can’t you?’
‘Smile at the kids or go ho-ho-ho?’
‘Both,’ she snapped, because she really didn’t appreciate all these wisecracks.
‘I suppose I could manage it at a push. It all depends on the fee, of course.’ He looked consideringly at her. ‘What’s the going rate for playing Santa these days?’
‘You’d expect to be paid!’ she exclaimed in dismay. ‘But it’s for the sake of the children.’
‘No actor worth his salt would work for free,’ he told her seriously. ‘And that includes anyone playing Santa Claus at a Christmas carol concert.’
‘But—’
‘Tell you what, why don’t we leave the subject of payment until later?’ He grinned at her. ‘You can judge me on my performance and then decide what you think I’m worth.’
‘Well, I suppose it will be all right,’ she conceded grudgingly, wondering where she was going to find the money to pay him. The costumes had cost a small fortune and she’d had to dip into her savings to pay for the material…
‘That’s settled, then. Let’s shake on it.’ He held out his hand. ‘My name’s Nick, by the way. Rather appropriate in the circumstances, isn’t it?’
‘I…um…Yes, I suppose it is.’ Katie hastily shrugged aside her concerns about paying his fee because she really didn’t have the time to worry about it right then. She took his hand and quickly shook it. ‘I’m Katie Denning and I’m a midwife on the maternity unit.’
‘Interesting job,’ Nick observed lightly as he released her. ‘So what do you want me to do? Didn’t you mention something about a costume?’
‘Oh, yes, of course.’ Katie glanced at her watch and groaned when she saw how late it was. ‘We’ll have to get a move on, though. We’re due at Women’s Surgical in fifteen minutes.’
She bustled up the path, murmuring her thanks when Nick opened the door for her. She took him straight to the porter’s lodge which had been turned into a makeshift dressing room that day and quickly unhooked the long red robes she’d made from the picture rail. Dalverston General had been built in the Victorian era—one of the many workhouse hospitals that had flourished in those days—and parts of the building still bore the evidence of its grim past. She saw Nick frown as he looked around the room and immediately guessed what he was thinking.
‘The rest of the hospital is very modern,’ she assured him. ‘All the wards and theatres are in the new part of the building so it’s just a few odd places, mainly to do with the admin side of things, that are still sited in the old section.’
‘Thank heavens for that!’ he exclaimed, tossing his bag onto a chair and shrugging off his heavy quilted jacket. ‘I was just beginning to wonder what I’d let myself in for.’
Katie wasn’t sure what he meant by that. However, a glance at the clock warned her that she didn’t have the time to investigate it right then. She quickly took the robes off the hanger and handed them to him.
‘These should fit you length-wise but you’re a lot slimmer than Jim so I’m going to have to pad you out round the middle. Can you start getting ready while I see what I can find?’
‘Will do.’
He obediently dragged his sweater over his head and Katie hastily averted her eyes when she was suddenly presented with the sight of a very tanned and very muscular abdomen. She quickly left the room, trying to blot out the image of that fit male body because she had more important things to worry about than her new Santa’s superb physique.
Five minutes later she was on her way back with a couple of pillows and some bandages that she’d borrowed from the orthopaedic ward. There were just ten minutes left before the concert was due to start and she muttered a silent prayer that Nick would be dressed as she backed into the room. The timing of the concert was crucial if they weren’t to disrupt the whole routine of the hospital. The day staff were due to go off duty at six o’clock when the night staff would take over. Several of the carol singers were on night duty, herself included, so it was vital that they finished on time. It was little wonder that her stomach was churning with nerves when she turned to see how Nick was faring, but she needn’t have worried. Not only had he changed into the robes but he’d put on the wig and the beard as well. He looked so stupendous, in fact, that Katie gaped at him in amazement and he chuckled.
‘So how do I look?’ He performed a slow twirl, his hazel eyes gleaming with laughter as he turned to face her again. ‘Think I’ll pass muster with the kids?’
‘Oh, definitely!’ Katie could barely contain her delight. ‘You look absolutely fantastic. You’d think those robes had been made specially for you, in fact. All you need now is the padding and you’ll be the perfect Santa every child dreams about.’
‘We aim to please.’
He swept her a laughing bow and her breath caught when she realised all of a sudden just how handsome he was. Even with that ridiculous beard there was no hiding the fact that he was an extremely good-looking man so that she was all fingers and thumbs as she set about fashioning a paunch for him.
‘Here, let me help you. It’s a bit tricky trying to do it all by yourself. If I hold the pillows in place you can just wrap those bandages around me.’
Nick quickly unbuttoned his robe and held the pillows against his tanned midriff. Katie took a steadying breath before she started to wind the bandage neatly around his waist. This wasn’t the right moment to panic, she told herself sternly. She didn’t have the time!
‘You may need to fasten them on a bit higher up as well.’ Nick jiggled about, grimacing when the pillows immediately doubled over in the middle. ‘See what I mean? Wrap some of that bandage round my chest as well. That should do the trick.’
Katie sucked in another breath as she set about bandaging the pillows to his upper torso. It was harder to reach around him now because he was so much broader around the chest and a spasm of awareness shot through her when her fingers encountered warm, bare flesh. It was a relief when the last bit of bandage had been fastened into place.
‘That’s better.’ Nick buttoned up the robe, nodding his approval as he patted his newly acquired paunch. ‘I look a bit more like the kind of Father Christmas the kids will be expecting, don’t I?’
‘You look great,’ Katie muttered, quickly moving away. She’d fitted all the male members of staff for their costumes but not once had she felt as aware of them as she’d felt of Nick just now and it was rather alarming to have to admit it. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t rush into another relationship after what had happened with David. The next time she got involved with someone she would take her time and get to know him properly. Maybe there was an excuse for what she’d done because she’d been so lonely after her parents had died that she’d not been thinking clearly. However, she intended to learn from her mistake and not repeat it.
She cleared her throat, hoping that Nick couldn’t tell how jittery she felt. ‘You just need to put your hood on now and then you’re ready.’
‘Right.’ Nick pulled the hood over his head then looked at her. ‘How’s that?’
‘I’m not sure…I
