The questions thundered inside his head as he made his way from the train. He had intended to find the officer in charge and update him about what had happened to the boy. However, he’d only gone a couple of yards when he heard shouting behind him and spun round. His heart seemed to seize up as he watched the wrecked carriages start to slide down the embankment. There was a sickening screech of metal being ripped apart, the sound of glass shattering, and then silence.
Mac stood where he was, unable to move as fear turned his limbs to stone. Bella was trapped somewhere inside that tangle of broken glass and metal!
* * *
Bella had been about to stand up when she heard someone shouting and the next second she felt the carriage begin to move. Grabbing hold of a table, she clung on as it gathered momentum, jolting and bouncing its way down the embankment. Bits of broken glass and metal were being flung around and she gasped when a shard of metal cut into her neck. She could feel the warm stickiness of blood pouring from the cut but she was too afraid to let go of her handhold to check it out. Fortunately, Katie, the young girl she’d been treating, was wedged between a couple of overturned seats and they provided some protection for her. However, Bella could see the fear in her eyes and reacted instinctively.
‘It’s OK, sweetheart. The carriage has just slipped a little but it will stop in a moment.’
Reaching out, she squeezed Katie’s hand, praying that she wasn’t being overly optimistic. The bank was very steep at this point, falling away to the river at the bottom, and she didn’t want to imagine what would happen if it slid all the way down. When they suddenly came to a jarring halt, she was overwhelmed by relief. She gingerly straightened up, holding on to the table when she felt the carriage sway. She could see out of the window now and her heart sank when she realised that the carriages had come to rest against some scrubby-looking trees. It seemed unlikely that they could support their weight for very long.
‘We need to get you out of here.’ The fireman who had accompanied them onto the train appeared. His expression was grim as he glanced out of the window. ‘Those trees won’t be able to support this weight for much longer, so we’re going to have to move you and the girl straight away.’
‘I understand,’ Bella said quietly, doing her best to hide her concern for Katie’s sake. Crouching down, she concentrated on making sure that the supports she had placed around the girl’s hips and legs were securely fastened. Katie had a fractured pelvis plus fractures to both femurs and it was essential that the breaks were stabilised before they attempted to move her. Once Bella was sure that she had done all she could, she stood up. ‘Right, there’s nothing more I can do. Let’s get her out of here.’
The fire crew carefully eased the girl out from between the seats. They had a stretcher ready and they slid her onto it, passing it from hand to hand as they lifted her over all the debris. Bella followed them, biting her lip against the pain from the cut in her neck. It had stopped bleeding, thankfully, but it was definitely going to need stitching from what she could tell. They reached the door at last and the lead fireman turned to her.
‘We’ll get you out first. That way, you’ll be on hand if she needs anything.’ He lowered his voice. ‘It won’t be easy to get her out of here, so be prepared, Doc.’
Bella nodded, understanding how difficult it was going to be. Not only would the crew need to lift the stretcher up to reach the opening, they would have to raise it at an angle to get it through the gap. She could only pray that the pain relief she had given the girl would be sufficient. In other circumstances, she would have insisted on them waiting while she topped it up but that wasn’t an option right now. At any moment, the carriages could start to move again and the consequences of that happening didn’t bear thinking about. She allowed one of the crew to boost her up to reach the opening, gasping when she discovered that Mac was there waiting to help her down. He gripped tight hold of her hands and she could see the relief in his eyes.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked, his deep voice throbbing with an emotion that made her heart start to race.
‘I...I think so.’
‘Good.’
He squeezed her fingers then quickly lowered her down to the ground where another member of the crew was waiting to escort her to safety. Within seconds Bella found herself at the top of the embankment. She sat down abruptly on the grass as her head began to whirl. Maybe it was the stress of what had happened the previous day allied to the amount of blood she had lost, but all of a sudden she felt incredibly dizzy. Putting her head between her knees, she made herself breathe slowly and deeply but the feeling of faintness simply got worse. As she slid into unconsciousness, the last thing she heard was Mac’s frantic voice calling her name.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MAC WAS ALMOST beside himself with fear by the time he returned to Dalverston General. He would have happily sold his soul to the devil if it had meant he could have gone with Bella in the ambulance that had ferried her and Katie to the hospital, but there’d been no way that he could have left Laura on her own. He’d had to stay, even though it had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Bella was injured and he needed to be with her even if it wasn’t what she wanted.
The thought weighed heavily on him as he made his way to A&E. Nick Rogers, one of the senior registrars, was on duty and he grinned when he saw Mac coming in. ‘Bit of excitement today, eh? I drew the short straw and had to stay here. Story of my life—I never get the really interesting jobs!’
Mac knew that Nick was joking and that he was as committed to his job as they all were, but he took exception to the comment. ‘You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen the state of those poor souls who were on the train,’ he snapped.
‘Sorry.’ Nick held up his hands in apology and Mac sighed, aware that he had overreacted.
‘No. It’s me. Take no notice. Anyway, you’ve got Bella in here. Can I see her?’
