Healed by the Single Dad Doc

But he couldn’t let it go. Ethan had grown used to the juggling act that a demanding job and sole care of a five-year-old entailed and now, with his growing relationship with Kate... He was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t stretched himself too thin and that he was in danger of dropping all the balls.

But Kate was too precious for him to give her up. He just had to hope that she’d understand that he couldn’t always be there for her. That he couldn’t rush to her side and kiss away her fears when she had a nightmare, however much it tore him in two not to.

‘Look, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have to—’

She arched an eyebrow. ‘Go?’ she finished for him. ‘You don’t have to apologise for needing to be somewhere else. I assume that you do?’

Her understanding didn’t make it any easier, because he knew that he was short-changing her. ‘Yeah, I do. And I should probably be sorting Sam’s show-and-tell out with him as well.’

‘Okay. Good.’ She smiled and Ethan wondered if she was just making the best of a bad job. ‘At least that means I won’t embarrass you by celebrating over a coffee with the most embarrassing combination of flavours I can think of.’

A stab of guilt slashed at Ethan’s heart. ‘You couldn’t possibly embarrass me. Caramel, cream and a beautiful woman?’

Kate laughed, and this time she seemed truly happy. ‘Go. We’ll celebrate together later.’

Ethan watched her go, her step a little lighter as she negotiated her way along the crowded high street. It seemed that they still had a way to go before they could work out a way forward in their relationship, but he wanted to make that journey. All he could hope was that Kate would hang on in there with him while he found his way.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WHEN ETHAN W

AS there all Kate’s doubts disappeared. They lay side by side on a blanket at the top of Summer Hill watching the sky darken. There were plenty of places they could have chosen to go on this balmy Saturday evening, but just being together was the most perfect.

‘Are you cold?’ Ethan’s fingers were entwined with hers and he lifted her hand, pressing it to his lips.

‘No. Are you tired?’ Kate had noticed the dark rings under Ethan’s eyes when she’d seen him that morning at the police station.

‘Yep. You make me feel tired and happy, instead of just tired.’

‘We’ll go home. You can sleep.’ Tomorrow seemed a long way away at the moment and all Kate could think about was ending today by curling up with Ethan.

‘I don’t want to sleep when I’m with you.’

Kate sat up, looking down into his face. ‘I’ll make you sleep.’

‘And how are you going to do that?’ Ethan grinned suddenly.

‘Wait and see.’

‘I don’t have to get up so early tomorrow.’ His lips quirked downwards and Kate wondered what could possibly have got in the way of his morning hug for Sam.

‘Is that...good?’ The idea of being able to wake lazily with Ethan sounded wonderful.

‘Yes, it’s good.’ He reached up, caressing her cheek. ‘My mother’s doing a “breakfast in bed” party for Sam. Apparently they’ll be busy sitting around in their pyjamas and getting crumbs in the bedclothes until ten thirty. There are going to be games and Mum made it very clear that I’m not invited.’

‘That’s really sweet.’ Kate had wondered whether everyone in his parents’ village saw Ethan as just the grieving widower. It seemed that his mother, at least, was open to the idea that he might be ready to move on.

‘Yeah. When I dropped Sam off this afternoon, she hustled me into the kitchen and gave me a piece of her mind.’

‘And?’ Whatever Ethan’s mother had said, he was obviously thinking about it carefully. And clearly not entirely in agreement with her.

‘She says I’m spreading myself too thin. That it would be better for Sam if I included him a little more in our friendship.’ Ethan grinned. ‘She’s being tactful. She knows it’s not just a friendship.’

It sounded like good sense. He was spreading himself too thin, trying to keep her in one box and Sam in another.

‘What do you think?’

‘I think that, if you agree... I’d promised to take Sam for pizza this week—maybe you could tag along with us?’