Will their newfound love...

Lead to an island wedding?

In this Single Dad Docs story, aristocratic surgeon Rafael Valdez might be the heartthrob of Maple Island, but he has eyes for only one girl—his daughter, Gracie! Until child life specialist Summer Ryan helps Rafael realize he doesn’t have to cope with the special care Gracie needs alone. Can he convince Summer there’s room in his life—and his heart—for her, too?

KARIN BAINE lives in Northern Ireland with her husband, two sons and her out-of-control notebook collection. Her mother and her grandmother’s vast collection of books inspired her love of reading and her dream of becoming a Mills & Boon author. Now she can tell people she has a proper job! You can follow Karin on Twitter, @karinbaine1, or visit her website for the latest news—karinbaine.com.

Also by Karin Baine

Reforming the Playboy

Their Mistletoe Baby

From Fling to Wedding Ring

Midwife Under the Mistletoe

Single Dad Docs collection

Tempted by Her Single Dad Boss by Annie O’Neil

Resisting Her English Doc by Annie Claydon

The Single Dad’s Proposal

Nurse to Forever Mum by Susan Carlisle

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Single Dad’s Proposal

Karin Baine

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08975-3

THE SINGLE DAD’S PROPOSAL

© 2019 Karin Baine

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Karen and Andrea,

who brought Triathlon Dad to my attention!

Many thanks to Mary, Geordie, Diane and Michael,

who allow us to share the Spanish sunshine with

them, and Chellie, who always has my back. xx

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

‘TRIATHLON DAD IS finally in the building,’ Summer muttered under her breath as Dr Rafael Valdez made his way to the day-care centre.

He was still some distance away but she followed his progress along the walkway from the main building and the reactions of the patients and staff of the clinic as they stopped to stare at the handsome Spanish surgeon. It was hard not to, even for someone who’d quit her job at a prominent hospital and come to this island to escape the temptations of handsome men and the chaos they created.

Although only a couple of miles off the coast of Boston, Maple Island gave the impression she was far from the troubles she’d left on the mainland as it was only accessible by ferry or light aircraft. They were still susceptible to the same wintry weather here as the city she’d grown up in at this time of the year, but there was a distinct vacation vibe about this laid-back place that meant it never really bothered her. It wouldn’t be long before the sun was shining again and the influx of tourists would double the size of the population. As long as she didn’t dabble in any holiday romances, or any romances for that matter, she could live here happily.

Unfortunately, her job as a child-care assistant in the staff nursery meant it wasn’t as easy to avoid Dr Valdez as she’d prefer when he was a reminder that, despite her vow, she wasn’t immune to handsome men. He was fit in more ways than one with the perfect body to match those dark good looks, honed by all the swimming, running and cycling around the island that had also earned him his sporty nickname. He was a perfect treat for the eyes but that was all he was to Summer, or ever could be. Even if he wasn’t a co-worker—she’d learned to avoid them at all costs in romantic notions, since she couldn’t keep moving after every failed relationship—he only had eyes for one girl around here.

‘It looks as though he has a fight on his hands this morning.’ Kaylee, her colleague, had apparently noticed the object of her attention too.

The love of his life, his three-year-old daughter, Graciela, was one of Summer’s charges and the reason she got to spend more time with him than was good for her. Regardless of the physical attraction she might harbour towards him, they were often locked in battle over the best way to care for his child’s extra needs. There was a personality clash that cancelled out the allure of his outward appearance, even if his single-dad status hadn’t already put him at the top of her off-limits list.

The last time she’d lost her heart to a father-and-child combo she’d mistaken her ex’s relationship of convenience for love. Whilst she had been throwing herself into that nurturing role to look after his son Leo, thinking it was leading up to a permanent arrangement for them as a family, Marc had been using her as a stop-gap until his baby mama came back on the scene.

She wouldn’t make the mistake again of giving her trust, her future, to someone who didn’t appreciate her worth beyond her child-minding skills. Since she was already paid to do that for Rafael Valdez, she knew the score. If she let herself get drawn into the middle of another parent-and-child set-up she only had herself to blame this time around.

She watched Gracie turning round and running off in the opposite direction for the umpteenth time, taking them twice as long to reach the nursery than usual. Instead of demonstrating more patience, her father simply swung her up into his arms and marched on despite her protests.

Summer had witnessed her fair share of toddler tantrums but a child on the autism spectrum needed extra-careful handling and would have no concept of making her father late for work at any age.

‘Something must’ve happened this morning to make them late. He hasn’t even had time to dry his hair.’

Even from this distance Summer could see his still-wet hair glistening in the sunlight. That wasn’t a big deal in itself, but whatever had caused this disruption to their routine had the potential to become an issue for Gracie. Summer loved working with the little girl but she had communication issues and learning difficulties that often led to these bursts of temper.

She caught sight of Kaylee smirking at her. ‘What?’

Okay, so she was imagining Rafael’s dark hair curling at the nape of his neck and soaking his collar. It didn’t mean anything other than she noticed the small details in other people’s lives. People-reading was part of her skill as a child life specialist, even if her job here required more of her child-care services for now.

Alex Kirkland, the medical director and one of the clinic’s founders, had employed her with a view to eventually moving her into her preferred position. With the extension of the children’s ward in the future she would be needed more in her role as a child life specialist to help the young patients cope with their illnesses and prepare them for whatever medical procedures they faced.

She was happy to wear either hat if she could stay here, leaving the mess of her personal life back in Boston. It wasn’t as if she was missed when Marc and Leo were back living as a family with his ex and her own mother had her second husband to support her instead of Summer.

‘Nothing,’ Kaylee replied, obviously meaning everything as she did a double take between Summer and the two figures she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off.

‘Oh, shut up!’ Summer hit her playfully over the head with a soft-bodied panda she’d been minding for one of the children.

Not for the first time she wondered where the child’s mother was, or any other family for that matter. There was very little known about the spinal surgeon other than what a coup it was to have him on board here. Despite his sterling reputation as a surgeon, she’d found him difficult, stubborn and resistant to taking on any friendly advice. If he had that attitude to people other than her it could explain his single status, regardless of him being so smoulderingly attractive. Even she experienced that flutter in the pit of her stomach when he was near. She’d seen how loving he could be with his daughter so she knew there was a soft heart in there somewhere.

