was being given to the burly bikers who had turned up en masse. A few bemused patients looked on from the waiting room, curious to know what was going on. And a man from the local newspaper was there, taking photos as the manager accepted a cheque from the leader of the bikers’ group—a huge fellow, clad in leather biker’s gear and sporting a tangle of wild black hair.
Alison asked one of the ward assistants if she would take a tray of food and a cup of tea to Rees in the treatment room, and then went to watch the proceedings.
Josh, against all the odds, put in an appearance a short time later, stepping up to the front of Reception in order to address the gathering of people. He began by thanking the bikers for their generous donation, and assured them that it would be put to good use.
The hospital managers, he said, would be exhilarated to know that a good portion of this money would be available for new diagnostic equipment, and when Christmas came around any children unfortunate enough to be in hospital at that time would surely find to their joy that Santa, after searching their homes in vain, had after all managed to discover their whereabouts. He brought chuckles from the crowd, and Alison couldn’t help thinking that his impromptu speech was better than anything she had imagined it might be.
Bringing his speech to a close, he smiled, an action that lit up his features in a way that made Alison go unexpectedly weak at the knees. Standing next to her, Katie, her flatmate, said in a low voice, ‘Oh, wow. That man is way too good-looking. How can any of us be expected to work at our best with him around? It’s very difficult to concentrate when you’re running a fever.’
Alison giggled softly. ‘I’m with you on that one. Of course you could always plead that you need his personal attention…the touch of his cool hand on your brow.’
‘Oh, don’t…don’t say that.’ Katie’s green eyes sparkled, and she wafted a hand by her face as though to fan cool air over her hot cheeks. ‘A hand on my brow would hardly do it. Now you have me imagining all sorts of things—long, sensual sponge baths and the like. Oh, my…what am I going to do? I’ll be fit for nothing for the rest of the day, and I have patients waiting to be seen.’
By now they were both chuckling, and Alison was doing her best to sober up when she became aware of Josh coming towards them.
‘Something amusing, ladies?’ he enquired. ‘Anything that you would care to share with me?’
Katie made a strange gulping sound and covered her mouth with her hand, lowering her head so that the curtain of her chestnut-coloured hair hid her features. Alison aimed a discreet tap of her foot against Katie’s leg to encourage her to restrain herself.
How on earth was she supposed to answer him? She felt as though she had been well and truly left in the lurch.
Chapter Two
ALISON shook her head and made an effort to pull herself together. ‘Take no notice of us,’ she murmured, throwing a bland gaze in Josh’s direction. ‘It’s just that having all these macho-looking bikers about the place has gone to our heads. Far too much testosterone for us to handle.’
‘Really?’ Josh’s grey eyes held a quizzical glint. ‘I noticed they seemed very taken with both of you. I overheard some mutterings about the possibility of coming over to ask for a date.’
Alison’s mouth made a wry slant. ‘Yes, well…Unfortunately for them Katie’s already been down that route, and she decided that tearing along the road at high speed on the back of a bike doesn’t do it for her—not to mention the mess it makes of her hair, being flattened under a crash helmet.’
Katie had recovered her composure by now, and chose that moment to dig her in the ribs. Alison clamped her lips shut in the vestige of a smile.
‘Alison has had first-hand experience of that, too,’ her friend interjected. ‘She seemed to find it quite exciting for a time. For myself, I’ve decided that I’d far sooner feel the wind in my hair from the passenger seat of a convertible.’ She sent him a look that would charm the birds out of the trees.
Josh grinned. ‘Spoken like a true connoisseur. You look like a girl who was born to the high life.’
A flush of colour ran along Katie’s cheekbones, adding to the shimmering intensity of her green gaze. Alison observed the interplay between her and Josh with a cautious eye. Were they taken with one another? Or was he simply the kind of man who charmed every woman in sight?
‘I thought your speech was perfect,’ Katie murmured. ‘You said everything that needed to be said, and you kept it short, too. I’d almost go as far as to say that you must have done this sort of thing before. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to come up with anything anywhere near as good as that on the spur of the moment.’
‘Well, thanks.’ He sent her a mock suspicious look. ‘You aren’t trying to haggle for a rise, are you? Because maybe I should tell you I’m not the one who gives them out.’
‘Oh, shame. What a waste.’ Katie frowned. ‘And there I was, hoping that you’d be thoroughly mellow after all the food that Alison brought in…As if that wouldn’t be guaranteed to melt the hardest heart.’
‘Yes, I noticed the wonderful spread.’ He cast a glance towards the far side of the room, where the impromptu buffet had been laid out on a couple of trolleys. ‘It all looks very impressive—and most of it home-made, too, from the looks of things.’
Katie nodded. ‘You should have seen our kitchen last night. There was flour everywhere, and lovely smells coming from the oven.’ She paused, thinking about it. ‘I can’t imagine what came over her. In fact, with all that home baking going on I began to wonder if she was getting broody.’
‘No way,’ Alison put in, pretending to be affronted. ‘Anyway, you know perfectly well that I’m off men—ever since Rob led me a merry dance.’ She stopped, suddenly becoming aware that Josh was listening with interest. He didn’t need to know about her unhappy foray into so-called love, did he? ‘Well, anyway, never mind that…Let’s just say it was an experience to take to heart, and one that’s all in the past.’
She was on her guard now where men were concerned. Rob was history—a sad lesson that she shouldn’t lose her heart to any man with a wandering eye. And maybe that should include steering clear of those like the one not too far away, who managed to ooze charisma as though it was a new aftershave.
She pulled in a quick breath and started again. ‘As to the baking session—it was all because of the Christmas cake, you see,’ she said, as though that explained everything. ‘I felt I had to make a start on it.’
‘In fact, she started the day before,’ Katie put in. ‘I saw her hugging the brandy bottle and wondered what on earth was going on. Of course she said she wasn’t actually thinking of drinking it, but I didn’t really believe her until I found her mixing currants, raisins and sultanas together with candied peel, and adding a generous slosh of brandy every now and again. Apparently you have to let the fruit soak overnight.’
There was a puzzled look on Josh’s face, and Alison hurried to explain. ‘My gran has this wonderful recipe that she gave to me. Since she’s coming over to my parents’ house for Christmas I thought I would bake her cake and surprise her with it.’
‘And you have to start all that several weeks beforehand?’ He was frowning.
She
