‘That’s right.’ He poured coffee from the percolator and offered her a cup. ‘It was the blizzard this morning that made me think of it. I remembered the first time I saw them, when they came with Tom to pick you up from the hospital, Jason said he wished it would snow some more. He wanted to get the toboggan out, he said, but Rachel pointed out that it was broken. It occurred to me then that I have one gathering dust in my attic. I was saving it for my various nieces and nephews, but they’re all still a bit too young, and it seems to me that Jason and Rachel might as well have the benefit. It seems a shame to miss out on the snowfall.’
Alison put down her cup, and on the spur of the moment wrapped her arms around him in a quick embrace. ‘You’re such a star. You’re not so much of a toughie after all, are you…?’ she said, her cheek resting briefly against the material of his jacket. ‘All that protesting about not being responsible for waifs and strays…and all this dismissal of the Christmas season. Have the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future paid you a visit? It might be snowing outside, but your heart is beginning to melt isn’t it?’ She looked up at him, smiling, her gaze meshing with his, her hand flattening against his shirtfront to encounter the warmth of his skin and register the heavy beat of his heart.
He had been so wonderful this last week or so, taking her to see Gran and her parents, helping Tom to find a job.
He didn’t answer. He was very still, almost as though he was holding his breath, and in that fleeting moment it was as though something sparked between them. It was unbidden, thrilling, and altogether unexpected—a total awareness that held them both in thrall. Neither of them stirred, but Josh’s eyes held a stunned, dazed kind of look, as though he had been knocked for six, and slowly she began to realise what she had done.
He was watching her steadily, flame kindling in the grey depths of his eyes, and now he moved closer to her, his hands coming to rest lightly on the small of her back. ‘I don’t recall saying that I don’t care about people,’ he murmured. ‘I just don’t go along with all the sentimentality that seems to affect everyone at this time of year.’ His hands stroked the length of her spine, pausing to linger on the soft curve of her hips. ‘Anyway,’ he said softly, ‘you more than make up for any shortcomings I may have. I get the feeling you’d take on the world and its problems if you could.’
Alison couldn’t think straight. Having his arms enfold her in that way was proving far too great a distraction. It made her body fizz with excitement, and she was beginning to feel as though nothing in the world mattered except to have him hold her like this. That would surely be a dangerous path to tread?
She had been hurt once before, and instinct warned her to draw back. He was a man, and his reactions were totally male, his whole body responding to the subtle invitation of her warm embrace. She had to be more careful from now on, or her impulsive actions would drive her headlong into trouble.
‘Even I couldn’t manage that,’ she said with a shaky laugh. ‘I let my heart rule my head—I know I do. But I’ve always been part of a loving, caring family, and I’d rather cherish that ideal than keep people at arm’s length and not get involved in their troubles.’
‘You don’t apply that same philosophy to the men in your life, though, do you?’ he said softly, his voice becoming rough around the edges. ‘You haven’t let anyone get close to you for quite some time.’
‘That’s different.’ She stiffened. ‘It’s much more personal, and it doesn’t bear any relation to what I’m talking about.’
‘But I’m right, aren’t I?’ he persisted. ‘You have all this feeling for the people around you who are suffering in various ways, and yet you keep your own heart walled up, out of reach of anyone who might make the slightest dent in your defences.’ His hands moved to encircle her arms, as though he would shield her from harm, and yet he was the one who was provoking her unhappiness, stirring up things that she would sooner have let lie.
She drew in a ragged breath. ‘I vowed I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me ever again. I thought Rob was someone I could care for, that maybe we might have a future together, even. But he let me down, and I’m not going to go down that route again.’
‘What happened?’ His voice was coaxing, tender, as though he really cared, and Alison realised that this was something he wouldn’t drop.
She sighed raggedly. Maybe it would be simpler to tell him what he wanted to know and get it out of the way once and for all.