It might come across as judgemental but sometimes she thought parents often didn’t try hard enough to salvage a relationship when children were involved. Broken families would always be a source of pain to her when they represented her own difficult background. The children suffered most when the parents decided they couldn’t live together and, in her case, not only had she lost her father but he’d taken her stepbrother too, severing all contact between them and leaving her feeling incomplete.

Robbie may not have been her biological sibling but she’d grown up thinking of him as her big brother, someone she could turn to for advice or comfort, and losing him had been akin to having a limb cut off. Since then, she’d lived her life always feeling as though something was missing, and the loss of a mother had to be even more devastating to a child of Gracie’s young years.

She never talked about her mom and she’d noticed Dr Valdez didn’t wear a wedding ring so there didn’t appear to be a significant other anywhere in the background. There was a chance he was nursing a broken heart, which would explain his defensive behaviour. It was the same reason Summer had come to Maple Island in much the same mood at first. Perhaps he was finding life as a single dad difficult. Given time, he might get back together with his ex again too, just as Marc had when he’d left Summer out in the cold over a year ago. Apparently, it was easier to share the parenting of a small child with their actual parent rather than someone who’d been learning on the job.

Men with motherless children were double heartbreak waiting to happen because when things ended you lost them both. Regardless of the love and time given to help raise their offspring, when the relationship was over an ex-girlfriend didn’t have any right to remain in the child’s life. Losing Marc had been difficult, but having five-year-old Leo taken away from her too had been devastating when she’d come to think of him as her own. Until Marc had decided to forgive his ex for cheating on him when she’d asked to come back and, just like that, Summer had been surplus to requirements.

That bitter taste of loss and betrayal tinged her objectivity. She knew nothing of the secrets the Valdezes might be hiding and she intended to keep it that way, having sworn not to get involved with another family outside the workplace again. If and when she decided to date again, her requirements for a suitor would include being single with no dependants or exes lurking in the background.

She doubted Rafael had any desire to jump into the dating quagmire either. There certainly hadn’t been any talk of him seeing anyone since arriving on the island and his devotion to his patients, including the ten-year-old Walsh twins who’d suffered severe spinal injuries and were taking up a lot of his attention, didn’t leave him with much down time.

She might not view him as relationship potential but she could see he was a good father, trying to give his daughter the best start in life and struggling with the demands of juggling his home and work life. It couldn’t be easy for a busy single dad contending with the special needs of an autistic daughter and Summer would never dare criticise his parenting skills but it wouldn’t hurt him to ask for or accept help once in a while.

Her own mother had been equally as pig-headed when they’d been left as half of a family when her father had taken off, refusing financial or emotional assistance from any quarter. As an adult she recognised how her mother must’ve been hurting badly to be so determined to do everything on her own and prove she didn’t need a man around. Except Summer had been the one to suffer, forced to grow up too quickly and dragged into the conflict between her parents by having to choose which one to live with. She hoped Gracie would never be subjected to that kind of stress when it could have such a devastating impact on her development.

It hadn’t been fair to Summer as an eight-year-old to put her under that much pressure to pick sides, but emotions had been running high and she’d been compelled to stay with her mother since her father had been the one having an affair. Once she’d made her position known, her father had demanded custody of her stepbrother and moved abroad to start a new life with the woman he’d left them for.

They’d all been devastated by the split but her parents had wanted a complete separation, things having been said and done that neither could apparently overlook in order to let the siblings maintain contact. Perhaps they’d imagined they had been young enough to forget and would get over it, but she hadn’t and now she didn’t even know where to start looking for Robbie.

With hindsight she could understand why her mother had chosen never to rely on anyone else after that epic betrayal, but when her health had suffered, Summer had been the only one there to pick up the pieces.

Unable to work full time, there had been no money to fund things every other child took for granted and it hadn’t been long before she’d been taking on after-school jobs to supplement their income at a time when her teenage peers had been going to parties or shopping for clothes. She’d never resented her mother for those sacrifices but when she had eventually married again Summer had gone a little wild, exploring her sudden freedom and leaving her responsibilities far behind. They hadn’t really been close since. She’d even been replaced at home.

Summer had no wish to interfere in anyone else’s life but Dr Valdez didn’t have to be Gracie’s whole world. There were no parent-of-the-year prizes for running yourself into the ground, only more problems for the child when there was no one else around to lend a helping hand.

She’d studied hard to enable her to work with vulnerable children and she knew how much time and patience it took to communicate effectively to make any progress in their development. If he would simply give her the chance, she was willing to share everything she’d learned to make their lives a little easier.

‘Hold this for me,’ she said, handing the plush toy to Kaylee, and left her vantage point to meet them in the corridor, persuading herself her actions were based purely on Graciela’s needs.

When she reached Rafael, he’d changed tactics and was murmuring in soothing placatory Spanish to his daughter. Summer’s school-level Spanish was rusty but she recognised ‘Te amo, mija’, because he told Gracie he loved her each time he had to leave her in child-care to go to work. It melted her heart that he could be so curt with people at times yet wasn’t afraid to express his feelings for his daughter. She wouldn’t have been human if she didn’t wonder what it would be like to have him whisper sweet Spanish nothings into her ear too, or experience the delicious shivers up her neck when she imagined him there.

‘I can take her from here if you’d like?’ Graciela immediately stopped fidgeting once she took her hand.

It had taken weeks to get her to this stage when she’d screamed the place down every time her father was out of sight at first. There were still problems with those who worked with her on late shifts when Rafael was on nights at the clinic, but she was lucky Gracie responded to her so positively.

‘We’re fine, thank you,’ he insisted, yet as she dropped Graciela’s hand, the little one began stamping her feet. The low whimpering in her throat began to build until it would soon become that ear-piercing shriek to let everyone know she wasn’t happy. It was difficult for children like Gracie to communicate their needs effectively and the tantrums were often born of frustration.

Summer stood her ground before Rafael’s stubborn pride, or lack of faith in her ability to do her job effectively, distressed the child any further.

‘If she’s happy to come with me now, it means you can get to work quicker.’ It was logical to anyone who wasn’t a helicopter parent, who didn’t trust another soul with the care of their precious offspring, that she was offering him the perfect solution.

‘Graciela, would you like to come and have a teddy bears’ picnic with us this morning? You can pick any toy you want and we’ll spread out the tea set for the party.’ Addressing her directly didn’t always elicit a response but on this occasion Gracie made her preference known by clinging onto Summer’s forearm with both hands. Her triumphant smile was a victory for common sense and a sharp contrast to Rafael’s frown, but he didn’t try to sway his daughter any further in his direction.

