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Authors: Elisabeth Rose
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do you know how old I am?” The smile faded as a cautious note entered her voice.
“I guessed again.” Shay cursed himself but maintained what he hoped was an inscrutable expression. “I’m a doctor, remember. I have a trained eye for the human condition.”
Joelle stared at him for a moment and he returned her gaze steadily.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Twenty nine.”
“Are you married?”
“No. Are you?”
“No.”
“What about that guy in the shop?” Shay asked. He leaned forward slightly. The man had been angry with her. In love with her. Not good enough for her. He knew the type, brash, confident and clueless about anything other than making money.
“Paul?”
“He seemed upset.”
“He was a bit.”
Annie slid their coffees onto the table. “Anything else?” Her eyes rested on Shay and then swung to Joelle briefly. Almost accusing.
“No thanks,” he said. Joelle shook her head.
“Thanks, Annie.”
Annie sauntered away slowly.
“Annie doesn’t like you to have coffee?” he suggested.
“She thinks I’m Paul’s girlfriend,” she said. “Everyone does.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Not anymore.” Joelle looked him straight in the eye and her gaze pierced him like a knife. William’s question resounded in his brain. “And what will she think?” At the time he’d been too distraught and disappointed to think much about it. Now he could see what William meant.
Joelle would see him as a man who was interested in her as a woman. He’d even encouraged her and he had been interested in her as a woman, very interested. Until he knew she was his sister. After that she became something else entirely, an untouchable woman as Lisa was untouchable despite the fact she wasn’t his blood relation.
Selfish and self centred. He hadn’t considered the situation, that angle in particular, from her side at all but what was she logically supposed to think? He’d read the look in her eyes when they first met. It matched his. And now she was telling him she’d busted up with her boyfriend and was available.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “It looked to me as though he was in love with you.”
“But I don’t love him,” she said. “He…smothers me.” She fiddled with the teaspoon.
Shay sipped his coffee. “Tell me about life in Sunshine Point,” he said.
Joelle stirred sugar into her cappuccino. “It’s quiet most of the time. Busy in summer of course.”
“What does your Dad do?”
“He was a schoolteacher, a principal, but he had a cancer scare last year and had to retire.”
“Is he all right now?” Explained the thinness and the fragile look of the man.
“Yes, so far. Mum works part time as a receptionist at a dentist’s. She cut back her hours so she can keep an eye on him. My sisters and I don’t live at home any more but we see them as much as possible.”
“How many sisters?”
“Two, younger. Bridget and Melanie. What about you?”
“Actually,” said Shay slowly. “I’m adopted. I have one real sister but two older brothers and a sister in my adopted family.”
“Did you always know you were adopted?” Strange how adoption fascinated people. Her face was alight with curiosity. Normally he didn’t offer the information in casual conversation.
“Yes. My parents always told me the truth. They’re big on that. Telling the truth.”
“What’s it like, being adopted?”
“I was lucky, they treated me exactly like the other kids. They’re wonderful people.”
“Have you ever met your real sister?” she asked softly, her blue eyes glancing up at him from beneath long lashes.
Shay hesitated. “I’ve wanted to find her my whole life. No-one knows who our father was. Our mother died having my sister and she was adopted when she was about two weeks old. I was a toddler.”
“How sad. So she’d be about my age.”
“Yes. About your age.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m adopted,” said Joelle wryly. She picked up her coffee and
“I guessed again.” Shay cursed himself but maintained what he hoped was an inscrutable expression. “I’m a doctor, remember. I have a trained eye for the human condition.”
Joelle stared at him for a moment and he returned her gaze steadily.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Twenty nine.”
“Are you married?”
“No. Are you?”
“No.”
“What about that guy in the shop?” Shay asked. He leaned forward slightly. The man had been angry with her. In love with her. Not good enough for her. He knew the type, brash, confident and clueless about anything other than making money.
“Paul?”
“He seemed upset.”
“He was a bit.”
Annie slid their coffees onto the table. “Anything else?” Her eyes rested on Shay and then swung to Joelle briefly. Almost accusing.
“No thanks,” he said. Joelle shook her head.
“Thanks, Annie.”
Annie sauntered away slowly.
“Annie doesn’t like you to have coffee?” he suggested.
“She thinks I’m Paul’s girlfriend,” she said. “Everyone does.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Not anymore.” Joelle looked him straight in the eye and her gaze pierced him like a knife. William’s question resounded in his brain. “And what will she think?” At the time he’d been too distraught and disappointed to think much about it. Now he could see what William meant.
Joelle would see him as a man who was interested in her as a woman. He’d even encouraged her and he had been interested in her as a woman, very interested. Until he knew she was his sister. After that she became something else entirely, an untouchable woman as Lisa was untouchable despite the fact she wasn’t his blood relation.
Selfish and self centred. He hadn’t considered the situation, that angle in particular, from her side at all but what was she logically supposed to think? He’d read the look in her eyes when they first met. It matched his. And now she was telling him she’d busted up with her boyfriend and was available.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “It looked to me as though he was in love with you.”
“But I don’t love him,” she said. “He…smothers me.” She fiddled with the teaspoon.
Shay sipped his coffee. “Tell me about life in Sunshine Point,” he said.
Joelle stirred sugar into her cappuccino. “It’s quiet most of the time. Busy in summer of course.”
“What does your Dad do?”
“He was a schoolteacher, a principal, but he had a cancer scare last year and had to retire.”
“Is he all right now?” Explained the thinness and the fragile look of the man.
“Yes, so far. Mum works part time as a receptionist at a dentist’s. She cut back her hours so she can keep an eye on him. My sisters and I don’t live at home any more but we see them as much as possible.”
“How many sisters?”
“Two, younger. Bridget and Melanie. What about you?”
“Actually,” said Shay slowly. “I’m adopted. I have one real sister but two older brothers and a sister in my adopted family.”
“Did you always know you were adopted?” Strange how adoption fascinated people. Her face was alight with curiosity. Normally he didn’t offer the information in casual conversation.
“Yes. My parents always told me the truth. They’re big on that. Telling the truth.”
“What’s it like, being adopted?”
“I was lucky, they treated me exactly like the other kids. They’re wonderful people.”
“Have you ever met your real sister?” she asked softly, her blue eyes glancing up at him from beneath long lashes.
Shay hesitated. “I’ve wanted to find her my whole life. No-one knows who our father was. Our mother died having my sister and she was adopted when she was about two weeks old. I was a toddler.”
“How sad. So she’d be about my age.”
“Yes. About your age.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m adopted,” said Joelle wryly. She picked up her coffee and
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