Daredevil, Doctor...Husband?

by Alison Roberts

  ‘He just needs the chance to get to know you. And I have a feeling that sleeping with Flint might be a pretty good place to start.’

  ‘Maybe.’ Summer smiled up at Zac as they headed for the lift. ‘I think the only point in my favour right now, though, is that I’m your girlfriend. You’re the hero who saved his dad. My dad,’ she added in a whisper.

  It still didn’t feel real. Her world was still spinning.

  It was undeniably weird. But part of that weirdness was very, very good.

  Zac loved her.

  She could deal with anything on the strength of that.

  Even this.

  CHAPTER NINE

  ZAC WAS THE HERO, all right.

  It was Zac that Dylan chose to have by his side when he walked into the intensive care unit later that evening to see his father—leaving as much distance as possible between himself and Summer.

  It was Zac who drew Summer closer to his other side as they reached the bed that was flanked by a bank of monitors, IV stands and the nurse who was monitoring her new patient carefully. Jon Pearson was awake, but only just. He was still weakened by the massive blood loss he had suffered and the medication for his pain made staying awake almost impossible.

  But it was Summer that Jon focused on first when his eyes fluttered open and, for the first time in so many years, she met the eye contact—and held it. Neither of them smiled. The moment was too big for that.

  But it was a start. A new beginning?

  A smile appeared for his young son.

  ‘Still got my leg.’ Jon’s voice was croaky. ‘We’ll be riding those waves again soon, kid.’

  Dylan was clearly struggling not to cry. He inched closer to Zac and lifted his chin but his voice wobbled. ‘Your board’s munted, Dad. It got chewed to bits.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll make a new one.’ Jon closed his eyes and drew in a long breath before he pushed them open again. ‘We’ll put that one up on the wall. In the shop. People’ll come from miles around to see it.’

  His eyes drifted shut again. The brief conversation had exhausted him. The glance between the nurse and Zac gave the clear message that it was time for visitors to leave.

  Zac put his hand on Dylan’s shoulder. ‘We’d better head off and let your dad get some rest, buddy. You can come and see him again tomorrow.’

  ‘But I want to stay here.’

  ‘Summer’s going to take you home with her. On her motorbike. We found a helmet that will fit you back at the rescue base. She’s got a cool bike—it’s a Ducati. And it’s red.’

  The smile for Summer made her think of being out on the road with Zac’s bike in front of her. Heading off so that they could spend time together somewhere special. The wave of longing was overwhelming. All she wanted to do right now was be somewhere with him again. Doing something that didn’t involve such difficult emotional drama. They had only just declared their love for each other. How unfair was it that it was going to be impossible to spend this night in each other’s arms?

  Maybe Dylan noticed the look that passed between them. Or maybe he just wasn’t impressed by the incentive that had been offered. He ignored Summer and fixed his gaze on Zac.

  ‘Can’t I go home with you?’

  ‘Hey…I only live in a house. Summer lives on a boat and it’s really cool. And she has a dog. His name is Flint.’

  ‘I don’t like dogs.’ The words were sullen.

  It was an obvious effort for Jon to open his eyes again. ‘Go with Summer, lad. She’s…she’s your big sister…’

  Another moment of eye contact and this time Summer found a smile, albeit a wobbly one.

  ‘I’ll look after him, Dad. You rest.’

  It was a promise that wasn’t going to be easy to keep, Summer realised a short time later when, thanks to the bike ride, Dylan was forced to make physical contact by putting his arms around this unwelcome newcomer in his life. It felt even harder after Zac’s bike peeled away to leave her alone in Dylan’s company. He had offered to come back to the boat with them but Summer knew she had to make the effort herself. Maybe it was a kind of penance. Or a need to prove that she wasn’t the monster that Dylan believed she was—the unknown other child who’d always been so mean to his dad.

  Looking after him in a physical sense wasn’t the problem. She could give him a safe place to sleep and feed him. Finding him some acceptable clothes might be more of an ask, but she could sort that kind of issue tomorrow. It was the emotional side of things that was far trickier. Dylan had lapsed back into the miserable silence he’d displayed while they were waiting in the relatives’ room. She didn’t even have a television to distract him with on the boat.

