A fan-favorite medical romance from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan.

Holly knew that she was possibly the only woman in Dr. Mark Logan’s life who had never fallen head over heels in love with him! They had been best friends since childhood, so when he needed her to pretend to be his fiancée, she couldn’t refuse…

She hoped his gentle, protective strength would help her to get her life back on track again—but all it took was one single breath-taking kiss for Holly to discover that being Mark’s fiancée was altogether a whole new experience…!

Originally published in 2001.

Cover

Back Cover Text

Title Page

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Copyright

‘YOU want me to do what?’

Holly Foster sat down on the sofa with a thump and the phone slipped from her fingers.

‘Holly—?’ The deep male voice trickled out of the receiver. ‘Holl, are you still there?’

She must have misunderstood him. Scrabbling around on the floor for the phone, she lifted it to her ear. ‘I’m still here.’

‘What’s the matter?’

Holly blinked. ‘I’m shocked, that’s what’s the matter! You asked me to...you want me to...’ She took a deep breath and swept a strand of pale blonde hair out of her eyes. ‘You were joking, yes?’

‘No.’ His voice was calm and steady. ‘I’ve never been more serious in my life.’

Holly opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her voice seemed to have failed. She tried again. ‘Let me get this straight. You’re asking me to marry you?’

‘Damn it, Holly, of course I’m not asking you to marry me!’ He started to laugh. ‘You’re my best friend and have been for twenty-four years. I certainly don’t want to marry you!’

‘But you said—’

‘I didn’t say anything about marriage,’ he drawled. ‘Come on Holly! You know how I feel about marriage.’

She did know. It wasn’t that Mark was against marriage, but she knew that he was quietly determined to find the right person first time round. They’d talked about it frequently over the many years of their friendship, sharing their dreams and hopes. It certainly wasn’t a decision he’d ever take lightly. So why was he suggesting—?

‘Mark.’ Holly frowned suspiciously. ‘Have you been drinking?’

‘Drinking? It’s seven o’clock in the morning, Holly,’ he pointed out gently, and she yawned and glanced at the clock on the table. Seven o’clock? Only Mark would ring her that early. Not that it made any difference, of course. She’d been awake anyway...

‘Well, apart from being under the influence of alcohol—’ she forced her mind back to the conversation ‘—I can’t think of a single reason why you’d be asking me to marry you.’

‘You’ll understand once I’ve explained, and I’m not asking you to marry me,’ he said impatiently. ‘You weren’t listening properly. Wake up, will you? I didn’t say married. I said engaged.’

‘That’s the same thing!’ Holly stifled another yawn and tugged her skimpy nightie down over her slim thighs. ‘Mark Logan, you are the last man on earth I’d choose to spend the rest of my life with! You’re just not my type—’

‘What do you mean, I’m not your type?’ He sounded affronted. ‘I’m supposed to be your best friend!!’

Holly grinned. ‘You are my best friend—doesn’t mean I’d want to marry you, though. Or pretend to be engaged, come to that.’

‘Oh, come on, Holl,’ he murmured persuasively. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘What’s the problem? Mark, people don’t just pretend to be engaged,’ Holly said emphatically. ‘They either do it properly or not at all.’

There was a slight pause. ‘We used to do it when we were children.’

‘What, play mothers and fathers, you mean?’ Holly started to laugh. ‘I was four and you were six if my memory serves me right. I think we’ve moved on a bit since then.’

But not much. Unlike Mark’s, her love life was totally non-existent.

Resolutely she pushed the thought away. She had good friends and she was healthy. After everything that had happened in the last two months she was only too aware of what mattered in life. Romance, or rather the lack of it, was the least of her problems.

‘I still don’t see why you’re shocked.’ Mark wasn’t taking no for an answer. ‘It wouldn’t be difficult.’

Holly shook her head and blonde hair wafted around her smooth cheeks. ‘It would be impossible. It would never work.’

‘Give me one good reason.’

She could give him more than one. ‘Well, for a start you’re in Cornwall and I’m in London. Hardly the basis for a convincing romance.’

‘I’ve thought of that,’ he said immediately. ‘We need a practice nurse because ours is leaving. You can come here. Perfect solution for everyone.’

Holly gaped at the phone. ‘You’re asking me to move to Cornwall?’

‘Absolutely.’ He was arrogantly sure of himself, typically Mark. ‘You’ll love it, Holly. June in Cornwall is wonderful. Sea, sand, sailing...’

Tempting images filled her head and her eyes drifted to the window of her small rented flat which gave a bird’s-eye view across the crowded, car-jammed streets of North London. She hadn’t even thought about moving away. She frowned down at the stationary traffic locked bumper to bumper on the busy main road as people started the battle to get to work. But maybe that was the answer. Maybe if she moved, she’d leave the memories behind. Maybe, if she wasn’t in London, she’d be able to sleep again.

‘Just say, for the sake of argument, I uprooted myself and moved to Cornwall,’ she said cautiously. ‘It still wouldn’t work. You and me pretending to be engaged, I mean.’

‘Why wouldn’t it work?’

She felt suddenly flustered. ‘It just wouldn’t. We’ve known each other for ever and we’re not—not...’

‘What are we not?’ Mark started to laugh and, to her surprise, Holly found herself blushing. Mark had never made her blush before. Never.

‘We’re not...’ she searched for the word, feeling ridiculously embarrassed ‘...loving. I mean, we hug and things but we certainly don’t behave like lovers.’

There was a slight pause. ‘We could if we tried. We may not be lovey-dovey normally, but there’s nothing to stop us pretending.’

Holly frowned and nibbled her lip. Could she do that? She’d never thought of Mark as anything but a good friend. Pretending that he was her lover would be totally alien to the way she felt about him. Could she be convincing?

‘I don’t know, Mark. I’m not sure I could do it.’

There was a pause. ‘Why not?’

He never took no for an answer!

Holly chewed her lower lip. ‘Because I’m not in love with you, for a start!’

‘Thanks, Holly!’ Mark’s voice was dry and tinged with humour. ‘First you say I’m not your type, then you say you don’t love me. You certainly know how to puncture a man’s ego, I’ll give you that.’

‘Don’t be silly. I love you as a friend, of course I do, but I don’t...’ Holly paused as she tried to explain. ‘I don’t love you romantically.’

‘Well, who’s going to know the difference? Friends is fine,’ he said firmly. ‘We’ll just throw in a bit of touchy-feely for good measure.’

‘Touchy-feely’? What on earth did he mean, ‘touchy-feely’?

Holly twisted the phone cord round her slim fingers, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. ‘Even if I could be convincing,’ she hedged, ‘people have known us as friends for so long they’d never believe there was anything else between us.’

‘Our friends in London might think that,’ Mark agreed, ‘but down here in Cornwall no one has a clue how we feel about each other so it would be easy.’

He’d obviously thought it all through.

Holly drew breath, her thoughts tangled. ‘Why do you need a fiancée anyway? You said I’d understand once you explained. So—explain.’

There was a pause and Mark cleared his throat. ‘There’s this woman—’

Holly groaned. ‘Oh, Mark, not again!!’

Whenever Mark Logan had a problem, it was always a woman. And sometimes more than one. The man attracted the opposite sex like no one else she’d ever met.

‘Damn it, Holly, it isn’t my fault!’ Suddenly Mark sounded tired and frustrated. ‘To be honest, I was trying to steer clear of women for a while. I only started this job five months ago—’

‘Mark, I know that,’ Holly said patiently. ‘I’m the mug who helped you drag all your worldly goods down to deepest Cornwall, remember?’

And after that her whole life had fallen apart, but, of course, Mark didn’t know that yet.

‘I love this practice.’ Suddenly Mark’s voice was serious. ‘I love the patients—the fact that most of them have lived here all their lives. I love the sea and the sailing. I even love the influx of tourists. Being a GP here is my dream job really.’

‘So what’s wrong?’ Holly frowned. ‘You’ve been fending women off since you were in primary school. I can’t believe you’ve got a problem you can’t handle.’

‘I can handle it,’ Mark said smoothly. ‘I’m acquiring a fiancée. And fast.’

