Healed by the Single Dad Doc
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Annie Claydon
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18
Chapter One
DR ETHAN CONWAY WAS no stranger to the saving of lives. And also no stranger to the desolate feeling of having to accept that sometimes there is nothing that can be done.
And Jeff wasn’t ‘just’ a dog. He was Ethan’s dog. The gentle, giant Newfoundland would be over ninety now in human years. Old age was finally catching up with him and, if his gradual decline over the last three weeks hadn’t come as any surprise, it had still been hard.
‘All right, Jeff. She’ll be here in a minute.’ Ethan had parked the car in the empty forecourt of the veterinary surgery, and he twisted round in his seat. Jeff lifted his head slightly at the sound of his name and Ethan reached back, stroking the dog’s head. Jeff had been with him for nine years, through love and loss, dreams and shattered hopes, and the thought of losing him now hurt.
It’s okay to be upset about this.
The words of the pretty red-haired vet who’d seen Jeff last week sounded in Ethan’s head. He’d explained to her that, in the scheme of things, this wasn’t so bad and she’d cut through his bravado with one look.
Another car swung onto the forecourt, its headlights blinding him for a moment. It stopped at an interesting angle, taking up two parking spaces, and the driver’s door opened. Kate Foster got out, hurrying across to where Ethan’s car was parked.
‘I’ll straighten it up in a minute...’ Ethan wound the driver’s window down and she grinned at him. ‘Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry, my last call took a bit longer than I anticipated.’
‘I was early. And it’s good of you to see us so late in the evening.’
She brushed the idea away with a wave of her hand, even though Ethan knew from his earlier conversation with the receptionist that Kate had been working all day. Despite that, she was all fresh-faced energy as she craned her neck through the window of his car, her gaze seeking Jeff out.
‘Hello, Jeff. How are you doing, old boy?’
Jeff’s tail thumped on the seat and he raised his head again. Kate smiled, and Ethan provided the answer to her question.
‘He’s been a lot more comfortable since you saw him last week. I’ve been giving him the medication regularly.’
She nodded. ‘Good. Let’s get him inside and I’ll take a look at him.’
Kate unlocked the main door of the surgery and waited while Ethan unclipped the car safety-harness. Jeff lumbered slowly inside. The door slammed behind them and she squeezed past him in the narrow entranceway, leaving a scent of fresh air and flowers behind her as she walked through the darkened reception area and opened a door to the surgery at the back, flipping on the light.
‘Bring him through...’ She held the door open and Ethan bent, ready to lift the large dog up onto the examination couch. ‘That’s okay. Sit down there with him. He didn’t much like it up on the couch last time, did he?’
She’d only seen Jeff once before but she remembered. Ethan sat down gratefully on the long vinyl-covered bench which ran along one wall of the surgery, and Jeff sprawled on the floor next to him, leaning against Ethan’s legs.
‘You’ll be okay there for a moment? I’ve got to go and get my bag from the car.’ She gave a smiling shrug that, for one moment, dispelled the weight in his heart. ‘I should probably take another shot at that parking bay, too. I’m told the white lines are there for a reason.’
‘We’ll be fine. Call me if you need someone to wave you in to your space.’
She chuckled, and it occurred to Ethan that parking in a straight line wasn’t much in Kate’s nature. At work, she was thoughtful and methodical, but everything else she did betrayed a deliciously free spirit.
He heard the sound of the front door closing behind her. Then silence, broken only by the faint whisper of a car engine. A dull thud, and then silence again.
‘Better go and see if she needs some help, Jeff.’ Ethan shifted Jeff to one side a little and got to his feet. As he did so, the sound of a scream made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
No... Not so much a scream as a battle cry—the incoherent noise of blind effort and determination. Ethan ran to the front door, cursing as he fumbled with the catch in the darkness.
His eyes strained against the shadows cast by the high hedge which ran around the forecourt. Kate’s car had been backed into a parking space, and a few feet away she was struggling to escape from a dark form which was gripping her arm.