‘Here are her things.’ Her papa shrugged the sparkly pink backpack down his arms to give it to her. As well as proving how comfortable he was in his own masculinity, the girly, child-sized bag he carried for his daughter emphasised the broadness of his shoulders and gave Summer a temporary moment of fancy. She’d seen his muscles ripple at the swimming pool as they powered him through the water at breakneck speed and could easily imagine the upper-body strength he possessed. One flex and he could probably burst the straps as if they were made of tissue paper.

Simply thinking about that display of machismo awakened her girlish appreciation...and was it hot in here because she was in desperate need of a fan right now? Here was a man so strong in body yet he had no problem setting aside the discomfort many men would’ve shown with such a small act to make his child feel comfortable in her surroundings. He had a gentle way with his daughter she hadn’t fully grasped because he did it in such a quiet way without making a fuss or expecting ebullient praise, like Marc often had.

Perhaps she’d merely convinced herself Rafael had an inflated opinion of himself because she’d pigeonholed him right along with the last single dad she’d known. There was also the possibility she was finding excuses not to like him because she knew she was developing quite a crush.

Summer graciously accepted the handover and did her best to ignore the zing that came from the simple brush of their fingers during the exchange. The increased heart rate and tingling sensation where he’d touched her was nothing more than a sign that she knew she was playing with fire here. She shouldn’t be thinking of him as anything other than a parent at the day-care centre but forbidden fruit always seemed that much more tantalising.

‘She’ll be fine, Dr Valdez.’ It was her turn to dismiss him so she could get on with her job without having him distracting her with his muscles and sexy accent. She might also have to start wearing mittens if she was to prevent herself from going into raptures every time they came into brief physical contact.

He bent down to kiss the top of his daughter’s head before walking away.

‘Thank you, Miss Ryan.’ He tossed a measure of gratitude back over his shoulder. It should have riled her when she was blatantly an afterthought but she drank it in like an eager-to-please lapdog, thirsty for praise. The only consolation she took from being such a slave to her hormones was that this exchange would probably stay with him for the remainder of the day too. If only because he’d been forced to accept her help in some small way.

* * *

Just breathe. Rafael did his best to keep walking and ignore the urge to look back. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle the sight of his daughter happier to co-operate with a member of staff than with him. The whole attraction of coming to Maple Island Clinic had been the idea of having Graciela close, and though he was relieved she’d stopped her theatrics this morning he hated the idea that someone could do a better job than him of looking after her.

His career was always going to keep him busy but he’d been sold on life here with the excellent child-care facilities Alex Kirkland and Cody Brennan had told him they provided on site when they’d lured him away from Boston Harbour Hospital. Although everything here on Maple Island had lived up to expectations, it hadn’t made the separation anxiety any easier. After his wife Christina had walked out on them he’d been doing the job of both parents and he was under pressure not to fail his daughter the way her mother had.

So far, it didn’t seem as though he was making a great job of it. Summer made him feel inadequate when it came to looking after his daughter for the simple reason she was doing a better job of it than he was. Regardless of his workload, he always made time for a leisurely breakfast together before he dropped her off at nursery. It was the one meal he was guaranteed to spend with his daughter. He appreciated that quality time together and he was sure that on some level Gracie did too.

Those rare family moments had been few and far between for him as a child. As Spanish nobility, his parents had always had more important business to attend to and had often dined elsewhere or at different times from their children. When they had been at home dinner had become an elaborate affair where he had been preened and polished before being allowed to dine with whatever dignitaries had been in residence. If at all.

It was a small rebellion against that regime by making breakfast a casual occasion, eaten whilst wearing pyjamas and before a hair or a tooth had been brushed, but it was his and Gracie’s ritual. He’d slipped up this morning by oversleeping and thinking he could get away with a juice box and a cereal bar on the go. It was never going to be that easy when he’d ripped her from her usual morning routine.

His mistake in sleeping through the alarm had been compounded by having the battle to get Gracie through the nursery door in Summer’s presence. It was bad enough leaving other people to do most of the caring for his daughter when he was working, without anyone witnessing his epic parenting fail. Summer in particular was always offering advice on how he could best manage Gracie’s challenging behaviour, as though she knew her better than he did.

Okay, she was acting in the best interests of his little girl and on some level he was grateful for the one-on-one attention she was receiving in day-care with regard to her extra needs. However, times such as this succeeded in making him feel guiltier than ever about his workload and the possibility he was neglecting her in any capacity.

It was absurd, of course. Graciela was his life, his reason for being, but he found it difficult to trust again or rely on anyone other than himself to do right by her. Christina’s sudden departure had impacted on every area of his life and he’d had to employ the help of his young neighbour, Mags, to babysit whilst he’d tried to make permanent day-care arrangements. They’d used her before without any problems on the rare occasion he and Christina had gone out as a couple for the evening. One emergency late-night call-out had changed everything.

Although it had been last minute, Mags had agreed to mind Gracie overnight while he went to the hospital to perform emergency surgery on a car-crash victim. He’d thought his daughter would be safe in her own home with someone he knew and trusted. Mags had never offered him a true account or explanation of what had happened that night but from what he’d gathered, the lure of a party in the neighbourhood had proved too great to resist. She’d left Gracie alone and his baby’s cries had been heard and reported to the police by other concerned neighbours.

He’d been confronted at work by police and child protection services as though he’d been the one to abandon her. Even when a tearful Mags had confessed what she’d done, Rafael had been subjected to interrogation and suspicion by social workers to the point he’d taken leave from his job to prove his devotion to his daughter.

Eventually he’d had to return and put some level of faith in agency childminders since they had the relevant checks and qualifications. However, that overwhelming feeling of guilt for what had happened, or what could have happened, had never left him. Even then, he hadn’t been able to shake the notion the efficient, professional women who’d enabled him to return hadn’t cared for Gracie much beyond their pay checks. Not the way Summer did.

Graciela had flourished since coming to the island and it would take time to come to terms with not being her sole source of support. He was thankful that there was someone who could reach her where others had failed but he was wary of their developing bond. Simply because it was drawing him closer to Summer too and that wasn’t somewhere he should be when he was supposed to be concentrating on his daughter.

He’d been hurt too much to risk another entanglement and though his head reminded him of that at every given opportunity, his senses and his body were more easily led astray. It was difficult to keep that security wall in place when Summer kept breaching it with a look or a touch and the sweet scent of her perfume that smelled like candy.

