hurt?’
‘Well, now, it might a little,’ he told her honestly, ‘but it’ll feel much better after the sand’s washed out and we’ve put some nice cream on.’
‘Are you going to put ice cream on it?’ Chloe asked, looking confused, and he chuckled.
‘ Nice cream, not ice cream,’ he corrected, smiling at her. ‘But maybe if you’re good we can get you all an ice cream afterwards, if Mummy says yes.’
‘We were going to get an ice cream,’ Grace told him, watching him warily as he squeezed out a gauze swab and dabbed the first knee. ‘Ow!’
‘Sorry, sweetheart. I tell you what, why don’t you grab hold of my hair and if it gets really bad, you can pull it hard. OK?’
‘OK.’
He felt the little fingers grasp a lock just over his temple, and winced. She already had a death grip on it. What it would be like if he hurt her? Oh, well, no doubt he’d survive.
‘OK, here we go.’ He swabbed gently, but the tug on his scalp didn’t change, and he finished both knees and then looked at her hands, sighing quietly with relief when she let go of his hair. One palm needed a quick swipe, but the grazes were all clean, there was no sand embedded in any of them, luckily, and once they were protected by plasters he sat back on his heels and grinned at her.
‘Brave girl. I definitely think that deserves an ice cream, don’t you, Mummy?’
‘I think so,’ she said, her smile rueful and her eyes filled with gratitude. ‘Thank you, Ed.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘Aren’t you going to kiss it better?’ Chloe asked him. ‘Mummy always kisses us better if we get an owie.’
‘Well, maybe we’d better let Mummy do it, if it’s her job,’ he said, jackknifing to his feet and taking a step back. ‘I tell you what, why don’t we go and get the ice creams, and Mummy and Grace can stay here and have a cuddle. OK?’
Anything rather than crouching there looking down the gaping cleavage of Annie’s swimming costume.
Annie rummaged in her bag for her purse. ‘Here, Ed, take some money—’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ She opened her mouth to protest, but he ignored her and looked down at her now happier daughter. ‘What would you like, Grace?’
‘Can I have one of those squishy ones with the chocolate in it?’
‘A ninety-nine? It’s OK by me, that’s what I’m going to have. Annie?’
She gave up the unequal struggle and smiled at him. ‘Ditto. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Marnie?’
‘No, darling. You take Chloe and get the ice creams. I’ll put the kettle on, and we can all have tea and get to know each other.’
He hesitated for a moment, torn between honouring his promise to the girls and the danger of leaving Annie alone with Marnie, but he would be gone only moments. Realistically, what harm could come of it? He shrugged and looked at Chloe. ‘Coming?’
‘Yup.’ She skipped up to him and threaded her hand in his, and after a heartbeat he tightened his grip and set off towards the kiosk.
CHAPTER SIX
A NNIE WATCHED THEM go, a lump in her throat. The trusting way Chloe had gone to him, the way she’d taken his hand—and they were supposed to be keeping their families out of this!
She’d been so relieved to see him when Grace had fallen over that the implications of him riding to the rescue on his white charger had gone straight over her head.
Not now. Damn.
And talking of families, she turned belatedly to his grandmother and smiled, holding out her hand.
‘I’m so sorry about the intrusion. We haven’t really been introduced. I’m Annie Brooks. Ed and I work together.’
Marnie took her hand but, instead of shaking it, she squeezed it gently in both of hers. ‘I know. It’s nice to meet you, Annie, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Julia, really, but everyone calls me Marnie. And this is Ned.’
He was slightly behind her and to one side, and as Annie shifted in her chair and turned to look at him properly for the first time, she felt her smile
‘Well, now, it might a little,’ he told her honestly, ‘but it’ll feel much better after the sand’s washed out and we’ve put some nice cream on.’
‘Are you going to put ice cream on it?’ Chloe asked, looking confused, and he chuckled.
‘ Nice cream, not ice cream,’ he corrected, smiling at her. ‘But maybe if you’re good we can get you all an ice cream afterwards, if Mummy says yes.’
‘We were going to get an ice cream,’ Grace told him, watching him warily as he squeezed out a gauze swab and dabbed the first knee. ‘Ow!’
‘Sorry, sweetheart. I tell you what, why don’t you grab hold of my hair and if it gets really bad, you can pull it hard. OK?’
‘OK.’
He felt the little fingers grasp a lock just over his temple, and winced. She already had a death grip on it. What it would be like if he hurt her? Oh, well, no doubt he’d survive.
‘OK, here we go.’ He swabbed gently, but the tug on his scalp didn’t change, and he finished both knees and then looked at her hands, sighing quietly with relief when she let go of his hair. One palm needed a quick swipe, but the grazes were all clean, there was no sand embedded in any of them, luckily, and once they were protected by plasters he sat back on his heels and grinned at her.
‘Brave girl. I definitely think that deserves an ice cream, don’t you, Mummy?’
‘I think so,’ she said, her smile rueful and her eyes filled with gratitude. ‘Thank you, Ed.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘Aren’t you going to kiss it better?’ Chloe asked him. ‘Mummy always kisses us better if we get an owie.’
‘Well, maybe we’d better let Mummy do it, if it’s her job,’ he said, jackknifing to his feet and taking a step back. ‘I tell you what, why don’t we go and get the ice creams, and Mummy and Grace can stay here and have a cuddle. OK?’
Anything rather than crouching there looking down the gaping cleavage of Annie’s swimming costume.
Annie rummaged in her bag for her purse. ‘Here, Ed, take some money—’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ She opened her mouth to protest, but he ignored her and looked down at her now happier daughter. ‘What would you like, Grace?’
‘Can I have one of those squishy ones with the chocolate in it?’
‘A ninety-nine? It’s OK by me, that’s what I’m going to have. Annie?’
She gave up the unequal struggle and smiled at him. ‘Ditto. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Marnie?’
‘No, darling. You take Chloe and get the ice creams. I’ll put the kettle on, and we can all have tea and get to know each other.’
He hesitated for a moment, torn between honouring his promise to the girls and the danger of leaving Annie alone with Marnie, but he would be gone only moments. Realistically, what harm could come of it? He shrugged and looked at Chloe. ‘Coming?’
‘Yup.’ She skipped up to him and threaded her hand in his, and after a heartbeat he tightened his grip and set off towards the kiosk.
CHAPTER SIX
A NNIE WATCHED THEM go, a lump in her throat. The trusting way Chloe had gone to him, the way she’d taken his hand—and they were supposed to be keeping their families out of this!
She’d been so relieved to see him when Grace had fallen over that the implications of him riding to the rescue on his white charger had gone straight over her head.
Not now. Damn.
And talking of families, she turned belatedly to his grandmother and smiled, holding out her hand.
‘I’m so sorry about the intrusion. We haven’t really been introduced. I’m Annie Brooks. Ed and I work together.’
Marnie took her hand but, instead of shaking it, she squeezed it gently in both of hers. ‘I know. It’s nice to meet you, Annie, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Julia, really, but everyone calls me Marnie. And this is Ned.’
He was slightly behind her and to one side, and as Annie shifted in her chair and turned to look at him properly for the first time, she felt her smile
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