Caught by the Tide Ch. 06

"Does Daniel know?"

"Not yet."

"You're going to tell him?"

"I don't know." I rubbed at my aching temples, closing my eyes. "Maybe."

"What about the other guy? Are you still seeing him?"

Hearing the frank curiosity in Sarah's tone, I couldn't repress a choke of bitter laughter. "No. And I doubt I'll ever see him again. It was just a one night thing."

"When?"

I sighed. So much had happened in the last week it felt like it could've been a year ago. "When I was in Cornwall."

There was a pause. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Puzzled she hadn't heard me, I opened my eyes. "In Cornwall. The night before Mum had her heart attack."

There was a rather odd expression on my sister's face. "So let me get this straight," she said slowly. "You slept with another man on the Friday night before Mum had her heart attack?"

"Yes." I stared at her, unable to decipher the strange looks she was giving me.

"The week after you should have got married?"

"Yes!" Dear God, was her brain reallythat pickled?

"The weekafter you found out that Daniel had been sleeping with another woman and called off the wedding?"

"Sis, you're scaring me," I muttered uncertainly.

"Not half as much as you're scaring me. Come on." And looking grimly determined, she slid her arm through mine. "We're going to take that walk now and you're going to tell me all about it."

*

Sarah regarded me solemnly over the rim of her polystyrene cup. "You can't be serious? I'm not allowed to know his name?"

I shook my head, the sense of relief at having finally shared my guilty secret almost overwhelming. "No way. I know you. You'll do something stupid like look him up on the internet." And believe me, I'd already thought of doing it...

"Of course!" she exclaimed, clutching my arm, making me slop my own cup of tea. "That's what you should do. You'd probably find him really easily--"

"No, Sarah! Just stop it, will you? He made it really clear that he wasn't interested in having a relationship. It was just a one night stand."

We were sitting on one of the park benches that lined a quadrangle of grass, buildings surrounding us on all sides, the paths dotted with pots of spring flowers. I don't think either of us had expected to discover such a haven of tranquillity slap bang in the middle of the hospital--we'd taken a wrong turn shortly after visiting the WRVS coffee shop. And given the area was deserted save for us, it seemed no one else knew about it either.

"Butwhat a one night stand." Sarah's eyes looked misty--and I hadn't told her even half of what happened. "It sounds so romantic."

I attempted a snort, not wanting to admit that it was. "Your hormones are completely up the spout."

"You should've left him a message at hotel reception. At least given him the choice of getting in touch with you if he wanted to."

"Oh right. And how was I supposed to do that with Daniel right beside me?"

She gave me a withering look. "Like that should've made any difference. You aren't with him anymore, remember? If that'd been me, I'd have rubbed his nose right in it. Let him know that I'd found someone else--"

"No, you wouldn't." I swallowed, looking down into my tea. There was a fly in it--and it wasn't swimming. "You'd have done exactly what I did. You'd have felt exactly like I did. I couldn't think straight, okay? All I could think about was Mum."

"Okay, okay," Sarah conceded. "Maybe you're right." Her voice softened suddenly. "But you do understand that what you did was completely different to what Daniel did, don't you?"

I wanted to. "How was it different? I was going tomarry Daniel. How could I do something like that so soon--so soon after we were supposed to get married?"

"Oh honey." She sighed. "That's the thing about falling in love. You can't control it. You can't decide when it's going to happen."

Shocked, I jerked up my head. "Who said anything about falling in love?"

My sister grinned. "You did. Just now. While you were telling me what happened."

I stared at her, aghast. "But I never even mentioned the word 'love'--"

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face. You should have seen the look in your eyes when you were talking about the guy."

"What?" I started to laugh. "Sarah--we spent one night together.One night!"

"Whatever." She gave me a knowing smile then glanced down at her watch, sobering quickly. "I guess we should make our way back upstairs and keep Graham company. We've been here hours."

I let Sarah lead the way, trailing slightly in her wake as I continued to ponder her suggestion I'd fallen in love with Luke. Of course I hadn't. The idea was absurd. I'd fallen in lust, certainly--but not in love. Though there'd been an immediate connection between us, a bond even I couldn't deny. And it'd started the moment he rescued me from the rising tide, the moment I'd clambered up those rocks towards his outstretched arms...

"Oh good, you're back," Graham said, looking mightily relieved to see us as we turned into the relatives' lounge. "I was about to call you. One of the nurses just came to say they're bringing her up right now--"

But even as he spoke, I heard movement outside and swinging around to look I saw a throng of people. "Mum?" I gasped, running out into the hall but finding I couldn't see her, the moving trolley surrounded by staff in surgical scrubs. It was only when they reached the entrance to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit that I finally caught a glimpse and for a moment I couldn't believe it was her.

"Oh God," I breathed, tears filling my eyes as I hurried after them, seeing all the portable machinery surrounding her in the trolley, the bags of fluid hanging above, the tangle of tubes and wires emerging from beneath the sheet that covered her tiny looking body, yet another tube partially obscuring her face. "Ohno. Wait--"

"It's okay, sweetie." I felt a hand on my shoulder and startled, I turned to see that one of the group had dropped back to prevent me from following the small procession through the doors. "You'll be able to see her soon, I promise," she added gently, her Scottish lilt reassuring . "My name's Caitlin--I'm one of the intensive care nurses who'll be looking after her. We just need to get her settled in, all right?"

"Did the operation go well?"

I jumped at the sound of Graham's voice, turning to find him right behind me, Sarah clinging to his hand.

"The surgeon will be up to talk to you soon. He'll be able to take you through what happened and what will happen now, okay?" Caitlin gave us another smile then started moving towards the doors herself. "Shouldn't be too long now."

After she disappeared, I watched as Graham swept his distraught-looking wife into a hug, realising I was trembling. I'd been scared the first time I'd thought my mother was going to die. But when she'd made such good progress, when she'd been on the verge of coming home, I'd dared to believe everything would be all right. Back in the grip of cold fear just ten days later I felt more helpless then ever.

"Becca!" I swivelled around to see Daniel running towards us, his face taut with concern. "I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around me and dragging me tightly against him. "I left my phone at the flat--I didn't see your messages until I got home just now--"

"It's okay," I murmured, not fighting the embrace, closing my eyes as I leaned against him. "They just brought her back from theatre. Daniel, you should've s-seen her--"

"OhBecca..." I felt the brush of his mouth against my temple as I broke down into sobs, his arms tightening around me, for once providing the comfort I needed so badly. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

"It's okay," I muttered again automatically. "You're h-here now, that's all that matters--" But as I clung to him like a life-raft, trying to draw strength, I heard Sarah calling my name.

"Mrs Ashmore's family?" a familiar male voice said, the sound coming from right in front of me.

And as my eyes shot open, the breath catching in my throat as I peered over Daniel's shoulder, I found myself staring at the surgeon.

Staring straight into the piercing blue eyes of Luke Foster...

*

Well, it had to be Luke, didn't it? :)

Thank you so much for your votes and comments--I've been completely overwhelmed by the response to this story. So although I should now be getting on with my exam revision, I'm going to try and get some writing done at the same time, just so I don't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter. Please bear with me--I promise to keep writing as fast as I can!

Your votes and comments on this chapter are much appreciated.

Lily -x-