In any other circumstances he would have welcomed someone else’s devotion to his daughter but he hadn’t let anyone get close to them since his wife had broken their hearts. He’d always been attracted to strong, independent women and Summer wasn’t afraid to challenge him when necessary but he would never be distracted again when it came to Gracie’s welfare.

The way Summer was already so integrated into their lives was unnerving but Gracie had never responded so well to a female influence. Not even her own mother. Christina had been hurt by her refusal to interact with her at an early age, had taken it personally when it had merely been a symptom of her condition. She’d been embarrassed when their baby had failed to reach the milestones of others her age. In the end she’d simply told Rafael she wasn’t cut out for motherhood or marriage and had gone back to the single, carefree life she’d apparently missed so much.

The irony was that he’d been able to get the help and advice needed to aid Gracie after she’d gone. Christina had been in denial that her baby could be anything other than perfect, when Rafael had known all along there had been something wrong. Once he’d been able to get a diagnosis so they knew what they were dealing with, it had been easier to cope. If Christina had hung around she would’ve watched her child reach all those milestones, if slightly later than her peers.

It hadn’t made life as a single parent any easier to have a daughter with special needs and there certainly wasn’t room for a Christina replacement. He couldn’t trust anyone not to hurt Gracie again.

Miss Ryan had to remain a mere bystander when it came to his family. Otherwise he was doomed to repeat the past and the opportunity to come to Maple Island would have been wasted. He hadn’t relocated here for anything other than the stability it offered Gracie. Bringing another woman into their home wasn’t going to achieve that, only offer more possibilities of heartache when she decided Gracie was too much reality for a pretty young blonde to handle.

Rafael had had his time of putting his wants first when he’d left his family behind in Spain to come and study medicine in America. Unlike his parents, he wanted what was best for his child, not necessarily what was more acceptable for them. That selfishness and all the other negative family connotations he’d turned his back on could stay in the Mediterranean as far as he was concerned.

Rafael’s mood hadn’t improved at all by the afternoon. As usual he’d had a busy morning catching up on the day’s schedule, meeting the team at the facility to discuss the status of their patients and prioritise his cases depending on the urgency of their conditions.

One of the reasons he’d relocated to the clinic had been the hope it would be less demanding on his time, making more room for Gracie, with fewer emergencies coming in at all hours of the night when they were primarily a rehabilitation facility.

However, his caseload was always full, dealing with back-related conditions that required surgical intervention. The clinic’s reputation, combined with the privacy and beautiful surroundings provided by the location, made it the ideal hiding place for the rich and famous wishing to recuperate away from the glare of the spotlight and the paparazzi.

He understood that mind-set to some extent. Unknown to his fellow islanders, he was a bit of a celebrity in his own right. In Spain, at least. The eldest son of a duke attracted more attention than he’d ever been comfortable with, and though he’d been glad to leave that cosseted lifestyle behind to come to America and study anonymously, it had caused a huge fallout with his family, but he didn’t regret the sacrifice he’d made when it meant he and Gracie retained their privacy.

The majority of Rafael’s clients here tended to be sports stars keen to recover from injury as quickly and quietly as possible and the on-site rehab facilities provided everything they needed post-surgery.

He didn’t follow American sports himself but even he’d heard of Tom Horner, the ex-football star turned commentator, who was here for a lumbar discectomy to relieve his sciatica pain. The procedure Rafael was carrying out today was to remove the herniated portion of the lumbar disc pressing against a nerve.

‘Buenos días, Doc.’ The All-American hero slapped his meaty hand into Rafael’s and shook it vigorously. Even now, in his fifties, the man was a powerhouse, the strength of the handshake alone reverberating through Rafael’s limbs so he dreaded to imagine how much damage a hit from him in his heyday would have caused.

‘Buenas tardes, Señor Horner. Are you all set for your surgery today?’ The surgery unit was still in its infancy at present but sufficient that they could carry out procedures on an outpatient basis. Any major operations were still carried out at their sister hospital, Boston Harbour, and patients were often transferred here for secondary surgeries as well as rehabilitation. Sometimes they had a team out from Boston to assist and other times Rafael’s expertise was required back on the mainland and the sharing of skills was working successfully so far.

‘I can’t wait to have it done and get back to normal.’ From his appearance alone no one would be able to tell this man had been in pain for some considerable time. A lot of people tended to look vulnerable sitting in a hospital bed in their gowns, waiting to put their lives literally in the hands of the doctors here. Not Tom Horner. His hulking frame dominated the space, the fabric of the flimsy gown stretched to accommodate him and he was as intimidating a presence as ever.

‘You know you’ll have to take it easy for a while after surgery? We’ll discuss it at length post-op but we need to make sure you avoid any undue strain to keep your spine in proper alignment.’ He knew Tom’s kind, having started out in sports therapy. Sportsmen didn’t make the easiest patients, wanting to shake off injury as soon as possible to get back on their feet and back in the game, often ignoring rehab advice to their detriment.

‘Don’t worry, Doc. I’ve hired a place on the west side of the island where I’m doing nothing but resting up until I’m fighting fit again. As far as anyone knows, I’m on extended vacation and I want to keep it that way.’

‘Of course.’ Although wear and tear on the body was all part of the ageing process, Rafael had treated men and women who saw it as a sign of weakness, almost something to be ashamed about. Whilst it wasn’t his business who his patients did or didn’t tell about their health problems, it was his duty to ensure there was some after-care in place at home. ‘Do you have any family or friends over with you who can help you out during your recuperation?’

He hadn’t seen any evidence of a support system even at the initial consultation in Boston before Tom had followed him out here, over the moon at the prospect of having his treatment in private.

The big man’s cheeks turned pink before he answered. ‘My daughter’s here, fussing around. She insisted on coming with me but as far as the ex-wife is concerned we’re on a father-daughter getaway. Terri can read me better than her mom ever could and knew there was something going on.’ He threw his hands up in exasperation and the fact his daughter had got the better of him made the corners of Rafael’s mouth tilt upwards for the first time that day.

Daughters had that knack of tying their fathers up in knots around their little fingers. Thankfully that bond didn’t break even when the marriage did. At least, not for him. Gracie’s mother hadn’t had any problem abandoning her child but she’d never taken to being a parent the way he had and now he was doing the job for both of them.

