Saving Dr. Cooper

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘All right, then, I told you so,’ she retorted impishly.

  Ross chuckled when he saw the amusement on her face. ‘You’re enjoying every second of this, you wretched woman!’

  ‘I have no idea what you mean,’ she declared loftily. ‘Who in his—or her—right mind would enjoy having their picnic rained off?’ She cast a speaking look at the rain that was pouring down outside the hut.

  Ross sighed. ‘It’s such a shame, isn’t it? And I thought I’d found us the perfect place to spend the day.’

  ‘You did,’ she said quickly. ‘It’s a lovely spot, Ross. There’s the river to catch tiddlers in and a field to play ball and somewhere to shelter until the rain stops. We’re glad we came, aren’t we kids?’

  There was a chorus of agreement which made him feel a lot better. Hunkering down on his heels, he spread the rug over the splintery wooden floor and started to unpack the food. ‘Then let’s carry on enjoying ourselves. We’ll have an early lunch and hope that the rain has stopped by the time we finish eating.’

  Heather knelt on the rug and helped him unpack their picnic, exclaiming in surprise when she saw the pots of pâté, the sliced meats and bowls of salad he had brought. ‘This is a real feast, not just a picnic! You’re spoiling us, Ross.’

  ‘It was the easy option,’ he admitted, unwrapping some of Sandra’s home-made fruit cake. ‘I just went to the nearest deli and bought what I thought we’d need.’

  ‘Well, we seem to have something to cater for everyone’s taste.’ She handed Grace a cheese sandwich which her mother had prepared then helped Josh spoon some exotic-looking pasta salad onto a paper plate. ‘We certainly won’t go hungry.’

  The boys wolfed down their food then began playing a noisy game of I Spy. Grace was determined to join in even though she really didn’t understand what was happening. Ross sighed as he leant against the rough wooden wall and helped himself to another slice of fruit cake.

  ‘Do you think your mother would marry me? I haven’t tasted cake this good in years!’

  ‘Sorry, I’m afraid she’s spoken for.’ Heather grinned as she helped herself to another scoop of pâté and liberally spread it on a cracker. ‘Mum has been seeing someone for a few weeks now and it seems to be getting serious.’

  ‘And how do you feel about that?’ Ross shrugged when she looked at him in surprise. ‘I know how much you rely on your mother to help you with Grace so I just wondered if you were worried that it might complicate things if she remarried.’

  ‘I haven’t thought about it.’ She bit her lip and frowned. ‘I would hate Mum to think that she had to put me and Grace before her own happiness. It wouldn’t be fair. I must make that clear to her.’

  Ross felt his heart swell with love. ‘Have I told you how wonderful I think you are?’

  ‘Not for a while you haven’t.’ She laughed. ‘Although I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve such a fulsome compliment.’

  ‘The list is too long and I’m too full of good food to recite it all,’ he declared. ‘But how about your unselfishness, for starters? You put everyone first, Heather—Grace, your mother, the people you treat in work. Your needs come way down your list of priorities.’

  ‘Maybe that’s because I’ve not allowed myself to think about my own needs for a very long time.’ She put the cracker on her plate and rubbed her hands down her jeans in a nervous little gesture that touched his heart. ‘It’s easier to think about other people than it is to worry about yourself.’

  ‘I know. I understand that, sweetheart.’

  Ross felt a knot form in his throat. All of a sudden his stomach was churning and his palms were damp. He’d vowed that he would wait until he had fully considered the consequences of their relationship but he was only flesh and blood! He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t ache to know if Heather had reached a decision about him, yet at the same time he was terrified of asking in case she told him something he didn’t want to hear.

  ‘Ross, there’s something I want to say to you.’

  Every nerve in Ross’s body reacted to the announcement so that he almost leapt ten feet into the air. It felt as though a naked flame had been applied to gunpowder because there seemed to be explosions going off all over his body. His ears were ringing, his heart was hammering and his breathing was so laboured that it actually hurt. For the first time in his life he thought he was going to pass out, and gritted his teeth.

