A Secret Shared... Read Online Free PDF Page A

was there. Or Kate. Whichever, both of them were laughing.
    ‘I’m sorry. Donna should have warned you. Maisie always tries that on.’
    ‘Donna?’ he said dangerously.
    ‘Our receptionist. She’s supposed to warn everyone. This is Maisie’s favourite party trick to get adults into the water. Strangely, she never tries it on kids. Only adults. She’s so clever.’
    ‘Right,’ Jack growled. To say he was feeling at a disadvantage was an understatement. He was dripping. He was in his boxers. On the other hand, Kate had obviously cleaned up after her time with Toby. She was wearing a soft blue skirt and white blouse. Her hair was neatly curled on top of her head. She looked fresh, professional...and deeply amused, but...
    ‘Maisie saved herself,’ Harry pronounced, and he was talking again. That was almost enough to make Jack forget about Kate. Almost. Her chuckle had him entranced.
    Kate wasn’t his type. She’d never really been his type, he conceded. Yes, there had been that initial attraction but he liked his women cool, sophisticated.
    Kate was cute rather than classically beautiful, he thought. She had freckles. Lots of freckles.
    She looked like the girl next door, he thought. So why was he looking at a pair of laughing eyes and thinking...thinking...
    He didn’t need to think in that direction. She’d always had secrets and he didn’t like it. This woman had some hidden agenda and Harry’s welfare was at stake. He needed to find out what was going on.
    But Kate was no longer looking at him. She’d stooped to crouch before Harry.
    ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I’m Kate, Maisie’s mother. I hear your uncle has brought you here to stay for a few days so you can meet Maisie and my friends, the dolphins.’
    Harry was back to saying nothing. Kate, however, didn’t appear in the least bit disconcerted. She rose, headed over the sandhill and came back carrying a bucket. Of fish.
    ‘I dumped these when I saw your uncle saving Maisie,’ she said, returning to them. ‘Wasn’t he brave? But isn’t Maisie clever to trick him? Jack, would you like to go and get dry while Harry and I feed the dolphins? Would you like a little time out?’
    It was exactly what he’d like. He was feeling...exposed. He was bare chested, bare legged and a bit chilly now the sun was sinking low, but he still had reservations about this woman. He wasn’t about to leave her alone with his nephew until he knew more.
    Harry was still not speaking, but he was peering into the bucket. Fish!
    ‘These are a snack for the wild dolphins,’ Kate said, talking exclusively to Harry. ‘We feed the dolphins in the healing pool, but every now and then we give our wild dolphins a treat. Some of the wild dolphins are ones we’ve treated here for injuries and let go, but most are just free dolphins who come to say hello. If we encourage them to stick around, when we have an injured dolphin who’s better we can release him into a group of friends. Do you think that’s a good idea?’
    Harry nodded.
    Jack had resolved not to trust this woman, but every ounce of Kate’s attention was focussed on Harry. He thought, It doesn’t matter if I trust or not, but if Harry trusts...
    He had to stick with him. He wasn’t going as far as letting this woman take over but something seemed to be working. He hauled his shirt over his still-damp torso and took Harry’s hand.
    Harry didn’t respond. There was never a moment when those small fingers curled around his. He trusted no one.
    ‘Where do you feed them?’ he asked, and she motioned to where the net divided the free bay from the pool.
    ‘At the boundary. I feed those in the pool and out so they see each other.’
    ‘But the pool ones can’t get out?’ Harry asked, and once more Jack held his breath.
    ‘The ones in the pool all have something wrong with them,’ Kate said, starting to walk down to the water, leaving them to follow if they willed. And, of course, they willed. Harry was moving even