The responsibility of motherhood had curbed her nights out when he’d been working and unable to mind their daughter. A baby with special needs had been a step too far for a woman who had still thought and acted like a single twenty-something. It had almost been a relief when she’d ended things because they’d been able to stop pretending she was a wife or a mother. It was entirely Christina’s loss she’d never got to be part of her beautiful daughter’s life, the daughter who’d exceeded all of those damning predictions regarding her development.

He’d made a success of his life without the assistance of his family and at least Gracie had a father who loved her and would do everything he could to ensure she thrived.

‘I’m glad you have someone to make sure you do as you’re told. It will help your recovery.’ The clinic staff would operate, provide medication and follow-up treatment, including physiotherapy, but there were practical things Tom would require at home to smooth the transition from the clinic.

‘Don’t worry, Terri’s at the beach house now, adapting it for the return of the invalid. She even insisted on buying me slip-on loafers for the duration of my stay so I don’t have to bend down to tie my laces.’ The absolute horror on his face that he should be subjected to such an atrocity was comical. Rafael silently wished Terri good luck, hoping she would prove equally as stubborn as her father. She’d probably have to tie him down to prevent him from rushing his recovery.

‘Think yourself fortunate to have someone willing to take care of you. Not everyone does.’ He had a momentary lapse into self-pity, considering his options should he ever find himself in the same situation. There were no loving family members around for him to rely on. It was a sobering and ironic thought that he’d probably have to pay someone to provide that assistance.

If he’d stayed in San Sebastian, as his parents had wanted, and had never left Spain, he would’ve had every medical or child expert available to the eldest son of a duke. Therein had lain the problem. He’d never wanted to remain tied to that lifestyle, living off ancient connections to the royal family and trying to stay relevant by portraying himself like his playboy brother to the paparazzi.

This life of anonymity had suited him better, even though his family had seen his move to the States as a betrayal of his heritage. He hadn’t spoken to them since but as they hadn’t accepted him for who he was, he knew they would never acknowledge Gracie for being different either. She wouldn’t fit into the perfect family they preferred to parade for the cameras, neither would he subject her to those expectations.

He had played along for a while for appearances’ sake but Gracie wouldn’t understand that’s what she was supposed to do and she shouldn’t have to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. It was better for her to be loved for who she was, even if he was the only one in her life able to give her that unconditional love.

Unfortunately, that left him with no next of kin here if anything should happen to him. Tom should appreciate someone caring enough not to back away when he needed them most.

‘Not as fortunate as you, Doc, that’s for sure. Oo-ee!’ Tom’s appreciative whistle was lost on Rafael.

‘Excuse me?’ He cocked his head to one side, waiting for an explanation when he could see no reason why a successful pundit would exhibit the slightest bit of jealousy towards him.

‘Forgive me for speaking out of turn but if I had a wife who looked like yours, she wouldn’t be an ex.’ The bawdy laugh didn’t help unravel the mystery for Rafael, only deepened it. He had no idea how anyone here would know about Christina, but if they were acquainted with her they’d also be aware nursing anyone wasn’t in her DNA. Her job was strictly in medical research and she wasn’t hands on in any way unless she was in a club with her girlfriends in the early hours of the morning and looking for some male attention.

‘I think you must be mistaking me for someone else.’ He decided not to go down that dark alley and dismissed it to concentrate on Tom’s notes.

Unfortunately, Tom wasn’t so easily deterred from whatever it was he thought was going on in Rafael’s life.

‘I saw you this morning with your family when I came in. Beautiful. You’re a very lucky man. We weren’t good together, me and Jess, but I miss having that closeness with someone, you know?’

He didn’t know, staring at him blankly for some time before it dawned on him who his patient was referring to.

‘Oh. Oh!’ An image of him handing over the care of his daughter to Summer in the corridor popped into his head. He supposed to an outsider the mistake was understandable but it did knock the breath out of him that Tom had assumed her to be his wife and Gracie’s mother. Did she really appear so comfortable in either role?

‘Summer’s not my wife, she’s—’ What exactly was she? An employee? A co-worker? None of those titles accurately depicted how significant she’d become in their daily lives yet he couldn’t describe her as a friend either. Not when he was trying so hard to resist having her play a part in his personal life for his own sanity.

There was no discernible line between work and personal matters when Summer’s efforts with his daughter broke through any perceived barriers. He reaped the benefits at home with Gracie’s improved verbal and motor skills apparently honed by the time and energy Summer had put into working with Gracie.

However, with every achievement she accomplished, guilt took a bigger nibble at his conscience—that if he’d spent that time with her instead he could’ve been the one to further her progress. Except that would have prohibited them from moving to the island, having an income or helping countless people with his surgical skills.

He had to accept some things were out of his control. Including thoughts about Miss Summer Ryan, which seemed to be coming much more frequently and less about educational matters.

Contemplation about her current relationship status, how she was spending her evenings or if she liked him beyond her official capacity were not things he should be concerning himself with if he considered her only in her role at the day-care centre.

He wanted to get to know her but with that came a whole web of complications he couldn’t afford to get caught up in again. Investing emotionally in someone other than his daughter left him vulnerable to another rejection or worse, more heartbreak he could do without when he would still have to get up every morning and carry on for Gracie’s sake.

‘Summer’s my daughter’s nursery teacher,’ he filled in, unwilling to give his patient any further insight into his complicated personal matters. ‘Now, are you clear about what’s going to happen today in surgery?’

‘Could you run it by me again, Doc?’

‘I’m going to make a small incision in your lower back and insert a small tube that will act as a corridor for me to access the herniated disc with minimal tissue disruption to the surrounding area. We’ll use local anaesthetic and some mild sedation so you won’t feel anything.’ Sometimes there could be irritation afterwards caused by the operation itself but once the bone spur or disc material causing the pain was removed, patients usually felt an improvement.

‘That’s all I need to hear.’

‘I’m sure we’ll have you back on the football field in no time at all.’ He closed Tom’s file with a smile and tucked it under his arm.

‘I spend more time behind the sports desk these days but I appreciate the confidence.’

They parted on a friendly, firm handshake but the exchange had shaken Rafael. It wasn’t the fact someone had assumed Summer was part of his family that bothered him. No, it was that the idea wasn’t totally unappealing to him. Exactly why he should try extra-hard to push her out and prevent her from doing to him what every other person close to him had done and let him go without a fight.

CHAPTER TWO

‘SEE YOU TOMORROW.’ Summer waved off another of the little ones for the day as her parents finished work and came to collect their baby.

