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If he had known she was back in town, would he have quit his Head of Department position? Damn right he would have. Ruby had long given up the right to alter his life decisions. And this job was the result of those decisions.
He tossed caution aside, and called, ‘Hey, Red, I’m going to give you a hand.’
She turned slowly, balancing carefully, smiling widely, fixedly. ‘Got two perfectly good ones of my own, thanks.’
A familiar ‘don’t fool with me’ look had snapped into her big green eyes. Was it because he dared to question her capabilities? Was she more confident these days? Or better at hiding her insecurities?
Jack tried to grin back. He didn’t do so well. ‘That was my last offer.’
‘No worries.’
Was she favouring her left leg? ‘Did you jar your leg when you jumped down? You look like you’re limping.’
Her smile tightened further, warning lights switched on in those piercing eyes. ‘I’m perfectly fit, thank you.’
‘I don’t doubt you are but I’m allowed to show an interest in my colleagues.’ With a fierce flick of his shoulders he filed her limp in the dossier in his mind. For now. Remain aloof with her. Do not get involved. Was there a textbook on how to behave around ex-girlfriends?
‘She’s a tough one,’ Dave said behind him. ‘Doesn’t like any of the men singling her out to give her a break with some of the heavy stuff.’
Huh? Since when? ‘Ruby wasn’t always like that.’ Jack clambered inside the gleaming red helicopter. ‘Guess I don’t know her as well as I used to,’ he added as he looked around the compact interior. At last the excitement he was supposed to feel for this job began leaking into him.
‘People change,’ Dave muttered.
Jack winced. Yeah, that was exactly why he was here instead of running the emergency department. ‘I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.’
Dave said, ‘Funny thing but Ruby’s tough-girl attitude actually makes all of us try to do more for her than you’d normally expect. On and off base. All the crews are close, and we spend a lot of time together, but with Ruby we seem to go those extra miles, if you know what I mean?’
‘I’ll keep that in mind.’ And keep my distance. Going the extra mile might take him a lot closer to Red than was healthy for his future plans. Or for his body if his overheated reaction when he’d held her minutes ago was anything to go by. How would he put distance between them when they were stuffed inside this cramped area?
‘Good.’ Dave turned back to the stretcher he was cleaning.
Jack studied the man he’d be relieving. ‘You worried I’ll have scared her off by the time you come back?’ Ruby would go, but not because of him. Moving on was her modus operandi. Ironic that soon he would be heading away too.
‘We’ve got an excellent group of very professional people working here now and I’d hate to see the status quo change. If my wife hadn’t gone and bought our tickets and booked our tours, I probably wouldn’t be going to Europe this year.’ Dave’s brow creased. ‘Which is why Gail did it, of course. Women are very crafty, aren’t they?’
‘They can be.’ But not Red. She was more like a moth continuously flying at the light, getting nowhere. Always a tight coil of tense muscles with a sharp tongue to match. Jack used to wind her up just so they could kiss and make up later. He’d be wise to remember that in the weeks to come and ignore any outbursts. There’d be no making up now. Forget those heady kisses, the hottest sex he’d ever experienced and a lot of plain old fun and laughter. Forget how she could melt into absolute sweetness at the most unexpected moments.
Start with remembering her name was Ruby. Not Red. And that she wasn’t his type of woman. He took another glance outside, his eyes tracking the one woman he’d ever cared about. His gut twisted. Red’s sassy butt still swayed saucily. Sex in boots. Hot sex in a jumpsuit. ‘It’s been a while.’
Since he’d seen her. Since he’d held her in his arms and kissed her senseless. Since—Stop. Tormenting himself would only lead to trouble. But she’d felt wonderful when he’d lifted her up against his chest minutes ago. Warm, lithe, exciting.
‘Odd that she didn’t mention knowing you.’ Dave’s words crashed into his brain, slamming him back to reality.
Words that stung. Hard and deep. He shouldn’t be surprised. When he and Red agreed to split they’d both made it perfectly clear there’d be no going back on their decision. But surely that hadn’t meant they couldn’t acknowledge one another. ‘It was a few years ago. How long has she been working with you?’
‘Two months. Came straight from San Francisco.’
‘Two months?’ Jack all but shouted. If Ruby had kicked him in the guts it couldn’t have hurt any worse. Two months and not a word. Talk about putting him in his place. Sensing Dave’s eagle eye on him, he bit down on the oath hovering on the tip of his tongue and tried for casually unconcerned. ‘I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with her.’ But not on this shift.
