Ethan's Daughter. Rachel Brimble

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       CHAPTER SIX

      LEAH HAULED HER loaded picnic basket onto her arm and carefully navigated the steps that led onto Cowden beach. It was a beautifully sunny day, so very different than the rainy evening she’d met Ethan and Daisy for the first time. She shielded her eyes against the sun and scanned the beach as she debated whether to head toward the tumble of rocks at the far end, where Daisy might want to try to catch some of the tiny crabs that lingered in the pools. Or should they sit somewhere closer to the center of the beach, where it was a lot freer of potential hazards?

      Deciding on a safe spot, she dropped her basket and flicked out the blanket, hoping that once Ethan and Daisy arrived, the tension between her and Ethan wouldn’t mar the tranquility of the day. Leah sat and pulled her purse toward her to check her phone. Ethan had said he’d text her when he and Daisy got to the beach.

      She frowned. No incoming text.

      Turning, she glanced toward the promenade, and before further disappointment could surface, she recognized the heights and gaits that could belong to only one father-and-daughter combination.

      She studied Ethan avidly as he scanned the beach from the steps, his hand wrapped protectively around his daughter’s.

      Good Lord, it’s cruel to womankind that a man who looks like that is holed up in that house of his day in, day out.

      Squinting, she peered a little harder and her eyes widened at the sight of what looked to be a bright pink car in his other hand. She quickly turned away. The guy was all kinds of sexy and clearly completely unaware what the sight of a man loving his child so openly could do to a woman’s ovaries.

      Dressed in knee-length, white linen shorts and a pale blue shirt that she feared would only serve to accentuate the depth of his gorgeous eyes, he looked the epitome of unruffled, incredibly cool beach candy...pink car or no pink car. How was she supposed to convince the guy how serious she was about him contacting the police when all she wanted to do was knock him over onto the sand and lie on top of him?

      Get a grip, woman. She briefly closed her eyes before pushing herself to her feet.

      She dialed his number.

      Frowning, he pulled his phone from his pocket and answered her call. “Hello?”

      Leah smiled as Daisy jumped up and down beside him, her plastic bucket and spade rhythmically knocking her legs. “Hello, yourself. Can you see me? I’m more or less in the center of the beach. I’m waving at you.”

      He stared along the sand, and when he saw her, Leah could’ve sworn he flinched. Immediate self-consciousness flooded her. Had the shorts and cropped tank top she was wearing been a mistake? Too much flesh on show? Ethan had seen her only in her uniform. Maybe the sight of her in casual dress pushed their connection a little too quickly into a personal one?

      He gave a half wave before leaning down to Daisy and pointing toward Leah. The girl gave a considerably more enthusiastic greeting than her father, then practically dragged him toward the steps.

      Pushing away her lingering insecurity, Leah laughed. “I guess you’ll be right with me.”

      “I guess we will.”

      She ended the call and sat down again, pulling the picnic basket toward her. Taking out wrapped sandwiches, sealed tubs of cold chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, green salad, breadsticks and hummus, she laid everything out on the blanket and surveyed her bounty. Okay, so it was a mini feast, but she had no idea what Ethan and Daisy liked to eat, so had covered all bases.

      Once a feeder, always a feeder. Wasn’t that what her best friend, Sasha, liked to accuse her of being, much to her embarrassment? Maybe Leah felt her place in life was to nurture and take care of people, but it wasn’t entirely selfless. Caring fulfilled her, secured her place in society and life...made her hope that maybe someday she’d have a family of her own and that her feelings and opinions would be valued by those who loved her.

      Nerves rippled through her as she lifted out a big bottle of water and a couple of cartons of juice, just as the scents of sun cream and man enveloped her.

      She briefly closed her eyes before tipping her head back. Ethan stood over her like a boulder, his gaze focusing on hers through his sunglasses. “Hi.”

      “Hi.”

      She turned to Daisy. “Hey, beautiful. Don’t you look a picture?”

      Daisy grinned and pulled the material of her suit out from her belly. “This is my new swimsuit. Daddy bought it for me.”

      “It’s very pretty.”

      “Thank you.” Her smile vanished and she looked up at Ethan. “Let Leah see the patients, Daddy.” The little girl turned to Leah, her brow furrowed and her eyes somber. “They need checking over. I think they might have headaches.”

      With her heart fit to burst, Leah swallowed her laugh and solemnly nodded. “Right, let’s take a look, then, shall we?”

      Daisy took the pink car from her father and held it out to Leah.

      She took the toy and looked at the two bandaged passengers and the driver, who had her arm in a rubber band sling. “Hmm, this lady really shouldn’t be driving with only one functioning arm.”

      “It was an emergency, and luckily, we didn’t see a policeman on the way here.”

      “Ah, okay. Well, we’ll let it go this time, then.”

      Trying and failing not to glance at Ethan СКАЧАТЬ