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  Yet life had dealt her a poor hand so far. She’d lost a young husband and it stood to reason that they’d been happy. He couldn’t imagine a man being unhappy with a woman like Selina Sanderson.

  He shook his head as if to clear it. He was getting soft, rhapsodising over a woman he’d only just met. And wasn’t he supposed to be watching his step as far as her sex were concerned?

  When they arrived back at the station Selina said, ‘Let’s go and grab a coffee before we’re called out again.’

  ‘Good idea,’ he agreed equably, and it was as if their challenging discussion on the way back had never been.

  * * *

  During the next few days they established a situation they both seemed reasonably happy with. Workwise Selina was aware that Kane was extremely efficient, and under his brisk command they were offering a first-class service to sick and injured alike.

  From a personal point of view she was curious about him. He hadn’t said so in so many words, but from the odd comment he’d made and his attitude in general she deduced that he had no ties, which was surprising as he was of striking appearance. Not attractive or handsome in the true sense of the words, but with a sort of dark magnetism that would instinctively appeal to womankind in general.

  He was the complete opposite of Dave. He’d been fair-skinned, with light brown hair and boyish good looks, and as she dwelt on the comparison Selina was aghast at the channels that her thoughts were moving along.

  Since losing the man who’d been her childhood sweetheart, no other male had invaded her consciousness until now. But, she told herself with calming reason, it was only to be expected that she would be aware of Kane if they were going to be working together for twelve hours at a time.

  Charlie popped in for a chat and invited them all to join him for a farewell drink at a bar close to the station, and most of those who weren’t on duty agreed to go.

  Selina and Kane were due for two days off and, knowing that Jill wouldn’t mind having Josh for this one evening, she accepted the invitation.

  Kane had said nothing, obviously feeling that as a new member of staff it didn’t apply to him, but Charlie said, ‘You, too, Kane, if you feel like joining us. It’s no joke moving to a new town where you don’t know anyone, is it?’

  Kane smiled, giving nothing away as usual, and said easily, ‘Thanks. I’ll bear it in mind.’

  Selina felt guilty after that. Charlie was right. Kane was alone in a strange town. The station officer had reminded her of that on that first day. Though she’d like to bet he wouldn’t be alone for long.

  At least she could offer him some hospitality until he’d made some friends. He’d said that he had a basic sort of flat somewhere near the hospital and that was all she knew about him.

  ‘I’ll be going to Charlie’s farewell tomorrow night,’ she said awkwardly as they set out on a call shortly after his visit, ‘but I’ve nothing planned for the night after and I wondered if you would like to come round for a meal.’

  She could feel her face warming as he observed her with surprised dark eyes.

  ‘Just to show you some northern hospitality,’ she said quickly, ‘and I’m sure that Josh would like to see you again.’

  ‘Really? Well, on the strength of that I can’t refuse. What time?’

  ‘Seven?’

  ‘Yes, that will be fine.’

  * * *

  Later that night, sitting quietly in the summer twilight with Josh fast asleep upstairs, Selina was regretting her rash offer. Did she want another man eating at her table…in the house that had been hers and Dave’s?

  She didn’t know whether she did or not, but she was about to find out. And, she reasoned, wasn’t she making too much of it? She’d asked Kane to dine with them merely as a gesture to a stranger in their town, not as a date.

  When she’d asked Jill if she would mind Josh while she went to Charlie’s party her sister-in-law had said, ‘But of course. It’s time you had a social life. You haven’t had an evening out since Dave—’

  ‘I know,’ Selina had agreed softly, ‘and I haven’t wanted one, but I’m fond of Charlie…and I might as well tell you I’ll be socialising the night after, too, but here on my own patch.’

  Jill’s eyes had sparkled.

  ‘Tell me more!’

  ‘I’ve invited my new partner round for a meal. He doesn’t know anyone in these parts and I thought I should show him some hospitality.’

  ‘Well! How old is he? What’s he like? Is he free?’

