“What’s going on, Ben? You’ve been avoiding me all week, so why do I get the feeling that you suddenly want to talk to me? Has something else happened?”

“Something else?” he repeated, playing for time because he still wasn’t sure if he was going to carry this through to the possibly bitter end. “I didn’t know anything had happened in the first place.”

“You know very well what I mean, so let’s not split hairs. What is this all about? If it has anything to do with what happened two years ago, then I think I have a right to know.”

Dear Reader,

I particularly enjoy setting a book in the emergency department, but decided that this time I wanted to inject some extra drama and excitement into the story. The result was a brand-new rapid response unit.

When Holly Daniels and Ben Carlisle discover they are both part of the new rapid response team at Dalverston General Hospital, it comes as an unpleasant shock. Two years previously, Ben walked out on Holly after claiming that he’d met someone else. Holly had tried to put her life back together but working with Ben soon makes her realize that she isn’t over him. When it becomes clear that Ben still has feelings for her, Holly is confused. If Ben cares for her, why did he leave her?

As they work side by side, saving lives, Ben is forced to confront his very deepest fears. He has never stopped loving Holly, but how can he tell her the truth about why he left her when it could still ruin her life?

Helping Holly and Ben work through their problems was a real pleasure, and I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Best wishes,

Jennifer Taylor

Rapid Response
Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

THE last time Holly Daniels had seen Ben Carlisle she’d slapped his face and told him to go to hell. That had been two years ago but she doubted if he’d forgotten what had happened any more than she had. She sighed as she tossed back her mane of chestnut curls and stood up. Oh, well, she would just have to brazen it out.

Holly crossed the room and went to join the group of people clustered around the coffee-urn. She’d met most of them already during the recent training sessions. Setting up the new rapid response team at Dalverston General Hospital had been a major undertaking and a lot of time and money had been invested in the service. The area health authority was keen to avoid any problems so the training course had been extremely tough. At least two of the candidates had dropped out and Ben had been hired to fill one of the vacancies.

‘Hello, Ben.’ Holly steeled herself when he swung round. It had been a shock when she’d found out yesterday that they would be working together but she had no intention of letting Ben see that it bothered her. Maybe he had broken her heart two years ago when he’d dumped her for another woman but she’d got over it. Eventually. Now she treated him to a cool little smile.

‘How are you?’

‘Holly! What are you doing here?’

‘The same as you, apparently. I’m one of the specialist registrars on the team. Snap!’

It was hard to hold her smile when she saw the dismay on his face. Even though she knew it was stupid, Holly couldn’t help feeling hurt. Did Ben have to make it so obvious that she was the last person he’d hoped to see?

The thought steadied her. She’d done her share of crying after they’d split up and there was no way that she would let him upset her again. Her smile widened as she looked at him with mocking green eyes.

‘What’s the matter, Ben? Aren’t you pleased to see me?’

‘I’m just surprised, that’s all.’ He summoned a smile but Holly could tell how shocked he was. ‘I never imagined you’d leave London. You used to say that you hated the thought of leaving the bright city lights.’

‘Did I?’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t remember so I’ll have to take your word for it.’

She looked round when someone banged on the table and called for order. She certainly didn’t intend to admit that the reason why she’d left London had been because it had held too many memories. She and Ben had spent a lot of time exploring the city together and it had been too painful to be constantly reminded about the good times they’d had. It had been one of the reasons why she’d been so keen to take this job, in fact, because moving to Lancashire had meant a completely fresh start. How ironic that Ben should have turned up in Dalverston as well.

Holly pushed that thought out of her mind as Sean Fitzgerald, the head of Trauma Care, began his welcoming speech. He briefly outlined the set-up to make sure that everyone understood what their roles would be. The front-line team consisted of four specialist registrars and four highly trained paramedics. They would be on call to deal with any major accidents that occurred in their catchment area. Once the casualties were brought back to the hospital they would be handed over to the resus team, who were all experts in the field of trauma care. It was an exciting new venture and it was obvious that Sean was as keen to make a success of it as they all were.

‘So that’s it, boys and girls. I know the training has been tough and that some of you must have wondered at times what you were letting yourselves in for.’ Sean grinned when a chorus of agreements greeted that remark. He held up his hand and waited until everyone was silent again.

‘The work you’ll be called upon to do won’t be easy and you’ll be expected to give one hundred and ten per cent effort. However, every single one of you has been chosen specifically for your strengths. You lot are the cream of the crop and I know that together we can make this service something really special.’