‘She certainly has great work experience. Her credentials are superb.’
‘It’s the first time Ruby’s actually stuck at anything long enough to qualify.’ Amazing. And as far as he knew it was also the first time she’d returned anywhere. Had she finally tracked down her father and dealt with the past? That was the only explanation for her spending long enough in one place to put in the required hours to become a paramedic. Did that mean her angst had disappeared? Did a dog suddenly grow wool on its back?
Jack asked, ‘Is Ruby still taking on everyone head first? Like she has to knock them down before they get to her?’ He shouldn’t be asking Dave, but he was speaking boss to boss here, needing to know about a member of his crew.
Believe that and he’d believe anything.
Dave studied him thoughtfully. Was he having doubts about leaving his job in Jack’s hands? ‘Can’t say as I’ve noticed. And working in stressful situations on a daily basis I think I would’ve. Is that the Ruby you used to know?’
Already regretting his question, Jack nodded. He’d hate for Dave to think differently of Ruby because of him. ‘She used to have a few issues that distressed her big time but from what you’re saying maybe she’s sorted them out.’
‘Some relationships don’t stand the test of time, do they?’ Dave was studying him with a glint in his eye suggesting he’d somehow be watching out for Ruby even from afar, making sure his replacement didn’t upset her. Nice to know she had such a good friend. The man hadn’t finished. ‘But others can.’
Shaking his head, Jack muttered, ‘Not this one.’
Dave shrugged. ‘That’s a shame. I get the feeling Ruby’s ready to settle down.’
‘Then you really don’t know her.’ Ruby didn’t do settling down. Ever. Not like him. He’d been happy to stay in this place where he’d lived all his life. Until recently. Now he was so restless he itched. He was on the move, done with being the man everyone relied on to be a permanent fixture for them, of always being around when others found their lives going pear-shaped. It was time for his own adventures, and no one, not even a certain scarlet-haired woman, was going to upset this. Look out, world, Jack Forbes is coming. Yeah, right.
Jack forced a smile as he continued to watch her disappearing inside. She was as sexy as ever. His body had recognised her instantly. That slow burn starting in the pit of his belly when he’d seen her in the helicopter. And now it had spread out, down and up, engulfing every cell of his body. He wanted her. As strongly as he always had. Great to see ya, ruby-red girl.
Enough. Just seeing Red made him reel. Why he’d lifted her into that hug was beyond him, but nothing could’ve stopped him when she’d dropped to the ground right in front of him. To feel her body along the length of his, to touch that spiky hair with his chin, had brought longing charging through him. He flicked his finger against his thumb. Dumb ass.
So much for keeping everything on a boss to crew member basis. Should he hug every member? For a brief moment with Ruby in his arms he’d felt as though they’d never been apart. As if all that pain hadn’t happened, hadn’t torn him into shreds.
Jack turned and deliberately began studying the interior of the aircraft that would become a big part of his life for the next few months. ‘It’s a bit of a squeeze.’
Dave grinned. ‘Takes some getting used to.’
‘And I’m always at the front,’ a man drawled from the other side of the bulkhead. ‘Along with Slats. He’s ducked into the hangar for a minute.’
Dave grinned. ‘Chris, get through here and meet Jack.’ To Jack he said, ‘This guy is one hell of a pilot. You want him with you when the sky’s full of bumps.’
Jack shook hands with the man who didn’t look old enough to have left school let alone know how to fly one of these massive helicopters. ‘Good to meet you. How many hours have you done on this bird?’
Chris laughed. ‘More than you’d ever believe. For the record, I stopped drinking milk thirty years ago.’
The man had to be pulling his leg. The same age as him? Nah, couldn’t be. But Chris looked like he meant it. ‘Bet you have to produce your ID every time you buy a beer.’
‘Damned pain at times,’ Dave muttered. ‘But that innocent face pulls the girls, make no mistake.’
Jack could believe it. What about Ruby? Was she a fan of the pilot? As in had she been out with him, been to bed with him? A cold knot formed in Jack’s belly. There had to be a man in her life. A very attractive, sexy woman always had a man, and Red was both. But it wasn’t his place to comment, despite the chill creeping over his skin. Red was a free agent. Like him. The fact that they were going to work together again didn’t give him any rights over who she went out with. So behave, Jacko.
