Sarah Morgan Summer Collection

‘No problem. I’m due at work in half an hour anyway. Do you want to be dropped home?’

Evanna thought of all the preparation she’d planned to do on her bathroom and then dismissed it as unimportant. She could do it later. Her head ached and she didn’t want to think about how tired she was. ‘No, I’ll spend the day here at Logan’s. All Kirsty’s toys are here. It will be easier to keep her occupied.’

It was mid-afternoon by the time Logan arrived home and Evanna and Kirsty were in the middle of an extremely messy painting session in the kitchen. She’d opened the sliding doors that led to the garden and a breeze cooled the stifling air.

‘You put your hand flat, like that,’ Evanna was saying as she planted Kirsty’s hand in the middle of the paper and rocked it from side to side. ‘Great!’

Logan stood in the doorway and watched. He loved the fact that Evanna wasn’t bothered about the mess. She’d spread newspaper over the kitchen floor to protect it and then squeezed paint into saucers so that Kirsty could use her hands and feet, and Kirsty was bright-eyed with excitement. ‘Whatever happened to reading a book or dressing a doll? I can’t leave you two alone for a moment.’

Evanna glanced up, saw him there and scrambled to her feet, her cheeks flushed. She was still wearing the shorts and T-shirt that she’d been running in that morning, but she’d removed her trainers and her feet were bare. ‘You know she loves painting. It’s her favourite thing and I can’t bring myself to say no. I’ve used plenty of newspaper so I’m hoping you won’t be needing a new kitchen.’

‘You spoil her,’ Logan said softly, dropping his bag onto the nearest chair and removing his jacket. ‘Amy used to hate doing anything messy because it meant clearing up, and she was always worried that Kirsty would splatter her with paint.’

‘Well, I’m in my ancient running gear and I don’t mind clearing up.’ Evanna carefully lifted the paintings and put them outside on the table to dry in the sun, anchored by jam jars. ‘How did it go with Alison?’

‘I think they might give her antivenin. I’ve left her in their hands. She’s in quite a bit of pain but her pulse and blood pressure have stabilised and her breathing has settled down. Hopefully she’ll be all right now but they’re going to keep her in for a bit just to check on her. Everyone is crowded around her, of course, because it’s such an unusual thing to see.’

‘I couldn’t believe it was really a snake bite. I mean—’ Kirsty was still planting her chubby little hands in the paint and Evanna stooped to adjust the newspaper on the floor’—we see a variety of accidents and illnesses on this island, but that was a first.’

‘It’s pretty rare.’ Logan pulled open the fridge and removed a bottle of chilled water. ‘And not often fatal in humans, although there are reports of severe allergic reactions and I thought Alison might have been one of those. Frustrating, actually, because you know I always carry adrenaline with me in the summer, ever since that wasp episode a few years ago. But Kirsty and I had only left the house for a quiet stroll so I didn’t think of it. I had a nasty moment back there.’

‘It didn’t show. I think the fact that you were so incredibly calm helped to reassure Alison. Have you finished, sweetheart? That’s a lovely painting. Clever girl.’ Evanna lifted Kirsty, unconcerned about the volume of paint that was now attached to the child. ‘I’m usually quite confident with emergencies, but not that one. I didn’t want to speak in case I looked like a complete idiot. I had to stop myself from asking you stupid questions about first aid. I’m sure I read somewhere that you’re meant to suck the venom out or something. Or cut the leg and let the blood flow.’

Logan drank the water straight from the bottle and then lowered his arm and smiled at her. ‘You’ve been watching too much TV.’

‘Actually, I never get to watch TV because I’m always working,’ Evanna said with a pointed look. ‘But there’s so much myth and you hardly get copious amounts of experience in this country.’

She was so generous with Kirsty, Logan thought as he watched her. So patient. ‘Well, these days more and more people keep dangerous snakes as pets and there’s still some argument over best management and it does actually depend on the type of snake. But there is a body of medical evidence now and sucking and slashing isn’t generally recommended.’ Logan lifted the bottle and drank again. ‘If you want to know about snake bites, Ethan is your man. He dealt with a few when he was working in Africa.’

Still holding Kirsty, Evanna glanced towards him. ‘Really? I don’t know how I feel about snakes. Sort of repelled and fascinated at the same time. I think if I’d met an adder on the path, I might have frozen with fright. I’m not surprised Alison felt a bit freaked out. Ugh.’ She gave a shudder and Logan smiled, trying to imagine steady, practical Evanna freaking out about anything.

‘It probably would have run away long before you saw it. To be honest, adders aren’t generally a problem. They’re shy.’

‘But not this time.’

‘She must have surprised it.’

