Rapid Response. Jennifer Taylor

There’s just a dozen rungs to climb then you and your baby will be safe.’

      Charity took a shuddering breath and placed her foot back on the rung. ‘I can do this,’ she muttered. ‘I can climb up this ladder.’

      ‘Be careful, won’t you?’

      Ben touched her on the arm and Holly felt her heart leap when she saw the concern in his eyes. How many times had she seen him looking at her that very same way? she thought wonderingly.

      ‘Josh is up top and I’m sure he’s only too eager to give you a helping hand but don’t rush. We don’t need any more problems to contend with at the moment.’

      The acerbic note in his voice when he mentioned the paramedic might have gone unnoticed by most people but not by her. No way. Holly bristled with resentment. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean? Do you have a problem with me and Josh?’

      ‘Not at all.’ His smile made a mockery of what she’d been thinking earlier. She didn’t need to hear the indifference in his voice to know that she’d been mad to imagine Ben still cared about her. He never really had cared, if the truth be told, and the proof of that was the way he had dumped her so callously. It was an effort to hide her hurt when he continued.

      ‘As you pointed out, Holly, it’s not my place to comment on what you do.’

      ‘No, it isn’t. I’m glad you realise that.’

      She didn’t say anything else because there wasn’t time. Charity had moved up another rung and Holly quickly followed. They had to stop when another contraction began but it wasn’t long before they were able to carry on. However, it was a relief when they reached the top of the ladder where there were people waiting to help the young mother the rest of the way.

      Josh grabbed hold of Holly’s arm when she scrambled out onto the side of the coach and stood there, blinking. It seemed so bright outside after the gloom inside the coach that she couldn’t focus for a moment.

      ‘Are you OK, Holly?’

      The concern in the handsome young paramedic’s voice was wonderfully soothing after her recent spat with Ben and she smiled warmly. ‘I’m fine now, thank you very much.’

      ‘Good!’ Josh gave her a quick hug then went to supervise as Charity was helped down to the ground. A plastic chute had been set up against the coach and Charity was able to slide down it without too much difficulty.

      Holly sighed as she watched Josh helping the girl to a waiting ambulance. Had her response had been a bit too warm just now? She didn’t want to give Josh the wrong idea, especially not when it might upset Ben…

      ‘Damn, damn, damn!’

      The curses sprang from her lips when she realised what she was doing again. Even after everything that had happened, she was still considering Ben’s feelings! She swung round when she heard someone laugh and saw Nicky climbing out of the coach.

      ‘Tut, tut, is that really the kind of language a well brought-up young lady should use?’ Nicky grinned at her. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had man trouble, Holly Daniels.’

      ‘Not a chance,’ Holly retorted. ‘I’ve too much sense to let any man cause me grief.’

      Nicky whistled in admiration. ‘I wish I had your attitude. I keep telling myself that I need to toughen up but I’m such a marshmallow when it comes to affairs of the heart. I envy you, Hol, really I do, although I hope poor Josh realises what he’s letting himself in for.’

      ‘I wouldn’t dream of deliberately hurting Josh, or anyone else for that matter,’ Holly denied in dismay.

      ‘Oh, I know that! And I didn’t mean to imply that you would. It’s just that you have your life all worked out and refuse to be messed about.’ Nicky smiled placatingly. ‘I’m hoping to learn a lot from you while we’re flat-sharing. If I can get my act together like you’ve done, Holly, then I’ll be a happy bunny!’

      Holly sighed as Nicky disappeared down the chute. Nicky seemed to think that her life was perfect but it was a long way away from being that. She may have achieved a certain stability recently but that could change now Ben was back on the scene. She might claim to be over him but if that was true, why did she feel so on edge? Was it possible that she still felt something for him?

      She glanced round as another paramedic appeared with a stretcher that would be used to move the driver, suddenly glad that she didn’t have the time to answer that question right then. She quickly made her way back inside the coach and discovered that the fire crew had finally freed the driver. Between them they managed to shift him onto the stretcher. However, getting him out of the coach proved to be a major task. The stretcher had to be hauled out through the window with the aid of ropes and it was a worrying time for everyone concerned.

      Ben heaved a sigh of relief as they watched the ambulance roar away with its sirens wailing. He looked almost as exhausted as she felt but there was a gleam in his eyes that she’d seen many times before, a light that sprang from satisfaction at a job well done. Her heart knocked against her ribs because she didn’t want to think about the past right then.

      ‘That seems to be it, then. Everyone accounted for so it’s back to base now, I think.’

      ‘Sounds like a good idea to me.’ She treated him to a brief smile then quickly made her way back to where she’d left the motorbike. She wasn’t going to fall into the trap again. The past was the past and she refused to keep harping on about it all the time. She had got over Ben—ages ago! The only way he could gain any power over her now was if she let him back into her life and that simply wasn’t going to happen. To put it bluntly, Ben Carlisle was history!