Jack dragged his hand down his cheek. As her boss, he had to learn about her situation, as he did for all the staff. If anyone’s private life was out of sync over anything at all he’d want to know about it. Happy staff meant a happy work environment, which in turn meant everyone pulled together to give an exceptionally good service to the public.
Just remember her name was Ruby, not Red, and he should be able to keep everything in perspective. Haa!
CHAPTER TWO
JULIE, the part-time office lady, stood in the middle of the hangar, staring over at the helicopter. ‘So who’s the hottie?’
Ruby grinned at her. ‘Jack Forbes.’
‘As in Dave’s replacement? No way. He’s got a body to die for. And that face, that grin …’ Julie spluttered to a halt, her eyes enormous.
Ruby shook her head. ‘Too hot to handle?’
Flapping her hands at her cheeks, Julie replied, ‘Remind me to bring my oven mitts to work tomorrow.’
‘Got two pairs?’ There was no point denying Jack’s good looks. That would only make people question her ability to see.
‘Guess you’ll need them more than me, since you’ll be working alongside him. Wonder what he’s like behind those looks?’
‘Imperturbable,’ she muttered. Gorgeous, funny, trustworthy, lovable Jack.
‘You already know him?’ Julie’s perfectly styled eyebrows rose as she continued to stare in the direction of the helicopter.
‘From the days when I was training to be a nurse.’ She’d spent seven months in Wellington, on her way from Nelson to somewhere else, which, on the death of her mother, had turned out to be Seattle. Her training had spread over four cities, and had to be the most erratic on record.
‘You weren’t an item? You know, had a doctors-and-nurses thing going on?’
They’d certainly had something going on, something very hot. Don’t forget the love. There’d been plenty of that too. But not enough to keep them together. What if she was incapable of loving someone enough to get through all the things that got tossed up along the way?
She shuddered, shoved that idea out of the way and said to Julie, ‘If I didn’t know how happily married you were, I’d be arranging a date for you with Jack.’ If he wasn’t already in a relationship with the stunning, lithe blonde Ruby had seen him with in a café four weeks ago. Blondie had been as close to Jack as sticking plaster, and he hadn’t been objecting. Ruby tripped on an uneven piece of concrete. Her knee jagged. She sucked air through her teeth and swore to be more careful.
Julie chuckled. ‘Looking’s fine. It’s the touching that gets people into trouble.’
Ruby winced. Didn’t she know it? Touching Jack had always led to a lot of up-close involvement, a conflagration, so there’d be absolutely no touching this time round. Huge problems lurked there that she wasn’t ready to face. Jack was her past, no matter how much she suddenly wished otherwise. She’d hurt him once, she wouldn’t do that to him again. Or to herself. She headed the subject to safer ground. ‘How come you’re here on a Sunday?’
Julie told her, ‘I’m taking tomorrow morning off so I can go on a school trip with my girls. There’s a pile of reports that need filing with the health department before Wednesday so here I am.’
‘I’d better get these bags sorted.’ Ruby reached the storeroom, exhaling the breath she’d been holding while studying Jack. The sight of him made her giddy, while being near him, being held in that embrace, had made her feel somehow complete. As only Jack had ever made her feel. Damn him. If she’d stayed in Wellington way back then she’d have saved herself a lot of anguish with her father. And she’d still be in a relationship with Jack.
Or would she? They’d both had a lot of personal issues to sort out that might’ve strained their relationship to the point it couldn’t survive. Could be they’d both needed to grow up. Ruby blinked. Definitely true of her. Not so sure about Jack. Did he still resent his father for leaning too hard on him for support? How strange that set-up had been. Parents were supposed to look out for their kids, not the other way round. But of course Jack had never gone into any detail about his family so she only had half the story.
Grabbing at airway tubes, she quickly topped up the bags, while musing on the past. Staying put in one place had been an alien concept for her. That she’d even considered stopping here three years ago spoke volumes about her feelings for Jack. But in the end the forces that had driven her relentlessly onward all her life had won out. Not even for the love of her life, Jack, could she have given up something that had eaten at her as far back as she could recall.
Julie stood in the doorway. ‘You planning on smashing those vials or what?’
Ruby looked at the replacement drugs she’d just rammed into their slots. ‘Guess not.’
