another eight weeks. Any time from Valentine’s Day, probably.’
‘And have you told people?’
‘That I’m pregnant?’ Kate couldn’t help her lips twitch. ‘It’s been a bit hard to hide lately.’
Rory’s gaze was intense. Serious now. Kate bit her lip. ‘I haven’t told anyone who the father is.’
He blinked. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I hadn’t told you. It wouldn’t have been fair. I…thought you might come back.’
His gaze wavered for a heartbeat. Had he guessed what she had almost confessed? That she had hoped he would come back? Dreamt of it too many times to count? Maybe not.
‘Where will you live?’ he asked.
Kate could cope with meeting his gaze now. ‘I’ve started looking for somewhere.’
‘So you’re still in that bedsit? Up all those stairs?’
‘Yes.’
‘How will you manage? Financially, I mean?’
He was going to offer to help, Kate thought in dis may. This was how it would all start. Financial support. Legal documents. Custody arrangements.
‘I’ll manage,’ she said quietly.
‘You don’t have to,’ Rory said. The curl of his lips might have gone, but the smile had returned to his eyes. ‘Not by yourself. Marry me, Katie.’
It was fascinating how Kate could mentally rewrite her future in the blink of an eye.
She wasn’t hearing the children tell her about Daddy’s new ‘friend’. Or sitting alone. She was in the same house as the twins.
With their father. Her husband .
Always knowing that he had offered marriage only for the sake of the children and not because he wanted her as a partner for life. Watching resentment build because he was trapped.
It was equally instantaneous to realise which of the scenarios would be the worst.
There was humiliation to be un earthed from this in the not too distant future, Kate realised.
And grief. Dreams that simply had to be given the burial they deserved.
Tears were dangerously close, but she wasn’t going to cry in front of Rory. She had some pride. Somewhere .
‘You’re proposing to me?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s very generous of you.’
‘No…’ Rory gave his head a tiny shake. ‘I want to marry you.’
‘Why?’
His expression went blank. He didn’t understand. Why would he? It was obvious why he was asking. She was pregnant and he was the father. He was going to fix the terrible mistake he’d made. Put things right.
She stared back. It wasn’t a mistake, and she didn’t need gestures that came from someone feeling sorry for her. She was proud of who she was and the decisions she had made, and she could manage. By herself. She was independent. And strong.
At least she would be when she’d had a bit of time to herself to get her head back together. There were only precious seconds of control left right now, however. Kate lifted her chin.
‘The answer’s no, Rory,’ she said softly. ‘I’m not going to marry you.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
S PLASHING COLD WATER on her face did little more than disguise her tears.
Rory had proposed to her.
The stuff of fantasy—except that there was no ro mance in the proposal. Worse, there was no way she could have done anything other than refuse. Kate felt as if she’d been offered a gift she wanted more than anything in life, but when she’d unwrapped it the pretty box had been empty.
A sham.
And that was what their marriage would have been if she’d accepted.
Six months ago she might have thought differently. She might have even convinced herself that it could work. That love could grow from a commitment that had been made for other reasons.
Just as she’d convinced herself that one night with the man she loved was worth it, even though he had been with her simply because he’d needed someone and she’d happened to be there.
Kate was older and wiser now. She knew the repercussions of such self-de cep tion. Pain that even a river of tears would never completely wash away.
‘Get a grip,’ she ordered her
‘And have you told people?’
‘That I’m pregnant?’ Kate couldn’t help her lips twitch. ‘It’s been a bit hard to hide lately.’
Rory’s gaze was intense. Serious now. Kate bit her lip. ‘I haven’t told anyone who the father is.’
He blinked. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I hadn’t told you. It wouldn’t have been fair. I…thought you might come back.’
His gaze wavered for a heartbeat. Had he guessed what she had almost confessed? That she had hoped he would come back? Dreamt of it too many times to count? Maybe not.
‘Where will you live?’ he asked.
Kate could cope with meeting his gaze now. ‘I’ve started looking for somewhere.’
‘So you’re still in that bedsit? Up all those stairs?’
‘Yes.’
‘How will you manage? Financially, I mean?’
He was going to offer to help, Kate thought in dis may. This was how it would all start. Financial support. Legal documents. Custody arrangements.
‘I’ll manage,’ she said quietly.
‘You don’t have to,’ Rory said. The curl of his lips might have gone, but the smile had returned to his eyes. ‘Not by yourself. Marry me, Katie.’
It was fascinating how Kate could mentally rewrite her future in the blink of an eye.
She wasn’t hearing the children tell her about Daddy’s new ‘friend’. Or sitting alone. She was in the same house as the twins.
With their father. Her husband .
Always knowing that he had offered marriage only for the sake of the children and not because he wanted her as a partner for life. Watching resentment build because he was trapped.
It was equally instantaneous to realise which of the scenarios would be the worst.
There was humiliation to be un earthed from this in the not too distant future, Kate realised.
And grief. Dreams that simply had to be given the burial they deserved.
Tears were dangerously close, but she wasn’t going to cry in front of Rory. She had some pride. Somewhere .
‘You’re proposing to me?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s very generous of you.’
‘No…’ Rory gave his head a tiny shake. ‘I want to marry you.’
‘Why?’
His expression went blank. He didn’t understand. Why would he? It was obvious why he was asking. She was pregnant and he was the father. He was going to fix the terrible mistake he’d made. Put things right.
She stared back. It wasn’t a mistake, and she didn’t need gestures that came from someone feeling sorry for her. She was proud of who she was and the decisions she had made, and she could manage. By herself. She was independent. And strong.
At least she would be when she’d had a bit of time to herself to get her head back together. There were only precious seconds of control left right now, however. Kate lifted her chin.
‘The answer’s no, Rory,’ she said softly. ‘I’m not going to marry you.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
S PLASHING COLD WATER on her face did little more than disguise her tears.
Rory had proposed to her.
The stuff of fantasy—except that there was no ro mance in the proposal. Worse, there was no way she could have done anything other than refuse. Kate felt as if she’d been offered a gift she wanted more than anything in life, but when she’d unwrapped it the pretty box had been empty.
A sham.
And that was what their marriage would have been if she’d accepted.
Six months ago she might have thought differently. She might have even convinced herself that it could work. That love could grow from a commitment that had been made for other reasons.
Just as she’d convinced herself that one night with the man she loved was worth it, even though he had been with her simply because he’d needed someone and she’d happened to be there.
Kate was older and wiser now. She knew the repercussions of such self-de cep tion. Pain that even a river of tears would never completely wash away.
‘Get a grip,’ she ordered her
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