‘Sure. She’s in cubicle four... No, wait a sec; she’s just gone down to radiography.’
‘Radiography?’ Mac repeated. His heart gave a little jolt as he looked at Nick in horror. ‘She’s having an X-ray?’
‘Yep. That cut on her neck is deep and I wanted to check there was nothing lodged in it so I’ve sent her down for an X-ray.’
‘I was hoping it would just need stitching,’ Mac murmured, his stomach churning sickeningly. If there was something lodged in the cut—a piece of glass or a sliver of metal, perhaps—then Bella might need surgery and he couldn’t bear the thought of her having to go through such an ordeal.
‘Probably will,’ Nick replied cheerfully. ‘It’s just best to err on the side of caution, as I said.’
‘I...er... Yes, of course.’
Mac did his best to pull himself together as he thanked the other man. He knew he was overreacting but he couldn’t help it. This was Bella and he simply couldn’t take a balanced view where she was concerned. He hurried to the lift, tapping his foot with impatience as it carried him down to the radiography unit. There was nobody in the waiting room so he pressed the bell, his impatience mounting as he waited for someone to answer. When the door to one of the X-ray suites opened, he spun round, his heart leaping when he saw Bella being wheeled out by a porter.
‘Mac, what are you doing here?’ she exclaimed when she saw him. ‘I thought you’d still be at the accident.’
‘All the children have been either moved to hospital or sent home,’ he explained as he went over to her. ‘Nick told me you were here, having an X-ray done on your neck.’
‘Yes. Thankfully, there’s nothing in it. Once it’s stitched up I should be right as rain.’
She dredged up a smile but Mac could see the wariness in her eyes and realised that she wasn’t sure what was going to happen. All of a sudden he couldn’t stand it any longer, couldn’t bear to tiptoe around any more. He loved her! He wa
nted her! And he wanted her to know that too.
His heart was thumping as he turned to the porter and told him that he would take Dr English back to A&E. Once the man had disappeared, he pushed Bella to a quiet corner where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Crouching down in front of the wheelchair, he looked into her eyes, knowing that he was about to take the biggest gamble of his life. Telling her that he loved her had felt like a huge risk at the time, but it wasn’t nearly as massive as this. This was so enormous that it scared him witless and yet it was what he had to do if he was to have a chance of achieving what he wanted so desperately—Bella and that happy-ever-after he yearned for.
Capturing her hands, he raised them to his mouth, feeling his panic subside as soon as he felt the warmth of her flesh against his lips. He could do this. He really could! ‘I love you, Bella. I know I already told you that but then I went and ruined things by overreacting when Tim phoned. There’s no excuse for what I said. I was wrong and I bitterly regret it.’
‘I would never have slept with you just to work out how I feel about Tim,’ she said softly.
‘I know that.’ Mac had to force the words past the lump in his throat when he heard the pain in her voice. He knew that she was telling him the truth and the fact that he had caused her such anguish filled him with guilt. ‘I am so sorry, my love. Can you ever forgive me?’
‘Yes. If I’m sure that you believe me.’ She looked steadily back at him. ‘I couldn’t cope if you kept on doubting me all the time. I have to know that you believe in me, Mac. Our relationship won’t work if you’re continually wondering if I’m telling you the truth.’
‘I know that.’ He sighed as he leant forward and kissed her gently on the mouth. He drew back when he felt his body immediately stir. It was too soon for that. They needed to sort this out before they went any further. If they went any further. The thought spurred him on.
‘I hate myself for hurting you, Bella. However, the truth is that I’ve always had a problem about trusting people since I was a child and my mother left.’ He dredged up a smile, uncomfortable about admitting to what he considered a weakness. ‘I know I should have got over it years ago, but sometimes it comes back to haunt me.’
‘We’re all the product of our upbringing, Mac.’ She lifted his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to his palm and her voice was so gentle, so tender that it brought a lump to his throat.
‘Think so?’ he murmured huskily.
‘Oh, yes.’ She smiled into his eyes. ‘Look at me. My parents aren’t demonstrative people and they didn’t encourage me to show my feelings either. That’s why I’ve always had such difficulty relating to other people—I tend to hold everything inside me rather than show how I really feel.’
‘Really?’ His brows rose and he grinned at her. ‘I would never have guessed from the way you responded when we made love.’
‘That was different,’ she protested, a rush of colour staining her cheeks.
‘Was it? Why?’ He brushed her lips with the lightest of kisses, drawing back when he felt her immediately respond. His heart filled with joy, although he shouldn’t assume that her response meant that it was him she wanted...
All of a sudden Mac couldn’t wait any longer. Cupping her face between his hands, he looked into her eyes, knowing that this was the most important moment of his life. Whatever happened in the next few seconds was going to determine his whole future.
‘Do you love me, Bella? I know I shouldn’t put you on the spot like this, but I need to know before I drive myself crazy!’
* * *
Bella could feel her heart thumping. It was beating so hard that she could barely think, let alone answer the question. And then slowly through all the confusion in her head one thought rose to the surface. Of course she loved him. There was no doubt about that.
