by Sarah Morgan
‘You didn’t know?’ She felt her cheeks colour. ‘You think I strip naked in the ruins of the castle for every man?’
‘I certainly hope not.’ He stroked his fingers through her hair. ‘But I thought the fact that I kept a secret from you damaged what we had.’
‘I was angry with you and hurt that you didn’t trust me.’
He drew in a breath and his eyes narrowed questioningly. ‘And now? How do you feel now?’
‘Now I just feel miserable that you’re leaving.’
He released her then and walked over to the window, staring out across the fields that stretched from Logan’s house towards the sea. ‘When I first arrived here, I wasn’t even sure why I’d come. It was too late for Catherine and me, but I suppose a part of me wanted to identify the last few pieces of the puzzle. I wanted to understand what it was that had changed her and now I do, because it’s changed me, too. This place restores your faith in humanity. This place doesn’t allow selfishness because it’s all about sharing. The island only works because people share.’
‘I think that’s what Catherine discovered. She said that she suddenly felt as though she belonged somewhere.’
‘Yes.’ He turned to look at her and her heart pounded.
‘I thought you were going to walk away from me,’ she whispered, trapped by the look in his eyes. ‘I thought you were going to walk away from what we have.’
‘Never.’
‘But—’
He walked towards her and put a hand over her lips, humour dancing in his eyes. ‘I think when we’re married I’m going to have to gag you for part of the day or I’ll never get a chance to speak and then you’ll accuse me of being hopeless at communicating.’
Her heart almost stopped and she wanted to ask him to repeat what he’d just said, but his fingers were still covering her mouth so she was only able to make a ‘mmm’ sound.
His fingers brushed her lips. ‘You’re right that I love Glenmore island. You’re right that I love sea breezes and soft sand. You’re right that I love to swim in the ocean, and it’s certainly true that there’s more than enough of a medical challenge here to keep me satisfied. And, of course, I love Kirsty and want to watch her grow up. But none of those are the reasons that I’ll be staying here.’ His gaze was gentle. ‘I’ll be staying here because of you. Because I love you, Kyla. I love everything about you. I love your warmth and generosity and the way you care for everyone. I love your slightly wicked streak and the way you love your family. And I want to be part of that family.’
He moved his hand from her mouth and looked at her expectantly, but now that he’d given her the opportunity to speak she discovered that the words were stuck behind the giant lump in her throat.
‘Kyla?’ His gentle prompt made her open her mouth and croak something incoherent.
‘I didn’t—You said …’
He lifted an eyebrow. ‘I said?’
‘A few sentences ago you mentioned …’
‘I mentioned …?’
‘Marriage.’
‘Yes, I did.’ He looked around his consulting room and rolled his eyes. ‘I’m thirty-two years old and when I finally propose to a woman we’re surrounded by medical equipment.’
‘I don’t care about the surroundings,’ she murmured, hardly daring to believe what was happening. ‘I haven’t even noticed them.’
‘Good. So is the answer yes?’
‘You came here to find Kirsty—’
‘I came here because I was drawn by the letter that Catherine wrote. Because I wanted to see this place.’ His ran a finger over her cheek. ‘But I’m staying because of you.’
‘You’re staying on the island?’
‘It’s going to be hard to be married to you if I don’t,’ he drawled softly, ‘because it’s obvious to everyone that this is the place you were meant to be. And, anyway, we have a responsibility to the community to have lots of sex.’
She gave a gasp of shock and glanced towards the door, but it remind firmly closed. ‘Ethan!’
‘Stop looking scandalised. You were the one who told me that the population has a duty to have plenty of sex and produce lots of children.’
She started to laugh. ‘Yes, but—’
‘If you’re worried about the school closing, we’d better get cracking. If we start now we can have a child in every class right the way through primary school.’
‘Ann Carne would have an asthma attack if they were all little versions of me.’
‘But their daddy would be delighted. I can’t think of anything better than living my life surrounded by ten little versions of you.’ He bent his head and kissed her. ‘I love you. And I’m looking forward to populating the island with you. Just say the word and we’ll start straight away.’
