His hand ran down the length of her spine. ‘I haven’t taken a holiday in two years—they can do without me for one more night.’
Mia sighed, her hand tracing his bicep, wishing she could stay in this little cocoon with Joe forever. But then her stomach growled and made them both laugh.
‘Eat the pastry, Mia,’ he said, reaching for one of the bags. ‘But this time no eating in the sheets.’
She grinned and took the bag, immediately reaching in and then taking a big bite as he groaned.
‘Oh, pour l’amour du ciel!’ he muttered.
Mia had no idea what he’d said, but in French, everything sounded good.
Mia wished that Joe hadn’t come to the train station to see her off. If there was one thing she wasn’t good at, it was goodbyes.
‘I half expected my mother to come and stop you from leaving the country,’ he said, opening his arms for her to step into.
She laughed, but part of her almost wished that his motherhadtried to stop her. She’d never felt so welcomed by another family before, and she was already missing them, and she hadn’t even left yet.
‘Thank you,’ she said, looking into his eyes and hoping that she never forgot what it was like to be in his arms. She needed these memories to last her a long time, and she intended to hold on to them whenever she was feeling flat.
‘What are you thanking me for?’
‘For reminding me what it’s like to live again,’ she said.
‘Ah, Mia, you’re giving me too much credit.’
But his arms tightened around her then and she didn’t miss the sheen in his eyes that told her this parting was as hard for him as it was for her.
‘I came to France hoping to find out something about Hope—anything, really, that told me who she was. But I never expected to meet you.’
Joe’s smile was so easy, and she knew she’d never, ever forget what it felt like to be on the receiving end of it.
‘I’m going to miss you, Mia,’ he said, ducking his head and grazing a kiss across her eyebrows. ‘So damn much.’
She wanted to tell him how much she’d miss him, but the words were stuck in her throat, so she cupped his face insteadand kissed him, drinking in their final moments and wishing it never had to end.
‘I’ll miss you, too,’ she whispered.
When she pulled away, tears swam in her eyes and Joe pulled her straight back against him, wrapping her tightly in one last, long hug.
There was so much she could have said to him, but instead, when it was finally time, she placed her palm to his cheek, silently wishing that this wasn’t a final goodbye and hoping that he knew how much he’d come to mean to her.
‘Goodbye, Mia from London,’ he said, holding his hand up in a wave as she backed away.
‘Goodbye, Joe,’ she whispered, and she turned before she changed her mind and ran straight back into his arms.
33
LONDON, 1938
‘You don’t have to go,’ Charles said, holding her bag as they stood on the pavement together.
Hope knew how easy it would be to stay, but she also knew what she was facing. She couldn’t stay. She was a pregnant, unmarried woman, living off the good graces of her uncle, with only enough money to tide her over for so long.
‘I can’t,’ she said, throwing her arms around him and hoping he understood how much he’d come to mean to her. ‘I want this baby to have a better life than I can give him or her, and if I can find a lovely family looking to adopt…’
‘You’re certain?’
She nodded, fresh tears glistening in her eyes. ‘If I change my mind, I know where to come,’ she said. ‘And for that, I have you to thank.’
