Chapter Thirteen
Maggie strode briskly up the path. ‘Get inside now, both of you, we’re not arguing out on the doorstep.’
‘But, Maggie, you don’t know what he said . . .’
‘I don’t care, Ems, do what I say right now.’
Emily wriggled out of Jonathan’s grasp and stomped into the house.
‘I’m sorry, but it is my . . .’
She pinned Jonathan with her fiercest glare. ‘You too. Inside. Now.’ Maggie glanced over her shoulder and caught Chad stifling a grin. ‘I could do with some moral support so you might as well come too.’ She gestured towards the clothes and rubbish bag. ‘Bring all that.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ His mischievous smile almost cracked her attempt at being stern but she managed to hold it together.
Everyone bundled into the kitchen and Emily immediately sat down and slumped over the table with a petulant expression. Jonathan propped himself up by the sink and folded his arms across his chest.
‘This is our private business. Who’s he?’ Jonathan asked, pointing at Chad.
‘A stray Yank my dear sister picked up at a wedding yesterday,’ Emily replied with a nasty smirk.
‘Apologise right now.’ Maggie’s blood boiled over. ‘I don’t care how bad you’re feeling or what problems you’ve got there’s no excuse for being rude. You should be very grateful to Chad for helping us out with the cake. He saved us from looking like a pair of fools.’ She grabbed hold of his hand and tilted her chin up in the air. ‘Plus I happen to like him very much. More than like. So there.’ A surge of embarrassed heat flooded her face.
The sucker punch caught Chad right in the gut and he struggled to keep his wits about him. He stuck out his otherhand. ‘Chad Robertson.’ Jonathan gingerly took it and gave them both a bemused look. ‘Music attorney from Nashville, Tennessee.’ He gave Maggie a big wink. ‘Equally smitten with this lovely lady.’ Chad bent down and kissed her, right on the mouth.
Oh, heck. She knew he’d taste delicious, but . . .
‘For goodness sake, Maggie.’ Emily’s disgust was obvious. ‘I’m pregnant and have been deserted by my baby’s father, and all you can do is throw yourself at some man you haven’t known for five minutes.’
‘It’s about twenty-seven hours if we’re splitting hairs,’ Chad observed.
‘I didn’t desert you either, well, not exactly.’ Jonathan stammered. ‘I mean, I didn’t know you were . . .’
‘Shut up, all of you,’ Maggie yelled. The room fell silent and three pairs of eyes stared at her in bemusement. ‘All of this upset isn’t doing Emily and the baby any good. I’m going to make a pot of tea and we’ll talk this over sensibly.’ Before Emily could do any more than open her mouth Maggie scowled and her sister shut up.
‘Well done,’ Chad whispered in her ear and the admiration in his voice gave her a bolt of much needed courage.
When everyone had their tea Maggie sat next to Emily. ‘First I want to hear what Jonathan has to say.’
‘But he . . .’
‘Thanks, Maggie.’ He shifted from one foot to the other then paced around the room, looking anywhere but at her sister. ‘I love Emily. Always have done.’ Jonathan hesitated. ‘But she can be a bit . . . difficult at times.’
‘Tell them what you did,’ Emily blurted out.
‘She pushed me to set a wedding date and I wasn’t sure we were ready.’
‘Iwas.’ She protested.
He came over to kneel on the floor next to her side and picked up her hands. ‘No, you weren’t, Emily. We’ve been having some issues and you know it but you were scared of losing me. I told you that wouldn’t happen.’
‘But it did.’
‘I couldn’t handle your erratic outbursts anymore.’
Emily paled. ‘So you went to a party, got drunk and slept with a tart.’
‘It wasn’t like that.’ Jonathan protested.