Everyone applauded loudly before the meeting broke up. There was an emergency unit to run and time was at a premium. Holly went to fetch her bag, pausing when Sean came over to speak to her. He had Ben with him and she quickly adopted a suitably neutral expression.

‘I’d like you to take Ben under your wing, please, Holly. I’ve managed to fill him in on the basics but there hasn’t been time to give him the full course of training you had.’ Sean turned to Ben. ‘Maybe you two could get together and swot up on any areas you’re concerned about. Holly was our star pupil and I’m sure she’ll be able to bring you up to speed.’

‘That would be great, so long as Holly doesn’t mind, of course,’ Ben said quietly, but Holly could hear the reservation in his voice even if Sean had missed it.

Her mouth compressed as she picked up her bulging tote bag. Did Ben hate the thought of having her act as his tutor because he felt guilty about what he’d done two years ago? Or was she kidding herself by thinking that he cared a jot?

Probably the latter, she decided, tucking the bag under her arm. If Ben had possessed even an ounce of decency then he would never have treated her the way he had.

‘Holly?’

She looked up when she realised that Sean was waiting for her to confirm that she was happy about his suggestion. Even though helping Ben was the last thing she felt like doing, she couldn’t admit that. It had been drummed into them during the training sessions that they were all part of a team and that it was only by working as a team that they would make a success of this venture. How could she blot her copy book at such an early stage by refusing to help a colleague?

‘I’ll be pleased to help any way I can,’ she said with a sweet smile that didn’t fool Ben for a second if his expression was anything to go by. Thankfully, Sean seemed oblivious to the undercurrents as he beamed at them both.

‘Great! That’s a weight off my mind. Having to find a last-minute replacement has been a real headache. I had some sleepless nights until I heard that Ben was interested in the job.’ He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. ‘I know you’ve had it rough in the last few years but let’s hope this is a turning point for you. We need doctors of your calibre.’

Holly frowned. She had no idea what Sean had meant about Ben having had a rough time. She looked enquiringly at him when Sean moved away. ‘That sounded intriguing. What’s been happening to you of late, then?’

‘Oh, nothing very interesting.’ Ben briskly changed the subject. ‘Look, Holly, I know how…well…awkward this must be for you….’

‘Awkward?’ She felt herself bridling and glared at him, unable to believe the arrogance of that statement. ‘Why should I feel the least bit awkward?’

‘Because we didn’t exactly part on the best of terms, if you recall.’ His expression darkened as he returned her look with one which held more than a hint of challenge. ‘You aren’t going to pretend that you’ve forgotten what happened, I hope. That’s nonsense, as well you know.’

‘Of course I haven’t forgotten!’ She laughed scornfully, enjoying the fact that he seemed so rattled. Good! He deserved his comeuppance after the appalling way he’d treated her. ‘What you did to me, Ben, was such a rotten, low-down thing to do to anyone that there’s no way I’ll ever forget it.’

‘I know how it must have seemed,’ he began, but she carried on, cutting off his apology if, indeed, an apology was what he’d intended.

‘But in a way I’m grateful to you for what you did.’

‘Grateful?’

The surprise in his voice was like balm to her soul and went a long way towards making up for all those nights she’d spent, sobbing into her pillow. She smiled at him, seeing the shock that had turned his blue eyes the colour of a stormy sky. Ben had always been sinfully handsome and she, like so many women, had fallen for his dark good looks. However, she felt nothing when she looked at him now, she assured herself, not even a flicker of interest. She was well and truly over him and her heart was once more whole again even if there were scars on it.

‘Yes. You taught me a valuable lesson, Ben, made me see how stupid it is to rely on anyone else for your happiness. You have to take charge of your life and do what you want.’ She shrugged. ‘That’s why I’m grateful to you because I’ll never make the same mistake again. I’m my own woman now, Ben, not someone’s girlfriend or lover. And d’you know what? It feels good to be me!’

Ben wished he could believe that but there was no way he could ignore the underlying pain in Holly’s voice. It was proof of how much he’d hurt her two years ago and there was no way he could make amends for what he’d done. He couldn’t tell her the truth, couldn’t admit that there had been no other woman, because it would lead to questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.

Finding out two years ago that he had cancer of the colon had rocked his whole world. All he’d been able to think about had been that he mustn’t let it affect Holly in any way. He’d seen the devastating effects that dealing with serious illness could have and had sworn he wouldn’t put Holly through that ordeal. She’d been just starting out on her career with her whole future ahead of her and it wouldn’t have been fair to burden her with his problems. So he’d made the decision not to tell her and had made up some story about meeting someone else.

