The Family Who Made Him Whole

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Her voice was husky and he felt the hair all over his body stand to attention. Even though he really didn’t want to have to look at her, he couldn’t resist. The lump of ice rapidly melted again when he saw the stunned expression on her face. In that second he knew that if he had kissed her, she wouldn’t have stopped him!

Quite frankly, it was the last thing he needed to know. Tom slammed the door and headed off down the hill as though the hounds of hell were snapping at his heels. In a way they were, because it would be his own version of hell if he allowed the situation to gather momentum. He took a deep breath as he weaved his way through the crowd that had gathered to watch the lifeboat being launched. He was attracted to Hannah, more attracted to her than he’d been to any woman. She seemed to push all the right buttons, or maybe that should be all the wrong ones because he certainly didn’t want to feel this way. He was happy with his lot, enjoyed his life free from complications…

Didn’t he?

Tom’s mouth thinned. He wasn’t going down that route. He had to do what was right and for him that meant living his life unencumbered by a wife and a family. It was the only way he could guarantee that he wouldn’t turn out like the rest of the Bradburys.

He didn’t intend to leave behind a string of broken marriages and tawdry affairs. He didn’t plan to break any hearts or ruin any lives. So maybe he’d thought he could buck the trend once, be the one member of his family who could make a marriage work, but he’d soon discovered he was mistaken. How long had his engagement lasted? Two months? Three? Definitely no longer. As soon as he’d realised he was losing interest, he had broken it off.

It had been a salutary lesson, however, and one he needed to remember. Attraction could and did wane. Maybe he was attracted to Hannah at this very moment, but in a week or so’s time it could be a different story. It wasn’t fair to Hannah to start something that was doomed to failure. It wasn’t fair to him either! He didn’t need this kind of pressure. He didn’t need the worry of constantly wondering if he would hurt her. He wanted to get on with his life and enjoy it, and if that meant staying single then so be it.

Hannah gave Charlie his tea then knelt on the rug and played a noisy game of cars with him. Charlie loved it when they crashed into one another, laughing loudly when his red plastic fire-engine sent her little white ambulance skittering across the floor.

‘You’re going to be a demon driver when you grow up, my boy,’ she smilingly admonished him as she retrieved both vehicles.

Charlie gurgled happily as he sent the toy fire-engine spinning across the room closely followed by the ambulance. Although the casts on his legs meant he couldn’t crawl, he had developed his own technique for getting about which involved shuffling on his bottom. Hannah chuckled as she watched him make his way towards the toys.

‘You’re a determined little chap. I’ll say that for you.’ She went to help him get the ambulance, which had rolled under a chair, then paused when someone knocked on the front door. ‘I won’t be a second, darling,’ she said, veering off to answer it. There was a young man outside wearing bright yellow oilskins and he smiled uncertainly at her.

‘Are you Dr Morris?’

‘Yes, that’s right. What can I do for you?’

‘I’m Billy Robinson, one of the lifeboat crew. Tom asked me to fetch you. We’ve got two casualties at the station and he needs a hand.’ He looked past her and grinned when he saw Charlie. ‘Tom said you had a little ‘un and to bring him along. There’s plenty of folk there who’ll be more than happy to look after him for you.’

‘In that case, of course I’ll come,’ Hannah agreed immediately. ‘I just need to fetch my bag from the kitchen.’

She hurried back through the tiny sitting-room into the equally compact kitchen. Her medical bag was on the table and she quickly checked that she had everything she needed. When she went back, Billy was holding Charlie, who was laughing happily up at him.

‘He seems to have taken to you,’ Hannah observed as she shut the front door.

‘Oh, I’m well used to kids,’ Billy told her cheerfully. ‘There’s seven of us at home and I’m the oldest, so I’ve done my share of babysitting.’

Hannah laughed at the rueful note in his voice. He seemed a pleasant young man and she didn’t have any qualms about letting him carry Charlie the short distance to the lifeboat station. The doors were open and she hurried inside, taking in the scene that met her. Tom was kneeling beside a middle-aged man, setting up a portable defibrillator, whilst two of the lifeboat’s crew were performing artificial respiration on him. It was obvious they had everything under control so she hurried over to the second casualty, a woman. There was another crew member with her and Hannah knelt down beside him.

