take her in his arms and comfort her, but what comfort could he have offered when she was grieving for the man she loved? His heart spasmed with a pain that surprised him. It shouldn’t matter how Becky felt about her late husband, but he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t care.
‘She went out like a light. She’ll probably sleep till lunchtime by the look of her.’
Becky came back and sat down. Ewan summoned a smile, determined that he wasn’t going to let her know how ambivalent he felt. Maybe he was still attracted to her but that was all it was; he’d get over it. ‘She seems happy enough, I must say. I take it that she’s adapted to living here.’
‘She has.’
Becky picked up her mug and blew gently on her coffee to cool it. Ewan looked away when he felt his stomach muscles clench. The sight of her beautiful lips puckering that way was playing havoc with his self-control. He had to force himself to concentrate as she continued in a no-nonsense tone that immediately demolished any half-baked ideas he’d been harbouring about her doing it deliberately. Becky definitely wasn’t trying to be provocative!
‘I was really worried that the move would unsettle her but Millie’s taken it in her stride. She seems really happy living here with my parents.’
‘It must be a relief,’ Ewan observed, doing his best to match her tone. He had to accept that Becky wasn’t interested in him that way. Maybe she had been interested once but it was a long time ago.
‘It is.’ She took a sip of coffee then put the mug down with a sigh. ‘Although it wasn’t just Millie I was worried about, if I’m honest. I wasn’t sure if moving back here was the right thing for me either.’
‘Because it was a wrench to leave the life you and Steve had created for yourselves?’ he suggested, although it felt a little like rubbing salt into a wound. However, he couldn’t ignore the fact that she had been married even if he wanted to.
‘It was more the thought of having to move back in with my parents, actually,’ she admitted, then flushed when he looked at her in surprise.
‘Really?’ Ewan found it impossible to keep the astonishment out of his voice.
‘Yes, really.’ Her tone was defensive. ‘Steve and I hadn’t lived in Christchurch for very long. We moved around quite a bit so that Steve could further his career.’ She shrugged. ‘I expect that’s why it didn’t seem such a wrench to leave—I hadn’t had time to put down any roots.’
‘I see.’ It made sense, yet Ewan had a feeling that it wasn’t the real explanation. He frowned as he weighed up what he’d heard. Had Becky’s marriage not been as happy as he’d thought, or was he merely putting his own interpretation on what she’d said? He realised that he needed to find out, although he wasn’t prepared to examine his reasons too closely. Suffice it to say that he needed to know all he could if he was to help her.
‘So you moved to Christchurch because Steve got a job there?’
‘That’s right. I would have preferred to stay in the country for Millie’s sake, but Steve was offered a consultant’s post so we moved to the city. He didn’t want to be too far from the hospital in case he was called in after hours,’ she added hastily.
‘I thought he worked in orthopaedics,’ Ewan said, frowning. In his experience it was rare for a consultant in that field to be called into work. Normally, one of the registrars would be expected to cover, unless it was some sort of life-threatening emergency, and they didn’t happen very often.
‘That’s right.’ She took another sip of her coffee and he sensed that she was playing for time. ‘Steve was … well, he was very committed. He never minded being called back into work.’
‘Highly commendable,’ Ewan observed, wondering why he didn’t believe her. Why on earth would Becky make such a claim if it weren’t true? After all, it didn’t matter to him how Steve had conducted his life. However, the fact that she had felt it necessary to lie piqued his interest. ‘Did he get called in a lot?’
‘Quite a bit.’ She grimaced. ‘You know what it’s like—something crops up and the staff don’t want to take responsibility so they call in the boss.’
It was so far removed from his own experiences that Ewan was stuck for an answer. Mercifully, he was saved from having to reply when Becky’s parents appeared. They had another couple with them plus a little boy, slightly older than Millie, and they greeted him in delight.
‘Ewan! How lovely to see you.’ Ros kissed him on the cheek. ‘Becky didn’t mention you were coming. I wish she had done. Simon and I wouldn’t have gone for our weekly constitutional if we’d known you were planning to visit. It would have been the perfect excuse to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning!’
Ewan laughed as he stood up. ‘Becky had no idea, I’m afraid. I’m having lunch with my parents so I decided to drop in on my way over there.’
‘Well, I’m very glad that you did.’ Ros turned to the other couple. ‘You won’t have met Ewan. His family live in Denton’s Cove so he and Becky have known each other for years. He’s a doctor too, although he’s been working overseas for the past few years. Ewan, I’d like you to meet Tom and Hannah. They both work at the surgery. Oh, and this little fellow is Charlie.’
‘Good to meet you.’ Ewan shook hands, taking an immediate liking to the other couple. He smiled at Charlie, taking note of the braces on his feet. He’d seen them before and guessed the little boy had been born with club feet. ‘And you too, Charlie.’
The child solemnly shook his hand then hurried away, heading straight for the apple tree. Hannah laughed as she dropped her bag onto the table. ‘I wondered how long it would be before he made for the swing. He loves it!’
Everyone laughed as she raced after him. Ewan remained standing as the others sat down. ‘It’s time I was on my way. Good to see you all again, and to meet you and Hannah,’ he added, smiling at Tom.
‘Ditto,’ Tom said, returning his smile. ‘I don’t know if Becky has mentioned it, but Charlie is being christened next Sunday. We’re having everyone back to ours for lunch afterwards and it would be great if you could join us, Ewan.’
‘Oh, but …’
‘I don’t think …’ Ewan stopped when he and Becky both spoke at once. He shrugged when he saw the surprise on Tom’s face. ‘What we’re trying to say is that Becky and I aren’t an item, if that’s what you thought.’
‘Sorry.’ Tom laughed. ‘My mistake. Still, it makes no difference. I know Hannah would love you to come along if you’re free.’
‘Thanks. I’m not sure what hours I’m working next week but I appreciate it.’
It wasn’t strictly true. Ewan had seen the coming week’s roster and although he couldn’t remember all his hours, he knew that he had Sunday off. However, it seemed politic not to accept the invitation when he sensed that Becky wouldn’t approve. He adopted a deliberately neutral expression as he turned to her. Maybe they would be friends and maybe they wouldn’t, but one thing was certain—they would never be lovers.
The thought was far too unsettling. Ewan blocked it from his mind as he smiled at her. ‘Thanks again for the coffee, Becky. I’ll see you around.’
‘I
