Holiday In the Hamptons (From Manhattan with Love 5)

“It’s a caring profession. A hero who works in a caring profession starts off with plus points.”

“Because you know he can de-worm your cat if the need arises?”

Matilda laughed. “You’ve changed the subject. I was saying that I totally understand why you would have pretended to be Harriet. We all do rash things when we’re threatened.”

“He didn’t threaten me.”

“No, but your emotions did.”

Fliss decided Matilda saw a little too much for comfort. “Whatever the reason, I’m basically a coward who avoids potentially uncomfortable situations.” She thought about Harriet, hiding under the table as a child. They’d each sought refuge in different ways.

“I don’t think it’s cowardice. It’s because you still have feelings.”

“I hate to disappoint you, Miss Romance Novelist, but until that encounter on the roadside, I hadn’t seen Seth in a decade. Feelings are like plants. They need nurturing. And that’s not me, by the way. I’m not a nurturer. I kill plants. Not intentionally, you understand. It just happens. Things that live around me need to be able to care for themselves.” She glanced at Hero. “Apart from dogs. Dogs, I can handle.”

“And why is that?”

“Dogs only ever expect you to be who you are. They never want more from you. Unconditional love.”

“But you felt something when you saw Seth.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because if you hadn’t,” Matilda said slowly, “you wouldn’t have pretended to be your twin. I think the reason you ran is not because you didn’t want to see him, but because you did.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

SETH WALKED LULU on the beach, keeping her on the leash as they were past the time when dogs were allowed to run loose.

From the other direction, racing toward them was a Doberman.

Hero.

He glanced beyond him, expecting to see Matilda, but instead he saw Fliss.

Harriet, he reminded himself. Until she decided to end this charade, he had to remember to call her Harriet.

It rankled that she didn’t trust him enough to reveal the truth, but that had always been the problem. Fliss kept her emotions behind barriers. He understood why, but that didn’t make it any easier to handle.

In the meantime he was going to turn her subterfuge to his advantage.

Hero and Lulu greeted each other ecstatically, a whirl of fur, barks and wagging tails. Moments later Fliss arrived, breathless.

She was wearing running shorts, and her hair was caught in a sleek po

nytail.

“Sorry.” She looked annoyed that the dog had led her to him. “He slipped his leash. I called and he ignored me. I can see why Matilda struggles with him.”

“No problem. These two know each other.”

“Maybe, but a Doberman should be better trained than this one.” She clipped the lead onto Hero, who looked at her reproachfully. “Yeah, that’s right. This is not how I expected our first proper date to go. I’m the one in charge here, remember? I’m the boss.”

Plenty of people would have been wary of a Doberman the size of Hero, but Fliss seemed completely at ease. It didn’t surprise him.

He’d only ever seen Fliss scared of one thing, and that had been her father.

It had made him sick to the stomach to witness it.