Holly’s green eyes widened. It was beginning to fall into place. ‘You want a fiancée to keep this woman at a distance? Isn’t that overkill? Why not just tell her you’re not interested?’

‘I did, believe me. You know I’m always straight with women. But she doesn’t want to hear it and, anyway, it isn’t that simple.’ Mark sighed and she could almost see him raking his fingers through his cropped dark hair. ‘She works in the practice.’

‘Ouch!’ Holly pulled a face at the phone. ‘You got involved with someone from the practice?’

There was a muffled curse. ‘No, I did not! I am not “involved”, as you put it. I did nothing! I haven’t encouraged her, I haven’t singled her out—I’ve been strictly professional.’

Holly thought for a moment. That was probably what had clinched it. ‘Some women are very attracted to aloof men. Especially macho, aloof men who look like you. So how did it all start?’

‘She invited me to the pub after work. I was expecting there to be a group of us. I thought she was just being friendly.’

‘Mark...’ Holly smothered a smile. ‘Women are never “just friendly” with you. They lust after you, they fantasise about you and they behave in all sorts of strange ways to attract your attention, but they are never, absolutely never, “just friendly”.’

‘That’s nonsense.’ Mark’s tone was clipped and she could sense him frowning. ‘You’re saying that a man and a woman can’t have a platonic relationship.’

‘No.’ Holly frowned thoughtfully. ‘I’m saying that a man like you can’t have a platonic relationship.’

He muttered something rude under his breath. ‘What’s different about me?’

‘Where do you want me to start?’ Holly settled herself more comfortably on the sofa. ‘You’re the archetypal tall, dark and handsome male. To put it another way, you look like a film star, and as if that wasn’t enough you’re also clever, arrogant and cool in a way that drives women wild. One flash of that killer smile and they all succumb. Trust me on this one, Mark—you are just not the sort of man that women want a platonic relationship with.’

There was a stunned silence and then Mark cleared his throat. ‘That’s rubbish. Look at you and I for a start. We’ve been friends for ever.’

‘That’s different.’ Holly gave a shrug. ‘I’ve known you for twenty-four years and I don’t see you the way other women see you. I’m immune.’

It was true. While other women had fallen heavily for Mark, she’d never seen him as anything other than her dearest friend.

‘Oh, here we go again. More ego-bashing,’ Mark drawled, his tone making it obvious that his ego was definitely intact. ‘You’re saying you don’t find me attractive?’

‘Why would you want me to? Mark, you’re my best friend!’ She rolled her eyes with exasperation. ‘I’m not in the habit of fancying my best friend. Anyway, as I said before, you’re not my type.’

‘Why?’ Suddenly he sounded curious. ‘Go on—tell me. Why aren’t I your type?’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Mark, I don’t know.’ She frowned impatiently. ‘I’ve never analysed it before. Basically because I don’t go for macho males, I suppose. And you’re very “male”, if you know what I mean.’

‘I’m not sure I do.’ Mark started to laugh. ‘Surely I’m meant to be “male”?’

Suddenly Holly felt flustered. ‘What I mean is you’re—you’re—very rough and tough. You know, black belt in judo, accomplished sailor, rock climber. You like fast cars and—’

‘You’re basically saying I can’t hold a conversation?’

‘No.’ Holly smiled and nestled deeper into the sofa. ‘I’m not saying that at all. You’re jolly good at conversation. I’m just trying to tell you why I don’t fancy you. You’re too macho. I prefer the sensitive sort.’

Actually, she didn’t really know what she preferred any more. Her love life was such a disaster she’d given up analysing it.

‘You don’t think I’m sensitive?’ Mark sounded hurt and she grinned, knowing it was a pretence. Mark wasn’t that easily wounded. He was totally comfortable with himself, self-assured and confident in everything he did.

‘You’re sensitive with your friends. Just not your girlfriends. And it’s not a post I’ve ever been interested in. And on top of that—’ she played idly with the sleek curtain of blonde hair that fell over her shoulder ‘—I’ve known you since I was two and I remember the time when you put sand down my nappy—’

‘Ouch. Surely I didn’t do a thing like that.’ His sudden laughter was infectious and she started to laugh, too.

‘You did indeed. And when I was too old for nappies you put ice down my knickers, a snake round my neck and you cut off my pigtail to try out your new Swiss army knife.’

Mark was still laughing. ‘What a lousy friend I must have been. OK, I get the message. In fact, I’m amazed our friendship has endured in the circumstances.’

‘Well...’ Holly’s voice was gruff. ‘I suppose I should also add that you’re a great listener, good company and the best friend a girl could want.’

Mark broke the long silence that followed. ‘That’s nice to hear. And it means you can definitely be my fiancée without me worrying that you’ll expect me to marry you at the end of it.’

‘Which brings us back to your story of the woman,’ Holly prompted him, and he sighed.

‘So it does. Anyway, we went out for this drink and she cornered me. I managed to escape without hurting her feelings but it’s getting worse by the day.’

‘Did you kiss her?’

There was an explosion of sound. ‘No, I did not kiss her!!’

‘Maybe you should have done. You should have given her a really horrid, wet, wimpy, slimy kiss that would have put her off you for ever.’

‘I’m not sure I know how to kiss like that.’ His voice shook with laughter. ‘And if you know how that sort of kiss feels then you’ve definitely been going out with the wrong sort of men.’

Holly’s smile wavered. She didn’t need him to tell her that, but men and relationships were the last thing on her mind right now.

‘OK.’ She changed the subject quickly. ‘So what’s happening with this woman at the moment?’

He gave a groan. ‘It’s becoming embarrassing at work. I didn’t want to be rude and ruin a working relationship, so I mentioned that I was engaged to you.’

Holly took a deep breath. ‘Well, that’s all right,’ she said carefully. ‘Other people have long-distance relationships. Just tell them I’ve got a job I can’t leave.’

There was a long pause. ‘It isn’t that simple. They wormed the truth out of me, I’m afraid.’

‘The truth?’

‘That you left your job a few months ago and have done bits of agency work since. Unfortunately my confession coincided with our practice nurse leaving to have a baby, so they came up with the idea of you joining me. I was cornered really, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a brilliant solution. If I have a fiancée down here in Cornwall, then this woman is more likely to leave me alone.’

Holly’s mouth opened and closed. ‘So they already think I’m coming? You didn’t think to ask me first?’

If he hadn’t been her dearest friend she would have put the phone down!

‘I’m asking you now! In fact, I’m begging you, Holl!! Think about it,’ he urged, his voice deep and persuasive. ‘If I have a fiancée I don’t have to spend every minute of the day wondering whether what I’m doing or saying could be misconstrued. I can just get on with my life.’

‘But, Mark—’

‘And you can get on with your life, too. You still haven’t found a permanent job, have you?’ He paused. ‘You haven’t told me why you resigned from your last practice nurse post, but I know something happened.’

Holly stiffened, and her heart rate bolted. Suddenly they’d moved onto dangerous ground. ‘Nothing happened.’

‘Come on, Holl, this is me. I know you better than anyone.’ His voice was gruff. ‘You’re not the sort of person to leave a job without good reason.’

She’d had a good reason. A very good reason. ‘I—It was nothing. Just politics.’

‘Don’t lie to me, Holly.’ His voice was calm and matter-of-fact. ‘I know something’s wrong. And I know it’s something big because it’s the first problem in your life you haven’t shared with me.’

He was right. It was the first thing she hadn’t been able to tell him. But he’d been miles away in Cornwall and it wasn’t something she could talk about on the phone.

She bit her lip. ‘Mark—’

‘It’s OK, babe,’ he said softly. ‘I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready. I’m just suggesting that whatever it was might heal faster down here. The job is yours for as long as you want it, and if you decide to leave when this is all over then fine. I know you’re not happy just doing agency work—’

‘It means I can pick and choose the jobs I do.’

Which was absolutely essential for her peace of mind.

‘But that’s not you. You like stability.’ Mark was as astute as ever. ‘So get yourself down here and then I’ll be close by when you’re ready to spill the beans.’

‘I don’t know, Mark,’ Holly croaked, and there was a pause.

