The Consultant's Accidental Bride

So she did!

Still burning with embarrassment, she made her way off the plane along the endless corridor and despite her best intentions she found herself scanning the masses for his dark-suited shoulders. He wasn’t exactly hard to locate as he stood a good head and shoulders above normal mortals, but catching sight of Kathy’s expectant face Leah’s attempt at a temporary diversion faded, the sight of her best friend after all this time overriding the pleasure derived from observing a stranger.

Kathy must have seen her as her hand was waving frantically as she dashed forward, her face shining, every bit the bride-to-be, but Leah realised as Kathy threw herself onto Cole that their brief meeting hadn’t quite ended.

‘Leah,’ Kathy shrieked, discarding Cole and lurching forward. ‘Can you believe you’re here?’

‘Not really.’ Leah laughed, blushing even more as Cole’s questioning eyes turned to her.

‘This is Leah,’ Kathy introduced them, ‘my one and only bridesmaid. This is Cole, the best man, and of course you’ve already met Dale.’

‘The husband-to-be.’ Leah kissed him on the cheek as Cole watched her thoughtfully, her own cheeks scorching with pleasure or embarrassment, she truly couldn’t decide. ‘Are you nervous yet?’

‘Not a bit.’ Dale grinned. ‘So how was the conference, Cole?’

‘Long,’ Cole said with a dry note to his voice.

‘And the flight?’

‘Long,’ he said again, as Leah burned with indignation.

Kathy, oblivious to the tension, shepherded them out of the arrivals lounge and into the late afternoon sun.

‘Isn’t he divine?’ Kathy nudged Leah as the guys walked on ahead, and Leah knew she wasn’t talking about her fiancé!

‘Married,’ Leah pointed out.

‘Widowed.’ Kathy winked, reverting to the type of shorthand best friends did so well, and suddenly Leah’s pulse kicked into overdrive, but even though men, or lack of them, was usually their favourite topic of conversation there was a certain reluctance on Leah’s part to let Kathy know that there was even a hint of attraction.

Kathy’s none-too-subtle attempts at matchmaking could only be embarrassing. And, anyway, Leah reminded herself, she was flying back to England on Sunday and as gorgeous as Cole Richardson might be to look at, he wasn’t exactly a master of smooth talk.

‘Forget it,’ Leah said instead. ‘I sat next to him on the plane and his company wasn’t exactly riveting.’

‘Really?’

‘Really,’ Leah groaned. ‘And, believe me, Kathy. Dr Killjoy doesn’t do a thing for me. If I want to feel like a naughty schoolgirl then I’ll go back to school.’

They were at the car now, but the prospect of a night apart from her beloved Dale had Kathy promptly discarding her manners and she jumped in the front with her fiancé, leaving Cole to lower his six-foot-three frame into the rather cramped back seat as Leah sat rigid, pretending to look out of the window.

‘We seem destined to sit next to each other,’ he said with a thin smile, which Leah returned with an equal lack of enthusiasm, determined not to let him glimpse that he was having any effect on her whatsoever.

‘Did you do any nursing up in Queensland?’ Kathy called from the front seat.

‘No.’

‘Saving yourself for good old London?’

‘You said you were a waitress,’ Cole pointed out as Kathy giggled at something Dale said.

‘I was a waitress in Queensland,’ Leah responded through gritted teeth. ‘I wasn’t aware when you asked what I did for a living that you wanted me to reel off my entire résumé.’

‘I didn’t.’ Cole shrugged, ending the uncomfortable conversation. The rest of the journey was spent rolling their eyes in the back as the happy couple giggled and simpered, and only when they pulled up at a smart town house did Leah and Cole let out long sighs of relief now this embarrassing journey was over.

‘Look after him,’ Kathy said, turning her head for the first time away from her fiancé. ‘No wild parties for his last night of freedom, no shaving off his eyebrows or tying him to the boom gates.’

‘I don’t think Cole would be so irresponsible,’ Leah said with a rather tart edge to her voice. ‘You’ve got nothing to worry about, Kathy.’

Heaven knows why, but the child locks were on in the back and they had to sit through a few uncomfortable minutes as the happy couple said goodbye, and even though they’d be seeing each other the next day, one could have been forgiven for thinking Kathy was waving Dale off to war for all the passion and drama as they bade each other farewell. Mind you, not a lot of talking was going on and Leah and Cole politely stared out of the window for the first half of the performance before finally rolling their eyes at each other.

