Rescuing Dr. MacAllister

His dark eyes rested on hers for a long moment and a shiver ran through her.

He really was astonishingly attractive.

She pulled herself together. 'I've been thinking about what you were saying about taking her to hospital. Maybe the midwife is right. Maybe we should wait until the storm dies down. They both seem OK for the moment and those potholes—'

'Scared, Ellie?' He lifted one dark eyebrow a fraction, his tone faintly mocking. 'This from the girl who drove through a flood, flagged down a stranger and ripped off most of her clothes in my car? Are you trying to convince me that you've finally developed a sense of danger?'

'I'm not scared!' She glared at him and then gave a worried sigh. 'Well, not for myself. For Lindsay and the baby. I just think maybe now the baby has been safely delivered, maybe we should wait—'

'We're not waiting.' Ben thrust the phone into the pocket of his jeans and strode past her but she caught his arm.

'Less than an hour ago you were telling me off for driving in that storm.'

His gaze was steady. 'But this time I'll be driving.'

She was outraged. 'You're a total chauvinist!'

'Ellie, engage your brain.' His voice was weary. 'I have a car which is designed to operate in this weather. Your cousin has just had a difficult delivery. The longer we leave it, the worse the roads will get. I think everything is fine, but I'm not an obstetrician or a paediatrician and I'm not taking any chances. She's going to hospital right now.'

Without waiting for a response from her, he strode out of the room and up the stairs to Lindsay, leaving Ellie staring after him.

He was right, of course. It was important to get Lindsay to the hospital. She hurried back out to the hall and glanced up the stairs. Ben tossed her his car keys.

'Get some blankets and put them on the back seat. Strap her baby seat into the car and I'll bring them out in a minute. The heating is already on full.'

Without waiting to argue, Ellie did as he instructed, sprinting back to the bedroom and dragging blankets out of the cupboard.

At the top of the stairs she slithered past Ben who was supporting Lindsay and carrying the baby.

She opened the front door and gasped at the strength of the wind.

The temperature had dropped and the freezing rain had turned to snow, the huge white flakes reducing visibility even further.

It was not a good night to be out in a car.

Pushing the thought aside, she made a dash for it, opened the back door and threw the blankets inside the car. She had no doubt that Ben was preparing for all eventualities but she didn't even want to consider the possibility that they might be trapped in there.

Fastening her seat belt with frozen fingers, she glanced up to see Ben in the doorway with the baby in his arms. It was so well wrapped up it was barely visible.

Seconds later Lindsay was in the car and the baby was safely strapped in next to her.

'I'm scared she'll get cold,' Lindsay breathed, and Ben slammed the car door shut and checked the heating.

'Keep those blankets on her and she'll be fine. She's had a feed so that should help. I'll drive as carefully as I can but this might be a rough ride,' he warned them as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.

The midwife waved them off and they made it back down the farm track with no problem and turned onto the lane that ran near Lindsay's farm.

Ellie saw Ben's fingers tighten on the steering-wheel and knew from the tension in his shoulders that the roads were bad, the snow making the driving conditions slushy and dangerous.

'The quickest way to the hospital is back through the ford,' she said quietly, and she saw him nod briefly.

How long had they been at Lindsay's?

How much rain had fallen in that time?

As he approached the water Ellie closed her eyes and held onto Lindsay's hands, but she needn't have worried.

The four-wheel-drive barely hesitated as it plunged happily through the water and up the other side.