Page 35 of Reunited with His Long-Lost Nurse

‘Your island tour the other day was something of a blast of fresh air.’

‘It was,’ she agreed.

It had been more than that, though. She’d felt more alive than she’d done in a while. The fact that it had been with Liam couldn’t just be a coincidence.

‘So why not enjoy each other’s company for the remainder of my stay? What harm could it do?’

‘I’d like that,’ she answered softly.

The strangest thing about it was that, having finally confessed to him about the catalyst for her leaving North Carolina, it was as though some weight had lifted.

She missed her mama, she always would, but a part of her felt as though she’d been grieving for the past three years. Not just after losing a precious parent but having it come so closely on the heels of losing Liam, too. Or, more accurately, losing the relationship she’d imagined they might have.

But now things felt different. She felt renewed somehow, spending time with Liam and talking to him. They were almost, almost back to the good times that she remembered. Without the sex, of course.

And who needed sex? She swallowed hard.

The point was that this time was different. This time she was in no danger of losing her heart. They were friends, nothing more, and in another few weeks he would be gone from her island.

Why not enjoy this unexpected friendship for what it was? And for the short time it would last? But she needed something different. Something thrilling, that Liam had never tried before.

Tossing her head back, she flashed him her brightest smile.

‘New plan, let’s go bodyboarding.’

‘Bodyboarding?’

He arched his eyebrows.

‘I seem to remember taking you skiing, back in North Carolina. Your balance was shocking, or don’t you remember falling off that T-bar lift and taking out the next five couples like a bowling ball knocking down pins?’

‘Until some lad caught me by my hair. She winced. ‘The shameful memory is imprinted into my brain for ever. I must have looked such a state.’

Liam grimaced.

‘Not so much of a state that he didn’t start chatting you up. I wanted to punch him to get him to take his hands off you.’

‘I don’t remember that.’ She looked at him in surprise, trying to work out whether she was more startled by the idea of Liam sounding almost jealous or the idea of him punching anybody.

He hadn’t given her the slightest indication of either at the time. She decided she couldn’t even imagine the latter. The ego boost was nice, all the same.

‘Well, bodyboarding is nothing like skiing,’ she declared emphatically. ‘I’ve been teaching my brothers. If you want a lesson, Liam, meet me on the beach this afternoon.’

‘I don’t have anything to swim in. Or a board, for that matter.’

‘We can hire boards at the beach as well as surf tops for upper body protection.’

She was warming to the idea more and more. And judging by Liam’s grin, he was equally taken with the idea. But, then, he had always loved his sports—it was one of the areas where they’d bonded the most.

‘Okay,’ he agreed. ‘Which beach?’

She gave him the directions, watching him leave and trying not to feel so pleased with herself.

It was only afterwards that she considered that she didn’t have her swim gear with her—unless she was planning on bodyboarding in her scrubs.

She could head home as soon as her shift finished but it was in the opposite direction from the beach, and it would be better if she could head straight there if they were going to maximise their time. There was nothing else for it, she was going to have to head to the local market on the way over.

Unless she borrowed something.

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