What had happened to her had happened to millions of women around the world. She wasn’t the only one in this situation. Lives shattered and were mended again, and she was mending, wasn’t she? Slowly. She stared at the dog lying on her kitchen floor, and the bunch of flowers on her kitchen table. Life was different, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good.
‘You can go for a walk on the beach, Lexi.’
Lexi visibly relaxed. ‘Thanks. We’re just going to hang out, that’s all. Fraser says there’s really cool stuff on the beach once the tide goes out. He knows the names of everything. I feel like a real townie.’
‘You’ll have to teach me. Have they dug up anything else interesting at the castle yet?’
‘Bits of stuff. They found these Viking combs—weird to think of Vikings combing their hair.’
‘Perhaps their mothers nagged them,’ Jenna said dryly, hugely relieved that Lexi appeared to be more like her old self. ‘What’s the castle like? I must go up there.’
‘It’s awesome. Fraser showed me this steep shaft into the dungeons. He fell
down it a few years ago and had to have his head stitched up.’
‘It sounds dangerous.’
‘Only to you. You see danger everywhere.’
‘I’m a mother. Worrying goes with the territory.’
‘Fraser’s mother doesn’t fuss over him all the time. She just lets him live his life.’
Jenna bit her lip, trying not to be hurt, well used to being told what other mothers did. ‘I’m letting you live your life. I’d just rather you didn’t do it in a hospital or an antenatal clinic. Wash your hands, Lex—dinner is nearly ready.’
‘Do you want me to lay the table or do drinks or something?’
Hiding her surprise, Jenna smiled at her. ‘That would be a great help. There’s lemonade in the fridge—Evanna gave it to us as a gift.’
‘It’s delicious. I had some at her house.’ Lexi opened the fridge door again and pulled out the bottle. ‘She makes it by the bucketload, all fresh lemons and stuff. She’s a good cook. I told her you were, too. Are we going to the barbecue on Saturday, Mum?’
Still reeling from the compliment, Jenna turned the salmon. ‘How do you know about the barbecue?’
‘Fraser mentioned it.’
Fraser, Fraser, Fraser—
Still, at least Lexi seemed happy. Relieved, Jenna put the salmon on the plates. ‘Do you want to go?’
‘Why not? Might be a laugh.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘How did you hear about the barbecue?’
‘In the fishmonger’s.’ Jenna omitted to say who she’d bumped into there. ‘It’s amazing to be able to buy such fresh fish.’
‘It’s amazing what old people find exciting.’ Lexi suppressed a yawn as she picked up her plate. ‘Let’s eat in the garden. So how many lives did you save today? Did you see Dr Hot?’
‘Dr who?’
‘Dr Hot. Ryan McKinley. I bet women who are perfectly well make appointments just to spend five minutes with him. Fraser says he’s brilliant.’
Even at home there was no escape, Jenna thought weakly, taking her plate and following her daughter out into the sunshine.
She wasn’t going to think of him as Dr Hot.
She really wasn’t.
* * *
‘She was playing on the deck with a water pistol and she slipped and crashed into the fence—the bruise is horrendous. I’m worried she’s fractured her eye socket or something.’ The woman’s face was white. ‘I tried to get an appointment with one of the doctors, but Dr McNeil is out on a call and Dr McKinley has a full list.’