Melting the Argentine Doctor's Heart / Small Town Marriage Miracle

by Meredith Webber / Jennifer Taylor

Hurrying to the door, she swung it open. ‘And about time too—’ she began, then stopped abruptly when she found Mike Harding standing on the step. ‘Sorry, Mike. I thought you were someone else.’

  Mike grimaced. ‘And I’m sorry to turn up like this too but I noticed the lights were still on as I was passing.’ He held up his hand, which was covered in a blood-soaked bandage. ‘We’ve been out on a training exercise tonight and I managed to get my thumb caught in one of the ratchets we use to haul people up the hillside. It needs a stitch or two and I was hoping you might do it to save me having to trail off to the hospital.’

  ‘I … um … yes, of course. Come in.’ Emma led the way inside. ‘Come straight through to my room while I take a look at it.’

  Mike followed her along the corridor, glancing round when Ruth came rushing out of the staffroom. He must have seen her face fall because he grinned. ‘Obviously, I’m not the person you hoped to see either.’

  ‘No, you’re not,’ Ruth said bluntly.

  Mike’s smile faded as he looked from her to Emma. ‘Is something wrong?’

  ‘Daniel failed to turn up for surgery this evening,’ Emma explained as she ushered him into her room. ‘He hasn’t phoned and he isn’t answering his mobile either.’

  ‘That’s odd.’ Mike frowned as he sat down and unwound the bandage. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there was a problem getting a signal in that part of the Dales.’

  Emma stopped and stared at him. ‘What do you mean, that part of the Dales? Have you seen him?’

  ‘Yes, well not him but I’ve seen his car. It’s parked outside old man Dawson’s place—Niths Farm. You know.’

  ‘What time was this?’ Emma demanded.

  ‘Oh, around six-thirty, give or take a few minutes.’ Mike shrugged. ‘I did my hand in soon after that so it can’t have been much later.’

  ‘But Ruth phoned Harold Dawson way before then and he told her that Daniel had already left!’ Emma exclaimed.

  ‘Well, it was definitely Dr Kennedy’s car. You don’t get many fancy motors like that round here and certainly not at Dawson’s place. There was another car there too, now that I think about it, a site vehicle from that wind farm they’re building on the edge of Dawson’s land.’ Mike looked worried now. ‘Why on earth did Dawson say the doc wasn’t there when he was?’

  ‘I don’t know but it needs checking.’ Emma picked up a dish and filled it with saline then gently bathed Mike’s thumb. She frowned when she saw the deep gash at its base. ‘That looks nasty. It’s going to need three or four stitches by the look of it.’

  She numbed Mike’s thumb with an injection of local anaesthetic then set to work. It only took her only a few minutes to complete the job and Mike shook his head in admiration. ‘That was quick work. You’ve done that a time or two, by the look of it.’

  ‘Just a couple of times.’ Emma summoned a smile but it was hard to concentrate. She had a nasty feeling about what Mike had told her and wouldn’t rest until she had paid Harold Dawson a visit to see what was going on.

  ‘Dr Haynes told me that you’d gone into surgery.’ Mike smiled at her as he stood up. ‘He’s every right to be proud of you.’

  Emma merely nodded, her mind too busy churning over possibilities to focus on the compliment. She looked up when Mike sighed. ‘If it’s hurting I can give you some painkillers,’ she offered, feeling guilty for neglecting her patient.

  ‘It’s fine. No, it’s obvious that you’re worried sick about Dr Kennedy, aren’t you? ‘

  Emma flushed. ‘It just seems strange that he hasn’t called us,’ she demurred.

  Mike gave her an old-fashioned look. ‘Hmm. It does. Why don’t we drive over there and see what’s going on? It’s the least I can do after you’ve saved me a long wait in Casualty.’

  ‘Oh, I couldn’t expect you to do that,’ she began, but Mike shook his head.

  ‘Of course you can. In fact, I’m going to get onto the rest of the team and tell them what’s happened. If the doc’s out there, we’ll find him. That’s a promise.’

  He put a comforting arm around Emma’s shoulders and she sagged gratefully against him. ‘Thanks, Mike,’ she murmured huskily.

