A Mother for His Family

‘New Zealand. Auckland.’

‘The largest city, right?’

Sarah nodded. ‘And you? You sound English.’

Ben mirrored her nod. ‘I’m a Londoner through and through.’

‘Bit of a change working here, then.’

‘A dream job,’ Tori declared. ‘Do you need any nurses?’

Ben laughed. ‘It’s not all free lunches at luxury resorts. I do work a couple of days a week at a hospital in Suva.’

‘But you don’t live on the main island?’

‘No. I have my own little beach.’ For an instant, Ben’s face was shuttered. Then he smiled at Tori. ‘How long are you here for?’

‘Only a week.’ Tori wrinkled her nose. ‘I have a feeling it’s not going to be nearly long enough.’

‘You’ll just have to make the most of every minute.’

‘Oh, I intend to.’

Sarah ate her way through a wonderful salad that combined mango and pawpaw with rice and some flavours she couldn’t identify. She felt shut out already but she wasn’t going to spoil Tori’s fun. If she needed a holiday romance to make her happy, why not? Maybe the gorgeous Ben would actually turn out to be the love of her life and they would settle in their island paradise and live happily ever after.

Tuning back into the conservation at the table became unavoidable as Sarah realised that Tori was beginning to cover some rather personal ground.

‘It was Sarah that mostly nursed Mum through the last few weeks after the second stroke,’ she was saying. ‘So it was even harder on her.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Ben sounded very sincere but then his tone changed. ‘You two are sisters?’

Sarah met the curious glance defensively. Yes, she was taller than Tori, her hair long, straight and dark in contrast to bouncy blonde curls and her body lean and lacking any attractive curves. And, yes, their personalities were just as different and Sarah was not about to bare her soul or anything else to a stranger.

‘Foster-sisters.’ Tori seemed unaware of any warning signals Sarah was emanating. ‘But it’s been the real thing for ever as far as I’m concerned. Sas came to live with us when she was fourteen and I was eight.’ Tori’s smile at Sarah was loving. ‘I’d always wanted an older sister I could annoy.’ She laughed. ‘I’m twenty-four now and I still manage to annoy her.’

‘Only sometimes,’ Sarah said mildly. ‘But I’m sure Ben isn’t interested in hearing the details of our family history.’

Her disapproval of sharing personal information hadn’t been masked as well as she’d thought but the slightly awkward silence that fell was broken only seconds later as a woman wearing a silky white sarong paused by their table.

‘Ben! How lovely to see you again.’ She laughed at his obvious mental scramble. ‘Lisa,’ she supplied. ‘I was here this time last year.’

‘Ah...’ Ben’s face cleared. ‘Sunburn.’

Lisa smiled. ‘I hope I thanked you properly for taking such good care of me.’

‘Of course.’ Ben cleared his throat, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

Lisa was looking over the top of her sunglasses at Tori, and Sarah had a wild desire to laugh aloud. Was this one of last year’s conquests eyeing up the competition?

She put down her fork, her appetite suddenly sated. OK, she probably couldn’t stop Tori if she wanted to have a fling but she would have to make sure Tori didn’t have any dreams about it being the real thing. Ben Dawson might be incredibly good looking and charming but he was a flirt. A playboy. A complete lightweight who had set himself up in a perfect playground with an enticingly large field of probably very willing playmates.

Sarah wanted no part of it. She especially didn’t want someone like this knowing too much about her. Sympathy, however sincere it might be, concerning her appalling childhood would not be welcome. At least even Tori’s trusting openness couldn’t reveal everything. There had only ever been one person who had known all there was to know about her and sadly she had taken Sarah’s secrets with her to her grave only six months ago.

The woman in the sarong had moved on now. Ben stood up.

‘I’ve got a bit of housekeeping to do at the medical centre,’ he excused himself. ‘I’d better get on with it.’

‘You’ve got a medical centre here?’

‘Just a small one,’ he responded to Tori. ‘Would you like to see it?’

She nodded, pushing her chair back. ‘Coming, Sas?’

Sarah shook her head. ‘I might go and have a chat to Marjorie and see how her ankle is doing. Then I intend to go and flop on the beach with my book.’

Tori turned back and Sarah knew that if she wanted company she only had to say so. However attracted Tori was to Ben Dawson, at present it was simply intended as fun. If Sarah needed her, there was no question of where her loyalties would lie.

So Sarah smiled encouragingly. ‘You go,’ she told Tori. ‘You’ll know where to find me later.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want to come?’

‘Absolutely.’ Sarah’s use of the affirmation Ben seemed to prefer was deliberate.

Dark eyes regarded her with a quizzical expression but his smile was more than simply courteous. ‘Nice meeting you, Sarah. And thanks for your help with Marjorie.’

‘It was a pleasure.’

‘Let’s hope the rest of your holiday isn’t interrupted by further medical dramas.’

‘Or any other sort,’ Sarah murmured.

‘Indeed.’ Ben held her gaze just long enough to let her know he had received her message. Then he turned to Tori and his easy grin surfaced again. He crooked his elbow. ‘Shall we?’

‘Absolutely.’ Tori slid her arm through his, turned to give Sarah a gleeful glance and then they were gone, screened by the palms lining the pathway to the main building complex.

Sarah stood up slowly, oddly disappointed that her suspicions regarding Ben’s integrity had been so readily confirmed. Then she shrugged inwardly. What business of hers was it, anyway? She wasn’t her sister’s keeper and spending some time alone would not detract in any way from her enjoyment of these surroundings. Sarah Mitchell had learned very early in life that her own company could be preferable at times.

She didn’t have to be by herself right now, anyway. Shading her eyes, she gazed towards the pool.

‘Yoohoo!’ Marjorie raised a champagne flute in her direction. ‘Over here, darling! We’ve saved a glass for you.’

CHAPTER TWO

‘IT’S you he’s interested in.’

Sarah snorted. ‘Yeah, sure.’

‘I’m serious.’ Tori buried her spoon into the bowl of fruit salad she had chosen for dessert. ‘Is that mango or pawpaw, do you think?’ She popped it into her mouth without waiting for Sarah’s opinion and sighed with pleasure. ‘Mmm. Whatever it is, it’s delicious.’