Lexi strolled up to the table, earphones hanging from her ears, her iPod tucked into the back pocket of her jeans, her head bobbing to the rhythm. She was hanging on to Rebel, who was straining to run in the opposite direction. ‘Hi, Ryan.’

Jenna looked embarrassed. ‘Dr McKinley—’

‘Ryan is fine.’ He bent down to make a fuss of Rebel, who looked him in the eye and immediately sat.

‘Mum, did you see that? He sat without even being told!’ Lexi gaped at the dog. ‘Given that he’s behaving, you can hold him. I’m going to see my friends.’ Without waiting for a reply, she pushed the lead into her mother’s hand, took the cola Evanna was offering her with a smile of thanks and strolled across the sand to join a group of teenagers who were chatting together.

‘I have a feeling it was a mistake to bring a dog—this particular dog, anyway—to a barbecue.’ Gripping the lead until her knuckles were white, Jenna was still concentrating on Rebel. ‘Hopefully your influence will prevail and he’ll behave.’

‘I think you may have an exaggerated idea of my power.’

‘I hope not or I’m about to be seriously embarrassed.’

‘I think you’re already embarrassed.’ Ryan spoke quietly, so that he couldn’t be overheard by the people milling close to them. Keeping his eyes on her face, he watched her reaction. ‘And there’s no need to be. Just as there was no need to run off yesterday morning and avoid me all day in surgery.’

She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Rebel. Then she glanced sideways and checked no one was listening. Finally, she looked at him. ‘I haven’t kissed, or been kissed, for a long time.’

‘I know.’ He watched as the tension rippled down her spine.

‘I wasn’t sure how I felt about it—I mean—’ Her colour deepened. ‘Obviously I know how I felt, but I wasn’t sure what it all meant. I hadn’t expected—’

‘Neither had I.’ Suddenly he regretted starting this conversation in such a public place. He should have dragged her somewhere private where he could have matched actions with words.

‘Everyone is trying to pair us up.’

‘I know that, too.’

‘Doesn’t that put you off?’

‘I didn’t kiss you because it was what other people wanted, Jenna. I kissed you because it was what I wanted.’ And he still wanted it, he realised. Badly. Maybe two years of self-imposed isolation had intensified his feelings, but he had a feeling that it was something more than that.

‘Is everyone watching us now?’

‘Ignore them. What can I get you to drink?’

‘What are you drinking?’

‘Ginger beer,’ he said dryly, ‘but I’m on call. How about a glass of wine?’