Taking a Chance on the Single Dad

The sooner they were shot of Calvin the sooner peace and quiet would return, but then the poor staff at the ED would get their share of abuse and obnoxious behaviour. Sometimes she wondered why any of them wanted to work in emergency jobs.

No one wanted to hang around in the rain, so everyone quickly moved the stretcher towards the back of the chopper and Calvin was transferred inside, where Brenna changed the survival blanket for a dry one and topped it with a wool blanket for added warmth.

Andy had them up and away in no time, apparently as eager as the rest of them to make their delivery, but the weather hadn’t finished with them. ‘I’m going out over the strait,’ Andy informed them. ‘The storm’s increasing in intensity.’

As the helicopter lifted off the ground Brenna shivered as water from her ponytail dripped down between her shoulder blades. ‘It’s guaranteed we’ll be full-on busy for the rest of the night now.’

‘Here.’ Hunter handed her a small towel. ‘Wipe the water off your head and face.’

‘What about me?’ Calvin demanded. ‘I’m the patient, not her.’

‘Dr Williamson has already wiped you down and replaced the blankets with dry ones. There’s nothing more we can do except monitor your heart and blood pressure and keep an eye on you until we reach hospital.’ Hunter clicked his harness into place. ‘We won’t be moving around much. There’ll be some turbulence on the way.’

Calvin’s eyes widened. ‘We’ll be all right, won’t we?’

Right then the helicopter lurched sideways.

Only a small lurch but enough to put fear into their patient’s eyes. ‘Let me out,’ he yelled. ‘I don’t like it in here.’

‘Calvin.’ Brenna leaned forward in her seat. ‘Listen to me. You’re going to be fine. Andy’s our pilot and he’s one of the best in the business. He’s going to fly around the storm, not through it, but we will feel some bumps on the way. They’re normal and the helicopter is made for these condtions.’

‘I don’t like flying.’ Apparently, the man could do quiet and worried.

She did feel a little sorry for him. He was incapacitated in a situation that held a lot of fear for him. ‘Not everyone does. I promise you’re going to get to hospital just fine. It’ll take a little bit longer, though, since we’re avoiding the weather as much as possible.’

‘Can’t I go by road?’

‘It would take a lot longer and you need to be treated sooner rather than later.’

Andy spoke in her ear. ‘There’re trees reported down across the road between the accident site and Horseshoe Bay. And thanks, Brenna, I owe you a drink next time we’re hitting the town.’

‘A big one,’ she agreed, before telling Calvin, ‘The road’s closed. This is your only way out.’

‘Oh.’ He remained quiet for the rest of the flight, squeezing his eyes tight every time they hit a bump in the sky.

Finally back at base, Brenna shook her head to get rid of the water in her hair. ‘I’m having a hot shower and getting into dry clothes.’ Then she looked around. ‘Unless we’re heading out again?’

‘No, you’re good to go on the shower,’ Margaret, from the other crew, told her. ‘But don’t muck around. I suspect the calls will start coming in shortly. The roads are slippery and vision is limited, according to the state police when they rang to update us thirty minutes ago.’

So dry clothes weren’t going to stay that way. Shucking off her overalls in the bathroom, Brenna stood under the shower with the water as hot as she could take it until the feeling came back into her hands and feet. Once dried off and dressed in a second pair of overalls, she headed downstairs to toss the wet clothes into a drier. ‘I bet I’ll need them again before the night’s out.’ Next trip she’d make sure her wet-weather gear went on board the helicopter with her and wasn’t left languishing in the hangar.

‘Tea’s made, and ham-and-cheese sandwiches are in the toasty maker,’ Margaret told her.

‘You’re a treasure,’ Brenna said as she sipped hot tea.

‘Just what the doctor needed.’ Hunter strolled into the kitchen looking sexy with his damp hair sticking up in all directions and the dry overalls a tad tight on his frame so that muscles everywhere were accentuated.

Her next sip of tea went down the wrong way.

