Their Christmas Vows. Margaret McDonagh

      Willing hands aided them as they hurried the stretcher back to the helicopter, where Craig was waiting, and Frazer thanked paramedics Rory and Tim for their valuable help. Once on board, he was impressed with the way Callie held Barbara’s hand, her gaze alert as she constantly checked the monitors for any change in observation readings or condition, while still finding time to spare some reassuring words.

      Thankfully it was a short flight to Strathlochan Hospital, and within minutes they were wheeling the stretcher into A and E to be met by Will Brown, one of the duty doctors, who whisked the injured woman straight into Resus, where the waiting team set to work.

      Conscious of Callie’s presence beside him, the faint hint of her sexy coconut scent teasing him, he stepped away, disturbed by his awareness. Forcing himself to concentrate, Frazer gave full details of the treatment given and the state of Barbara’s condition at the scene of the accident and on the journey.

      ‘Good job, Callie.’ He smiled at her as they wheeled their stretcher back to the helicopter, keeping his praise understated as he sensed her unease now the emergency situation was over. ‘Thank you—you did well out there.’

      A brief nod was her only response before she climbed aboard and strapped herself back in. Frazer sighed. He had been pleasantly surprised at finding Callie calm, knowledgeable and efficient, not to mention caring of their patient. She might look as if a gust of wind would knock her over, but she had shown surprising physical strength, and mentally she appeared as tough as nails. And not remotely ready to forgive him. Clearly things were not going to run smoothly with the rest of their working relationship, and he would have a job on his hands to mend fences and make up for their unfortunate start.

      They had hardly arrived back at base, taking time to restock the emergency packs, check the drugs and fill in the required paperwork, before they were called out again. It set the pattern for the rest of the day. They had a rushed lunch on the run, and there wasn’t even time for their chat with Archie Stewart.

      The freezing weather had brought with it an upsurge in road traffic collisions, as well as other incidents, and on top of these there was a call-out to a woman suffering a heart attack, and to a teenager at an outlying farm whose GP, Conor Anderson, had diagnosed a burst appendix and who needed to get to hospital as swiftly as possible for an urgent operation.

      Now they were on their way back to Strathlochan after their last job of the day: transferring a patient with a nasty head injury to the neurological unit in Glasgow. His condition had given cause for concern on the flight, and Frazer had been relieved to have Callie’s expert help before they handed the patient over to the specialist team who would care for him.

      Frazer glanced across at Callie, her eyes closed as she relaxed on the flight home. Throughout an inordinately busy day he had kept a surreptitious eye on his new partner, finding himself more and more intrigued by all her contradictions as time went on. He had discovered that Callie was most comfortable when she was occupied in her role as paramedic. Her unease was only apparent in personal situations. While she projected most of the chill onto him, she was reserved with everyone outside a work setting, and unwilling and awkward when asked questions about herself. Yet she was warm and friendly to patients and any colleagues working with her. Once the incident was over she closed in on herself again. Interesting. He sensed there was much beneath the surface that Callie was hiding from the world.

      Given their disastrous start, Frazer had expected working with Callie to be torturous. But nothing proved further from the truth. He’d rarely had to ask for anything. Callie was an amazingly competent paramedic and seemingly unflappable. He was stunned at how quickly she seemed to anticipate everything he needed, from equipment to medications. It was as if she was inside his head, interpreting his thoughts before he’d even registered them. Whatever difficulties they had getting along on a personal level, they’d made a uniquely special team on the job—something that usually took weeks or months to build. He’d never worked with anyone so attuned to him … and certainly not in the space of a day. Which was a bit scary, too.

      He was thinking far, far too much about Callie Grogan.

      It was dark by the time they came to land at the base in Strathlochan, and the temperature was dropping even further, signalling another icy night to come. While Craig did his own checks of the aircraft, and talked to the technicians who would work on it overnight, Frazer accompanied Callie to the supply room, restocking the packs and checking the drugs, making sure all was in order for the crew who would be taking over from them.

      ‘Tired?’ Frazer asked, looking up with an understanding smile as she stifled a yawn.

      ‘A bit.’ She’d gone all stiff and awkward with him again, he noted. ‘I enjoy the work, though.’

      Frazer nodded, filling in an incident report form, watching her out of the corner of his eye. ‘I can see that. You were excellent today.’

      ‘Thanks.’ Was that a faint tinge of colour staining her cheeks at his approval?

      ‘Fancy coming out for a drink?’ he asked casually, hoping to end the day on a lighter and more friendly note after the unfortunate way it had begun. ‘We’re going to be working closely together, and it’s been so busy today we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other.’

      The minuscule hint of warmth she had shown was replaced with wariness, her whole body tensing, dark shadows forming in those incredible purple eyes. ‘No, thanks.’

      ‘Callie, I really want to make amends for earlier.’ He tried another smile, but she moved towards the door, putting distance between them.

      ‘I have other things to do.’

      He watched as she took a ring off the chain around her neck and slipped it on her finger. Frazer stared at the simple gold band, confused at the feelings churning inside him. ‘You’re married?’ The question popped out, and he cursed the tell-tale shock in his voice.

      ‘Mmm.’

      ‘I didn’t realise.’ That wasn’t a sickening sense of disappointment chilling him. No way. He didn’t even know her—didn’t like her. She was prickly and difficult. No, he wasn’t interested in Callie Grogan in any way other than establishing a comfortable working relationship.

      ‘What’s the matter? Afraid my husband will be upset when he hears about the way you “introduced” yourself this morning?’

      His jaw tightened at the mocking sarcasm in her voice. ‘No.’

      ‘I don’t imagine disgruntled husbands are entirely new to you.’

      ‘What the hell does that mean?’ he gritted, banking down a flare of anger.

      She gave a dismissive shrug. ‘In the short time I’ve been here, everyone has seemed intent on filling me in on your legendary reputation … Apparently they can’t see how uninteresting that is. Excuse me. I have a home to go to.’

      And a husband waiting for her to get there. Frazer wanted to growl out loud. That or throw something. Bloody woman. She’d got under his skin. Not in a good way, but like an annoying, persistent grass seed, worming its way into his flesh, irritating him and resisting all efforts to remove it. He’d always laughed off his exaggerated reputation, but the scathing way Callie had looked at him had stung. He wasn’t the kind of man she thought he was. Damned if he knew why it should matter what she thought of him, but it did. And that made him madder than ever.

      Hamish nuzzled against him, and Frazer scratched the loyal little dog behind the ears. At least he could count on somebody. To hell with Callie Grogan. She was nothing to him. It was a bonus that they worked well together, but it was clear that any friendship or understanding beyond that was never going to happen. So be it. If that was the way she wanted things, it was fine with him. He wouldn’t give the infuriating woman another thought.

      A low woof drew him from his reverie.

      ‘You’re right, Hamish. Life is too short. Let’s get out of here and have some fun.’

      The dog trotting at his heels, he went