Luc took some time for reflection alone in his study while Maria prepared a light lunch for him and Stacey. His experience of family life had been positive until the accident, when he had vowed never to risk his heart again. The pain of losing his parents had been indescribable. It still was. The wound cut deep and he had thought himself incapable of loving again.
A child changed everything.
Now he’d have to risk his heart. Anticipation and dread fought inside him at the thought. Where was he supposed to find time in his busy schedule for a child? Would he be any use as a father? He’d been lucky enough to have brilliant parents. Love had been in full supply, though their grasp of life and economics had been sadly lacking, as he had discovered when he took over the responsibility of running the family home. These days he could mastermind the biggest deals, and buy anything he wanted, but he still remembered the restrictions placed on him when he was caring for his brothers and sisters. It was a responsibility he’d taken on gladly, but he couldn’t deny it was a relief when they were old enough to make their own way in life. Of course, they didn’t know yet if Stacey was pregnant, but if she was, with her background, she’d need support too. He’d make time, Luc concluded.
First things first. For Stacey’s peace of mind, he had to get her down to the village where she could take a pregnancy test, see a doctor, and get up to speed with the arrangements for the party. She’d start climbing the walls if she couldn’t do that soon. With transport to the village suspended there was only one way to get her down safely, and he was confident he could do it. He wouldn’t take risks with Stacey. The thought of anything happening to her—
Nothingwould happen to her. He must put the past behind him. There were more important things to consider. His parents’ death had been a tragic accident. That was what the police had told him afterwards, and only he knew the truth. Nothing Stacey could say or do would deter him from caring for her. And, if she proved to be pregnant, caring for their child. It was a surprise, but a good surprise, he reflected with a smile. They had certainly put enough work into it! He’d taken precautions, but precautions were never guaranteed one hundred per cent. So his duty now was to take care of her…and, quite incredibly, but undeniably possible, his unborn child. Whatever else happened from here on in he was determined that their baby, if there proved to be one, would know the loving upbringing he’d had, and not the tragically lonely home life that Stacey had known.
Decision made, he called Maria on the house phone. ‘Hold lunch. I’m going to ski down to the village to check on the arrangements for the party.’
‘Will Señorita Winner stay here?’
‘Señorita Winner is coming with me.’
‘No way!’ Stacey exclaimed when Luc told her what he planned. ‘Are you kidding me?’
‘Don’t you trust me?’
‘You know I do.’
‘But…?’ he prompted.
‘But if I’m pregnant…’
‘You’re not sick, as you put it,’ he reminded her, ‘and there’s a smaller risk of having an accident if I take you back to the village, than if I leave you to your own devices up here. The frustration of not knowing where the plans are for the party will kill you…if the roof doesn’t cave in from the weight of snow first.’
She glanced up to the exposed rafters with concern. ‘Is there a danger of that?’
‘No,’ Luc admitted. ‘But for the sake of the party and my guests, as well as getting you checked out, we need to get down to the village asap. The gondolas aren’t running yet, so what I’m proposing is the safest way.’
‘You’re that good a skier? Of course you are,’ she commented dryly. ‘Is there anything you can’t do?’
‘I don’t know.’ He shrugged. ‘Let’s find out. You haven’t eaten anything, so I’ll take you for lunch.’
Stacey’s eyes widened. ‘Let me get this straight. You’re proposing to take me to the village onyourskis?’
‘On my skis,’ Luc confirmed.
‘You are joking, I hope?’ Stacey stared down the dizzying drop. ‘This is a cliff edge. You can’t possibly ski down it.’
She let out a yelp as Luc proved her wrong. With his arm locked around her waist, he kept her securely in place on the front of his skis as he dropped from the edge like a stone. Just when she thought they would continue like that to the bottom of the mountain, he made a big sweeping turn, before heading sideways at a much slower pace, until finally he stopped at the side of the slope. ‘See? I told you that you can trust me to keep you safe.’
‘Just warn me when you’re going to do something like that again,’ she begged through ice-cold lips.
‘I won’t let you fall,’ he promised. ‘I could lift you off the ground in front of me and still take us both down the mountain safely, but if you stand on my skis it’s easier for me to put my arms around you to keep you in place.’
‘I wish you joy of that,’ she said, laughing tensely at her hopeless joke.
‘True,’ Lucas agreed. His lips pressed down attractively. ‘I’ve been trying to keep you in place for years and haven’t succeeded, so I have no idea what makes me think I can do it now.’
‘You trust me?’ she suggested.
He huffed a laugh, then coaxed, ‘Come on. Let’s try another run. Just a short one until you get used to it.’
‘Won’t my boots crack your skis?’
‘You’re wearing snow boots, and you’ve only got little feet.’