‘Well, she was lucky you were there.’ Evanna wiped the worse of the paint from Kirsty’s hands with kitchen roll and dropped it into the bin.

‘I suppose so. I doubt the air ambulance would have made it quickly enough to deliver the adrenaline. That’s why I decided that it was safer to take her to the surgery.’ Logan threw the empty water bottle into the recycling bin. ‘I’ll talk to the warden about looking at the path. If they have a nest there, we should try and move it. We don’t want a repeat of that, even though it was probably a one in a million chance. Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.’

‘I made a chicken salad for your tea, but you could eat it now if you like.’ Still with Kirsty on her hip, she walked to the fridge and pulled out a large white dish. ‘I probably made too much but I thought you might be starving, having missed breakfast and lunch.’

‘I am starving.’ He looked at the dish and his mouth started to water. ‘Is that your amazing chicken with the honey and lemon marinade?’

‘That’s the one.’

‘My favourite. Have I ever told you that you’re a genius in the kitchen, Evanna Duncan?’

A strange expression flickered across her face. ‘Thank you.’

‘Have you eaten?’

Evanna put Kirsty down on the floor. ‘I should be going home. I still need to clear out my bathroom for Craig.’

Why was it,Logan mused,that he always had the feeling she was trying to escape from him?‘Share the salad with me.’

She hesitated and then gave a gasp of horror as she saw Kirsty crawling towards the white cupboards. ‘No, angel. Not until I’ve washed your hands.’ Smiling, she scooped the toddler into her arms and held her hands under running water, which turned blue and yellow as the splodges of paint faded and then disappeared. ‘There. That’s better. Now you’re safe to have around. Just sit there a moment while I finish clearing up all the mess.’

She popped Kirsty on her bottom on the floor, carefully placed the paintings on the kitchen table to dry and swiftly gathered up the newspaper and disposed of it. Then she turned. ‘Oh!’

Something in her voice made Logan look and he saw that Kirsty was up on her feet. While they both watched, she took a faltering step and then sank back onto her bottom with a satisfied grin.

‘She walked!’ Evanna clapped her hands with delight. ‘Logan, she walked! You are a clever girl, Kirsty MacNeil. Let’s see if she’ll do it again.’ She sank onto her knees and held out her hands. ‘Walk to Evanna. Come on, Kirsty. Up you get!’

Kirsty scrambled to her feet again, swayed perilously and then took two steps before plopping back onto her bottom with a beaming smile.

‘She’s so pleased with herself!’ Evanna grinned and scooped the child into her arms. ‘Clever girl.’

‘There’ll be no peace for any of us now,’ Logan predicted, captivated by the look of delight on Evanna’s face. She was such a generous friend, he thought to himself as he picked up the salad and two plates. It was her day off and yet she’d willingly sacrificed it to look after his child.

And now she was eyeing the salad and the plates. ‘I really ought to get home.’

‘Not until you’ve eaten. Having given up your entire day for me, the least I can do is feed you, especially as you prepared the food.’

‘You’re the one who gave up your day, Logan,’ she said quietly, opening a drawer and pulling out cutlery. ‘I’ve been playing here with Kirsty. Hardly arduous. You’ve been working.’

‘You have to join us, that’s an order.’ He winked at her and then watched, intrigued, as colour seeped into her cheeks. Why was she blushing?

‘All right. You take the food out, I’ll bring the drinks.’

They sat in the garden at the wooden table and Evanna held Kirsty on her lap and gave her breadsticks and chicken to eat. ‘She’s such a good eater. She loves my chicken.’

‘We all love your chicken. That was the other thing about Amy.’ Logan forked more salad onto his plate. ‘She had a very limited repertoire in the kitchen. All she could cook was fish fingers.’

They ate in silence for a while and then Kirsty started to become fractious.

‘She needs an early night,’ Evanna murmured. ‘I tried to put her down for a nap earlier but she was too wound up to sleep. She’s tired.’

‘You look tired, too.’ Logan studied her face, noticing that her cheeks were paler than usual. ‘Is something wrong? Did you have a bad night or something?’

‘I’m fine.’ She fussed around Kirsty and Logan suddenly had a strong suspicion that she was avoiding eye contact.

‘Are you feeling ill? Because if you are then I can—’

‘I’m not feeling ill, Logan. I’m fine. Really.’ She stood up quickly, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and giving him a quick smile. ‘If you’re all right with Kirsty, I really ought to be going.’

He’d never known her so jumpy. ‘Evanna.’ He kept his voice gentle. ‘We’re friends, aren’t we? If there’s something that you need to talk about, I hope you know that I’ll always listen. You listen to my problems often enough. I hope you know that I’m here for you, too. This isn’t a one-sided relationship.’