He’d abandoned his family and now truly believed he had the right to stand in front of me with that lost-little-boy expression on his face, like I was the cruel one for not taking him at his word.
I folded my arms, done with this discussion. “We shouldn’t be talking about this here.”
“You’re smarter than this.” He pressed on. “You can’t actually think he wants to date the sad single mother next door? You’re just an easy lay to him. A convenience. I don’t want you to get hurt. Or – or embarrassed.”
Four months ago, his words would have devastated me. His casual cruelty. Now, I was mad. Mad for me. Mad for Teddy because she deserved so much better.
“Again, you mean. Embarrassedagain,” I said. “Thanks for the concern, Cameron. Save it for the next time your daughter gets sick. Or at the very least, you could loan me the money for her school trip like you said you would.”
Shock slackened his features and his head snapped around, checking to see who might have overheard. Because that was more embarrassing to him than the fact it was true.
I might have felt smug, were I not so heartbroken for Teddy.
A high-pitched voice saved both of us from speaking further. “There you are! Baby, I’ve been looking everywhere –oh my god!”
Annabelle slipped under Cameron’s arm, then stumbled, hand tipping, when the toe of her wedge heel caught on a divot in the grass. Heat followed – violent and immediate – and I leaped back, crying out as hot coffee splashed down my chest, the burn seeping into my apron.
“Shit, Isla—” Cameron reached for me. But a firm set of hands got there first. Curling around my shoulders, holding me upright.
“You okay?” Alistair. Of course it was Alistair pulling the steaming fabric away from my body.
“I’m fine.” I winced, glancing down at myself. “The apron took the brunt of it.”
“You don’t look fine,” he clipped, already in full glowering-doctor mode. “You could have been scalded.”
Still might be. My stomach felt medium rare.
Annabelle’s eyes widened in delayed horror. “I’m so sorry, Isla. I tripped.”
“It was an accident,” Cameron interjected.
Annabelle’s arm linked through his, the action claiming. “And such a shame too because that T-shirt is so . . . unique. You know how brave I think your sense of style is.”
It burned almost as much as the coffee.
Even Cameron looked startled. “Isla, let me—” he started.
“I got it, Cam,” Alistair said. Like I’d let Cameron anywhere near me right now, anyway.
“It’sCameron.” Cameron sniffed.
Alistair didn’t even glance his way, too busy unlacing my apron with quick fingers and tugging it up. “I want to check you out myself.”
“It’s honestly fine,” I said, smoothing my ruffled hair that got tangled in the fabric.
“And I honestly don’t care.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and winked.Woah. The sheer hotness of Alistair winking was not something I’d prepared myself for. “Consider this a perk of having a doctor for a boyfriend.”
15
Alistair
I tried to keep my grip gentle as I steered Isla back to the food van. She looked completely lost in thought as I tossed the wet apron onto the counter and moved the cash box into a cupboard, instead of where I’d hurriedly hidden it below the counter.
“Let’s go to the toilet block, get you cleaned up,” I said, locking the van up behind us.
“This really isn’t necessary,” she said again, but allowed me to steer her across the busy field. She was at least holding her wet shirt away from her skin while I quickly unlocked my phone.
“And yet we’re doing it. I’ve texted Heather, asked her to keep Teddy a little longer.” It was an effort to keep my voice even, to mask the tension that had been licking up my throat from the second I’d watched Cameron stride away, assuming Isla would follow like a good little pet. Then the way he’d spoken to her—
