are the best times for me to do it, but I can also work round a couple of other things if you need me to. Talk to your models and let me know where and when you want me to do the shoots.’
‘Sammy, you’re a star. Thank you so much,’ Ayesha said.
Sammy shrugged off the praise. ‘It’s the least I can do. If it wasn’t for the treatment I had here when I was a teen—’ and again two years ago ‘—then I wouldn’t be here. And this means I can give something back.’ She smiled. ‘This is going to be fun. And we’re going to raise a ton of money for the ward.’
* * *
Nick folded his arms and looked at his sister. ‘All right, Mandy. Out with it.’
‘Out with what?’ she deadpanned.
‘Amanda Kennedy, I’ve known you for thirty-five years.’
‘At least one year of which you wouldn’t remember, because you were a baby at the time,’ she retorted.
‘Agreed,’ he said, ‘but I can always read your expression. So don’t ever take up playing poker, will you?’
She sighed. ‘I guess.’
Nick had known that tonight wasn’t just about his sister giving him an update on his nephew’s cancer treatment. Despite going through a messy divorce, Mandy still believed in love and happy endings. And all too often she tried to fix him up with someone she thought would be his perfect date. Nick had stopped believing in love years ago, and he’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t be successful both in love and in your career. So after the break-up of his marriage he’d gone for the safe option and concentrated on his career.
No doubt this was another of Mandy’s friends who really needed a plus-one for a dinner party and he’d fit the bill perfectly. OK. He’d help out, but he’d make it clear that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Nowadays he didn’t do anything deeper than casual dating.
Then his sister said something he really hadn’t expected. ‘The Friends of the Hospital are doing a calendar to raise funds for the ward.’
He didn’t need to ask which ward. The cancer ward. The one that had treated his nephew Xander for osteosarcoma. Well, he could do something to help there, too. ‘If they’re looking for a sponsor to cover production costs, count me in.’
Mandy reached across the table and squeezed his hand. ‘Aww, Nick. I knew you’d offer to help before I could ask you. But they already have a sponsor for printing costs.’
‘OK. What else do they need to cover? Distribution? Warehouse? Paying the photographer?’
‘Um—not that, either. The photographer’s doing it for nothing.’
‘Then what?’
She took a deep breath. ‘They want you to be one of the models.’
‘Me?’ He looked at her, totally shocked. He knew his sister had been under a lot of stress recently, but had she gone temporarily insane? ‘Why?’
Mandy raised her eyebrows. ‘Need I remind you that you actually got approached by a model agency when you were seventeen?’
‘And I didn’t take up their offer.’ He might have considered it, to fund his way through university; but a couple of weeks later their parents had split up and life had disintegrated into chaos. Nick had forgotten all about the modelling offer and retreated into his studies. Concentrating on his books was what had got him through all the upheaval of his parents’ divorce. Just as concentrating on his job had got him through the misery of his own divorce.
‘Seriously, Nick—will you do it? They’re looking for people who are connected with the ward.’
As Xander’s uncle, he definitely had that connection.
‘And they want people with interesting jobs.’
‘A barrister isn’t that exciting,’ he said.
‘Yes, it is. You look like a film star in your wig and gown.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Mandy, I’m just an ordinary guy.’
‘Like hell you are. Apart from the fact that you’re my little brother, which would make you special in any case, can I remind you that you’re one of the youngest ever barristers appointed to being a QC?’
He grimaced. ‘Why would anyone be interested in that?’ About the only people who would even know what a QC was were people who had needed to brief one. Or maybe fans of certain types of TV crime drama.
‘And you’d be helping raise money for the ward. Money they really need for new equipment.’
That was an unbeatable argument, and they both knew it. How could he possibly say no? This was to help other kids who were in Xander’s position. And a little voice in his head added selfishly that maybe if he did it, then that would persuade Fate to give Xander a break and keep him in remission. And for that Nick would do almost anything.
‘Will you do it?’ she asked.
He closed his eyes briefly. ‘All right.’
She smiled. ‘Good. Thank you. I’ll give your phone number and email to them, then—I’ll do that now, if you don’t mind, because they’re waiting on my answer.’
‘OK.’ But Mandy was still hiding something, he was sure. ‘And the rest of it?’ he asked.
She blinked. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You’re holding something back.’
She shrugged and tapped a message into her phone.
‘Just save us both the time and tell me the rest of it, Mandy,’ he said, leaning back and eyeing her over his glass of water.
‘OK.’ She sat back in her own chair and looked at him straight. ‘Since you ask, you’re going to be naked.’
‘What?’ He’d just taken a sip of water and he nearly choked on it. Naked? He must’ve misheard. No way would his sister have done this to him.
‘You won’t be showing anything,’ she said.
‘Define naked,’ he said grimly.
‘In court. Wearing your wig and robe.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mandy. The Head of Chambers would never agree to it.’
‘Um, he already has.’
He blinked hard. Was he hearing things? Leo had already said yes? But—how? ‘You what?’
‘I talked to your clerk this morning,’ she said. ‘And he thinks it’s a great idea.’
Now Nick was beginning to understand all the knowing smiles that had greeted him all afternoon. The news must’ve gone round chambers in ten seconds flat—gossip that juicy would never be ignored. And they’d all