Lying to her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done but it had been the right decision. Holly had been able to get on with her life and that was what he’d wanted so desperately. Now he had to make sure she never found out the truth because it would only cause problems. He had to forget the past and focus on the present, although it wasn’t going to be easy. Working with Holly would be a constant reminder of what he’d lost.

‘Then all I can say is that I’m glad you’re happy.’ He smiled, aiming for nonchalance and probably missing it by miles. ‘I’d hate there to be any problems about us working together.’

‘No chance of that, I assure you.’

She laughed and Ben felt his stomach muscles bunch when his mind immediately logged the sound and found a matching one in his memory bank. Holly’s laughter had been the very first thing he’d noticed about her and it was hard not to remember what had happened that day, how he had stopped on his way through Casualty when he’d heard her laughing then had turned around to go back and find her.

Memories whizzed around inside his head and he winced because it was painful to think about the past when he’d been determined to forget it. Holly had been attending to a small boy when he’d tracked her down and he could still remember how glorious her chestnut curls had looked as they’d tumbled around her face when she’d bent to hug the child. He must have made some sort of sound because she’d suddenly looked round and it had felt as though he’d been hit by a sledgehammer when he’d got his first glimpse of her face. He’d never believed that love at first sight had existed outside the pages of a romance novel until that moment…

‘Ben?’

Holly tapped him on the arm, rather hard and definitely impatiently, and he jumped. ‘What?’

‘We’ve got our first shout. Didn’t you hear what Sean said?’

She didn’t bother waiting for him to answer as she hurried to the door. Ben followed in her wake, delighted to have something to shift his brain out of its introspective mode. It was the present that mattered, he reminded himself, what was happening at this very minute, and already he could feel the excitement building as everyone gathered in the office.

‘RTA on the road leading through Dalverston Fell,’ Sean announced. ‘A coach full of tourists has overturned. There’s a five-mile tailback of traffic so we’ll be using the helicopter and the motorbike for speed. Holly, you take the bike. The police have given us a map reference so use the satellite navigation system to find a route that will avoid the traffic.’

Ben moved aside as Holly stepped forward and took the details from Sean. She didn’t look at him as she hurried from the room so he didn’t have a chance to tell her to be careful. He sighed because he could just imagine her reaction if he had. Holly had made it plain that she didn’t need his input into her life and he must remember that.

Fortunately, there was no time to dwell on that depressing thought because Sean was rattling out instructions. Ben nodded when he was informed that he was one of the staff who would be going in the helicopter. He followed the others out of the office and collected his flight-suit then made his way to the helipad on the roof of the hospital. Nicky Brunswick and Josh Hammond, the two paramedics, were joking about it being just their luck not to have had time for a second cup of coffee but Ben could tell they were as excited as he was. This was their first real test as a team and they needed to prove that all the money that had been invested in the service hadn’t been wasted.

The take-off was remarkably smooth so that within seconds they were circling the hospital. Ben stared out of the helicopter window, watching the ground rushing past below. He caught a glimpse of something green and white turning out of the hospital’s gates and felt his pulse leap when he realised it was Holly on the motorbike. He watched until she disappeared from sight then sat back and tried to compose himself. An incident like this could present many problems and he would have to deal with whatever came his way. Still, he had plenty of back-up because Nicky and Josh would be there to help, plus Holly, of course.

His mind latched onto her name and wouldn’t seem to let it go again. Ben felt the fluttering of excitement build into a steady hum and knew it wasn’t solely because of what he might be called upon to do. That would be taxing enough but it was the thought of working with Holly that was making his nerves twang like rusty guitar strings.

Could he remain impartial around her? He hoped so. He really did. But he couldn’t put his hand on his heart and swear that the past wouldn’t intrude at some point.

Holly could feel her tension mounting as she neared the site of the accident. The satellite navigation system had made a huge difference by helping her find a route that had avoided the worst of the traffic. The fact that the motorbike could slip through gaps a car couldn’t pass through meant that she should arrive well before any ambulances got there. There was only the helicopter that could beat her and even that would need to find a place to land. She might be the first medic on scene and she had to prepare herself for what she was going to find.

She rounded the final bend and skidded to a halt when she spotted the coach up ahead. It was lying on its side and even from that distance she could tell it was very badly damaged. Part of the roof had sheared off when it had rolled down the banking and there was broken glass and lumps of metal strewn across the nearby fields. There were also a few people wandering about so she hastily put the motorbike into gear and rode straight over to the young police officer who had been first on the scene and removed her helmet so she could introduce herself.