People came and went from the nursery at different times according to shift patterns or unforeseen overtime. The clinic even provided a live-in night service for those hard-working doctors and nurses who had to cover nights in the clinic and required extra child care. The set-up was all to keep disruption to a minimum for the families of the employees here, and attracted the best medics in their field for that reason.

The day-care aspect of her job could be seen as a step down on the career ladder when she was a highly qualified child life specialist. However, the position she’d held in Boston had proved difficult to transfer from when it was in such a competitive field and she’d needed something, anything, to get her away from her ex-boyfriend and the wife he’d reconciled with.

It had turned out her skills had become useful for the small children’s wing they’d later opened at the clinic. Although there wasn’t yet a need for a full-time child life specialist, she’d come to an arrangement with Alex and Cody to go wherever she was needed most.

Currently, she was content to help keep the children entertained at day-care but the arrival of the Walsh twins on the island had ensured her diary was full in both areas.

‘Papa?’ At the sign of activity around the door, Gracie came to stand beside her with her pink backpack clutched in her hands.

‘Not yet, Gracie. Your papa was working very hard today so he might be a bit later than usual.’ The erratic hours were something the staff accounted for but it could be difficult for the children to comprehend. Especially for the younger ones or those like Gracie with learning difficulties. It didn’t matter how often she was told her father wouldn’t be taking her home yet, when she saw other parents arriving for their sons and daughters she expected to leave with them. The best thing in these circumstances was to try and distract her until Rafael did get here.

‘Home.’

‘I know you want to go home, sweetheart. Why don’t we make your papa a nice picture while we’re waiting?’ Summer eased the bag out of her hands and hung it back on her coat peg. With the aid of some glitter and glue she could try and keep her busy enough to forget his absence temporarily.

Summer wasn’t privy to the family circumstances but from observation she could see life wasn’t easy for father or daughter without the mother’s presence. What Gracie needed more than anyone or anything was stability and currently the sea of ever-changing faces managing her care was doing nothing to aid that.

There was no one nominated care-giver at present, with different staff managing her needs according to the rotas and time sheets. The attention Summer provided whenever she could seemed to calm Gracie down, the meltdowns less frequent during her shifts. Perhaps it was because Gracie trusted her, or that she took more time trying to understand her than the staff who might not have as much as experience with special needs children, but she responded to Summer. Sometimes.

Without speaking or making eye contact, Gracie put a purple crayon into her hand and in her own way indicated she was supposed to contribute to the picture too. Summer pulled up one of the tiny chairs to join her at the colouring table.

‘You want me to do something?’

‘Draw,’ Gracie demanded, tapping the page impatiently.

With confident strokes Summer drew the bold outline of a flower, which her co-artist set about obliterating with a succession of colourful scribbles. She didn’t mind staying on even when her working day had supposedly ended. It wasn’t as though she had anyone waiting for her at home, or anything of a social life that necessitated consideration.

The child’s learning difficulties would probably require extra assistance when she reached school age but for now Summer was of the opinion she was the most qualified person in the nursery to look after her. There was no formal arrangement in place but if Rafael, the day-care manager and the medical directors agreed, she wanted to put herself forward to care exclusively for Gracie. Outside her clinic responsibilities, of course. That way there wouldn’t be a stream of strangers coming into her life day and night when Summer was willing to be there for her every minute she could, and offer that stability Gracie was lacking.

The biggest obstacle to overcome in that plan would be Dr Valdez himself and his insistence he could do everything single-handedly. If this morning was any indication, he was resistant to any offer of help. He’d been so defensive about the idea of her accompanying Gracie to nursery for him one would’ve thought she’d come from child protective services to take her from him permanently, not do him a favour.

‘Your father’s going to love this.’

Gracie smeared glue and glitter in between the now indistinguishable petals, turning the flower into a sparkly, purple blob she was sure the proud daddy would display along with her other works of art.

There was no verbal response from her protégé but once Gracie was interested in something it often became her sole focus. Although that could be problematic in public places, it did prove useful when Summer had to go elsewhere. Like now, as she saw Rafael through the window, striding towards the nursery unit.

She wanted to intercept him before Gracie spotted him and shut down any chance of a private talk about future arrangements for his daughter.

‘Kaylee, could you watch Gracie for a minute while I talk to her father?’ Summer quietly caught the attention of her colleague, trying not to disturb her art student or alert her to her father’s appearance in the process.

‘Sure.’ Quickly and quietly, Kaylee slid into the seat she’d vacated and Summer hoped she could achieve her goal before the switch became apparent.

With ninja-like stealth she slipped out, closed the door gently behind her and managed to accost her target in the hallway.

‘Dr Valdez, could I have a word with you about Graciela?’ She positioned herself directly in front of him, forcing him to come to a halt.

‘I’m late. Sorry.’ He rubbed his hands over his face, giving her some indication of the day he’d had. His dark brown eyes were hooded and heavy as though he hadn’t slept well in days and it made her more determined to offer some assistance. She wasn’t sure the man knew how to relax but she’d been around enough children with special medical needs to understand the toll it could take on the parents without them realising the importance of self-care.

There was also her experience of watching her own mom’s health decline rather than accept outside help. All those years of hard manual work her mother had done to earn a living, taking on cleaning jobs where she could, had caused the early onset of arthritis and limited her mobility at a relatively early age. If they’d given in and let someone else into their circle of trust, that might’ve been prevented, or at least delayed.

Summer opened her mouth to assure him she wasn’t here to scold him or delay him any longer than necessary, only for him to dodge around her. She backed up, praying there was nothing in her path she could fall over as she tottered backwards, trying to keep up with him. In the end she resorted to grabbing his arm to get him to stop, almost knocked completely off balance by the discovery of the taut muscles beneath his pale blue shirt.

It must be the swimming, she mused, before her mind drifted towards his cycling and running regime and what effect that might have on other parts of his body.

She shouldn’t be thinking of him in such a fashion but her imagination seemed to run wild where Rafael was concerned. Not only was it a conflict of interest when he was the parent of one of the children she worked alongside, but he represented everything she was afraid of in a potential partner. He had a young child she was already attached to, and they worked at the same clinic so any romantic daydreaming about him was a disaster waiting to happen.

By blurring that line she would put her job and her heart in jeopardy. She was afraid she mightn’t have any choice in the matter when she was fixating on something as innocent as touching his arm and reacting as though he’d given her a lap dance.

