His Emergency Fiancée Read Free Page A

can’t be that bad.’
    ‘Don’t fish.’ She glowered at him.
    Ben poured her another glass of wine. ‘Our engagement could be the best thing that’s ever happened to both of us.’
    ‘How do you make that out?’
    He shrugged. ‘It’s obvious. Gran’ll think I’m settled and she’ll be happy, and Guy Chambers’ll think you’re unavailable so he’ll leave you alone.’
    ‘More like, he’ll decide that if I’m engaged there’s no point in me taking any more exams because I’ll be off to have hundreds of kids as soon as I get married,’ she said glumly.
    ‘When he’s had a chance to see your work, he’ll know how good you are and he’ll know you’re headed for the top,’ Ben countered.
    ‘Even so. Nothing’s going to help the Guy Chambers situation.’
    ‘This might.’
    ‘Yeah, right. And then I’ll have every female in the hospital looking daggers at me for wearing your ring.’ She sighed. ‘Why can’t you ask one of them?’
    ‘Because Gran knows you. She likes you, Kirst. She trusts you.’
    ‘Read my lips. I am not getting engaged to you.’
    ‘Just until things settle down.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Please?’
    The way he batted his eyelashes at her forced a grin to her lips. Honestly. Charming didn’t go anywhere near enough to describe him. Nearly everyone she knew was like putty in his hands. She knew his faults better than anyone—and he could still sweet-talk her, most of the time. ‘I’ll think about it,’ she said grudgingly.
    He reached over and hugged her. ‘Thanks, Kirst. I knew I could rely on you.’
    Rely on her. Plain, reliable Kirsty Brown. The words rankled. ‘I said I’d think about it. That’s not a yes,’ she warned. Sometimes, she dreamed about dyeing her hair blonde, wearing skirts that were way too short with heels almost too high to walk on, wearing lots of slut-red lipstick and being late for absolutely everything…But that wasn’t her. Kirsty was the one people always rang when they needed help. She was the youngest of four but she’d somehow stepped into the role of being the sensible grown-up one, always getting her brothers out of scrapes and making sure they remembered everyone’s birthdays. That was probably why she’d put up with Ben for so long. And it’d stay that way until Ben found the love of his life and settled down in a country cottage with roses round the door and three perfect children, while she remained firmly superglued to the shelf.
    Ben was smiling again. The megawatt smile. The smile that made every other female under the age of seventy faint. The smile to which Kirsty was immune.
    ‘OK. No pressure. I’ll ask you again on Thursday.’
    He was giving her two days to think about it? And that wasn’t pressure? ‘Ben Robertson, you’re in a league of your own,’ she said. And she wasn’t in it. Which made her answer on Thursday obvious…didn’t it?

CHAPTER TWO
    T HE next morning, they were both on early shift and they walked into Jimmy’s together. To Kirsty’s intense relief, Ben didn’t mention anything about their pretend engagement. Maybe he’d thought about it and seen sense. On the other hand, she knew she’d better have some good arguments up her sleeve. When Ben had his heart set on something, he usually got it. And where his grandmother was concerned, he’d spare no effort.
    They parted at the entrance, Ben off to the medical assessment unit where he was rostered until the end of the week, and Kirsty to the surgical ward to do a quick round before scrubbing up for her list. Mrs Morgan was still nervous about her bypass, and Kirsty sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. ‘I know it’s scary, having an operation, but it’s the best thing for you. You’ll feel so much better afterwards,’ she said softly, ‘that it’s worth a bit of nervousness now.’
    Mrs Morgan gave a watery smile. ‘I know I’m just being silly.’
    ‘It’s a big step. It’s only natural to feel worried about it,’ Kirsty