‘When I first met him,’ she said, ‘Rob was trying to establish his own medical supply business. But things were difficult for him. I could see how hard he was working, how determined he was to make a success of things, and I admired him for that. I thought it was great that he wanted to supply products that would be useful in diagnosing illness, and I really wanted him to do well. I was behind him every step of the way.’
Josh frowned. ‘But something went wrong?’
She gave a broken laugh. ‘Oh, no. It all went very well. I introduced him to my father, and he agreed with me that Rob had a good enterprise going. He helped him to find contacts, and even lent him money so that he could build up the business.’
‘Was there a problem with that? Did he pay the money back?’
She nodded. ‘He did. The problem for me was that he changed course and decided that it would be much more profitable to supply private hospitals and clinics with consumables like examination gloves and surgery packs. Somehow that didn’t seem to me like such a praiseworthy venture.’
‘But there was nothing untoward in itself in him doing that, was there?’ Josh’s brow indented with a crooked line.
‘I suppose not. But he became very money-orientated, and he seemed to be overrun by the notion of private medicine and how lucrative it could be. Once he had established a position for himself I discovered that Rob actually cared more for his business venture than he did for me. He decided to move on. It was a case of thanks for everything, but I’m okay now. I don’t need you any more.’
‘I’m sorry. That must have been a bitter blow—both for you and your father.’ Josh held her close to him, as though he would soothe away her pain.
‘My father managed to shrug it off. He said we had put our trust in him and we weren’t to blame for thinking he was something other than he was. Rob could turn on the charm at the drop of a hat, and you wouldn’t know you were being led down the garden path. He made me believe that he loved me, but it was all a sham. I fell for it. But I won’t let that happen again—ever.’
‘It would be a mistake to judge all men by his example, though, wouldn’t it?’ He ran a hand along her arm, but his gaze was questioning, as though her answer really mattered to him.
‘I don’t know about that.’ Her voice wavered a little. ‘I just don’t think I’m ready to take any risks on that score.’ She tried to ease herself away from him. ‘Anyway, I don’t know what all this has to do with my wanting to help other people. Just because I have a problem with getting romantically entangled with a man it doesn’t mean I can’t get involved in helping out where I see trouble brewing. I won’t stand by and see young people like Rees being left to fend for themselves, or watch my neighbours’ lives fall apart without doing something to ease their burden. Someone, somewhere has to care—otherwise it would be a poor world we’re living in.’
Slowly, he let her go. ‘That’s an admirable viewpoint…honourable, decent, but sadly flawed. Some people prefer to be left to their own devices, you know, and I’d hate to see your dreams dashed.’
‘I can live with that. Besides—nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ She smiled. ‘At least I feel I’ve scored a small victory with you. You’ve offered to help out with Jason and Rachel, and that must mean that you’re beginning to think my way just a tiny bit. Between us we could do our best to cheer them up, couldn’t we?’
‘We certainly could,’ he said, a perplexed look crossing his face. ‘Only after what you’ve said I’m not so sure you’ll be too pleased with what I was going
to suggest.’
Chapter Eight
ALISON stared at Josh. ‘Does this mean that you’ve changed your mind about the toboggan?’ Her spirits plummeted. What had she said that would have caused him to think twice about it? What had seemed like a wonderful idea that would bring joy to the children was dissolving as rapidly as snow-melt in the glare of the sun.
‘No, nothing like that.’ He looked around and saw that her coffee was untouched. ‘Aren’t you going to drink that?’ he asked.
‘In a minute.’ Her mouth flattened. ‘You said I might not be too pleased about what you had in mind?’ she prompted.
He shrugged. ‘It’s only that I need to stop by my clinic for a brief consultation with one of my patients when I leave here, and I was going to suggest that you might want to come along with me.’ He winced. ‘Except that since you’ve told me about Rob and his links with private medicine I have the feeling I might be tarred by association…You’ve made your views about private practice pretty clear, so now I have to do a quick rethink. I don’t want to upset you unduly by bringing you face to face with my business premises.’
