Er Doc's Forever Gift. Sue MacKay

began to rule despite her worry about what she might say next. But the fog didn’t take over as it had earlier. Had she run out of puff? Or was it that she was awake enough that images of her neighbour were rolling in? Leading her into temptation? As if. Stuck out here was so not the place for anything other than waiting to be lifted off.

      Harrison sat beside her, his long legs stretched out, his hands relaxed on his thighs. Hard to ignore. He was more than attractive. There was something dependable about him that activated all her buttons when she stopped thinking how exasperating he could be. The pounding started up again in her skull. Not Harrison’s fault. Not even thoughts about him were to blame. She was falling asleep.

      Falling. Over and over.

      Sienna awoke with a jerk, and groaned.

      ‘Hey, easy.’ That hand she was getting inordinately fond of touched her good shoulder.

      Something niggled from her dream. ‘What if no one had seen me go off the edge of the road?’

      ‘Let’s not go there. You were seen and here I am.’

      She could have broken her back, been left for days till someone found her, or worse.

       ‘You need to relax, my girl. Spread your wings and fly.’

      Sienna’s eyes flew open. Her father was right. She had been missing out on so much. What if she had broken her back? That would finish everything. This had been a wake-up call she needed to heed. ‘Bring that wine over the first time we’re both at home.’ Then she’d return the favour a few days later. If they got on well enough to repeat the date. Date? Not likely. Calling that a date only underlined how sad her life had become. Whether or not they had anything else to do with each other afterwards, spending an hour with Harrison meant she’d be making a start on getting out there to do things she’d only ever thought about. How was this for another? ‘I’m going to sign up for flying lessons.’ Plummeting down a hillside had a lot to answer for. But if that had gone horribly wrong there wouldn’t be any crazy ideas to put into action.

      ‘You want to become a private pilot?’ Bafflement darkened Harry’s voice. Then he reached for her wrist again. Did he think she was slipping into gaga land because of that knock on her head? He could be right, but she didn’t think so.