  She had to laugh.

  ‘Hold on! He’s thirty-something. Darkly brooding. And I don’t know whether he’s free or not. That doesn’t come into it. I’m merely being hospitable…nothing else.’

  Jill had given her a quick hug.

  ‘Yes, I know, my dearest one, but Gavin and I don’t want you to be alone for ever. Dave would want you to—’

  Selina put a gentle finger on her lips.

  ‘I know what you’re saying, but he would be a hard act to follow…and then there’s Josh.’

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘He has to have a say in those sort of things.’

  CHAPTER THREE

  WHEN Selina walked into the bar in the city centre she felt suddenly awkward. It was the first time she’d been in such a place without Dave and she thought sadly that it was yet another occasion to remind her that she was a woman alone.

  But surprise was wiping out her melancholy. Kane was standing by the bar and she caught her breath. It was the first time she’d seen him out of uniform and he was impressive. In a blue silk casual shirt and tailored trousers, he was the most attractive man in the place.

  He was chatting to the barman as the man was measuring out a drinks order and it was only when Charlie cried, ‘Selina! I’m glad you made it,’ that he became aware of her presence.

  He swivelled round slowly at the sound of the older man’s greeting, and as their eyes met Selina felt her colour rise.

  She’d dressed with care for this first social foray since Dave’s death. For some reason it had seemed important to do so, like flying a flag of independence. As she’d surveyed herself before leaving the house she’d known that in a long skirt of soft cotton that swirled around her ankles in a swish of bright colour and a low-cut black evening top she was looking her best.

  There was still the extreme slenderness about her that spoke of months of stress and sorrow, but she was coming out of it slowly, turning towards the light again, and as always there was Josh. A bright candle in the gloom.

  This wanting to look her best couldn’t have anything to do with Kane she assured herself. For one thing, she hadn’t expected him to be there.

  But you did know there was a possibility that he might turn up. The voice of conscience was teasing, and that made her cheeks burn even more.

  He was coming across and she felt the need to get the first word in.

  ‘This is a surprise. A pleasant one, too,’ she said with a smile. ‘It gives you the chance to get to know us all better and see something of the city besides the ambulance depot.’

  Was it nerves that were making her so effusive? she wondered. Or was it true? That it was a pleasant surprise to see him there?

  ‘And what about you, Selina?’ he asked evenly. ‘Is this sort of an evening a pleasure…or an ordeal?’

  Her eyes widened. Surely he couldn’t know what had been going through her mind.

  ‘A bit of both, I think,’ she said with a wry smile. Not wanting to elaborate on that, she strolled across to where the others were seated and Kane followed.

  The bar management had put on an excellent buffet for the ambulance personnel at Charlie’s request, and as the evening progressed Selina began to relax.

  She’d been tense in those first few moments on arriving, but with the knowledge that Josh was safe and sound at Gavin’s, and that those she was with all had in common their dedication to the ambulance service, she began to enjoy herself.

  Anothe
r time she wouldn’t feel so awkward. She’d broken down the barrier that her new and inescapable circumstances had put up and was feeling happier for it.

  Having Kane beside her for most of the evening could have had something to do with it, but she wasn’t prepared to delve deeply into that.

  It was sufficient that his casual yet watchful gaze was upon her whenever she felt the strangeness coming over her again and, although he didn’t say much, his presence was oddly comforting.

  ‘And so when are these new tactics being put into practice?’ Charlie asked at one point in the evening.

  There was silence as they all observed him in puzzlement.

  ‘Ooops! Have I let the cat out of the bag?’ He chuckled. ‘Mark Guthrie was telling me about them when I called in at the station this afternoon. No doubt he’ll be putting you all in the picture at the first opportunity but in the meantime I think I’d better keep quiet. I don’t want to steal his thunder.’

  ‘Aw, come on…tell us,’ someone said, but the elderly ex-paramedic shook his head.

  ‘No. Let the boss be the one to break the news.’

  And with that they had to be satisfied.