‘I’m Holly Daniels, specialist reg from Dalverston General.’

‘They’re sending someone else as well, I hope,’ the policeman said anxiously. He was obviously deeply shocked by the scale of the accident and Holly uttered a silent prayer that someone with more experience would be sent to take charge. Dealing with an accident of this magnitude required a great deal of skill. Although the emergency services worked closely together—fire, police and ambulance crews each playing a vital role—it needed someone with experience to bring it all together.

‘There’s a helicopter on its way and a fleet of ambulances should be here very shortly,’ she assured him, taking her Thomas pack—the bag of vital medical supplies that she carried—out of the pannier. She looked up when the sound of an engine confirmed the arrival of the helicopter. ‘Here’s the ‘copter now, in fact. See if you can help the pilot find a safe place to land.’

She left the policeman to deal with the helicopter and ran towards the coach. There were two bodies lying on the grass and a quick check soon established there was nothing she could do for them. A woman came staggering towards her with blood streaming down her face, and Holly quickly grabbed hold of her arm.

‘Sit down.’ She made the woman sit on the banking then took a wad of lint out of her bag and placed it over the gash on her forehead. ‘Hold this there and keep some pressure on it to stop the bleeding.’

The woman didn’t say a word but she did as she was told so Holly left her. The rules were quite simple in this type of situation: the walking wounded should be given minimal treatment so that time could be spent on the severely injured. It might appear heartless but she couldn’t afford to waste precious time attending to someone who really didn’t need her help. There was an elderly couple huddled together nearby so she ran over to them next.

‘Are you hurt?’

‘My arm…’ The old lady showed her a blue-veined arm and Holly winced when she saw that the bone was protruding through the flesh.

‘That looks nasty.’ She took a dressing out of her bag and gently placed it over the wound to minimise the risk of infection. ‘Try to keep your arm very still. I know it must be terribly painful but there isn’t much I can do for you here, I’m afraid. You’ll be taken to hospital as soon as the ambulances arrive. Is there anything else wrong with either of you?’

‘No, no,’ the old man assured her. ‘We’re fine. It’s the people in the coach who need your help, dear.’

‘I’ll do all I can for them,’ Holly assured him as she stood up. ‘You just stay there and someone will be with you very shortly.’

She ran straight over to the coach but it was impossible to see inside it because it was lying on its side. She tossed her bag onto the chassis then scrambled up after it and carefully made her way to one of the windows. She could hear people calling for help but it was difficult to tell how many were trapped inside the vehicle.

‘So what have we got?’

Suddenly Ben was there and Holly felt her heart leap when she swung round and discovered how close he was. He was kneeling right beside her and it would have taken very little to tuck her hand into his and lay her head on his shoulder…

She recoiled in horror and saw his expression darken but there was nothing she could do about it. An hour ago she’d claimed to be immune to him and it hadn’t been an idle claim either. She’d spent months shoring up her emotions and hardening her heart against the memories because it hadn’t been her fault that they’d split up but his. He had fallen in love with someone else so there’d been no point dwelling on the good times they’d had. She had torn up the photographs, thrown away all the silly little notes he’d been in the habit of leaving around the flat for her to find and had erased every trace of Ben Carlisle from her life.

She’d done a good job, too, because she hadn’t thought about him for—oh, at least two months. She had been confident that Ben was out of her system but if that was true, why had she responded to him just now? Why had she longed to touch him, lean against him, snuggle into his arms and play the loving little woman when it had got her absolutely nowhere first time around? Was she so pathetic that she needed to have the message hammered home to her again?

Ben never loved you. He just used you. You were a convenience to him, good in bed and more than willing to provide him with sex!

‘Damn it, Holly, don’t do that!’

Holly jumped. ‘Do what?’ she muttered, struggling to rid her mind of that taunting little voice.

‘Look at me as though I’m some kind of…of ogre!’ He glowered at her. ‘Working with you is going to be a nightmare if you insist on walking round with that massive chip on your shoulder. What happened between us is history and it’s about time you got over it!’

CHAPTER TWO

BEN couldn’t remember another time when he’d felt like such a louse. Apart from when he’d told Holly that lie, of course, and ‘louse’ wasn’t the word he would have used to describe himself then. He held his breath as he watched myriad expressions cross her face before she finally settled on anger. Good! He could put up with anything she cared to dish out so long as he didn’t have to see her looking so stricken.

