‘He’s a bit of a loner, I’m told.’
‘Er…yes, I suppose so,’ she agreed hesitantly. ‘That is, if you mean that he’s not married…or with anyone.’
‘The guys at the station were saying that one of the new women is after him.’
Selina swallowed.
‘Possibly. I don’t really know.’
‘She might find that she’s taken on more than she can handle with that one,’ he said drily.
‘Are you trying to tell me something or what?’ she asked quickly. ‘As far as I’m concerned, Kane is just someone I work with.’
His frown disappeared as if by magic and she observed him thoughtfully. Charlie knew something about Kane…but didn’t want to tell her.
What was it? That he was the local rapist? That he’d robbed a bank? Or was he an infiltrator from the Ministry of Health? He was as likely to be a man from Mars as any of those things, and in any case, whatever it was, she didn’t want to know.
She hated tittle-tattle and was prepared to take Kane as she found him. He was efficient, hardworking and thoughtful in lots of ways. His suggestion that they take the three children out during school holidays to give Jill a rest had been an example of that.
When Charlie had gone she couldn’t settle. There was nothing worse than someone dropping hints without telling the full story. If she’d encouraged him to do so, he probably would have done, but her feelings for Kane were too new, too much like tender shoots springing up after a dark winter, and she couldn’t bear the thought of them being trampled on.
Peter arrived just as Charlie was leaving, and as Selina stood at the gate to watch him drive off, Charlie wound down the car window and said in a low voice, ‘Solid young fellow, that Peter. Just the type to look after you and Josh.’
Selina glared at him. She would be the judge of that!
‘So?’ Dave’s cousin said when she went back inside. ‘What have you been up to lately?’
‘Nothing special,’ she told him. ‘With Josh to look after, the job and the house to see to, there aren’t enough hours in the day. What about you?’
‘Same here,’ he grunted. ‘But that doesn’t mean I haven’t got time for you, Selina. What about it, eh?’
She became very still.
‘What about what?’
‘Us getting married. I’m the next best thing to Dave.’
Oh, no, you’re not! she thought angrily.
Dave had been Dave. He’d been special and she’d loved him a lot. There wouldn’t ever be anyone like him and she certainly didn’t want to settle down with a pale imitation in the form of his cousin.
If she ever fell in love again it would be for the man himself. Not because he smiled like Dave, made love like Dave, but because he was special in his own way.
And with that thought her mind went back to those moments in the ambulance earlier in the day when Kane had held her hand, thinking she was asleep, and had drawn back when he’d found that she hadn’t been.
She had wanted the moment to go on. She’d wanted him to hold her close. Not in lust or quick passion, but so that she could feel his quiet strength and breathe in the clean male smell of him.
‘So, what do you think?’ Peter was asking, his flat tones breaking into her thoughts.
What did she think?
She thought that he’d asked her to marry him in the same tone that he might have asked a customer if they wanted two-stroke or diesel…and as his eyes went over her consideringly she thought angrily that the next thing he would be commenting on would be her chassis!
‘I can’t believe that I’ve heard you right,’ she told him quietly. ‘And if you think you’re doing me a favour by asking me to marry you, forget it, Peter. At the present time I’m not intending to marry anyone.’
He scowled at her. ‘What about the fellow that was with you that night? Where does he fit into the picture?’
Selina’s eyes widened. First it had been Charlie with his innuendos and now Peter was dragging Kane’s name into the conversation. What was the matter with them, for heaven’s sake?
He would hate being discussed like this. Of that she was sure. And so, instead of admitting that Kane was beginning to fit into the picture very nicely, she told her unwanted suitor what she’d told Charlie. ‘Kane Kavener is just someone I work with. Just leave him out of it, will you?’
Peter got to his feet. ‘Huh!’ he snorted. ‘Time will tell!’ And with that he stomped off.
The last caller was her brother. Jill had sent Gavin round to ask if she could borrow a cake tin, and as they chatted about the day’s events she began to relax.
This time it was her own doing that Kane’s name was mentioned. Selina was aware that her voice sounded stilted as she said, ‘Kane and I are going to take Josh and your girls out whenever we can during the school holidays to give Jill a break, if that’s all right with you.’
Gavin laughed. ‘Of course it is. Wait until I tell her!’ His face sobered suddenly. ‘What’s this about Kane, then? He’s the guy you work with, isn’t he?’
‘Mmm.’
‘So just how friendly are you, sis? You know that Jill and I would love to see you with someone who’ll take care of you, but just how well do you know him?’
She averted her eyes at the question and said, ‘It’s just a matter of weeks since he came onto the unit so I haven’t known him long at all, but in any case it’s not like that. It’s just that he’s alone in a strange town, and I was saying that I feel it’s a bit much for Jill to have the three children all through the school holidays, apart from my days off. It was then that he suggested that we make up a fivesome.’
‘Sounds great!’ Gavin enthused. ‘Next time he’s out this way, bring him round for a drink.’
‘Er…yes. I will.’
When he’d gone she went slowly up to bed. What a night! Charlie with his mysterious hints, Peter with his insulting proposal and then Gavin, sane, reasonable and understanding.
