The Consultant's Accidental Bride

‘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 (#u25d624b0-448b-5682-9d95-33b583c6f069)

‘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.