Little Girl Lost by Janet Gover Page B

snapped him back. He reached for her and pulled her tight against his chest. Not because he wanted to hold her, but he had to get away from the accusing look on her face.
    ‘Of course I won’t,’ he said. ‘I’m shocked by the news, that’s all. I’m here for you. And for the baby. I always will be.’
    ‘I love you, Pete.’ Her voice was muffled against his chest.
    He knew the answer she was expecting, but he’d never said those words before. Not to Linda. Not to anyone. He couldn’t do it now because it would be a lie.
    ‘Have you seen a doctor?’ he asked instead. ‘Had a check-up. Made sure … that everything is all right.’
    ‘I did this week,’ she said. ‘He says everything is fine. He says I’m healthy and so is our baby.’
    Pete wondered just how much they could tell about the child this early. His mind went back to the last time he and Linda had been together. She hadn’t looked any different. Even now she still looked as slim as ever. But, he suddenly realised, she hadn’t been drinking tonight. Linda had always liked a couple of glasses of wine at a party. Or something stronger. But tonight he’d seen her drinking orange juice.
    She really was pregnant.
    Linda took a step away from him and her eyes searched his face.
    ‘I’m happy about this, Pete,’ she said slowly. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a mother. And you’ll be a great dad. You will be there, won’t you, Pete?’
    ‘Of course I will,’ he said. ‘And the baby …’ he couldn’t bring himself to say our baby ‘… couldn’t have a better mother.’
    Linda brushed a tear from her eye and kissed him. He kissed her back, although at that moment it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.
    ‘It’s a shame we can’t tell everyone yet,’ Linda said. ‘But we should wait for the end of the first trimester. That’s what everybody says, anyway. Just in case.’
    It was a whole new language, and a little bit more than he could cope with right now.
    At that moment a yell from the direction of the pub told them they had been missed.
    ‘We’d better go inside,’ Linda said, tugging gently on his hand.
    ‘You go,’ he said. ‘I think I need to take a couple of minutes.’
    Her face fell.
    ‘It’s all right,’ he hastened to assure her. ‘This has just been such a surprise. I want to digest it properly before I go back in. I don’t want to accidentally let the secret out.’ He forced a smile onto his face.
    Linda looked uncertain. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘But don’t be too long. People will think there’s something wrong.’
    Something wrong? Pete watched her walk away. That wasn’t exactly the right term for it. But in the space of a few minutes his whole world had been turned on its head.
    A baby?
    He had always been careful in his sexual encounters. In fact, there was always a condom in his wallet. Condoms weren’t guaranteed, of course, but he couldn’t remember one breaking.
    But he was going to be a father. Put like that, he felt a small quiver of pleasure. A father. That had a nice ring to it. He’d always assumed that some day … Well, some day was here. Linda might not be the woman he would have chosen, but he liked her. She would be a good mother. They could make a good life together.
    There was no way he was going to abandon his child.
    The pocket of his jeans began to vibrate, and he fished out his phone.
    ‘Hi, Mum,’ he said.
    ‘Happy birthday, darling. How did you know it was me?’
    ‘Caller ID.’ Pete’s mother wasn’t known for her technical skills.
    ‘Isn’t that clever. Anyway, where are you, Peter?’
    ‘Back at the Isa. I’m having a few drinks to celebrate.’
    ‘That’s nice. It’s a shame you couldn’t have come here. Thirty is, after all, an important milestone.’
    ‘Thanks, Mum, but it’s busy at the moment. I think I may be doing a run down your way soon. If I do, I’ll drop by.’
    ‘That’d be lovely. Will you stay the night? We could have a