‘Get yourself down here,’ he ordered, his voice gruff and kind. ‘That way I can keep an eye on you.’

Tears blurred her vision and she gave a watery smile, relieved that he couldn’t see her. Just talking to him made her feel safe. If she was honest, she could do with a bit of Mark’s protection right now.

‘Maybe I should. You’re a good friend.’

‘Despite the snake and the ice?’

‘Despite that,’ Holly admitted, her voice choked.

‘So come and be my fiancée and practice nurse.’

Holly thought for a long moment. ‘What would it involve?’

‘The job?’

‘No.’ For some unknown reason Holly felt her colour rise. ‘The other bit. Just how “touchy-feely” would we have to be?’

‘I don’t know. Use your imagination.’ He chuckled. ‘Generally I would think it would be fine if you just hang on my every word, gaze at me adoringly and follow me round like a puppy.’

‘Yuck!’ His teasing made her feel better again. ‘I don’t think I could do that without being sick.’

And without feeling jolly uncomfortable. Pretending to fancy Mark would feel odd.

‘You’ve done it before—’

‘Mark, we’ve already established that we were in primary school at the time,’ she reminded him dryly. ‘Hardly the same thing at all.’

‘Well, just do your best.’ There was a brief silence. ‘And you’d have to live with me, of course.’

‘Live with you?’ Her voice was little more than a squeak and Mark laughed again.

‘Of course, live with me. This is the twenty-first century, Holly. People usually live together when they’re engaged. Anyway, it’s an ideal arrangement because you’d need somewhere to stay and it’s impossible to get short-term lets in Cornwall in the holiday season.’

‘I don’t know, Mark.’ Holly hesitated. ‘What if it ruins our friendship?’

‘Why on earth should it do that?’ He sounded astounded at the suggestion. ‘Holly, we’ve been friends for twenty-four years. Nothing has ever ruined our friendship.’

She frowned. ‘But this is different, Mark.’

‘“Always and for ever”,’ he reminded her softly. ‘That’s what we used to say to each other as children. Remember?’

Holly gave a soft smile. She’d never forgotten their childish promise to be friends for ever. ‘Of course I remember, you idiot.’

‘Then what’s the problem?’ His voice was gruff. ‘Nothing has ever threatened our friendship, Holly. Not even when we’ve lived miles apart and had serious relationships with other people.’

Holly bit her lip. Serious relationships? She’d never had a serious relationship. Not really. In fact, she was beginning to think that she must have totally unrealistic expectations about relationships because they were always such a colossal disappointment.

‘We haven’t lived together before.’

‘So confess all your annoying habits, then.’ He spoke in that lazy drawl that turned women weak at the knees. ‘Do you leave the top off the toothpaste? Am I going to find your undies strewn over my radiators?’

‘Surely that would be part of the fiancée role,’ Holly quipped, and he laughed.

‘Probably would. You see? You’re more attuned to it than me.’ There was a slight pause and when he spoke his voice was serious. ‘I really need you, Holly. I’m sorry to do this to you, but say yes, babe. Please?’

Her protests collapsed in a heap. Mark needed her. And when had she ever been able to refuse him? He’d always been there for her. Always.

All he needed was a fake fiancée. He wasn’t asking much really and, if she was honest, working with him again would be fun. She bit her lip. Maybe having Mark nearby would help her. Maybe living with him would get rid of some of the nightmares. Mark was so physically strong that it was hard to be nervous of anything with him around. Nobody threatened Mark.

‘Holly?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Are you still there?’

‘Yes, I’m here.’ She took a deep breath. ‘OK, Mark. I’ll do it.’

‘You’ll do it?’ She could hear the triumph in his voice and she smiled in response.

‘I think I must be mad but, yes, I’ll do it. I’ll be your “fiancée”.’

As Mark started bombarding her with instructions Holly tried to ignore the little voice inside her head which suggested that pretending to be in love with him might not be as straightforward as it seemed.

She agreed to meet the senior partner in London for an interview and then, providing all was well, travel down to Cornwall at the end of the week.

It would be all right, she told herself firmly. Of course it would. After all, they were only pretending. It wouldn’t change their relationship.

Would it?

HOLLY switched off the engine and stared at the modern red-brick medical centre with trepidation.

This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Why had she ever agreed to such a thing? It was never going to work. How could she walk into that surgery and greet Mark as if he were the love of her life?

She gave a groan. Why on earth hadn’t they discussed things in more detail? She had no idea what Mark was expecting. He’d asked her to arrive at lunchtime on Friday, but he hadn’t given her any more details. What was she meant to do? Throw her arms around him and kiss him passionately or was she meant to be reserved?

She must have been mad to agree to it!

But it was too late to change her mind now.

Reluctantly she climbed out of the car and walked across the car park, pinning a smile on her face as she pushed open the door that led to the reception area.

‘Yes?’ The blonde woman behind the desk gave her a cool look and Holly paused uncertainly. Hardly the most effusive welcome she’d ever received.

‘I’m here to see Dr Logan.’

‘Dr Logan has been called out on an emergency,’ the receptionist told her briskly, ‘and in any case you can’t see him without an appointment.’

‘I’m not asking for an appointment.’ Holly took a deep breath as she tried to get past that icy fa;alcade. ‘I’m—’

‘He has a space next Thursday at four o’clock.’

Next Thursday? Holly frowned. And what happened if one of his patients was desperate to see him before that?

‘As I said before, I don’t need an appointment,’ she told the woman, her voice still friendly. After all, they were obviously going to be colleagues and she didn’t want to alienate her. ‘I’m not a patient. I’m Holly Foster, the new practice nurse. I’m Dr Logan’s—’

‘Fiancée.’ The blonde woman stared at her for a moment and Holly saw her mouth tighten. ‘Of course. I should have guessed.’

Holly swallowed and managed a smile. ‘Why should you have guessed?’

‘You match his description perfectly,’ the receptionist said, frowning slightly as her eyes drifted to Holly’s left hand, ‘although you’re not wearing his ring.’

His ring? Oh, help! Neither of them had thought of that.

‘I never wear a ring at work,’ Holly said quickly. ‘It’s unhygienic and my last practice wouldn’t allow it. I thought I might have to start work straight away so I put it on my chain.’

She patted her blouse, hinting that it was hidden under her clothing, a practice common among nurses. Fortunately for her, at that moment the doors of the health centre crashed open and the ring was forgotten as the reception area was filled with screams.

‘Help me! Someone help my daughter. She needs a doctor.’ A woman struggled towards them, clutching a small girl who was shrieking hysterically. ‘She’s been bitten by a dog.’

‘We don’t have a doctor on the premises,’ the receptionist told her briskly. ‘They’re all out on calls. You’ll have to drive to the Infirmary.’

Holly gaped at her and took charge.

‘Let me have a look,’ she said to the woman, smoothing the little girl’s hair with a gentle hand. ‘You poor thing! What a scary thing to happen. I’m Holly, what’s your name?’

The little girl continued to sob hysterically and peered at Holly with scared eyes.

‘It bit me,’ she wailed, and Holly nodded.

‘I know. And I’d like to try and make it better. What’s your name, sweetheart?’

‘Helen,’ the little girl sobbed jerkily, and Holly’s smile widened.

‘Well, isn’t that funny? You’re a Helen and I’m a Holly. Both our names begin with H. Where did the dog bite you, Helen?’

The little girl took a shuddering breath. ‘Arm.’ She shrank away from Holly who nodded sympathetically.

‘I won’t touch it, sweetheart, not until you’re ready. What we need to do is make it nice and clean and have a good look at it. There’s a special room here for that sort of thing. And there are some lovely toys...’

She crossed her fingers that her predecessor had kept toys in the nurse’s consulting room. Surely she did. Everyone did.

Holly turned to the receptionist, her smile friendly. ‘If I could just use the treatment room, we don’t have to make these poor people travel all the way to the Infirmary.’ She turned to give Helen’s mother an explanation. ‘I’m the new practice nurse and technically I haven’t started yet, but I can’t see anyone minding if we sort Helen out.’

The set of the receptionist’s mouth indicated that she minded a great deal. ‘We’re not an accident and emergency department.’