  It was close on midnight when the gathering broke up, and as Selina went to her car Kane was by her side.

  ‘Is it still on for tomorrow night?’ he asked as she started the car.

  ‘Yes, of course,’ she said quickly, with a sudden sinking feeling that she should have waited a while before asking him round for a meal.

  He smiled.

  ‘Right. I’ll see you then. And, Selina, if there’s time I’d love you to show me around your village.’

  She smiled up at him from inside the car’s dark interior, and as a group of rowdy revellers went by, followed by a police car with sirens blaring, she told him, ‘Living there is heaven after experiencing what goes on out here.’

  ‘Tell me about it!’ he agreed sombrely. ‘I’m not intending to stay where I am for long, that’s for sure.’

  With that he went striding off into the warm night, and Selina drove home with two thoughts uppermost in her mind. Was Kane thinking of moving to the village where she lived? And if he was, how would she feel about it?

  Josh was staying at Gavin’s for the night, and as she went slowly up the stairs in the quiet cottage for once she wasn’t dreading the emptiness of the big double bed.

  * * *

  Selina was cool, calm, and collected the next night until Kane arrived with flowers and wine, and then she became flustered.

  ‘Just to say thanks for inviting me,’ he said easily, averting his gaze from her rosy cheeks.

  Fortunately Josh was there to take their visitor’s attention off her.

  ‘You’re my paramedic friend, aren’t you?’ he said. ‘The one who brought me comics and sweets?’

  Kane smiled down at him.

  ‘Yes. That’s me. What would you like us to do while your mother sees to the food?’

  ‘Cricket. I’ve got a new bat.’

  ‘And bails? We can’t play without bails…and a corkie.’

  Josh was already out on the garden path and beckoning Kane to follow him. ‘Yes, I’ve got the lot. My dad used to play for the village team.’

  Kane raised dark brows to show that he was suitably impressed and went on to ask, ‘Was he a batter or a bowler?’

  ‘Both,’ Josh told him proudly, and Selina, listening to them through the kitchen window, felt the awkwardness that she’d experienced when he’d arrived disappear.

  If Kane was a man of few words and cold efficiency while on the job, he was certainly putting himself out to be affable now, she thought thankfully.

  But her face sobered as another thought came to mind. Was it because he was sorry for them…the bereaved? She hoped not. Pity was the last thing she would want from anyone, least of all this man.

  He had walked across to the open window and seen her change of expression.

  ‘Everything all right, Selina?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I’ll call you when I’m ready to serve.’

  When they came in from the garden Josh was jubilant. ‘I got Kane out for a duck, Mum,’ he chortled.

  ‘Yes. He did,’ Kane agreed in mock dismay. ‘Pity it wasn’t a bit earlier. We could have had it for dinner.’

  She was hoping that he’d forgotten his request to be shown the village, but when they’d eaten and she’d cleared away he said, ‘And now for the conducted tour. Yes?’

  Selina got reluctantly to her feet. Supposing Kane saw something he liked? There were a few properties for sale. Did she want him so near?

  They saw enough of each other at the station without being under each other’s feet while off duty, and he was in her thoughts enough already.

  There were two places that she was going to avoid, but she hadn’t reckoned with Josh.

  ‘Let’s go by the garage and see if Uncle Peter’s there,’ he suggested, ‘and then go along the canal to the marina.’

  It took Selina all her time not to groan out loud. Peter Abbot, who owned the local garage, was Dave’s cousin and, like herself, was partnerless. His wife had left him, and because they were both on their own he’d been sending out signals that they should get together.

  He was a likeable enough man, but the last person on earth that she would contemplate as anything but a friend. For one thing, his one topic of conversation was cars!

  Hopefully the garage would be closed by now, but there was the Lock-Keeper’s Cottage, situated close to the marina. It was a house that she’d always wanted to live in. Built of limestone with high apexes and mullioned windows, it had a sort of compelling charm about it…and incredibly it was for sale. A fact that had registered only briefly as there was no way that she could afford to buy it. But what if Kane was wealthier than she?

