Jenna lifted her chin. ‘You’re wasting time. We’ll be fine, Ryan. We’ll climb a little higher and the helicopter will be back for us soon. They’re ready for you.’ She watched, drymouthed, as the winchman landed on the rocks. ‘Go.’ To make it easier for both of them, she turned away and picked her way over the rocks to Lexi.

The girl was shivering, although whether it was from the cold or shock, Jenna didn’t know.

She was shivering, too.

‘They’ll be back for us ever so quickly. You did so well, Lexi. I was so proud of you.’ She wrapped her arms around her daughter and rubbed the girl’s back, trying to stop the shivering. ‘Oh, you’re soaked through, you poor thing. How long have you been in that water? You must be freezing.’

‘Is Matt going to die, Mum?’ Lexi’s teeth were chattering and her long hair fell in wet ropes around her shoulders. ‘There was so much blood—’

‘That’s because the seawater made it seem like more.’ Jenna’s protective instincts flooded to the surface as she heard the fear in Lexi’s voice and decided this was one of those times when it was best to be economical with the truth. ‘He isn’t going to die. He is seriously injured, and he’s going to be spending quite a bit of time in hospital, but he’ll be all right, I’m sure. Largely thanks to you. How did you do it, Lexi? How did you climb down here?’ Her stomach tightened at the thought.

‘He was just lying there, Mum. I had to do something.’

Jenna hugged her tightly. ‘You saved his life.’

‘Not me. Ryan.’ Lexi hugged her back. ‘Did you see him come down that cliff face, Mum? It was like watching one of those special forces movies. Commandos or something.’

‘Yes, I saw.’ Jenna closed her eyes, trying to wipe out the image of her daughter negotiating those deadly, slippery rocks without a rope.

‘And he knew exactly what to do—’

‘Yes.’

Lexi gave a sniff and adjusted her position on the rock. ‘He’s so cool. And you were good, too, Mum. I’ve never seen you work before. I didn’t know you were so—I dunno—so great.’

Jenna smiled weakly. ‘It’s amazing what you can do when the tide is coming in.’

‘You and Ryan get on well together. You look like—a team.’

Jenna stilled. Had Lexi guessed that her relationship with Ryan had deepened into something more? ‘We are a team. A professional team,’ she said firmly, and Lexi lifted her head.

‘Do you like him, Mum?’

Oh, no, not now. ‘Of course I like him. I think he’s an excellent doctor and—’