  ‘No sweat.’ He gave her a brotherly hug then went to the door. ‘I’ll put through that call and see you outside. OK?’

  Emma nodded then hurried to find Ruth and tell her what had happened. They agreed that the police should be informed that Daniel’s car had been seen, although whether they would act on the information was open to question. Mike had the engine running when Emma hurried outside and as soon as she got into the Land Rover, they set off. It was a good thirty-minute drive to Niths Farm and Emma was on tenterhooks all the way. If Daniel had left the farm, she had no idea where to start looking for him.

  They turned down the lane leading to the farm and Mike slowed as they reached the bottom. ‘Look,’ he said, pointing.

  Emma’s heart leapt into her throat when she saw Daniel’s car parked in the yard alongside another vehicle, which bore the logo of the wind farm’s contractors. Obviously he was still there despite Harold Dawson’s assurances to the contrary. ‘What should we do?’ she asked anxiously.

  ‘I don’t know, but whatever we decide we need to be careful.’ Mike’s tone was sombre. ‘Old Dawson is a bit of a loose cannon lately. Folk have seen him walking round with a shotgun. Let’s not go rushing in until we know what’s happening, eh?’

  ‘But Daniel may be in danger!’ she protested.

  ‘Yes. And we don’t want to make matters worse by forcing Dawson’s hand.’ Mike picked up the radio receiver.

  ‘I’m going to call the police and get them over here right away.’

  Emma opened her door and climbed out of the car while Mike made the call. There were only a few hundred yards between her and Daniel but the distance had never seemed greater. The fact that she had no idea what was happening to him was so painful that she felt tears well to her eyes. Maybe they weren’t destined to spend their lives together, as she had once hoped, but that didn’t matter. So long as she knew that he was safe and well somewhere in the world, that was enough. In that moment she was forced to acknowledge the truth. She loved him. She loved him with the whole of her heart and she always would.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  DANIEL heard the sound of a car stopping in the lane and frowned. Was it possible that someone had come looking for him and Alistair? He glanced at Harold Dawson but the old man seemed oblivious to what was happening outside. Dawson had grown increasingly agitated in the past hour. He had placed the shotgun by the back door and started walking around the kitchen, muttering to himself. Daniel might have been tempted to make a grab for the shotgun if it weren’t for the fact that someone could get hurt if there was a struggle. It had seemed safer to bide his time but he might not have that luxury for much longer. He turned to Alistair.

  ‘There’s a car stopped in the lane,’ he mouthed.

  ‘Do you think it’s the police?’ Alistair whispered, hopefully.

  Before Daniel could answer, Harold Dawson swung round and glared at them. ‘Don’t you two start thinking you can get up to anything.’ He grabbed hold of the shotgun and pointed it at them. ‘I won’t think twice about using this, I warn you.’

  ‘And what will that achieve, Mr Dawson?’ Daniel said in sudden exasperation. ‘You’ll end up in prison and the wind farm will still go ahead.’

  ‘At least they’ll know they can’t trample all over me,’ Harold roared. He aimed the gun at the ceiling and pulled the trigger. Daniel ducked as bits of wood and plaster rained down on them. His ears were throbbing from the noise of the explosion so that it was several seconds before he could hear let alone speak.

  ‘Force isn’t the answer,’ he told the old man grimly. ‘The powers-that-be won’t give in because you threaten them. You need to go through the proper channels.’

  If Dawson was listening he gave no sign of it. Daniel realised that he was wasting his breath trying to reason
with him. He glanced towards the window, mentally crossing his fingers that it was the police outside and not some other unsuspecting visitor. His heart turned over at the thought that it might be Emma before he realised how foolish it was to imagine she cared enough to try and find him. Emma may have contacted the police when he hadn’t turned up for evening surgery but that would have been all. She certainly wouldn’t be spending her time worrying about him.

  Emma’s heart seemed to stop when she heard the sound of a shotgun being discharged. Mike was speaking to the police on the radio and she saw the shock on his face as he looked up. He hastily finished his call and hung up.