‘No,’ Holly agreed quietly, her voice firm, ‘but if we’re capable of giving the care required, without the patient having to make a long trip to hospital, we should give it. I’ll assess the bite and clean it up, and hopefully by then one of the doctors will have arrived back from their calls and they can write up some antibiotics. Is there a white coat I could borrow, please? My uniform is still in my suitcase.’

Her shoulders stiff with disapproval, the surly woman marched out from behind the desk and walked down a carpeted corridor. Making a mental note to have a word with Mark about the attitude of his receptionist, Holly gestured to Helen’s mother to follow her.

‘This is the room you’ll be using.’ The receptionist flung open the door and turned to leave. ‘I’ll phone the senior partner to let him know that you’re here.’

And try and make trouble, no doubt, Holly thought uneasily, watching the woman leave. Oh, bother. She didn’t need that sort of aggravation in a new job.

‘Take no notice of Caroline Duncan,’ Helen’s mother said, rolling her eyes. ‘Her bark is worse than her bite.’

Holly wasn’t convinced, but she gave the woman a smile. ‘I do apologise for the fact I’m not in uniform, Mrs...?’

‘Brown. But call me Alison, and I don’t care what you’re wearing as long as you can sort my Helen out.’

‘Well, I’m just going to dig out a white coat and then I’ll have a look at it,’ Holly promised, glancing round as the door opened sharply and Caroline entered, carrying a white coat.

Holly thanked her warmly. ‘Oh, and, Caroline, presumably I can access the notes on the computer?’

Caroline frowned as she turned to leave. ‘Our computer system is very complicated. I expect you’ll need to be trained before you can use it.’

Holly, who had been using computer systems all her working life, smiled easily, still doing her best to be friends with the woman. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to muddle through. Thanks, Caroline.’

She slipped on the white coat and then spotted a basket of toys under the examination couch. ‘Oh, look at these, Helen!’ She dived under the couch and retrieved the basket. ‘Have a little look at those for me and tell me what there is because I’ve never seen them before.’

The little girl delved into the basket and finally a small smile appeared as she pulled out a bright yellow helicopter with blades that spun round. ‘There’s a helicopter! I love helicopters.’

‘I had one like that when I was small,’ Holly chatted away, calming and distracting the little girl until she felt the time was right to look at the damage. ‘Can I just take a look at that arm now, sweetheart?’

Helen nodded, still intent on playing with the helicopter.

‘Is it awful?’ Alison Brown bit her lip as Holly unwrapped the makeshift bandage she’d used to stop the bleeding. ‘It bled such a lot.’

‘I’ll just take a look. How did it happen? Did the dog have an owner?’

Alison sighed. ‘Yes, it belongs to Mrs Ellis, the librarian. It was Helen’s fault really. I’ve warned her not to touch dogs she doesn’t know, but she will go up to them and make a fuss—you know children.’

‘I do indeed,’ Holly agreed sympathetically. ‘Don’t tell me—this wasn’t a cuddly type of dog.’

‘Not at all,’ Alison shuddered. ‘It was tied up outside the supermarket and Helen was over there and patting it before I could stop her. To be honest, I didn’t think about stopping to have words with Mrs Ellis after it happened. I just sprinted over here in a panic.’

Holly dropped the bloodstained bandage in the bin and examined Helen’s arm carefully.

‘Actually, it isn’t very deep at all,’ she said finally, walking across the room and rummaging through the cupboards until she found a dressing pack. ‘The biggest risk from animal bites is infection, so what we need to do is clean it really carefully and then give Helen some antibiotics. How old is she?’

‘She’s five,’ came the reply and Holly nodded as she ripped open the dressing pack.

‘And is she fully immunised? Did she have all her childhood jabs?’

‘Oh, yes.’ Alison nodded vigorously. ‘I really believe in immunisations. She had everything going.’

‘Good. Then she won’t need a tetanus injection. Helen, I’m just going to clean your arm. It might sting a little bit. Fancy you liking helicopters. Do you know that in one of the hospitals I worked at, we had our own helicopter?’ Holly chatted away as she cleaned the wound, knowing that thorough cleaning was as important in the prevention of infection as the antibiotics.

‘A hospital had a helicopter?’ As she’d planned, the little girl was so interested in her story that she virtually ignored the pain in her arm.

‘That’s right. I worked in London, and as it’s such a big place with lots of traffic, they have a helicopter to go and collect people who need to see the doctor in a hurry.’ Satisfied that the wound was as clean as it was going to get, Holly inspected the edges, deciding that it was better left to heal on its own without sutures. ‘I’m not going to stitch this, Alison, because it would be distressing for Helen and, to be honest, after a bite like this it’s better, if possible, to leave the wound open so that any infection can drain away.’

‘I know this sounds like a stupid question...’ Alison blushed and pulled a face ‘...but there’s no risk of rabies, is there?’

‘No.’ Holly shook her head. ‘Rabies isn’t endemic in this country. We’d only consider taking preventative measures against rabies if she was bitten abroad or if the dog was imported. But seeing as you know the owner—’

‘Yes, I do.’ Alison’s mouth tightened. ‘And I’ll be having words with her, believe me. Helen was wrong to have touched it, but Mrs Ellis shouldn’t be leaving an animal like that in a place where children are tempted to touch him.’

Holly taped a sterile dressing in place and helped the little girl put her T-shirt back on.

‘Did you go on the helicopter?’ Helen’s eyes were like saucers and Holly smiled at her.

‘Not usually. I worked in the accident and emergency department, so we used to take care of the people after the helicopter had given them a lift. But I did go out on it a few times.’

‘Wow!’ The little girl hardly noticed as Holly carefully dressed the bite. ‘Was it very high up?’

‘Oh, very!’ Holly’s green eyes twinkled as she secured the dressing firmly. ‘The people looked like dots and I could see into everyone’s gardens. Now then, I’ll just check your notes on the computer. What’s your address, Alison, and who’s your GP?’

‘We’re with Dr Logan.’ Suddenly Alison’s eyes brightened mischievously. ‘And he’s so gorgeous it takes your breath away! But perhaps you haven’t met him yet, have you?’

Holly gave a wry smile. ‘Actually, I have. I’ve been acquainted with Dr Logan’s fatal charm since I was two years old. We were at school together and we trained at the same hospital so our paths are always crossing.’

And now they were engaged, albeit fictitiously.

‘Well, all the women in Cornwall are totally besotted with him,’ Alison told her with a laugh. ‘He’s lovely with the patients. Never makes you feel small and always acts as though he’s got plenty of time.’

Holly smiled. ‘He’s certainly a good doctor.’ She tapped away at the keyboard with sure fingers until she brought the right information up onto the screen. ‘Oh, here we are. Tell me—’ she kept her voice casual ‘—do you normally have to wait a long time to see him?’

She wanted to find out whether Caroline’s comment was typical of the time it took to get an appointment with Mark.

‘Well, that depends on the receptionist.’ Alison gave a wry smile. ‘Caroline works on the principle that if she makes you wait long enough you’ll either be dead or better by the time your appointment comes round. The others are really nice and if it’s an emergency they always seem to manage to squeeze you in.’

‘That’s good to hear,’ Holly said lightly, checking in the records that Helen had no recorded allergies or any other relevant medical history. ‘Is she allergic to any drugs, Alison?’

‘No.’ Alison shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

‘Right. I’m going to ask one of the doctors to write her a prescription.’ Holly tapped away again. ‘Can you wait for a few minutes while I find out when one of the partners is likely to be back?’

Just then the door opened and Mark strode in, a frown touching his dark brows. ‘Holl?’

‘Good afternoon, Dr Logan,’ Holly said, her voice formal in case he hadn’t realised she was with a patient. ‘Helen had a bit of an accident with a dog but we’ve sorted it out.’

Mark grinned at the little girl and for a brief moment Holly saw him as other women must see him. Tall and athletic, with broad, muscular shoulders and laughing dark eyes. With his cropped dark hair and permanently shadowed jaw he was wickedly handsome, and Holly wondered what the staid old ladies of Cornwall thought of him. Then she gave a chuckle. They probably loved him. The ones on the ward always had. She watched him curiously. Alison was right, he was gorgeous. Gorgeous and sexy. It was just that she didn’t usually see that when she looked at him. She just saw the Mark she’d known all her life.

