‘Is that what you think? You think I’m going to just walk away and leave you?’
‘I don’t want you feeling sorry for me. I can handle this.’
She could feel the tears rising.
He reached out and caught her face between his hands.
‘Cassie, I’m crazy about you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, ever. I’m scared of how much I feel for you.’
‘Me too.’
‘Being with you is like finding my way home. I’m not letting you go again.’
Tears were pouring down her cheeks. ‘Really?’
She felt his mouth searching for hers, felt the taste of him, his familiar smell that felt so right.
There was one thing, though. ‘Finn, how did you know I was pregnant?’
He smiled. ‘I’ve been here before.’
Course he had.
‘You’re not drinking and your breasts are .?.?. noticeably bigger, which is gorgeous, by the way.’
He slid his hand into the bodice of her dress and cupped her breast, making her gasp.
‘Careful, they’re really tender.’
‘Sorry, but your being pregnant with my baby just feels .?.?. really hot.’
‘Really?’
‘Oh yeah.’
‘I know it’s complicated .?.?.’ she began, but his lips silenced her words.
Chapter 38
The next morning, around eleven, as the only un-hungover adult, she set out a buffet of croissants, fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice and a big cafetière of coffee on the patio table. She contemplated bacon but felt her stomach heave at the very idea. She made herself a mug of weak tea, closing her eyes in the sun which had mischievously decided to split the stones the day after the wedding.
After a few minutes Maxine trailed outside. A short time later, Mam surfaced in a flowy silk kaftan over jeans and oversized sunglasses, looking chic if a little fragile. Eric, it turned out, was having a lie-in.
They helped themselves to breakfast and sat back down. Mam eyed her suspiciously.
‘Aren’t you marvellous, darling, doing all of this, though for heaven’s sake, where did you go last night so early? Philip ended up with your friend Ramona. Now, there’s a girl with her head screwed on. And you see now why he was answering your calls morning, noon and night for the past couple of months? I tried to tell you. That poor man hadhopes.’
‘Well, Mam, if it makes you feel better, he looked pretty hopeful to me when I was going to bed,’ said Maxine, smiling reassuringly at Cassie.
The sun beat down as though they were on the French Riviera. Now was as good a time as any, thought Cassie. She sighed; the prospect of hiding her secret was becoming even more untenable than sharing it, there was nothing else for it.
‘Look, I was waiting for the right time .?.?. I have some news. I didn’t want to tell you before the wedding, obviously .?.?.’ Something in her tone made them perk up despite their hangovers.
‘I’m pregnant.’
A stunned silence fell around the table, and Mam sat wide-eyed, a croissant suspended halfway to her mouth. Maxine spat back her mouthful of coffee and, despite her hangover, launched herself at Cassie, enveloping her in a powerful hug and hollering, ‘My little sis is pregnant! My little sis is pregnant, and not a minute too soon.’
‘Don’t squeeze me!’ She gasped. ‘I’m not feeling—’