‘Will it never stop?’ Leah whispered, and Cole’s lips twitched into a smile.

‘Get me out of here,’ Cole mumbled as the windows steamed up.

‘Do you want a chocolate?’ Leah giggled, handing him the box he had salvaged for her.

Finally it was over. Dale opened the rear door and Cole and Leah jumped out as Kathy slid over into the driver’s seat.

‘Enjoy your night in the honeymoon suite.’ Dale grinned.

‘I feel so guilty.’ Leah made a token protest. Kathy and Leah were going to be spending the pre-wedding night glamming themselves up in the honeymoon suite. A two-night deal had been part of the package for booking the reception at the grand hotel, but apart from collecting his cases around eleven p.m. on the night of the wedding Dale wasn’t even going to get his toe though the door. Once the happy couple had been safely waved off, Leah had generously been given the run of the honeymoon suite as well as breakfast in bed. The prospect of such a grand ending to her trip after a year sharing dormitories and rooms in youth hostels was a treat indeed. Any attempt at underplaying it soon ended as she started to laugh. ‘Actually, I don’t feel guilty a bit, just wonderfully spoilt and terribly lucky. Is this your and Kathy’s house?’

‘I wish,’ Dale sighed. ‘Ours still only has half a roof. Hopefully a three-month honeymoon in Europe will give the builders time to finish the renovations. Cole offered me his sofa for my last night of freedom.’ His eyes strayed back to the car, lingering on Kathy for a second too long. Simultaneously Cole and Leah snapped into action, determined that the goodbyes had already been said.

‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’ Kathy said dreamily, staring into the rear-view mirror as the car pulled off. And from the tone of her voice Leah knew that this time the conversation had switched to Dale.

‘Hey, if you want to make it up the aisle in one piece tomorrow, I’d suggest you keep your eyes on the road!’ Leah said quickly, ‘But, yes,’ she added, forcing herself not to turn around for one final glimpse. ‘He is gorgeous.’

Only she wasn’t referring to the groom!

As wonderful as backpacking had been for Leah, as emotionally cleansing and spiritually uplifting as it had been, her time drifting through the red centre and up the east coast of Australia had had its downside.

The mortgage on her tiny yet phenomenally expensive London flat had been taken care of, along with the rates and bills. She’d even paid her little sister to come in and do the occasional dust—preferably after the wild parties she was undoubtedly holding there—but something had had to go and her meticulous budgeting had been to the detriment of her beauty routine.

She wasn’t vain or anything, but waxing, manicuring and a six-weekly trim at the hairdresser’s didn’t really get a look in with the rather frugal budget Leah had set herself.

If ever a major repair job was called for, it was now, but thankfully Kathy had the next twenty-four hours planned down to the last detail in the massive bridal folder she had acquired, which she constantly referred to.

‘Bliss,’ Leah sighed.

Trimmed, plucked, waxed and massaged to within an inch of their lives, they sat wrapped in huge fluffy white robes, their toenails separated by wads of cotton wool, sipping on champagne as the room-service waiter cleared away the remains of a sumptuous dinner.

‘I feel like a muddy old car that’s been through a car wash and come out all vacuumed and sparkling. I just hope that I do that gorgeous dress you’ve chosen for me justice tomorrow!’

‘You honestly like it?’ Kathy checked for the hundredth time.

‘Like it? I love it!’ Leah said firmly, and for the first time in bridesmaid history she wasn’t lying. Even though she’d mentally prepared herself to smile and coo at the undoubtedly horrendous creation, thankfully on this occasion it hadn’t been needed. Leah had long since passed the three-times-a-bridesmaid stage and if she’d learnt anything at all from the experiences it was that no amount of grimacing or subtle suggestions was going to change the outcome. She’d been squeezed into more puffballs than she cared to remember but thankfully at last she was going to walk down the aisle in style. ‘Finally a bride with taste!’ Leah added, as Kathy waddled like a penguin with her damp toenails to the wardrobe and pulled the simple lilac velvet dress down from the wardrobe door again.

‘You’re not just saying that so I won’t get upset.’

‘I promise,’ Leah insisted. ‘How could I not like it? There’s not a sequin or a glimmer of diamanté in sight.’

‘And not a single bow,’ Kath added proudly. ‘Did you manage to find a backless bra?’

‘I did,’ Leah sighed. ‘Though it should come with a user manual. It reminds me of one of those awful sanitary belts from the Dark Ages.’

