm skin, his hands doing wonderful things to her body—just as she had dreamt.
Atholl’s lips nibbled h
er ear, and he said throatily, ‘You know something—I’m glad I didn’t get a man to join the practice.’
She smiled. ‘So am I, Atholl, so am I.’
Then they lost themselves in each other, both seizing their moment of happiness, limbs entwined, revelling in the waves of sweetness that swept through them. And afterwards they lay for a long time side by side, under the velvety sky, looking at each other as if almost surprised by the wonder of what they’d just done.
At last Atholl rolled over on his stomach and looked down into Terry’s eyes. ‘We’ve been and gone and done it now!’ he sighed. ‘And just how wonderful it was, my sweet princess!’
Terry looked up at him, seeing his eyes dark and intense in the moonlight, his warm breath on her cheek, and felt a flood of happiness engulf her. It was time to look forward, and she didn’t care that she still hadn’t told him her full story. She wouldn’t worry about that now!
He took her arm as they strolled back together to The Culleens in companionable silence, then he kissed her gently on the steps before she went in.
Atholl stayed outside for a minute, leaning against the wall, gazing across the dark loch with a silver path across it where the moon’s light fell. For the first time for many months he felt genuinely at peace with himself and filled with the contentment that came after making love to the most wonderful woman in the world.
He chuckled to himself. He realised that he was in love with Terry, and perhaps he had been since the moment he’d offered her a job the first day she’d come!
CHAPTER EIGHT
TERRY hummed happily as she poured herself a mug of coffee and peered at the computer to see what her list was like for the morning.
Isobel was just finishing a phone call and she turned round to Terry with the slight smile that was the most levity she usually allowed herself.
‘Someone’s happy,’ she remarked. ‘So did you have a good weekend, then?’
Only the most wonderful, fantastic day she’d had in her life, thought Terry, a vivid picture of Atholl and her by the loch in the moonlight and the realisation that they both liked each other a lot. Maybe it wouldn’t lead to a lifetime’s commitment—after all, they’d both had fractured relationships—but suddenly the future looked very bright indeed. She was surprised how calm her voice sounded when she replied.
Hired: GP and Wife / The Playboy Doctor's Surprise Proposal Page 11
