was his sister’s best friend. How was he supposed to make it clear that he wanted the time they spent together to be different? How was he supposed to let her know that when he asked her to spend time with him, it wasn’t a platonic invitation.
How did you turn a deep and lasting friendship into a love affair?
The answer was that you didn’t.
If anything were going to happen between them, it would have happened years ago. When they’d been teenagers, fooling around on the beach. When she’d had sleepovers with Kyla. When they’d started working together. They’d had so much opportunity.
And if Evanna had felt anything for him at all, why would she have been so appalled that he’d seen her naked?
There was no way she could have failed to be aware of his reaction to her.
And yet she hadn’t flirted or even laughed. She’d been shocked. Embarrassed. Unable to hide herself quickly enough.
Hardly the reaction of a woman keen to alter the status of their relationship.
If he showed her how he felt and she rejected him, it would make their working situation intolerable.
Which meant that somehow he had to get his feelings under control.
Somehow he had to behave as if nothing had happened.
As if he wasn’t constantly fantasising about her body.
It was impossible to miss the irony of the situation, he thought to himself as he ran a hand over his face and breathed out heavily. Finally, he was interested in a woman again. For the first time since Catherine’s death he wanted to get out there and live, instead of just surviving from day to day. But the object of his attentions was just about the only woman on the island who had never made a pass at him.
‘Evanna? Have you been listening to a word I’ve been saying? Hello? Is anyone in?’
Evanna gave a start, a far-away look in her eyes as she focused on her friend. ‘Sorry. Did you say something?’
‘No, I’m just chatting to myself for entertainment really. I love the sound of my own voice,’ Kyla quipped, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. ‘I’ve been talking to you for ten minutes and you’ve been staring out of the window with a glazed expression on your face. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was boring.’
Evanna shook her head and gave a guilty smile. ‘Sorry. I was thinking about … something.’
‘Humph.’ Kyla threw her a penetrating look. ‘I don’t suppose that something is six foot two, has blue eyes and shares my DNA?’
Evanna ignored the question. ‘So, what were you telling me about?’
‘Well, I don’t have a lifetime to repeat it, so I’ll just summarise,’ Kyla said dryly. ‘Are you going to the beach barbecue next Saturday?’
Evanna frowned. ‘I’d forgotten about it.’
‘How could you possibly have forgotten the highlight of the Glenmore social calendar?’ Kyla sat back as Meg placed a towering ice cream in front of her. ‘Thanks. I’ve been fantasising about this all day.’
Evanna shook her head in disbelief. ‘How you can consume so much ice cream and still fit into your clothes is beyond my understanding.’
‘Life is to be lived,’ Kyla said airily, sticking her spoon into the ice cream. ‘So—are you coming?’
Would Logan be there? Probably not, Evanna decided. He never went. And she needed to get out. She needed the distraction. ‘I’ll be there.’
‘Good. Ethan and I will meet you on the beach. They’re going to do a lifeboat demonstration at six.’
‘Well, I refuse to be a volunteer victim.’
‘We probably won’t need a volunteer,’ Kyla said cheerfully, finishing her ice cream in record time. ‘The tourists are so reckless, one of them is bound to be drowning at the right moment.’
‘Kyla, that’s a terrible thing to say!’
‘It’s the truth. Ask the lifeboat crew. They’ve never been as busy as they have this summer. Is that your phone ringing?’
Evanna dug into her pocket and removed the phone. ‘Missed call. I wonder who it was.’ She checked the number and frowned. ‘That’s Sonia. I wonder what she wants. I called on her yesterday.’
‘You gave her your mobile number? You’re a soft touch, Evanna Duncan.’ Kyla waved the spoon in her direction. ‘Why don’t you just let the patients move in with you? Save them having to make appointments or ring you at all.’
Evanna was too busy calling Sonia to respond. ‘She isn’t answering the phone.’ She tried the number again but it was busy.
‘She’s probably busy ringing you!’
‘She’s supposed to be going to the hospital on Monday for a check. Her blood pressure has been giving Logan nightmares.’
Kyla’s smile faded. ‘Yes, well, obviously heavily pregnant women aren’t his favourite thing after what happened to Catherine.’
‘I know that. But we can hardly send everyone to live on the mainland the moment they become pregnant.’ Evanna glanced at her watch and stood up. ‘If I go now, I’ve time to call in before my afternoon surgery. Thanks for the coffee. Meg?’ She called across the café. ‘I’m off.’
Meg was cutting a large chocolate cake into generous slices, ready for the afternoon rush. ‘Will we see you at the beach barbecue, dear?’
‘Yes. I hope so.’ Evanna was distracted. Why was Sonia calling? Was she in trouble?
‘It’s going to be a fantastic night. Ben and Nick have planned the most fantastic firework display.’
‘I’m looking forward to it. I’ll call you, Kyla!’ Evanna hurried out of the café and onto the quay. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was blazing. Tourists ambled along the pavement next to the harbour, legs and shoulders bared, feet tucked into flip-flops. They queued for boat trips and crowded into the ice-cream shops in an attempt to cool down.
‘Good afternoon, Nurse Duncan!’
Spotting the headmistress from the local primary school, Evanna quickly crossed the road to talk to her.
‘Hello, Miss Carne. Everything all right?’ Immediately she felt ten years old again and to cover her awkwardness she stooped to pat the little dog that was panting in the heat. ‘Are you enjoying the school holidays?’
‘Yes. I’m off to Venice next week with my friend Diane from Glasgow. We’re having a city break.’
‘Well, that will be a change from island life. You have a good time and don’t forget your inhalers.’ She blushed, always uncomfortable discussing health topics with her old headmistress. Usually she left it to Kyla, who was much bolder.