‘I’m Dr…’ She paused and corrected herself. ‘I’m Hannah Morris. Can you give me some idea what’s happened to her?’

‘Nice to meet you, Hannah. I’m Jim Cairns and this here is Marilyn Baines. She and her husband were out on their yacht when the rudder broke and they ran aground on some rocks. From what I can gather, the main mast broke and hit her on the head.’

‘Right.’ Hannah bent over the woman. ‘My name’s Hannah and I’m a doctor. I need to examine you, Marilyn, if that’s all right?’

‘Ye…’ Marilyn tried to speak but it was obvious that she was still very woozy from the blow to her head.

‘Just relax.’ Hannah smiled reassuringly as she set about examining her, starting with the injury to her head. It was obviously tender because Marilyn winced when she gently probed it. ‘Sorry. It’s a nasty blow and you’ll need a CT scan at the hospital.’

‘Clive… how is he?’ the woman managed to ask.

Hannah gently eased her back down when she tried to sit up. ‘Dr Bradbury is with him. Let’s concentrate on you for now.’

She carried on, noting down a broken left wrist and dislocated left shoulder. There could be damage to the left humerus as well but that would need to be confirmed when an X-ray was done. There was no doubt that the poor woman was in a great deal of pain so Hannah drew up 10 mg of morphine.

‘I’m going to give you something for the pain, Marilyn. Have you had morphine before?’

‘No,’ Marilyn whispered.

‘Sometimes it can make you feel a bit queasy but it’s nothing to worry about.’ She swabbed the woman’s good arm and slid in the needle. The drug took effect almost immediately, although she waited a couple of minutes to see how Marilyn had tolerated it before she set about strapping her wrist and stabilising her shoulder ready for transfer to the hospital.

‘How long before the ambulance gets here?’ she asked, glancing at Jim.

‘The helicopter is on its way,’ a familiar voice answered from behind her.

Hannah took a deep breath before she turned, determined that she wasn’t going to allow Tom to upset her equilibrium again. He’s just a colleague, she reminded herself. Just someone you work with. However, as her gaze skimmed up the long legs and narrow hips before coming to rest on a firmly muscled chest, she realised with a sinking heart that Tom could never be just anyone.

She had tried to tell herself that it was purely physical attraction she felt, but it wasn’t true. Tom appealed to her on many different levels, ranging from his innate warmth to the consideration he showed to other people. She only had to remember how concerned he’d been about Peter Granger to know that it wasn’t an act either. He genuinely wanted to do his best for people, wanted to help them, and that was very appealing.

It was also in marked contrast to Andrew’s attitude. Her ex had always put himself and his needs first, as she knew to her cost. However, she sensed that Tom didn’t do that, that, despite his playboy lifestyle, he cared about other people. It all added up to one seriously attractive package and the thought scared her.

She might not like the idea, certainly hadn’t wished for it to happen, but she had a feeling that Tom was about to take on a far more important role in her life than that of colleague.

CHAPTER FOUR

‘IT WILL be faster if the transfer is made by helicopter.’ Tom fixed a smile to his mouth. He had made his decision to keep Hannah at arm’s length and he intended to stick to it. He blanked out the thought that the length of his arm wasn’t that far and carried on. ‘It’ll cut almost half an hour off the journey time.’

‘I see.’

Hannah stood up, making it clear that she wanted to speak to him in private, and he reluctantly followed her. He made a rapid calculation, stopping when he judged himself to be just beyond touching range. There was no point taking any chances.

‘How bad is he?’ she asked, glancing over to where one of the crew was keeping watch over his patient.

‘Not good. He’s had an infarc—a bad one too—and he needs to be in the coronary care unit ASAP. Although we managed to get his heart started again, there’s definite signs of arrhythmia.’

‘As you say, he needs urgent treatment.’

