Summer Kisses

She’d been happy enough until Evanna had mentioned having more children.

Evanna lost the battle with her will-power and helped herself to more food. ‘Weren’t you tempted to have more children, Jenna?’

Sensing Jenna’s tension, Ryan shifted the focus of the conversation away from her. ‘If you’re planning more children, you’re going to have to build an extension on this house, Logan.’

‘They can share a room,’ Evanna said. ‘If it’s a girl, she can share with my Kirsty. If it’s a boy, with Charlie.’

She and Logan spun plans while Jenna relocated her food from one side of her plate to the other.

It was the question about children that had chased away her appetite, Ryan thought grimly, reaching for his wine. And now he found himself wondering the same as Evanna. Why hadn’t she had more children? She clearly loved being a mother.

Evanna heaped seconds onto everyone’s plate except Jenna’s. ‘Aren’t you enjoying it, Jenna?’

Jenna looked up and met Ryan’s gaze.

They stared at each other for a moment, and then she gave a faltering smile and picked up her fork. ‘It’s delicious.’ With a determined effort she ate, but Ryan knew she was doing it not because she was hungry, but because she didn’t want to hurt Evanna’s feelings. She was that sort of person, wasn’t she? She thought about other people. Usually to the exclusion of her own needs.

He’d never actually met anyone as unselfish as her.

He felt something punch deep in his gut.

‘Ryan—you have to fill those legs and wide shoulders with something.’ Evanna pushed the dish towards Ryan but he held up a hand.

‘Preferably not adipose tissue. I couldn’t eat another thing, but it was delicious, thanks. I ought to be on my way.’ Sitting here watching Jenna was doing nothing for his equilibrium.

Why had he accepted Evanna’s invitation to dinner?

Over the past weeks he’d made sure he’d avoided being in a social situation with Jenna, and he had a feeling she’d been doing the same. And yet both of them had said yes to Evanna’s impromptu invitation to join them for a casual supper.

‘You can’t go yet.’ Evanna’s eyes flickered to Jenna. ‘Finish telling us about dog-training.’

It occurred to Ryan that the supper invitation probably hadn’t been impromptu. Watching Evanna draw the two of them together, he had a sense that she’d planned the evening very carefully.

‘The dog-training is a failure.’ Jenna finished her wine. ‘I really ought to go. Lexi was invited out to a friend’s house, and she’s taken Rebel, but she’ll be back soon. I want to be there when they drop her home. I don’t like her coming back to an empty house.’

Ryan poured himself a glass of water. ‘I saw her eating fish and chips on the quay with the Harrington twins last week. She’s obviously made friends.’

‘Yes.’ This time Jenna’s smile wasn’t forced. ‘People have been very welcoming. There’s hardly an evening when she’s in.’

Which must mean that Jenna was often alone.

Ryan frowned, wondering how she spent her evenings.

Was she lonely?

He realised suddenly just how hard this move must have been for Jenna. Her relationship with her mother was clearly strained and her husband had left her. She’d moved to an area of the country where she knew no one, taken a new job and started a new life. And her only support was a teenager who seemed to blame her for everything that had gone wrong. And yet she carried on with quiet dignity and determination.

Unsettled by just how much he admired her, he stood up. ‘I need to get back. I have things to do.’

Like reminding himself that the worst thing you could do after a relationship went wrong was dive into another relationship. That was the last thing Jenna needed right now. As for him—he had no idea what he needed.

‘You can’t possibly leave now! I made dessert—’ Evanna glanced between him and Jenna and then cast a frantic look at Logan, who appeared oblivious to his wife’s efforts to keep the two of them at her table.

‘If Ryan has things to do, he has things to do.’

‘Well, obviously, but—I was hoping he’d give Jenna a lift.’

‘I’ll give Jenna a lift if she wants one,’ Logan said, and Evanna glared at her husband.