‘Don’t flatter yourself, Ben Carlisle! I got over you a long time ago and there’s no chip on my shoulder, I assure you.’

‘Then let’s get on with what we’re here for.’

Ben crouched down and peered inside the coach. He could feel the waves of antipathy emanating from her but steadfastly ignored them. It was neither the time nor the place to deal with this issue because, despite what Holly had said, there definitely was an issue. Holly had been deeply hurt by the way he’d behaved two years ago and it was still having an effect on her. If he did nothing else then he would have to find a way to set her free so that she could move on.

The thought of exactly how Holly might choose to do that was unsettling. Even though Ben knew that he’d forfeited any rights where she was concerned, he hated the thought of her being involved with another man. Fortunately for him, the present situation was too grim to allow him to worry about it so he put it out of his mind while he focused on the problem of finding a way inside the coach. One of the windows further along from where they were kneeling had shattered during the crash so he pointed towards it.

‘I need to get inside so let’s try over there.’

Holly stood up then had to grab hold of his shoulder and steady herself when the coach started to rock. The vehicle had stopped before it had reached the bottom of the embankment and there was a very real danger that it could start moving again if they weren’t careful.

‘Take your time,’ Ben instructed. ‘If this thing rolls over then we’ll go with it. I don’t fancy being squashed flat under several tons of metal.’

‘I don’t suppose the passengers who are stuck inside fancy it either,’ she shot back, obviously still furious with him.

‘I’m sure they don’t,’ he replied mildly to defuse the situation. Holly had a fiery temper and he didn’t want to run the risk of her getting hurt because she wasn’t thinking clearly. ‘So let’s take it nice and steady for all our sakes.’

She shot him a smouldering look but, nevertheless, did as he’d suggested. Ben breathed a sigh of relief when she crouched down and began to inch her way forwards on her hands and knees. However, his relief was short-lived because from this angle he suddenly realised that he had a perfect view of her pert little bottom.

He ground his teeth as a surge of purely male appreciation swept through him. Holly is just a colleague doing a job, he reminded himself sternly as he followed her along the coach. He must focus on that instead of letting himself get carried away by how attractive that lurid shade of green could look in the right circumstances. Holly was wearing one of the regulation uniforms that had been issued to all the members of the rapid response team. It was similar in style to his own flight-suit and had knee pads and umpteen zippered pockets. Nobody would have classed the garment as sexy but, then, few people had been privy to the view he was currently enjoying. Holly’s taut little derrière did wonders for the baggy garment!

It was a huge comfort when they reached their destination at last and Ben could concentrate exclusively on the problem of getting inside the coach. He peered through the window then turned to Holly. ‘I should be able to get through there with a bit of luck. Can you pass me the bag once I’m down?’

‘OK.’

She didn’t waste time by asking questions, just moved aside to give him room to lower himself through the opening. It was a bit of a squeeze because his flight-suit was extremely bulky but he knew better than to take it off. The fabric it was made from had a twenty-second fire resistancy and that could be vital to his safety.

Holly lowered the Thomas pack down to him then swung her legs through the opening. Ben shook his head when he realised that she intended to climb down into the coach as well. ‘I can manage. It’s a real mess in here so you stay up there.’

She ignored him as she wriggled through the window and lowered herself into the coach. Ben glared at her. ‘Didn’t you hear what I said?’

‘Yes, I heard. And when Sean tells me that you’re in charge then I’ll do as you say. Until then I’ll make up my own mind about what needs doing, thank you very much.’

She squeezed past him and went to check on an elderly woman who was lying by the door. Ben swore under his breath but he knew she’d made a valid point. He had no right to issue orders or expect her to carry out his wishes. Two years ago he’d been her boss although he would never have dreamt of pulling rank. It had been such a pleasure to teach her and watch her growing increasingly confident. However, the time he’d had to take out of his career while he’d undergone treatment for his illness had set him back and he had to remember they were on an equal footing now.

It was another adjustment he would need to make in the coming weeks and it wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to forget about their past relationship and concentrate on the demands of this job. Gaining back some of the ground he’d lost was important to him and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him. He glanced at Holly and his mouth compressed. If Holly could handle this situation then, by heaven, so could he.

‘I can’t find a pulse.’ Holly frowned as she pressed her fingers against the artery in the driver’s right ankle. She waited a moment then shook her head. ‘No, still nothing.’

