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Lucy nodded and waited, her stomach churning, until her friend returned a couple of moments later and shook her head. “No, sorry. I thought there might be one left from when we were trying. We’ll have to go to the shop.”

“Not anywhere in Castle Cove,” said Lucy immediately. If she was seen buying a pregnancy test around here, the gossip mill would be working overtime.

“No problem,” Carrie said, picking up her car keys. “Let’s go, we haven’t got long before the shops close.”

Chapter 5

Lucy felt the colour drain from her face as two lines appeared on the pregnancy test she was holding. She turned over the other two she had on the go in Carrie’s upstairs bathroom, which she’d placed results side down next to the sink. Two more positives. “Wow,” she whispered to herself.

She took a moment to steady herself before unlocking the door and returning downstairs. Carrie was waiting for her in the hallway.

Lucy reached the bottom of the stairs and held up the three tests to her friend, all of them glaringly positive.

“Oh, Lucy!” said Carrie, moving to hug her. “I knew it!”

Lucy moved back a step. “Let me pop these in the bin and wash my hands, and then we can hug,” she suggested, feeling dazed. She honestly didn’t know how to feel right now.

Carrie waited patiently while Lucy washed her hands in the utility room and returned to the kitchen. Then Lucy was pulled into a big hug. “Oh, my goodness,” Carrie said. “You’re going to have a baby!”

“Apparently so.” Lucy could feel tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

“Are you all right?” Carrie checked. She urged Lucy to sit down at the kitchen table and placed a cup of tea in her hands.

“I’m not sure,” Lucy said. “I guess I’m in shock. I know it sounds stupid, but I had no idea. I’ve been so busy and wound up . . . and it only happened once, over two months ago — and we used protection.”

“It’s not 100% effective—”

“No kidding.”

“So, you . . . know who the father is?” Carrie asked gently.

“Yep,” said Lucy. Before she could say anything else, the back gate opened and Michael came through it into the garden. Followed closely by Dylan — the very last person in the world Lucy wanted to see. A tsunami of worry and emotions threatened to overwhelm her: She was having a baby with Dylan. Who was already her new business partner! Should she laugh or cry at this frankly ridiculous turn of events? A few months ago she’d go out of her way not to have to talk to the man, and now . . .

“Hello, darling,” said Michael, coming into the kitchen and heading straight over to his wife to give her a kiss. “How’s our boy?” he asked, running a hand over her stomach.

“Fighting fit.” Carrie laughed.

“Howdy, partner,” said Dylan, cheerfully, coming up to Lucy. She forced a smile.

Flustered, she quickly said, “I’m sorry. I’ve just remembered that I need to get back to the coffee shop and . . . do something for tomorrow. I completely forgot. Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Carrie.”

“Do you need a hand?” asked Dylan, touching her arm. She pulled it away quickly.

“No, no,” she said, backing towards the door.

“Are you OK, Lucy?” Michael asked, “You’ve gone a very strange colour.”

“I’m fine,” Lucy said, desperate to leave and be by herself to process what she’d just discovered.

“I’ll show you out,” said Carrie, handing Lucy her coat and herding her out into the hallway before the men could ask any more questions.

They went along the hall and Carrie quickly pulled on some shoes from the overflowing rack on the floor. She unlocked the front door and joined Lucy outside on the street.

“It’s Dylan, isn’t it? The father,” Carrie said, her eyes bright with excitement, as soon as the door was closed and she’d checked that no one was around.

Lucy considered denying it, but she knew the answer was written all over her face. Soon everyone would know, including Dylan, of course. She nodded slowly.

“Oh my God!” Carrie squealed.