  At least there was Flint, who was overjoyed to have company after a longer day than usual, and feeding her dog gave Summer something to do after a tour of her home that took such a short period of time.

  ‘I’ll make us something next. Do you like bacon and eggs?’

  Dylan shrugged.

  ‘You’ll just have to ignore Flint trying to persuade you that he’s still starving. He’d do anything for a bit of bacon rind.’

  Sure enough, it was Dylan’s foot that Flint laid his chin on when they were eating. Summer pretended not to see a piece of bacon rind being slipped under the table.

  ‘Your bed is usually where Flint sleeps,’ she told him, ‘but I’ll put some clean sheets on it and Flint can sleep somewhere else.’

  Another shrug but it was clear that Flint intended to share his bed with the visitor when things were sorted for the night.

  ‘Want me to put him somewhere else? Up on deck?’

  ‘Nah.’ Dylan climbed into the bed and edged to one side. ‘I’m good. There’s room.’

  Summer took her hand off Flint’s head and got a lump in her throat as she watched her dog step politely into the space provided and then curl up beside Dylan.

  It was far too soon to offer the comfort of physical touch herself—for either of them—but Flint seemed to understand that that was exactly what was needed.

  ‘Night, then. Just give me a yell if you need anything.’

  A grunt indicated how unlikely that was but, as Summer turned away, she heard a small voice behind her.

  ‘Did Zac mean what he said? About going for a swim in the morning?’

  ‘Sure. Are you up for a bit of jogging, though? Flint will want to come and he can’t go on the bike.’

  Another grunt. ‘Bet I can run faster than you can.’

  He could. With his skinny legs and arms pumping, he stayed ahead of Summer with Flint close beside him and only slowed to wait for her when they got to an intersection and he didn’t know what direction to take. By the time they got to the beach the first light of the day had strengthened enough to recognise the tall figure waiting alone and Dylan took off, even faster. Summer was a little out of breath by the time she caught up.

  ‘You ready?’ Zac asked Dylan. ‘It’ll be a bit cold.’

  Dylan shrugged. ‘Guess so. But there aren’t any waves.’

  He was right. Takapuna beach looked like a giant swimming pool this morning, calm enough to gleam under the rising sun. It would have been perfect for paddleboarding if they’d had more time.

  ‘We get waves sometimes,’ Zac told him. ‘But this is just a wake-up dip. Last one in is a sissy…’

  Maybe it was only Summer who noticed the tiny hesitation that gave Dylan the head start. The man and the boy ran into the sea, splashing through the shallow water and then diving as soon as it got deep enough. With a joyous bark, Flint took off to join them and Summer wasn’t far behind.

  The water was icy enough to make her gasp. By the time it felt bearable, it was time to get out. She and Zac both had to work today and there was a lot to get organised.

  Zac seemed to have everything in hand, however, including towels waiting in a pile on the dry sand.

  ‘Gravy’s got breakfast ready. Do you like bacon and eggs, Dylan?’

  Summer expected him to say
that he’d had them already—for dinner last night—but she saw the way his gaze shifted to Flint, who was shaking seawater out of his coat.

  ‘Yeah…bacon’s cool.’ And then he squinted up at Zac. ‘Gravy?’

  It was such a perfect echo of the tone she had used herself the first time she’d heard the unusual name that Summer laughed. ‘She’s Zac’s gran.’

  Zac gave Dylan the same explanation as they headed for his apartment.

  ‘Quick shower, then,’ he ordered as they got inside. ‘And I’ll find some dry shorts for you. Might be a bit big, though.’

  That shrug was becoming very familiar. ‘Doesn’t matter. My jacket’s dry.’

  The bright red and yellow jacket was the first thing Ivy commented on. ‘Are you a lifeguard, Dylan?’

  ‘Yep. My dad’s in charge of the surf club. I help with Level One—the little nippers. We teach them about water safety and get them confident in the waves.’

  Summer had never heard such a long speech from Dylan. There was something about Ivy Mitchell that broke through barriers of age or anything else, wasn’t there?