  No matter what Heather said, he would accept it. He certainly wasn’t going to say anything that might make her feel guilty. If she’d decided that she felt nothing for him then he would accept it with dignity. And maybe it would be for the best, too, because he still wasn’t sure it would be wise…

  ‘I think—no, I’m sure—that I’m falling in love with you, Ross.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  HEATHER bit her lip when she felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rising inside her. The expression on Ross’s face was just so comical. It was obvious that he hadn’t been expecting her to say that and who could blame him? She’d had no idea she was going to come out with that statement.

  Her heart performed a somersault as the full impact of what she’d done hit her. She’d just told Ross that she was falling in love with him! It was true, too. Now that she had stopped trying to keep her emotions under wraps it was perfectly clear how she felt.

  ‘I don’t know what to say…I can’t really believe…It’s too much to take in…’

  Ross kept starting a sentence and not finishing it but Heather understood how much of a shock this must have been for him because it had been a shock for her, too. Her heart filled with warmth when she saw the bewilderment in his eyes.

  ‘I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like that, Ross. I wasn’t planning to. It…well, it just sort of came out, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘I do.’ He gave a husky laugh as he captured her hand and held it tightly. ‘It’s not easy to hide your feelings, is it?’

  ‘A week ago I’d have argued with you about that but I wouldn’t dream of doing so now,’ she admitted. ‘I never had any difficulty hiding my feelings in the past, Ross. It’s ever since you came onto the scene that it’s become a problem.’

  ‘And how does that make you feel?’ He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and Heather shivered when she felt the gentle caress.

  ‘Scared, I suppose. I know it’s stupid but I’m still afraid that something could go wrong again.’ She felt her stomach lurch when she saw the pain that crossed his face. ‘Ross, what is it? What did I say?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m just having a hard time taking it all in.’ He smiled but she couldn’t fail to see the troubled light in his eyes as he leant forward and kissed her.

  Grace came running over to them just then and Ross quickly got up and began clearing away the remains of their picnic. Heather put her arms round the little girl, suddenly needing the warmth of the child’s sturdy little body. She couldn’t explain it but there was a cold feeling inside her, a sense of having made a mistake by declaring her feelings. But Ross had told her that he loved her, she reminded herself. So how could it have been a mistake to tell him how she felt?

  It was impossible to answer that question so it was a relief to have to deal with what Grace was trying to tell her. Heather laughed when she saw her daughter pointing towards the door. ‘Ah, it’s stopped raining, has it, and you want to go out and play?’

  ‘Please, Mummy,’ Grace said eagerly. She looked at the twins who were squabbling about who had won the most points in their game of I Spy. ‘Boys come?’

  ‘We’ll all go,’ Ross declared, fastening the lid on the hamper. ‘I’ll just put this in the car and fetch the fishing nets. We can do a spot of fishing while our lunch settles then play cricket later.’

  ‘Sounds as though you’ve got the whole day planned out,’ she quipped, summoning a smile because she didn’t want him to see how uneasy she felt.

  ‘I most certainly have! Entertaining that pair for a whole day
requires precision planning.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘There’s no knowing what they might get up to if we don’t keep them busy!’

  Heather laughed, although she was very aware that he seemed to be deliberately trying to avoid any mention of what had happened. Was Ross just surprised that she’d opened up to him at last or was there another reason why he was reluctant to talk about it?

  The thought lingered even though Heather was kept busy playing with the children. They fished in the stream and filled a couple of jamjars with silver-scaled tiddlers then had a boisterous game of cricket which bore little relation to the noble sport.

  Ross sat Grace on his shoulders and ran backwards and forwards, scoring runs, each time Heather managed to hit the ball. Grace loved every second and shouted with glee as she clutched hold of his hair. By the time the game ended and Ross had declared that Josh’s and Luke’s team had won the match, they were all worn out.

  Ross groaned as he lifted Grace down from his shoulders and flexed his muscles. ‘You’d think I’d be used to carrying people in my job but every bit of me is aching!’

