“The only people who know are Brittany and Skylar. And the lawyers, obviously. Even Lana’s staff weren’t told, for obvious reasons, since at least one of them let a journalist into the house. Who does that? Who stalks a child?” She put the mug down and stared over the garden. “I’m not going to be able to keep it a secret, am I? This place is going to be crowded with tourists in the summer. Someone is going to recognize her.”

“Not necessarily. You forget that they’re not looking. This isn’t Hollywood. People come here to spend time away from the busy crush of their lives. They come here for the coast and the sea air.”

“One of the locals will say something, then. Her picture was on the front page of the newspaper. They shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”

“The community is very protective of its own.”

“But I’m not a member of the community.”

“You’re Brittany’s friend, living in Brittany’s cottage. That makes you a local.”

“All it takes is one person. One call to the press and suddenly the island is flooded with them, like ants finding sugar to feed on.”

He finished his coffee. “You’re safe here tonight. Tomorrow we’ll formulate a plan.”

She knew a plan wasn’t going to change the basic facts.

Like it or not, she was responsible for a child.

* * *

He drove home along the coast road, saw a light burning in Alec’s house, considered stopping in and then decided he’d end up fielding questions he didn’t want to answer.

He avoided the bustle of the bar and went straight to his apartment. The building that now housed the Ocean Club Apartments had originally been a boatyard. It had stood empty for over three decades, battered by storms and winter weather, which was why he’d managed to buy the land for a ridiculously low price. He’d seen potential where others hadn’t.

It had been a labor of love converting it, but his reward had been a profitable rental business and a premium apartment he could have sold a hundred times over. It stretched the length of the building and had a large glass-fronted open-plan living space that was always flooded with light regardless of season or weather.

At night he liked to sprawl on one of the sofas and watch the sun melt into the sea. Tonight he made straight for the office area in the corner and flipped open his laptop.

He hit the power switch and grabbed a beer from the fridge while he waited for it to boot up. Sprawling in the chair, he thought about the woman.

Those green eyes had been the first thing he’d noticed about her when she’d opened the door to him that day, closely followed by those delicious curves that no amount of discreet clothing could conceal.