Saved by the Single Dad (7 page)

Another shot, obviously taken at a beach bar, and next to that one taken on the top of a snow-covered peak.

‘The Matterhorn.' Jack came into the room.

‘Looks fantastic.'

‘Yeah. It's a popular peak.' When she turned, Jack's eyes were fixed on the photograph and she felt a stab of jealousy for Sal. Not because of all the places she'd been, the things she'd done, but because she was the woman who'd made love with Jack and borne his child. And that was wrong, on so many levels, not least because Cass had decided that she was not going to feel anything for Jack.

‘You must miss her.'

Jack shrugged. ‘These photos are here for Ellie, not me. I cared about Sal as a friend, but there's a part of me that can't forgive her.'

Cass could think of a number of unforgivable things that Sal had done, but tact got the better of her. ‘What for?'

‘I'd hoped that when Sal got back from Nepal, we might be able to come to some arrangement so that Ellie would have a proper family. I was prepared to do anything to make that happen.'

‘But...surely that wasn't her fault. She died...'

‘Yeah. She never told me that she was going to Everest without the proper permits or a place on an expedition. It was just plain crazy and I would have stopped her if I'd known.'

Jack took a last look at the photograph. ‘I didn't have the time with my father that I wanted, but at least I knew him. Ellie doesn't even have that; she doesn't remember Sal at all.'

‘Ellie seems...' Cass tried to concentrate on something else ‘...very happy. Very secure.' She remembered seeing Jack hug Ellie when he'd left, and then, in a moment of stillness between the two, he'd put his hand on his heart. Ellie had mimicked him and then let him go without any tears.

‘She knows I'll always come back for her.' He shrugged. ‘But sometimes I wish...' He shook his head, as if wishes couldn't possibly come true.

Cass hardly dared ask. But she did, anyway. ‘What do you wish?'

A sudden heat in his eyes, which turned from fierce intensity to something warmer. ‘I miss being able to ask a woman out to dinner.' The tips of his fingers were almost touching her arm. Almost reaching for her, but not quite.

‘And you can't do that?' There were plenty of single fathers that did.

‘I reckon that the one thing that's worse for Ellie than not having a mother is having a succession of temporary ones. I can't let her lose any more than she already has. I wish it were different, but...'

‘Yeah. I miss...' The warmth of having someone. The tingling sense of excitement every time Jack walked into a room had made her realise just how much she missed that.

‘But aren't you married to your work?' He raised an eyebrow. ‘You're not thinking of getting a divorce, are you?'

‘No. That relationship's doing just fine, thank you.'

‘Shame.'

The thought that maybe, just maybe, there was another option left her breathless. If they both knew that nothing could come of it, if no one ever knew, then there couldn't be any hurt. If neither of them expected anything, then surely neither of them could be disappointed.

Maybe it wasn't quite that simple. Jack had just the kind of body, just the kind of touch, which made sex for the sake of it seem like the best idea she'd had in years. But there was more to him than that, and his tenderness could make things very complicated.

She turned away from him, breaking the spell. ‘We should get going if we want to get back to the village and then make another round trip this afternoon.'

Maybe her disappointment sounded in her voice. He smiled then caught up the bag that lay in the doorway, ushering her outside and then slinging his coat across his shoulders to run to the car.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A
S
SOON
AS
they got back to the village they started on the round of visits that Jack had promised to make, Cass acting as his guide. The first on the list was Mr Hughes. He had refused to allow his wife to stay and watch while Jack checked on his pacemaker, and Mrs Hughes had refused to stay in the kitchen, so Cass waited outside the sitting room door with her.

‘I really don't know why he didn't go to the hospital sooner. He missed his last appointment, and they said that he had to go in three months. He hasn't got much left on the battery...'

Cass nodded sympathetically, wondering when Mrs Hughes was going to stop with the barrage of complaints about her husband.

‘Then, all of a sudden, it gets to be urgent and we can't go because of the floods.' Mrs Hughes gave a derisive sniff. ‘Silly man. I wish he'd look after himself a bit better. I do my best.'

