‘Well, Blake did have a funny look on his face when he said that his mum had never had a tropical island holiday in her life.’
‘What’s his mum like?’
‘Lovely. Tough. She’s still struggling to come to terms with her limitations after the stroke.’
‘We’d have a lot in common then.’
Sam’s face creased into serious lines. ‘You’re doing amazingly well, Harry. Better than anyone expected. Better than you expected, I would think. Could you have imagined yourself scrambling down a cliff a few months ago?’
‘No way...’
‘You should have heard Jack singing your praises. He really does think that you could come back on board. If you want to, that is...’
Harriet shrugged, turning to check on her patient. She smoothed white, fluffy hair back from May’s face and the old woman stirred and groaned softly.
Being part of the team wasn’t an option, she knew that. But, oh...the pull was there, wasn’t it? The longing...
‘Maybe one day,’ she murmured. ‘When I’m capable of doing everything that I could do before the accident.’
Which would be never.
‘Perfection is overrated,’ Sam said. ‘We’re a team and everyone brings something a bit different to the overall performance. You could still contribute a lot more than you’re giving yourself credit for.’ She was chewing her lip now. ‘And...and you wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Pete there any more.’
‘I’m not worried. I don’t hate him, Sam. I understand that it would never have worked out.’ Harriet managed a smile. ‘Turns out that broken hearts heal faster than broken legs. Who knew?’
‘Mmm... Still, I couldn’t believe it when I heard what you’d done. You must be so proud of yourself.’
‘You know what? I think I am.’ The warmth of the internal glow she was still aware of wasn’t just due to hearing that Jack had been singing her praises. Harriet was proud of herself. Proud of her leg standing up to the challenge and of overcoming her fears enough to challenge herself that much.
‘I just wish someone had got a photo of that.’
Harriet laughed. ‘Maybe I should have fished my new camera out and taken a selfie halfway down the cliff.’
‘Oh, my God...’ Sam’s jaw dropped.
‘What?’
‘I’ve just had the most brilliant idea.’
‘What’s that?’
‘That could be your contribution to the team—until you’re ready for the whole deal. You could be our official photographer.’
‘No...’ The suggestion made Harriet cringe more than a little. ‘That would be like going on a ride-along in an ambulance. Being a thrill seeker who just gets in the way.’
‘Didn’t sound like you got in the way on that ledge. Jack said you were right back in the swing of things, helping with the gear and the splint and everything.’ She was looking thoughtful now. ‘Bet he would have loved a photo of winching that guy up to the chopper.’
A distressed sound made Harriet’s head turn swiftly. May’s pale blue eyes were wide open. And frightened.
‘Oh, where am I?’ Her words were trembling. ‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s okay, May.’ Harriet took hold of her hand and stroked it with her thumb. ‘We’re in X-Ray. You’ve hurt your leg and we need to find out if something’s broken. I’m here with you. You’re safe.’
‘I hurt my leg? How did that happen?’
Sam was looking at her watch. ‘I’ve got to run. My lunch break’s over in two minutes.’
Harriet could see an X-ray technician heading towards them. ‘And it looks like it might be our turn. I’ll call you later.’
‘Yes...do that. I haven’t even asked about the dog yet. Is it true that you’ve sneaked him into your apartment?’
‘Shh...it’s a secret.’
‘Don’t think it’ll stay that way. Kate already knew.’
‘That’s because her great-aunt Alice is letting him out for me when I’m at work. And she and Angus took him out yesterday because they had a day off.’
Sam was on her feet and already heading for the doors of the X-Ray waiting area. ‘Just yell if there’s anything I can do to help. Like taking him for a run.’
‘Thanks, but Jack’s coming to give him a good run on the beach tonight. It’s all good.’
‘We’re going to the beach?’ May sounded thoroughly confused now. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, dear, but I don’t like sand.’
