‘I didn’t call because I was frightened.’
She snorts again, her words, when they come, damned astute. ‘You mean you were being cowardly.’
‘Ouch.’ She hit the nail on the head, but ouch all the same. ‘You’re right. I was being cowardly. I didn’t call because I was trying to push you away and make you think I didn’t care. Because I was scared. Scared of being hurt, scared of disappointing you. I’m over that now.’
Isobel inhales deeply almost as though composing herself. ‘I’m calm now,’ she says, her voice even, her tone almost peaceful. ‘You can let go.’
I don’t lower my arms. Instead, I turn her in them.
‘Jim called earlier. He said there was someone in the house, and I hoped to God it would be you. And in the car on the way over, I rehearsed what I was going to say a thousand times and now that you’re in front of me, it’s all flown out of my head.’
‘I’m listening,’ she says, her gaze as narrow as her lips are currently thin. ‘You can ad lib.’
‘Can I just take a moment to say something first? You are so beautiful, and I missed you so much that every day it hurt not to see you. To talk to you.’
‘That’s not the worst start in the world, I suppose.’
‘How could I make it better? Darlin’, I’m all ears.’
‘You could be on your knees,’ she says a little haughtily. ‘And you can stop with the sultry eye thing. I meant prostrating yourself in front of me, not doing what you think.’
‘What do you think I’m thinking?’
‘Don’t play cute with me. It might’ve escaped your notice, but I’m not in the mood.’
‘How about I kiss you? The best apologies always come with kisses.’
Her gaze turns heated as it dips to my mouth. It would be easy for her to give in, but I think maybe she feels her pride is at stake.
Similarly, it would be easy for me to slant my mouth over hers, to kiss her hard, to kiss her to compliance, but I think that would only work in the short term.
I’m thinking of the long game from here on out.
‘You haven’t apologised yet. And even if you had, you’d still need to wait for me to accept it. And I might never let you kiss me again.’
‘Darlin’, you will. You know you will.’
‘Right, then. You’d better get on with it.’
‘Isobel, I am truly sorry for being a feckless male of the species. If you’ll accept my apology for the pain I’ve caused, I promise you right here and right now that I’ll abide by your terms, whatever they may be. I want to be with you. And you’re right—we might only last a wee while before deciding we’re just not right for each other. But I don’t think so, and I don’t think you do, either.’
‘And what happens next time you get cold feet?’
‘I won’t.’
‘Or frightened?’
‘That won’t happen, either.’
A burst of air breaks free from her chest before she utters, ‘Oh, I bet it will.’
There’s something in her tone. Something I can’t quite place. There’s a resolve and an inner strength, but that’s not everything.
‘What is it? What do you want to say?’
‘Well, Greg, it’s like this. While I haven’t been to the doctors, so I can’t confirm it one hundred percent, I appear to be pregnant. See, that wince,’ she says, waggling a finger in front of my face, ‘that looks a little like terror.’
But I’m not frightened. Numb might be a better description. But then something that Diana said floats into my mind.She left me because she fell in love with him. Nothing else mattered so long as she had him.