‘We’re going to have to get him out of there,’ Ben replied curtly. ‘He’ll lose that leg if we can’t restore the circulation pretty soon.’

‘See if you can get one of the fire crew to cut him out,’ she suggested, pushing the hair out of her eyes with a grubby forearm. Her hands, encased in a double layer of gloves, were covered in blood and there was more blood soaking through the knees of her uniform. The driver had been trapped in his seat by the steering column, which had buckled during the impact. He’d suffered a serious injury to his right thigh and had lost a lot of blood. They had rigged up a drip but as fast as they were pumping fluid into him, more blood was gushing out. Holly reapplied pressure to stem the flow but she knew the driver wouldn’t survive if he wasn’t freed soon.

‘I’ll see what I can do.’

Ben got up and scrambled over the tangle of metal that had once comprised the first few rows of seats. One of the firemen was using an oxyacetylene torch to free a young woman who was trapped in the third row and the noise was deafening. They had managed to get most of the injured out now so there was just the driver and the girl left. She looked up when Ben came back and her heart sank when he shook his head.

‘No go. They daren’t use any more cutting gear in here because of the risk of fire. Apparently, the fuel tank is full and the build-up of heat could ignite it.’

‘Great! We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed that they get that girl out soon so they can start on the driver next.’

Holly looked round when she saw Nicky Brunswick making her way towards them. Nicky had been monitoring the young woman and Holly grimaced when she saw the worried expression on the paramedic’s face. ‘Don’t tell me—more problems?’

‘Looks like it.’ Nicky rolled her eyes. ‘It only turns out that she’s seven months pregnant and her waters have just broken.’

‘Oh, that’s just what we need!’ Holly exclaimed. ‘How long will it be before they manage to free her, d’you know?’

‘Another five minutes or so,’ Nicky began, then groaned when a scream rang around the coach. ‘Oh, please, don’t let that be the baby arriving already!’

‘You take over here while I go and see what’s happening,’ Holly instructed. ‘You’ll need to maintain pressure to control the bleeding.’

‘It doesn’t look as though he’s got that much blood left to lose,’ Nicky observed darkly. ‘It’s like an abattoir round here.’

‘And how would you know what an abattoir looks like?’ Holly demanded as they swopped places. She and Nicky had become good friends during the training sessions. They’d got on so well, in fact, that they’d decided to share a flat. Now she grinned at her friend. ‘I don’t know who you’ve been dating recently but a visit to the local abattoir certainly isn’t my idea of a fun night out.’

‘Depends on who you go with,’ Nicky replied archly.

‘The man hasn’t been born who could get me to a place like that,’ Holly retorted. ‘I expect a lot more than that from anyone who hopes to take me out on a date.’

‘So that’s your secret, is it? Treat ’em mean and keep ’em keen?’ Nicky laughed. ‘It certainly seems to work if Josh is anything to go by. The poor guy is totally besotted. I’ve heard nothing but Holly this and Holly that ever since you two met. It will be wedding bells soon if I’m not mistaken.’

‘Rubbish! Josh is just a friend,’ Holly replied tartly. It was complete nonsense, of course, although she couldn’t stop herself glancing at Ben to see how he’d reacted to the comment before it struck her what she was doing.

She turned away, praying that he hadn’t noticed. It was none of Ben’s business what she did! She was a free agent and could go out with a dozen different men if that was what she chose to do. She didn’t need his permission or his blessing. Ben had made his choice two years ago and he hadn’t chosen her.

It was sobering to realise the effect that decision had had on her life. As she made her way down the coach, Holly found herself thinking that Nicky was right in a way. Her attitude towards men had hardened in the past two years. When she’d been with Ben she’d been perfectly happy to fall in with his wishes and had tailored her life to fit in with his, but she didn’t make that mistake nowadays. This was her life and she intended to live it her way, and if that sounded selfish, she wasn’t going to apologise for it…

But was she really happy? a small voice whispered. Could she honestly claim that she didn’t feel as though she was missing out by adopting such a hard-nosed attitude? Didn’t she sometimes long to be in a relationship again where the other person’s needs were more important than her own?

Holly took a deep breath. She’d made up her mind how she intended to live her life and she was going to stick to it. She went straight to the young woman and crouched down beside her. The noise from the oxyacetylene cutter was tremendous and Holly could well appreciate why the poor soul looked so scared.

‘I’m Holly Daniels and I’m a doctor at Dalverston General Hospital,’ she shouted above the roaring. ‘Can you tell me your name?’

