by Sarah Morgan
Logan stared at the wood. He could have told her that it didn’t make any difference, hiding behind a door or a towel. He could have told her that the image of her lush, naked body was now firmly fixed on his extremely over-heated brain. But he thought that in her current mood she just might hit him so he stayed silent and tensed slightly when she dragged open the door and faced him.
She was wearing skimpy shorts and an ancient T-shirt in a washed-out, faded blue and her long, damp hair was caught up in a ponytail.
She looked like the old Evanna. Except that she didn’t. Because now he knew.
He knew what was underneath the clothes.
‘I’m dressed,’ she said through gritted teeth, thrusting the damp towel into his hands, ‘so you can stop standing there, gawping.’
‘Evanna—’
‘Oh, grow up!’ Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink and she scurried into Kirsty’s room, leaving Logan staring after her.
Aware that he needed to pull himself together, he drew in a deep breath and tried to think about something boring and inconsequential. Anything that would take his mind off the vivid image of Evanna’s naked body. Since Catherine’s death he hadn’t thought about a woman—hadn’t wanted a woman.
Until now.
Frustrated and taken aback by the strength of his own reaction, he suddenly knew that he had to get out of the house before he did something that would embarrass both of them. This was Evanna. They were friends, for goodness’ sake. Somehow he had to erase that image from his mind and go back to the way he’d seen her previously—as a colleague and a lifelong friend. The best friend he had. Thoughts of sex had never intruded on their relationship before and he couldn’t let it now.
If she knew just how much she’d affected him, she’d feel awkward. Their entire relationship would change. They wouldn’t be able to work together properly. They…
Swearing softly, he retreated back downstairs, pushed open the door that connected his house to the surgery and walked back to his consulting room without any hope of being able to concentrate.
Evanna held her head in her hands and tried not to scream.
How could she have been so stupid?
Wasn’t it perfectly obvious that he’d come home the minute she’d chosen to take a shower in his bathroom? Wasn’t life always like that?
Tortured by embarrassment, Evanna resisted the temptation to hide under Kirsty’s cot and never come out again.
The little girl was wide awake, lying on her back, hugging her blanket and sucking her thumb, oblivious to the turmoil that Evanna was suffering.
Why hadn’t she at least remembered to take a towel into the bathroom with her?
What had possessed her to walk out of the bathroom, naked?
And why hadn’t he just done the gentlemanly thing and looked away? Why hadn’t he given her one of his cheeky smiles and covered his eyes?
It didn’t even help to tell herself that he’d seen her in a swimming costume a million times because never, when he’d seen her on the beach, had he ever reacted with such stunned amazement.
Did she really look that awful?
Anyone would think he’d never seen a naked woman before, she thought crossly, lifting Kirsty from her cot and giving her a hug. Which was nonsense, because everyone knew that Logan Alastair MacNeil had had a fearsome reputation with women until he’d met and married Catherine. There were some on the island who’d thought he’d never settle down. So, for him to stand there with his mouth open as if he were shocked to see a naked woman was ridiculous, because she happened to know that he’d seen more than his fair share of naked women in his time.
‘Oh, Kirsty, I’ve never been so embarrassed,’ she whispered, delaying the moment until she had to leave the safety of the bedroom. But Kirsty was full of energy after her sleep and dying to play so she had no choice but to take her downstairs.
Determined to behave as though nothing had happened, Evanna lifted her chin and carried the toddler into the kitchen.
But there was no sign of Logan.
Unnaturally jumpy, Evanna looked around, called his name and then peeped out of the front door, but there was no sign of his car.
He’d gone.
Without even saying goodbye.
‘Nice to know that seeing me naked had such an amazing effect on him,’ Evanna grumbled as she pulled a fromage frais out of the fridge for Kirsty. ‘Did he grab me and kiss me senseless? No. Was he so overwhelmed by the sight of my wet, naked body that he couldn’t keep his hands off me? No. What does he do? He just stares, stammers like an idiot and then walks off without even bothering to say goodbye. I tell you, Kirsty MacNeil, you should have been born a man. It’s a lot easier than being a woman, believe me.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘SONIA’S blood pressure is still high. She’s made an appointment to go to the hospital on Monday for a check.’ Evanna put some forms on the desk in front of Logan, not meeting his eyes. But he was watching her.
She could feel him watching her.
‘Good. I don’t mind admitting that I’d be far happier if they kept her in.’
It was two days after what Evanna now called ‘the bathroom incident’, and every time they came into contact with each other, they skirted round the issue, each of them incredibly formal with the other, and Evanna was starting to despair that she’d ever be able to behave naturally again.
And he wasn’t behaving naturally either.
It would have helped if he’d laughed or made some sort of light-hearted comment, but he hadn’t referred to it. Not only that, but he hardly looked at her when she walked into the room.
It was enough to make a girl lose every scrap of confidence. ‘Janet wanted to know if you’d like some more coffee.’
