were all very young when Mum died so I had to step up to control the chaos.’
It was an automatic gesture to touch the necklace she always wore when she thought of her mum. A gift to celebrate a wedding anniversary, her father had said he’d chosen the topaz stone because it reminded him of the colour of her mother’s eyes. The hazel eyes that Evie had inherited. Heart-shaped and set in an antique-style gold filigree, Evie had worn the necklace every day since her mother had died. It had become her touchstone in those early years when she’d been trying to hold her family together.
Not that she’d been able to control everything, of course. Maybe keeping so busy now, all these years later, was a way of burying regrets—like having to give up her dream of being a nurse. She still got to work in a hospital and that was enough. Working in this hospital was a dream come true and she had Theo to thank for this opportunity. The flash of sympathy in his gaze reminded her that they’d both dealt with tragedy in their lives but he was the one who might have to deal with more memories than she would tonight.
‘There’s someone here from Chat Zone,’ she warned him. ‘The magazine?’
He nodded. ‘I’ve heard of it.’
‘They’d love to talk to you, but—just a heads-up—they might want to cover some personal ground.’
‘Everything about Hope Hospital is personal to me,’ Theo murmured. ‘I’ll talk to them. Briefly...our guests are starting to arrive.’ He turned away. ‘I’ll see you later, of course.’ A backward glance took in her outfit. ‘You are coming, aren’t you?’
‘Just a couple of little things to sort first,’ Evie assured him with a rueful smile. ‘Like finding my dress.’
She avoided the group being offered a welcoming glass of champagne. She recognised Marco, one of their surgeons, and his department’s boss, Alice, who was looking stunning in a sparkly blue dress. Naomi, a physiotherapist, was just behind them and the pale silk of her gown against her dark skin was so eye catching, it was no wonder that Jason already had his camera pointing in her direction. Evie sped towards the exit that would take her through the kitchen area. Luckily, checking that the caterers were happy was on her list of things to sort because she really didn’t want anybody else to notice that she wasn’t dressed remotely well enough to belong here.
Finally, thirty minutes later, she had the chance to do something about that. She hurried down the stairs, rather than wait for an elevator, out through the main reception area and into the chill of the autumn evening. Then she headed for the rear of the building, past the ambulance bay and the bank of huge wheelie bins for rubbish and into the car park where her practical little hatchback was close to the hospital end of the first row.
The pools of lighting here were designed for the safety of both vehicles and people so it was easy to spot the couple getting out of a car near to where she was heading. They were clearly going to the gala because the man was dressed in a tuxedo and the woman hanging off his arm was shimmering in a silver sheath dress, so low cut that Evie knew she had to be freezing. She was wearing silver stiletto heels as well and Evie had a moment of envy for anyone who could walk in heels like that. She’d tried it as a teenager—who wouldn’t when you were only five feet two—but it had felt as ridiculous as trying to walk on stilts.
She could hear the woman giggling as the distance between them closed and she seemed slightly unsteady on her feet. Was it the shoes, or had this couple been enjoying a pre-gala drink somewhere? Her gaze shifted to the man, wondering if he was someone she knew, and then it caught in a flash of complete astonishment.
She didn’t know him but he had to be the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life. Even with his partner’s choice of footwear, he was still a couple of inches taller than she was and the outer edge of the pool of light behind him seemed to have turned his hair into a tousled, golden halo.
He didn’t notice Evie. Why would he when he had someone who looked like a supermodel leaning against him? They were so close now that she could smell the woman’s perfume and hear her breathless request to be kissed.
‘We’re late enough already, Tiffany.’ The man’s voice had an edge of impatience and an accent that she couldn’t quite place.
‘No...’ The woman tried to step in front of him and wobbled on her heels. She flung an arm out to steady herself just as Evie stepped within range. As a solid object that could be pushed against, the woman saved herself from falling by shoving Evie. It was Evie who was sent flying and she landed hard on the cold asphalt.
‘Oops... My bad...’
Evie could hear the woman giggling again as she pushed herself up on her elbow. Yep, she’d definitely had a drink or two already.
‘I’m so sorry about that. Are you all right?’
It wasn’t a feminine scent she could smell now. It was something very, very masculine. Subtle but powerful at the same time, like the strength she could feel in the hand that was around her arm, helping her to her feet. This man was in control. He was also...annoyed? No surprises there. He was about to be even later arriving at the gala, wasn’t he?
‘Thanks,’ Evie muttered, pulling herself from his grasp. ‘I’m fine.’
But he didn’t release his hold on her arm immediately. His gaze was searching her face. ‘You sure about that? You had quite a bump.’
It was the fright of the fall that had to be responsible for the way her heart was thumping right now, not the fact that an incredibly good-looking man was holding onto her and looking as if...as if he could see past any attempt to brush off what was now an acute embarrassment. She must have looked like a complete idiot sprawled on the ground in front of this glittering power couple who were off to rub shoulders with the medical elite of the district.
And she wasn’t just dressed in her boring work clothes, she was now covered in grime, half her hair had escaped from the pins that held it in a tidy knot and she knew that she had a rip in her skirt because she’d felt it happening when she’d fallen. She felt like Cinderella and the wannabe princess was looking way more annoyed than her prince. She tugged at the man’s other hand.
‘We’re late, darling,’ she reminded him. ‘And I want some more champagne.’
The demand, even the tug, hadn’t broken the scrutiny the man was still giving Evie and this was suddenly more than embarrassing. She could feel colour rushing into her cheeks and she wrenched herself free of the touch that was now burning her arm.
‘I’m fine,’ she said again. ‘Enjoy your evening.’
It wasn’t far to her car. Evie opened the door, leaned in to pull out the bag that contained her dress and shoes but paused as she straightened, her attention caught by the car that was parked alongside.
Flashy. That was the only word for the low-slung bright red sports car, and she knew instantly who had arrived in this vehicle. Good grief...she could actually see the silver-sheathed woman in the passenger seat, probably with her hand on her chauffeur’s knee, doing her best to distract the man with that intense, discomforting stare who would no doubt continue to concentrate on the road ahead. Until he was ready to play, that was...
They would be amongst the gathering at the gala, along with all the other polished, successful people associated with Hope Hospital. Even if she got changed and tidied up her hair, Evie was still going to feel out of place there. A Cinderella who had a slightly incompetent fairy
