surprised when he didn’t, but he looked so deep in thought as he drove—more than a mere frown tugging at his brows—that she didn’t offer. Besides, there was plenty of time before the next turn.
‘We’ll have to meet again to sign some kind ofagreement,’ he said a little while later, his rumbling voice sounding distant, and, when she turned to look at him, his gaze was still firmly fixed on the road ahead, his expression still tight. Even the fingers that until now had seemed so relaxed and composed on the steering wheel were curled tightly around it. And then he turned to her, blinking as he focused, and Angie got the distinct impression that while he’d been telling her one thing, his mind had been miles away. ‘Don’t worry,’ he assured her. ‘It will be drawn up to protect your interests too.’
She wasn’t even sure what her interests would be but for some strange reason she trusted him. ‘I understand.’
‘Will your husband be able to join you next time?’
Shayne? She looked away, suddenly nervous again. ‘Does he need to be there?’
‘Of course. The way I understand it, as birth mother, this child will be legally yours, regardless of where the embryo originated. As your husband, any agreement to hand over the child will no doubt require Shayne’s signature too.’
Angie’s spirit slumped. Damn. Why—just when it looked as if things were going to work out—did something have to go wrong? How was she ever going to convince Shayne to help her with this when he’d been so opposed to what she was doing from the start? She sighed. She doubted he’d even take her call. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘If it’s a problem, I can send out a car for you, so you don’t have to catch the train.’
‘You don’t have to—’
‘After what happened today, no more trains. It’s not safe.’ He looked across at her. ‘Understood?’
‘Now, hang on,’ she started, her concerns aboutShayne giving way to irritation. No matter what they agreed between them about the future of this child, there was no way he could tell her how she was going to get from point A to point B. Especially since Shayne had taken the car when he’d gone. ‘What if I don’t have a car?’
‘You don’t?’ He sounded incredulous, and then, in the next breath, took hers away.
‘Then I will have one delivered tomorrow. I do not want you walking around this area either.’
‘No! You can’t—’ But she didn’t finish what she was going to say, not once she’d looked around and realised he’d taken the first two turns into her suburb without her telling him which way to go and was already signalling the turn into her street and pulling up alongside her house.
‘How did you …’ But he was already out of his seat and halfway around to her door.
She didn’t wait for an explanation. She was already getting out of the car, determined to say her goodbyes here, before he got closer to her house. If he thought her pitiful already, what would he think if he knew the full extent of her pathetic circumstances? It was inevitable he’d find out some time—she could hardly keep it a secret for ever—but damned if she wanted him to find out today. She was too emotionally wrung out to take any more of his contempt today.
For a big man, though, he moved fast. She was barely out of her seat and he was there, hemming her in between her open door and the force field of his presence, blocking off the promise of escape.
‘Thanks for the lift,’ she said. ‘Bye.’ But he made no move to let her go and there was no stepping around the barrier he made with just his sheer physical presence.
‘Maybe I can meet your husband now, if he’s home.’ It wasn’t a question.
She clutched her bag to her chest, shook her head. ‘He’s not.’
An eyebrow arched in question. ‘How can you be so sure?’
She looked longingly towards the house. It wasn’t much to look at but it was almost all hers and right now she
‘We’ll have to meet again to sign some kind ofagreement,’ he said a little while later, his rumbling voice sounding distant, and, when she turned to look at him, his gaze was still firmly fixed on the road ahead, his expression still tight. Even the fingers that until now had seemed so relaxed and composed on the steering wheel were curled tightly around it. And then he turned to her, blinking as he focused, and Angie got the distinct impression that while he’d been telling her one thing, his mind had been miles away. ‘Don’t worry,’ he assured her. ‘It will be drawn up to protect your interests too.’
She wasn’t even sure what her interests would be but for some strange reason she trusted him. ‘I understand.’
‘Will your husband be able to join you next time?’
Shayne? She looked away, suddenly nervous again. ‘Does he need to be there?’
‘Of course. The way I understand it, as birth mother, this child will be legally yours, regardless of where the embryo originated. As your husband, any agreement to hand over the child will no doubt require Shayne’s signature too.’
Angie’s spirit slumped. Damn. Why—just when it looked as if things were going to work out—did something have to go wrong? How was she ever going to convince Shayne to help her with this when he’d been so opposed to what she was doing from the start? She sighed. She doubted he’d even take her call. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘If it’s a problem, I can send out a car for you, so you don’t have to catch the train.’
‘You don’t have to—’
‘After what happened today, no more trains. It’s not safe.’ He looked across at her. ‘Understood?’
‘Now, hang on,’ she started, her concerns aboutShayne giving way to irritation. No matter what they agreed between them about the future of this child, there was no way he could tell her how she was going to get from point A to point B. Especially since Shayne had taken the car when he’d gone. ‘What if I don’t have a car?’
‘You don’t?’ He sounded incredulous, and then, in the next breath, took hers away.
‘Then I will have one delivered tomorrow. I do not want you walking around this area either.’
‘No! You can’t—’ But she didn’t finish what she was going to say, not once she’d looked around and realised he’d taken the first two turns into her suburb without her telling him which way to go and was already signalling the turn into her street and pulling up alongside her house.
‘How did you …’ But he was already out of his seat and halfway around to her door.
She didn’t wait for an explanation. She was already getting out of the car, determined to say her goodbyes here, before he got closer to her house. If he thought her pitiful already, what would he think if he knew the full extent of her pathetic circumstances? It was inevitable he’d find out some time—she could hardly keep it a secret for ever—but damned if she wanted him to find out today. She was too emotionally wrung out to take any more of his contempt today.
For a big man, though, he moved fast. She was barely out of her seat and he was there, hemming her in between her open door and the force field of his presence, blocking off the promise of escape.
‘Thanks for the lift,’ she said. ‘Bye.’ But he made no move to let her go and there was no stepping around the barrier he made with just his sheer physical presence.
‘Maybe I can meet your husband now, if he’s home.’ It wasn’t a question.
She clutched her bag to her chest, shook her head. ‘He’s not.’
An eyebrow arched in question. ‘How can you be so sure?’
She looked longingly towards the house. It wasn’t much to look at but it was almost all hers and right now she
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