‘You wanted me to go with you?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ He swallowed the rest of his own coffee, and she watched in absorbed fascination as the line of his throat moved. ‘I live above the shop, so to speak, so I was thinking I could bring the sledge down from the attic and you could check it over to make sure it’s suitable. I wouldn’t want Jason and Rachel to get their hopes up and then be disappointed. It’s not that important, though. It’ll be just as easy for me to pick up the sledge and bring it over to your place.’
‘I don’t mind stopping by your clinic,’ she said, picking up her cup and savouring the hot liquid. ‘Perhaps I have been guilty of letting Rob colour my judgement, and I hope I can keep an open mind. I’m not obsessed with the idea of free medicine for all…It’s just that I believe people should get their priorities right, and there should be a balance of some sort.’
Besides, she was suddenly curious to see where Josh lived and worked, and the idea of being with him for a few hours more held an intense appeal. ‘Katie said your practice is on Upper Regent Street, so it’s en route from here, isn’t it?’
‘That’s right…just a couple of miles away. I could make you lunch, and you might want to relax in the apartment while I see my patient. It won’t take long.’
‘Nice work if you can get it,’ she said with a wry smile. ‘Are all your afternoons so light on patients?’
‘You think I have it easy, don’t you?’ There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. ‘It’s not the case, unfortunately. I had to change my schedule to allow for redecoration of the surgery, and my afternoon appointment is one that was slipped in at the last minute before the painters get to work. As to the rest, it means I have the ideal opportunity to spend the afternoon with you and the children.’
A ripple of exhilaration ran through her. Did he really want to spend the afternoon with her? The thought gave her a welcome lift, but after a moment’s reflection she batted it away. Weren’t the children his prime concern?
‘If you’re ready, perhaps we should set off?’ he suggested. ‘I’m aiming to have you home by the time school ends for the day.’
‘That’s good,’ she said. She rinsed her cup under the tap and then went to find her jacket.
Outside the hospital the ground was covered in snow that had drifted in parts to bank up against the line of fencing and edge the verges with borders of white. The car park had been gritted, though, making it easier for vehicles to negotiate the driveways.
She drove out of the hospital grounds, following his lead, and tailed him as he headed for the main road towards his prestigious consulting rooms. It was a short journey. Once there, they garaged the cars securely in the old stable block at the back of the building, and then he ushered her inside through the private entrance.
‘Would you like a quick tour of the clinic before we go up to the apartment?’ he asked. ‘Or we could skip that, if you prefer?’
‘No, I’d like to see around.’ She gave a mischievous smile. ‘I’m interested in seeing how the other half live.’
In fact she was already impressed by the sheer grandeur of the place, and as he led the way into the main foyer she could see why Katie’s aunt had called it sumptuous.
‘This is the reception area,’ Josh said. ‘Most patients will come in here first of all. We wanted to make it light and airy, so we chose pale, warm colours and made it welcoming, with the occasional picture on the walls, and we’ve added plants here and there.’
‘I think you succeeded,’ Alison said. ‘It’s perfect. I like the friendly touch, with the magazine table and the children’s corner, and I imagine the tropical fish tank over there helps people to relax.’
‘That was the general idea.’ He seemed to be pleased by her comments. ‘Come and see the rest,’ he said, walking through a small vestibule.
As she toured the consulting rooms she could see that the same light but opulent touch remained throughout. All the desks were made of natural oak, as were the glassfronted bookcases that housed collections of exquisitely bound gold-embossed medical books. Again, there were plants to add greenery, and the ambient lighting added an extra glow to the pale sunlight that spilled over all from the Georgian-style windows.
Examination couches were housed behind discreet carved wooden screens, and in each room there was a corner basin and storage for medical equipment.
‘I don’t see any need for decorating of any kind,’ she murmured. ‘Everything looks quite perfect.’
