Their Christmas Vows. Margaret McDonagh

her eyes. He’d never do anything to show someone up. This had all been a ghastly mistake. His hand went to the point of pain at his midriff, where her elbow had delivered the killer blow, and he tried to suck some much-needed oxygen back into painfully starved lungs so he could speak.

      But she didn’t wait around to concern herself with his apology … or his recovery. Instead, she stepped around him, giving him a wide berth, then marched from the room. It was an impressive march, too, for such a tiny thing. Now he had seen the whole impressive package, he couldn’t understand how he had ever mistaken the stranger for the taller, more robust Mel, who was also a decade or more older than the firebrand who’d just decked him. As he sat there, bemused and bewildered, his friends’ merriment continued at his expense. Only Hamish came to check on his well-being. Thankful for at least one display of loyalty, Frazer scratched the dog behind the ears, his fingers sinking below the harsh outer coat to the softer one below.

      ‘Trust you to make such a great first impression, Frazer,’ Craig, the pilot on his flight team, tormented him.

      ‘Yeah, I wish I wasn’t going home,’ Rick Duncan, a paramedic coming off-shift, added with evident enjoyment. ‘I’d love to be around for the fireworks to come. You’ve met your match now, buddy.’

      Still winded, Frazer frowned. ‘Who was that?’

      ‘The new flight paramedic.’

      A sick feeling of dread settled inside him at Craig’s grin. ‘Whose?’

      ‘Yours!’

      ‘Damnation.’ Groaning, he levered himself up off the floor, his dignity well and truly shot to pieces.

      Rick’s smile was distinctly unsympathetic. ‘That’ll teach you. See you guys in three days—if you’re all still alive!’

      ‘Welcome back, Frazer,’ Craig chuckled as Rick and the others left. He poured a second mug of coffee and handed it over. ‘Here, you’re going to need it. Archie wants to see you.’

      Frazer gratefully accepted the caffeine fix, and wondered what their boss, a former flight doctor himself, and now base director, would have to say. ‘Where’s Mel? What’s been going on around here? I’ve only been away ten days.’

      ‘Archie will explain.’

      ‘Terrific.’

      He took a slug of hot coffee, wincing at the burn on his tongue and down his throat. He had the distinct feeling he was not going to like whatever news was to come … and that the mistake he had just made with the new paramedic was going to return to haunt him. A few moments later he walked along to the office to learn his fate and rapped on the door.

      ‘Come on in, Frazer,’ Archie called. The older man looked up with a smile, running one hand across his receding hairline. ‘How was the holiday?’

      ‘Wonderful. But it’s good to be back.’

      Archie nodded. ‘Good to have you back. Take a seat.’

      ‘So what’s the story with Mel?’ he asked, pulling a chair up to his boss’s desk.

      ‘She’s grounded, Frazer. Health reasons.’

      Another dart of shock stabbed him. ‘What? But she just had a touch of flu when I left.’

      ‘That’s what we all thought.’ Archie shook his head. ‘Turns out Mel has an inner ear problem. She was poorly for several days, and the medical advice is that she shouldn’t fly again. At least not in the foreseeable future.’

      ‘Damn. Poor Mel. How is she? What’s she going to do?’

      ‘She’s philosophical about it—says she was getting a bit long in the tooth to go on.’

      ‘Rubbish.’ Frazer swore, bringing a grin to his boss’s face. ‘I’ll talk to her.’

      His smile fading, Archie watched him a moment. ‘She’ll be delighted to see you, of course. But her mind is made up, Frazer. This has just brought forward her decision, that’s all. Be pleased for her. She’s looking forward to working part-time with a land crew when she feels up to it, and spending more time with John. He’s taking early retirement next year and they have plans.’

      ‘I see.’

      He didn’t. This was all news to him. And it hurt that Mel had never confided in him that she was thinking of taking a back seat. They had formed a close friendship and working partnership these last six months, and Mel had given no sign that things would change.

      ‘I know it isn’t the situation you expected to come back to,’ Archie said now, shuffling some papers, sympathetic understanding in his hazel eyes. ‘But Callie Grogan joined us a week ago from Glasgow and you’ll be partnering her from now on.’

      ‘Great,’ he muttered, with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. And not just because he had made the worst first impression on his new flight paramedic. He had a nasty feeling his working relationship with Callie was not going to be as smooth and light-hearted as the one he had enjoyed with Mel.

      ‘She’s good, Frazer. This is her first posting with a flight crew, but she is dedicated, committed and extremely qualified. And she’s taken every additional course available to enhance her all-round skills. Callie topped the shortlist in every way, and her orientation week here impressed us all.’

      Frazer tried to concentrate as his boss sang Callie’s praises, but all he could think about were those eyes, and the anger and disdain in them when she had looked at him.

      ‘Callie’s new to Strathlochan. I want you to take her under your wing, help her settle in.’

      He stifled a groan at Archie’s direction, not at all sure that his new charge would welcome his input. ‘I’ll do my best.’ The promise was reluctant and full of misgivings.

      ‘I’ll have her join us and introduce you—give you a few moments to get acquainted before any calls come in.’ Having sent for Callie, Archie leaned back and continued, ‘We need to keep our wits about us; I have a bad feeling December is going to be a difficult month.’

      Just as the office door opened and his new team member stepped in, glancing at him as if he was something she’d scrape off her boots, the emergency alarm sounded, letting them know they had a call-out. Frazer rose to his feet, focusing on Archie, who was taking the sheet of paper that clattered out of the printer with the first basic details of the incident.

      ‘What do we have, boss?’

      ‘Three-car pile-up on the motorway. Northbound, ten miles south of us. Off you go. We’ll have our welcome chat and briefing later on.’

      Frazer caught up with Callie in the supply room, where their emergency packs and drugs were stored. He grabbed his pack, pausing to smile at her and see if she needed any assistance, only to be met with an expression of cold indifference. Gee, welcome back. Scowling, he followed as Callie turned away from him and ran for the hangar. So much for the festive season, peace and goodwill to all men. Yeah, right!

      The yellow helicopter was being rolled from the hangar, the icy conditions still treacherous outside. Craig was already aboard, doing his pre-flight checks, and Frazer moved up beside Callie as they waited for the all-clear to join him.

      ‘Everything OK?’ he asked, attempting another conciliatory smile, concerned she might be nervous about her first official flight.

      Callie glanced at him with an expression as chill as the wintry weather. ‘Fine.’

      ‘Look, Callie, we started off on the wrong foot. I made a mistake. I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else.’

      He paused, filled with the sense that he was digging himself deeper into a hole. Not a flicker of interest or thawing showed in eyes that were the most unusual colour he had ever seen. They really were a true purple. He frowned, trying to reject an unexpected surge of attraction and get himself back on track. This apology apparently wasn’t working. Disconcerted,