Summer Fling

He sat for a moment without moving. ‘How does he manage?’

‘With the baby? Very well. Logan’s a brilliant father. Fun, loving and amazingly hands-on considering the job he does.’ Kyla shrugged. ‘He has to have help, of course, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to work. My aunts work out a rota, and I help when I can. My cousins muck in and he’s employed a few girls from the village, but that hasn’t really worked out.’

‘Why? Weren’t they competent?’

‘Perfectly competent. But they all had serious designs on my brother,’ Kyla said in a dry voice. ‘It would seem as though there’s nothing more appealing to a single woman than a sexy doctor with a baby. Amy Foster is helping at the moment and we’re all laying bets on how long it takes her to make a pass at Logan.’

‘What about Evanna? She mentioned helping out.’

Kyla gave a soft smile. ‘Evanna adores the baby.’

‘And I suppose she’s not likely to fall for your brother.’

Kyla laughed, wondering what it was about men that made them so unobservant. ‘Evanna’s been in love with my brother all her life. One day I’m hoping he’ll wake up and notice. Otherwise I just might have to interfere and that won’t be a pretty sight.’ She pulled up outside the cottages and saw him staring out to sea, his handsome face an expressionless mask. ‘You’re very difficult to read, do you know that?’

He turned his head. ‘Why would you want to read me?’

‘It’s easier to deal with people if you understand them.’

A faint smile played around his firm mouth. ‘I have no particular desire to be understood,’ he said softly, ‘so you can relax.’

‘Is it too isolated from civilisation for you here? Do you hate it?’ For a long moment he didn’t reply and she was starting to wonder whether he’d even heard her question when he turned his head away and stared at the sea once more.

‘I don’t hate it.’

What sort of an answer was that? He was a man who revealed nothing about his thoughts or feelings, she thought with mounting frustration as she switched off the engine. ‘Thanks for helping me with Aisla. I’ll see you at six, Dr Walker. Enjoy your shower.’

Ethan let himself into the cottage, changed into his running gear and let himself out of the back of the house. He needed a shower, a shave and a rest, but none of those options tempted him. He didn’t want what he needed.

What he wanted was to run. Fast.

The conversation with Kyla had disturbed him and he didn’t understand why.

All he knew what that he intended to drive out the thoughts from his head with hard exercise.

Despite the sunshine, a strong wind gusted, but Ethan didn’t even notice, his expression grim and intent as he jogged to the end of the garden and down onto the beach.

As soon as his feet hit the sand he picked up speed, his long, powerful legs covering the ground in rhythmic, pounding strides as he pushing his body to its limits. His arms and legs pumped, his heart thumped and the sweat prickled between his shoulder blades, but still he ran, lengthening his stride until his pace would have been the envy of the wind. Still he pushed himself, giving himself no slack.

He ran until the sand ended and the cliff path rose upwards. He hit the slope with a fierce determination, maintaining his punishing speed through a mixture of willpower and physical fitness, his lungs and his muscles screaming a protest that he ignored.

He felt the rapid pumping of his heart as it responded to the demands of physical exertion, felt his body burn as his arms and legs pounded the earth. Felt his brain empty of everything except the need to focus on the physical task in hand.

Run, Ethan. Run.

And if he ran fast enough and hard enough, perhaps none of it would hurt any more.

Kyla stood at the bedroom window and watched.

Ethan ran like a professional athlete.

Or a man with the devil at his heels.

Even from this distance she could sense the grim determination that drove his long stride. She could almost feel the power and force of his body as he took on the elements and pushed himself with almost superhuman effort.

Kyla stared, unable to look away, captivated by the unexpected display of masculinity.

She’d only popped into the house to collect something for her afternoon clinic but then she’d happened to glance out of the window. She’d begun watching out of concern, sure that such physical exertion would cause an injury and then her gaze had turned almost greedy as she realised exactly what she was watching.