‘I'm sure it'll all be okay.' Cass ventured some reassurance, based rather more on Jack's expertise than what she knew about Mr Hughes' lifestyle.

‘He doesn't listen to me. I've told him more times...' Mrs Hughes broke off as Jack emerged from the sitting room. Behind him, Mr Hughes looked suitably chastened.

‘I'm taking your husband's results to the hospital this afternoon.' He gave Mrs Hughes a smile and she brightened immediately.

‘And...?'

‘His consultant will review them and give you a call. There's nothing to worry about; his pacemaker is doing its job and there are no problems there, but I think that Mr Hughes may well benefit from taking a few measures to improve his general health.'

‘Thank you, Doctor.' Mrs Hughes shot a look of triumph at her husband.

‘I'm a paramedic.'

Mrs Hughes leaned towards Jack confidingly. ‘I don't care who you are. Just as long as you told him...'

Jack nodded, clearly unwilling to commit himself about what he had or hadn't told Mr Hughes, and Mrs Hughes saw them to the front door. Cass followed him down the front path and fell in step with him.

‘More exercise. Give up smoking and change his diet...'

Jack grinned. ‘Very good. You want to take the next visit?'

Cass shook her head. ‘Everyone in the village knows. I imagine the only person who
doesn't
know is the consultant at the hospital. When I asked Mrs Hughes if she'd spoken to him, she said she didn't like to.'

‘Why not?'

Cass shrugged. ‘Because he's far too important. And clearly far too busy to be worrying about his patients' health.'

Jack gave a resigned groan. ‘Okay. He's actually a good man, and very approachable. I'll be making the situation clear in my notes and he'll follow up.'

‘Thanks.' Cass swerved off the road and climbed over a stile, jumping down on the other side. ‘Short cut.'

Jack had almost completely lost his bearings. Here, on the other side of the village from the river, the land sloped more gently and houses were scattered between fields and copses of trees. The ring of water that surrounded the area spread out into the distance, encroaching wherever it could through gullies and streams and into homes. But Cass seemed to know every inch of the place, and so far they hadn't even got their feet wet.

‘Any other bits of interesting gossip I should know about?' It sounded as if the villagers knew who needed medical help long before anyone else did.

‘Don't think so. Joe Gardener pulled a muscle yesterday, carrying my kitchen door.'

‘He mentioned that last night when I saw him. The tube of vapour rub from the chemist is for him. What about you?'

‘Me? Nothing wrong with me.'

Jack had expected her to say that. But he'd heard a little village gossip too, last night. ‘It's just that if there was someone who'd been up all night on more than one occasion in the past few weeks, who'd been holding down a physically demanding job, digging ditches and looking after a pregnant sister...'

She shot him a warning glare, compressing her lips into a hard line. Jack ignored it.

‘...rescuing kids, and then going through the trauma of having her own house flooded, I'd be a bit concerned.'

‘Would you, now?'

‘Do you want to talk about it?'

She stopped short, almost tripping over a tree root when she turned to face him. ‘What's all this about, Jack? I'm fine. I told you.'

‘Okay. Just asking.' If she wasn't going to talk about it, then he couldn't make her. ‘But if you do need anything.'

‘So I'm needy now, am I?' She frowned at him.

‘No. You might be human, though. And if it turns out that you are, and you need a friend...' He shrugged. Why should she turn to him? She was surrounded by friends here and she never seemed to want to take any help from anyone.

Suddenly she seemed to soften. ‘Jack, I...' She shook her head and the moment was lost. ‘Will you do something for me? As a friend.'

‘Of course.'

‘Will you just shut up?'

* * *

He'd obviously gone too far and Cass was withdrawn and quiet as they circled the low-lying areas of the village, dropping off prescriptions and visiting anyone who might need medical support. But, whatever sadness she concealed, and Jack was sure by now that she was hiding something, she never hung on to it for long. Cass was nothing if not resilient, and by the time they'd walked back up the hill to Miss Palmer's cottage, she was smiling again.

