Surprise Twins For The Surgeon. Sue MacKay

back inside.’ He didn’t need to be worrying about Alesha while he tried to assess the situation.

      ‘I’m coming with you. There could be people inside.’

      Arguing wasted time. ‘What can you do to help?’ It was an honest question. If she was hanging around there might be something she could do to help.

      ‘I’m a nurse, remember?’

      ‘Come on.’ There wasn’t time to argue, and she was right, she might be needed. He began sprinting up the road. Hopefully she wasn’t going to be required at the scene of the fire.

      Puff, puff, from beside him. Not a fit nurse, then.

      The emergency dispatch for the city answered his call, preventing him saying something he’d regret. Rattling off what he knew about the location, nothing specific but once the emergency crews got close they’d work it out, he punched the red icon and shoved the phone deep into his pocket, hoping it stayed there while he got on with helping out at the fire. Losing all his work contacts was not on.

       You don’t want to lose Alesha’s number either.

      Best if he did, then he couldn’t be tempted into calling her, asking her to join him for a beer or a trip into town for a meal during the coming week.

      Kristof really was trying to fool himself. Who needed a number when he walked by the apartment complex every day? Which reminded him. ‘Did you remember your keys?’

      She gaped at him, her eyes wide and filled with disgust. ‘Guess it really isn’t my day.’

      They weren’t going to call Karolina out a second time. ‘There’s a spare bed at my mother’s.’

      Laughter filled the now smoky air. ‘I meant there went my opportunity to crash at your place. I have keys and phone buttoned into my back pocket.’

      He looked. How could he not? Yes, there, on that smooth, curved outline of her backside, was the obvious shape of a phone and a bundle of keys. ‘Well done.’

      Damn.