‘Mr Gorgeous has got to you already, hasn’t he?’
Unfortunately, yes. ‘I’ll get over it. You wanted me for something?’
‘Can you translate Jason’s writing for me?’ Julie held a report form out to her. ‘Sometimes I wonder if medical staff do a 101 course in Scribble.’
‘Doctors say it’s because they’re always frantically busy.’ At least that was what Jack used to tell her.
Jack. Jack. Jack. Suddenly everything came back to him. Already there was no avoiding him. It was so unfair. She’d come here first, this was her job, her sanctuary. There were plenty of places out there for an emergency specialist to work. Why pick this one, Jack? Despair crunched inside her. It was hard enough getting her life on track and keeping it there, without the added difficulty of having to spend twelve hours a day with a man who knew the old Ruby. And who was going to struggle to believe the new version she’d made herself into—if he’d even take the time to get to know her again. And suddenly she really, really wanted him to.
Julie laughed. ‘That’s a cop-out. But, then, most people blame texting for their appalling spelling too. Lazy, I reckon.’ She turned for her office. ‘I’ve put the kettle on.’
‘Ta. I’ll tell the guys.’ Ruby cringed. A cop-out. Her father had come up with a million reasons for never coming to New Zealand to meet her, all of them cop-outs. If only she’d believed her mother, whom she’d badgered incessantly all her life for more information about the airman she’d imagined to be a hero. But her mother had only ever said Ruby was better off not knowing him.
As a child Ruby had waited for him to turn up bearing gifts and hugs. He would tell her he was home for good and that they’d have a happy life doing all the things her mother couldn’t afford to do. Not until she’d packed up her mother’s home after her death did Ruby learn her dad was American and had been in the US Air Force. Her parents had met when her father’s plane had stopped in Christchurch for a few days on the way to Antarctica.
Finally it hadn’t been too difficult to finally track down the man who’d spawned her. Reality had been harsh. The hero of her childhood had turned out to be a total nightmare. Her humiliation at her father’s lifestyle equalled her embarrassment at how badly she’d treated her mother over the years. Then had come the acute disappointment at the realisation she’d given up Jack for that man.
The Greaser—she no longer called him her father—was a good-looking man who’d used his abundant charm to marry into a fortune and produce offspring to keep everyone onside, especially his wealthy father-in-law, while he philandered his way through half his town’s women.
Outside, Ruby heaved one of the replenished packs up into the helicopter. ‘Kettle’s boiled.’ At last she’d get to eat that sorry-looking pie. Her stomach rolled over in happy anticipation.
Jack took the pack and strapped it into place. ‘We’re about done in here.’
She bent down for the other bag, grimacing as she lifted the heavy weight up.
‘Here, give me that.’ Jack reached down and took the load from her, his fingers brushing hers.
Instant heat sizzled up her arms. Clenching her hands at her sides, she spoke too loudly. ‘Thanks. It goes—’
‘Over there by the stretcher,’ Jack finished with a growl, his eyebrows nearly meeting in the middle of his forehead. His gaze appeared stuck on a spot behind her head while shock flicked through his eyes. So he’d felt the same sparks too. The sparks that made everything so much more difficult.
‘Glad you’ve got it sussed.’ It was important. If any equipment got put away in the wrong place, it could delay things in an emergency.
‘It’s not rocket science.’ A glint in his eye warned her he wasn’t happy with her telling him anything about the helicopter.
‘You didn’t used to be so touchy.’ But he had touched her often.
Jack dropped down beside her, and unsure of him, she tensed, waiting for him to bawl her out, ready to meet him head on. Instead he stole the breath from her by saying, ‘So, a paramedic, eh? Did you ever finish your nursing certificate?’
‘Advanced paramedic, actually.’
‘Sorry, advanced paramedic.’ His eyebrows rose. ‘That’s fantastic. I’m glad you qualified. You certainly have the smarts.’
She straightened a little at his compliment. ‘Yes, I did finish the year on the wards required to finalise my nurse’s practising certificate.’ She’d worked extremely hard to get all her qualifications. Not being satisfied with a pass, she’d aimed for the highest grades possible. That had been the first good turning point in her life. Jack could raise his eyebrows all he liked but he wouldn’t dent her pride in her accomplishments. ‘I trained on the ambulances in San Francisco. Then during the last four months there I took a rotation on the rescue helicopters, which stood me in good stead for this job.’ She’d found her niche. Nothing, nobody would make her give it up. Not a bung knee. Definitely not Jack.
