fireball that was once the hospital.
Jess could no longer bear to look.
She turned her face into Niall’s chest and wept.
The whole island was in the hospital grounds by the time the building subsided to a massive pile of glowing embers. The local firefighters were joined by every able-bodied man and woman on the island, and a few kids and dogs as well.
Jess and Niall were surrounded by a group of horrified well-wishers.
Well-wishers or not, there was nothing that could be done to save the hospital.
Geraldine’s daughter appeared out of the night and took Jessie’s charges back to her mother’s house.
‘They’ll be better off away from this,’ Lucy said fiercely, ‘and I’ve formula there I took home when I looked after them last time.’
Jess could only be grateful. She had nowhere to take them. She had no home.
She stood in the protective circle of Niall’s arms and she couldn’t stop shaking.
‘T-tell me if they seem stressed,’ she managed and Lucy looked at her dubiously.
‘I know who seems stressed,’ the teenager said. She peered into the pouches. ‘I doubt if these two even knew there was a fire. It’d take a bit for smoke to get through all this wool. Good grief, though, Dr Harvey. You should see your face.’
‘It’s burned,’ Niall agreed. He held Jess close. ‘I’ll get you away from this.’
‘I don’t know where to go…’
‘You’ll come home with me,’ Geraldine said out of the darkness but Niall shook his head.
‘No. I’ll look after her…’
‘Begging your pardon, Dr Mountmarche…Geraldine directed a torch down to Niall’s hands ‘…but you need looking after yourself. How did you cut your hands?’
The broken glass on the window…Jess stared down at the bloody lacerations on Niall’s strong hands and a convulsive tremor shook her.
‘They’re nothing,’ he said harshly.
Someone had brought a blanket and Niall was holding it round Jess, keeping her vaguely decent in her tattered nightdress and holding the night chill at bay. Her feet, though, were still bare on the damp lawn.
Niall swore.
‘Enough of this.’ Regardless of his damaged hands, Niall lifted Jess strongly into his arms. ‘I’m taking the lady home.’
‘But…’ Geraldine was made of stern enough stuff to defy even Niall Mountmarche ‘…who’ll look after your hands, Dr Mountmarche?’
Niall smiled then, an exhausted smile with the strain showing through but a smile for all that.
‘I’ve just the lady in my arms to look after me,’ he said softly and his weary eyes were a caress. There was no fight left in Jessica Harvey and Niall knew it. ‘Will you look after me, my Jess?’
‘I…’
‘After I’ve finished taking care of you, that is,’ Niall added, and kissed her tenderly on her singed hair. ‘And that, my love, is going to take a very long time. I think maybe a lifetime…’
The rest of the night passed in a blur.
Jess sat in the front seat of Niall’s Range Rover and tried to make herself think.
There was no way that her mind would work.
Niall drove with one eye on her and the other on the road. As she shook he swore softly into the night.
‘You shouldn’t have been in that damned place alone. Never again…’ He was talking more to himself than to her but his words sank home and were somehow comforting.
In the terror of the night somehow things had changed.
The tilting world had somehow righted itself again.
What she’d learned of Niall that morning-dear heaven, was it only that morning?-had seemed crazy. Out of balance.
And in one mad night the balance had been righted.
She huddled tight within her blanket, trying to keep her teeth from chattering, but deep inside a warmth was settling and spreading with a speed that put a petrol fire to shame.
Niall Mountmarche had risked his life for two little animals.
For her…
This was no man set on finding a convenient mother for his daughter. There were easier ways than trial by fire.
She ventured a glance sideways up at him and found his eyes on her-and the warmth grew.
Her chattering teeth stilled.
‘Niall…I’m sorry…’
Niall lifted his hand and laid it tenderly on hers.
‘Don’t be. We’ll have you warm in bed soon, my love,’ he said gently and the warmth engulfed her totally.
After that…
Hugo was waiting, frantic with anxiety. Sergeant Russell had contacted Niall and asked him to go to the hospital-just in case-and ten minutes later Hugo had seen flames shoot skyward.
He couldn’t leave Paige and Niall’s mobile phone wasn’t working. On investigation Niall found that it was missing-torn off some time…Consumed by flames.
Hugo’s face when Niall finally brought Jess.out of the car said a thousand words.
Niall carried Jess into the big master bedroom and laid her on the bed as if she was made of fragile china. Then he and Hugo cleaned and washed her burns. Her eyes were carefully checked and her throat and her burns coated with antiseptic cream.
‘I’m giving you something to stop the pain and make you sleep,’ Niall told her as Jess drifted in a haze of unreality.
‘I don’t need anything…’
‘Remind me to ask next time I want a vet’s advice on what my patient needs,’ Niall said softly.
He gave her an injection she didn’t feel, pulled soft blankets up to her scorched face and then sat by her side until she drifted into sleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HER love was still beside her when she woke.
Jess blinked and blinked again as consciousness flooded back. The sun was streaming through the north-facing windows. Niall was bathed and changed and there were dressings on his hands.
Niall can’t have sat there all night.
He must have gone.
But he’d come back.
That was all that mattered. He’d come back to her.
Jess opened her eyes wide and stretched a hand out to her love.
He didn’t take it.
Instead, Niall gathered all of her to him, lifting her tenderly to cradle her against him.
‘I was beginning to think you’d sleep till tomorrow.’
She smiled, her face cradled against the soft cotton of his shirt. Life was immeasurably good.
‘What time is it?’ Her voice sounded like a frog was down her throat and Niall smiled.
‘That’s a very sexy husk,’ he told her. ‘Smoke inhalation. It’ll fade, more’s the pity. It’s very fetching. It’s twelve noon, my love.’
‘Twelve…’
Jess pushed herself away from Niall and stared. ‘You’re kidding.’
‘Would I kid about anything so important?’
