Do You Remember? (29 page)

5 September 2005

Her dad had gone for coffee just after they’d boarded the ferry and she’d stayed in the car. Luc was just starting to stir. She lifted him out of the bag and cradled him in her arms. His little fists were screwed up tight together and his perfect lips were opening and closing, as he turned his head this way and that rooting for food.

There was one last bottle in the bag that would have to satisfy him until they got home. She un-capped the top and put the teat to his mouth.

‘There we are. Who’s a hungry little boy?’ she asked, stroking his hair with her free hand.

She didn’t see Mike come back. She didn’t notice him until he’d opened the door and dropped two paper cups of coffee to the deck of the boat.

‘Emma…what’s going on?’

He’d gone ashen. The tan he had built up over the last three weeks had faded in an instant. She stared at her dad, not knowing what to say. She had planned to tell him when they got home, obviously, but she had been counting on a couple of hours on the boat and another few to get home before she had to face the music.

‘I wanted to tell you, Dad. But…I was so frightened,’ she blurted out, tears forming.

‘Oh my God, love. I don’t know what to say. I…’ Mike started, holding onto the frame of the car door for support.

‘I’m so sorry, Dad. I knew you’d be disappointed and I was ashamed. I…I had him yesterday, at the campsite and…’

‘Emma…my poor sweet girl,’ Mike said, shaking his head as emotion overrode him.

‘I didn’t want to make a fuss…I didn’t want to spoil the holiday,’ she continued, the tears falling. The emotion was real. She was grieving so many things. Her mother, Guy, the loss of her old future because of the hand Fate had dealt her. The future she’d chosen to take instead for this baby’s sake.

‘Didn’t want to make a fuss?! It’s a baby, love. You’ve had a baby,’ Mike stated. He put his hand to his head.

‘I just want to go home.’

‘I don’t think it works like that, love. I mean he doesn’t have any passport or papers or anything. What about when we get to the border in England?’

‘He’s been in my bag,’ Emma told him as if it was the most normal sentence in the world to utter.

Mike shook his head again and she could feel his disappointment radiating off of him. She could tell he was seeing his retirement with Marilyn slipping out of sight.

‘Oh, love,’ Mike said, sighing.

‘I know what you’re thinking, Dad, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of my plans for university. I can go later, in a few years,’ Emma said, adjusting Luc’s bottle and making him suckle louder.

‘Love, why didn’t you come to me? At the beginning when you first found out?’

She obviously didn’t have an answer so she shrugged, hoping it would be enough.

‘Who’s the father? Does he know?’

She offered another shrug, focused her eyes on Luc.

‘Does this little one have a name?’ Mike asked.

Emma looked up then and caught the compassion mixed with shock; saw the chance to grab onto.

‘Dominic. His name’s Dominic.’

Present Day

‘I hear they’ve rounded them all up,’ Ally announced, pouring Emma a glass of wine.

‘What?’

‘The paedophiles. The ring leader’s been remanded and the others have been bailed pending the trial,’ she continued.

‘Guy and I try not to talk about that. He has to appear at the trial to give evidence but until then we’re not thinking about it. We have a wedding to plan,’ Emma reminded.

‘I know that! Was that a not-so-subtle hint that I ought to be arranging the hen party?’ Ally asked.

‘Not at all. That’s the part I’m dreading because I remember the last one you made me go to that you arranged. Tequila, cowboy hats and glow-in-the-dark thongs,’ Emma said, laughing.

‘Great wasn’t it?’

‘You had more fun than the bride.’

‘Ah, organiser’s prerogative.’

Emma laughed.

‘So, listen, miss, now I have you on your own, what I want to know is, if Guy is Dominic’s father why couldn’t you have just come out and told me? I mean you told me he wasn’t…twice! You told me it was Tom, Dick or Tarquin from that awful party we went to,’ Ally said.

Emma felt the loaded stare but was unmoved. She’d wanted to tell Dominic the truth, well a version of the truth someone his age could understand, but Guy had been adamant. He didn’t want that. Not yet. When Dominic was old enough to understand, when he was safe and secure in their love, then there would come a time. Right now he was only to know one thing. That Guy and Emma were happy. That they were together and they were getting married, becoming a family.

Explaining the truth to her dad however, had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. He hadn’t understood at first. She had seen the shame and hurt on his face. But Guy had held her hand the whole time, supported her through every word.

‘I wasn’t completely sure. We had a DNA test done,’ she replied, coolly.

‘Thank God for modern technology. Speaking of which, I’m still having terrible trouble with that bloody coffee machine,’ Ally muttered.

The front door banged open and Dominic came sprinting into the room, two plastic bags swinging from his hands.

‘They won! And you’ll never guess what…Guy scored!’ he announced, launching himself onto the sofa next to Emma.

‘Just one? Only one?!’ Ally teased, standing up and taking the bags from Dominic.

‘They won, two-one,’ Mike announced, as he and Marilyn entered the lounge.

‘And it was flippin’ freezing! I’ve got chilblains where they really shouldn’t be,’ Marilyn stated, rubbing her hands together.

‘I’ll serve this takeaway up shall I? Did you remember everything, Mike? Because if I don’t have my egg rolls I go green and start talking Mandarin,’ Ally threatened.

‘Blast!’ Mike reacted.

‘Don’t tease the poor girl,’ Marilyn chipped in, giving Mike a thump on the arm.

Guy entered the room, his kit bag over his shoulder, his hair damp from the shower.

‘Hey, Guy, tell Mum about the goal. Mum, it was awesome,’ Dominic enthused, grinning with pride.

‘Come on, you. You’ve been moaning you’re hungry all the way home in the car. Let’s go and help Ally serve up dinner,’ Marilyn suggested, taking his arm.

‘Did you get chips to go with mine?’ he asked, standing up and following his grandad.

Guy put down his bag and Emma stood up. He paced towards her, putting his arms around her and holding her close.

‘How was it? It was the first game since…was it OK?’ she asked, squeezing his body tight to hers.

‘The press were outside when I arrive, lots of questions about the trial, a few accusations, unkind remarks but Finnerham, they have been so supportive to me,’ he responded. He raised his head from her shoulder and held onto her hands.

‘When the trial is finished it will all be over, for good,’ Emma reminded him.

‘We don’t talk about it now. We forget it until then. We have time to be a family, to plan the future…to organise costumes for
Copacabana
,’ he said, smiling.

‘Please, Guy, not tonight. Ally’s still hoping I’m going to give the lead role to her,’ Emma said.

He laughed and then he kissed her. A long, sensual loving kiss that told her exactly how he felt about her. She drew him in, deepening the kiss and relishing the way it felt to know she never had to let go. He pulled away, bent to unzip the top of his bag. He pulled out a string of fairy lights and shook them up and down.

‘I thought…for the garden. A little food, some Merlot…do you remember?’ he asked, his eyes thick with lust.

‘Yes. I remember,’ she said, her hand on his chest. ‘I’ll always remember.’

Mandy Baggot

I’m an award-winning novelist of strong contemporary romance and characters you’ll fall in love with. I am also a full member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a contributor for Loveahappyending Lifestyle.

As well as being a self-confessed Twitter addict, I also like to show off my singing talents on YouTube! I’ve auditioned for X Factor, appeared on ITV1s Who Dares Sings and I long to duet with Bryan Adams. I love white wine, mashed potato, country music, Corfu and World's Strongest Man.

I live very close to Sting in Wiltshire with my husband, two daughters and two cats called Kravitz and Springsteen!

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First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2013

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