‘Ten? I don’t think we’ll be having ten.’ She wrapped her arms round his neck, unable to control the happiness that bubbled up inside her. ‘I can’t believe you mean this. We’re so different. You don’t say much. Oh, Ethan!’
‘I’ll try and say more,’ Ethan murmured against her lips with a smile in his eyes, ‘providing you’re silent for long enough for me to speak. Is it a deal?’
She loved the feel of his arms around her. ‘Do you think you’ll be able to stand living here, surrounded by islanders who want to know what you ate for breakfast and a big noisy family who frequently turn up to eat that breakfast with you?’
The smile in his eyes faded. ‘The answer to your question is yes. But you haven’t answered my question yet. Will you marry me?’
‘Yes.’ Her voice was soft as she reached up and kissed him. ‘Of course.’
EVANNA
CHAPTER ONE
A FRESH start.
Evanna Duncan drove her little car off the ferry, hearing the familiar clunk as the wheels left the ramp and hit the concrete of the quay. She waved at Jim, the ferryman, and then drove a little way down South Quay before pulling into a vacant parking space overlooking the harbour.
The city had been hot and sticky, the air trapped between the tall buildings with not a breath of wind to lighten the atmosphere, and she’d crawled through holiday traffic for hours to reach the ferry. She was hot, tired and desperate for the peaceful haven provided by her cottage on the cliffs. But first she had things to do. She was meeting a friend and she was already late.
Climbing out of her car, Evanna breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the wind lift her hair and cool her skin. At last.
Home.
Glenmore Island. Being a practice nurse on a remote Scottish island had its challenges, but she loved it and she could never imagine living anywhere else. She’d only been away for a month but it felt like longer.
‘Good trip, Nurse Duncan?’ A boy of about twelve strolled up to her, licking a towering ice cream in danger of imminent collapse. A baseball cap was pulled low over his eyes and he wore shorts, scuffed trainers and an ancient T-shirt that had been faded by endless washing. Two of his friends hovered in the background.
‘Well, hello, Fraser. Are you enjoying the holidays?’ Evanna slammed the car door shut. ‘How’s that head of yours doing?’
Fraser obligingly whipped off the hat and lifted his hair to show her. ‘What do you think? Dr MacNeil says he thinks it’s going to be the most amazing scar. Wicked.’
It was typical of Logan MacNeil to have turned a negative into a positive. Evanna ignored the way her heart jumped at the mere mention of his name. ‘I’m sure he’s right. Amazing.’ Instinctively she reached out and took a closer look, noticing how well it was healing. Logan had done a good job with the stitches. ‘And I hope you’re staying away from the castle.’
‘Sort of. But you’ll never guess what’s happened, it’s so cool.’ Fraser’s voice was earnest as he filled her in on the local gossip. ‘They’ve decided to open up the dungeons. Some archeologic—archolo—’ He stumbled over the word and then gave up. ‘Someone really important is coming to take a look and poke around. They think there might
be stuff down there. Stuff from the Celts or the Vikings or something, you know? Like treasure. We’re going to go up there and watch.’ His eyes gleamed as he rammed the cap back on his head.
‘That’s great, Fraser.’ Evanna slipped her keys into her bag. ‘Just make sure you’re careful. Those ruins can be dangerous and you’ve given all of us enough grey hairs this year. Your ice cream is dripping. You need to lick. Fast.’
Fraser grinned and caught the drip with his tongue. ‘I’m careful.’
‘I’m sure you are.’ Evanna’s tone was dry as she recalled the rescue effort that had been required to extricate him from the dungeon some weeks earlier. She flicked the brim of his hat with her finger. ‘I’m meeting Nurse Walker. Have you seen her?’
‘She’s in the café by the window eating a massive triple chocolate fudge ice cream with extra chocolate flakes. She made me promise not to tell anyone because she says it’s pretty hard to lecture people on eating a healthy diet when you’re seen in public stuffing yourself with rubbish.’ He frowned. ‘Actually, she might not have actually said “stuffing yourself”, but I think that’s what she meant.’
‘Disgraceful behaviour for a practice nurse.’ Evanna’s eyes sparkled with laughter. ‘I’ll go and tell her off, shall I?’