‘Hey, careful.’ His hand slapped her lightly between her shoulder blades. ‘Told you before about rushing your tea.’

Looking up into those alert grey eyes, she melted. He was so sexy, and cheeky, and—well, just Hunter. ‘I seem to have forgotten that message,’ she croaked around the tea and her despair that she’d never be able to watch him walk away at the end of his short tenure at the rescue service unscathed.

‘I’ll forward it later.’ The cheeky element in his gaze changed, replaced by worry. His hand fell away, damn it. ‘Those toasties look like the best thing out,’ he said to Margaret. ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. I suggest you don’t delay eating them in case the phone goes in the next five minutes.’

‘I’ve got big pockets,’ Hunter said, before taking a mouthful and glancing across at Brenna. He’d gone all thoughtful.

She knew better than to ask what was up. He wouldn’t say, which would only frustrate her. Hell, the man frustrated her in more ways than one, especially the physical. She wanted him again. Staring at the phone on the wall she begged silently, Please ring. Now. Before I turn into a melted puddle at his feet.

The phone rang.

Brenna’s mouth fell open. Seriously?

‘Not pretty,’ Hunter said in a low voice as Margaret reached to answer.

Snapping her teeth together, she turned away, heat flooding her cheeks as embarrassment whipped her. Snatching up a toasty, she headed out the door in preparation for flying off on their next mission, whatever it was. It could be a stubbed toe, for all she cared. She’d asked the universe to help her out and it had. Holy cow. Hopefully she wouldn’t be asked to make a major sacrifice as payback.

* * *

‘I’ve been feeling odd in the chest,’ the forty-five-year-old woman lying in her bed told Brenna, almost before she got through the door the elderly neighbour had indicated. ‘People say not to muck about if your chest feels strange in case it’s a heart attack, so I called 911.’

‘You were right to do so,’ Brenna reassured Carla Brown. ‘We’d rather find there’s nothing wrong than learn tomorrow you’d had a heart attack and told no one. Now, tell me about these strange feelings you’re getting.’

‘Um...well, they’re not as bad as they were.’ Embarrassment started filling Carla’s face. ‘I think I panicked with the terrible weather making me think no one would be able to get here if it really was serious.’

‘It’s fine.’ Brenna slipped the BP cuff on Carla’s a

rm and pressed the start button. ‘What does it feel like in your chest?’ She wasn’t asking leading questions so Carla wouldn’t give details that might be misleading.

‘Tight when I breathe in. My head was pounding at one time, and my arm tingled.’

‘Which arm?’

‘Left one.’

‘Carla, I’m going to open the front of your pyjama top so we can attach pads to see what your heart is doing. Is that all right?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered, her eyes straying to Hunter, who had his back to them pretending to be busy preparing the heart monitor.

So he’d cottoned on that this woman was not at ease with a man attending her. Go, Hunter.

Brenna took the pads he handed back to her and she stuck them on Carla. ‘All ready, Hunter.’

Together they watched the readout of Carla’s heart. ‘Nothing wrong with your heart, Carla.’ Brenna gave her a smile. ‘How’s that make you feel?’

‘Lots better.’ She smiled too. ‘But why did I feel so strange?’

‘Are you stressed about anything?’

Her face dropped. ‘I might be losing my job because the store I work at isn’t doing so well, and I need it because I’m on my own. I don’t have any qualifications for something half-decent. Shop work is all I’m good for. It keeps me awake at night, worrying how I’ll cope.’

Hunter turned around after a quick glance to see if the pyjama top was back in place. ‘Have you been to put your name down at the shops in the mall?’

‘No, because I don’t know for sure if it will happen. What if I get another job and don’t lose the one I’ve got?’

Brenna began packing up their equipment, watching Hunter weave his magic over Carla.

‘Be proactive. Take control of what happens to you. Go to every shop in the mall and introduce yourself, leave your work résumé with them. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you what’s happening.’ He gave one of his devastating smiles.