not surprised. Patching up drunks beats delivering babies any day in my book.’ He gave a mock shudder. ‘So where did you work?’
‘London.’ She named one of the prestigious teaching hospitals and Josh nodded.
That would explain why she’d known what she’d been doing. ‘Obviously good experience. You did well yesterday afternoon.’
She shrugged. ‘The guy just had a banged head.’
‘He’d also been drinking and, as you well know, drinking and head injuries don’t go well together,’ Josh said mildly, strolling over to his chair and sitting down. ‘I was impressed. So was my brother and, believe me, that takes some doing. He runs this department so you’ve got yourself off on the right foot.’ He watched the faint rise of colour in her cheeks. ‘Have a seat. You’ll probably find some of our cases a little different from London, but not much. Did you see any gunshot wounds?’
She perched on the edge of the only chair that wasn’t covered in papers, as if she was preparing to escape if she had to. ‘A couple. They were gang shootings. Just kids, actually.’ She frowned at the memory. ‘They looked as though they should have been in school.’
‘They probably should have been. I’ve only seen one gunshot wound since I’ve been here,’ Josh told her, ‘and that was a farmer who had an accident with his gun. We have quite a few diving-related accidents and, of course, reckless surfers who head-butt the board. Apart from that, it’s the usual round of fractures, road traffic accidents, heart attacks—and that’s just among the tourists. So what brought you to Cornwall, Dr O’Brien?’
Her face was suddenly shuttered. ‘I like surfing.’
Josh was left with a powerful feeling that she’d practised that answer. ‘Where are you living?’
‘I’ve rented somewhere.’ Her tone didn’t encourage further questioning.
Knowing when to probe and when to back off, Josh backed off, making a mental note to watch her interaction with the staff. Working in A and E was a stressful experience at the best of times, but one of the things that lessened the stress was the support that the medical and nursing staff gave each other. Would Kat fit in? Hannah had obviously liked her immediately…
Was it just him she was chilly with?
‘Right. Well, let’s give you the tour.’ He rose to his feet and lifted a couple of files off his desk. ‘I need to drop these with the girls on Reception so we might as well start there. Welcome to Cornwall, Kat.’
* * *
First days were always so nerve-racking.
Not knowing the people, not knowing your way around or the routine. Not that there was much routine in A and E, Kat acknowledged as she followed Josh through to Reception, trying to keep up with his long stride.
Part of her just wanted to get stuck straight into a challenging trauma case. At least then she’d feel comfortable.
Or maybe she’d never feel comfortable working with a man like Josh.
Why did it have to be him?
She thought she’d done well yesterday. Every time he’d come into her thoughts she’d resolutely pushed the memory away, assuring herself that she was never going to see him again. He’d just been a guy on a beach. Probably on holiday, she’d told herself. And now here he was, virtually her boss. And he was going to be under her nose every day.
She almost groaned aloud at the thought.
He was a man designed for maximum impact. Staggeringly handsome and more than a little disturbing. With that glossy dark hair and that wicked smile, he reminded her of a pirate. She could imagine him standing on the deck of a ship, planning daring escapes, plunder and the seduction of women. And as for those blue eyes—the way he looked at her made her insides feel funny.
Kat closed her eyes, irritated with herself. What was the matter with her? She wasn’t one to dream about pirates! In fact, she had her feet well and truly on the ground. If a man was good-looking, she just didn’t notice, and the reason she didn’t notice was because she wasn’t interested. She wasn’t on the market.
She was happy with Archie and men like Josh Sullivan held no appeal for her.
But judging from the way the receptionist’s eyes lit up when she saw the young consultant, she was in a minority of one. Clearly he was everyone else’s idea of a heartthrob.
‘Hi, Josh.’ A girl wearing a badge saying Paula, Senior Receptionist, A and E beamed in his direction. ‘Glad you’re finally here. There’s lots going on. That’s why I’m hiding away here in the back office, rather than manning Reception. I’m thinking of locking the doors and putting up a “closed” sign.’
‘Well, we’ve got an extra pair of hands to help us clear the decks,’ Josh said easily, smiling at Kat. ‘Say hello to Dr O’Brien. She’s just joined us. This is Paula. She runs the place and keeps us all in order. Anything you need to know, start with her. This is her control room. Out there…’ He jerked his head and gave a shudder. ‘That’s the battlefront, staffed by her generals.’
Kat felt some of the tension melt away under Paula’s friendly smile. ‘Hello, Paula.’
‘She’s come all the way from grimy London,’ Josh said, dumping the files on Paula’s desk. ‘But I’m sure she’ll soon recover. Here you are. Don’t say I never give you anything.’
‘You finally finished with them? You’re a star.’ Paula took the files and stacked them neatly. ‘Did Mac take a look?’
‘The only thing my brother looks at these days is his pregnant wife,’ Josh drawled, turning to Kat. ‘Mac is a senior consultant here and Louisa, his wife, worked here as a nurse until a few weeks ago.’
‘She’s on maternity leave?’
‘Pottering round the house, waiting for it all to happen. Never seen a woman so big in my life. She’s giving birth to a hippo, no doubt about it.’ Josh sprawled in a vacant chair and turned his attention back to Paula. ‘So how’s Geoff?’
Paula’s smile faded and she gave a little shrug. ‘Not great at the moment, to be honest. He’s very down, but I suppose that’s natural. I do my best to be upbeat, but it’s pretty hard in the circumstances.’
Josh’s eyes narrowed. ‘Has he been back to the neurologist?’
‘He’s got an appointment tomorrow morning.’
‘Do you need time off?’
Paula shook her head and looked away, shuffling some papers. ‘It’s fine. His mum is taking him.’
‘Why aren’t you taking him?’
Paula hesitated and her hands stilled. ‘We’re too busy, Josh.’ Her voice cracked slightly and she cleared her throat. ‘You know what this place is like in the summer—it’s the crazy season. Five million tourists all deciding to do stupid things at the same time.’
Josh grinned and stretched long legs out in front of him. ‘Slack day, then.’
Paula laughed in response to his humour but her eyes were strained. ‘Absolutely.’
‘You’re to take the morning off,’ Josh said quietly, his blue eyes suddenly serious and his voice firm. ‘I’ll poach from one of the other departments to cover you and I’ll clear it with Mac.’ He stood up and put an arm round her shoulder, giving her a quick hug. ‘Take the time you need but come and find me afterwards and we can talk about it. It must be the pits for you both.’
Kat saw Paula struggle with tears. ‘You can’t give me the morning off.’
‘Just did.’
‘But—’
Josh stifled