His father had never tried, and Australia was no longer part of Ryan’s life. But the idea of Far North Queensland for a honeymoon appealed to Felicity, and the fact that Ryan hadn’t seen his father for seventeen years intrigued his intended bride.

‘Ryan, I didn’t know you still had Australian citizenship. Hey, I have a conference in Hawaii in November. What if we meet in Australia straight afterwards? We can marry and honeymoon there, and maybe you can visit your father before I arrive.’

‘We should arrive there together,’ Ryan insisted. ‘If I make my flight the day after your conference ends…’

Felicity arched her beautifully pencilled eyebrows and decided to humour him. Well, why not? Ryan Henry was certainly worth humouring. Tall, dark and drop-dead handsome, as well as being one of the country’s most promising young surgeons, Ryan was a hunk in any woman’s eyes.

‘Scared of meeting your father on your own, then?’ she teased. ‘OK, Ryan, I’ll come with you.’

But she hadn’t. Ryan might have known she wouldn’t. Emotional family reunions weren’t Felicity’s scene. Ryan had landed in Cairns this morning to be met by a message from Felicity. She was still in Hawaii.

‘There’s a post-conference meeting it’s imperative I attend. Ryan, these people are so important careet-wise. I’ll join you when I can. Go on to Sapphire Cove and I’ll meet you there.’

Yeah, great…

‘Damn you, Felicity,’ Ryan said savagely. The beauty of his home town faded in the face of his anger, and he shoved his foot on the pedal with more force than it deserved.

Mistake.

A bicycle flew out from a gravel side road straight across his path. Ryan hit the brakes hard, but he couldn’t stop in time.

The bicycle ended up right beneath his car.

The world stopped.

There are some moments so awful that to replay them in memory or to try and describe them is unbearable. This was one of those moments.