‘Hey! Let go of her!’ Ethan hollered at the top of his lungs and the shadow froze for a moment. That moment was just enough for Kate to land a punch, and as the man’s head snapped around his hood fell from across his face and Ethan saw him.
Young—early twenties, probably. Dark hair cut short. The details registered automatically in the back of Ethan’s mind as he made a charge towards them, a roar escaping from his lips.
The more she fought, the greater danger there was of her being hurt. But instinct had taken over and Kate was fighting. She aimed another punch at the man and he threw her to the ground. Ethan heard Kate yelp as the man aimed a kick at her ribs, before running out of the forecourt and across the road.
‘Kate...’ She was halfway to her feet, scrambling backwards away from him as Ethan slowed his pace, walking towards her. ‘Kate, it’s all right.’
His words weren’t registering. He’d seen this before, someone so frightened that they’d fight anyone off, even the people who came to help them. Ethan held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, his heart pounding.
She was stumbling towards her car, her eyes wide in the darkness, red corkscrew curls of hair escaping from the knot at the back of her head. Ethan tried to head her off, wondering whether she might be about to lock herself in her car and try to drive away, but she seemed more interested in the back of the vehicle than the driver’s door.
‘It’s okay, Kate. He’s gone now.’
‘Gone?’ The one word seemed to penetrate her panic. ‘You’re sure?’
‘Yes, I saw him run across the road and get into a van. They’ve driven away.’ He stepped forward and she practically fell into his arms, hugging him.
He could feel her body shaking against his. Ethan held her tight. This was...
It was almost...good. Almost the best thing he’d done in a long time. He smoothed the dishevelled curls on the back of her head, trying to focus on what he was supposed to be doing. Comfort. That was right.
‘You’ve had a shock.’ Ethan swallowed down the impulse to tell her that everything was all right now. However much he wanted to make it all right, that wasn’t in his power. ‘Are you hurt?’
‘No, I...’ He could feel her hands clutching at his sweater. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘We’ll get you inside and have a look.’ He made to lead her towards the front door of the surgery, but she resisted, suddenly breaking free of him.
‘Sorry...sorry, I’m okay. I have to get my bag.’ Kate looked up at him apologetically, wiping the sleeve of her jacket across her tear-stained face. Flipping the car remote, she opened the boot, pushing a rug back to reveal a boot safe.
She sorted through her keys, pushing out a sharp breath as if to steady herself. But when she tried to open the safe, her hands were shaking too much.
‘Let me.’ Ethan held out his hand and for a moment panic flared in her eyes again and she gripped her keys tightly.
‘Yes... Sorry. Thanks.’ She handed the keys over and he opened the boot safe. Inside, he saw a small zipped bag which obviously held the drugs that she had been carrying.
He wished she’d stop apologising. And that she’d let him take her in his arms again so he could comfort her. He should tackle the first, as the second was a more selfish impulse.
‘This was why you fought him?’ Ethan put the bag into her hands and she clutched it to her chest, nodding.
‘I know I should have just let him take the car but I couldn’t bear to think that these would get into the wrong hands.’
She was twisting her mouth wryly, probably about to apologise again. Ethan cut her short.
‘You might have been a little too brave, but I can’t say I would have done any different. I don’t much like the thought of these getting onto the streets either.’ He’d seen the results of that, more than once. And, if he couldn’t entirely approve of a course of action that might result in Kate being hurt, he could understand her motives.
‘And you shouted for help.’ Ethan decided to concentrate on something that he could recommend entirely.
‘I...was just making a noise. I didn’t expect anyone to come. Thank you.’ She looked up at him and smiled suddenly. Really smiled, as if he were some kind of hero, and not just a man who had a chequered and uncertain history of being there when he was needed.
‘I’m just glad I was here to help.’ Ethan took the risk of putting his arm loosely around her shoulders again, and she nestled against him as he shepherded her slowly towards the main door of the surgery.
