Hot-Shot Doc, Christmas Bride / Christmas At Rivercut Manor

by Joanna Neil / Gill Sanderson

  She laughed, thrilled at the opportunity he was giving her to go and visit her gran. ‘Oh, definitely.’ She raised her eyes heavenward. ‘As though I can afford a top-of-the-range model…Katie will be so jealous.’

  ‘Not really. She begged a lift to town the other day. Katie’s not backward in coming forward, you know.’ He turned to Fraser. ‘How about you, Fraser? Do you want to come along with us?’

  ‘Yes…please. Definitely.’ He raised his brows. ‘I wasn’t actually going to let you take Alison without inviting myself along.’

  ‘That’s settled, then.’ Josh zipped up the front of his soft brown leather jacket. ‘You get yourselves ready to leave, while I go and have a quick word with Tom about the interview I’ve lined up for him at the hospital. It’s all set for tomorrow, so I hope he doesn’t mind losing part of Sunday morning.’

  Alison stared at him, open-mouthed. ‘So soon? How did you manage that?’

  ‘I spoke to the maintenance supervisor about it yesterday. He has to work tomorrow. There’s a particular check that needs to be done, so he’s going in early. He said he’d talk to Tom and find out if he has the right qualifications for the job. As an engineer, and from what you’ve told me, I’m sure he has.’

  Alison circled her hands around his arm, tugging him towards her. ‘It’s so good of you to do this. What made you decide to help him?’

  Josh made a wry face. ‘He looks after you, doesn’t he? He helped you out with your plumbing problems, and made sure that your car was back on the road…Not to mention he keeps an eye on you to make sure that you’re okay. I think he deserves a bit of luck, don’t you?’

  ‘I certainly do.’ She smiled up at him and he bent towards her, moving closer, as though he was about to kiss her. His arm brushed against the curve of her breast, and even though she was wearing a soft fleece jacket she felt the shockwaves reverberate throughout her body.

  ‘If you two are going to get soppy, I’m going inside,’ Fraser said, heading towards the kitchen door.

  Alison recovered herself in a giddy instant. What was she doing? Hadn’t she sworn off men? Allowing herself to be drawn in by his easy-going, friendly manner was a dangerous game. It could lead her down all sorts of heartbreaking pathways.

  Her wayward thoughts were interrupted, though, as just then Chaser decided he’d had enough of running around. Panting with exhilaration from his exercise, and the sheer joy of living, he came and stood beside them, his coat covered in snowflakes. Clearly that didn’t suit him, and the next minute he started shaking himself so vigorously that icy droplets showered in all directions.

  Alison gave a yelp as she was sprayed liberally with ice water. ‘No, no!’ she said. ‘Stop that right now, Chaser.’

  Josh straightened, giving her a rueful smile. ‘I’ll go and see Tom,’ he said. ‘I expect he’ll be back from the news-agent’s shop by now.’

  They were ready to set off on their journey within the half-hour. Alison had gathered up a few things that she thought Gran might like…magazines, a couple of paperback books and a tin of sweets. Fraser had added his own choice—a bunch of flowers from the corner shop, wrapped in cellophane, with their stalks dipped in moist cotton wool fastened tightly within a polythene bag.

  ‘Do you think they’ll survive the journey?’ he asked, frowning.

  ‘I should imagine so,’ Alison said. ‘Aren’t they beautiful? She loves carnations and chrysanthemums, especially in those soft colours.’

  Fraser looked pleased. It was the first time he’d seemed happy all morning.

  The roads were every bit as bad as she’d predicted, clogged with snow in parts, but clear where the snow ploughs had been busy. Josh was a careful driver, though, and his car covered the miles with ease. Alison sat back in the passenger seat, enjoying the luxurious feel of leather upholstery. It would be great to be reunited with her family.

  When they arrived at the hospital, her parents hurried to meet them in the reception area. ‘The nurse told us you were here,’ Alison’s mother said, coming to give them a hug. ‘Your grandad’s stayed in the waiting room to be near to your gran.’ She looked at Josh and added, ‘Thank you so much for bringing Alison and Fraser to us. We’ve been so worried about my mother, but I know she’ll want to see her grandchildren. Having them here will help her to recover, I’m sure of it.’