‘I can't wait to see what Bathsheba's going to get up to next.' Cass grinned at Miss Palmer. While Jack had been checking her over and doing the INR test, Cass had produced an MP3 player from her pocket and plugged it into a laptop which lay on a side table.

‘Oh, I think you'll be surprised.' Miss Palmer smiled enigmatically.

‘Miss Palmer's reading Thomas Hardy. I can read it myself, but it's easier when she does it for me.'

‘You can concentrate on what's happening, you mean?' Jack liked the idea, and it obviously gave both Cass and Miss Palmer a lot of pleasure.

‘Yes. I get to enjoy the story.'

‘It's our little secret.' Miss Palmer was looking at him speculatively, and Jack was learning never to ignore any of Miss Palmer's looks. ‘Just between the two of us. Or the three of us, I suppose.'

Cass's cheeks flushed a little, but she didn't seem to mind. And Jack had the sudden feeling that the brick wall that Cass had built around herself had just crumbled a little. Not so much as to allow him to see over the top, but if he put his shoulder to it a few more times who knew what might happen?

* * *

They'd retraced their route back along the flooded motorway and to Cass's car. She'd waited in the hospital car park for him, plugging the MP3 player into the car's sound system while Jack returned the borrowed equipment and made sure that the results of the tests he'd taken would reach the right people.

‘What time does Ellie go to bed?' When he climbed back into the SUV, she looked at her watch.

‘In about half an hour. But if we go now, we'll get back across the water while it's still light.' Jack knew what she was thinking. He'd been thinking the same himself, but it was too late now.

She started the engine. ‘Won't take long to kiss her goodnight, will it? And I've got a flashlight in the back of the car.'

‘Anything you
don't
have in the back of your car?'

She chuckled. ‘I like to come prepared.'

They were in time for Jack to put Ellie to bed. He walked back downstairs to find Cass alone in the sitting room, still listening to her MP3 player.

‘Ready?'

‘Yeah. Thanks.' He said a quick goodbye to Sarah, resisting the temptation to go and wake Ellie up, just to say goodnight to her again, and followed Cass to her car.

When they arrived at the motorway, she pulled a large flashlight from the car boot, switching it on. It illuminated the water in front of them as she swung it slowly.

‘They must not be here yet.' There was no answering flash of light from the gloom on the other side. ‘They won't be long.'

Suddenly, the men coming to fetch them could be as long as they liked. It could rain as much as it liked. Jack reached for her, wondering whether she would back away.

She didn't. Cass took a step towards him, the beam of the flashlight swaying suddenly upwards. They were touching now. Sweaters and coats between them, but still nothing to protect him from the intoxicating magic that she exuded.

‘Switch it off.' His own voice sounded hoarse, almost abrupt.

An answering snap, and they were standing in semi-darkness. She pulled down her hood, rain splashing on to her face as she tipped it up towards him.

‘Cassandra...' Jack had already lost sight of all the reasons why he shouldn't do this. All the things that stood between them seemed to have melted away.

‘Jack...?' There were so many questions in the dark shadows of her eyes and he couldn't answer any of them.

‘Yes?'

‘... Nothing.' She whispered the word, her lips curving into a tantalising smile.

He was confused, torn apart by two equal forces pulling in opposite directions. Cass was the only thing that seemed real, the only thing he could take hold of and hang on to. He pulled her close, hearing the soft thud as the flashlight hit the grass at their feet.

CHAPTER NINE

H
IS
BODY
WAS
as strong, as delicious as she'd imagined it. When he held her there was no possibility of escape, unless he decided to free her. But Cass didn't want to be free of him.

Still he seemed to hesitate. Going slow, waiting for her to stop him. That wasn't going to happen. She pulled his hood back, laying her hands on either side of his face.

She could feel him breathe. Then he said her name again.

‘Cassandra.'

