Accidental Baby. KIM LAWRENCE

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СКАЧАТЬ proud of her son’s reputation as a top investigative journalist. ‘He’s working on another book, you know.’

      ‘Modest!’ Pat at her elbow mocked gently. Jo wasn’t fooled; she knew he was every bit as proud of their son as his wife. Liam’s last book had stayed in the best-seller list for three months, which was pretty good for a critically acclaimed serious tome.

      Liam turned around at the sound of his father’s mocking laughter and saw Jo for the first time. His smile didn’t fade, but it did freeze as though his facial muscles were momentarily paralysed. She could see the falseness, but she rather envied him his composure. He’d been expecting to see her, she reminded herself. It was all so ridiculously normal she wanted to laugh. Bad time for hysterical outbursts, Jo.

      It was the very first time since that eventful morning-after that she’d actually seen him in the flesh, so to speak. There had been nothing deliberate about this; his job meant his lifestyle was gypsy-like. It had always been usual for them not to see each other for several months at a stretch. They’d written and spoken on the phone just as if it had never happened. But then that was the way they’d decided to play it, wasn’t it? And from Liam’s point of view it was probably working.

      If Liam had felt any awkwardness at seeing her, he certainly recovered fast. He moved forward and kissed her on each cheek before pushing her to arm’s length, very much as his mother just had, and warmly examining her face.

      ‘I do believe you’re putting on weight, Jo, around the face,’ he said, a slight frown creasing his brow. ‘It suits you,’ he concluded with a smile. In the past he’d teased her about her fragile frame.

      ‘Of course she’s putting on weight, silly boy,’ his mother put in in an indulgent tone.

      ‘I got told off for telling her she’s fat,’ Jessie observed indignantly, sinking down into an armchair and helping herself to a handful of nibbles.

      ‘She isn’t fat,’ their father put in.

      ‘Yet!’ Jessie chortled.

      ‘Mary was the size of a house with Jessie early on, but she kept her figure until quite late on with you. You’ll probably be the same with the first,’ Bill recalled, frowning at his younger daughter as she stuffed another handful of bite-size delicacies into her mouth. ‘You’ll spoil your meal.’

      They all assumed! Of course they all assumed he knew—why wouldn’t they? If Jo had been planning how to share this news with Liam, which she hadn’t, this particular route wouldn’t have been favourite! It was something she had been going to get around to eventually, of course, but not just yet. She had been a bit hazy about when the right time might be. One thing she knew for certain: it wasn’t now! Liam had taken an involuntary step away from her and his gaze inevitably dropped to her waist, which was still almost as trim as it had been.

      ‘Good God,’ he said in a strangled voice, ‘you’re pregnant!’

      ‘He doesn’t know,’ Jessie’s youthful voice piped up. ‘I thought you two told each other everything.’

      ‘Not everything, it would seem,’ Liam said grimly.

      ‘Well, now you know,’ Jo said casually. He wouldn’t necessarily assume. . .

      She saw immediately that this faint hope had been misplaced. Also, her casual tone hadn’t gone down well at all; the white line around his compressed lips was a dead give-away.

      ‘Last but not least.’ His voice sounded strangely unfamiliar to Jo.

      ‘Can I get you a drink, Bill? I know you’re off duty, but I was hoping you’d look in on the foal before dinner,’ Pat Rafferty asked, blissfully ignorant of the storm clouds gathering. ‘Girls, what can I get you?’

      ‘Gin and tonic,’ said the imperturbable Jessie.

      ‘Give her a Coke, Pat,’ Bill interjected.

      ‘Worth a try.’ Jessie was philosophical.

      ‘How could you, Jo?’ Liam’s raw, throbbing words ripped through the normality of casual chatter.

      Suddenly the whole room was looking from her to Liam with startled incomprehension. ‘I don’t want to talk about it now.’ Please no scene.

      He cruelly ignored the silent plea in her eyes. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how hard and yes—cruel his expression could be? There was something bordering on the austere in the hard-angled planes and contours of his face. She began to shiver and couldn’t stop—being intimidated by Liam of all people seemed a little crazy.

      ‘Come on, now, lad, I can see it’s a bit of a shock, but it’s not really any of our concern, is it?’ Pat said, placing a restraining hand on his son’s arm.

      Liam’s eyes only left her face long enough to flicker briefly in his father’s direction. ‘I’d say my child is my concern, wouldn’t you?’

      The instant’s silence was deafening and then suddenly everyone began talking at once.

      ‘I’m going to be a grandmother again,’ Maggie said faintly, sinking into a chair.

      Jessie’s eyes were sparkling with interest. ‘I knew they shared everything but I didn’t know they shared that too!’ she whooped. ‘It gives a whole new meaning to “joined at the hip”.’

      ‘Jessica! That’s enough,’ her father barked.

      ‘Is this true, Liam?’ Pat asked slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.

      ‘Ask Jo,’ Liam replied, his ice-blue eyes daring her to contradict him.

      ‘I’ll never forgive you for this as long as I live!’ she declared passionately.

      ‘That might not be very long,’ he shot back equally grimly.

      Maggie surged to her feet and clapped her hands together. ‘I’m so happy,’ she declared, tears pouring unchecked down her cheeks. ‘I always knew you two were meant for each other.’ She enfolded Jo in a warm embrace. ‘You two, at last. A grandmother, I can’t believe it.’

      ‘I’m having some difficulty adapting to it myself, Mother.’ He shot Jo a baleful look over Maggie’s shoulder.

      Maggie released Jo only to clasp her son to her maternal bosom. ‘When are you getting married?’ she sniffed.

      ‘Married?’ Riding on the crest of his righteous anger, this question brought Liam down to earth with a bang, and Jo could hear the crash. The hypocritical pig, she fumed.

      ‘Yes, Liam,’ she asked innocently, ‘when are you going to make an honest woman of me?’

      ‘A wedding!’ Jessie squeaked, forgetting for a moment her teenage cool and general lack of interest. ‘Can I be bridesmaid?’

      ‘I think Jo and I need to discuss these things in private.’

      ‘Oh, yes, you’re very big on private now, aren’t you? Pity you didn’t think of that earlier. We don’t need to discuss anything, Liam Rafferty, because I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth!’ she concluded with СКАЧАТЬ