‘He does. How about your patient?’ Tom kept his tone light but even then he feared it wasn’t anywhere near as bland as Hannah’s as she outlined the woman’s injuries. Was she merely better at hiding her feelings or was the explanation far more simple? Had he made a mistake about her being interested in him?

The thought should have reassured him. It didn’t. In fact, it felt like a kick in the guts to wonder if he had misinterpreted her response to that near-miss kiss. He’d thought that she had welcomed his advances, whereas she had probably been so shocked that she hadn’t resisted! The thought made him wince and he saw her look at him in concern.

‘Are you all right?’

‘Fine. Just my stomach rumbling.’ He gave her a tight smile, cursing his own stupidity. He should be rejoicing because he’d been let off the hook, not feeling down in the dumps because she wasn’t interested! ‘I skipped lunch and haven’t made it as far as supper.’

‘Me too. Well, I did sneak a piece of toast off Charlie’s plate so I’ve fared a little better than you.’

She smiled back and this time Tom could see a hint of something in her eyes. What it was he had no idea and didn’t investigate. However, his spirits rose a fraction and he grinned at her.

‘We’re a right pair, aren’t we?’

‘I…um… If you say so.’

Thankfully, the roar of an engine announced the arrival of the helicopter so he was spared having to reply. He went back to his patient and got him ready for the transfer. Hannah was doing the same, getting her patient ready to be transferred to hospital. She worked quickly and methodically, sorting everything out with the minimum of fuss. As well as being both beautiful and sexy, she was a damn fine doctor, Tom thought, and sighed. What a beguiling combination. No wonder he was having such a hard time keeping his distance.

Hannah handed over her patient, briefly reporting her findings to the crew: head injury, which would need a CT scan doing; fractured left wrist; forward dislocation to the left shoulder; and possible fracture to the left humerus. Then it was Tom’s turn.

She stepped aside as he succinctly explained what had happened to Clives Baines and what treatment the man had received. His voice was as confident as ever. When it came to medical matters, he obviously knew his stuff; however, when it came to anything else, she could only speculate.

What was he like as a lover? she wondered. Would he be tender, caring and patient? Or would he be eager, greedy and determined to satisfy his own needs? Maybe he would be a mixture of both—tender and giving but also eager and demanding as he drew a response from his partner.

Hannah shivered. She didn’t want to think about such things but now that she’d started it was difficult to stop. A picture of Tom, lying naked in bed, sprang into her mind, but the picture wasn’t complete. There was no one lying beside him and she didn’t dare fill in the gap when she knew whose face she would see. That would be a step too far, picturing herself lying beside him.

‘Right. That’s all sorted. Do you want to take Charlie outside so he can watch the helicopter taking off?’

All of a sudden Tom was standing beside her and she hurriedly applied a mental eraser to the images in her head. ‘Good idea. I’m sure he’ll love it.’

She felt quite proud of herself when she heard how calm she sounded. If she could maintain this kind of balance then everything would be fine, she assured herself as she went to collect her son, who was playing a noisy game of pat-a-cake with Billy. Maybe she was attracted to Tom but so long as she recognised the fact, she could deal with it.

‘Thanks for looking after him,’ she said, scooping a reluctant Charlie into her arms. ‘I hope he’s not been too much trouble.’

‘He’s been as good as gold,’ Billy assured her. ‘Pity about those casts on his legs. They must be a real nuisance for him.’

‘They’ll be coming off soon,’ Hannah explained, and Billy’s face brightened.

‘That’s good to hear. He’ll have to come round to our house then and play with my little brother. He’s just turned one so they’re much of an age.’

Billy said goodbye and left. Hannah frowned when she heard him asking one of the other men if he fancied a pint.

‘Something wrong?’

She glanced round when Tom joined her. ‘Not really. I was just a bit surprised when Billy mentioned he had a little brother a few months older than Charlie.’

‘His mum was more than a bit surprised when she found out she was pregnant again!’ Tom laughed. ‘There’s a ten-year gap between the baby and the next child so it came as a bolt out of the blue.’