‘Charity Adams.’

‘So, Charity, Nicky tells me that your waters have broken. Is that right?’

‘Yes. I’m only seven months pregnant, too, so the baby shouldn’t be born for ages…’ Charity stopped talking and groaned. ‘Oh, that hurts!’

Holly grimaced. ‘It sounds as though you’re in labour but I’ll need to take a look at you before I can be sure.’

She stood up and quickly explained to the firemen that she needed to examine the girl. They turned off the torch and tactfully moved aside while she removed the protective blanket that had been placed over Charity and helped her out of her underwear. Her heart sank when she saw that the woman’s cervix was fully dilated because it meant the birth was imminent.

‘How long will it take to free her?’ Holly asked one of the firemen.

‘Just a couple more minutes.’

‘Then let’s get on with it. We need to get her out of here as fast as we can.’

Holly looked round when Ben came to join her. She drew him aside so that Charity couldn’t hear what she was saying. ‘The baby’s on its way. I’m hoping we have time to get her out of here before it arrives but it’s going to be a close call from the look of her. She’s fully dilated.’

‘I’ll tell the ambulance to stand by. I’m just going to organise a stretcher, ready for when they cut the driver free. We don’t want any more hold-ups.’

‘Good idea,’ Holly agreed. She frowned as he moved away because she couldn’t help noticing how grim he looked. Obviously, the situation with the driver in particular was extremely worrying but she had a feeling it wasn’t that which was bothering Ben most of all. Had it been that reference to her and Josh perhaps?

Charity gave another loud groan and Holly put that foolish thought out of her head. Ben had had his chance so why should he care if there was a legion of men interested in her?

The girl was in a great deal of pain but it was far too risky to administer pain relief at this stage when the baby was so premature. The normal analgesics used during childbirth could cause respiratory problems in pre-term babies. Whilst it might be acceptable to use them in the safety of a well-equipped maternity unit, they didn’t have that luxury here. She would have to rely on talking Charity through the birth.

‘Try to work with the pain and don’t fight it,’ she advised, taking hold of the girl’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. ‘I want you to try and breathe nice and slowly—big deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth…That’s it. You’re doing great.’

Holly looked up when the fireman tapped her on the shoulder and told her they were ready to remove the seat. Ben came back just then and between them they managed to help Charity out of the gap. They had to stop when another contraction began but as soon as it was over, they set about getting her out of the coach. A ladder had been set up through one of the windows but Charity stopped dead and refused to carry on when she realised that she was going to have to climb up it.

‘I can’t get up there!’ she wailed. ‘What if the baby comes?’

‘Holly will be right behind you.’ Ben put a comforting arm around her shoulders. ‘She won’t let you fall and she certainly won’t let anything happen to your baby.’

‘But it’s almost here. I can tell!’ The girl clung grimly to the metal rungs, shaking her head when Ben tried once more to urge her up the ladder. ‘No! I can’t do it and you can’t make me!’

‘Maybe we can deliver the baby here,’ Holly began, but Ben didn’t let her finish.

‘That isn’t an option.’

He took hold of Charity’s hands, ignoring Holly as he set about persuading the girl to do what he wanted. Holly didn’t say anything but she was seething with anger at his high-handed attitude. Ben seemed to think that he could boss her around but he was mistaken if he thought she was going to meekly do his bidding. As she’d told him once already that day, he was no longer her boss.

A frown puckered her brow as that thought sank in. Ben had been two years ahead of her when they’d met—he’d already been a registrar when she’d been a lowly houseman. He had been extremely good at his job and had had a promising future ahead of him, too. That being the case, what was he doing at Dalverston? He should have been a consultant by now, not a specialist registrar, and been on his way towards a post as head of department. So what had gone wrong? Why had his career apparently come to a standstill in the last two years? And why did she have a feeling that the answers to those questions were important?

‘Are you ready, Holly? We need to get a move on.’

Holly blinked when Ben spoke to her. He’d somehow managed to convince Charity that she must climb the ladder because the girl had her foot on the first rung. Even though Holly was desperate to find out more about his career, it really wasn’t the right time to ask questions. She went to join them, shaking her head when Charity had another change of heart and stepped down.

‘You can do this, Charity. There’s just a dozen rungs to climb then you and your baby will be safe.’

Charity took a shuddering breath and placed her foot back on the rung. ‘I can do this,’ she muttered. ‘I can climb up this ladder.’

‘Be careful, won’t you?’

