emotional, he knew she wasn’t for him.
He’d made a vow a long time ago, after years of seeing the chaos his parents created in his life and Cara’s, that he wouldn’t drag other children through that kind of turmoil. Kids had a rough enough time making their way in the world. They didn’t need new people moving in and out of their lives, the stress of separate visitations, the drama of being forced to adjust to a different family dynamic.
He had a strict no-kids policy and he intended to stick to that.
No matter how difficult it was.
* * *
“TELL ME THE truth. Is this uncomfortable for you?”
Megan glanced over at Cara, stretched out on a beach towel next to her in a cute blue bikini, soaking up sun.
“Uncomfortable? No. Unfair, absolutely. We’re roughly the same age and you look tanned and buff while I look like a pasty-white cream puff.”
“Spray tan is a truly wonderful invention. But you know that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about this whole destination wedding thing. While I was dreaming and making plans, I should have thought things through and realized how difficult it would be for you to haul Grace and Sarah all the way out here.”
“They’re having the time of their lives. Look at them.”
Cara and Megan both shifted to watch Nick haul a giggling Grace around on the boogie board Shane had provided. A few yards away from them, Sarah was busy building a sand castle masterpiece, tongue lodged firmly between her teeth.
Her daughter must have felt them watching her. She looked up briefly. “I’m almost done. See, this is the princess’s bedroom. When the bad guys come to take over her kingdom, she’s going to jump out that window to her horse so she can fight them. And then she’s going to Hawaii to get married.”
Megan blinked a little at the explanation but she couldn’t fault the spirit behind it.
She and Cara grinned at each other as Sarah jumped up to get more water in her bucket.
“I won’t lie,” Megan said as she watched her. “The trip here was hard work, but I would’ve hated for the girls to miss seeing their dad get married. You know I’m happy for you both, right?”
Cara gazed at her, a little teary-eyed, then reached out and squeezed her fingers. “You’re about the most amazing person I’ve ever met, Megan. You know that?”
Megan rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help being touched. “You should know better than that by now.”
“I’m serious. I can’t believe I’m so lucky to have you and the girls in our lives. Before I met you, I was so afraid you would hate me. My mom has hated every single one of my dad’s subsequent wives, including the one he’s bringing to the wedding. And she hasn’t even met her yet.”
“I don’t hate you, Cara,” Megan assured her. “Nick and the girls both love you, and that’s more than enough for me.”
Cara squeezed her fingers again before flopping over onto her back. “See how lucky I am?”
Megan didn’t have an answer to that, so she just rested her cheek on the rough weave of the towel and watched Sarah put the finishing touches on her castle.
A few moments later, nerves jumped in her stomach when she heard Shane’s voice.
“So this is where everybody’s hanging out.”
She looked up to find him standing near his sister, again wearing board shorts that bared all those delicious muscles.
Feeling at a disadvantage stretched out at his feet in a skimpy bathing suit, she rolled over and sat up.
“Oh. Hi.”
“Hey! Hi.” Sarah beamed, delighted to see him. She offered up a shaka, which he returned with a grin. “Look at my castle. Isn’t it awesome?”
“Truly spectacular. You did all that yourself?”
“Well, my dad helped a little, but I did most of it.”
“Looks like that parapet is tilting a little. Do you mind if I help you with it?”
She frowned. “I don’t see any parrot pet.”
“Parapet,” he said with a smile. “It’s that tower thingy there.”
He plopped down on the sand by Sarah’s creation and straightened one angle with deft motions. “There you go. Now it won’t fall down when it’s attacked by hermit crabs.”
Sarah giggled. “Not hermit crabs. The bad guys are coming to take over the castle from the princess but she’s going to jump out the window onto her horse and fight them and she’s going to chase them into the ocean.”
He blinked a little. “Okay, then. Good plan.”
Cara stood up. “I think I’ll take one more dip before I go in and shower. Sarah, do you want to come with me? We can look for more fish out there.”
“Okay!” Eager for more time in the water, Sarah dropped her sand shovel and hurried to pick up her boogie board.
Only after they took off together did Megan realize this left her alone with Shane. She wanted to chase after them but couldn’t figure out a graceful way to pull it off, especially when all she could think about was his exploring mouth, his tongue sliding against hers, the strength in those muscles as he’d held her.
She flushed, not quite sure what to say to him.
He was the first to break the silence. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened this morning. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I promise, it won’t happen again.”
Though she agreed in theory, his words still sparked a little pang. “It wasn’t your fault,” she finally said. “I didn’t exactly push you away. It’s easy to get carried away by this romantic setting.”
“The romantic setting,” he repeated.
She shot him a quick look. “Sure. Sunrise, beach, palm trees. Paradise makes people lose their heads.”
“It is beautiful,” he agreed. He gazed out at the water for a moment before turning back to her. “I would still love to take you and the girls around the island, but I completely understand if you want to take a pass, given the circumstances.”
That would be an easy out. She could rent a car herself or just hang out here on the beach with the girls.
But she wasn’t a coward. Hadn’t she raised two daughters mostly on her own the last five years?
“We’re both adults,” she said quietly. “I think we can handle a little inconvenient attraction.”
Before she realized what he intended, he reached for her hand almost casually, his fingers twining around hers. “Is that what you call this?”
“What else?” she countered, tugging