‘I'm right here, Jack.'

He touched his lips against hers, soft and gentle. That wasn't what she wanted and he knew it. When he came back for more, the sudden intensity made her legs wobble. Pinpricks of cool water on her face and the raging heat of his kiss. It was almost too much, but at the same time she didn't want it to end.

Layers of heavy-duty, high-performance waterproofing scraped together as he lifted her off her feet. Cass wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, looking down into his eyes now. His hand on the back of her head brought her lips to his, their kiss annihilating her.

He could lay her on the grass... Suddenly the rain and layers of clothing meant nothing. The possibility that they might be discovered meant nothing. Nothing meant anything as long as he could find a way to touch her, in all the places that she wanted him to.

‘Jack...' She moved against him so desperately that he almost lost his footing.

‘Careful.' He nuzzled against her neck, the warmth of his lips against the cold rivulets of water that trickled from her wet hair. One hand cupped her bottom, supporting her, and the other seemed to be burrowing inside her jacket. Then she felt his fingers, cool on her spine, just above the waistband of her jeans.

His touch made her breath catch in her throat. Caressing, tantalising. If he could do that with one square inch of naked skin to work with, then goodness only knew what he might do with more.

Then, suddenly, he stopped. ‘Cass... Cass, we have company...'

‘Uh?'
No!

‘Feet on the ground, honey.' His voice was gentle, holding all the promise of what might have been if fantasy had any power to hold off reality. She slowly planted her boots back down on to the grass, feeling his body against hers, supporting her until she felt able to stand. When she turned, she saw lights tracing a path down towards where the dinghy was kept.

‘Too bad...' She picked up the flashlight and switched it on, signalling to the group on the other side of the water.

His fingers found hers, curling around them. ‘Yeah. I can't imagine...'

‘Can't you?' She smiled up at him.

‘Actually, I can. I'm imagining it right now.' He bent towards her slightly. ‘What I'd do...'

‘Don't. Jack...' Her skin suddenly seemed to have developed a mind of its own and was tingling, as if responding to his touch.

‘What you'd do.'

‘Jack, I'm warning you...'

‘Yeah. I'll consider myself well and truly warned.' He squeezed her hand and then let it go, one last brush of his finger against her palm making her shiver. Lights shone across the dark water and the sound of the dinghy's motor reached her ears. And Jack's smile beside her, indicating that in his mind he was still touching her.

* * *

It was easy to tell himself that it had been a delicious one-off moment in time that wasn't going to happen again, when there was so little chance of he and Cass being left alone for long. They'd missed supper and ate in a corner of the kitchen, the bustle of clearing up after the evening meal going on around them. And afterwards there were people waiting to see Cass, to discuss plans for shoring up the makeshift dams which were keeping the water away from a number of houses in the village.

She didn't once mention her own house. A few times, Jack saw her press her lips together in an expression of regret over something she didn't want to talk about and he wondered whether he might get her alone, later. But by the time the meeting broke up, everyone was yawning, Cass included, and clearly they were all off to their own beds.

* * *

He hadn't kissed a woman since Ellie had come into his life. Maybe that was why he couldn't stop thinking about last night. Jack felt a quiver of guilt as he made his way to the church hall the following morning and deliberately slowed his pace. He shouldn't be so eager just to get a glimpse of Cass.

‘Watch out!' A burly man in a red waterproof jacket cannoned straight into him as he walked through the lobby, and then shouted the warning in his face.

‘Sorry, mate.' Jack stepped back as the man staggered a little. ‘You all right?'

‘Yeah. Sorry. Splitting headache this morning.' The man stopped and seemed to collect himself. ‘Must be a stomach bug. The wife and kids have got it too; when I left, my youngest boy was throwing up.'

‘Yeah? You need anything?'

‘No, it's okay. The walk here seems to be clearing it.'

A slight prickling at the back of Jack's neck. It was probably nothing but he asked anyway, keeping his tone conversational. ‘Any other families got it?'