Harriet smiled, standing on the pedal to release the lock on May’s bed. ‘Don’t worry, May. Not you. It’s Harry the dog who’s going to the beach.’
She could see that she’d confused her elderly patient even more now but fortunately she didn’t have to explain the odd coincidence of having the same name as the dog. The X-ray technician was holding May’s hand to check her ID bracelet.
‘Just the person we’ve been waiting for.’ His smile was cheeky. ‘Are you ready for your photoshoot, Mrs Greene? You look like you’re ready to start your modelling career.’
May perked up and seemed to become far more aware of her surroundings. Was she actually batting her eyelashes?
‘I like that young man,’ she whispered to Harriet as he went ahead to open the doors to the X-ray room.
Harriet grinned. ‘I think he’s a bit young for you, May.’
May tutted. ‘When you’re as old as me, dear, you’ll realise that it doesn’t matter. Age is just a number.’
Harriet was still smiling as she pulled on a lead apron so that she could stay close to May and make sure she didn’t move. She might be determined to get back to her more exciting position in the ICU but moments like these—when you got a glimpse of the personalities within these frail old bodies—were a joy.
* * *
Harry the dog clearly adored the beach.
As soon as he was let off his leash, he ran straight into the surf, barking in excitement. Jack had a moment of alarm when the black head vanished beneath the foam of a breaking wave but then he reappeared to bound out of the water, pausing only to shake himself vigorously before heading back in.
‘I’m tempted to have a swim myself.’
‘Go on, then.’
‘Will you come in, too?’
‘Are you kidding? I’m not in my bathers.’
‘You’re in shorts, same as me. I reckon they’d be pretty much dry by the time we walk back to your apartment.’
‘I only came to watch. And to see how hard it is to walk on the sand. This is the first time I’ve been on a beach since the accident.’
They’d already come through some soft sand after the grassy area with its picnic tables and barbecue areas that separated this small beach from the road that led back to her apartment block.
‘How hard is it?’
Harriet didn’t meet his gaze. ‘The jury’s still out. If you go and have a swim, maybe I’ll take my brace off and see how I go.’ She flashed him a wry smile. ‘That way, you won’t see if I fall flat on my face.’
There was something more than trepidation in that smile. It was more like...embarrassment? About being seen to try something and fail, or was it more than that? Whatever it was, Jack could read the signal.
‘You’re on.’ He kicked off his jandals and stripped off his T-shirt, leaving them beside where Harriet was sitting. Then he strode towards the water, pausing only to pick up a stick of driftwood that looked like something a dog like Harry would love to chase.
He’d been astonished to hear that admission that this was the first time Harriet had been on the beach since her accident. Even during the period that she’d relied on crutches, the distance between here and her apartment would have been manageable.
Everybody knew how much she loved the beach. She hadn’t been a competitive surfer, like Pete, but he’d seen the way her face used t
o light up when she talked about the thrill of riding waves. And she’d been part of the surfing community. Competition days had been exciting events on her social calendar and she’d been very supportive of Pete’s ambitions.
Maybe that was it. Maybe she’d been avoiding the beach all this time because it reminded her of the man she’d obviously been head over heels in love with. Why hadn’t he thought of that? How insensitive had he been to suggest that she come with him and Harry the dog this evening? Everybody had known how much she’d adored Pete. She’d made light of the breakup of that relationship the other evening but he wasn’t convinced that she was over it that well.
How could she be? She’d been living with the guy, for heaven’s sake. Committed. He’d been crushed enough when she’d rejected his offer of a date. How much more devastating would it be to have the offer of a lifetime commitment thrown back at you? Did you ever really get over that kind of a blow? Enough to trust anyone with your whole heart again?
Damage like that left scars. And scars could be enough to conceal a very real disability.
The shower of cold water that came as the dog raced to greet him and then shook himself again was enough to break the exercise of berating himself over any insensitivity of suggesting that Harriet come with them to the beach. She had seemed perfectly happy to accept the invitation.
