were camp kids and Jamie was leading them.
He must have heard the taunting and Stella would have to know he’d heard it, which would only have made it even more cutting. The tall, lanky body of the teenager, bronzed by so many hours in the surf, was gathering speed. Tousled, blond-streaked hair bounced. Susie could see why he was catching the attention of the girls.
And not just the girls. With a delighted woof and an apologetic glance up at Susie, Garf abandoned her to join the fun.
She watched the way Jamie bent to welcome the dog by ruffling his soft coat. Should she try and enlist the boy’s help in boosting Stella’s self-esteem? Could she do it without making it look contrived? Should she even try? Susie knew the answer to that one but desperation might have tipped the balance if her thoughts had not been interrupted by the ringtone of her mobile.
It was Charles.
‘Could you spare a few minutes to come to my office?’ he asked. ‘Alex would like to talk to you.’
‘I’m not at all sure I would like to talk to him.’ Susie was still watching Jamie. He had caught up with the strange boys and was clearly saying the kind of things Susie had been planning to say. She smiled. Stella knew how to pick them, didn’t she?
‘Susie!’ Charles’s tone had a glint of amusement. Understanding. But it was also a reprimand. Charles wouldn’t have suggested the meeting unless he thought it would benefit the people he cared about.
Like her.
And Stella.
Susie sighed. ‘I’m on my way.’
‘IT’s the perfect solution.’
‘I agree.’
The latest arrival in the office wasn’t looking quite so convinced.
‘Let me get this straight,’ Susie said slowly, still looking at Charles. ‘You want me to spend the weekend in the penthouse suite at the resort that was reserved for Stella and Mr Vavunis? And Mr Vavunis is going to use my cabin?’
‘Call me Alex.’
He hadn’t noticed how astonishingly blue Stella’s physiotherapist’s eyes were but, then, he hadn’t taken much notice of her physical appearance at the jetty, had he? Or was it because they were now tucked away in the neutral décor of this air-conditioned space in the new medical centre and the competition from the vast blueness of the sky and ocean had been removed?
Whatever. The expression in those eyes was not impressed and she made no acknowledgement of the invitation to use his first name. Dammit! He knew he’d been rude earlier but it could hardly be considered unprovoked and he certainly wasn’t going to jump through hoops in order to call a truce.
‘It’s the closest eco-cabin to the girls’ dormitory,’ Charles said calmly. ‘A compromise that would allow Stella to spend time with her dad but still be close to her mates.’ An eyebrow quirked. ‘It’s also the last available two-bedroomed cabin.’
‘But what about Mike and Emily?’
Alex suppressed a sigh. He had anticipated a delighted acceptance of the plan he and Charles had come up with over their beer. What woman wouldn’t want to exchange a simple hut in a forest for the ultimate in luxury? But no. Miss Jackson was going to be difficult.
Again.
He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. ‘Mike and Emily?’ he queried.
‘Mike’s one of our helicopter pilots,’ Charles supplied. ‘Also a paramedic. Emily’s an anaesthetist at our base hospital.’
‘My best friend,’ Susie put in.
‘And?’ Alex couldn’t see the relevance but he couldn’t miss the note in Susie’s voice that spoke of fierce loyalty to the people she called friends. He could approve of that.
‘And they’re coming over for tomorrow’s opening,’ Susie continued. ‘They’re going to be sharing my cabin.’
‘Already sorted,’ Charles told her. ‘Don’t worry.’
Even, white teeth appeared as Susie chewed her bottom lip. ‘But the resort’s right down at the south end of the island. It’s a long way from the kids’ camp.’
‘Precisely,’ Alex said with satisfaction. If Stella was determined to stay at the camp, it would effectively put him on a different planet, wouldn’t it? Perhaps he was already as far as his daughter was concerned. What the hell had happened on this camp so far?
‘It’s not as far as the mainland,’ Charles reminded Susie. ‘And you’ve been trekking back and forth all week. How about I organise a cart for your personal use?’
Susie flashed him a grin. ‘A bicycle would do.’
Alex let out his breath. ‘Thank you very much, Miss Jackson. I appreciate your cooperation.’
The corner of her mouth twitched but it wasn’t a real smile. Not like the one she’d given Charles. It was more like a subtle putdown of his formality.
‘Call me Susie.’
‘I will.’ He could go even further in cementing this new accord. He could offer a new beginning. Alex stood up and extended his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Susie.’
She followed suit, standing as she put her hand into his, but the response was tentative. As though this formality was also out of place. Her hand was warm. And soft. The grip was surprisingly firm.
Why was she still not smiling? Blue eyes were regarding him with mistrust. She may be conceding a truce but he wasn’t going to be given the benefit of a completely clean slate. He would have to earn any respect.
Alex Vavunis was not used to being mistrusted.
Quite the opposite, actually. Most women didn’t even wait for an invitation to get closer. They used whatever means they could to attract his attention.
Including, on more than one occasion, his daughter.
It should be refreshing that someone was prepared to antagonise him on Stella’s behalf, but Susie was not the only one capable of mistrust. What was it Charles had said? That Susie and Stella had made a formidable team this week? Alex had yet to gauge the strength of the relationship between this woman and his daughter and, given the unfortunate family spat on his arrival, it might be prudent to avoid any further antagonism until the emotional lie of the land became clearer.
If what Charles had been telling him was true, he owed this woman rather a lot and he was not a man to leave debts unpaid, but he would need to satisfy himself regarding motivation first. To make sure nobody was being used.
The vow may be years old now but nobody was ever going to use Stella like that again.
‘Can I leave
