and a white sweater, her honey-gold hair pulled up into a ponytail. She looked so young and so lovely that Ewan felt his senses swim. Eight years may have passed but he was still attracted to her. It was only when Millie let out a shriek of laughter that he pulled himself together.
‘It sounds as though you two are having fun,’ he called, adopting a deliberately upbeat tone. He wasn’t going to make the mistake of harking back to the past. Becky had chosen Steve and it had been the right decision for all of them. Maybe he would like to help her if he could but it was purely out of friendship. He wasn’t planning to get back with her, not that Becky would be interested even if he was.
‘Ewan!’
Ewan heard the dismay in her voice and grimaced. It was obvious that his arrival was less of a pleasant surprise than it could have been. He summoned a smile, not wanting her to suspect how much the idea stung. ‘I thought I’d pop in to see how you were doing. I’m having lunch with my parents so I was heading this way.’
‘Oh, I see.’
She dredged up a smile but it was such a poor effort that Ewan found himself wishing he hadn’t bothered. Even if there was something troubling her, why would she choose to tell him?
‘I should have phoned first.’ He shrugged dismissively. Although he wasn’t vain, most of the women he knew would have been more than happy to have him turn up on their doorsteps unannounced. ‘I’ve been working in Australia for too long. I’d forgotten how much more formal life is here in England. Sorry.’
‘It’s fine, really. I … erm … it’s nice to see you.’
Ewan’s teeth snapped together. Nice! Quite frankly, she couldn’t have said anything more guaranteed to offend him. The first prickle of anger ran through his veins and he smiled sardonically. ‘There’s no need to be polite, Becky. I can tell you’re not exactly overjoyed to see me. Not to worry, I’m not stopping. Enjoy your day.’
He headed back up the path, his temper hovering just below boiling point. So Becky wasn’t interested in seeing him; so what? It wasn’t going to make any difference to his life.
‘Ewan, wait!’
Ewan stopped reluctantly. He turned around, feeling his heart jolt when he saw her hurrying after him. She was carrying Millie in her arms and the picture they made was one he knew would stay with him for a long time to come. His pulse was racing when Becky came to a halt in front of him, the blood pounding through his veins in a way that made him feel both dizzy and yet wonderfully clear-headed.
This was what he wanted from life, he realised with sudden, startling clarity. He didn’t need riches to be happy or professional acclaim. He just wanted someone to love and their child, and he would have everything he could possibly desire. The only thing wrong with the scenario was that it was Becky who featured in it, Becky who had made it abundantly clear that she didn’t want anything to do with him!
Becky could feel herself trembling as she put Millie down. Even though she knew she was probably making a mistake, she couldn’t let Ewan leave like this. He had come with the express intention of checking she was all right and all she’d done was throw his kindness back in his face.
‘Don’t go,’ she said, her voice catching. ‘I know I wasn’t exactly welcoming, but please don’t leave like this.’
‘There’s no point my staying if you don’t want me here.’ His tone was cool and she shivered. Ewan sighed softly. ‘It’s all right, Becky. I understand, really I do.’
‘Do you?’ It was impossible to keep the anxiety out of her voice and he grimaced.
‘Yes. You’re worried in case I want to pick up where we left off.’ He didn’t give her chance to reply as he continued flatly. ‘Well, there’s no need. That’s all in the past and I just thought it would be good if we could be friends.’
‘Friends?’ she echoed uncertainly. Was he right? Was she worried in case he tried to resurrect their relationship, or was it more complicated than that?
‘Yes.’ He smiled. ‘I could be wrong, but I’ve a feeling you could do with a friend right now.’
Becky felt a surge of emotion well up inside her when she heard the sympathy in his voice. She swallowed hard, desperately trying to hold back her tears. Ewan obviously realised her predicament because he bent down and smiled at Millie.
‘How about another go on the swing, poppet?’
Becky watched as he led Millie back into the garden. How had he known that she didn’t want Millie to see her crying? she wondered. He had accused her of being a mind-reader the other day, but he appeared to be equally skilled in the art.
It was a worrying thought in view of the fact that there was a lot she didn’t want him to know. Becky took her time, wanting to be sure that she had herself under control before she went to join him and Millie. The little girl was having the time of her life, kicking her legs up and down as Ewan pushed the swing.
‘’Gain! ’Gain!’ she shouted each time the swing slowed down.
‘That’s high enough, sweetie. We don’t want you flying right up into the sky, do we?’ Ewan said, laughing. He glanced at Becky and raised his brows. ‘All right?’
‘Fine.’ She shrugged, embarrassed about what had happened. Normally, she kept a rein on her emotions but she didn’t seem able to do that when Ewan was around. ‘Things just get on top of me at times, that’s all.’
‘It’s only to be expected after everything you’ve been through.’
The kindness in his voice brought more tears to her eyes and she blinked them away. ‘Perhaps. But I try to hold it together for Millie’s sake.’
‘I can understand that, but you can’t be brave all the time. It won’t do you any good in the long run.’
He touched her hand, his fingers lingering for just a moment before he turned to push the swing once more, but Becky felt a frisson of awareness race from her hand and travel through her entire body. It felt as though every cell was suddenly on fire, creating an immense amount of heat inside her. It had been ages since she had felt this way, she realised. Not since those first heady days when she had met Ewan at the hospital had a touch aroused her so swiftly, so completely. She had never felt this way with Steve, not even when they had made love.
The thought was too unsettling to deal with. Becky summoned a smile, refusing to dwell on it. ‘Do you fancy a cup of coffee?’
‘I’d love one, but don’t go to any trouble on my account,’ Ewan said flatly. ‘I didn’t mean to intrude, Becky. I just wanted to check you were all right.’
‘I know.’ She looked into his eyes, feeling warmth envelop her again when she saw the concern they held. Despite the less than effusive reception he’d received, it was obvious that Ewan genuinely cared about her. She sighed, knowing that she owed him an apology. ‘I really do appreciate you coming here, Ewan, even if it didn’t seem like it.’
‘It doesn’t matter. So long as you’re all right, that’s the main thing.’
He smiled at her, his face breaking into a heart-melting smile, and Becky’s heart did what was expected and melted. She turned away, afraid
