Sarah Morgan Summer Collection

Kyla felt guilty. ‘I love eating here and seeing you.’

Meg gave a snort. ‘And do I need to be told that? Of course not. I’m not offended, lass, just worried about you.’

‘You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine, really.’ Kyla stood up to give her aunt a hug. ‘Thanks.’

‘Eat your supper.’ Her aunt squeezed her gently and then released her. ‘Before it gets cold.’

She loved her family. Kyla finished her soup, wondering if everyone else had noticed that she was suddenly spending all her time at the café instead of just strolling into Logan’s garden in her usual fashion.

She thought about it all that night and the next day and when Evanna invited her to join them for a picnic on the beach that evening, she agreed.

She didn’t want Logan making sarcastic comments, she thought as she slipped her feet into sandals, grabbed a cool-box and strolled down onto the sand.

Evanna was spreading a picnic out over a tartan rug while trying to control a thoroughly over-excited toddler. ‘Don’t eat sand,’ she scolded gently, but there was a smile on her face as she scooped the little girl onto her lap and cuddled her. ‘Go to your Aunty Kyla for a moment while I sort out the food.’

‘I bought some things. It’s just quiche and salad.’ Kyla put the cool-bag down by Evanna and stooped to kiss her niece.

Logan strolled over to her, his body glistening with seawater. ‘It’s fresh.’

‘In other words, it’s freezing.’ Evanna laughed, handing him a towel. ‘Quick. Dry yourself off. We don’t want you developing hypothermia. It’s a bad advert for the practice.’

Logan cast a questioning glance in Kyla’s direction. ‘Well, if it isn’t my long-lost sister. Where have you been all week?’ He dried himself and pulled a shirt over his head. ‘I’ve hardly seen you.’

‘I called in to see Aunty Meg a few times,’ Kyla said casually, eating a tomato and then pulling a face. ‘Ugh. Sand. Remind me whose idea was it to have a family picnic on the beach when it’s windy? It always sounds such a great idea, but then you start to eat and you realise that everything is crunchy because it’s full of sand. I think I prefer the garden.’ She looked up to say something to Logan and saw Ethan strolling towards them. The words stuck in her throat.

‘Kyla.’ Evanna’s voice was gentle. ‘You’re dropping food on the rug.’

Flustered, Kyla glanced down and realised that her hands were shaking so much she’d dropped the tomatoes. ‘Sorry.’ She’d had no idea he was joining them. Her heart skipped and danced and she gave herself a severe telling-off.

She’d avoided him for most of the week. She’d made a concerted effort not to look out of the window in the mornings and watch him run, and she’d even managed to forget about the kiss for at least five minutes at a stretch.

She’d thought she was doing well.

Only now, feeling her heart hammering hard against her chest, she knew that she wasn’t doing well at all.

He affected her just as much as he ever had.

‘Sorry I’m a bit late.’ He was wearing cut-off shorts and a soft, loose T-shirt that had obviously been washed a million times. His jaw was dark with stubble, his eyes were tired, and Kyla thought she’d never seen a sexier man in her life.

‘Late? That’s a real city-boy remark. I don’t think you can be late for a picnic on a beach.’ Logan handed him a beer. ‘Here. You can drink. I’m on call tonight.’

Ethan took the beer with a nod of thanks. ‘I hope you have a better night than I did.’

Logan gave a wry smile and glanced at his daughter. ‘I probably won’t, actually, but for different reasons. I gather you were up several times.’

‘For a small island, they certainly keep you busy,’ Ethan drawled, lifting the beer to his lips, and Kyla found herself watching as he drank.

That mouth had been on hers. Those hands had—

Ethan caught her gaze and lowered the beer slowly, his eyes on hers. Neither of them spoke and the tension rose between them until Kyla was aware of nothing but him. She couldn’t have looked away if she’d tried, and she sensed that he was experiencing the same inner struggle.

And then Kirsty crawled into her lap and reached for her hair.

‘Ow.’ The spell broken, Kyla gently prised open Kirsty’s chubby fist and removed her hair. ‘We need to teach you a new trick.’

To her surprise, Ethan put down his beer and leaned towards Kirsty. ‘I’ll take her.’ He dropped down onto his haunches and smiled at the little girl.

‘Fancy a paddle in the waves?’

Kirsty looked uncertain and when Ethan scooped her gently into his arms she went stiff and turned to look at Logan.

‘She’s a one-man woman,’ Logan said smugly, reaching out a hand and smoothing his daughter’s silky blonde curls to reassure her, but Ethan spoke softly to the child, pointed to a passing seagull, and Kirsty’s face broke into an approving smile.

She forgot her reservations about the tall, dark stranger and with a gurgle of enthusiasm she grabbed a hunk of Ethan’s hair in her fist.

‘You’re in favour, Ethan,’ Evanna said cheerfully, reaching for the breadsticks. ‘She only pulls the hair out of people she really loves.’

Ethan winced and extracted himself from that deadly grip, his dark eyes amused. ‘Can I take her to the sea?’

‘Of course. She loves it. Did you make any of your peanut chicken, Eva?’ Logan leaned forward and studied the picnic, reaching into a bowl and helping himself to a slice of fresh mango. ‘This looks delicious.’

‘That’s Caribbean fruit salad and it’s for afterwards.’ Evanna pulled the bowl of fruit away from him. ‘Leave it alone. You always try and eat my picnics in the wrong order.’

Judging that this would be a good time to leave the two of them alone for a few minutes, Kyla scrambled to her feet and reluctantly followed Ethan towards the sea.

She didn’t really want to approach him because then he’d think she hadn’t listened to his ‘hands-off’ message. But she badly wanted to give Logan and Evanna some time on their own.

Frustrated that she suddenly felt so uncomfortable on her own territory, she walked a few paces and then stopped, her attention caught by the scene in front of her.

Ethan had removed Kirsty’s shoes and socks and tucked them into the pockets of his shorts. He held her firmly round the waist, dangling her feet gently in the water, dipping her in and out of the breaking waves while she chortled with excitement and kicked her legs.

Kyla smiled at the delight on her niece’s face and then found herself looking at Ethan. And couldn’t look away. She’d seen him smile before, but not like this. That cool, remote look had gone. Instead, his eyes were gentle and he looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him.

He lifted Kirsty quickly to avoid a slightly bigger wave, laughing and talking to her quietly, clearly enjoying her company.

He wasn’t a man she associated with softness and Kyla watched, transfixed, as the two of them played together, each entertaining the other.

It was only when she tried to swallow that she realised she had a lump in her throat. There was something incredibly moving about watching this strong, reserved man transformed by his interaction with an innocent child.

And then he lifted Kirsty into his arms and she saw something else in his face.

A yearning. And an immense sadness.

Instinctively Kyla moved towards him and then she stopped herself. How could she offer comfort and support when he’d already rejected her? Any gesture like that on her part would be misconstrued. And, anyway, Ethan had already proved on so many occasions that he wasn’t a man to open up and confide. What had he ever told her about himself? Hardly anything.

‘Kyla!’ Evanna’s voice came from behind her. ‘I’ve put some food on a plate for you and we’re ready to eat.’

Kyla took one last, lingering look at Ethan’s broad shoulders and turned away.