‘Of course I love you,’ she said indignantly, glaring at him. ‘I’d have thought that was obvious.’
‘Not to me.’
His voice was filled with a mixture of pure amazement and utter joy. Bella felt her indignation melt away as fast as it had appeared. Placing her hand on his cheek, she smiled at him, stunned by the fact that he was so vulnerable. Mac had always been so together, so in charge of himself—or so she had thought. To suddenly discover this whole different side to him was a revelation. She realised in that moment that she would do everything in her power to make sure that he never regretted letting her see the real man beneath the confident façade he presented to the world at large.
She kissed him softly on the mouth, letting her lips show him in no uncertain terms how she felt. She loved him so much and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her days proving it to him...
If he would let her.
She drew back, feeling the first tiny doubt gnawing away at her happiness. Mac had asked her if she loved him. He had told her that he needed to know. However, he hadn’t said why.
‘I love you, Mac, but are you sure that you love me? You were so quick to think that I’d used you to clarify my feelings for Tim and you wouldn’t have done that if you’d really loved me. You would have known that I would never have slept with you for that reason.’
It was the hardest thing Bella had ever done. She had never done anything like this before, never delved into emotional issues, and it scared her to do it now when it was so important. Whatever Mac told her would affect the rest of her life and she wasn’t sure if she could handle the thought.
She stood up abruptly, suddenly too afraid to sit there and listen to what he had to say. If Mac didn’t want her then there was nothing she could do about it. She had to accept his decision and not make a scene, certainly not make a fool of herself by begging him to reconsider! Tears stung her eyes as she went to push past him but he was too quick for her. Reaching out, he drew her to a halt, his arms closing around her so that she couldn’t move, couldn’t escape him or the truth.
‘Bella, stop! I know you’re scared because I’m scared too, but you can’t run away. I won’t let you.’ Bending, he pressed a kiss to her lips and she felt the shudder that passed through his body and into hers. Raising his head, he looked steadily at her. ‘We both need to be brave if we’re going to make this work. I love you and I want to spend my life with you. I think...hope...that you feel the same. Do you, my darling? Do you love me enough to live with me from now to eternity because I warn you that’s what I want. Nothing less.’
Bella could feel her heart thumping. This was it. Whatever she said now would determine her future. Did she want to be with Mac for ever? Did she want to live with him and spend each and every day making him happy? Of course she did!
Reaching up, she drew his head down and kissed him, letting her lips answer his question. There was a moment when he held back, a tiny beat of time when he seemed to hesitate as though he wasn’t sure that what was happening was real, and then he was kissing her back, kissing her with a hunger he didn’t attempt to hide. They were both trembling when they broke apart, both shaken by the depth of their feelings for each other. Mac cupped her cheek and she could hear the love resonating in his voice.
‘I didn’t know it was possible to feel this way, Bella, to want someone this much.’
‘Me neither.’ Turning her head, she pressed a kiss against his palm and felt him shudder. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to tell him how she felt, to lay bare her emotions completely and totally. ‘I want you so much that it hurts, Mac. I want to spend my life with you and spend every single second of every minute loving you. Even then it won’t be enough. Nothing would be when I feel this way.’
‘And you’re sure? Sure that you want me and not Tim? After all, you agreed to meet him—’
‘Yes, I did.’ She laid her fingertips against his lips to silence him. ‘And the reason I agreed was because of how I feel about you. I wanted to draw a line under past ev
ents and, if possible, make my peace with Tim. I want the future—our future, together—to be perfect and not tainted by anything that’s happened in the past.’
‘Oh, my love!’
He kissed her again, hunger replaced by a bone-melting tenderness that brought tears to her eyes. He smiled as he wiped them away with his fingertips. ‘Don’t cry, sweetheart. Although I have to confess that I feel very much like shedding a tear or two myself.’
‘Just not right for your macho image,’ she teased, smiling up at him through her tears.
‘Definitely not. I should really be beating my chest right now, shouldn’t I?’ He grinned back at her. ‘I mean, I’ve just won the woman I love and I should be celebrating before dragging you back to my cave.’
‘Hmm. Let’s not get too carried away by the macho theme.’ She laughed up at him. ‘I’m a modern woman, after all, and I value my independence.’
‘And so you should. I don’t want you to change, Bella. I want you to stay exactly the same as you’ve always been.’
‘I don’t think that’s possible,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ve changed a lot in the past few weeks and changed for the better too. I now understand my feelings and I’m not so afraid to show them, thanks to you. And, hopefully, I shall get even better at it as time passes too.’
‘I’ve always thought you were perfect from the moment we met.’
His voice grated and Bella’s eyes filled with tears once more because it was obvious that he was telling her the truth. Mac loved her exactly how she was and it was marvellous to know that he didn’t want her to change. Reaching up, she kissed him, showing him without the need for words how much she loved him and how much she needed him. He’d said she was perfect but to her mind he was perfect too!
Best Friend to Perfect Bride (Contemporary Medical Romance) Page 13