All men in her life to some extent, but it was Kane she thought of in those last seconds before sleep claimed her.
* * *
In his high-rise apartment amongst the city’s rooftops Kane wasn’t finding sleep as easy to come by.
He’d been to view the house by the lock during the evening and had been thinking about it ever since. He’d known instinctively that he would like it, both inside and out, before he’d even seen it, and he hadn’t been wrong. However, the knowledge hadn’t brought much pleasure with it.
For one thing, he’d vowed that he would look elsewhere for a property in the light of Selina’s lack of enthusiasm every time he said how much he liked the village.
And for another, who had he seen arriving at her cottage as he’d driven past on his way home? The fellow from the garage. The one who’d looked him over with a jaundiced eye that night when she’d been showing him around the place.
He’d stopped at the end of the road and sat hunched behind the wheel of his car as he’d reasoned that Selina would have known the mechanic for ages. Hadn’t she said he was a relative of some sort? She was bound to feel safe with someone like that.
Whereas he was…what? An unknown quantity. Someone who’d had his share of relationships with the opposite sex, but had always kept them light.
But with Selina it was different. He’d never met a woman who aroused such tenderness in him as she did. But there wasn’t only the garage fellow to compete with. There was the memory of Dave. It had been his name on her lips when they’d been together in the ambulance that afternoon.
He would forget about the lockside cottage, he decided as a clock somewhere chimed the hour. He could afford to buy it, but for once being on his own didn’t have its usual appeal.
And with Selina he needed to cool down. He’d always gone in for no strings in his relationships, but she was a woman with a cherished past, plus one small boy who just might not want a father substitute.
* * *
Unaware of Kane�
�s gloomy deliberations of the night before, Selina turned up for work the next morning to find him deep in conversation with Denise.
The newcomer to the unit was smiling up at him provocatively and Selina thought glumly that if Kane were to become interested in that one they would be starting off equally. Denise had made it clear to anyone who might be interested that she was free of entanglements.
And what was she? A young widow with a child—an adorable child at that, but still an extra person in a new marriage.
He raised his hand in salute when he saw her, but instead of coming over called across casually, ‘Morning, Selina. All right?’
‘Yes, thanks,’ she said brightly, and made her way to the rest room.
A new marriage! A voice inside her head scolded. You’re jumping ahead a bit, aren’t you? You’re supposed to have accepted your lot.
She had, she admitted wryly, but that had been before she’d met Kane Kavener. Had meeting her affected him in the same way? she wondered. She doubted it. It would seem that he saw her mainly as an object for concern.
If only he knew how much she wanted to laugh and be happy, to be told that she was beautiful and desirable. She’d been sad for so long, drained with the worry of Dave’s illness and the huge burden of care that it had brought with it. But now, although the grief and pain were still there, they were levelling out because there was no other course open to her but to accept that he was gone.
* * *
Today they had been told to position the ambulance in the city centre. The traffic was heavy there, amongst huge apartment blocks occupied mainly by business people. The area was an accident black spot and, sure enough, within minutes of their arrival they had proof of it.
An elderly man, too impatient to wait until the lights were green, had set off across a busy thoroughfare and been knocked down by an unprepared motorist.
When the message came up on the screen that there was a red alert nearby, Kane let the clutch in and said calmly, ‘Here we go, Selina. Why is it that those with the most time on their hands are so impatient?’
It was the first comment he’d addressed to her since they’d climbed aboard and she’d been beginning to wonder if she’d upset him in some way or if he was still mesmerised by the charms of Denise. Whatever it was, there was a reserve about him today that was different from his usual calm reticence, and she wished she knew the cause of it.
The accident victim was lying unconscious in the middle of a pelican crossing and as the police, who had been first on the scene, diverted the traffic Selina and Kane knelt beside him.
It looked as if he’d gone head first when the car had hit him. A soft, squelchy mass above his right ear indicated that there might be bleeding within the skull.
‘Check for fractures,’ Kane said as he monitored the man’s shallow breathing. ‘He must have been hit with some force. Why couldn’t he have waited, for goodness’ sake?’
‘The bones of the right arm and leg are out of alignment,’ Selina told him as she cut away his clothes. ‘It would seem that he took all the impact on his right hand side.’
‘Mmm,’ he murmured. ‘We’d best lift him onto a backboard in case there are spinal injuries, but first let’s get him splinted.’
As they raced to Accident and Emergency at the nearest of the big city hospitals Selina was driving while Kane kept a close watch on the patient. It was important to keep the airways clear, check the pulse and heartbeat and keep him warm as he began to go into shock.
Selina had sent a message ahead to say that they were bringing in a seriously injured road accident victim, and as the ambulance pulled up on the hospital forecourt the A and E staff were waiting to take over.
On the way back to their vantage point in the city centre she said flatly, ‘So what have I done?’
Kane was in the driving seat this time. Without taking his glance off the road, he said, ‘I’m not with you, Selina.’
‘I think you are,’ she continued in the same flat tone, ‘but maybe aren’t prepared to say what’s bugging you.’