‘Yeah. The ice cream looked good, though, and it’s the only thing that really works in this heat. Bye, Nurse Duncan. See you around.’
‘Bye, boys. Be careful, now.’
She was still smiling when she pushed open the door of the café and joined her friend at the large round table by the window. It had a view of the harbour and was a perfect place from which to observe the various comings and goings of Glenmore Island. ‘You know, if you’re going to eat that artery-clogging gloop you should at least do it behind a newspaper or at a table around the back. Eating it in the window is just asking for trouble. I’ve just heard all about it from Fraser.’
‘You’re late.’ Kyla dropped the spoon and stood up to give her a quick hug. ‘You saw Fraser? He’s a cheeky monkey. With most of the summer holidays still ahead of us, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re pulling him out of another hole soon. It’s so good to have you back. We’ve missed you.’
‘You’ve been too busy being newly married to miss me.’ Evanna dropped her bag on the floor and pulled out a chair. ‘I still haven’t quite got over the speed with which you fell in love with our new doctor. You certainly didn’t hang around.’
Kyla settled back at the table and dug her spoon into the ice cream. ‘When something is right, it’s right. And Ethan is perfect.’ She waved the spoon. ‘At least marrying him meant that he’d stay on the island permanently. Logan is pleased to have another doctor at the surgery.’
‘Yes.’ Evanna struggled to keep her tone casual. ‘So, how is he? Logan is normally hideously busy at this time of year.’
Kyla considered the question. ‘OK, I think. I don’t know how he does it. It’s only just over a year since his wife died but he’s holding up really well. I just wish he’d talk about it more.’
Evanna thought of the conversations she’d had with him long into the night. He’d talked about it with her. ‘I suppose everyone handles things in their own way.’
‘Well, Logan always was tough and work keeps him going. That and having a thirteen-month-old daughter.’ Kyla leaned back in her chair and called across the café. ‘Aunt Meg, can we have another spoon here please? Evanna’s tongue is hanging into my ice cream.’
‘No, it isn’t.’ Evanna eyed the ice cream wistfully. ‘I’m not like you. Fat never gives you a second glance. If I even look at ice cream, I put on a kilo.’
‘That’s rubbish and if eating ice cream gave me your fantastic curves then I’d eat it for every meal. You look great in that red top. A bit like a flamenco dancer.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘Sort of sexy and sultry. All dark hair and dark eyes. But you need to wear your hair loose to complete the effect.’
‘It’s too hot.’ Evanna ran a hand over the back of her neck. ‘And the only reason I’m looking sultry is because we’re in the middle of a heat wave. I’m boiling.’
‘Was it hot in the city?’
‘Unbelievable. I honestly don’t know how people can live their lives in a place like that. It’s all so—’ Evanna frowned as she searched for the word ‘—closed in. There’s no air. It’s like being in a forest of buildings and everyone is busy, busy, busy. There’s no room to breathe, whereas on Glenmore there’s just so much space.’ She shuddered at the memory and Kyla smiled.
‘So you didn’t enjoy yourself?’
‘I enjoyed the work. It was fantastic to be back on the labour ward. You know I loved my midwifery and I don’t exactly get the chance to practise much on Glenmore.’
‘What are you complaining about? It’s like a rabbit colony here.’ Kyla waved the spoon. ‘Both Sonia Davies and Marie Tanner are pregnant. And Lucy Finch’s baby is only four days old, so you’ll be visiting her for a while.’
‘I know.’ Evanna gave a soft smile. ‘I actually delivered Lucy in the labour ward on the mainland. It was amazing and, of course, it’s great that Sonia and Marie are pregnant. But it’s hardly enough to make up an entire workload.’
‘Well, Sandra King had a far-away look on her face this week and I know that she and Paul have been trying for ages, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s in the surgery soon. And we don’t just want you for your midwifery skills. This island needs two practice nurses. I know midwifery is your first love, but don’t even think about abandoning me!’
‘I wouldn’t leave you. I love it here and I love the variety.’ Evanna glanced out of the window and caught sight of Janet, the practice receptionist, who was walking past, carrying two bags of shopping. She smiled and waved.