‘Hello, tiger.’ His attention was focused on his young patient. ‘Have you come to play with my toys again?’

‘Holly rides on helicopters,’ Helen said breathlessly, and Mark laughed.

‘I know she does. Always has her head in the clouds does Holly. And what have you been doing to your arm?’

Helen’s lip wobbled. ‘Dog bit me.’

‘You poor sausage.’ Mark squatted down so that he was on her level, his dark eyes gentle as they locked with the little girl’s. ‘Did you bite it back?’

‘Of course not, silly.’ Helen giggled in spite of herself. ‘It was furry.’

Mark pulled a face. ‘Yuck! And how does that arm feel now?’

Helen stared thoughtfully at her new bandage. ‘Better,’ she said finally, and Mark smiled and ruffled her hair.

‘Good.’ He looked at Holly and raised an eyebrow. ‘Stitches?’

She shook her head. ‘I thought it was best to avoid them. I cleaned it thoroughly, though. She’s covered for tetanus but she’ll need some antibiotics as it was a puncture wound. I thought co-amoxiclav—she’s not allergic to anything, I’ve checked.’

Mark blinked and then gave a crooked smile. ‘I’d forgotten what it was like working with someone as efficient as you.’

Holly pressed the right keys on the computer and the prescription came out with a whizzing noise.

‘The wonders of technology,’ Mark murmured, signing it with a flourish. ‘Here you are, Alison. We’ll need to see that wound again—when do you think, Holly?’

Holly laughed. ‘Well, seeing as I haven’t even got my uniform on yet, I don’t really know the setup here. Is there a dressing clinic or do I just do a general session?’

Mark frowned and thought for a moment. ‘Routine dressing checks usually just get booked into your general sessions. Meg, our practice manager, will fill you in on when they are. Most mornings, I think, and then special clinics—asthma, immunisation and things in the afternoon.’

Alison scooped Helen up in her arms. ‘Gosh, you’re a lump! Too big for Mummy to carry around like this.’ She gave the child a squeeze and lowered her gently to the floor, glancing at Mark while she did so. ‘So what happened to Sister Hill? I thought the baby wasn’t due for another two months?’

‘It wasn’t, but I’m afraid her blood pressure shot up and she was advised to rest so she decided to leave earlier than expected.’

Alison picked up her bag. ‘Which left you in the lurch, I would have thought.’

‘You can say that again.’ Mark gave a wry smile and raked long fingers through his dark hair. ‘But fortunately Holly has kindly agreed to step into the breach so we should be fine now.’

‘Come back in three days and I’ll check that wound,’ Holly said. ‘Sooner if it becomes inflamed or swollen, but it shouldn’t because the antibiotics should prevent any infection.’

Alison nodded and thanked her again before ushering the little girl out and closing the door behind them.

‘Thanks for dealing with them,’ Mark said, and Holly grinned at him.

‘To be honest, I was quite relieved. I was so afraid that our first meeting was going to be in front of the practice staff and we hadn’t discussed what I was meant to do.’

‘Do?’ Mark leaned broad shoulders against the wall and started to laugh. ‘What do you mean, “do”?’

‘Well, you know...’ Holly shifted uncomfortably. ‘I wasn’t sure if I was expected to—to...’

She started to blush, which felt ridiculous. Why should she blush in front of Mark when she’d known him for ever?

‘To what?’ Mark was still laughing, his dark eyes teasing. ‘To rip my clothes off in Reception in front of the patients?’

‘It’s all right for you to laugh!’ She put her hands on her slim hips and glared at him. ‘Mark Logan, you’d better watch your step or I won’t do this for you!’

He stifled the laughter. ‘Sorry, Holl. It’s just that I had this vision of you—’

‘I don’t want to know,’ Holly said primly, switching off the computer and clearing up the mess left from the dressing. ‘As it is, we have now been reunited in private, so we can avoid touching public reunions.’

‘Shame.’ Mark gave her a wicked grin, his eyes dancing. ‘We could have run towards each other in slow motion like they do in the movies.’

Her eyes twinkled in return. ‘With the sound of the sea in the background.’

‘Something like that.’ His smile was warm. ‘It’s really good to see you, Holly.’

‘It’s good to see you, too. Even if that handsome face of yours has got you into trouble again.’

‘Don’t!’ He gave a sigh and held out his arms. ‘Hug?’

She crossed the room and hugged him just as the door opened and Caroline Duncan entered.

Guiltily Holly tried to pull away, but to her surprise Mark held her tightly for a moment before releasing her with apparent reluctance.

‘Sorry, Caroline.’ His tone was easy and friendly. ‘You must excuse us but we haven’t seen each other for a while and we thought we were in private.’

It was a gentle reprimand for the fact that she hadn’t knocked, but Caroline was far from apologetic. In fact, if anything she looked angry. Her colour was high and she seemed flustered.

‘There’s a man in Reception who came off a jet ski in the bay,’ she said crisply. ‘I was going to send him to the Infirmary, but—’

‘Oh, I’ll see him as I’m here,’ Mark said, his tone pleasant but firm. ‘I’ve finished my calls so it’s only lunch he’s disturbing and I don’t usually get that anyway. Send him through to my room. Holly can give me a hand—we used to work in A and E together.’

Holly rolled her eyes. ‘Perhaps I’d better get my suitcase out of the boot and unpack my uniform,’ she said dryly. ‘I seem to have started work immediately.’

Mark pulled a face and looked guilty. ‘I wanted to give you the weekend to make yourself at home in Cornwall. Do you mind starting straight away?’

‘Of course I don’t.’ Holly smiled and followed him down corridor to his consulting room, gasping as she saw the view. ‘Oh, Mark! No wonder this is your dream job. How on earth can you concentrate on the patients with a view like that out of the window?’

The yachts and fishing boats bobbed in the bay and the coast path stretched enticingly into the distance.

‘Nice, isn’t it?’ Mark dropped his bag by his desk and switched on his computer. ‘Oh, well, I suppose we’d better see this patient now.’

Holly lifted an eyebrow. ‘Do you do anything except minor accidents in this practice?’

‘That’s what happens in a holiday resort,’ Mark told her ruefully. ‘We get plenty of the ordinary routine stuff, too, but we’ll tell you about that over dinner. We’re meeting Ian Hughes, the senior partner, this evening.’

‘Oh, yes, I met him in London. I really liked him.’ Holly stared out across the bay. ‘Where’s your house?’

When she had helped Mark move five months earlier he had rented a small flat until he’d found somewhere more permanent. Now she was dying to see the house he’d chosen.

‘You can’t see it from here. I wanted you to come down before I bought it but you didn’t answer the phone for about two weeks...’ Mark looked at her quizzically and Holly coloured and turned away, avoiding that penetrating gaze. Mark saw too much.

‘I—I had a lot on...’

‘Right.’

She knew from his tone that he didn’t believe her but, good friend that he was, he didn’t push her.

‘So, is it far?’

‘No, not really.’ Mark walked across and stood next to her. ‘My surgery finishes at five-thirty and I’m off then until tomorrow so if you can wait that long you can follow me home.’

‘Well, if I’m going to be here all afternoon I might as well unpack my suitcase and see some patients,’ Holly suggested.

Mark hesitated and then gave a shrug. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind, that would be great.’

Holly frowned. ‘Just one thing—I think Caroline’s taken an instant dislike to me.’

‘Yes.’ Mark’s tone was guarded. ‘She probably would.’

‘She would?’ Holly lifted her eyebrows. ‘Why would she? What have I done?’

‘Done?’ Mark dragged his long fingers through his dark hair and sighed. ‘You haven’t done anything. The reason Caroline doesn’t like you is because you are my fiancée, and she’s the woman I was telling you about.’

‘OH, MARK, it’s stunning!’

Holly stared at the house which was perched on the clifftop with views across the estuary and out to sea.