* * *
He didn’t seem to think anything of it. It was a big thing, running out of the surgery like that to help her. Ethan Conway was different from other men. Dependable, if ever she wanted to use that word again...
It was just the shock. The feeling that she wanted him to hold her and not let go would wear off, along with the tremor in her hands. He’d become just another guy, nicer to look at than most, but still easy to let go of.
But it seemed he wasn’t letting go of her. He walked with her to the drugs cupboard, waiting while she negotiated the series of locks that kept it secure. Then back into the consulting room, where Jeff was dozing in exactly the same pose as when she’d left Ethan and him.
‘I’ll take a look at Jeff and then I should call the police.’ Getting back to normal was what Kate needed to do now. She didn’t want to think about Ethan’s dark-blue eyes. Or the lilt of his accent, soft as the Yorkshire hills that could be seen from almost every part of this town.
‘No. I’ll make you a cup of tea. Then I’ll call the police.’
His suggestion sounded a lot better. But she’d already spent too much time wanting to lean on him. She didn’t want to compound the problem by showing him that she was hurt.
‘That’s okay, I’ll...’ Kate could feel her arm throbbing, from the elbow to the tip of her thumb. ‘Actually, a cup of tea might be really nice. Thank you.’
He raised his eyebrows at her sudden volte face. ‘Sure you’re all right?’
‘Yes, fine. I’d just really like a cup of tea. There’s a tea station behind the reception area.’ It would take him five minutes to make the tea and that would give Kate some time to inspect the damage. ‘Milk and three sugars, please.’
He nodded. ‘You feel dizzy?’
‘No, I always take three sugars in my tea.’ Kate looked up at him half-apologetically, and he nodded.
She waited until he’d closed the door to the surgery behind him and then carefully slipped her arm out of her jacket, rolling up the sleeve of her shirt. Her forearm was beginning to swell, and although the skin wasn’t broken it was an angry red. Kate turned on the cold tap, wincing as she let the cool water pour over her arm.
She could move all of her fingers and her thumb. Kate might be more conversant with animal physiology but a fractured bone didn’t look much different however many legs you had. This didn’t look like a fracture, and the swelling would probably go down by morning.
‘Don’t tell anyone, right?’ She whispered the words to Jeff as she carefully dabbed her arm dry with a tissue and rolled her sleeve back down. Sitting down next to him, she wriggled painfully into her jacket, and Jeff stretched, putting his head in her lap and drooling onto her trousers.
‘Yes, I know. I just don’t want any fuss.’ She’d bet that Ethan would make a fuss, and she didn’t want to feel how good it was to have him look after her.
He reappeared in the doorway, holding a cup of tea. Setting it down on her desk, he pulled the high-backed chair out. ‘Sit here. Jeff will be all right for a moment.’
Kate stared at him. No doubt Jeff would be all right. It was her own reaction to Ethan’s stubborn determination to look after her that she was worried about.
‘I’m a doctor. You took a nasty fall just now, and when the guy ran he caught you in the ribs with his boot. I’d like to make sure you’re okay.’
Damn it! When did doctors get to be blue-eyed, blond-haired handsome-hero material? Kate supposed that his profession must be in the notes that had been left on her desk somewhere, but at the moment she could barely think straight enough to remember her middle name.
‘If you’re thinking about telling me you’re all right again, then you should consider the possibility that adrenaline has a way of keeping the body going while you fight or fly.’
He had a point. Maybe she should have shown him her arm, to divert his attention from her ribs. But it was too late for that now, and mentioning any new aches and pains would only draw this out even further. Kate walked over to her desk, sitting down with a bump and wincing as pain shot up her back.
Ethan’s expression softened, and she tried to ignore the fact that the smile on his face was inspiring both confidence and an inappropriate wish to touch him. He pulled up a chair, sitting down opposite her.
‘What hurt you just then?’
‘My side. Where he kicked me.’ She brushed her hand across the spot, trying not to react to the pain that shot up her arm.
