CAROL MARINELLI - The Consultant's Accidental Bride

‘Have a safe trip back to England.’ His hand was out again, the gold band flashing its warning light, and Leah purposefully switched off her emotions.

‘Thanks.’ Shaking his hand, she gave him a smile. ‘Sorry about the snoring.’

Have a nice life, she wanted to add as Dr Drop-Dead Gorgeous made his way down the aisle and out of her life, leaving her curiously deflated. Catching sight of his unopened goody bag still sitting in the pouch in front of his seat Leah simply couldn’t help herself. The cleaners would only chuck it out, she assured herself as she reached forward and picked it up. It seemed such a shame to waste it.

‘Forgot my mobile.’

Jumping as if she’d been scalded, Leah thought she’d die of shame as Cole caught her red-handed. ‘Here, I was just picking these up for you. I thought I might see you at customs…’

‘It’s an internal flight,’ Cole pointed out, and she was positive, despite his bland expression, that he was laughing at her. ‘Help yourself.’

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.’