Rafael stared at the hand on his arm, then at her, his eyebrows raised at her audacity. She had to fight through the foggy muddle of her brain now flicking through snapshots of him in cycle shorts and sweat-drenched running gear to search for words to string a sentence together. Perhaps she really should think about getting back into the dating scene—restricted to single men she didn’t work with—if her body was so desperately craving some interaction with male company.

‘Gracie. There should be a constant in her life.’ It didn’t quite articulate everything she’d intended but it was the gist of why she’d come out here to him and sufficient for that dark scowl to slide over his face as he began walking away again.

‘I was in surgery. It couldn’t be helped. I’ll collect her now and we’ll be on our way.’

No, no, no. This wasn’t going the way she’d planned at all. She’d merely succeeded in ticking him off even more.

She spun around and was forced into a half-run to catch up with him this time.

‘Can you stop so we can talk properly?’ Okay, she was verging on the bossy side of insolence in a professional capacity but the man was infuriating at times.

He pulled on the brakes with a hiss of air through his teeth. ‘What exactly is it you want, Miss Ryan?’

Miss Ryan. Not Summer, as every other person on the island referred to her. She was sure he did it to annoy her, keeping things formal so it was impossible for her to penetrate his defences.

‘Sorry, I wasn’t criticising you. What I meant to say was that I’d like to offer some assistance with Gracie’s care. I thought I might take on sole responsibility for her nursery care where I can. I’d have to run it past my superiors but I think that continuity of care when you’re working would help her flourish. You saw yourself how stressed she gets with change.’

* * *

‘This is about us running late this morning?’ He shook his head, any possibility of him agreeing to her plans evaporating before her eyes.

‘No.’ She refused to be embarrassed about standing up for what she believed in, although her temple was throbbing with the threat of a stress headache. This was so much harder than it ought to be and he was making it that way. Or it could be her recent inability to express herself adequately. Something she’d never had trouble with previously.

If it wasn’t for their common goal of getting Gracie as settled into island life as possible she’d have given up explaining herself and gone home for date night with a tub of mint choc chip. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to help anyone and would only make her feel even more nauseous than she was for having started this conversation in the first place.

She took a deep breath and cleared her mind of everything except the little dark-haired girl who lived predominantly in a world of her own and started over. ‘As you’re aware, I have experience of dealing with children who have specific needs and I was merely suggesting we could discuss an arrangement for Gracie. I would have no objection to taking over her care, day or night, if it suited you, rather than having a variety of new faces parading through her life.’

He studied her silently for a moment too long, those dark eyes scrutinising her every word and body language as though searching for her true intentions. Well, he had nothing to fear. As far as she was concerned, it was about time someone else stood up for Gracie along with her father.

Finally, he said, ‘I don’t think so,’ and left so abruptly Summer gasped at his brusque dismissal. No discussion. No explanation. No gratitude. She was sorry she’d even approached him about the matter when she didn’t appear to be anything more than a nuisance to the busy surgeon.

Rafael didn’t stop to hear any more or break into a smile until he walked into the nursery unit where he was assaulted in the face with his daughter’s painting. Summer reached them as they were preparing to leave, no further conversation apparently warranted as he took his daughter’s hand.

‘Vámonos, Graciela.’

Let’s go. He may as well have added they needed to get away from this crazy lady by the way he was staring at her. As he swung the child up onto his shoulders and walked away, singing to her in that deep Spanish burr, Summer wondered if he had a split personality or simply a Summer Ryan aversion when he was so wonderful with his daughter and his patients.

Her sigh was full of regret for the tunnel vision he had when it came to Gracie’s guardianship but also because, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get Rafael to like her. Although extremely rare, it was still soul-destroying when issues occurred between her and parents of the children she worked with. This was worse, when lusting after him wasn’t something they could easily work through together. The best that she could hope for was that he’d learn to tolerate her for Gracie’s sake and she’d get over this crush, soon, before it began to affect more than her concentration.

* * *

Supper. Bath. Bed. It was a routine Rafael had been able to implement with Gracie from an early age and had been working very effectively. Until now.

‘Come on, Gracie. We’re both tired. Why don’t you put your pyjamas on and I’ll read you a story in bed?’ He’d given up on the other two stages now when the walls were coated in the supper he’d made and he was soaked from head to toe with bath water while Gracie remained bone dry.

‘No.’ She ran off again down the hall away from all thoughts of sleep when it was all he wanted to do.

He pulled the plug out of the bath and drained away what water there was left in the tub and used a towel to mop up the rest on the floor. She’d got into the bath initially but, rather than sit down and play with her toys as usual, she’d stood screaming and kicking the water until he’d had no option but to lift her out again. Rafael couldn’t stand to see her distressed yet he didn’t know what had set her off tonight.

‘Por favor. Please, Gracie.’ The toddler pulled off her bath robe and streaked away from him, screeching at the top of her lungs.

At the lowest point of his day now, he was tempted to reconsider Summer’s proposal. If he withdrew the inference that he wasn’t being a good enough parent to manage alone, he still didn’t think it a good idea to turn over responsibility of Gracie’s care to someone else merely on their say-so.

Once the red mist had dissipated he could see Summer had meant well and he should’ve been more appreciative of her interest, more gracious in his refusal of the offer. After all she had nothing to gain in making herself available for Gracie except, in his mind, the possibility of undermining his position in his daughter’s life and taking the moral high ground. He knew it was a ridiculous notion but he was so unaccustomed to having people help it made him wary.

The last time he’d felt backed into a corner, forced to ask someone else to share the responsibility, he’d almost lost his daughter and had had his commitment to her questioned. It wasn’t easy for him to swallow his pride and his fears and accept genuine support when it was being given freely.

If Summer could see the two of them now she’d be entitled to wag a finger and say, ‘See? You need me,’ before providing the calm voice of reason his daughter might be more inclined to listen to than her father. He’d worked alongside Summer enough in the clinic with the twins to have experienced that patience she had with the children and the rapport she was able to build with them individually. It was the same with Gracie.

If he was honest about why he didn’t want her involved in his life beyond the clinic, it was that building panic at the thought of letting her get too close to his daughter, or him, on a personal level. She had a sweet smile to match her easygoing nature around the kids and it was impossible not to be impressed by her dedication as well as her beauty, but he hadn’t moved to an island to find himself in exactly the same situation he’d left in Boston.

He couldn’t afford to start relying on her being there for him in case the time came when she decided she’d had enough too. Then he’d end up back at square one, having to fight through his own grief to support Gracie on his own. It had taken this long to get where they were and now they were happy he had no desire to get knocked back down.

