A Proposal to Remember

‘You can’t tell her!’ Matt glared at him. ‘Not until we’ve caught those lunatics. You don’t know that you can trust her.’

‘But if she sees you again…’

‘She won’t. I’ll be invisible and I’ll change my image tomorrow.’

‘All right.’ Carlo was still disturbed by the news that Zan was so nervous. Why hadn’t she told him? ‘Oh, and by the way, while we’re working in the hospital and you’re kicking your heels, I need you to do something for me.’

Matt’s eyes narrowed warily. ‘I hardly dare ask.’

‘I need you to find me a team of reindeer and a sleigh.’

Matt blinked. ‘Reindeer.’ His tone was faint. ‘And a sleigh?’

‘That’s right. I’m going to be Father Christmas.’

And he was going to give Zan a Christmas to remember.

He walked back to the table and gestured to the waiter to bring the bill.

‘It’s fine, tesoro,’ he said easily, paying the waiter in cash and reaching for his coat. ‘If you saw him earlier then I’m sure it was just coincidence. He’s Italian and he lives around here.’

She accepted what he said without argument and he felt a pang of guilt as he saw the trusting look in her eyes.

Whatever happened, he was going to keep her safe.

They said goodnight to Kim and then made their way back to Zan’s flat.

‘Only two more days until Christmas.’ She smiled at him, her cheeks pink from the cold. ‘Do you want to come up?’

Yes. He wanted to check that her flat was safe.

‘I’ll just see you into your flat and then I’d better go home.’ He followed her into the lift and waited while she found her keys, his senses constantly alert to danger.

‘Why do you keep looking around you?’ She looked at him anxiously and this time he sensed her nerves. ‘I thought you said that man wasn’t following me.’

Damn. She was amazingly observant.

‘He’s not,’ he said smoothly, cursing the fact that Matt hadn’t been more discreet. It was going to be harder to keep a careful watch on Zan from now on.

Carlo took her keys and unlocked the door, hoping that she’d think he was chivalrous by nature. The truth was he wanted to enter her flat first.

He wasn’t taking any chances.

He flicked on the lights and glanced swiftly around the room. Everything was neat and ordered. No sign of problems.

She tilted her head to one side and smiled. ‘Coffee?’

‘I shouldn’t.’ He walked towards her window and gazed down at the river below with a frown. The view was great but he wished she had curtains. From the outside this room would be lit up like a stage. ‘I’ve got to go home and practise being Father Christmas in front of my mirror.’

And tighten the security arrangements so that she was kept safe.

He wanted someone to check the opposite bank of the river to see just how visible her flat was.

‘I haven’t had a chance to thank you for this afternoon,’ Zan blurted out. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, I dread to think what would have happened to Kelly and the baby. It’s lucky Kim told you I was there.’

Kim hadn’t told him, but he wasn’t in a position to correct her.

‘Resuscitating a baby in those surroundings was certainly a new experience,’ he admitted dryly, and she shook her head in admiration.