‘At least you need a bra,’ Kathy moaned, looking down at her rather flat chest.

‘You’re going to look divine.’ Leah grinned. ‘What does your bridal folder say we should be doing now?’

‘Sleeping, though I don’t fancy our chances. I’m so excited I don’t think I’ll get a wink all night.’

‘Come on.’ Pulling back the counterpane, Leah climbed into the massive four-poster. ‘We don’t want to have bags under our eyes tomorrow.’

‘I guess.’ Reluctantly Kathy climbed in. ‘I wonder what Dale’s doing now? You don’t think Cole would have taken him on one last wild night out?’

‘I doubt it,’ Leah muttered. ‘I don’t think Cole would know what a wild night was if it came up and poked him in the eye.’

‘He’s really got to you, hasn’t he?’

‘I just can’t stand those know-it-all types who go around spoiling other people’s fun.’

‘But Cole’s nothing like that,’ Kathy insisted.

‘You didn’t sit next to him on the plane,’ Leah pointed out. ‘You should have heard the lecture he delivered when he found out I’d been bungy-jumping. Talk about kill a conversation dead in two seconds flat.’

‘He’s just a bit straight-laced,’ Kathy relented. ‘Mind you, I can’t say I blame him.’

‘Because he works in Emergency?’ Leah argued. ‘We work in Emergency and we don’t walk around policing everyone, warning them off every tiny risk, every possible side effect.’

‘I didn’t mean that.’ Kathy shook her head. ‘Dale says he’s changed since his wife died. She was killed in some boating accident or something, that’s all I know. Cole never really talks about it. I think it’s just been since then.’

Oh, she’d have loved to have probed, would have loved a bit more insight, but Kathy was yawning now, the day catching up with her, her mind drifting towards her wedding day tomorrow, and Leah knew it was neither the time nor the place.

‘If I don’t get a chance to say it tomorrow, thanks for asking me to be your bridesmaid, for organising the dress and shoes and this wonderful room for me. I feel awful. I’m supposed to be helping you…’

‘You’ll do the same for me when it’s your turn,’ Kathy murmured sleepily, and Leah rolled her eyes into the darkness.

‘You might have to wait a while for me to return the favour.’

‘Are you looking forward to going back? To nursing, I mean.’

There was a long pause, and when Leah finally answered her voice was barely a whisper. ‘No.’ The sharp sting of tears caught Leah unawares and, aghast, she blinked them back. Tonight was about Kathy, not the absolute mess her life was in right now.

‘You’ll be all right,’ Kathy said gently, her voice sleepy. ‘As awful as what happened to you was, it’s not going to happen again. Lightning never strikes twice.’

‘Oh, yes, it does,’ Leah sighed. ‘Remember that guy who came into the department…’ Her voice trailed off, the soft snores coming from Kathy telling Leah she’d lost her audience. Rolling on her side, she stared into the darkness, not even bothering to wipe the salty tears that slid into her hair.

‘Oh, yes, it does,’ she whispered softly.

CHAPTER TWO

‘THE one thing you asked me to do,’ Leah groaned, ‘and I managed to mess it up.’

‘It doesn’t matter.’ Kathy giggled, spinning Leah around and shaking her head. ‘But you really can’t wear that bra. Even with it safety-pinned to your knickers, you can still see the straps.’

You could too. Craning her neck, Leah peered into the full-length mirror. As gorgeous as the strappy dress might be, its plunging back left no room for even the most backless of backless bras.

‘The sales assistant assured me no matter how low the dress, this would be OK.’

‘She lied.’ Kathy giggled again and Leah joined her in a reluctant smile. ‘Don’t worry.’ Pulling at the zipper on one of her suitcases, Kathy pulled out an impressive-looking first-aid box.

‘Are you expecting to open a mobile theatre on your travels?’ Leah asked.

‘There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. Anyway, we’re heading off the beaten track a bit on our honeymoon. Here it is.’ Pulling out a roll of three-inch surgical tape, she registered Leah’s look of horror. ‘Everyone uses it.’

‘Since when?’

‘Come on, Leah,’ Kathy urged, ‘we haven’t got time to mess around.’

They hadn’t, so rather reluctantly, and blushing to the roots of her smooth blonde hair, Leah suffered the indignity of holding up her rather impressive bosom as Kathy set to work with the surgical tape, jacking up her friend’s breasts until an acre of cleavage barely moved an inch.

