The Firefighter's Fiance. Kate Hardy

      ‘I suppose at least you can’t burn that,’ Matt said, laughing, as he headed for the ambulance.

      ‘Ah, but if she does at least she’s a trained firefighter and can put out the blaze,’ Joe teased, walking over to them. ‘Ready, Brains?’

      ‘Sure,’ Kelsey said as the ambulance doors closed behind Matt.

      ‘So have you two finally seen the light and got together?’ Joe asked as they headed back to the fire engine.

      ‘Don’t be so daft.’ She waved his comment aside. ‘We’re just friends. Good friends.’

      Joe made a face that told her he didn’t believe a word of it.

      She rolled her eyes. ‘It is possible for men and women to be just friends, you know. Look at you and me.’

      ‘That’s different,’ Joe said, sounding smug. ‘We’re colleagues.’

      ‘Matt’s like my brother,’ Kelsey protested.

      ‘Hmm. I don’t look at my sister like that. And she doesn’t look at me like that either.’

      ‘Like what?’ she asked.

      Joe shrugged. ‘Work it out for yourself, Brains.’

      She flapped a hand at him again. ‘Maggie’s obviously dragged you to too many girly films lately. You’re fantasising.’

      ‘You,’ Joe said sweetly, ‘need to come back from Egypt.’

      ‘What?’

      ‘Out of denial. De Nile,’ he added, to ram his point home further.

      Kelsey didn’t dignify the corny old joke with a reply. Of course she wasn’t in love—or even lust—with Matt Fraser. She had red blood in her veins so, just like any other woman, she could appreciate how good-looking he was. Blond, slightly shaggy hair; broad shoulders and toned body from all the physical work he did; stunning blue eyes and a smile that brightened any room. But it was the same way she’d appreciate a good-looking guy in a TV ad. Matt was her best friend. Her housemate. And that was all.

      Wasn’t it?

       CHAPTER TWO

      ‘HARVEY MITCHELL, aged thirty-two. Cut out of a car at RTC.’ Matt went through the rest of the handover to the registrar on the way through to Resus, detailing the action they’d taken at the scene and the pain relief they’d given already. ‘Query c-spine injury, complained of pains in leg, and his foot was trapped under a pedal.’

      ‘OK, we’ll take it from here.’ Janice Horton, the registrar, smiled at him. ‘Cheers, Matt.’

      ‘Pleasure.’ He smiled back. ‘And this time I’m crossing my fingers that I actually get to drink my coffee before the next shout.’

      ‘Come and sneak into our rest room and I’ll get you a mug of coffee. Just let me know how you take it,’ the nurse walking out of Resus said. She smiled at him. ‘I’m Shona Barton, by the way. Staff nurse. I started here yesterday.’

      ‘Matt Fraser, and this is Dale Lewis.’ He smiled back at her. ‘Thanks for the offer, love, but it’s Friday afternoon so I reckon you’re just about to be rushed off your feet.’

      ‘Maybe we could have a drink later, then?’

      Was it his imagination, or had she just wiggled her hips at him?

      Shona was pretty, in a pocket Venus sort of way. Blonde hair that she’d pinned back but which obviously fell almost to her waist if she wore it down. And the trousers and tunic she wore did absolutely nothing to disguise her curves. Lush curves. Curves that would have most of the ambulance crew on their knees and panting.

      And she’d just asked him out.

      Oh, hell. How could he say no without sounding snotty? And he had to be very careful what he said—rumours ripped through the hospital like wildfire, so if he claimed he was already spoken for there would be all kinds of speculation. Speculation he could do without. He didn’t need a love life. He had his job, and that was enough for him. ‘Thanks for the offer, Shona, but I’m afraid I’m already doing something tonight.’ Sleeping. On his own. But she didn’t need to know that.

      ‘Another time?’

      ‘Yeah, maybe. You know how it is.’ He gave her an apologetic smile. ‘Shifts never matching up.’ Though his happened to match Kelsey’s exactly. Two days, two nights and four off. His shifts weren’t quite the same as hers—seven in the morning until six at night for days, whereas she worked from nine until six. He worked six at night until seven in the morning for nights, whereas she worked from six until nine—but they were a pretty good fit.

      ‘I could always swap shifts to match yours,’ Shona suggested.

      Damn. He hadn’t thought of that. ‘Yeah. Maybe.’ Like not. ‘I’d better sort out my paperwork. Catch you later.’

      ‘Paperwork?’ Dale asked softly, once they were on the way back to the ambulance station.

      ‘Uh. Yeah.’ Matt ignored his crew partner’s raised eyebrow. And Dale let him change the subject—but the rest of the crew at the station had plenty to say when they heard the gossip.

      ‘You’ve got to be kidding! He turned Venus down?’ Kirk asked.

      Matt frowned. Had he missed something? ‘Who’s Venus?’

      Dale rolled his eyes. ‘You know. Long blonde hair. All curves. Sweet, sweet smile. Has all the single male paramedics on their knees begging for a date—and probably half the doctors in the hospital as well.’

      Obviously he still looked blank, because Kirk sighed. ‘The new nurse in the emergency department,’ he added. ‘The gorgeous one. The one that started yesterday. The one that apparently asked you out this afternoon.’

      ‘Oh. Shona, you mean.’

      ‘And you said no?’ Kirk shook his head. ‘Oh, dearie me. Maybe Dale should hook you up to the ECG before your next shout.’

      Matt took a swig of his coffee. ‘What are you on about?’

      ‘Someone needs to check you still have a pulse,’ Kirk retorted.

      ‘Course he’s got a pulse,’ Dale said.

      Kirk scoffed. ‘I dunno. If he’s turning down gorgeous women like that…’

      ‘Look, not everyone wants to date six different women a week,’ Matt said.

      ‘Better than not dating at all,’ Kirk sniped.

      Matt knew if he responded, the situation would escalate and turn ugly. So he ignored the comment and carried on going through his paperwork.

      But Kirk was clearly spoiling for an argument. ‘What’s the matter? Doesn’t Venus match up to the girl of your dreams?’ he asked.

      ‘Probably not,’ Matt said coolly.

      Kirk started whistling the theme from Trumpton, a classic children’s animated TV series about a fire brigade, which had given the paramedics an affectionate nickname for their local fire service.

      Matt, knowing exactly what his colleague was getting at, sighed. ‘I don’t think so.’

      ‘He’s right,’ Dale said to Kirk. ‘Sure, he lives with Kelsey—but, nah, he doesn’t fancy her. She’s like his sister.’

      ‘Best friend, actually,’ Matt pointed out. ‘Off limits.’

      Kirk rubbed his chin. ‘She’s not like Venus—too skinny, too tall, too serious—but, yeah, I’d buy the Trumptons’ charity calendar this year if Kelsey was on it.’ He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. ‘Especially if she was topless.