Worth the Risk(13)

Jenny nodded and stood up. ‘Oh, well! Nothing to do but wait, then. Thanks, Dr McGuire.’

Ally watched her go and felt suddenly depressed. She was sure the mole would turn out to be malignant, and Jenny was a young woman with two small children…

Forcing those thoughts away, she phoned Mr Gordon’s secretary and arranged for an urgent referral. Then she glanced at her watch, gasping as she saw the time. She was late for Will’s meeting.

She flicked off her computer and hurried to the staffroom, stroking her wayward blonde curls back out of her eyes. Her hair hated being tied up for work and rebelled by gradually escaping from the tidy plait she started the day with. Maybe she should have replaited it before the meeting—but, then, it was only Will and the other partners and she was already late.

‘Sorry, Will! I had two extras and—’ She broke off and froze, her eyes fixed on the man lounging in one of the easy chairs. It was Sean Nicholson, freshly shaved and wearing stylish trousers and a jacket, a look of amused satisfaction pulling at the corners of his mouth as he watched her stunned reaction.

Will was looking as pleased as Punch with himself, although he didn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘There you are, Ally! I wanted to introduce you to our new locum.’

For a moment her heart flipped and words failed her.

With a slight smile Sean intervened, his voice that same deep, lazy drawl she remembered so well. ‘We’ve met. Hello again, Ally.’

Had he known? Was that why he hadn’t pressed her for her address? Because he’d somehow known he’d be working here with her? Had Jack said something? Suddenly she felt a shaft of panic. She didn’t want to work with this man! He made her feel—feel—

‘I didn’t know you’d met—that’s excellent.’ Will was still smiling, gesturing for Ally to sit down. Her legs wouldn’t move. ‘Where did you meet?’

Ally didn’t trust the innocent look on Will’s face. And then she remembered that he’d met Jack for a drink, so he must have known about Sean…

‘We met on the fells.’ Sean was watching her closely, his dark eyes slightly narrowed. ‘She was giving me advice on my abseiling.’

Will chuckled and placed a tray of coffee on the low table. ‘I hadn’t considered how much the pair of you have in common. That’s excellent. It will make for a good working relationship.’

Good working relationship? Ally couldn’t see herself having a good relationship with this man if she lived to be a hundred. He was everything she avoided in a man. Arrogant, handsome, chauvinistic—and totally compelling. She suppressed a groan. Work with him? Never! He made her too aware of herself and the feelings she’d squashed down for so long.

Sean was still watching her closely, his eyes intent. ‘Have a sandwich, Ally.’

A sandwich? It would choke her!

‘I thought you didn’t approve of female doctors.’ Ally found her voice at last and took refuge in sarcasm as she sat down in the nearest chair with a thump. Her legs were threatening to go on strike. It was sit down or fall down. ‘Especially blonde ones.’

His appraisal was disconcertingly male. ‘On the contrary, I totally approve of female doctors, especially if they’re blonde.’

Ally ground her teeth and then caught the gleam of laughter in his eyes. Damn the man! He was winding her up again. Well, this time he wasn’t going to succeed. Determined to look relaxed, she reached for a sandwich and concentrated her attention on Will instead.

‘Sean’s agreed to help us out until we can find a replacement for Tim,’ Will said, looking more and more pleased with himself. ‘He’s just what we need in the team.’

‘Dr McGuire may disagree.’ Sean smiled slightly. ‘She thinks I’m a chauvinist pig.’

‘Well, I dare say you are a bit,’ Will said calmly. ‘All those years in the army, I suppose. But deep down women like a man to be a man.’

Ally ignored that bit. ‘In the army? You did your medicine in the army?’

‘No.’ Sean shook his head. ‘I trained after I left the army.’

She could see him in the army. Short, cropped hair and a slightly wonky nose which had obviously been on the receiving end of someone’s fist—although, from what she’d seen of Sean, the other guy would have come off worse.

‘So what’s your special interest?’

‘Trauma.’

Stupid question, Ally thought wryly, remembering his skill with Pete. That explained why he’d been so skilled and confident. And now she knew why Will wanted him.

‘He’s going to run our minor accident clinic?’