‘It works!’ Leah grinned. ‘It actually works.’

‘You’re not allergic to tape, are you?’ Kathy checked.

‘I don’t care if I am,’ Leah answered as she slipped back into her dress and pulled up the zipper. ‘It looks great.’

They stood for a couple of moments admiring their reflections in the mirror until the phone rang and they were gently reminded that there was a room full of people and an anxious groom waiting downstairs for them.

‘You look stunning,’ Leah whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she fiddled with Kathy’s veil. ‘You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.’

‘And the best bit is that I get to do it all again when we get to England.’

Walking behind Kathy, Leah blushed as she always did when people looked at her. There wasn’t a single familiar face in the crowd to give her an encouraging smile unless she counted Cole Richardson, but his smile wasn’t exactly encouraging. He gave her a brief glance before turning his attention to the bride and groom, playing the part of the best man to a T as Leah stood beside him, trying to ignore how heavenly he looked in his dark grey suit, trying to remain unmoved by the heady scent of his cologne, which easily overpowered the gorgeous flower arrangements. There was not even one nervous pat of his pocket to check for the rings as he stood supremely confident, dwarfing her with his height as they shared the order of service. Leah’s hands trembled as she tried to read the blur of words in front of her.

She always cried at weddings. Even when she wasn’t particularly attached to the couple, there was something about the grandeur of the event, watching two people pledging their love, embarking on life’s journey together, which made her arms tingle with goose-bumps and tears test her waterproof mascara to its limit.

Unfortunately, as gorgeous as her lilac dress might be, there was absolutely nowhere to hide a tissue and Leah tried to sniff subtly, praying her nose wouldn’t start to run. But God must’ve been concentrating on the ceremony and when dignified sniffs wouldn’t suffice, trying to catch Cole’s eye remained her only option.

‘Have you got a tissue?’ she whispered frantically as Cole stared ahead, frowning at the intrusion.

‘What?’

‘A tissue?’ Leah begged, desperately trying not to sniff too loudly.

‘Oh, God,’ he muttered when finally he turned and faced her, no doubt appalled at the vision that greeted him. ‘You’ll have to use this.’

Cringing at the prospect of Kathy’s wrath, she accepted the gorgeous lilac silk handkerchief that perfectly matched her dress and was supposed to poke out of the top pocket of his suit.

‘Try and keep one corner clean,’ he hissed out of the side of his mouth.

Leah did her best, but it was a rather sad-looking effort that hung out of Cole’s pocket as they lined up for the photographers for the seemingly endless photos. Finally it was over and they sat down to a sumptuous meal before the inevitable speeches, which seemed to go on for ever, finally got under way. Cole’s was easily the best, Leah decided, witty without being embarrassing, endearing without being gushing. Best of all, he kept it short and Leah sipped at her coffee liqueur as she watched him, smiling reluctantly at his jokes, her cheeks curiously flushed as she recalled their four hours alone on the plane. He entranced her for all the wrong reasons. Pompous, condescending he most certainly was, but there was something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It wasn’t just his looks, though undoubtedly they spoke volumes, but something about his strength, his dignity. As his speech neared its end, Leah’s eyes, which were still stinging from her embarrassing tears earlier, filled up again as she glimpsed the pain behind the rather severe mask Cole wore so well.

‘My late wife, Heather, adored Dale, saw him more as a brother than a friend. Despite her sunny nature, where Dale was concerned, none of the girlfriends he dragged to our dinner table for Heather’s opinion were good enough…

‘Until Kathy breezed into our lives a couple of years ago, that is.’

He cleared his throat and stared at the notes he was reading from for a second too long before continuing.

‘After they left we watched them drive off, and when Heather shook her head I waited, waited for Heather to have picked up some fault I’d missed, some glaring glitch in Kathy’s character I’d seemingly ignored. Instead, she let out a long sigh then smiled. “That’s the one,” she said. “That’s the one Dale’s going to marry.” And, though unfortunately she isn’t here to see it, Heather, as always, was right and I know that everyone in this room hopes that you’re as happy in your future together as Heather predicted you would be.’

Given that the sole handkerchief was safely back in his pocket, Leah had to make do with a couple of deep breaths and a quick sip of her drink. Looking up, she realised the whole room was looking at her and it took a second or two to realise that Cole was at the end of his speech and performing the duty toast to the bridesmaids.

Or bridesmaid!

