His mouth tightened and he muttered something under his breath, but she covered his lips with her fingers.
‘No. You had your say the other night. Now it’s my turn to talk,’ she said calmly, and then she slid off his lap and turned to face everyone. And for a moment her courage faltered because what seemed like a million faces were staring at her.
Her gaze slid over the crowd.
She saw Nick and, behind him, Meg. She saw Janet and Jim.
It seemed that everyone was in the Stag’s Head.
‘You’ve all been wondering who Conner has been seeing for the last month. Well, it’s me,’ she said simply, speaking clearly and raising her voice slightly so that everyone could hear her. ‘I’m the lucky woman.’
‘Flora, for crying out loud.’ Conner rose to his feet, dislodging her arm from his shoulder. ‘Have you been drinking?’
‘No. I’m completely sober.’ She smiled up at him, aware that everything she felt shone in her eyes. Then she took his hand and turned back to face the islanders—the people she spent her life with. ‘I know what you’re all thinking. You’re thinking that Bad Conner has lived up to his name again, that obviously he seduced good, sensible Flora because she’d never do anything as reckless as have a wild, passionate affair with a man who is obviously going to walk off into the sunset, leaving her broken-hearted and very possibly pregnant.’
The locals were too shocked to respond so Flora just ploughed on.
‘You’re wrong. I seduced him. And I’m not embarrassed about that because I’ve discovered that—’ She broke off as the door to the pub opened and Evanna walked in, holding the baby.
‘Charlie and I suddenly had a horrible feeling that we were missing something important so I called a babysitter for Kirsty.’
As if emerging from a trance, Logan rose to his feet and walked over to his wife. He took the baby from her and tipped one of the lifeboat crew out of his chair so that she could sit down.
Flora smiled at her friend. ‘Good timing. I was just about to tell everyone that I’ve discovered that I don’t really want what I thought I wanted. Up until a month ago I thought I wanted a man who loved me, a home, children—all the usual things. And then Conner came back.’
Conner’s eyes were on hers and he shook his head. ‘Stop now, before you make things worse.’
‘Things can’t get any worse for me, Conner.’ Flora touched his cheek gently. ‘I’ve discovered that not being with you is the worst it can get. You’re all I want.’ She was speaking just to him now, suddenly oblivious to her audience who stood watching, paralysed with surprise and fascination. ‘You’re all I want, Conner MacNeil. And I want you as you are, for as long as you want to be with me. I know you don’t want babies or a family. I know you don’t want anything permanent. And that’s all right. If all we ever share is hot sex, that’s fine.’
Someone in the crowd gulped and she wasn’t sure whether the shocked sound had come from Meg or Evanna because she wasn’t paying attention.
She was watching Conner.
‘I love you,’ she said, her eyes misting as she looked at him. ‘And I know that probably scares you. I don’t think anyone has ever loved you properly before and I want you to know how I feel. And I know you don’t feel the same way about me and that’s fine. I understand. If I’d been as badly hurt as you were as a child, I wouldn’t risk my heart either. But I’m giving you mine, Conner, for as long as you want it. And I’m telling you that in public so that there’s no mistake about it. I love you so much. And I’m not ashamed of that. I don’t care who knows because I’m proud of what you’ve become and I’m proud that I’m the one you’ve spent time with since you’ve been on Glenmore. And if turns out that you’ve had enough of me, I’ll accept it.’ She shrugged. ‘But I won’t accept you ending our relationship because you’re worried about what people might think of me. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I just care about you. Us.’ She stopped and Logan cleared his throat.
‘That’s got to be the longest speech you’ve ever made, Flora Harris.’
Conner stared at her, his face unusually pale. But he didn’t speak.
Flora looked at him expectantly. ‘Aren’t you going to say something? You’re the one who’s slick with words, Conner MacNeil, not me. You always know what to say.’
Still he didn’t answer her. It was as if he’d been turned to stone and she gave a sigh of frustration.
‘Did you hear what I said? I’m in love with you.’ On impulse, she pulled out a chair, stood on it and turned to face the crowd. ‘Flora Harris loves Conner MacNeil!’
Ben cleared his throat and scratched his head. ‘We heard you the first time, Flora. We’re waiting to hear what Conner has to say. But apparently he’s been struck dumb.’
Finally Conner moved. He rose slowly to his feet, gently lifted Flora off the chair and lowered her to the floor as if she were made of porcelain. ‘I thought you were shy.’
‘I am shy.’
He stroked a strand of hair away from her eyes with a gentle hand. ‘I’ve got news for you, angel. Shy girls don’t stand on chairs in pubs and declare undying love.’
‘They do if they mean it,’ she said softly, and his hand dropped to his side.
‘There are things I need to say to you.’
Her heart fluttered. Rejection? Or a stay of execution? ‘Then say them.’