Free A Secret Between Friends: A New Zealand Sexy Beach Romance (Treats to Tempt You Book 6) by Serenity Woods Page A

wasn’t responsible for her daughter’s death and would forgive her. It was a long shot, but with her own mother dead, Genie couldn’t bear the thought that Ciara’s mother would never speak to her again.
    Her throat tightened so she pushed the notion away. “The first thing we’re going to do is cooking lessons. Niall has a friend who’s a chef…”
    “Fox?”
    “Yeah. I’m thinking he’s probably spoken to him and organized something.”
    “I’ll be going into town around ten if you want me to drop you off.”
    “Nah, it’s okay, I’ll take Charlie.” Charlie was a red Mitsubishi Airtrek that Genie had bought the last time she was home on leave. The first initials of the licence plate were CHL, hence the name.
    Beck hesitated and stirred his muesli. “Have you been cleared to drive?”
    She paused in the process of lifting the coffee mug to her lips. Shit. She’d completely forgotten about her knee. Her eyes met Beck’s, and she saw the flicker of pity that passed through them. After sipping her coffee, she cleared her throat and replaced the mug on the table. “No, not yet. Maybe I’ll come in with you then.”
    “Sure.”
    She picked up her phone. Her knee, which had been great all night, twinged, and she winced and rubbed it absently. She’d have to make an appointment with the local surgery—the Army doctor had been very clear that she had to have someone check the wound while she was on leave, as well as insisting she saw a psychologist.
    Swiping her thumb across the phone, she leaned back to read the message again. She hit reply.
    Sure. Where shall I meet you?
    Another message came back almost instantly. By the pier. Should have finished last trip by then.
    She replied with a Cool, see you then, and put the phone away. He’d be busy all morning taking tourists out to the Hole in the Rock and finding pods of dolphins for them to photograph.
    Unbidden, her cheeks grew warm. She finished off the rest of her coffee and stood to carry the mug back to the kitchen. Blushing? She never blushed! Hopefully, Beck hadn’t noticed. If any of the guys got wind of the fact that she was soft on Niall, she’d never hear the end of it.
     

Chapter Eight
    Genie accompanied Beck into town, and spent an hour with him at Between the Sheets, letting him show her the changes he’d made since she was last home. He was inordinately proud of his bar, and she was happy to listen to him talk, pleased to see his eyes light up and his lips curve beneath the hairy beard she hadn’t quite gotten used to. He was still single, she noticed, with no mention of a girlfriend on the scene.
    Beck had married young, to a girl called Josie, but unfortunately eighteen months ago something—Genie had never discovered what, as both of them refused to talk about it—had gone awry with their marriage and they’d separated. One good thing had come out of it, though. The patter of tiny footsteps on the wooden floor announced the arrival of that item now, and Genie turned around in delight as Edward Sharpe ran across the bar and threw himself into her arms.
    “Teddy Bear!” Dropping awkwardly into a half-crouch, she squeezed him tightly, enjoying the answering stranglehold as he flung his little arms around her neck. “Oh, I’ve missed you.”
    “I missed you too, Auntie Gin!” The boy was the only person apart from Niall who called her Gin.
    She kissed his cheek. He looked like an angel, with blond curly hair, rosy red cheeks, and an innocent expression that totally belied his mischievous nature. He wore a gorgeous tiny pair of jeans and his favorite Buzz Lightyear T-shirt. “Look at you—you’ve grown up so much. You must be at least fifteen now.”
    He giggled. “You’re so silly! I’m three and a half.”
    “Goodness, of course you are.” She hugged him again. He smelled of shampoo and ice cream, not a bad combination.
    “Your dress has orange flowers,” he said, fingering the silky fabric.
    “It does, that’s