  Alison went to embrace her father. ‘How is she?’ she asked. ‘Mum said they had taken her to the operating theatre. Is she still there?’

  ‘No, they’ve taken her to the recovery room, but they’re not allowing us to see her yet. They say her blood pressure is low, and they have to work with her for a while to bring her out of the anaesthetic.’

  Alison frowned and looked briefly at Josh, anxiety sparking in her eyes. ‘Sometimes that can happen,’ she said.

  ‘The nurse said it would be some time before we can see her. Maybe an hour or more.’ Her mother looked worried.

  Josh had been staying back, out of the way of the family circle, but now he came to stand beside Alison and laid an arm lightly about her shoulders. A fleeting moment of understanding passed between them. Having him here with her to lend support was comforting.

  ‘Did they say what kind of operation she’d had?’ he asked.

  ‘They had to put pins in the bone to support the break,’ Alison’s father said. ‘The doctor said that sometimes they have to replace the joint, but he was hoping that he might be able to preserve hers. They haven’t really said much to us as yet. I think they’re more worried about bringing her round.’

  Alison pressed her lips together and tried not to let her family see her fear. All manner of things might have happened. She might have lost too much blood, or the whole episode might have placed too much of a strain on her heart. Josh’s fingers curled around her shoulder, holding her by his side and silently letting her know that he understood what she was going through. Her grandmother wasn’t strong, and the shock of breaking her hip could have caused huge problems. Surgery would have added to that.

  ‘Perhaps we should go and get a cup of coffee while we wait for news?’ Josh suggested.

  Alison’s mother nodded. ‘And then Fraser can tell us why he’s been sent down from university. I can’t believe that this has happened.’ She gave her son a long look. ‘And you a straight A student.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s unbelievable.’

  Fraser looked glum. ‘I knew you wouldn’t believe I was innocent,’ he said.

  ‘Of course we believe you, son,’ his father said. ‘We just need to know a few more details.’

  Alison glanced at Josh once more, wincing. This was not good. The last thing Fraser wanted just now was an inquisition.

  They headed towards the hospital cafeteria, and once in there Josh went to buy coffees for everyone. Alison picked out a tray of food, choosing items that everyone could share—sandwiches, flapjacks and fruit. She doubted anyone had eaten very much, judging by her parents’ weary features. Food would sustain them.

  ‘So you don’t even know if you’ll be able to go back to university next term?’ Alison’s father said a few minutes later, finishing off his cheese sandwich. He studied Fraser from across the table.

  Fraser shook his head. He was picking at his food, clearly wondering about the wisdom of coming here.

  ‘I would hope the Dean will think again about expelling Fraser,’ Josh said. ‘The idea for a study group was sound, and from what I gather it was only the actions of one or two people that caused things to go wrong.’

  ‘They used other people’s work,’ Fraser explained, swallowing his coffee as though that would give him strength. ‘That wasn’t the idea. But I don’t see why I should be blamed for their actions. There were plenty of other people who used the site in the way it was meant to be used. I’ve been singled out simply because I started it.’

  ‘Perhaps you ought to have known some students would take the opportunity to cheat.’ Her father frowned.

  Alison could see that he wa
s not entirely convinced, and somehow it seemed unfair that Fraser should be quizzed while she and Josh were listening in.

  She glanced at Josh. ‘I’d like to look around the local shops for a basket of fruit for Gran,’ she said. ‘There might even be somewhere within the hospital where I can find one. I know she probably won’t feel like eating for a while, but it’ll be there for her when she does.’

  He nodded. ‘I’ll go with you. I saw a couple of general stores as we drove in here. We’re right in the centre of town, so we don’t have far to go.’

  Alison stood up, laying a gentle hand on her brother’s shoulder. ‘We’ll be back in two ticks,’ she told her parents. ‘I want to be here when Gran’s up to seeing visitors.’

