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In her room she unplugged the insulin pump and showered quickly. In spite of the cool temperatures, she’d raised a sweat cleaning the cottage.
Tamara was more of a worry. The other women they’d be meeting were a similar age to herself, or older, but they’d welcome Tamara to the group for a light meal and a couple of drinks. As far as she knew, the only social life the young mum had was chatting to visitors staying at the inn.
If Bonnie had a vague idea of giving the girl a social life to stop her fixating on Xander, it wasn’t something she lingered over. Xander’s love life wasn’t her business. It never was, for all they’d been lovers intermittently over the years. Friends with benefits didn’t have those kinds of rights.
Pulling on her heavy towelling robe, picked up at the resort where she’d been working, Bonnie opened the bathroom door and stepped into her bedroom. She was loosening the tangled tie when she realised she wasn’t alone.
Her heart skipped a little, maybe a lot, at the sight of Xander sprawled on her bed, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. And reindeer socks.
“You really take your Christmas in July seriously.”
He crossed his ankles, showing no inclination to move. He looked very comfortable propped against the head of the bed; recalling this was his old bedroom, rightly so. “I need to talk to you.”
“About that farce you perpetrated on the poor reporter?”
“It was necessary. Thank you for not blowing it.”
“Why was it necessary?”
“For Colin’s sake. He and Tamara don’t need people sniffing around looking for scandal.”
He knew who had fathered Tamara’s child. The certainty came to her at that moment. “I know he isn’t yours.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“It wasn’t hard to figure out. You had to know how old she was right from the start. She couldn’t have deceived you and I doubt if seducing teenage girls is your thing. You can take your pick from all your adoring fans.” He winced and she wondered why. “It’s not like your love life is a secret, Xander.”
“I didn’t realise you read the tabloids. I became involved because it happened while she was working here.”
“A guest?”
He drew up one leg and leaned against it, resting an elbow on his knee. “It was a guest.”
“Was there coercion? Were the police involved?”
“Tamara chose not to pursue the matter. It was consensual; but not sensible.”
“She was barely legal.”
“Legal all the same. A very embarrassed and unhappy sixteen-year-old. She considered the other person only partly responsible. They aren’t going to be around now anyway. It was agreed by everyone to make a financial settlement to ensure a secure future for them both. It was easier to keep it quiet that way.”
Bonnie remembered the girl’s words earlier, about tricking whoever it was, lying about her age. “If she didn’t want everyone to know, why did she keep the baby?”
“A conversation to have with her, if she wants to tell you.”
“Sorry. I’m not usually nosey.”
*
Xander watched herbite her lush lower lip. She was so damn sexy, in an understated way. “You’ve been dragged into it. Which is why I need to talk to you.”
“I get we need to protect Tamara and Colin. Did you have to start another potential scandal by implying we’re together?”
“I never told her we were together.”
She sniffed, lifting her chin. “You might as well have come straight out with it.”
“You think so?” She was nosing around on the bedside table and he realised what she was after. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