‘Okay. May I take a look?’
‘What kind of doctor are you?’ She made one last attempt at resistance.
‘The kind that knows the difference between a bruise and a cracked rib.’ He grinned at her. ‘Actually, I’m a trauma surgeon, so I’ve seen a fair number of both.’
‘Oh. Sorry.’ Kate felt herself redden.
‘That’s okay. Actually, everything’s okay, just in case you were thinking of apologising about anything else.’
This guy was a bloody dream. Relaxed, good-humoured, handsome. Her hero...
She had to get a grip. If she just did what needed to be done, one thing at a time, she’d be okay. Just draw the lines and stay within them. Forget about everything else. She slipped off her jacket and Ethan reached around to the spot she’d indicated, pulling her shirt up a little so he could see.
‘Lean forward a little more... That’s right.’
She felt the brush of his hands against her side. It had been a while since she’d shivered at a man’s touch against her skin and now wasn’t a good time to get reacquainted with the feeling. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to imagine herself somewhere else.
‘Take a deep breath. In...’ She felt his fingers around her ribs. Kate filled her lungs with air and her head began to swim.
‘Out...’ His fingers moved higher. ‘Just relax.’
Relax? Really?
‘Favourite place?’
‘What?’ Kate was dimly aware that his gentle examination had stopped.
‘Your favourite place. Mine’s at the top of Summer Hill. Do you know it?’
‘Yes, I know it.’ It was beautiful there, the hillside stretching gently down to woodlands and fields, small villages in the distance. It was a lovely spot, but not Kate’s favourite. Despite the fact that London had chewed her up and spat her out, she still loved the place.
‘Sitting by the river, in London. At dusk, watching the lights come on along the Embankment.’
‘What part of the Embankment?’
‘I like... You know the part by the statue of Boudicca?’ Kate could almost hear the buzz of the traffic and the quiet sound of the water. She felt calmer now, just imagining it.
‘Yes, I know it. I’ve always rather liked the cast-iron lamp stands they have there. The ones with dolphins at the base.’
‘Yes, they’re great. You know London?’
‘I studied down there. Deep breath.’
Kate obeyed him without thinking. She was leaning against him now, his hands splayed around her back and sides. Relaxed, almost in an embrace...
She sat up abruptly, the picture of home that had been so real in her head suddenly dissolving. Ethan smiled slowly.
‘Gotcha.’
‘So you did. You’re satisfied now?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. I don’t feel any sign of broken ribs. You may well hurt in the morning, though. May I see your face?’
He was going to do this face to face now? Kate fixed her gaze on the far corner of the room, so as not to meet his. She felt Ethan’s thumb on her brow, smoothing back her hair. She must look such a mess...
‘Just a graze. You might have a bruise there tomorrow.’
When he spoke, her concentration broke, and she looked at him. His face was a model of propriety, but his eyes... Those eyes would be wicked in any setting.
It was all in her own mind. A blue-eyed prince in shining armour. Someone who could chase away dragons and then gently inspect for any damage. It was beguiling.
‘Okay...thanks.’ Kate pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and coiled the mass of red curls back into a neat knot at the base of her neck. The everyday movement seemed to calm her a little.
‘Anything else?’
‘No. Thanks, there’s nothing else.’ Her arm hurt like crazy, but she needed this to end. Needed to get on to the next thing on her mental list of things to do after a mugging. ‘We should call the police.’
‘I’ll go and call them now.’ He stood up, pulling his phone from his pocket, easy and unhurried, as if there was nothing to worry about. Clearly he was planning to do it out of earshot.
‘Thanks. I’ll...drink my tea.’
Kate waited until he’d gone and stood, stretching her limbs, trying to shake off the feeling of numb dread that suddenly accompanied being alone. Jeff raised his head, his tail thumping on the floor, and Kate walked over to sit beside him and stroke his head.
‘All right. Everything’s all right, Jeff.’
But everything wasn’t all right. She needed to stop being a victim and get back to doing her job.