  The garage wasn’t shut. Peter was working beneath a silver Jaguar out on the forecourt and her spirits sank as Josh ran over to him and tugged at his feet.

  As he slid from under the car he looked across to where they were standing a few feet away and then slowly pulled himself upright.

  ‘Selina!’ he said, wiping his hands on an oily rag. ‘This is a pleasant surprise.’

  As far as he took any notice of the man by her side Kane could have been invisible, but she wasn’t going to allow that. Maybe here was an opportunity to let Peter see that she wasn’t as alone as he’d thought.

  ‘Allow me to introduce Kane Kavener,’ she said pleasantly. ‘We work together on the ambulances.’

  ‘How do you do?’ Peter said stiffly. ‘Been there long?’

  ‘No. Just a short time,’ Kane told him.

  ‘Hmm. Right. Well, if you folks’ll excuse me, I have to get on. The customer’s expecting this to be ready by morning.’ And he eased himself back underneath the car.

  ‘A relative?’ Kane asked casually as they continued along the village’s main street. ‘Josh referred to him as ‘‘Uncle Peter’’.’

  ‘My husband’s cousin.’

  ‘I see.’

  He did see. He saw quite clearly, Kane thought as they strolled along. That guy had a claim on her of some sort. Or thought he had. And if that was the case, was it any of his business?

  When Selina had invited him to eat with them he’d been surprised. For one thing, she didn’t know him from Adam, and for another it was plain to see that she was still grieving for her husband.

  He supposed it was the hand of friendship to a stranger that she was offering and all credit to her for the thought. But he sensed that wasn’t all it was.

  Kane could tell that she thought he wanted to come and live in the village, and she was right. He did. It was an enchanting place. But he could also tell that she didn’t want him to for some reason, and there was no way he would want to upset this fragile young widow.

  So when they came to Lock-Keeper’s Cottage, nestling beside the peaceful canal, with its ‘for sale’ board tantalisingly displayed, he concealed the excitement that was grippi
ng him and walked casually past.

  ‘That’s the house where we’d like to live, isn’t it, Mum?’ Josh said guilelessly, and Selina managed a smile.

  ‘Yes…in our dreams, Josh,’ she said quietly, and that was that.

  * * *

  Driving back to the city, Kane was deep in thought. He’d enjoyed the evening more than he cared to admit. Young Josh was a great kid, and his mother…what was she?

  A beautiful young woman whose flame was burning low. Maybe Josh was the only thing that was keeping it alight at all. Would she end up with the garage fellow? Probably. He’d seen a lot of cases where a widow had chosen a friend or relative of the dead man for a second husband.

  Selina certainly wouldn’t be interested in someone who’d been labelled a sex maniac. It was grossly untrue, but if she ever found out, how would she react? She might be prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt but, having done so, still find it distasteful to be associated with him.

  As if it were only yesterday, he could still remember the nudge-nudge, wink-wink attitude of his male colleagues and the glacial stares of the women on the unit. All because of Eve Richards’s desperate need for a man in her life.

  And with regard to Selina, was he interested in a woman who already had a family? He was quite capable of providing his own offspring should he have the desire to do so, and in any case he valued his freedom.

  As to that fantastic house by the canal, there would be other properties in other places that might appeal to him, without Selina Sanderson in the background, wondering what his motives were.

  * * *

  They were both back on duty the next day. As the night shift were getting ready to depart and the day shift were arriving Mark Guthrie called them all together.

  ‘Due to government funding, in a week’s time we are to start a new 999 system that will make our response time even quicker,’ he said, meeting their curious glances. ‘The money that has been allocated to us will be spent on extra paramedics and ambulances, and a dozen fast-response vehicles each manned by one person only. These white estate cars will go out in the first instance to many of the emergencies, but they won’t have the facilities for taking anyone to hospital. The ambulance that follows them will do that if required.