‘Not that I know of.' The man straightened. ‘The power's off at my place and it gets cold at night, even though we keep the heater on in the hall. Probably just a stuffy head from too many blankets.' He took off his coat, hanging it with the others, and opened the hall door to let Jack through.

Cass was easy to pick out immediately, her red hair shining like a beacon that seemed to draw him in. Jack reminded himself that he had more important concerns at the moment, and that wanting to touch her could wait.

‘Can I have a word?' He motioned her to one side. ‘The guy in the brown sweater who's just arrived.'

Cass looked round. ‘The one with the beard? That's Frank.'

‘Where does he live?'

‘Over on the other side of the village.' She shot him a questioning look. ‘What's the matter?'

‘Have you heard about anyone else with a stomach bug? Headaches, sickness?'

‘No. We all know about the dangers of flood water, if that's what you're getting at. Everyone's drinking bottled.' She paused. ‘The whole family usually comes up here for breakfast; the power's out down there.'

‘He was on his own this morning. And he says that all of the family have had headaches and sickness, which clears in the open air.'

‘You don't think...?' As a firefighter, Cass probably knew the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning better than he did.

‘I don't know.'

‘Best make sure.'

They found their coats, and Jack quickly packed a few things that he hoped he wouldn't need into a small rucksack. Cass led the way, turning away from the river, taking the path they'd taken yesterday. He wondered whether he should mention last night to her, perhaps even apologise, but Cass had already pulled her phone from her pocket and was scrolling through the contact list.

‘No answer. Maybe they're on their way up to the church.' Even so, she quickened her pace, striding along the perimeter of a field of corn, the crop rotting where it stood. On the far side they slid down a steep incline and then back on to the road.

Cass had called again and there was still no answer. She and Jack almost ran the few feet along the road and then up the path of a large modern house. She banged on the door, bending down to look through the letter box.

‘Someone's coming.'

The door was answered by a heavy-eyed lad of about eighteen. ‘Cass?' He shielded his eyes against the light. ‘What is it?'

‘This is Jack; he's a paramedic. Can we come in, please, Harry?'

‘Yeah. If you're looking for Mum, she's not very well. She and Alex have gone back to bed.'

‘Are you okay?'

‘Not too bad. I went out for a walk this morning and it cleared my head. But it's so stuffy in here...' The lad shrugged, standing back from the doorway and eyeing Jack. ‘I heard all about you...'

It seemed that most of the village had heard all about him, and at the moment that was a good thing because he could dispense with the usual formalities. Jack walked straight into the house and up the stairs.

Behind him, he could hear Cass telling Harry to wait in the hallway. There was a portable gas heater on the landing, which looked as if it had been hauled out of the garden shed and pressed into service when the power failed. Jack reached out, turning it off as he passed.

The first of the back bedrooms was in darkness, and from the mess of posters on the wall its occupant must be fifteen or sixteen. Jack opened the curtains and a drowsy protest came from the bed.

‘Geroff. My head...'

‘Alex, my name's Jack. I'm a paramedic. Get up.' Jack didn't bother with any niceties. He stripped the duvet off the bed and the dark-haired youth protested.

His speech was so slurred that Jack wasn't entirely sure what he was saying, but it sounded like a none-too-polite request to go away and leave him alone. He hauled the youth up on to his feet, pulling his arm around his neck. ‘Walk. Come on.'

Jack supported the boy over to the bedroom door. He was showing all the signs of having flu—flushed cheeks, drowsiness and, from the way he was clutching one hand to his head, a headache. But flu didn't get better when you went out for a walk in the fresh air, and carbon monoxide poisoning did.

‘Coming through...' Cass's voice on the landing. She was carrying a woman in the classic fireman's lift, her body coiled around her shoulders. She looked to be unresponsive.

‘Harry, get out of the way!' Cass called to the lad, who was now halfway up the stairs, and he turned and ran back down again.

‘Mum...? What's the matter?' He flattened himself against the wall of the hallway, letting Cass past to the front door, and Jack followed.