‘Great, isn’t it?’ Mark helped drag her cases out of the boot. ‘Wait until you see inside.’

Holly slammed the car door and followed Mark through the front door of the house and into a huge, glass-walled living room.

‘Oh, my goodness.’ She strolled over to the windows that hugged all three sides of the living room, giving an almost panoramic view. ‘This is fabulous. How on earth did you manage to get your hands on this?’

‘Right place, right time, as they say. Come and see my deck. The view’s fantastic. If I crane my neck I can see my boat.’ He gave her a smug grin and unlocked the French windows, opening up one side of the living room so that she could step onto the bleached wooden decking that curved around the house.

He was right. The view was breathtaking. She closed her eyes and breathed in the air, enjoying its salty freshness.

‘Have you done lots of sailing?’

‘Masses.’ Mark dropped onto one of the solid wooden chairs that surrounded a large table. ‘There’s a GP in the neighbouring practice who’s keen and he’s been crewing for me.’

‘Poor man!’ Holly rolled her eyes and smiled. ‘I remember sailing with you in our teens. It was a nightmare!’

Mark lifted an eyebrow. ‘I thought you loved our sailing.’

‘You yelled at me, Mark.’ Holly paced along the deck and looked at the view in the other direction. ‘This is fantastic.’

‘Did I yell?’ Mark sounded astonished and Holly turned and leaned against the balcony, wisps of blonde hair flying across her face as the wind gusted gently.

‘Never mind that. Tell me about Caroline.’

‘Later.’ Mark stretched out long legs and his dark eyes narrowed as they fixed on her face. ‘I want to know what’s been happening to you. I haven’t seen you for five months and phone calls aren’t the same. Bring me up to date. How’s your love life?’

‘Oh, you know.’ Holly gave a careless shrug. ‘Still kissing frogs.’

Mark threw back his head and laughed. ‘And not one of them has turned into a handsome prince?’

‘Not that I noticed,’ Holly quipped lightly, trying to skirt over the fact that her love life was totally non-existent.

‘So you still haven’t lost your virginity?’ Mark gave her a gentle wink and she blushed prettily.

‘Why on earth was I stupid enough to tell you that?’ she muttered crossly, and Mark chuckled.

‘Because we’ve always told each other everything.’ He shook his head slowly, his face alight with amusement and incredulity as he looked at her. ‘I can’t believe some lucky man hasn’t swept you off your feet.’

‘Well, they haven’t,’ Holly said flatly, and Mark’s smile faded.

‘So is that what’s wrong?’

Holly stiffened and turned to look across the bay. Anything rather than meet the sharp look in his eyes. Mark was far too perceptive.

‘Nothing’s wrong—’

‘You’re a lousy liar,’ he said softly, suddenly serious. ‘Holly, you’ve lost weight and you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. And don’t turn your back on me.’

She hesitated and then turned to face him, her expression haunted. ‘It isn’t anything—’

‘Holly!’ his voice was a threatening growl and she gave a wry smile that cost her a great deal in terms of effort.

‘Well, let’s just say it isn’t anything you can do anything about.’ She coloured slightly under his intense scrutiny. She didn’t feel ready to tell him yet.

‘Is it work or a man?’ His tone was blunt.

‘Mark, it really doesn’t matter—’

‘Work or a man?’ he persisted, and she sighed in exasperation.

‘You don’t ever give up, do you?’

‘No.’ His gaze was steady. ‘So now you’ve remembered that, perhaps you’ll answer my question. Work or a man? Surely it wasn’t—what was his name? Simon. Are you still seeing Simon?’

‘No.’ Holly shook her head, securing strands of blonde hair behind her ear. ‘No, I’m not.’

‘Good thing, too,’ Mark growled, dark eyes narrowed. ‘He wasn’t right for you. His eyes were too close together.’

‘So were his affairs.’ Holly’s voice was quiet and Mark stared at her.

‘He had affairs? While he was with you?’ His jaw tightened and his expression was ominious. ‘Give me his address—’

‘Mark, no,’ Holly interrupted him hastily, knowing that Mark was more than capable of tracking down Simon and defending her rather too vigorously. ‘I don’t need you to intervene—but thanks for the thought.’

Mark’s anger was still evident. ‘Were you in love with him?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Is that why you’ve got the shadows under your eyes? Did he hurt you?’

Holly shook her head and gave him a wan smile. ‘No, I wasn’t in love with him. And, no, he didn’t hurt me—not really, so you can dismount from your white charger.’

Mark watched her for a long moment, his eyes intent on hers. ‘OK,’ he said finally, a frown touching his brows, ‘but if he isn’t responsible for your drawn appearance, who is?’

‘No one!’ Holly wrapped her arms round her waist and paced over to the far side of the deck. ‘It was nothing like that. Drop it, Mark. Please.’

She heard the chair scrape on the decking and the sound of his footsteps behind her, then strong hands curled over her shoulders.

‘Which means it must have been work.’

‘Please, Mark.’ Her voice was barely a whisper and her eyes were closed. ‘I really can’t face thinking about it.’

He swore softly and she felt his hands tighten protectively on her shoulders.

‘You know I’m always ready to slay your dragon,’ he said gruffly. ‘You only have to say the word.’

The memories came crashing down on her like the waves on the rocks below and she took a deep breath.

‘Can we change the subject?’

‘OK,’ he said finally, his voice soft, ‘on the condition that you put that weight back on and lose the shadows round your eyes. And on the condition that you remember that I’m here for you whenever you need a friend. We’ve never had any secrets from each other. Don’t forget that, Holly.’

How could she forget? He was her oldest and dearest friend. She turned to face him and for a wild moment she was tempted to confide in him. But she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Not even to Mark. The truth was, she didn’t want to think about it at all...

She lifted her chin and tried to lighten the mood. ‘You’re worried about the shadows under my eyes? You’re saying I’m not glamorous enough to be your fiancée?’

He lifted a hand to stroke her hair away from her face, staring down at her with an odd expression on his face.

She tipped her head to one side. ‘Mark?’

He stirred himself. ‘You look great. I’m just worried about you that’s all.’ He turned away from her and walked back towards the French windows. ‘OK, back to practicalities. We’re going to the yacht club for supper with Ian, but we’re not meeting him until eight-thirty so how about having a snack?’

She nodded and followed him inside, through the spacious lounge and into the kitchen.

‘Mark Logan, you’re a slob!’ She surveyed the dirty dishes strewn around the work surfaces with mock disapproval. ‘You have a perfectly good sink with a view to die for and you can’t be bothered to wash up.’

‘I told you I needed a fiancée,’ he teased, his smile dying as he saw the look on her face. ‘Just joking—truly!’

‘Don’t do your chauvinist act with me,’ she scolded, tugging open doors in the kitchen. ‘I can’t believe this state-of-the-art kitchen doesn’t have a dishwasher.’

‘Last cupboard on the right,’ Mark said meekly, watching as she pulled it open and started clearing the worktops and loading the dishwasher. ‘Can I get you a drink? Wine? Gin and tonic?’

‘Actually, just a cup of tea would be great, thanks.’ Holly straightened and glanced round the surfaces which were now clear of dirty crockery. ‘No wonder you need a fake fiancée. No one in their right mind would take on the role in real life.’

‘I’m sorry. What with work and the boat, I’ve been busy.’ He looked sheepish as he made the tea and handed her a mug. ‘Sandwich? Biscuit?’

‘Nothing, thanks.’ Holly sipped her tea and wandered back into the living room. ‘This place is amazing. It’s like being part of the ocean.’

‘Glad you approve. When you’ve finished your tea, I’ll show you the upstairs.’

Once she drained her mug, they made their way up an unusual spiral staircase and Mark pushed open a door. ‘This is the spare room. Your room, I suppose.’

It was a bright, cheerful room, decorated in blue and white, with a very nautical theme. Holly fingered a piece of driftwood thoughtfully. ‘This is nice. Where did you find it?’

‘On the beach. I go for a run most mornings before the rest of the world is awake. It’s surprising what you find.’ He turned and walked back onto the landing. ‘Come and see my room.’

Holly gasped as she entered the master bedroom. Again the architect had made the maximum use of windows and the room was drenched in the soft early evening sunlight.

