He wiped the mud from his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket. ‘I’m not much of a talker, you know that.’ He reached out a hand and touched Fraser’s head. ‘You did well. How are you feeling now?’
‘OK.’ Fraser looked at him and something passed between them. An understanding. ‘Thanks.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Ethan said, a glimmer of a smile touching his usually serious face.
Logan looked at Kyla and then back at Ethan. ‘You two are filthy. Anyone would think you’d spent the evening scrabbling around in a dark tunnel. You’re a bad advert for the surgery. I’m the one on call so go home and have a shower. I’ll take over here but keep your phone switched on. If I need you, I’ll call.’
The storm struck at dawn.
Hearing a consistent hammering, Ethan woke from a restless sleep, wondering whether the wind was rattling the windows. Then he realised that the hammering was coming from the back door.
Trouble with Fraser?
He’d rung Logan before going to bed and his colleague had assured him that Fraser was sleeping and seemed comfortable. He’d been sick once but that was to be expected after a head injury and Logan hadn’t been unduly concerned. All his other signs were fine and they had been going to monitor him.
The hammering came again, louder this time, and Ethan forced himself out of bed.
Wondering what new crisis he was about to face, he tugged on a pair of jeans, jerked open the door and felt his entire body tense.
Kyla stood there, her face alight with excitement. ‘Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.’
Ethan pushed away the claws of sleep that were threatening to drag him down. ‘Something’s happened to Fraser? He was OK when I rang.’
‘As far as I know, he’s still OK. This isn’t about Fraser. It’s nothing to do with work.’ She held out a hand. ‘Come with me.’
‘Now?’
She smiled. ‘Now is the best time.’
‘It’s the middle of the night. There’s a storm building. It’s wild outside.’
‘It hasn’t even begun yet, and it’s dawn. There’s plenty of light.’ There was a strange gleam in her eyes. ‘Are you afraid, Ethan?’
Everything about her seemed vivid and full of life, and Ethan realised that the answer to her question should be yes. He was afraid.
But not of the storm. He was afraid of her. Of his feelings for her. Of where this wild, crazy chemistry was going to take them.
He still hadn’t told her the truth about himself.
‘There won’t be anything to see in this weather. It’s raining and the visibility is zero.’
‘Now you’re talking like an Englishman.’ She thrust his coat into his hands and opened the front door. The wind tried to slam it shut again but Kyla leaned against it with her shoulders and zipped up her jacket. ‘I hope you’re feeling fit, Ethan.’
‘Where are we going?’ They were outside now and he had to shout to make himself heard above the screaming, howling wind. It slammed into them as they left the cottage, as if fiercely angry that anyone should dare to venture into its territory.
‘Back up to the castle. Only this time we’re walking.’
‘Sorry?’ He shot her an incredulous look, wondering what had happened to her. ‘Kyla, we just came from there.’
‘This is different. You said that you hadn’t seen the ruins.’
‘There’s a storm and it’s not even fully light yet.’
‘It’s the best time. Trust me.’
This time she ignored the car and crossed the road towards the grassy hill that led to the ruins, her hair blowing across her face.
The jagged outline of the castle was barely visible through the driving rain, and Ethan grimaced and wiped the water from his eyes as the spray of the sea mixed with the rain. He tasted salt, felt the air sting his cheeks and looked at Kyla in disbelief.