‘God, no.’ Hunter answered for her. ‘She ate like a…’ He didn’t finish, realisation hitting at the same time Jim joined Emma at the kitchen door and handed him his son. ‘You mean…’
‘That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you since we got here, but you were too busy rushing around, fixing dinner. We’re having a baby!’ Emma’s face was shining. ‘It was confirmed this afternoon. I’ve had a scan and everything and it turns out that I’m ten weeks pregnant!’
‘And you’ll be OK?’ Hunter checked. ‘I mean, with…’ He took a breath then forced the words out. ‘What with your injuries and everything?’
‘I’ll need a Caesarean section,’ Emma explained softly, ‘and I might not quite make it to term, but apart from that the doctor’s pretty confident it will be a normal pregnancy.’
He hugged her, held little Cory in between them and hugged his sister. And Lily knew how big this was for him, knew because he’d told her that he was scared it might never happen for her—knew that with this wonderful news they were moving ever further on. And when Emma and Jim drifted out to the lounge, Hunter confirmed what she was thinking, stared down at his son for the longest time before looking over at Lily.
‘I wanted this for her.’ Hunter attempted to voice what he was thinking. ‘When we had Cory…’ His voice thickened with emotion. ‘I just wanted her to know some of the joy.’ And this time Lily didn’t drag it out of him, just helped him along, guilt a visitor rather than a companion in his life now.
‘She’s doing great, Hunter. Both of you are doing fine. Your parents would be really proud.’
‘Do you reckon?’ Normally he’d have waved her words away—his parents and their appalling relationship, still a minefield where they rarely ventured—but, staring down at Corey, it was Hunter prolonging the conversation. ‘I really don’t know how they’d feel if they were alive, but this much I do know…’ Blue eyes looked up from his son to her, the three of them locked in an endless circle of love. ‘I’m proud. Proud of you, proud of me…proud of us.’
Jed Hunter’s Reluctant Bride
By Susanne James
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
CRYSSIE TORE UP THE final flight of stairs which led to the toy department on the top floor of the large store. She’d spotted a queue of people waiting for the lift, so, with her slight frame and the flat, sensible shoes she always wore, she thought she’d beat them all to it, use her feet, and get there first!
Christmas Eve…the usual frantic nightmare, she thought ruefully. This was her final chance to do the rest of her shopping and, at last, to get what she’d come for. She’d rung earlier to make sure they had some of the much sought-after Runaway Rascals—dolls based on children’s TV characters that Milo, her four-year-old nephew, adored. He never missed the programme, which featured the Rascals, and he desperately wanted one of them for himself. And Cryssie would do her utmost to get it for him. It had been out of stock everywhere for some time—surprise, surprise—but she knew that Latimer’s had received a delivery yesterday, and she prayed that they hadn’t all been snapped up.
Weaving her way frantically among the dozens of last-minute shoppers, she arrived at the appropriate counter and ran her eye quickly along the shelves. Yes! There were four there, on the top, grinning out from their cellophane-fronted boxes, and she heaved a sigh of relief. At last she’d made it!
Deftly, she was able to sneak in past the two or three customers there who were casually examining some other merchandise, and was already framing her request when out of nowhere a masculine voice spoke imperiously.
‘Yes…thanks…I’ll take the four.’ And, after a pause, ‘Put them on the account.’
‘Certainly, Mr Hunter,’ the assistant murmured, lowering her eyes coquettishly.
Cryssie stopped, open-mouthed in utter amazement, and a genuine feeling of desperation swept over her as the girl began to remove the boxes from the shelf and place them, one by one, on the counter in front of her. In her haste and anxiety Cryssie had not even noticed the man, who must have been standing there all the time, right beside her—and who had staked his claim in no uncertain terms! She stared up at the owner of that commanding voice, having to tilt her head back to take in this tall and pushy individual who’d got in before her.