‘I don’t see why I should have to account for my mood swings to you,’ he countered irritably. ‘We’re just colleagues, for heaven’s sake!’
Selina felt her face grow warm. The last thing she’d intended had been to sound predatory. Kane had put her well and truly in her place and it caused a dull ache inside her.
They’d been getting on so well, or so she’d thought, but now he was making it clear that just because the job threw them together, it didn’t mean they had anything else in common.
Had it only taken five minutes at the receiving end of Denise’s predatory ways to make him so remote? she asked herself as the hurt increased. It looked like it.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said with a quiet gravity that made him want to reach out for her and hold her close. ‘It was just that I thought I’d offended you in some way.’
‘You haven’t,’ he said brusquely. ‘I’m just a bit out of sorts, that’s all. I think it must be that vile apartment. I must sort something out soon.’
He wasn’t going to tell her that he’d already found somewhere that he would like to live but that it was almost on her doorstep and he wasn’t sure how she would feel about that. Especially with the mechanic hovering, he thought ruefully. The role of gooseberry wasn’t his style.
But neither could he let his enchanting assistant carry on thinking she’d upset him for some reason. She had upset him, but it had been through no fault of hers.
He’d always been quick to put on the brakes when a relationship was getting too serious and it had never bothered him, but Selina was different and she couldn’t help being the woman she was. No more than she could help losing the husband she’d loved.
All this agonising and they weren’t even in a relationship, he thought sombrely. Probably never would be. The only contact they’d had after spending hours in close proximity in the ambulance had been when he’d held her hand the day before.
‘Don’t take any notice of me, Selina,’ he said. ‘I can be a miserable blighter at times. If it’s not the past creeping up on me, it’s the present throwing me off course.’
She smiled and his gaze lingered on her mouth and the soft line of her throat.
‘I haven’t a clue what you mean by all that,’ she said with a lift to her voice, ‘but I’m happy as long as it’s nothing I’ve done. I find working with you stimulating, Kane. Charlie was great, but with you, well…’
Her voice trailed off. She meant every word, but too much enthusiasm might be wrongly interpreted and she didn’t want him to think she was like Denise.
Another call was coming through—a suspected heart attack victim in a nearby penthouse. That brought the strange conversation to a close.
* * *
It was the last week of July and Josh was totally happy. For one thing he was due to have his plaster cast off, and for another the long summer break from school was about to commence.
Kane hadn’t mentioned them taking the three children out since that first time and, much as the idea appealed to her, Selina had no intention of reminding him.
Denise was monopolising him whenever she got the chance during working hours, and the last thing Selina wanted was to be seen as begging for his company.
Whether he saw the other woman away from the job she didn’t know. It was his business if he did. He’d already made it clear that when it came to herself they were just colleagues in healthcare.
In the long, lonely months after losing Dave she had never given a thought to falling in love again. There had been Josh to think about…and the job…and the house…and her devastated father-in-law.
Gavin and Jill had been her lifeline. Always there when she’d needed them, but ready to step back when she wanted to be alone.
Dave’s mother had died long ago, but his father was in excellent health and sadly it had been that fact that he hadn’t been able to cope with as he’d watched his only son become weaker with each
passing day.
‘Why isn’t it me lying there?’ he’d groaned in bitter frustration, and Selina hadn’t had an answer for him.
Now Robert Sanderson was retired and living in Devon. She and Josh had arranged to stay with him for two weeks of the holidays, but there would still be plenty of time left to take him and her two nieces out with Kane…if he hadn’t changed his mind.
She was thinking about him far too much. The trim masculinity of him. The cool competence. The arresting face beneath thick dark hair, and the eyes, guarded and watchful whenever she was near.
Who was he, for heaven’s sake? She knew nothing about him except that he’d been working down south and then had moved up north for some reason.
She guessed him to be in his middle thirties, yet he seemed to have no ties of any kind. He hadn’t mentioned parents or brothers and sisters, let alone wife or children.
Yet underneath it all she sensed calm strength and integrity and was becoming to feel that Kane Kavener had walked into her life for a reason.
* * *
‘Be prepared for Josh to walk stiff-legged for a while,’ Gavin told Selina when the plaster cast had been removed. ‘Children are creatures of habit and he’s had it on for quite some time. However, he’ll soon be walking normally again. As you saw, the X-rays show that the leg has healed beautifully.
‘How are you getting on with Kane?’ he asked casually a little later as a delighted Josh preceded them slowly along the hospital corridor. ‘From what I’ve seen of him, he’s quite impressive.’
‘He is,’ she agreed with equal nonchalance.
‘So you like him?’
They had always been close. She could tell Gavin anything, and before she changed her mind Selina said, ‘Yes. I do. Too much for my own good, I feel.’
He put a brotherly arm around her shoulders and waited for her to go on.
‘Am I being disloyal to Dave, Gavin? I never thought I’d ever want anyone else but him.’
He gave her a squeeze.
‘Dave wouldn’t mind. You’re young and beautiful and still entitled to have a life. But what about Kavener? Is he attracted to you?’
‘I don’t think so. I thought he might be at first, but he’s cooled off for some reason and someone else on the unit is already eyeing him up.’
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