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Sean stepped forward. ‘Try getting rid of me,’ he said gruffly, taking Ellie’s hand in his. ‘Let’s get her up to the labour ward and get this baby out.’

Everything happened swiftly after that.

Sean and Jack transferred Ellie up to the labour ward while Tom phoned around and called in the assistance of the top anaesthetist and two paediatricians, and then he sprinted up to Theatre after them.

Bryony and Nicky cleared up Resus, both of them quiet and worried about Ellie. They were still talking quietly, enjoying a brief lull in the usual run of patients, when Ben strode into Resus, his face drawn with worry.

‘Where is she?’

‘In Theatre on the labour ward,’ Bryony said immediately. ‘Tom is sectioning her.’

Ben sprinted back out of the room and Nicky sighed.

‘There goes a man in love. I remember when those two met. Ellie just wouldn’t let the man say no. Now he can barely let her out of his sight.’

‘Ellie will be fine,’ Bryony said firmly. ‘Tom is a brilliant obstetrician.’

She had every faith in her brother, and every faith in Jack. Surely there was no way that anything could happen to Ellie or her baby?

‘To baby MacAllister, as yet unnamed, and to Jack and Tom—’ Sean raised his glass ‘—and a job well done.’

The whole mountain rescue team was gathered in the Drunken Fox to celebrate the safe arrival of Ben and Ellie’s little boy.

Despite being just over four weeks early, he was doing well and was with Ellie on the ward.

Tom slung an arm round Jack’s shoulders, his expression solemn. ‘Just a question of knowing how, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Absolutely.’ Jack nodded sagely. ‘That and natural brilliance.’

Tom reached for his beer. ‘And years of training.’

‘And finely honed instincts.’

Bryony rolled her eyes. ‘And massive egos.’ She looked at Sean. ‘Better book two extra places at the Christmas party just to make room.’

There was general laughter and the conversation switched to the annual Christmas bash.

Bryony slid onto a barstool. ‘So it’s tomorrow night?’

‘The venue has changed,’ Sean told everyone, and Bryony frowned when she heard where it was.

‘But that’s miles away.’

‘Over the other side of the valley,’ Sean agreed, ‘and if the weather carries on like this we’ll have to all go in the four-wheel-drives or we’ll be stuck in snowdrifts.’

‘That would make a good newspaper headline,’ Tom said mildly. ‘ENTIRE MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM

RESCUED FROM SNOWDRIFT.’

‘It would be too embarrassing for words,’ Jack agreed with a mock shudder, ‘and it isn’t going to happen.’

‘Think of his ego,’ Bryony said seriously, her blue eyes wide. ‘It might never recover from the shock of such a public humiliation. It might shrivel to nothing.’

Sean finished his drink. ‘We’ll meet at the rescue centre at seven and go from there.’

‘Bryony and I don’t finish work until seven.’ Jack reached for his jacket. ‘I’ll drive her there in the Ferrari.’

Sean gaped at him. ‘You’re taking your Ferrari out on these roads? You’ll land it in a ditch.’