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‘No.’ Flustered, Jenna pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘No, thanks—I—But it does look delicious.’ Oh, for goodness’ sake. What was the matter with her? Lexi was right—she was desperate. And she needed to leave this shop before she dropped her salmon a second time. Smiling at Hamish, she walked towards the door.
‘Wait a minute, Nurse Jenna.’ Hamish called after her. ‘Has Dr McKinley asked you to the beach barbecue? Because if he hasn’t, he’s certainly been meaning to.’
Did everyone on Glenmore interfere with everyone else’s lives?
Jenna looked at Ryan, who looked straight back at her, his expression unreadable.
Realising that Hamish had put them both in an impossible position, Jenna was about to formulate a response when Ryan straightened.
‘It’s on Saturday. In aid of the lifeboat. You should come.’
Knowing he’d only invited her because Hamish had pushed him, Jenna shook her head. ‘I’m busy on Saturday.’
Hamish tutted. ‘How can you be busy? Everything shuts early. Everyone on the island will be there. There’s nothing else to do. Young thing like you needs a night out. You’ve done nothing but work since the day you stepped off that ferry.’
A night out?
When she finally felt ready for a night out it wouldn’t be with a man like Ryan McKinley. When and if she did date a man again, she’d date someone safe and ordinary. Someone who didn’t make her tongue knot and her insides turn to jelly. And preferably someone who didn’t put her off her food.
He was watching her now, with that steady gaze that unsettled her so much. ‘The islanders hold it every year, to raise funds for the lifeboat and the air ambulance. You’re supposed to bring a dish that will feed four people. And wear a swimming costume.’
‘Well, that’s the end of that, then.’ Somehow she kept it light. ‘I can bring a dish to feed four people, but I don’t own a swimming costume.’
‘Swim naked,’ Hamish said. ‘Been done before.’
‘And the culprits spent the night sobering up in one of Nick’s four-star cells,’ Ryan drawled, a sardonic gleam in his eyes. ‘It’s a family event. You can buy a costume from the Beach Hut, four doors down from here.’
Jenna had been into the Beach Hut twice, to buy clothes for Lexi. She hadn’t bought anything for herself. ‘Well—I’ll think about it, thanks.’
Hamish scowled. ‘You have to go. Isn’t that right, Dr McKinley?’
Ryan was silent for a moment. ‘I think Jenna will make her own decision about that.’
Jenna flushed. He wasn’t going to coerce her. He wasn’t going to tell her whether she should, or shouldn’t go. He was leaving the choice up to her.
And that was what she did now, wasn’t it? She made her own choices.
She decided whether she owned a dog and whether she was going to eat fish.
She shivered slightly, barely aware of the other customers who had entered the shop. She was only aware of Ryan, and the multitude of confusing feelings inside her. If she had to make a decision, what would it be?
She wanted to ask him whether he wanted her to go. She wanted to apologise for the fact that the islanders were matchmaking. She wanted him to know it had nothing to do with her.
Hideously embarrassed, she muttered that she’d think about it and walked out of the shop, her cheeks flushed.
It was crazy to feel this way about him, Jenna thought faintly. A man like him wasn’t going to be interested in a divorced woman with a teenage daughter. And anyway, for all she knew he could be involved with someone. She couldn’t imagine that a man like him could possibly be single.
Frustrated with herself, she hurried to her bike. She had to stop thinking about him. Even if he were interested in her, she wouldn’t follow it through. For a start being with him would make her so nervous she wouldn’t be able to eat a morsel, and to top it off Lexi was only just starting to settle into her new life. She could just imagine her daughter’s reaction if her mother started seeing a man.
Thinking about Ryan occupied her mind for the cycle home, and she was still thinking about him as she propped her bike against the wall of the cottage and picked some flowers from the garden.
She walked into the kitchen to find Lexi sprawled on the kitchen floor, playing with Rebel.
Jenna put the flowers in a vase. ‘How was the archaeology dig today?’ Despite her complaints, it had taken Lexi only a matter of days to settle in and start enjoying herself. ‘Did you have fun?’
‘Yeah. Fraser found a piece of pot—everyone was really excited. I’m going to meet him for a walk on the beach later. I’ll take Rebel. What time are we eating? I’m starving.’
Fraser? Lexi wanted to go for a walk on the beach with a boy?
