Read The Doctor's Christmas Bride for Free Online

have to get used to that,’ she said, raising her mug in the air. ‘Cheers. To my future.’
    Her mother lifted her mug in response. ‘May it turn out the way you want it to,’ she said cryptically, and Bryony let out a long breath.
    She wasn’t really sure what she wanted.
    But she knew Lizzie needed a daddy.
     
    The next morning she was woken by her pager.
    ‘Is that a callout?’ Lizzie was by her bed in a flash, her eyes huge. ‘Is someone in trouble on the mountain?’
    Bryony picked up her pager and was reading the message when the phone rang. Lizzie grabbed it immediately.
    ‘Hunter household, Elizabeth Hunter speaking,’ she said formally, the angle of her chin suggesting that she was very proud of herself. She listened for a moment and then a smile spread across her face. ‘Hello, Jack! Yes, Mummy’s right here… I’ll tell her. Will I see you later?’
    Bryony pulled on her clothes and sprinted to the bathroom to clean her teeth. By the time she’d finished, Lizzie was off the phone.
    ‘There’s a party of Duke of Edinburgh Award boys overdue,’ she said importantly. ‘They’re sending out the whole team but Sean wants you and Jack to be an advance party. Jack is picking you up in five minutes.’
    ‘Five minutes.’ Bryony hurried through to the kitchen, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and dropped some bread in the toaster. ‘Get your school things, sweetheart. Jack and I will drop you atGrandma’s on the way past and she can take you to school.’
    Lizzie sprinted off and Bryony sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she had her mother close by. How did single parents manage without mothers?
    By the time Jack hammered on the door, Lizzie was dressed and was standing by the door with her school-bag, munching toast.
    She stood on tiptoe and opened the door.
    ‘Hi, there.’ Jack stooped and swung her into his arms, squeezing her tightly. ‘Are we dropping you with Grandma?’
    ‘We certainly are.’ Bryony walked into the hall and picked up her rucksack and the other bits and pieces that she’d piled by the door, avoiding Jack’s gaze. She was grateful that Lizzie was there. At least it prevented her from having to continue the conversation from the night before.
    She was still hurt and angry by Jack’s response to her announcement that she was going to start dating.
    They piled into the mountain rescue vehicle and Jack drove down the lane that led to Bryony’s cottage and turned onto the main road.
    ‘So what’s the story?’ Bryony twisted her blonde hair into a ponytail and pushed it under a woolly hat. Then she rummaged in her bag for her gloves.
    Jack kept his eyes on the road. ‘Two boys have been reported overdue. They should have been back down last night but they didn’t appear.’
    Bryony frowned. ‘So why did no one call the team last night?’
    ‘They were camping and didn’t leave their planswith anyone so no one noticed until their friends stumbled into camp this morning and raised the alarm. The weather was foul last night, which is doubtless why Sean is worried.’
    Lizzie stared at him, her eyes huge. ‘Have they called the helicopter?’
    ‘Yes, sweetheart.’ Jack glanced at her with a smile. ‘But the weather is pretty awful so Sean, the MRT leader, wants your mum and me to get going up that mountain in case we can help.’
    ‘Why do you and Mummy always go together?’
    Jack turned his attention back to the road and pulled the vehicle up outside Bryony’s mother’s house. ‘Because your mum and I have always worked together in the mountain rescue team,’ he said lightly. ‘When your mum trained, I was her buddy. I looked after her.’
    ‘And you still look after her,’ Lizzie said happily, jumping down from the vehicle and grabbing her school-bag.
    ‘I don’t need looking after,’ Bryony said crossly, glaring at Jack and calling after Lizzie, ‘Sweetheart, ask Grandma to give you some more breakfast. I’ll see you later.’
    They waited