  ‘That’s something to be proud of,’ Ivy told him as she placed a laden plate in front of him. ‘It’s a wonderful organisation. I always swim between the flags.’

  Zac snorted. ‘You’ve never waited till the lifeguards are on duty to swim.’

  Ivy looked affronted. ‘But if I did, I’d swim between the flags.’

  Zac and Summer laughed and, to her astonishment, a wide grin spread across Dylan’s face a moment later. It was the first time she’d seen him smile. Even better, the smile didn’t vanish as his gaze met hers. He even shook his head and then rolled his eyes as if to ask if this astonishing old lady was for real.

  Ivy made it easy to organise the rest of their day.

  ‘I can take Dylan into the hospital with me,’ Zac said. ‘And check on him during the day.’

  ‘He can’t stay in the hospital all day,’ Ivy declared. ‘And he needs some clothes. I’ll take him shopping.’ She winked at Dylan. ‘I love shopping.’

  ‘He needs to visit his dad,’ Summer said. ‘… Dad,’ she corrected herself.

  The look that flashed between Zac and his grandmother told her that Ivy was already filled in on the fragile relationship but she gave no sign of any judgement.

  ‘Of course he does. We’ll go in on the bus after we’ve done our shopping. What do you need besides clothes, Dylan? A phone? Yes… You need to be able to text your dad. And your friends back home. And Summer, maybe, when she’s at work.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do about juggling shifts in the next couple of days,’ Summer said. She was being excused from spending time with her father today and it felt like a reprieve. Or did it? ‘But I’ll drop in after my shift to visit and then I can take Dylan home.’

  ‘Good.’ Ivy wasn’t going to allow for any more discussion. ‘That’s settled then. For today, anyway.’

  ‘How long is my dad going to be in hospital?’

  They all noticed the possessive pronoun that didn’t include Summer.

  ‘A fair while, I expect,’ Zac told him gently. ‘But we’ll look after you, okay?’

  ‘I’ve got a few days off coming up,’ Summer said. ‘First day’s on Friday.’

  ‘I’ve got Friday off, too,’ Zac said. ‘And you might be a bit over hanging around the hospital by then. We could do something fun, maybe.’

  Dylan was staring at his plate. There was a pile of bacon rind carefully pushed to one side. Summer wondered how he might be planning to sneak it out to Flint, who was lying on the terrace with his nose on his paws, just inside the open French windows.

  ‘Ever tried paddleboarding?’ Zac continued.

  Dylan snorted. ‘Paddleboarding’s for sissies.’

  ‘Careful, mate…Summer’s the queen of paddleboarding around here. And I’m learning and loving it.’

  Ivy’s lips twitched. Had she noticed how often Dylan’s gaze strayed towards the doors? ‘It’s Flint’s favourite thing to do,’ she said. ‘He rides on the end of Summer’s board.’

  Dylan’s jaw dropped. ‘No way…’

  ‘Yes, way.’ Summer nodded. ‘And if you got good at it, he might ride on the end of your board.’

  The shrug seemed more like an automatic reflex than something dismissive this time. ‘Okay…I’ll give it a go. If Dad’s okay.’

  ‘Friday’s a day or two away,’ Ivy said. ‘Let’s take this one day at a time, shall we? Now, scoot, you two. You’ve got jobs to go to. Dylan and I need to do the dishes and then go shopping. You’d better give that bacon rind to Flint, Dylan, before Summer takes him home.’

  ***

  Day by day, Jon Pearson continued to improve after being moved from the ICU to a private room the day after his long surgery. Visiting became less awkward for Summer as she and Dylan got used to each other’s company. While he seemed to accept her presence in his life, though, he wasn’t in any hurry to share his father. She had yet to spend any time in Jon’s company without Dylan being present and there were often others there as well. A steady stream of friends came from the west coast to visit and, in the first couple of days, there was the excitement of the media interest in the survival story of man versus shark. Dylan was clearly bursting with pride for his dad and that meant he spent as much time as he could glued to the side of his father’s hospital bed.

