Risk of a Lifetime (Mills & Boon Medical) by Caroline Anderson Page A

falter. He was in a wheelchair, which she’d expected from what little Ed had told her, but it was the stiffness of his body, the slow lifting of his hand and the remoteness in his eyes that stopped her in her tracks as everything toppled gently into place.
    So that was it. The reason Ed was so wary of relationships, so determined not to settle, so driven by his career. The reason this man for whom family was so important didn’t seem to want a family of his own? Because he—?
    She felt the shock wave right down to her bones, and it was a second before she caught herself and dredged up a proper smile. ‘Hello, Ned,’ she said, her voice a little over-bright. ‘I’m Annie.’
    His words were slurred. ‘Do I know you?’
    She shook her head. ‘No. We’ve never met, but Ed talks very fondly of you.’
    ‘Ed?’
    ‘Edward, darling. Stephen’s boy.’
    ‘Well, say Edward.’
    Marnie met her eyes with an apologetic smile. ‘Ignore that, please, it’s not a good day today,’ she said softly, and perched on a chair next to Annie. ‘So, Grace,’ she said with a big smile, ‘are you the oldest or the youngest?’
    ‘I’m the oldest but Chloe doesn’t listen to me, she’s naughty.’
    Annie chuckled and hugged her close. ‘Not always. And you can be naughty, too.’
    Marnie laughed. ‘All children are naughty. It’s healthy. Ed was the most mischievous child I’ve ever met, but he’s turned into the kindest and most dependable man you could ever wish to meet.’
    She met Annie’s eyes, the subtext clear, and it was only the piercing whistle of the kettle on the little gas ring in the back of the beach hut that broke her gaze.
    ‘Tea, Annie?’
    But she could see Ed approaching, had seen him all but flinch when Chloe had slipped her hand in his, and she thought they’d probably intruded enough. Not to mention the hero-worship she could see in Chloe’s eyes. And now she knew the truth, there was no way she was letting her children get involved with him. Panic swamped her and she had to crush it down.
    ‘No, thank you, Marnie. I’ll just have the ice cream. We’ve got a sandcastle to finish before the tide comes in and swallows it.’
    ‘Oh, well, never mind. Perhaps another time? Then we can have a proper chat.’
    She nearly laughed out loud. Not if she could avoid it, and there was no way her mother and Marnie were ever going to get together. They were far too alike and she could just imagine the conversation and the ensuing interrogation. So much for all that privacy they’d talked about on Monday!
    ‘That would be lovely,’ she said, crossing her fingers as Grace wriggled off her lap and ran to meet Ed and Chloe. Pity. Having Grace on her lap had acted like a shield to hide behind, and now Ed’s eyes were raking over her body in the inadequate little black one-piece and she wanted to run away, her thoughts in turmoil.
    ‘Hi, there,’ she said, getting to her feet to start the process of escaping. ‘Is that mine?’
    He smiled innocently. ‘It is. I had to lick it, it was starting to melt and dribble down the cone. You wouldn’t want it to get soggy.’
    She could see the mark of his tongue all around the base of the pale creamy spiral where it met the sugar cone, and his eyes twinkled at her over the top. So much for innocence.
    ‘I had to lick Grace’s,’ Chloe told her, breaking the thread that held their gazes locked.
    ‘Did you? That was kind.’
    ‘You can’t have it, it’s mine,’ Grace said, taking it from her sister in case she lost any more.
    ‘Careful, mind you don’t drop it. Girls, say thank you to Ed.’
    ‘Thank you for my ice cream,’ they chorused, and he smiled at them.
    ‘My pleasure. How are the knees, Grace?’
    ‘Better now. Mummy, can we go and finish the sandcastle?’
    She heaved a silent sigh of relief. ‘Good idea. We’ll get out of your hair. Thank you for the rescue mission. I’m sorry we invaded your privacy.’
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ Marnie