A Mother's Secret. Scarlet Wilson
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under, then they usually call us out for some assistance.’ He was visibly cringing as he said the words. Obviously waiting for the fallout.
She ran her tongue along her dry lips. He was worried. And a tiny part of that amused her.
She’d only agreed to help out for six weeks. She would only have a few on-calls. How bad could this be? Maybe she should make him sweat a little. After all, he had been quite presumptuous so far.
She picked up her scone and regarded him carefully. ‘Think carefully before you answer the next question, Logan. I can tell you right now that if you spoil my scone, this could all end in tears.’ She took a little bite. Was he holding his breath? ‘Exactly how many times does the A and E doc call you out?’
Logan shifted again. ‘Well, in the winter, hardly ever. Maybe once every six weeks.’
She knew exactly where this was going. ‘And in the summer?’
He gave a little frown and a shrug of his shoulders. ‘Probably...most nights?’
‘What?’ Her voice had just gone up about three octaves. He had to be joking. ‘Every night?’
His head was giving little nods. No wonder he’d worried about telling her. ‘More or less.’
She put her scone back down on her plate, her appetite instantly forgotten. This was going to be far more complicated than she could possibly have expected.
Logan held up his hands. ‘Look, Gemma. I’m sorry. I hadn’t really taken Isla into the equation. I’m so used to being on my own I didn’t even consider the impact it would have on her. I mean, you are a single parent, aren’t you? You don’t have another half that’s going to appear in the next few weeks?’
There it was again. His presumptions. And was she mistaken or did he sound vaguely happy—as well as apologetic—about the situation?
And why did she care? This guy, with his rolled-up sleeves revealing his tanned arms, was giving her constant distractions.
Like that one. Since when did she notice a man’s tanned arms? Or the blond tips in his hair? Or the fact he might resemble a movie star?
She’d been so focused for the last five years. Every single bit of her pent-up energy had been invested in Isla. In the fight to keep her, and all the hard work that went along with being a single parent, working full-time.
She hadn’t even had time to look in the mirror, let alone look around her and notice any men.
Maybe this was just a reaction to Isla’s out-of-the-blue drawing with the feature boyfriend.
Her stomach gave the strangest flutter. Or maybe this was just a reaction to the big blue eyes, surrounded by little weathered lines, currently staring at her across the table.
She took a deep breath. Were his thoughts really presumptions? He’d helped her unpack. He must have noticed the distinct lack of manly goods about the place.
She nodded her head. She was used to this. She was used to the single-parent question. She’d been fielding it for the last five years. ‘Yes, I’m a single parent, Logan. I hadn’t really expected to be called out at night on a frequent basis. That could cause me a number of problems.’ She was trying not to notice the fact he’d just told her he only had himself to think about.
She was trying to ignore the tiny flutter she’d felt when he’d revealed the possibility he might be unattached. She was trying not to notice the little flicker in her stomach that Logan wasn’t married with a whole family of his own. What on earth was wrong with her?
He lifted his hands. ‘Look, I’m sorry. But I’m desperate. I really need someone at the surgery right now. How about I cover some of your on-calls?’
She bit her lip. ‘That’s hardly fair, is it?’ She couldn’t figure out the wave of strange sensations crowding around her brain. Then something scrambled its way to the front and a smile danced across her face. ‘Don’t you have someone to go home to?’
There. She’d said it.
The quickest way to sort out the weird range of thoughts she was having. He may not wear a wedding ring but he was sure to have another half tucked away somewhere on the island.
Another woman. Simple. The easiest way to dismiss this man.
He smiled and leaned across the table towards her, the hairs on his tanned arm coming into contact with her pale, bare arm. She really needed to get a little sun.
‘You mean, apart from my mother?’ He was teasing her. She could tell by the sexy glint in his eye that he knew exactly why she’d asked the question.
She let out a laugh. ‘Oh, come on. Someone your age doesn’t stay with their mother. You certainly weren’t there when we arrived this morning.’
There was something in the air between them. Everything about this was wrong. He was a colleague. This was a small island.
She was here for a fresh start and some down time.
So why was her heart pitter-pattering against her chest?
It seemed that Arran was about to get very interesting.
CHAPTER THREE
LOGAN RAN HIS fingers through his hair. They’d finally reached a compromise.
He was going to cover as much of the on-call as possible, even though Gemma had been determined to do her share. She was feisty.
And so was her daughter.
He’d nipped back home after lunchtime and found his mother being ordered around by Isla. Granted, it was in a very polite manner—but the little girl clearly took after her mother.
But what had struck him most of all was the expression of joy on his mother’s face. She clearly loved the interactions with the little girl. His father had died ten years ago. Logan had settled back on the island once he’d completed his GP training and bought a house just along the road. His sister Claire had been battling infertility for seven years. And his mother had been patiently knitting and stashing tiny little cardigans in a cupboard in the back bedroom for just as long.
It was a nightmare. The one thing he’d never given much thought to during his medical career. Fertility.
Sure, he understood the science of it. And, of course, he always had empathy for his patients.
But to see the true, devastating effects of unexpected infertility and how it impacted on a family had been brought home to him in the past few years. The highs of being accepted for treatment and at the start of each attempt. The lows and desperation as each failure lessened the likelihood of future success. The slow, progressive withdrawal of his sister, along with the cracks that had subsequently appeared in her marriage.
At times, Logan had no idea how his brother-in-law managed to keep things on an even keel. Claire could be so volatile now. The slightest thing could set her off. The beautiful, healthy, lively young woman had turned into a skeletal, unconfident wreck.
And it affected every one of them.
And now he’d just given his mother a taste of being a grandmother.
It wasn’t as if his mum hadn’t stepped in before. She’d loved little Ben as much as he had and had watched him occasionally as he and Zoe had dated. But the connection with Isla was definitely stronger. Why, he wasn’t sure. But watching them together and hearing the way they spoke to each other made him laugh. It was like a pair of feisty older women, rather than a little girl and his mother. They were definitely kindred spirits.
Was he being unfair? Because his mother currently looked as if she were loving every minute of this. Isla too. And there was no question about the fact that Gemma needed trustworthy childcare.
But what would Claire think if she found out her mother was acting as a surrogate gran? Would it hurt her even more? Because he really