She didn’t even want to think about how she’d felt. ‘The hardest thing was seeing Lexi so hurt. I thought if we moved here we’d be right away from it. I thought it would be good—but at the moment she just hates me for dragging her away from her friends. She’s worried no one here will speak to her. And I have no idea why I’m telling you all this.’

‘Because I asked. And don’t worry about no one speaking to her. This is Glenmore,’ Ryan said dryly. ‘There aren’t enough people here for anyone to be ignored. It’s a small community.’

‘I hope she doesn’t get into any trouble.’ Jenna stared over her shoulder towards the grassy hill where Lexi had disappeared. ‘I think she’s very vulnerable at the moment.’

‘If it’s any consolation, there are not a lot of places to find trouble here. Mrs Parker aside, the crime rate on Glenmore is very low. When we do have trouble it’s almost always tourists and nothing serious. Nick Hillier, the island policeman, has a pretty boring job. If there’s a group of tourists drunk on the beach then it’s an exciting day for him. You have nothing to worry about.’

‘I’m a mother. Worrying yourself to death is part of the package. It never changes. From the moment they’re born, you’re worrying. When they sleep you check them every five minutes to see if they’re breathing. Once I even woke Lexi up in the night just to check she was alive. Can you believe that?’

His eyes amused, Ryan reached for his coffee. ‘Our new mothers’ group will love you. They talk about that sort of stuff all the time and I just nod sagely and say it’s all normal.’

‘But you’re secretly thinking they’re a bit odd?’

‘Waking a sleeping baby? I have mothers tearing their hair out because the baby doesn’t sleep, so, yes, it seems a bit odd to hear mothers worrying when the baby does sleep.’

‘Once you have children you worry about everything, from sharp knives to global warming. And it doesn’t stop.’ Jenna shook her head, finding it a relief to talk to someone. He was a good listener. ‘Will they fall off that bike they’re riding? Will they remember to look both ways when they cross the road? You want them to be polite to people, and then you’re worried they’ll be too polite and might go off with some stranger because they don’t want to give offense–’

‘Jenna, relax! You’re going to give yourself a nervous breakdown and you haven’t even unpacked yet. You need to learn to chill.’