* * *
‘Kate... Run...’ Mark had shouted the words and then taken off, running away from her down the deserted street.
One o’clock in the morning and she’d only had eyes for him, not noticing the two men lounging at the entrance to her local underground station.
But she hadn’t been able to run. Her bag had been slung across her body and she’d felt it being pulled, the strap tightening around her. Someone had dragged at her arm, pulling her watch from her wrist.
She’d tried to scream then, but there had been a hand over her mouth. So frightened. She’d been so frightened.
‘Be quiet.’
One of the men had held her from behind and the other had searched her, feeling her neck and hands for jewellery. Then he’d cut the strap of her bag and taken that.
That might have been the end of it. Kate had been praying they’d just take what they wanted and go. But they hadn’t. She’d felt someone push her backwards, and in a moment of helpless terror she had known there was no way she could avert what was going to happen next.
She’d felt herself crash down the metal-edged stairs. Lying at the bottom, against the closed gates that led into the station, she’d sobbed for Mark—but he had already gone.
* * *
The sound of the door opening brought Kate back to the here and now, her heart thumping to the beat of memories that suddenly seemed new and raw again. Whatever had made her think that moving away would allow her to leave all that behind?
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you jump.’
She wasn’t aware that she had jumped. Just that the familiar feeling of dread was back again, threatening all she’d done to chase it away. Kate couldn’t let it back in.
‘I’m okay. Really. I just have to get back to normal.’ She wasn’t even sure what normal was at that moment. Her nerves were jangling with alarm, and she was acutely aware of every sound outside the window—even the cars, passing in the road outside, which normally went unnoticed.
‘Sometimes normal doesn’t quite hack it.’ He spoke quietly and Kate realised that she must have snapped at him. She took a deep breath.
‘I’m sorry. It’s just a shock. I thought I’d be safe here...’ Kate pressed her lips together. Something about Ethan made it all too easy to talk.
‘Safe?’
‘I moved up to Yorkshire from London a couple of years ago. I reckoned it couldn’t happen...’ Kate shrugged. Of course street crime happened here. It just hadn’t happened to her, and that had given her a false sense of security.
‘Something like this happened to you in London? Were you hurt?’ Not only did he make her want to talk, he listened as well, reading between the lines. It was a lethal combination.
‘I... Look, I appreciate your concern, but I’m all right.’ Kate hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Maybe he wouldn’t see that she was crying. ‘I know what to do next and I really need to just get past this. I don’t want to talk about it any more.’
She felt the brush of something on her cheek. When she opened her eyes, Ethan was wiping a tear away with a tissue.
‘Okay.’ He gave her a smile. ‘But I should warn you that closing your eyes builds up the pressure.’
Despite everything, Kate choked with laughter. ‘That’s your considered medical opinion, is it? That if I close my eyes my head will explode?’
‘Risk averted.’ He gave her cheek another dab with the tissue and handed her a fresh one.
* * *
She was trying so hard to get on top of this. And she wasn’t giving herself any time to be hurt or frightened—just swallowing it all down, to a place where it could do the most harm. Her free spirit seemed crushed under the weight of it all.
But she clearly wanted him to back off, and she was probably right. Ethan had no qualms about tending to her injuries, but anything else... That was wandering into the realms of emotional support, and Kate would be better off looking for that elsewhere.
‘When did the police say they’d be coming?’ She’d dried her eyes and seemed more composed now.
‘About another half hour. I’ll wait with you.’ He held up his hand to quiet her protests. ‘They said they wanted to speak with me as well. I saw the guy’s face.’
She nodded, and Ethan wondered whether Kate had. If so, she seemed intent on burying that as well.
‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look at Jeff now.’
Actually, he did mind. She’d just had a frightening experience and she should be concentrating on herself. But, if Ethan couldn’t calm her, it seemed that Jeff could. When she stroked his head she stopped shaking and a little colour returned to her cheeks.
‘When you’ve finished your tea...’