‘I’ll take some photos,’ she’d said. ‘That way I can show Eddie how well we’re looking after Harry when I go and visit him tomorrow.’
‘Great idea,’ he’d agreed. ‘And I’ve got a day off tomorrow, too. I’d love to come with you and see how he’s doing.’
A glance behind him now showed Harriet with her camera held up to her face and an impressive-looking zoom lens pointing straight towards him. He grinned, holding up the stick of driftwood and pausing for a moment with Harry the dog poised to start chasing it into the surf. That would make a good shot.
* * *
There was something a little voyeuristic about staring at people through a camera lens but Harriet didn’t feel the least bit guilty.
Jack just happened to be in the same screen as Harry because he was poised to throw a stick for the dog.
But there he was, in nothing but his shorts, with that glorious physique glowing bronze in the low evening sun and the dark swirls of an ethnic tattoo on one shoulder, flowing down to accentuate the muscles of his upper arm.
And that smile! She’d captured that on one shot and knew that it would be an image she’d want to see again. Jack had the kind of smile that could just light up a room. A whole beach, even. It radiated happiness and good humour. Nobody could have a smile like that and not be a really nice person.
She watched them bound into the surf together and then saw the way Harry stayed right beside Jack swimming in water that was way out of his depth. She saw the way Jack kept turning his head to make sure the dog was safe.
He’d be like that when he had kids, one day, she thought. Encouraging them to do things that might be a little dangerous, but he would always be there, right beside them, making sure they were safe. He wouldn’t be walking away from his girlfriend or wife if things got a bit tough, either. There was something so solid about Jack Evans and you just knew that your trust wouldn’t be misplaced. And friendship was something that she could still trust, wasn’t it? The real risks only came when you went further than that and she’d never find that kind of trust again. She suspected that it was broken for ever.
Right now, though, that didn’t matter. She knew that anything more than friendship wasn’t even a blip on any radar that Jack Evans had regarding her. He was just being the lovely person he was.
He was encouraging her as well. Probably more than he realised. It had actually been a huge thing for her to come to the beach this evening and it felt like she’d crossed a barrier she hadn’t even been conscious of erecting. The one that enclosed the old life she had shared with Pete and included the heartbreak of that relationship ending. But here she was and...and it was so nice to be here with the warmth of the sun on her skin and the feeling of sand between her toes and the company of a gorgeous young man who still seemed to want to be her friend even after she’d pretty much dismissed him from her life—as well as a dog who had to be missing his owner terribly but was a shining example of how to live in the moment and make the most of any joy that life had to offer.
So why was she stopping here, just sitting on the sand like a human blob?
Harriet put the cap back on the lens of her camera and slung the strap around her neck. Then she reached down and pulled open the Velcro straps that held her leg brace in place. She pushed herself slowly to her feet and then took a tentative step forward. And then another.
It wasn’t easy. But it hadn’t been easy getting down that cliff and look how proud she was of that achievement now.
Another step. Harriet knew she was limping badly and could feel a shaft of pain every time she put her weight on her bad leg but she was almost at the water’s edge and the temptation to feel the swirl of sea water over her feet was irresistible. Maybe the massaging effect of the dying waves might ease the aches and pains as well.
The first rush of water was cooler than she’d expected and she gasped with the surprise of it. The second wave was bigger and the foam reached her knees and she could feel the sand shifting beneath her feet as the water receded. By the time the third wave had come and gone, it felt like warm silk against her skin and the desire to go further out and swim was as surprising as that first chill of the sea had been.
She wasn’t about to go swimming in her clothes, however, and Jack was coming out now, with Harry the dog close on his heels. His face lit up when he saw where Harriet was.
‘Feels good, yes?’
Harriet simply nodded but it felt like the smile on her face was wider than it had been for a very long time. She bent to pat Harry.
‘It’s such fun. I’ve always envied people who had a dog with them on the beach.’
‘You didn’t have a dog when you were a kid?’