‘It must have done,’ Hannah replied, smiling as she followed him outside. The helicopter had landed in a nearby field and they were just in time to watch it taking off.

‘Look,’ Tom said, lifting Charlie out of her arms so he could see over the top of the crowd. ‘Helicopter. Whee!’

Hannah wasn’t sure how to react. Tom hadn’t asked her permission to hold Charlie yet it seemed churlish to complain when it was obvious that her son was enjoying himself. She stood silently beside them, thinking how wonderful it would have been if it had been Andrew holding him, Andrew playing the doting father; Andrew accepting him for what he was, not what he’d wanted him to be.

‘That was fun, wasn’t it, tiger?’ Tom swung Charlie round to face him, laughing when the little boy grabbed his nose. ‘Hey, that’s quite a grip you’ve got, young man. Can I have my nose back, please?’

He gently released the baby’s fingers then balanced him on his hip as he forged a way through the crowd. Hannah shrugged off the moment of introspection as she hurried after them.

‘I’ll take him now, thanks. He’s rather heavy.’

‘All the more reason for me to carry him when you’ve got your bag to lug home.’ Tom paused and glanced at her empty hands. ‘You are taking it home, I suppose?’

‘Oh, er, yes, of course.’ Hannah felt herself blush when she realised that she hadn’t given a thought to her medical bag. Bearing in mind that it contained a variety of drugs and expensive equipment, she should have been more careful.

‘We’ll wait here while you fetch it,’ Tom told her. ‘I’ll show Charlie the fishing boats. He’ll love them.’

He went over to the harbour wall, leaving her hovering in a sort of no-man’s land. She wanted to go after him and insist he give back her son, while on the other hand she needed to fetch her bag. In the end duty won and she hurried back inside the lifeboat station. Jim Cairns was standing guard over her case and he smiled at her.

‘Here it is, Hannah. No one’s touched anything.’

‘Thanks, Jim. I’d forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on tight.’

It was obviously the right thing to say because he laughed. Hannah had a feeling that her lapse had created a bond between them and it was something she would take on board. It didn’t always need perfection to make a situation turn out right.

Tom placed Charlie on his knee as he sat down on the harbour wall. The baby seemed entranced by the scene, waving his chubby little fists as he watched the boats set off for an evening’s fishing, and Tom smiled. He’d had very little to do with any children outside his work and it was fascinating to observe Charlie’s reaction. Even at such a tender age, Charlie was taking everything in, his head turning this way and that as he watched the boats leave the harbour. It was growing dusk and when some of the boats turned on their lights, Charlie gave a little squeal of excitement.

Tom laughed. ‘You like this, don’t you, tiger?’ He buzzed the top of the baby’s head with a kiss, surprised by the sudden rush of longing that assailed him. He had long since ruled out the possibility having children yet all of a sudden he found himself thinking how wonderful it would be to watch his child discovering the world. There must be a special kind of magic seeing everything through a child’s eyes and he couldn’t help wishing that he could experience it for himself. Maybe he shouldn’t rule out the possibility of him having a family at some point?

The thought was contrary to everything he had always believed. Tom pushed it aside when Hannah came to join them. He patted the wall, doing his best to behave as though nothing had happened even though it had. Could he really see himself as a father? It was the ultimate commitment, after all, and normally he would have shied away from the idea. However, he couldn’t deny that for the first time ever it held a definite appeal.

‘Sit yourself down while we finish watching the boats.’ He summoned a smile, determined that he wasn’t going to get carried away. Maybe the idea did appeal at the moment but he could very easily change his mind.

The thought should have set him back on course faster than anything else could have done but Tom found it lingering at the back of his mind as they watched the last few boats set sail. Charlie gave a little sigh, obviously worn out by all the excitement, and Tom took it as his cue that they should leave. Standing up, he swung the baby into his arms, somewhat surprised by how natural it felt to carry him.

‘Shall I take him now?’ Hannah suggested, but he shook his head.

‘No, we’re fine, aren’t we, tiger?’ He dropped another kiss on the baby’s head and heard her sigh softly.