The GP's Meant-To-Be Bride. Jennifer Taylor

had a feeling there was more to that comment than Ben was admitting. However, there was no time to ask him to explain when there were so many lives at risk. She finished attending to their patient while Ben went to help Ross, using a wad of lint to clean away the blood. By the time that was done, the police had arrived, bringing with them more members of Dalverston’s rapid response team, although as one wit pointed out they might need a new name after today seeing as their response had been far from speedy.

      It was good to have so many experienced people around, though. Gemma did whatever she was asked, unconcerned when at times she found herself acting as gofer. She wasn’t too proud to admit that other people knew more about emergency procedures than she did and was happy to learn from them. It was different in the surgery—she was completely at home there and confident that there was little she couldn’t handle, but this wasn’t her natural element.

      Her gaze strayed once more to Ross, who was in the thick of things, helping the team attend to the crane driver. Even as she watched, she saw him issue instructions to one of the paramedics and saw the man obey them. No matter where Ross worked, or in what capacity, he would feel completely sure of himself. Heather had been exactly the same. No wonder they’d been so right for each other. Two good-looking, talented, perfect people who should have had a perfect life together.

      Tears filled her eyes and she hurriedly turned away. She wasn’t perfect and she never could be. The scars on her body might have faded but they were still there, still looked repulsive to anyone who saw them. Even if Ross and Heather never got back together, even if Ross realised that he could find someone else equally perfect for him, it wouldn’t be her.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      ‘THERE’S no way we can risk lifting him out of here even on a spinal board. We’ll need the air ambulance to winch him out.’

      Ross sank back onto his heels, curbing the urge he felt to question Ben’s decision. He wasn’t sure why he felt so bloody minded. After all, his friend dealt with injuries like this every day. Normally, he would have deferred to Ben’s expertise without a second thought, so what was different today? Was it pique over the way Ben and Gemma seemed to have become best buddies all of a sudden?

      The thought did nothing to enhance his mood. Fortunately, another voice entered the conversation then, sparing him from having to reply. ‘I’ll get the police to radio back to base and request the helicopter.’

      Sam Kearney, one of the newer additions to Dalverston’s rapid response team, hurried off to set things in motion, giving Ross a very necessary breathing space. He took advantage of it, breathing in and out a couple of dozen times, although it didn’t achieve very much. Ben and Gemma an item? No way!

      ‘Can you help me get this collar on him?’

      Ben’s request interrupted his flow of thoughts. Ross eased himself a little further into the confines of the cab and supported the driver’s head while Ben strapped a cervical collar around his neck. The driver, a man called Sandy Walsh according to the ID tag attached to his overall pocket, was still unconscious, but that was a blessing in the circumstances. He had suffered extensive facial injuries, including a shattered eye socket, a broken cheek bone and a fractured jaw. Several broken ribs, a suspected fractured femur and what looked like a Pott’s fracture to his left ankle could all be added to the list, although Ross suspected more would be discovered once they got him to hospital.

      ‘Thanks. With a bit of luck the air ambulance will be at Base and we won’t have to wait too long.’ Ben sat back and regarded Ross with concern. ‘How are you holding up?’

      ‘Fine.’ Ross returned the look with one just the upper side of chilly. ‘This isn’t the first emergency call I’ve attended.’

      Ben waved a dismissive hand. ‘I didn’t mean that. This type of situation is perfectly suited to you, Ross. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you’d be an ideal candidate for emergency work if you wanted.’

      ‘That’s nice to know,’ he replied drily, wondering where the conversation was leading. ‘However, I’m quite happy with what I do so don’t worry that I intend to encroach on your territory.’

      ‘Oh, I’m not worried on that score.’ Ben shrugged. ‘You may be temperamentally suited to emergency work, but it’s not your scene. It’s too disordered for your liking. You never know what’s going to happen from one minute to the next.’

      ‘General practice isn’t exactly a walk in the park,’ Ross retorted, stung, and Ben held up his hands.

      ‘I wasn’t implying that it was. Sorry.’ He stopped, went to speak, then stopped again. Ross sighed.

      ‘What? I can tell you’re dying to impart some pearl of wisdom, so get on with it.’

      ‘It’s you and Heather,’ Ben said quickly. ‘Are you sure you two can’t sort this out? You guys are perfect for each other. It’s a crying shame that you’ve split up because of some sort of stupid misunderstanding.’

      ‘Misunderstanding?’ Ross’s brows rose steeply. ‘Do you know something I don’t? What misunderstanding are we talking about?’

      ‘Nothing really. It’s just that Gemma and I were talking earlier and we wondered if there was a way to get you and Heather back together.’

      ‘And what did you come up with?’ Ross said, his heart giving the funniest little bounce at the thought of Gemma discussing him. He hurriedly battened it down. Just because his name had cropped up in the conversation, it didn’t mean anything.

      ‘Oh, we didn’t get as far as working out a plan. But maybe if you went to see Heather and told her how you felt, that you loved her, etcetera, it would help.’

      Ben sounded embarrassed, as well he might, Ross thought. This wasn’t the sort of conversation they’d had before. Discussing his feelings was something he avoided doing. He had learned a long time ago to keep his emotions under wraps. It made it easier to reach a balanced decision if he removed them from the equation, he’d found. Although he appreciated Ben’s intentions were of the highest calibre, he could hardly explain that there was no point phoning Heather when it would mean him having to explain why. Admitting that he felt more relieved than devastated would lead to a lot more questions than he was prepared to answer at the moment.