  Her mother nodded. ‘I’ll phone you if anything happens.’

  The air outside the hospital was crisp and clear, and Alison breathed in deeply, trying to rid herself of all the worry of the last couple of days. As she walked along the street with Josh towards the shops they passed by some children who were enjoying an impromptu snowball fight, and the sound of their laughter filled the air.

  Further along the street a man with a covered barrow was selling hot chestnuts, and Josh said, ‘Have you ever tasted these?’

  She shook her head. ‘Never. I’ve often wondered what they’re like.’

  Josh stopped and handed over a few coins, and the man scooped up a couple of dozen nuts from a rack above the hot coals, emptying them out into a paper bag.

  Josh thanked him and they moved on. He crushed a chestnut inside the paper, and Alison heard a faint cracking sound as the darker surface of the nut broke away.

  ‘You peel them—see,’ he said, and then offered her a palely golden nut, holding it to her lips. ‘Careful in case it’s hot,’ he warned. ‘When you bite into them they’re softer than you might imagine—a strange, creamy kind of texture.’

  It was somehow an oddly intimate experience…his fingertips just a breath away from her lips, the chestnut hovering within reach. Alison bit into it and savoured the taste in her mouth. ‘They’re slightly sweet, too,’ she murmured. ‘I hadn’t expected that.’

  They shared the chestnuts as they walked along, and the heat from them warmed her inside, adding to the gentle flame that was already glowing softly inside her. It was good to have him near. She felt that she was safe. He would protect her from the ills of the world. Nothing could go wrong while he was around.

  She stopped at a grocery store to buy a basket of fruit, filled with shiny red and green apples, bright oranges, bananas and succulent grapes. The wicker basket and its contents were packaged with cellophane and tied with ribbon. ‘I think she’ll like that, don’t you?’

  ‘I’m sure she will.’ Josh draped an arm around her, reaching for the basket with his free hand to carry it for her. ‘Your gran’s lucky to have so many people around her who care about her deeply.’

  ‘She’s always been there for us. I remember her helping me learn to ride my bike, and she used to let us help her whenever she baked cookies or cakes. She and my grandad have played a huge part in our lives. I was sad when we had to move away from the area because of my Dad’s job. It meant that we didn’t see them so often. But they still made the effort to come and see us, and we would go and visit them.’

  ‘It’s strange how people can have such different lives, isn’t it?’ He sent her an oblique glance. ‘You and I have had a totally different upbringing.’

  ‘Perhaps that’s why you’re so independent?’ She studied him briefly as they walked back towards the hospital. He lifted a quizzical brow and she explained, ‘You work as part of a team, but at the same time you’re definitely the boss. You’re self-assured, you take on the responsibility for other people, and you don’t seem to worry about what other people think. If you don’t want to do something you have no qualms about saying so. That must come from a background where you’ve been left to decide things for yourself, surely?’

  ‘Possibly. Though my stepfather tries to influence me wherever he can. He’s a surgeon in private practice, and I suppose it’s because of him that I became interested in taking up the profession.’

  ‘And is that why you followed him into private medicine?’

  ‘I suppose he showed me the way. He talked about the possibilities of my going to work in the States. I thought about it, but I’d done my training here, and I felt I needed to stay at least for a few years, give something back. After a while I began to realise that I could help people in some instances to gain access to treatment faster than they would if they waited for the health service to act. I don’t see anything wrong in doing that.’

  He looked at her as though she might disagree, and she hunched her shoulders and said, ‘I’m not going to argue with you on that score. You’ve been good enough to help me out today, not to mention giving Tom the chance of a job, so I couldn’t possibly do anything to upset you…no matter how much I disagree with your point of view.’

  He laughed and squeezed her shoulder, tugging her into close proximity with his long body. ‘So I can do practically anything I like, can I? Seeing as how my score sheet’s way high?’

  By now they had reached the environs of the hospital, and they crossed the main thoroughfare, heading towards a covered walkway that led towards the rear entrance and the cafeteria.