  ‘The police will be here ASAP,’ he told her. ‘They said that we’re not to approach the house and that under no circumstances are we to try and contact either Dawson or Dr Kennedy.’

  ‘But we can’t just sit here,’ Emma protested. ‘Anything could be going on inside that farmhouse. We need to do something!’

  ‘We daren’t risk it, Emma. I know it’s hard but we could make matters a whole lot worse if we go rushing in.’ Mike patted her hand. ‘Let’s wait for the police, love. They know what they’re doing.’

  Emma bit her lip. She knew Mike was right but it was sheer agony to wonder if Daniel might be hurt. It seemed to take for ever before the police arrived. She and Mike told them everything they knew, which was very little. When the police insisted that they back up the lane, she protested, but the police were adamant. They couldn’t risk there being any civilian casualties.

  The time dragged after that. The police used a loud-hailer to speak to Harold Dawson, trying to persuade him to let the hostages go. He refused all their pleas, ending the negotiations by firing the shotgun out of the window. Armed police officers were deployed to surround the house and everyone looked very tense. However, by the time midnight arrived, little progress had been made.

  Emma couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Daniel and the other hostage being caught up in such a drama. All she could do was hope that Harold Dawson would come to his senses and let them go. And if he did then she intended to tell Daniel the truth about how she felt. She loved him and she wasn’t going to lie about it, wasn’t going to pretend any more. She would tell him the truth—and hope that it meant something to him.

  Daniel could feel his nerves humming with tension. Ever since Dawson had fired that shot at the police, he had become increasingly unstable. Daniel knew that he was within a hairsbreadth of losing control and had no idea what would happen then. Somehow he had to get the old man talking and hopefully defuse the situation.

  ‘Why exactly are you so against this wind farm being built?’ he asked as Harold made another circuit of the room.

  ‘Because it shouldn’t be there, that’s why.’ Harold glowered at him but Daniel tried not to let it deter him.

  ‘You think it will spoil the countryside? ‘

  ‘’Course it will. Who wants to look at dozens of great lumps of metal? My Mary wouldn’t. That’s for sure.’

  ‘Mary’s your wife?’ Daniel said quickly, wanting to keep the conversation flowing.

  ‘Was. She died six years ago.’ Tears suddenly welled into the old man’s eyes. ‘She loved the view over those hills, did my Mary. There’s a meadow there that’s full of wildflowers in the spring and she always said it was the most beautiful place on God’s earth. Even when she was so ill that she couldn’t get out of bed most days, she’d ask me to take her up there. And now folks like him want to dig it all up and spoil it.’

  He jerked his thumb at Alistair, who blanched. Daniel realised that he had hit upon the real crux of the problem. Harold Dawson’s desire to stop the wind farm going ahead was all tied up with his late wife. He realised that he needed to tread warily.

  ‘No wonder you’re upset about what’s happening,’ he said quietly. ‘It must be difficult to accept that a place which meant so much to your wife is going to change. But do you think Mary would have been happy about what you’re doing?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Dawson demanded querulously.

  ‘Keeping us here and threatening us. Shooting at the police.’ Daniel shrugged. ‘What would Mary say if she knew that was what you were up to?’

  Harold Dawson stopped pacing; his expression was reflective. ‘My Mary hated guns. She wouldn’t even let me shoot rabbits when she was alive. Said it was cruel, she did.’

  ‘Then I doubt if she’d have approved of this, would she?’ Daniel held out his hand. ‘Why not give me the shotgun, Mr Dawson. Let’s stop this now before things get any worse.’

  Harold Dawson hesitated then slowly handed over the shotgun. Daniel carefully ejected the cartridges then placed it against the wall and stood up. ‘I suggest we tell the police that we’re coming out.’

  Dawson didn’t try to stop them as he and Alistair walked along the hall. Daniel cautiously opened the front door, shouting out that he and Alistair were coming out. Everything happened at great speed after that. The police came running towards them, some of the officers going straight into the house while others hurried him and Alistair away to safety. People were firing questions at him from all directions and he did his best to answer them, but he had caught sight of a figure standing just beyond the police cordon. Emma was here? She had cared enough to come and find him?