He smiled. ‘That’s because we decorate every year,’ he said. ‘Each room is done in rotation, so as not to cause too much inconvenience. This week it’s my turn.’ He laid a hand lightly around her waist, sending little shockwaves of pleasure to pool in her abdomen. ‘Shall we go up to the apartment? I’ll fix you a light lunch, and then you can relax while I go up into the attic and retrieve the sledge.’ He smiled, his gaze warm as he looked into her eyes.
‘That would be good.’ She couldn’t understand why he made her feel so strangely off balance. It was as though she had drunk deeply of a glass of wine and it had gone straight to her head.
They took the lift up to his apartment, and once again she found herself captivated by the luxurious feel of the rooms. Natural light poured in through long, square-paned glass doors that opened out on to a balcony overlooking a nearby park.
‘I sometimes eat breakfast or supper out here,’ he said, opening them up and pointing out the distant hills.
‘I can see why.’ She looked out over the horizon. ‘The view must take your breath away on bright, clear days.’
‘That’s true. It’s also pleasantly warm when the sun shines…Not quite so good when everything’s covered in snow and ice and your breath literally freezes on the air…like today.’
She chuckled, and turned back into the room as he shut the doors behind them. ‘You’ve made this place totally different from the rest of the clinic, haven’t you?’ she said, looking around. ‘I mean, there’s still the lightness of touch and the beautiful wood finish, but the sofas are warm, coloured upholstery instead of leather, and there are more subtle, artistic touches in the ceramics.’ She gazed at the softly curving lines of a vase and the marbled surface of a shallow bowl, filled with palely gleaming pebbles of glass. ‘It’s lovely.’
‘It’s good to hear you say that.’
She laughed. ‘It wouldn’t last five minutes if you transported all this to the flat Katie and I share. What with Taylor and Sam tramping through at regular intervals, and the children from next door racing in to tell us what’s going on in their lives, it wouldn’t stand a chance. And that’s without Chaser racketing about the place.’
He raised a questioning brow. ‘Does he do that? I know he was racing about the garden on the day we went to the hospital, but I thought maybe that was a one-off.’
‘Oh, yes, he does. Accor
ding to Martha he’s supposed to be confined to the house and garden, but he wants to be with the children, and where they go, he goes. He’s like lightning, whipping through the doors and getting under everyone’s feet.’
‘I’ll bet they wish he’d stayed a little bit under the weather—at least for long enough for them to get their breath.’ He was smiling as he led the way into the kitchen. ‘I’m not sure what you would like for lunch,’ he said. ‘I could whip up some pasta, or there’s salad in the fridge…unless you fancy some soup, or maybe some crusty bread rolls and a selection of cheeses? Is there anything else that you might like to eat?’
‘Salad with crusty bread and cheese sounds fine to me,’ she told him. ‘I could sort that out while you go and find the sledge, if you like?’ She glanced at her watch. ‘There can’t be too much time before you have to see your patient.’
‘True. Are you sure you don’t mind?’
‘I’m sure. It shouldn’t be too difficult for me to find what I need, should it?’
‘You’re a trouper.’ He filled the kettle at the sink and set it to heat, and then laid out a teapot, cups and saucers on the central table. He retrieved bread rolls from the wooden storage box and butter from the fridge. ‘Cutlery’s in the drawer,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back in two ticks.’
She heard him crashing about in the attic while she added cheese and the salad bowl to the items on the table. There was a ham in the fridge, and she set that out as an afterthought. He looked as though he was a hungry man. He was always lean and lithe, and he had to get his energy from somewhere, didn’t he?
The tea was steaming in the pot by the time he came back into the kitchen.
‘It’s a lot bigger than I remembered,’ he said, placing the sledge down on the floor. ‘But then again it’s a two-seater.’
Alison stared at it, open-mouthed. It wasn’t at all what she had expected, given the modern-day preoccupation with all things plastic. Instead this was a beautiful creation, carved from solid mahogany and beautifully varnished so that it gave off a faint sheen.
Hot-Shot Doc, Christmas Bride / Christmas At Rivercut Manor Page 11