CHAPTER ONE

      HE WAS lying to her.

      It was as obvious as the stain of colour that instantly heated Kathryn Mercer’s cheeks, and her discomfort increased as the lie hung in the air between them. It was taking on a life of its own with a past history they shared, a present embarrassment they were both clearly experiencing and the shine taken off a future that Kathryn had been eagerly anticipating.

      Was he trustworthy?

      Kathryn deposited her small backpack with personal supplies for her first day at work in the allocated locker and took a little more time than she actually needed to push it securely into the small space and fold the strap ends away so they wouldn’t catch in the door.

      ‘That’s about all there is in here.’ Paramedic Tim McGrath was not looking at Kathryn as she stowed her bag. ‘There’s a shower and toilet through that door but it’s unisex. If you want one that’s women only you’ll need to go upstairs to the bedroom area.’

      A seed of resentment bloomed as she heard the echo of the lie.

      ‘Sorry, I couldn’t ring. I…lost your phone number.’

      Kathryn shut the locker with a firm clang of metal on metal. It shouldn’t be a big deal so why was she feeling so crushed? She’d only met Tim on that one occasion, months ago, in a situation that had been emotionally charged for everyone involved. What evidence had she really had to build such a picture of someone who could be trusted?

      ‘Here’s the office.’ Tim was still avoiding eye contact as he led Kathryn away from the locker room. ‘We have a separate area from the fire service for administration stuff. We share the commonroom and kitchen facilities, though.’

      The let-down was refusing to fade. Kathryn had remembered Tim as some kind of hero—arriving at an emergency and taking charge calmly and skilfully. A professional picture impressive enough to have lured her into a new career. The desire to be like him had been strong enough to carry her through all the obstacles she had faced in changing jobs. And those obstacles had been enough to make it no small triumph that she was standing here today. No wonder her nervous excitement was making her over-sensitive.

      A burst of deep male laughter could be heard well away from the small office as Kathryn nodded at various instructions she was being given about using the phone, fax machine and computer. Kathryn had arrived early for her first day at Inglewood station but a shift changeover was due shortly and there would be two fire crews and another ambulance crew somewhere on site. Possibly all male. Kathryn sucked in a deep breath to try and quell any nerves. Maybe Sean was right and she would find herself totally unsuitable for work like this.

      Tim looked up at the sound of laughter and Kathryn thought she detected some relief in the knowledge they weren’t alone in this old converted house. ‘I’ll introduce you to the mob if you’re ready. We could grab a quick cup of coffee before we go and check the truck. Any questions so far?’

      Harbouring a suspicion that he was untrustworthy was hardly the best way to break the ice with the man who would be her partner and hopefully her mentor for the next six months. Kathryn pushed a wayward tendril of blond hair behind her ear and smiled.

      ‘Not right now but I’m sure I’ll be a nuisance for the rest of the day. This is all so new.’

      ‘You’re a nurse, though, aren’t you?’ Tim glanced at the qualification patch on the sleeve of Kathryn’s white shirt. ‘Isn’t that why you’re already qualified for IV and cardiac procedures even though you’re in a probationary position?’

      Kathryn nodded. ‘I worked in Emergency when I first qualified, but for the last