‘Yes, please.’ His voice was terse. ‘I need the caffeine to keep me awake. I had a terrible night. Again.’
Evanna hesitated. Two days ago, before the bathroom incident, she would have been concerned enough about that statement to question him further, but now she didn’t dare because she was suddenly horribly aware of everything about him and the effect he had on her was incredibly frustrating.
She just didn’t know what to say or do. And clearly he felt the same way because he made no effort to detain her when she scurried towards the door.
‘I’ll ask Janet to bring you some coffee.’ She delivered the message to the kindly receptionist and retreated to the safety of her own room, finished her clinic and then restocked and tidied until she could be sure that Logan would have left on his house calls.
‘Logan’s looking terrible,’ Janet clucked as she locked the surgery door. ‘Four cups of coffee he’s asked for this morning. It’s a wonder his hands aren’t shaking too much to hold his stethoscope. And the same yesterday.’
‘Kirsty’s probably keeping him awake,’ Evanna mumbled, as she returned a set of notes she’d borrowed. ‘Disturbed nights.’
‘Well, you can tell from the shadows under his eyes that he’s having disturbed nights, but I don’t think Kirsty is the culprit.’ Janet checked the clinic list for the afternoon. ‘He told me only yesterday that she goes right through the night now, bless her.’
‘So what’s keeping him awake?’ Evanna delved into her bag for her keys and Janet gave a sigh.
‘I don’t know, but I was hoping you did. You’re the one he talks to, Evanna. Through all of last year when he was struggling to keep everything going, you were the only one he really talked to.’
Evanna stilled. It was true. Logan had found her easy to talk to. But since she’d stripped naked in his bathroom, he’d hardly spoken a word to her that didn’t revolve around patient care.
Which meant only one thing. Clearly he felt as awkward about the whole incident as she did, which was entirely ridiculous, she told herself as she waved goodbye to Janet and made for the door. They’d known each other all their lives. Surely they could get themselves past one embarrassing incident?
If he wasn’t going
to tackle the subject then she would. She’d mention it and dismiss it as if the whole incident had been nothing more than a laugh.
Logan kept the top down on his sports car, hoping that the breeze might clear his head.
Four cups of coffee and a splash of cold water on the face had done little to revive him and he vowed to have an early night.
Then he remembered that an early night was going to make no difference whatsoever. It wasn’t going to bed that was a problem, it was sleeping when he got there. Eyes open or eyes shut, he saw Evanna. Naked. Her creamy, smooth skin still glistening and damp from the shower, her hair trailing down her back. It had been two days since he’d walked in on her but he couldn’t erase the image from his brain.
He felt himself grow hard and cursed repeatedly, jabbing the car into gear more viciously than was necessary.
He was afraid to stand up when she walked into a room in case she noticed the effect she had on him.
What was the matter with him?
Why was his reaction so extreme?
Was it just because he hadn’t had sex since Catherine’s death? And so what if it was? What could he do about it? He was hardly likely to go up to Evanna and suggest that they spent a steamy night between the sheets together, was he? What was he supposed to say? Oh, good morning, Nurse Duncan. Doug McDonald’s blood pressure has come right down on his new drug regime and, by the way, do you fancy stripping naked and sleeping with me because I can’t get your body out of my head?
Suffering from an intense bout of male frustration, Logan pulled the car to the side of the road and switched off the engine.
He sat for a long moment just staring out across the sparkling sea while he sifted through the options.
Forget the whole thing, that was the obvious option. But he’d just spent an extremely frustrating two days trying to do exactly that, and it hadn’t worked. So forgetting her wasn’t an option.
But what was the alternative?
Tell her how he felt? Ask her out?
He almost laughed as he anticipated her reaction. He’d known Evanna all her life. If he asked her out, she’d laugh and, anyway, they already spent a great deal of time together. She was in and out of his house, helping him with Kirsty and joining his extended family for meals. She 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 i
ce-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.
‘I won’t. I had a long chat with Kyla about what I should be doing with them on holiday and Dr MacNeil wrote me a new prescription. What about you, dear? Are you getting away?’
‘No. I’ve just had my bathroom done and it’s left a hole in my bank balance.’ Evanna laughed as she straightened up. ‘Does that sound sad?’
‘Not at all. Very indulgent. You’ll be able to enjoy it the whole year round.’
‘It doesn’t feel indulgent at the moment when I’m stepping over dust and rubble. Still, I hope it will be finished soon.’ It didn’t matter how old you were, she reflected, your headmistress was always going to be your headmistress.
Miss Carne adjusted her glasses, as she’d always done at the beginning of every lesson. ‘Are you going to the beach barbecue on Saturday?’
Why was everyone suddenly so interested in whether she was going? ‘Yes, I think so.’ Evanna brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tried to remind herself that she was an adult now, with a responsible job. ‘Well, I’d better go. I have afternoon clinic starting soon and I want to call in on Sonia on the way.’
Miss Carne gave an indulgent smile. ‘Little Evanna. You were always such a star at English.’
