Riley’s bed or not, it was the most inviting place in the house. She laid Karli down with care, and watched as the little girl snuggled contentedly into the pillows. Karli had no cares to stop her sleeping. Jenna would take care of her.

Would she? Could she?

What had she got them both into?

This was such a mess, she thought ruefully. How had it happened? Jenna had taken such care to be independent, but Karli had been catapulted into her life with a vengeance, and how could she walk away?

She ran a finger down Karli’s dust-stained face, aching with tenderness for a child she was starting to love in a way she’d never thought possible. Where to go from here? How could she cope with this situation? With Riley Jackson? With her future?

One step at a time, she thought. Just live in the moment, otherwise you’ll go mad.

She turned and stared at the other bed at the far end of the veranda. It had a mattress and a couple of pillows. It looked almost comfortable.

It was too close to Riley’s bed.

The alternative was the railway siding, she told herself, and grimaced. It wasn’t an alternative at all. But to share sleeping quarters with that man…

The door opened at the end of the veranda-and that man was right in front of her.

Naked.

He’d obviously just emerged from the shower. His hair was still dripping. His towel was draped over his shoulder-but it wasn’t covering what needed to be covered.

She was a nurse, she told herself desperately. She was used to naked men.

She wasn’t used to this one.

There was no mistaking the magnificence of Riley’s body. He was built like a Rodin sculpture, she decided as she bit back an exclamation of dismay and moved swiftly to block the line of sight between Riley and the sleeping child. Then, with her complexion fast changing colour, she made herself look at his face-which was a better place to focus on than where her eyes were automatically drawn.