‘Oh, Mark!’ She paced across the bleached wooden floor covered in a soft rug and gazed around the room. ‘It seems a waste to use this room for sleeping.’

‘My sentiments exactly.’ Mark gave her a grin that was pure predatory male and she rolled her eyes.

‘You’re terrible, Mark Logan!’ She laughed and then frowned at him with mock disapproval. ‘Are you still leading innocent females astray?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Mark said firmly, his eyes still gleaming wickedly. ‘I can honestly say that I’ve never had anything to do with an innocent female in my life, and I’ve certainly never led one astray.’

‘So bring me up to date on your love life.’ Holly looked at him expectantly and he gave a short laugh.

‘To be honest, there hasn’t really been anyone since I moved down here. I’ve given up on women. I’ve decided that my perfect woman doesn’t exist.’

Holly touched his arm gently and gave him a soft smile. ‘She exists, Mark. Just hang in there. Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places.’

‘Probably. Still, it’s history now.’ He gave a careless shrug. ‘As I said, I’m totally off women.’

‘You? Off women? I’ll believe that when I see it.’ Holly gave him a wry smile and moved towards the window, giving a gasp of delight as she looked outside. ‘You’ve got a balcony! Can I go out?’

‘Of course. Key’s in the drawer.’ Mark retrieved it and unlocked the door for her, watching as she stepped out onto the balcony and breathed in the sea air with a sigh of appreciation.

‘I love it. Truly, I love it.’ She stared across the estuary for a long time and then stirred herself. ‘Right, then. I suppose I’d better move myself into my room.’

Mark frowned and hesitated. ‘I was thinking about that...’

‘What?’ She closed the door firmly and locked it, returning the key to the chest of drawers.

‘How would you feel about keeping most of your stuff in my room?’ he asked finally, giving her a wary smile. ‘It’s just that if anyone visits, they could easily stumble into your room and if they see that all your stuff is there...’

‘Then we’ve blown our cover,’ Holly finished for him. It sounded logical. So why was she blushing? To hide her discomfort she changed the subject. ‘That’s fine. Perhaps you’d better tell me about Caroline now.’

Mark sighed and closed his eyes. ‘I suppose I’d better. Let’s grab some drinks and nibbles and go and sit on the deck.’

‘Good idea.’ Holly followed him down the stairs to the kitchen and they piled snacks and a bottle of wine onto a tray and took it out onto the deck.

‘OK, tell me the gory details.’ Holly settled herself comfortably on one of the chairs and waited expectantly as he yanked the cork out of the bottle of wine and took a deep breath.

‘Well, Caroline has worked at the surgery for about a year, from what I can gather. Only part time, but everyone treats her with kid gloves because she’s had such a rough time. It’s common knowledge so I’m not breaking a confidence by telling you that—’

‘That’s fine, Mark.’ Holly’s voice was soft. She knew that he would never gossip or do anything unethical. If he was telling her this then there must be a reason.

‘It’s pretty sad really.’ He poured wine into a glass and passed it to her. ‘Apparently she was engaged to some man—was crazy about him by all reports—and he stood her up at the altar. Literally. Just never turned up on the day, no explanation, nothing.’

‘Oh, no!’ Holly gave a gasp of horror. The poor woman. That was an awful thing to happen to anyone.

‘It affected her really badly.’ Mark sat down and stretched long legs out in front of him. ‘It was a huge wedding with most of the town present, so it was a pretty awful thing to do.’

‘Wicked,’ Holly agreed, her green eyes appalled. ‘So what happened to poor Caroline afterwards?’

Mark shrugged. ‘Well, she’d resigned her job because he’d promised to take her travelling, but Ian took her back.’

‘That was nice of him.’

Mark nodded slowly. ‘He’s a nice guy. It must have been a difficult decision for him really. He’s incredibly supportive and loyal towards his staff, so he would have wanted to take her back, but deep down he must have known that she was going to take a long time to recover from something like that. It was bound to have a negative effect on the practice.’

‘You said “was”.’ Holly raised her eyebrows. ‘Isn’t it a problem any more?’

‘Well, she seems to be getting better.’ Mark stared thoughtfully across the estuary. ‘Lately we’ve all seen an improvement in her mood. Despite the way she behaved to you this morning.’

Holly shrugged. ‘She wasn’t so bad.’

Mark gave a wry smile. ‘But, then, you never see bad in anyone.’

‘That’s not true—it’s just such an awful thing to happen to anyone.’ Holly murmured, her expression troubled. ‘I’m not surprised she wasn’t welcoming. Especially if the reason she’d cheered up was because she’d suddenly found another man she was attracted to.’

‘You’re very perceptive.’

‘Not really.’ Holly gave a shrug. ‘I suppose she felt as though she could never find another man attractive, and then suddenly you come along, handsome and generally gorgeous, and her heart lifts slightly, only to be dashed into the ground when she discovers you’re not interested.’

‘Don’t!’ Mark raked long fingers through his dark hair and gave a long sigh. ‘I feel guilty enough already without you spelling it out.’

Holly reached across and squeezed his hand. ‘I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty. It isn’t your fault. You can hardly have a relationship with her out of pity. I’m just saying it’s a sad situation.’

‘I know that,’ Mark said gruffly, his eyes closed, his thick dark lashes touching his angular cheeks. ‘And the truth is, it didn’t happen exactly the way you suggested. Apparently she’d started to recover, and she’d been on a few dates with Greg—that’s the GP I was telling you about that I sail with—and then she saw me.’

Holly gave a sigh. ‘What is it with you and women?’

‘Not my fault!’ He gave her a black look. ‘Anyway, she stopped seeing Greg and seemed to develop this wild, almost teenage crush on me. Horrendous! Maybe I should have just been blunt with her, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I thought it would be gentler if I just said I was already involved.’

‘And a fictitious fiancée seemed the most gentle approach...’

Mark opened her eyes. ‘Did I do the wrong thing?’ Suddenly he looked unsure. ‘You’re a woman, Holly, you know how the female mind works. Was I wrong?’

It was the first time in her life she had ever seen Mark question a decision he’d made.

‘No,’ Holly said finally. ‘I don’t think you did the wrong thing. I think it’s an impossible situation really. Whatever you did, her feelings would have been hurt. But we can’t pretend to be engaged for ever. Sooner or later you’ll get fed up with not being able to seduce women and we’ll have to part company.’

‘I’m off women at the moment,’ Mark muttered, helping himself to some cashew nuts. ‘And by the time you and I “part company”, as you put it, I hope things will have moved on and she’ll have realised what a nice chap Greg is. I’ve been working on it, subtly.’

‘You? Subtle?’ Holly put a hand over her mouth to suppress the giggles. ‘Sorry. You are many things, Mark Logan, but subtle certainly isn’t one of them.’

Mark stopped chewing and pretended to look affronted. ‘Are you insulting me?’

‘Probably.’ Holly nodded, her eyes still alight with humour. ‘Do you really think you should be matchmaking?’

‘I’m not really matchmaking.’ Mark shrugged and pulled a face. ‘If it weren’t for me, I’m sure they’d be together anyway. I’m trying to remind her that she was interested in him—that there are plenty more fish in the sea.’

‘Plenty more fish in the sea? I’d love to know where they’re hiding.’ Holly picked up her drink and took a sip. ‘I only find the equivalent of whelks and clams. I’m still waiting to meet a glossy trout.’

Mark laughed and his dark eyes teased her. ‘In that case, no wonder you’re still a virgin.’

She poked her tongue out at him. ‘I never, ever should have told you that.’ Hastily she changed the subject. ‘So, go on. Tell me more about Greg.’

‘Well, he’s the chap I sail with.’ Mark leaned across the table and took an olive. ‘He’s a partner in a practice on the other side of town. I even thought maybe we could make up the occasional foursome to try and bring them together again if it doesn’t seem to be working out.’

Holly thought of the look that Caroline had given her when she’d arrived. ‘I’m not sure she’d relish my company.’

Mark gave a crooked smile. ‘She will once she knows you better.’

