pushed onyx earrings through her ears and clasped a matching necklace around her neck. Her entire body hummed with electricity, making her wonder just how in control she was. She needed to curb this sudden and shameful desire for a stolen moment alone with him. It wasn’t only her and Mark anymore…if it ever was.
Standing up, she slipped on a pair of black stiletto sandals and made her way downstairs.
Lucy sat on the living room floor with Jessica nestled securely and happily within the circle of her legs. Their gazes were firmly glued to the TV screen where the latest craze of furry talking animals danced and played. Kate shook her head and smiled.
“Well, doesn’t this look interesting?” she said, leaning against the doorjamb. “I wonder if the purple dinosaur will manage to get the pink rabbit out of the box.”
Lucy turned, an expression of complete and utter scorn of her face. “Listen, missus, that pink rabbit has been stuck in there all day, and now nighttime is falling. This is not a laughing matter.”
But Kate laughed anyway, held her hands up in mock surrender. “Sorry.”
Rachel Brimble
29
“So, you should be.” Lucy smiled, her eyes sparkled. “What time are you being picked up?”
Kate glanced at her watch. “The cab is due any minute. Are you sure you don’t mind babysitting? I can always cancel.”
Lucy’s smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even think about it. You’re going.
Anyway…” She wrapped her arms around Jessica. “I adore this little girl, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than right here.” She paused, her eyes boring into Kate’s with her ‘tell me what you’re thinking’ stare. “Are you all right?”
Kate sighed. “Sure. I have to do this. You were right. Mark won’t give up until I hear him out. The sooner I see him, the sooner he’ll give up pestering me.” Stepping into the room, she pressed a kiss to Jess’s hair. “See you later, baby.”
Jessica looked away from the TV. “Oh, Mummy! You look pretty!”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
Jessica’s smiling face became a frown. “Are you going dancing? I want to come with you.”
Kate laughed. “No, Mummy isn’t going dancing, and she will be back before you know it.
I’ll come and give you a kiss goodnight when I get in, okay?”
Jessica stared at her for a moment longer before giving a curt and satisfied nod. “Okay.”
Her gaze returned to the TV. Kate met Lucy’s eyes once more. “Right, I’ll grab my purse from the kitchen.”
Still grappling with a bad case of last-minute nerves, Kate hurried into the kitchen. She gripped the counter as she looked out on the twilit back garden. Mark had offered to pick her up at the house, but she’d insisted on meeting him at the restaurant. Her new home was a haven where no ghosts of hurt resided. A place where she and Jessica could start over. The first piece in a jigsaw she intended to put together hand in hand with her daughter. James’s death might have smashed the pieces of their lives apart but together, she and Jessica would build a new picture all of their own. A picture Kate knew Mark would never fit into--if any man was to come become part of their lives, he would be a man who wanted a family. Not a confirmed bachelor who thought his career was the guaranteed route to happiness.
The shrill ringing of the doorbell caused Kate’s breath to catch in her throat. She picked up her purse and walked back into the living room.
“Okay, I’m off,” she said with false joviality. She gathered Jessica into her arms and gave her a hefty squeeze whilst receiving lasers of encouragement from Lucy’s eyes above her head.
“I’ll see you both later.”
For fear she might stay clinging to Jessica rather than leave, Kate quickly left the room and greeted the driver with a beaming smile.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He touched his hand to his head. “No problem, miss.”
30
Getting It Right This
Standing up, she slipped on a pair of black stiletto sandals and made her way downstairs.
Lucy sat on the living room floor with Jessica nestled securely and happily within the circle of her legs. Their gazes were firmly glued to the TV screen where the latest craze of furry talking animals danced and played. Kate shook her head and smiled.
“Well, doesn’t this look interesting?” she said, leaning against the doorjamb. “I wonder if the purple dinosaur will manage to get the pink rabbit out of the box.”
Lucy turned, an expression of complete and utter scorn of her face. “Listen, missus, that pink rabbit has been stuck in there all day, and now nighttime is falling. This is not a laughing matter.”
But Kate laughed anyway, held her hands up in mock surrender. “Sorry.”
Rachel Brimble
29
“So, you should be.” Lucy smiled, her eyes sparkled. “What time are you being picked up?”
Kate glanced at her watch. “The cab is due any minute. Are you sure you don’t mind babysitting? I can always cancel.”
Lucy’s smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even think about it. You’re going.
Anyway…” She wrapped her arms around Jessica. “I adore this little girl, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than right here.” She paused, her eyes boring into Kate’s with her ‘tell me what you’re thinking’ stare. “Are you all right?”
Kate sighed. “Sure. I have to do this. You were right. Mark won’t give up until I hear him out. The sooner I see him, the sooner he’ll give up pestering me.” Stepping into the room, she pressed a kiss to Jess’s hair. “See you later, baby.”
Jessica looked away from the TV. “Oh, Mummy! You look pretty!”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
Jessica’s smiling face became a frown. “Are you going dancing? I want to come with you.”
Kate laughed. “No, Mummy isn’t going dancing, and she will be back before you know it.
I’ll come and give you a kiss goodnight when I get in, okay?”
Jessica stared at her for a moment longer before giving a curt and satisfied nod. “Okay.”
Her gaze returned to the TV. Kate met Lucy’s eyes once more. “Right, I’ll grab my purse from the kitchen.”
Still grappling with a bad case of last-minute nerves, Kate hurried into the kitchen. She gripped the counter as she looked out on the twilit back garden. Mark had offered to pick her up at the house, but she’d insisted on meeting him at the restaurant. Her new home was a haven where no ghosts of hurt resided. A place where she and Jessica could start over. The first piece in a jigsaw she intended to put together hand in hand with her daughter. James’s death might have smashed the pieces of their lives apart but together, she and Jessica would build a new picture all of their own. A picture Kate knew Mark would never fit into--if any man was to come become part of their lives, he would be a man who wanted a family. Not a confirmed bachelor who thought his career was the guaranteed route to happiness.
The shrill ringing of the doorbell caused Kate’s breath to catch in her throat. She picked up her purse and walked back into the living room.
“Okay, I’m off,” she said with false joviality. She gathered Jessica into her arms and gave her a hefty squeeze whilst receiving lasers of encouragement from Lucy’s eyes above her head.
“I’ll see you both later.”
For fear she might stay clinging to Jessica rather than leave, Kate quickly left the room and greeted the driver with a beaming smile.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He touched his hand to his head. “No problem, miss.”
30
Getting It Right This
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