Free A Mother for Matilda by Amy Andrews Page A

She’d known Lawson to knock down a wall when Matilda’s cat somehow managed to give birth to kittens in the wall space of their house. ‘Exactly. Stop treating me like I’m a still a child, Lawson. I’m a paramedic. This is what I do.’
    ‘No. This is not your job. It’s Rescue’s job.’
    Vic glared at him. She got why he thought it was dangerous. She knew from her childhood adventures the rocks would be slippery and therefore potentially fatal. But when was he going to see her as a grown-up? ‘Today, right now, with Rescue miles away, it is.’
    Lawson felt ill. A hundred worst-case scenarios raced through his mind. ‘As your superior officer, I forbid you to do this.’ He felt about as low as he could get.
    Vic couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Heat rose in her face as the men around her shifted uncomfortably and looked at their feet. She looked at his impenetrable face and threw out one last-ditch appeal.
    ‘Lawson, I made a promise to Annie. If this was Matilda’s dog, if I made a promise to Tilly, wouldn’t you want me to keep it? Let me do this, Lawson. I’m a big girl. I can do it.’
    Lawson knew she was right. And if it were anybody else—male, female or alien—as long as they fitted through the hole, he would have tied the rope himself. But the thought of her getting hurt was too much to bear. He was supposed to look out for her, not let her take unnecessary risks.
    ‘Lawson.’ She placed her hand on his sleeve. ‘Please have some faith in me.’
    Lawson could see his perceived lack of faith hurt her and the plea in her voice travelled straight to his core, like a burning arrow tip singeing his flesh as it went. It meant so much to her. Could he deny her this?
    Stan arrived back with a harness and a helmet and everyone looked at Lawson expectantly. ‘All right. But one slip and you’re out of there.’
    Had she not been standing on a narrow rocky shelf with the roiling ocean not far from her feet, Vic mightwell have hugged him. But there was no time for that anyway so she climbed into the harness and helmet Stan had delivered instead and waited impatiently while Lawson took for ever to fuss with the ropes.
    ‘Lawson,’ she chided. ‘Enough already. The tide is coming in.’
    Lawson gave the ropes one last yank, checked her helmet was securely fastened, shoved a torch in her belt and sent her on her way. ‘Make sure you can come back out again before you step in there proper,’ he instructed, taking up first position on the rope just outside the opening of the crevice.
    The others fell in behind him, each grasping a section of rope. Lawson sent one of the policemen up to the top where Bella had fallen in so he could have another pair of eyes on Victoria.
    Victoria slipped through the narrow space. It was a bit of a squeeze but she managed it okay both ways. ‘I’m going in.’
    ‘Be careful,’ he warned.
    She nodded and turned away. His gaze had lit with a startling fierceness and she didn’t need that as she attempted the potentially treacherous trek. She’d rather focus on her anger at him for coddling her, for treating her with kid gloves. It would keep her determined.
    The air inside the cave was dank and salty. Light filtered in through the many small holes in the walls eroded away over the years but it was still significantly darker. ‘Hey, Bella,’ she called, inching slowly forward on the narrow ledge she found herself on, concentrating on each footfall. ‘I’m coming, girl. I’ll be there soon.’
    The answering whine was comforting and gave her a focus in the ever-encroaching dark. She stopped and fumbled for the torch, flicking it on. The sucking noise of the sea creeping up the ledge seemed less ominous in the torchlight.
    Lawson’s pulse thundered through his head as he watched her slow creep forward, ready to snap hard on the rope should she stumble. He couldn’t hear a thing over his heart rate and the noise of the surf as he concentrated on her