‘Harry... What's going on?' The boy at Jack's side grabbed at his brother.

‘You'll be okay, but you need to get into the fresh air. Now.' Jack tried to reassure the panicking boys. He seized a couple of coats from the pegs in the hall and thrust them at Harry.

Harry transitioned suddenly from a boy to a man. ‘Go on and help Mum. I'll see to Alex.'

* * *

Jack followed Cass out of the front door and she led the way round to the car port at the side of the house, where there was at least some protection from the rain. He tore off his coat, wrapping it around the woman as Cass lay her carefully down.

‘Her name's Sylvie.'

‘Thanks. Will you fetch my bag, please?' Sylvie's breathing was a little too shallow for Jack's liking, but at least she was breathing. Her eyelids were fluttering and she seemed lost somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. Cass nodded and a moment later the rucksack was laid down on the concrete next to him.

‘Oxygen?' She anticipated his next instruction, opening the bag and taking out the small oxygen cylinder.

‘Thanks. Can you see to the boys? And try and knock for a neighbour; this isn't ideal.'

‘Right you are.' Cass disappeared and Jack held the oxygen mask to Sylvie's mouth. ‘Sylvie... Sylvie, open your eyes.'

A figure knelt down on the concrete on the other side of the prone body. Harry picked up his mother's hand, his face set and calm. ‘Mum...'

‘That's right. Talk to her.' Jack knew that Sylvie would respond to her son's voice better than his. He cradled her, holding the mask over her face.

‘Mum... Come on now, wake up.' Jack allowed himself a grim smile. Harry's voice was firm and steady. ‘Open your eyes, Mum. Come on.'

Sylvie's eyes opened and Jack felt her begin to retch. Quickly he bent her forward and she was sick all over the leg of her son's jeans. ‘Nice one, Mum.' Harry didn't flinch. ‘Better out than in...'

Jack grinned, clearing Sylvie's mouth and letting her lie back in his arms. She opened her eyes and her gaze found her son's face.

‘Harry...I feel so ill...'

‘I know, Mum. But Cass and the paramedic are here, and you're going to be okay.'

‘Alex...'

‘He's okay. He's gone with Cass.' Harry stroked his mother's brow.

‘I'm going to put a mask over your face, Sylvie. Deep breaths.' Jack replaced the mask, and Sylvie's chest rose and fell as she breathed in the oxygen.

‘That's right, Mum.' Harry's gaze flickered towards Jack and he nodded him on. ‘Deep breaths, eh. Do as the man says.'

‘Well done.' Jack didn't take his gaze from Sylvie but the words were for Harry. ‘You just passed the first responder's initiation. Don't back off when someone's sick all over you.'

The young man gave a nervous laugh. ‘What the hell's the matter with her...? With us?'

‘I think it may be carbon monoxide poisoning. She seems to be coming out of it now.' Sylvie was quiet but her eyes were open and focused.

‘What...like car exhaust fumes?'

‘Something like that. One of those heaters may be faulty. Where did you get them?'

‘Dad's mate lent them to us. He uses them in his greenhouse.'

Sylvie stirred in his arms and Jack smiled down at her. ‘All right. You're doing just fine, Sylvie.'

Cass knelt down beside him. ‘Next door. They're waiting for us.'

‘Thanks. Help me lift her?' Jack gave the oxygen tank to Harry to carry, more as a badge of honour than anything else, and Cass helped settle Sylvie in his arms. A middle-aged woman was standing at the door of the next house, and Jack carried Sylvie carefully up her own front path and back down her neighbour's.

The house was neat and warm. He was waved through to a sitting room, two large sofas placed on opposite sides of the room. On one sat a man, his arm clamped tightly around Alex's shoulders.

‘She's all right, Alex. She just needs fresh air and she'll be okay. We all will.' Harry seemed to have taken over Jack's role and he relinquished it gladly to him. When this was all over the young man could feel proud of the way he'd acted.