Blushing crimson, she forced a smile as Cole held up his glass. ‘When Dale asked me to be best man, naturally I was thrilled, but never more so than now. The bridesmaid truly looks beautiful.’ A tiny smile softened his face as he worked the room. ‘And unlike the rest of the guys here tonight, at least I know that I’m guaranteed a dance.

‘To the bridesmaid!’

It was a joke, a light-hearted comment to end his speech on, Leah knew that, knew that, but as the speeches ended she sat burning with anticipation. Something in his voice, something in the way his eyes had held hers as he’d spoken told her he had meant it, that this would be more, so much more than a duty dance. As the lights dimmed and Kathy and Dale took to the floor for the first dance, Leah’s heart rate shot up as Cole approached. Shooting a look up from the refuge of her fringe, there was an expression she couldn’t quite read in his eyes and she knew there and then that the attraction she felt was most definitely mutual. As his hot hand closed on hers she could barely catch her breath as she walked alongside him in unfamiliar, impossibly high heels.

They stood shy and awkward for a moment so fleeting it was barely there, then Cole wrapped his hand around her waist and she slid into his embrace. The music carried them around the room and so tall was he, even in heels her cheek only rested on his chest as his deep low voice drifted to her ears.

‘I meant what I said. You really do look beautiful.’

Leah gave a small laugh, pulling her head up slightly so he could hear her. ‘It’s amazing what a posh frock and a few heated rollers can do. I think yesterday was a more accurate version of me.’

‘You looked beautiful then.’

Such was the honesty in his voice, such was its impact, Leah forgot they were supposed to be dancing and stilled for a moment.

Cole’s admission was obviously having the same effect on him and while the dance floor revolved around them, while couples entwined and moved to the music, for a second or two everything stopped.

‘You didn’t make me feel very beautiful,’ Leah responded, amazing herself at her boldness. ‘In fact, you made me feel incredibly irresponsible and rather unworthy.’

He didn’t answer, just stared on as Leah’s mouth started to move at a hundred miles an hour, nerves catching up with her as her senses kicked into overdrive. ‘If I remember rightly, you fell asleep at the first opportunity. After you’d told me off…’

‘That was the safer option.’ His eyes were on her, burning into her, and she stared right back. Never had she felt such an attraction, never, not even once in her life had she felt such a connection with another person. And it hadn’t just happened on the dance floor.

The instant he had appeared at the check-in desk, he had filled her mind. Her token annoyance at him had been just that.

A token, futile defence she had erected.

Even last night, as she had shared in Kathy’s last night of single life, her mind had guiltily wandered to the dashing stranger on the plane, scarcely able to believe her luck at the cards fate had dealt, at the chance to see him again the next day.

She should have left it there. He’d registered his attraction, swelled her ego to unimaginable proportions and made the day extra special. And that was all it could be, Leah reminded herself. Tomorrow she was heading back to England. Tomorrow Australia, Melbourne, this wedding would be just another holiday memory to line up with the rest, to pore over the photos with a wistful smile as her real life resumed.

So why was she taking things further? Leah asked herself.

Why was she tossing her fringe back slightly as she looked up? Running a tongue over her glossed lips as she stared into those gorgeous dark eyes? Lowering her voice as she spoke?

‘Safer than what?’

She felt his shoulders stiffen under her hands as he gazed back at her. The bridal waltz had long since ended, their duty dance over, yet neither had made a motion to move. Instead, they swayed away, dancing to their own tune, the throb of the band a distant beat as they moved together.

‘Safer than getting involved with someone I barely know, someone who’s heading off to the other side of the world tomorrow. Is that a good enough answer?’

‘I guess it was to be expected.’ She registered his frown and gave a small smile. ‘You made it very clear you like to err on the side of caution so, yes, I guess it would be pretty stupid to go and do something crazy.’

‘What do you mean by crazy?’ He was smiling down at her now. She could feel his breath on her cheek, his arms pulling her in tighter as he awaited her answer to his dangerous question.

She felt as if she were back on the bungy-jump platform again. A golden once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right there for the taking. It would be crazy, she frantically reasoned, crazy and bad and dangerous to go ahead and jump and, despite her adventures abroad, falling hopelessly in lust had been one she’d been only too willing not to succumb to. She’d enough baggage to lug around without a broken heart to boot, and from the break in his voice when he’d mentioned his wife during the speeches Cole had his fair share of baggage too.