‘No. My parents were older when they adopted me. I think the mess of having a kid around was enough of a shock. I begged for a puppy every birthday but the closest I got was a stuffed toy.’ She threw a smile over her shoulder. ‘Much cleaner.’
Jack had to slow his pace to let her walk beside him.
‘Is the jury back in yet?’
He glanced down at her leg and, for a moment, Harriet had no idea what he was referring to because she suddenly realised just how much he could see.
She’d had jeans on when they’d been on that ledge together. And she’d had the solid brace on for the walk to the beach. This was the first time he was seeing the horrible scarring she’d been left with—not just the angry red marks on her skin but the misshapen muscle from where the initial damage and the complication of infection had destroyed so much of her normal tissue. In fact, it was the first time anyone had seen these scars, other than her doctors and physical therapists. She hadn’t even let her best friend see how bad it was.
Her leg was ugly, there were no two ways about that.
She’d looked at it so often herself and cringed at the thought of any man seeing it and still being attracted to her. Not after Pete had almost thrown up when he’d seen it for the first time after the accident. He’d actually dry retched, although he’d tried to cover it up with a cough and he’d avoided ever looking at it directly again. But this was Jack, not someone who could be sizing her up as a potential partner. He was her friend and his query was only concerned with the function of her leg, not its appearance. He was talking about how hard it was to walk on the sand. And, if he could ignore her scarring, then she should at least make a good attempt to follow his example.
‘It’s definitely harder, but not impossible.’
‘That’s great.’ Jack stooped to pick up the stick that Harry had dropped by his feet. A fl
ick of his arm sent it flying with the dog in hot pursuit. ‘We should do it more often, then, and it might get easier.’
‘Mmm...’ The idea of having company and more visits to the beach was...well, it was really nice. That it had been Jack’s suggestion made it even better. He had missed the worst of her struggle to get back on her feet and, after conquering the challenge of that cliff climbing, this felt like a new stage in her recovery. A fresh start.
‘The water felt great, too,’ she added shyly. ‘I might even try a swim next time.’
‘Have you been doing any swimming as part of your rehab?’
‘No. It took so long for the wounds to heal properly I think it got forgotten. It would have been an infection risk not so long ago.’
‘They have those lovely heated pools in the physiotherapy department.’
‘I’m an outdoor, cold water sort of person.’
‘Yeah... Me, too. But...’ A furrow of concern appeared between his eyes.
‘But what? You think I couldn’t cope in the surf?’
‘It’s not that. I just think...well, you know what you said about climbing down the cliff? That you just looked ahead one step at a time?’
‘What’s that got to do with swimming?’
‘Before you throw yourself into surf that might be a bit much, why not try one of the salt water pools around here? Some of them have waves that break over the top at high tide.’
Harriet was silent as they arrived back to where Jack’s T-shirt and jandals were lying on the sand. He was right. Getting dumped by a big wave could be disastrous and might set back her recovery or even break a bone again. She had to remember her limitations and the possible consequences of pushing too hard but the reminder was less than pleasant.
‘I’ll come with you, if you like.’ Jack’s head popped through the neck of his T-shirt as he put it back on and that heart-stopping smile was as bright as ever. ‘I love the pools.’
‘Harry wouldn’t be allowed to swim there.’
‘He’ll probably be able to go home soon. Let’s see how Eddie is tomorrow.’
‘Okay.’ Harriet shook the sand from her brace and eased her leg into it. It was a relief to hide the scars again but not as much as she might have expected. They’d both ignored it, as if it was no big deal, and maybe next time it wouldn’t be such a big deal. Jack was just a mate. He wasn’t her best friend and he wasn’t a boyfriend so it really didn’t matter to him what she looked like, did it? He didn’t work with her so what she was, or wasn’t, capable of doing as well as she once had wasn’t important to him, either. He wasn’t judging her.
Rescued by Her Mr. Right Page 4