  ‘That depends what you have in mind,’ she murmured cautiously.

  He chuckled, drawing her into a deserted corner on the outside of the building, sheltered on all sides by three blank walls. He carefully placed the fruit basket down on the pavement and gently pulled her into his arms.

  ‘Something like this,’ he said, bending his head so that her lips were just a whisper away from his. ‘I’ve been wanting to do this all day.’

  His hands were moving over her as he spoke, slowly shaping the soft contours of her body, while his cheek lightly rubbed against hers. His mouth sought the ripe fullness of her lips as though he was giving her the chance to change her mind. She could have pulled away. She could have stopped things there and then. But she didn’t.

  She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel the warm, firm touch of his mouth on hers and discover once and for all whether the fire he’d stirred in her the last time he had kissed her had been a fluke.

  And then it was too late for any going back, because his lips were pressuring hers, brushing them apart, taking her on a slow, sweet journey of discovery. His body moved against her as he deepened the kiss, and every part of her turned to flame, responding to the tender invitation of his mouth and hands.

  His hands caressed and stroked, urging her closer to him, so that their bodies melded together, her softness crushed against his hard, male torso.

  Her hands lifted, curving around the back of his neck so that her fingers encountered the silk strands of his hair, and at the same time his arms folded around her, holding her even closer to him, if that were possible, so that her breasts were pressed against the wall of his chest and her thighs tangled with his.

  ‘Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me…how you make me feel?’ Josh’s voice was roughened, a husky, breathless sound from deep within his throat. He sounded surprised, almost, as though it had taken him unawares, and it was a heady feeling to know that she could have this effect on him.

  It was a two-way exchange. There was no mistaking the ripple of excitement that raced through her veins. What had happened the first time he’d kissed her was definitely no happy chance of fate. She had never felt this way before with any man. Josh alone had the power to send her spirits soaring heavenwards, there was no doubt about that.

  Was it possible that he could send her plummeting down to earth just as easily? She had travelled this way before, and found to her cost that emotions could be fickle.

  The errant thought crept up on her even as Josh reluctantly eased back from her. ‘Perhaps we should go inside,’ he murmured. ‘I can hear people coming.’

  She nodded, unable to trust her
self to speak just then, and as he glanced at her he must have realised something of what she was thinking.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he asked.

  She nodded. She bent down to pick up the basket and tried to brace herself for what might lie ahead. Gran was ill, coming round from surgery, and she needed to focus all her attention on that.

  ‘Did I step out of line?’ he murmured, as they started to walk in the direction of the cafeteria. ‘Perhaps I read the vibes all wrong?’

  ‘I’m not really in a fit state to make up my mind on anything,’ she told him, her voice quiet. ‘I’m not sure that I know what I want. Except I vowed I’d never let any man hurt me ever again.’

  ‘And I can understand that.’ He stopped momentarily in the corridor, causing her to pause along with him. ‘I don’t mean to hurt you, Alison,’ he said, running his fingers gently beneath her jaw. ‘Can’t we just live for the moment…enjoy what we have with no strings on either side? I’ll be honest with you. I can tell you straight off I’m not looking for a longterm commitment. I’ve seen for myself that nothing lasts for ever. But I’m here for you now—right at this moment and for the foreseeable future. You can be certain of that.’

  Alison didn’t answer. Before Josh had dropped into her life she had told herself that it didn’t pay to give your heart to any man. She had learned to be cautious, to be wary of letting her emotions get out of hand. In some ways it had dampened her natural exuberance, made her feel like half a person. And then Josh had come along and she had forgotten everything. He’d smiled at her and held her in his arms and every sensible thought had flown out of the window.

  Fraser and her parents were back in the waiting room with her grandad when she and Josh caught up with them a few minutes later.

  ‘They say we’ll be able to see her in a while,’ her mother said. ‘They’re trying to make her more comfortable. But we have to take it in turns to visit her. No more than three people at a time.’

  ‘That’s all right. Did they tell you any more about her condition?’