Ben touched her on the arm and Holly felt her heart leap when she saw the concern in his eyes. How many times had she seen him looking at her that very same way? she thought wonderingly.

‘Josh is up top and I’m sure he’s only too eager to give you a helping hand but don’t rush. We don’t need any more problems to contend with at the moment.’

The acerbic note in his voice when he mentioned the paramedic might have gone unnoticed by most people but not by her. No way. Holly bristled with resentment. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean? Do you have a problem with me and Josh?’

‘Not at all.’ His smile made a mockery of what she’d been thinking earlier. She didn’t need to hear the indifference in his voice to know that she’d been mad to imagine Ben still cared about her. He never really had cared, if the truth be told, and the proof of that was the way he had dumped her so callously. It was an effort to hide her hurt when he continued.

‘As you pointed out, Holly, it’s not my place to comment on what you do.’

‘No, it isn’t. I’m glad you realise that.’

She didn’t say anything else because there wasn’t time. Charity had moved up another rung and Holly quickly followed. They had to stop when another contraction began but it wasn’t long before they were able to carry on. However, it was a relief when they reached the top of the ladder where there were people waiting to help the young mother the rest of the way.

Josh grabbed hold of Holly’s arm when she scrambled out onto the side of the coach and stood there, blinking. It seemed so bright outside after the gloom inside the coach that she couldn’t focus for a moment.

‘Are you OK, Holly?’

The concern in the handsome young paramedic’s voice was wonderfully soothing after her recent spat with Ben and she smiled warmly. ‘I’m fine now, thank you very much.’

‘Good!’ Josh gave her a quick hug then went to supervise as Charity was helped down to the ground. A plastic chute had been set up against the coach and Charity was able to slide down it without too much difficulty.

Holly sighed as she watched Josh helping the girl to a waiting ambulance. Had her response had been a bit too warm just now? She didn’t want to give Josh the wrong idea, especially not when it might upset Ben…

‘Damn, damn, damn!’

The curses sprang from her lips when she realised what she was doing again. Even after everything that had happened, she was still considering Ben’s feelings! She swung round when she heard someone laugh and saw Nicky climbing out of the coach.

‘Tut, tut, is that really the kind of language a well brought-up young lady should use?’ Nicky grinned at her. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had man trouble, Holly Daniels.’

‘Not a chance,’ Holly retorted. ‘I’ve too much sense to let any man cause me grief.’

Nicky whistled in admiration. ‘I wish I had your attitude. I keep telling myself that I need to toughen up but I’m such a marshmallow when it comes to affairs of the heart. I envy you, Hol, really I do, although I hope poor Josh realises what he’s letting himself in for.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of deliberately hurting Josh, or anyone else for that matter,’ Holly denied in dismay.

‘Oh, I know that! And I didn’t mean to imply that you would. It’s just that you have your life all worked out and refuse to be messed about.’ Nicky smiled placatingly. ‘I’m hoping to learn a lot from you while we’re flat-sharing. If I can get my act together like you’ve done, Holly, then I’ll be a happy bunny!’

Holly sighed as Nicky disappeared down the chute. Nicky seemed to think that her life was perfect but it was a long way away from being that. She may have achieved a certain stability recently but that could change now Ben was back on the scene. She might claim to be over him but if that was true, why did she feel so on edge? Was it possible that she still felt something for him?

She glanced round as another paramedic appeared with a stretcher that would be used to move the driver, suddenly glad that she didn’t have the time to answer that question right then. She quickly made her way back inside the coach and discovered that the fire crew had finally freed the driver. Between them they managed to shift him onto the stretcher. However, getting him out of the coach proved to be a major task. The stretcher had to be hauled out through the window with the aid of ropes and it was a worrying time for everyone concerned.

Ben heaved a sigh of relief as they watched the ambulance roar away with its sirens wailing. He looked almost as exhausted as she felt but there was a gleam in his eyes that she’d seen many times before, a light that sprang from satisfaction at a job well done. Her heart knocked against her ribs because she didn’t want to think about the past right then.

‘That seems to be it, then. Everyone accounted for so it’s back to base now, I think.’

‘Sounds like a good idea to me.’ She treated him to a brief smile then quickly made her way back to where she’d left the motorbike. She wasn’t going to fall into the trap again. The past was the past and she refused to keep harping on about it all the time. She had got over Ben—ages ago! The only way he could gain any power over her now was if she let him back into her life and that simply wasn’t going to happen. To put it bluntly, Ben Carlisle was history!

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