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‘Of course. But I left my spear outside.’ His eyes gleamed wickedly and she felt herself blush.

It was only as he walked out of the room with Lizzie that she realised that he hadn’t actually answered her question about the food. How did he come to have the ingredients for a gourmet meal in his boot?

And why did he want her to keep the dress on when the last time she’d worn it he’d covered her up?

But the last time she’d worn it she’d been going out with another man.

Bryony plopped down on the nearest kitchen chair and wondered if Jack realised that he was displaying all the signs of a jealous male.

Probably not.

She hadn’t realised it herself until two seconds ago.

But to be jealous you had to care, and Jack didn’t care about her. Not like that.

Or did he?

She sat in silence, her mind running over everything that had happened since the night she’d walked into the pub and announced that she was going to start dating men again.

Jack had sabotaged every date.

Had he done that because of Lizzie? Because he didn’t want Lizzie to have a daddy?

Or had he done it because he hadn’t been able to see her with another man?

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE week before Christmas Jack, Bryony and Sean were in the staffroom discussing the mountain rescue team Christmas party, when Nicky rushed in, looking stressed.

‘I just had a call from Ambulance Control,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Ellie has driven her car into a ditch.’

‘Our Ellie?’ Jack was on his feet immediately, his expression concerned. ‘She’s nearly eight months pregnant. Is she OK?’

Nicky shook her head. ‘I haven’t got many details but they had to cut her out of the car.’

Bryony was already hurrying to the door.

‘She’s been poorly right the way through this pregnancy,’ Sean muttered, and Bryony remembered that he was very friendly with the couple outside work. ‘That’s why she gave up work early. Has anyone called Ben? This is his wife we’re talking about.’

Ben MacAllister was another of the A and E consultants, and Ellie had worked as a nurse in A and E before she’d become pregnant.

‘He’s away on that immediate care course,’ Jack reminded him, and Sean swore softly.

‘Well, someone get on the phone.’

They heard the ambulance siren and Jack turned to Bryony. ‘Call Tom,’ he said urgently. ‘I don’t know whether there’s a problem with the baby, but we’re not taking any chances and I want your brother here.’

Without questioning his decision, Bryony hurried to the phone and called her brother and then hurried to Resus where the paramedics had taken Ellie.

Jack and Sean were already examining her thoroughly.

‘Is Tom coming?’ Jack was giving Ellie oxygen, clearly concerned about the baby.

‘He’s in Theatre, doing an emergency section,’ Bryony told him, trying to hide her shock at seeing Ellie on the trolley. Her face was paper white and her blonde hair was matted with blood. ‘He’ll be down as soon as he can.’

Jack nodded and touched Ellie on the shoulder, lifting the mask away from her face for a moment. ‘You’re going to be fine, Ellie,’ he said softly. ‘The scalp wound is quite superficial. How are you feeling?’

‘Worried about the baby,’ Ellie said weakly, her normal exuberance extinguished by the shock of the accident and the pain she was in. ‘Has someone called Ben?’