‘But you love midwifery most of all. You’re totally soppy about babies.’ Kyla gave a wry smile. ‘Go on. Has working on the labour ward made you broody?’
Evanna felt a grey cloud drift across her happiness. ‘Of course not,’ she lied, turning back to Kyla with a smile. ‘How can I be broody when I don’t even have a boyfriend? You know I believe in doing things in the right order.’
‘You always were an old-fashioned girl.’ Kyla watched her for a moment and then looked up as her aunt approached. ‘Aunt Meg, Evanna needs feeding.’
Meg was a plump woman with a generous smile and a mass of curling blonde hair. ‘Good to have you home, Evanna.’ She wiped her hands on her apron and reached for a pad. ‘What can I get you? Same as Kyla?’
‘Just a coffee, thanks. Americano. Decaff, no milk.’
‘That’s all? I’ve a chocolate cake that’s enough to make a woman cry.’
Evanna ignored temptation. ‘Just coffee.’
‘And how’s that going to give you energy through a long day?’ Meg tutted her disapproval as she put the pad back in her pocket. ‘You need flesh on your bones, lass.’
‘I have flesh on my bones,’ Evanna said dryly. ‘I can’t lecture people on losing weight if I’m overweight myself. At the moment I can still fit into my clothes and that’s the way I want it to stay, especially given that it’s the swimsuit season.’
‘Could you stop being so perfect? You’re ruining my enjoyment of this ice cream.’ Kyla licked her spoon and looked regretfully at the empty dish as Meg removed it and walked back towards the kitchen. ‘So—did you meet anyone gorgeous while you were away?’
Evanna hesitated. ‘Sort of.’
‘Really?’ Kyla’s eyes were suddenly interested. ‘Tell me.’
‘There’s nothing to tell. He was a registrar in obstetrics and he was really … nice.’
‘Nice? What sort of a word is nice? It doesn’t tell me anything. Was he good-looking? Sexy? Intelligent?’
‘All those things. We went out for a few drinks.’
‘And?’
‘There is no “and.”’
‘Did you sleep with him?’
‘Kyla!’ Evanna shot an embarrassed glance across the c
afé but everyone was engrossed in their own conversations. She answered the question in a low tone. ‘No, I did not.’
‘Shame.’ Kyla was unrepentant. ‘If you ask me, you could do with some unbridled passion in your life.’
‘I didn’t ask you, and my life is fine.’ Evanna sat back and gave a smile of thanks as Meg put the coffee in front of her. ‘We just had drinks. But it made me think. And I came to a decision.’
‘What decision?’
Evanna blew on her coffee to cool it and waited for Meg to walk away before she spoke. ‘I’m not doing this any more, Kyla.’ Her voice was firm and steady. ‘I’m not wasting any more of my life pining after a man who doesn’t even notice me.’
Kyla’s smile went out like a light bulb in a power cut. ‘You’re talking about my brother.’
‘Of course. Who else? Who else has there ever been for me?’ Evanna shook her head and gave a derisive laugh. ‘Ever since we played kiss chase in the playground, it’s been Logan. I’ve never even been able to see another man if he’s in the same room as me. And when he’s not in the same room as me, he’s in my head. Even when I close my eyes I can still see him. I can see his smile, I can see that wicked gleam in his blue eyes. I can see the way he walks as if he owns the world. And it’s a crazy waste of time, because he doesn’t even know I exist.’
‘He does know you exist.’
‘I mean as a woman. When it comes to seeing his patients, making his dinner or caring for his child, he knows I exist,’ Evanna said flatly. ‘When it comes to anything more personal, I’m invisible.’
‘He lost his wife, Evanna.’
‘I know that. And I also know that it was over a year ago and, sooner or later, he’s going to find someone else to share his life with. And no matter how much I dream that it might be, that someone is never going to be me. So I’m over him.’ She said it for herself as much as Kyla. To remind herself of all the promises she’d made to herself while she’d been away. ‘No more moping. No more pining. No more wishing for something that is never going to happen. I’m putting plan A into action. I’m moving on.’