was injured and he didn’t want to be the cause of an argument. ‘I was following you out, Terry, when I glimpsed something out of the corner of my eye and went to check it out. I should have told you what I was doing but there wasn’t time.’
‘Damn good job you did—check it out, I mean.’ Jack popped the last grape into his mouth and chewed it. ‘Another minute and the kid would have had it. The cupboard where you found him, Ross, ended up in the basement.’
There was a moment’s silence as they all reflected on how close the child had come to being killed that day. Most of the men at Hexton fire station had children of their own and it was easy for them to imagine how they would have felt.
At thirty-six, Ross still hadn’t found the right woman to settle down with and start a family, although he certainly hadn’t ruled out the chance of it happening. He loved kids and adored his sister’s twin boys. However, he was realistic enough to know that a woman who committed herself to a man who did the kind of job he did would have to be very special. Living with the risks involved was something he had long since accepted, but he’d seen too many relationships break up during his time with the brigade not to realise the toll it took. Would Heather Cooper be able to handle it?
He coughed as the question caught him unawares. Although his throat was feeling a little easier, his lungs were still very sensitive. He accepted the oxygen mask Terry handed him, relieved that his expression was concealed by the opaque plastic.
What would the guys say if they discovered he was having thoughts like that about a woman he’d met just a few hours ago? They’d probably think the smoke had affected his reasoning and maybe they’d be right, too. Heather Cooper wasn’t interested in him, as she had made abundantly clear.
That thought was a little too close to the truth not to cause him some discomfort. As Ross drew in a few more breaths of oxygen his mind raced back over what had happened in the Resus room. Did Heather really have something going with that junior doctor?
He tried to recall their body language even though he could scarcely believe he was doing anything so pathetic. He had a book full of phone numbers back at his flat, most of them belonging to women who were every bit as beautiful and desirable as Heather Cooper was. And yet when was the last time that he’d called any of them?
It was alarming to realise that it must be a good six months since he’d been out on a date and that he couldn’t for the life of him remember who with, let alone where they had gone. Yet here he was, lying in a hospital bed and trying to remember exactly how Heather Cooper had looked at another man.
Ross swallowed his groan of dismay but now that he’d set off down this route it was impossible to stop. Heather’s beautiful face swam before his eyes, that cool little smile curling her generous mouth. It hadn’t appeared to warm up by even half a degree when she’d looked at her junior colleague, but maybe she preferred to be discreet about their relationship?
The fire brigade certainly frowned on liaisons between the sexes and took immediate steps to transfer the people involved to different stations. Maybe Heather was afraid that young Dr Carlisle might be given his marching orders if their affair became public knowledge so preferred to keep things low-key?
Ross sighed as he realised that he might very well be right, although Heather hadn’t given the impression of a woman enjoying a heady love affair when she’d left Resus. His heart ached as he recalled the suffering on her face. It made him wonder once again what kind of a tragedy had befallen her in the past and what he could do to help her get over it.
He sucked in another lungful of air but the facts had to be faced. Why should he imagine that Heather Cooper needed his help?
‘And the little puppy snuggled up in his basket and fell fast asleep.’
Heather closed the book and quietly placed it on the bedside cabinet. Standing up, she tucked the quilt around her small daughter, feeling a wave of love wash over her as she looked at the sleeping child.
Grace had just turned two and each day she grew more like Stewart to look at. She had Stewart’s mop of dark brown curls, the same deep blue eyes and wonderful smile. Grace was living proof of their love for one another, the child they had both longed for. How proud Stewart would have been of his tiny daughter.
Tears stung Heather’s eyes and she quickly blinked them away as she bent to turn off the lamp. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry since Grace had been born and she had no intention of breaking her rule now. She didn’t want Grace to grow up surrounded by sadness. Far better to keep her emotions in check rather than let them affect her precious daughter, even though today it was proving unusually difficult. Had it anything to do with meeting Ross Tanner, perhaps?
‘Supper’s ready, Heather.’
Heather jumped as her mother, Sandra, popped her head round the bedroom door. She tried to dismiss the idea as she followed the older woman to the kitchen but the thought that Ross Tanner might have had an effect on how she had behaved alarmed her. She didn’t even know the man so how could he be responsible for her loss of self-control?
‘It’s only shepherd’s pie, I’m afraid. I didn’t get a chance to go to the supermarket.’
‘It’s fine, Mum.’ Heather sat at the table and took the plate Sandra handed her with a grateful smile. ‘I’m only glad that I don’t have to set to and start making a meal for myself when I get home from work. You spoil me, you know that, don’t you?’
‘If I can’t spoil my own daughter then who can I spoil?’ Sandra said lightly, taking her own seat.
‘Your granddaughter?’ Heather laughed when her mother grimaced. ‘Grace told me that you’d taken her to see the ducks after nursery school. And then she did just happen to mention something about going on the swings as well.’
‘I enjoy playing with her. Anyway, the playground is on our way home and you meet a lot of nice people there, too.’
Heather frowned when she saw a little colour run up her mother’s cheeks. If she wasn’t mistaken, Sandra was blushing. She put down her knife and fork and stared at her.
‘These nice people you meet—is there anyone in particular you’re referring to?’
‘Well, yes, actually.’ Sandra stared at her plate for a moment then seemed to make up her mind. ‘There’s this very nice man who I’ve met at the playground a number of times. He’s a widower and he has a little grandson. He…well, he asked me if I’d like to go out for a drink with him one night.’
‘Did he indeed? And what did you say?’ Heather hid her surprise because it was the first time that her mother had shown any interest in socialising since she’d moved to London to help her look after Grace.
Heather’s parents had divorced when she’d been in her teens and her father had remarried shortly afterwards and moved to California with his new wife. Apart from a yearly Christmas card, Heather had very little contact with him.
Her mother had never remarried although she’d had a wide circle of friends of both sexes back home in Manchester. It suddenly struck Heather how much Sandra had given up when she’d moved to London, and how lonely she must have been without her friends. How selfish of her not to have thought about that before.
‘I hope you said yes, Mum.’ She reached over the table and squeezed Sandra’s hand. ‘It’s about time you went out and had some fun!’
‘So