‘I hope you’re right.’ Holly gave him an affectionate look. ‘I must say, I’m very proud of you for being so sensitive about her feelings.’

He lifted an eyebrow. ‘I thought you said I was incapable of sensitivity?’

‘You are normally,’ Holly said honestly. ‘Well, at least when it comes to people who fancy you.’

‘Am I really that bad?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘The truth is, I felt sorry for her—and a bit responsible. I didn’t want to make things worse.’

Holly blinked. ‘Mark Logan, there’s hope for you after all.’

‘Must be old age,’ Mark said with a sigh. He slouched lower in his chair and rested one ankle on top of a powerful thigh. ‘I’m obviously losing my sense of perspective. Here I am, having dragged you all the way down here to pretend to be crazy about me—hell, is it going to work?’

‘Of course it is,’ Holly said firmly, determined to make it work now she understood the situation more clearly. ‘We can easily pretend to be engaged. As you said, we know each other well enough, don’t we?’

His smile was wry. ‘Absolutely. Come on, let’s unpack the rest of your stuff and get changed for supper.’

‘But what about tonight? We haven’t worked out what we’re going to say.’ Holly put a hand on his arm, feeling the solid muscle under her fingers. She’d forgotten how strong Mark was. Suddenly, for the first time in months, she felt safe. ‘If I’m supposed to be engaged to you, we need to decide on a story. Ian didn’t ask me anything personal when I met him on Tuesday, and frankly it’s just as well. I haven’t got a clue what I would have said!’

Mark frowned. ‘No story. We’ll just stick to the truth and that way we can’t go wrong. The only bit we change is that, instead of staying friends, we fell in love.’

Holly swallowed. She still hadn’t got used to the idea. ‘When, er, did we realise that we were in love?’

They wandered back inside and Mark locked the French windows. ‘About a month ago? That fits with what I told Caroline. When I moved down here to work, we realised how much we missed each other and how in love we were. How does that sound?’

‘And we got engaged immediately?’ Holly bit her lip and Mark shrugged his broad shoulders.

‘Of course. Why not? We’d already known each other for ever so there was hardly any need to hang around. All of a sudden we discovered we were madly in love—cue the violins—I proposed, you accepted and that was that.’

‘Where?’

‘Where what?’ Mark grabbed her suitcases from the hall and lugged them up the staircase, the muscles in his arms bunching under the weight.

‘Where did you propose?’

‘Holly, no one is going to ask a question like that,’ he protested, slinging both suitcases into his bedroom. ‘Let’s store your stuff in my room and just use yours for sleeping.’

‘Fine. But, Mark, they will ask.’ Holly flicked open a bulging suitcase and started unpacking. ‘People are interested in that sort of thing. Especially women.’

He sighed. ‘Well, where would you want to be proposed to?’

Holly tipped her head to one side and thought carefully. She couldn’t imagine loving anyone enough to get to the proposal stage. But this was just make-believe, she reminded herself. So what was her dream? She closed her eyes.

‘On a beach,’ she breathed. ‘Just the two of us. Twilight.’

‘Sandy or pebbles?’

Her eyes flew open. ‘What?’

‘The beach,’ he prompted, his dark eyes twinkling. ‘Sandy or pebbles?’

‘Mark, for goodness’ sake!’

‘You wanted detail,’ he pointed out, ‘so sandy or pebbles? Can we make it sandy? I don’t want bruised knees if I’m proposing in traditional style.’

‘Wimp.’ She laughed, her green eyes dancing. ‘All right. Sandy.’

‘But where was this beach? We can’t say it was Cornwall or they’ll all be offended that they weren’t introduced to you before.’ He frowned thoughtfully. ‘So perhaps I took you somewhere incredibly romantic to propose. Somewhere close enough for us to have slipped away for a weekend without people getting suspicious. How do you fancy Corsica?’

‘Very much.’ Holly laughed. ‘Oh, my goodness!’ She clapped her hand over her mouth and Mark lifted an eyebrow.

‘Now what?’

‘A ring!’ She stared at him. ‘Caroline asked me about it and I made some feeble excuse. We hadn’t thought of a ring.’

‘I had.’ Mark strode across the bedroom and rummaged in a drawer, retrieving a small black box. ‘Here we are. I hope it fits.’

Holly opened the box and gasped at the stunning diamond that glinted at her. ‘Mark, I can’t wear this! It’s real!’

‘Of course it’s real.’ He gave her a taste of that grin that always had women drooling over him. ‘You don’t think I’d give my fiancée a fake, do you?’

She licked her lips. ‘But...’

His smile faded and he brushed her cheek with his finger.

‘It was my grandmother’s,’ he said quietly. ‘She gave it to me to give to the woman who finally made me give up bachelor status.’

Holly stared at the ring. ‘Mark, what if you meet someone you—you like and you’re pretending to be engaged to me—what will you do?’

‘Let’s just say that, after my experiences with Zoe, I’m avoiding relationships for a while.’

Holly gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘I’m sorry that didn’t work out,’ she said gruffly, and Mark gave a careless shrug.

‘I’m not. She was gorgeous to look at but distinctly lacking in other qualities. She definitely had a short shelf life.’

Holly frowned disapprovingly. ‘Mark! That’s an awful thing to say.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ he disagreed calmly. ‘She was no more in love with me than I was in love with her. I never once misled her about my intentions.’

Which, knowing Mark, would have been purely physical. Holly felt her cheeks warm.

‘Glad to hear you’re still a virgin, too,’ she murmured dryly, and he gave her a broad grin that was totally male.

‘You know me, babe—pure as the driven snow.’

‘Oh, yes!’ She rolled her eyes to indicate what she thought of that statement. ‘Try not to break too many hearts, Mark.’

‘Me?’ He pretended to look hurt. ‘I’m always very kind to women.’

He was certainly kind to her but, then, she’d never been in love with him. She glanced at the ring and took it out of the box carefully, slipping it onto the third finger of her left hand.

‘It fits.’

‘You’re right. It fits perfectly.’ A strange look crossed Mark’s face as he lifted her hand and examined the ring. ‘What about you, Holl? What if you meet Mr Right while you’re wearing my ring?’

‘Mr Right is always in a different place when I’m around.’ Holly twisted the diamond on her finger and Mark gave a low curse and hugged her. ‘You’ll tell me about it one day and I’ll sort him out.’

‘Don’t be silly!’ She pushed him away. ‘Talking of which, are you still doing judo?’

‘Not since I left London,’ he admitted, ‘but I could still get the better of the louse. Just give me his name.’

‘There is no name.’ Holly smiled. ‘Stop playing boy hero and let’s finish our cover story. We got engaged, and then what? When are we getting married?’

Mark frowned. ‘Can’t we leave that open? It’ll make it easier when we have to break up anyway. Just say that it depends on our jobs and that sort of thing.’

‘I suppose that sounds all right.’ Holly shrugged. ‘In that case I’ll go and get ready. How dressy is the yacht club?’

Mark reached into his wardrobe and pulled out a pair of fawn trousers and a pristine white shirt. ‘Quite dressy.’

Which meant digging through her rather limited wardrobe to find something that would suit Mark’s ‘fiancée’. Normally the man dated models and women who spent half their days in beauty salons. Holly glanced down at her short, practical nails in despair. She just wasn’t Mark’s type. How was she ever going to be convincing?

* * *

The yacht club was situated just beyond the fishing village with views across the headland and the estuary.

Mark pulled into the car park and Holly grinned as he parked his beloved sports car carefully by a low wall.

‘Have you ever found a woman you love as much as this car?’ she teased, and he pulled a face.

‘Definitely not.’ He looked across at her and his eyes narrowed. ‘By the way, you look great. That colour suits you.’

She was wearing a strappy, green silk dress that looked good with her blonde hair and showed more than a hint of bare leg. As they walked into the yacht club, female heads turned to look at Mark and Holly was doubly glad that she’d made an effort with her appearance.

The restaurant was already filling up and Mark smiled and lifted a hand to a man sitting at one of the best tables.

‘There’s Ian.’ He led her across the restaurant and shook hands with the older man. ‘How are you, Ian? You’ve already met my Holly.’

My Holly.

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