‘San Francisco, eh?’ His tone was acid and he stared straight ahead as they walked towards the hangar and the staffrooms.
Beside him she grinned, refusing to be intimidated by his attitude. He might think he still knew her but, boy, oh, boy, he didn’t have a clue. She’d returned to Wellington, this time permanently. This was the first city in a long line of cities that she’d come back to. Might as well get some of the details out of the way, let him have his ‘I told you so’ moment. ‘I started in Seattle, then went to Vancouver. I really loved Canada but couldn’t get a job without a work permit. Back in the States I headed down to Kansas, LA, San Diego and finally San Francisco.’ She wasn’t going to enlighten him about her reasons for all that tripping around. Not yet anyway. Not unless they got past being mates. Which, right now, looked doubtful. Unfortunately.
‘When did you find time to fit in your training?’ Strong acid.
‘I lived in San Fran for two years, ample time to qualify. My nursing training put me ahead on the course when I started on the ambulance.’ And she’d focused entirely on her job, no sexy distractions anywhere in sight.
‘Two years in one spot?’ The acid sweetened up a little. ‘Did you ever come back here for a visit?’
‘No. Too busy.’ And, because they’d agreed their break-up was final, there’d been nothing, no one, to come back for.
‘Where are you living now?’
‘I bought a villa on Mount Victoria.’ Glancing sideways, she saw his eyebrows lift, his lips tighten, and she braced herself.
His words dripped sarcasm. ‘Don’t tell me you’re settling down? Not you. Come on, I bet you’ve still got that backpack in the corner of your wardrobe, waiting for the day you’ve had enough of Wellington.’
‘Long gone, fallen apart from overuse.’ Not a great testament to her reliability. But, ‘I’m renovating the house. It’s so out of date and colder than an iceberg now that winter’s here. The electricity and plumbing need completely redoing, not to mention the antiquated kitchen and a bathroom requiring a total refit.’ All of which were already guzzling up cash like a thirsty dog.
‘You haven’t exactly answered my question. How long do you think you’ll be around this time?’ His mouth was still tight, but his eyebrows were back in place. ‘You never showed any interest in owning a house. Too much of a tie, you reckoned, if I recall correctly.’
Which, of course, he did. But that had been aeons ago. And deep down she had wanted a home but fear of not being able to make a success of it had driven her to deny the need. What had she ever known about setting up a permanent home? Continuing to ignore his underlying disbelief, she said, ‘The villa’s eighty-nine years old, and showing its age. But I love it. There’s so much potential.’
‘Oh, right. You’ll be here until you’ve done the house up. A quick lick of paint? Some new carpet?’ He held the door to the staff kitchen open for her. ‘Can’t quite picture you as a house renovator.’
‘Give me a break. I’ve never had the opportunity before.’ And they both knew that had been her fault.
Behind her Dave piped up. ‘Ruby’s a dab hand at pulling down walls. You should see her swinging a hammer.’
‘That’s the best bit,’ she agreed, grateful for Dave’s support.
Jack peered down at her. ‘You do know what you’re doing, Ruby? Has a builder looked over your plans? Or are you leaping in feet first and knocking out parts of the house any old how? You could bring the roof down on your head if you take out a load-bearing wall.’
‘Tea or coffee?’ she asked sweetly, fighting the urge to hit him. Of course she knew what she was doing. ‘I have expert help.’ Chris had been a builder until he’d decided there had to be more excitement to life and learned to fly helicopters. He’d been more than happy to take a look at the house and tell her what she could and couldn’t do to it. He’d also put her in touch with a reliable draughtsman who fully understood her need to keep the house in period while modernising the essentials.
‘Coffee, thanks.’ Jack dropped onto a chair at the table. Questions still clouded his eyes.
‘Dave, Chris?’ Outside, the rotors of the second rescue helicopter began slowing down. Ruby got out more mugs for the other crew. ‘Where’s Slats?’
‘Right here.’ A short, wiry man sauntered in and handed Dave some paperwork.
Chris sat down and introduced Jack to his offsider before returning to the previous conversation. ‘Ruby’s got everything under control with the house, Jack. We made sure of that the moment we learned what she was up to. She’s one very organised lady. And damned determined when she sets her mind to something.’