  His heart sang with joy as he walked straight past the policeman who was trying to speak to him. Emma had started walking too, ducking under the tape, so that they met in the middle of the lane. When he opened his arms, she stepped into them and it was then that he knew everything was going to be all right. How could it not be when the love of his life was here in his arms, her heart beating in time with his?

  He bent and kissed her, uncaring that everyone was watching them. He didn’t give a damn who knew how he felt so long as Emma knew it. Drawing back, he looked into her eyes, wanting there to be no more misunderstandings, either deliberate or accidental.

  ‘I love you,’ he said softly, his voice grating with emotion. He felt the tremor that ran through her, heard the sharp indrawn breath she took, and held her tighter, knowing it must be a shock for her to hear him say that. He had hurt her so much, seemingly thrown away her love, and it was a lot to ask her to believe him now, but he had to try. ‘I love you, Emma. I always have.’

  ‘Daniel, I …’

  She stopped and swallowed. Daniel could see the uncertainty in her eyes and prayed that she would find it in her heart to give him another chance. He wanted to take her somewhere quiet and explain it all to her, but there was no hope of that right now. He sighed when the officer in charge came over and told him firmly that he needed to speak to him at the police station. It appeared that sorting things out with Emma would have to wait for now.

  ‘I’ll have to go,’ he told her huskily, smoothing a silky lock of her hair behind her ear. He dropped a kiss on her lips then smiled at her. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can. Will you wait up for me?’

  ‘Yes.’ She gave him a wobbly smile, her eyes holding his fast for a moment before she turned away.

  Daniel watched her walk over to Mike, who put a friendly arm around her shoulders as he led her to his car. He would have felt better if they could have sorted things out immediately rather than wait, but there was nothing he could do. As he allowed the officer to lead him to the waiting police car he sent up a silent prayer that everything would be all right. He just needed Emma to give him a second chance.

  It was five a.m. before Emma heard a car turn into the drive. She ran to the window, feeling her heart leap when she saw Daniel getting out of a police car. Hurrying into the hall, she flung open the front door, seeing the lines that fatigue had been etched onto his handsome face.

  ‘I thought they were never going to let me go,’ he said as he stepped into the hall. ‘I must have gone over what happened a dozen times before they were satisfied that I’d told them everything.’

  ‘Come into the sitting room.’

  Emma led the way, waiting until he h
ad sunk down onto a chair before she went back to the door. She had spent the intervening time wondering what would happen when he got back. He had told her that he loved her but was it true? She longed to know yet now that the moment had arrived, she was suddenly afraid. What if Daniel hadn’t really meant it, what if it had been merely a reaction to the stress he’d been under? She wasn’t sure if she could cope with the disappointment of having her hopes dashed a second time.

  ‘I’ll make you a drink,’ she said hurriedly. ‘What do you prefer—tea or coffee?’

  ‘Neither, thank you. My stomach is awash with the foul brew that passes for tea at the police station.’ He gave her a gentle smile as he held out his hand. ‘Come and sit down, Emma. We need to talk.’

  Emma bit her lip as she slowly sat down on the end of the sofa. She didn’t know how she was going to bear it if Daniel told her it had been the stress of the moment that had made him say that he loved her. People said all sorts of things they didn’t mean when they were under pressure, after all.

  ‘Emma, about what I said before—’ he began, but she didn’t let him finish, couldn’t bear to hear him say the words that once again would rip open her heart.

  ‘I understand, Daniel. Really I do.’ She gave a light laugh and saw him frown.

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Of course. You were under a huge amount of strain. It’s perfectly understandable if you … well, if you said something you didn’t really mean.’

  ‘So you think that I didn’t mean it when I said that I loved you?’

  His tone was so devoid of expression that Emma found it impossible to guess what he was thinking. She shrugged, not wanting him to suspect how difficult this was for her. She loved him so much, had even planned to tell him that, but now she realised how foolish it would be. She simply couldn’t bear to put herself in the position of having her heart broken all over again.

  ‘I think it’s perfectly natural that you reacted to the stress of the moment. People say the strangest things when they’re under pressure.’