  ‘I don’t suppose you normally go racing around, carrying the people you rescue,’ Heather observed dryly.

  ‘That’s a point.’ He grinned at her and Heather felt the nameless little fear that had been eating away at her disappear when she saw the warmth in his eyes. ‘Maybe I’m not ready for the knacker’s yard just yet after all.’

  ‘I didn’t say that,’ she said cheekily, neatly sidestepping when he made a grab for her. ‘Oh, you’ll have to be quicker than that, Station Officer Tanner. Your age is definitely showing!’

  ‘Is it, indeed?’ He made another lunge and Heather turned and fled up the field. He was far too quick for her, of course, and caught up with her before she could reach the safety of the hut. Lifting her off the ground, he swung her over his shoulder in a classic fireman’s lift and strode back towards the river.

  ‘I think a ducking is called for, cheeky monkey.’

  Heather was laughing so hard that she could hardly speak. ‘Don’t you dare, you horrible man!’ She appealed to the children who were obviously taken aback by the sight of two grown-ups behaving so crazily. ‘Don’t let him duck me in the water, kids!’

  ‘Maybe you should put Heather down, Uncle Ross,’ Josh said uncertainly. ‘Girls don’t like getting all wet and dirty.’

  ‘Mmm, I suppose you’re right.’ Ross bent and set her gently on her feet. He grinned at her and it was all Heather could do to stop herself leaning forward and kissing him when she saw the love in his eyes.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said demurely, even though she knew her own eyes were sending out just as fervent a message. She turned when Josh slipped his hand into hers. ‘And thank you, my hero, for saving me from a ducking!’

  ‘That’s OK,’ Josh declared. He looked up at her with solemn brown eyes. ‘It’s been lots of fun playing cricket and everything, but can we go home now? I want to see Mummy and tell her what we’ve done today.’

  Heather bent and hugged him. ‘That sounds like a really good idea to me, poppet. Let’s pack everything back into the car and then Uncle Ross can take you to the hospital.’

  ‘Sure you don’t mind having your day cut short?’ Ross said quietly as the children hurried away to collect the cricket equipment and their jars of tiddlers.

  ‘Of course not. I’ve enjoyed every second of it and so have the children, but it’s natural that they should want to see Kate.’ She laid her hand on his arm. ‘We can always plan another day out once Kate is out of hospital.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ he agreed rather flatly, before he moved away.

  Heather frowned as she watched him going over to the twins. Why did she have a horrible feeling that he hadn’t really meant that? If Ross loved her then surely he saw her as a permanent part of his future? So why had he given her the impression that there might not be more days like this to look forward to?

  The roads were much busier than when they’d set off that morning so it took them some time to get back. The children had quickly fallen asleep in the back of the car and they didn’t wake up when Ross stopped outside Heather’s flat. He turned off the engine and glanced in the rear-view mirror.

  ‘They must be worn out by all that fresh air.’

  ‘I know how they feel.’ Heather smothered a yawn and heard him chuckle.

  ‘Looks as though there might have been another sleeping beauty in the car if it had taken me any longer to get here.’

  ‘It’s been touch and go whether I could keep my eyes open for the last couple of miles,’ she admitted. ‘It just didn’t seem fair to fall asleep and leave you to do all the hard work.’

  ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have worried about that. I’d have had the pleasure of waking you up when we got here. That would have more than made up for it.’

  His voice seemed to have dropped to a gravelly rumble. Heather shivered when she felt a little curl of excitement spiral down into the pit of her stomach.

  ‘I’m a heavy sleeper if I drop off during the day,’ she explained huskily. ‘You might have had a hard job to wake me.’

  ‘I’d have managed. I know a foolproof method for waking sleeping beauties.’ His smile was so unashamedly sensual that her heart bounced against her ribs as the feeling of excitement grew. ‘Would you like me to demonstrate it?’

  ‘I’m not sure there would be much point when I’m already awake,’ she demurred.

