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‘Of course I have. Anger is a human emotion. But I didn’t have reason to be angry—not like you. I feel so bad for you. The locals should have done something.’
‘What could they have done? And, anyway, I didn’t exactly invite assistance.’
‘You basically grew up without parents.’ She raised herself on one elbow, her expression soft as she looked down at him. ‘Why did you become a doctor?’
‘I don’t know.’ His eyes closed again. ‘I spent my whole life on Glenmore being angry. I suppose it was a bit of a vicious circle. They thought the worst of me so I gave them the worst. And then I left and suddenly I was with people who didn’t know me. And I realised that I was tired of living my life like that. I went to an army recruitment day and it all happened from there.’
‘Did you ever hear from your Dad?’
‘No. And I never contacted him either.’
‘But you kept in touch with Logan.’
Conner’s eyes opened. ‘Logan is a good man. Always was. He was the one who told me about my father’s cirrhosis. He arranged for his admission to hospital on the mainland and he did all the paperwork when he died. Logan did all the things I should have done.’ He hesitated. ‘He was also the one who thought I should come back and tie up some loose ends. Sell the house, bury some ghosts—that sort of thing.’
‘I’m glad you came back.’
He looked at her. ‘I’m not good for you, Flora,’ he murmured, stroking his hands over her hair and then pulling her down so that he could kiss her. ‘I’m just going to hurt you.’
‘I’ll take that chance.’
‘Relationships are destructive, terrible things.’
‘I can understand why you’d think that, given everything that happened with your parents, but theirs was just one relationship, Conner. My parents’ relationship was different.’
‘Your mother died and your father was devastated,’ he said softly. ‘In its own way, that relationship was as traumatic as the one my parents had. Both ended in misery.’
‘It was traumatic, that’s true. But what my father and mother shared was so special that I know Dad wouldn’t have changed things, even if he’d been able to foresee what was going to happen. True love is rare and special—a real gift. You don’t turn that away, even if it comes with pain.’
‘Love is a curse, Flora Harris, not a gift.’
‘No, Conner.’ She kissed him gently. ‘The best thing that can happen to anyone is to be truly loved. Whatever happens in adult life, every child deserves to be loved unconditionally by their parents, and that didn’t happen to you. And I’m guessing you haven’t experienced it as an adult either, given the way you stomp through relationships.’
‘Don’t be so sure.’ He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Do you want to know how many women have told me that they love me?’
‘Actually, I don’t.’ She laughed, trying to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach that his words had induced. ‘And I was talking about love, not sex.’
‘All right, it’s definitely time that you stopped talking.’ He rolled her swiftly onto her back and came down on top of her, pinning her still with his weight. ‘If the only thing on your mind is love, I’m going to have to do something brutal.’ But his eyes were gentle and she giggled softly.
How did he feel about her?
How did she feel about him?
She really didn’t know.
Their relationship was the most thrilling, exciting thing that had ever happened to her, but at the same time she knew that there couldn’t be a happy ending.
But for the time being she was just going to live in the present.
And that was what she did.
But rumours were gradually spreading across Glenmore.
* * *
A few weeks into their relationship, Flora was in the pub with the rest of the medical centre staff, including an extremely pregnant Evanna.
‘At the weekend I’m taking you over