  And maybe the lack of any private time with her father was a good thing as they also got used to breathing the same air again. It meant that they only talked about safe stuff. Like their jobs. They could swap stories about dramatic incidents or the kind of training it took to be able to do what they did. Dylan was keen to share his own take on dramas at the wild beach that was his playground. He became more and more interested in hearing about Summer’s work, too. Especially if the stories included Zac. There was a bit of hero worship going on there and that was fine. Thanks to both Zac and Flint, Summer had something to offer in the way of being a potential part of his family.

  Not spending time alone with her father made life easier for now. Not being able to spend time alone with Zac was less welcome. Oddly, though, the lack of physical contact was bringing them closer on a completely different level. One that was making Summer think more about the future. About what an amazing father Zac would make. He seemed to know instinctively how to relate to Dylan. When playfulness was needed. When a word to the wise was called for. Considering that he’d grown up without a father as a role model for himself, it was extraordinary. But, then, he’d been brought up by Ivy so maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable.

  The time they spent together on Friday felt like a family outing. Jay was happy to provide paddleboards for them all and, fortunately, it was another day with a sea calm enough to make it easy for learners.

  Ivy was on her terrace in a deckchair, watching closely enough to wave whenever Summer or Zac looked up at the house. She was paddling slowly, Flint on her board, with Zac and Dylan not far away. Having been kneeling until he got used to the feel of the board, Dylan was standing up now. He had to be getting tired but he was giving it everything he had, trying to keep up with Zac.

  ‘Hey…Flint…’ he yelled. ‘Come on my board…’

  ‘Go on,’ Summer urged. ‘It’s okay. I won’t be offended.’

  ‘Come on, Flint.’ Zac joined in the chorus. ‘Share the love…’

  The big black dog obligingly jumped off Summer’s board, making it rock. For a short time, all they could see was the black head above the water and then he was hauling himself up onto a different board. But not Dylan’s. He had chosen Zac’s. The dog was used to the effort it took but Zac wasn’t prepared for how unstable it made his board and he lost his balance and fell off. Flint stood on the board, anxiously watching for him to resurface, and then barked in relief as Zac caught the board. Summer and Dylan were both laughing so hard they almost fell off their own boards.

  It was a moment she would remember for ever.

  Sh
ared laughter that created a bond. A family kind of moment.

  Even the mention of it later made them laugh, lying on their towels and soaking up the sun as they rested tired limbs.

  ‘Wait till I tell Dad how you fell off,’ Dylan said. ‘You should have seen your arms. You looked like a windmill.’

  Summer’s smile was more poignant. ‘He chose your board,’ she said. ‘I hope you realise how honoured you are.’

  Dylan dug his feet into the sand. ‘He was supposed to choose mine.’

  ‘He wasn’t being mean,’ Summer said. ‘Maybe Zac’s board was just closer.’ She held Zac’s gaze, though. She wanted him to know that she didn’t believe that. That her dog had chosen him because he was his person now, too. As important in his life as Summer was.

  That they were a kind of family already?

  It could be like this with their own children one day, couldn’t it?

  Was she ready to trust that much? To give herself so completely to Zac?

  Maybe Dylan guessed where her thoughts were going and felt left out. That might explain the glare she could feel that made her turn her head.

  ‘What’s up?’ she asked. ‘You hungry again?’

  Dylan said nothing and an echo of what she’d just said replayed itself, the words taking on a new significanee. She sighed. Maybe they weren’t becoming as close as she’d thought.

  ‘You still think I’m mean, don’t you?’

  ‘Just because you go and visit Dad now doesn’t make it all right,’ Dylan muttered. ‘It’s just because he’s sick.’

  ‘Summer’s not mean,’ Zac said quietly. ‘I don’t like hearing you say that, buddy.’

  ‘She was mean to Dad. I saw him crying one day, when I was little. After one of those parcels came back. I heard him tell Mum how much he missed her. How much he loved her.’ The emphasis was a statement of how little she had deserved it.

  Summer’s heart ached. How much time had she missed having a father in her life?

  ‘It’s going to be different from now on,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry about the way I acted. I was…’