  ‘You could always pretend to be asleep. It’s not hard. Just close your eyes and relax. I’ll do the rest.’

  Heather closed her eyes because the temptation was just too great to resist. She jumped when she felt a cool breath of air flow over her cheek.

  ‘Wh-what are you doing?’

  ‘Shh. You’re supposed to be asleep. How can I demonstrate my technique if you don’t take this seriously?’

  Once again she felt a cool flow of air caressing her skin as he blew softly on her face. Heather sat quite still, her eyes tightly closed as she felt the breeze ripple across her forehead, her eyelids, the short, straight slope of her nose. She was holding her own breath as she waited for it to reach her mouth but, instead of continuing its downward journey, the breeze changed direction and she shivered when she felt a trickle of deliciously cool air encircling her ear.

  ‘You’re doing very well for a beginner,’ Ross murmured. ‘I’d say you were real princess material. I’ve always believed that only a genuine princess could remain sound asleep while her prince was crashing his way through the forest to wake her.’

  ‘Maybe all those princesses in the fairy stories weren’t really asleep. Maybe they were just pretending as well, because they knew how the story was supposed to end,’ Heather suggested in a throaty whisper.

  ‘Good point,’ he agreed, then stopped talking because his mouth was far too busy with more important things.

  Heather gasped when she felt the gentle current flow over the heated pulse that was beating at the base of her throat. It moved to the other pulse on the opposite side of her neck then suddenly swooped upwards. She groaned when she felt a puff of air play across her mouth a moment before it was replaced by the warm sensuality of Ross’s lips.

  Her own lips immediately parted and her heart sang when she felt the swift invasion of his tongue. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her so they could deepen the kiss. Her eyes might have been tightly shut but she was wide awake now and not the least bit sleepy. Never had she experienced a kiss of such intensity and passion, a kiss that was so full of emotion and yet so demanding. It was little wonder that she felt emotionally exhausted when Ross drew back and rested his forehead against hers.

  ‘Wow! That was some kiss, princess.’

  ‘Mmm, I have to say that your technique leaves very little to be desired. I am most definitely wide awake now!’

  ‘Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.’ He laughed as he brushed his mouth over her hair. ‘And do you know what was the best th
ing about it?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘That we didn’t have an audience this time.’

  Heather gasped. ‘I’d forgotten about the children!’

  Ross chuckled. ‘Me, too, but they’re still asleep, otherwise we’d have been inundated with questions by now.’

  Heather shot an anxious glance at the children but all three were fast asleep. It was a relief because she would have felt dreadful about them witnessing such a passionate embrace.

  Heat ran through because she couldn’t believe that she had forgotten about them being in the back of the car. It just proved how hard she found it to think clearly when Ross was around. She reached for the doorhandle, knowing that she needed some time on her own to think about what had happened that day. It had been a huge milestone in her life and she needed to consider all the implications.

  ‘I’d better let you go. You don’t want to be too late taking the boys in to see Kate.’

  ‘No, although they’ll only be allowed to stay a few minutes, I expect. Still, they’ll be able to see their new little sister and they’ll be thrilled about that.’

  ‘Has she got a name yet?’ Heather asked, knowing that she was delaying getting out of the car because she hated the thought of leaving him.

  ‘I don’t think Kate and Mike have decided on one. They’ve changed their minds so many times I haven’t got a clue what the baby will end up being called. I never realised it was so difficult to choose a name for a child!’

  ‘Wait until you try thinking up names for one of your own,’ Heather warned him, then felt her heart seize up because there was a very real chance that child might be hers as well if things worked out. Frankly, it was too much to deal with that thought right then. She quickly got out of the car and opened the rear door to lift Grace out of the child seat.

  ‘I’ll fetch the basket,’ Ross told her, going round to the boot. He followed her up the path and took the keys from her so he could unlock the door to save her having to wake Grace. Setting the basket on the hall floor, he turned to her.

  ‘I’ll phone you later, Heather. OK?’