They’d been through too much to have to face that kind of devastation again. Unless he was guaranteed to have a partner willing to be by his side for the rest of his days it was pointless even forming an attachment. Eventually even this beautiful young woman would tire of their demands on her time and want to move on.

Too bad that self-preservation seemed to manifest in his grouchy alter ego intent on protecting him from Summer’s charms. His attempt to keep her at arm’s length simply seemed to spur her on to display a dogged determination and passion that did nothing to diminish his admiration for her, even though he couldn’t show it. He had enough on his hands trying to wrangle a three-year-old to bed without debating the pros and cons of getting into another relationship. There simply wasn’t room for another female whirlwind to wreak havoc in his life.

‘Graciela Valdez, will you please come here and put your pyjamas on now?’ It was half command, half plea. He was willing to forget the last few hours of Gracie Armageddon if she would get into bed and finally go to sleep. Then he might get an hour or two to wind down before he had to do this all over again. Obviously, he needed to retire earlier than he had last night to avoid oversleeping again, when they were still experiencing the effects of that slip-up now.

He’d known Summer’s assessment was correct about the disruption to Gracie’s routine setting her off on the subsequent trail of mayhem and chaos. Sometimes it was easy to forget this cute bundle couldn’t be railroaded into things she didn’t want to do for convenience’s sake. Logic didn’t fit into her life the way it did for most.

He heard the handle turning on Gracie’s bedroom door before she emerged, dressed, if not in the night-time attire he’d have chosen for her.

‘That’s what you’re wearing to bed?’ He was resigned to letting her wear the colourful mismatched socks, the princess dress he’d bought for her birthday—complete with sparkly tiara—and fairy wings, regardless of how uncomfortable he imagined they’d be to sleep in. If he could get her to sleep there was a chance he could slip the tiara and wings off at some point without causing too much of a fuss. At this point in time he’d agree to wearing a matching outfit if they could just bring this day to an end.

Gracie nodded, her lips pursed and brow furrowed as though she was prepared to fight some more for her fashion choices. Any such notion of another battle of wills left him feeling drained. ‘Okay then.’

Except she still had no intention of going to bed as she bounced her way down the staircase to the lounge. Rafael had no option left than to leave her to tire herself out. He knew when to pick his battles with her and this wasn’t worth the fight. At least the screaming had stopped and he decided if he wasn’t permitted some time to sit back and chill, he may as well catch up on some paperwork. That was the part of his job he wasn’t enamoured with and if he completed it during working hours, he’d never have a minute to see his patients.

He let the television babysit his daughter for a few minutes to retrieve the briefcase he’d left in the hall beside his bike, thinking he wouldn’t see either again until the next morning. With Gracie sitting happily on the couch, legs swinging and humming along to whatever bright, noisy children’s show she’d found, he seated himself at the dining table. It gave him sufficient room to spread out his notes and files and the open-plan style of the villa provided an unobscured view of his daughter at the same time. Although he would have to try and block out the noise or he’d never be able to concentrate.

He set the case on the table and flicked open the catches. The picture Gracie had presented him with at day-care was laid on top and he set it to one side to stick on the fridge door later, if he could find a space alongside her other artwork. He also lifted out an uneaten orange and a banana beginning to turn brown, leftovers from the lunch he hadn’t had time to eat. His pen, his diary and various pieces of stationery lined the bottom of the bag but there were no case notes.

‘Where are they?’ he asked aloud to the now-empty elaborate lunch pail. His hand connected to his forehead in a slap of sudden realisation. The files were sitting on his desk at work. He’d intended to go back and fetch them from the office but he’d been so preoccupied with picking Gracie up from day-care he’d forgotten. The perfect day from hell.

They lived so close to the clinic it seemed silly not to simply swing by and pick them up, and another glance at Gracie, who was now jumping on the couch, confirmed there was no danger of her going to bed soon. If he could wrestle a coat on her she could accompany him and they’d be there and back in fifteen minutes, tops.

‘Hey, Gracie, do you want to come with Papa to work?’

* * *

It should’ve been a quick trip in and out but he hadn’t factored in the time spent chatting to passers-by enchanted by his daughter’s quirky sense of style.

‘Yes, she is quite a character.’

‘No, I didn’t dress her, this is all her own creation.’

An elderly woman being wheeled through towards the rehab ward hailed the porter to stop as though he was her personal chauffeur. This had to be the infamous Philomena Kerridge-Bates he’d heard was here to recuperate after a broken hip. No one other than a millionairess and a Society Grand Dame would have accessorised her hospital gown with matching priceless diamond earrings and necklace. ‘This child should be in bed,’ she decreed with a dismissive wave of her elegant hand.

‘I agree, she should.’ He didn’t bother to argue or explain and hold them all up.

Everyone always wanted to offer him parenting advice so he’d become accustomed to it. The sight of a single dad drew pity from all corners, as though he was out of his depth without the child’s mother in tow. Strangers weren’t aware he’d been her only source of stability and love since birth and they’d been doing fine on their own since Christina had left. They’d probably been better off without her. Just as he was, without parents disappointed in who he’d become because he hadn’t fitted in with their idea of how a son should behave and had wanted to earn a living in his own right. Away from family influences and the glare of the spotlight they were happy to live in.

Generally, people on Maple Island had good intentions so he didn’t let it get to him and responded to comments with a forced smile. His private life, including his daughter’s welfare and his wife’s whereabouts, was his business and as such he refused to give anyone the satisfaction of dispelling rumour with fact.

He simply wished Philomena well on her way and reckoned their other feisty resident Theodore Harrington, or Old Salty as he was better known, might have met his match. The cantankerous fisherman was still recovering after his leg had been crushed when the ferry carrying twins on their way to the clinic had broken down in last month’s storms and he’d gone to rescue them.

He’d already been discharged once, but he hadn’t looked after himself properly and had ended up badly aggravating the injury. In serious pain again, he’d reluctantly allowed himself to be persuaded to return to the clinic for a longer stretch of rehab, so they could keep an eye on him until he was fully healed.

He wasn’t an easy patient to deal with, obviously used to living on his own, but he was now the local hero so they were forced to put up with him and his pearls of wisdom as he told everyone how to do their jobs.

The main problem with the attention Gracie was drawing tonight was that she hated it. She barely tolerated people she knew but strangers were a complete no-go area for her. Anything new and unfamiliar was a source of stress and could easily increase her anxiety level but she knew the clinic and he hadn’t imagined there’d be as many people about at this time of night.

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