Summer At Villa Rosa Collection. Kate Hardy

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СКАЧАТЬ sick she’d been, how there was a time when none of them could have imagined her becoming such a beautiful bride.

      But the tears were for Cleve, still so desperately in love with Rachel. And for her. Because, as for him, there could only ever be one love.

      Then, realising that he was making some kind of point, she said, ‘Does it matter?’

      ‘I imagine she’ll have to let it out. The dress. If you’re keeping the baby.’

      ‘If—’ She was on her feet without knowing how she’d made it, facing him.

      ‘Isn’t that why you haven’t told anyone?’ he demanded, before she could say another word. ‘Why you’re hiding away in this crumbling pink birthday cake of a house? Why you’re running away?’

      ‘No—’ Her mouth was so dry that the word snagged in her throat.

      ‘It never occurred to me...’ He caught himself, staring up at the sky as if for inspiration. ‘How could you have taken such a risk?’

      ‘Risk?’ She took a step back, stumbled and if he hadn’t shot out a hand and grabbed her arm she would have fallen, but the minute she regained her balance she shook him off. ‘The only thing on my mind that evening was you, falling apart in front of me. Not contraception, not STDs. And my only concern since the stick turned blue has been that the news would be the final straw that broke you. Well, clearly I need have no worries on that score. You’re about to become a father. Live with it.’

      ‘Andie—’

      He reached out to her but she lifted her arm out of reach and, because she didn’t want to go back into the house with its cobwebs and spiders, turned and headed into the garden, pushing her way through overgrown shrubs and weeds until she found the hidden stone arbour where she and Immi had hung out.

      It was too early for the roses that scrambled over it but the buds were beginning to form. Another few weeks and the air would be full of their scent.

      * * *

      Cleve put his hand to his heart as if he could somehow slow it down, catch his breath. Miranda Marlowe was going to have his baby and it was as if time had just been turned back, he was twenty-four again with the most beautiful girl in his arms and a world to conquer.

      He wanted to roar, shout the news to the world, punch the air, but he had to think about Miranda, how she must be feeling, and he rubbed his hands over his face to erase the grin before he went to find her.

      The paint had peeled from the bench leaving bare, silvery wood but it looked solid enough. She was sitting, eyes closed, legs stretched out in front of her, when she heard Cleve thrashing through overgrown paths as he searched for her. Muttering a curse as something whipped back at him.

      He didn’t call out, maybe he thought she wouldn’t answer and he was right, but eventually he stumbled onto the hidden arbour and the bench gave a little as he sat beside her.

      ‘I’m sorry.’

      She didn’t open her eyes. ‘I don’t want you to be sorry, Cleve. I don’t want anything from you. I’m nearly twenty-five years old and having a baby is not going to ruin my life.’ On the contrary his baby was a precious gift... ‘You can go now.’

      ‘I didn’t mean...’ He paused. ‘Will you look at me, Miranda?’

      It was easier when she wasn’t looking at him, but she raised her lids and turned to him. ‘You’ve scratched your face,’ she said.

      He raised his hand to his cheek and his fingers came away smeared with a little blood. ‘It was a rose that hasn’t been pruned in years.’

      ‘Sofia loved her garden.’ She found a clean tissue in her pocket and, resisting the urge to lean forward and wipe the scratch, she handed it to him. ‘It’s sad to see it so neglected.’

      ‘I think the house has more problems than an overgrown garden.’ He pressed the tissue briefly to the scratch then tucked it in his breast pocket without looking at it. ‘I’m sorry for what I said, implied...’

      ‘It was the natural thing for you to think but I didn’t run away. I left that morning without waking you because I didn’t want either of us to have to go through one of those awkward morning-after moments where you don’t know what on earth to say.’

      She’d lain, wrapped in his arms, until dawn. Not moving, willing him to stay asleep, drawing out the moment for as long as she could, only moving when he’d turned over, taking the covers with him.

      She’d held her breath, sure he would wake, but his face had been pressed into the pillow, his finely muscled back moving in the gentle rise and fall of the truly asleep. She could have watched him for hours, but instead she’d written a note to tell him where she’d gone, quietly gathered fresh clothes that she kept at home and left.

      ‘I was going to call you from Cyprus.’ His arm brushed against hers as he raised his hand to drag his fingers through his hair. ‘I picked up the phone a dozen times.’

      Confirming that she’d been right.

      ‘We’ve been friends for a long time, Cleve. I didn’t need words. I’m just glad I was there when you needed someone.’

      ‘And now you need me.’ He took her hand, wrapped his cool, dry fingers around it. ‘What are the legal requirements here?’

      She frowned. ‘Legal requirements?’

      ‘How soon can we get married?’

       CHAPTER FIVE

      ANDIE SQUEEZED HER EYES tight shut against the sting of tears as she shook her head, took back her hand.

      ‘Don’t!’

      ‘A baby needs two parents, Miranda. You can’t do that on your own. The only decision is whether we do it simply, here and now before the baby shows, or wait until after he’s born and have the whole nine yards in the village church.’

      ‘I won’t be on my own. I have a family who will do everything they can to support me.’

      ‘That would be the family you haven’t told about our baby.’

      Our baby...

      The words sounded so sweet. Cleve was offering her everything she’d ever wanted. Offering the big promise, the one about loving and honouring her for the rest of his life.

      That had been the dream in her eighteen-year-old heart when they’d crept away from her birthday party and in the darkness of the garden his white-hot kiss had seared her lips, his touch doing unimagined things to her body. Would have done everything if Posy hadn’t come blundering through the bushes and crashed into them completely pie-eyed from the champagne she’d been sneaking.

      Except it wouldn’t be like that. Honesty compelled her to admit that it had never been like that. She’d thrown herself at Cleve and he’d caught her with enthusiasm. She’d made sure she was there whenever he came to the factory that summer and there had been other hot kisses, СКАЧАТЬ