you. They were afraid that you weren’t ever going to have a life and they should have been more aware all along.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“That’s the way they felt. And then Dad died and they thought, now she’ll do something. And you didn’t.”
“I did!”
“Not really,” Claire said frankly. “You kept doing what you had been doing. And I have to admit, I got a little worried too when months went by and you didn’t go anywhere or do anything.”
“I was working,” Fiona defended herself. “I didn’t go into a shell, you know. I just went on. I didn’t know I was supposed to just jump up and run out and change everything.”
“Of course you weren’t. It was just them feeling guilty about the past. And hoping you’d do something—find someone—so they wouldn’t feel that way. Julie and I both said you would, but it would take time.” She looked at Fiona and suddenly beamed. “But now you have.”
Er.
“Well, I—”
“And thank God for that,” Claire said fervently. “And what a man. Lachlan McGillivray. We’ll have to buy you some red panties!” she giggled. “You will not!”
“Of course, Mike and Paul won’t be happy until he’s put a ring on your finger, but—”
“Claire, stop it! Don’t let’s rush things,” Fiona said hastily.
“No, of course not.” Claire sobered at once. “And I wouldn’t rush things either, if I were you. But you’re out of your rut now. Living again.” She set Sparks on the floor and got up to give her sister-in-law a hug. “We’re so glad, Fee. Just enjoy.”
ENJOY?
How on earth did you enjoy an affair you weren’t having?
Fiona prowled the house after Claire left.
“What am I going to do?” she asked Sparks.
Sparks had one answer to every question: feed me. He butted his head against her calves and wove between her ankles. He looked hopefully at his food dish for signs of filling, then at Fiona reproachfully when it did not.
“Oh, dear,” she said finally, realizing she’d been prowling so much she’d missed his dinnertime. “Sorry.” She fetched the fish scraps that Claire had brought for him and put them in his bowl.
All right with his world now, Sparks fell to eating.
If only a couple of fish heads would sort hers out, Fiona thought wearily. An affair with Lachlan? It would be laughable if it weren’t so painfully tempting.
She needed to call Lachlan and tell him not to come in the morning. A third sighting and the island telegraph would have them on their way to the altar!
But she didn’t have his mobile number and calling the inn would mean talking to Josie at the front desk. As soon as Josie spread the word that Fiona was calling Lachlan, things would go from bad to worse.
But no worse than him showing up here again tomorrow for the third day in a row.
What a mess.
The phone rang as she was pacing the floor trying to decide whether to call Lachlan or not. She snatched it up. “Hello?”
“Hey.” The rough baritone was unmistakable.
She took a quick steadying breath. “Lachlan,” she said and braced herself for his fury.
“I can’t come in the morning,” he said.
It was so not what she expected him to say that she didn’t think she’d heard him right. “I— What?”
“I can’t come,” he repeated. “I’m at the Sandpiper. In the Abacos. Hugh flew me up this afternoon. My contractor quit and I’ve got half a dozen things need sorting out. Place is going to hell in a handbasket. Don’t know how long I’ll be away.”
“Oh,” she said numbly. Then, “Oh!” as a great surge of relief hit her.
“So I hope it won’t cause you too many problems.”
“No, no! It’s fine,” she said cheerfully. “No problem at all.”
“No?” He sounded surprised.
“Absolutely not,” she assured him. “I was thinking of giving you a call and telling you I could manage on my own for a while.” Yes! she thought, dancing a happy little twirl around Sparks who looked askance at her. Yes! Yes! Yes!
“Is that right?” Lachlan said slowly.
“Yes, of course. I didn’t expect you to come every day.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” she thought he said.
“What?”
“Nothing. Never mind. Well, fine. I’ll, er, just see you when I get back, then.”
“Right. Fine. Don’t hurry on my account.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” Lachlan said drily.
AND WHAT, HE’D LIKE to know, was that all about?
Lachlan dropped the phone on the bed, jammed his hands into his back pockets and scowled out the window of the Sandpiper into the darkness.
He’d been prepared for Fiona to pitch a fit, to