Page 102 of The Thug And His Doll

“Ooooohhh, what’s this?” she asks, her fingers running over the box as she tears off the paper. Within seconds she’s popped the lid and is reaching for the necklace inside. It’s a rose gold chain with a unicorn pendant that has tiny diamonds embedded in its body. There are matching earrings too. She lifts her gaze to meet mine. “You said token gifts, Drix! This isn’t a token gift.”

“I saw it months back in the jewellery store and knew you’d love it,” I say with a shrug. “Besides, there isn’t anything I need, and I happen to love your present. So we’re good.”

Jumping up, Daisy steps over the pile of wrapping paper and bends down to give my cheek a kiss. “You are a sneaky bugger. I love it. Thank you.”

As she settles back down, I suddenly feel extremely nervous. Lia’s gift is last, and I’m having second thoughts about my decision to give her it. But not giving it to her now would look even more suspicious. Dragging in a breath, I reach inside the sack and pull out the box, passing it to her. It’s pretty heavy, given the contents.

“I happened across these at a consignment store. I think they’re, well…” my voice trails off, I really hadn’t thought this through all that well. I just sure hope she believes my story.

Lia frowns, her smile wavering a little as she tries to get a read on me. “Are you alright, Drix?”

“Maybe you should just open it,” I mumble.

Her eyes drop to the present on her lap, and she starts to pull at the paper, Toby watches her, enraptured. When she lifts the lid on the box, her eyes widen and she gasps as she reaches inside the box and pulls out the first recipe book. She places it next to her on the sofa, grabbing each of the recipe books in turn. There are five in total. The last one is the one that has her mum’s handwritten note, a note I’ve memorised having read it several times over.

To my dear Lia, when you bake with love, that love will feed the hungry with more than just sweetness, Love Mum.

“How?” she whispers, blinking back the tears welling in her eyes.

“That night at Bandits, when I got Toby’s pyjamas from your car, I noticed that recipe book in a box nestled behind the driver’s seat. It was sitting on top,” I say, pointing to the one she’s holding now, the one with her mother’s handwritten note. At least that part of my story is true, I did see it then. What she doesn’t know is that I kept them all in my flat since the night Fraser stole her car. Guilt surges inside of me, but I ignore it, pushing on. “I happened to be passing the consignment store in town a week or so ago, and saw it displayed in the window. So, I went inside, and asked to look at it. When I opened it up and read the note, I knew it belonged to you.”

“And the others?” she asks, “They’re all mine.”

“I asked the shop assistant about it, she said that the recipe book was brought in with some others at the same time, so I put two and two together, and bought them all.”

“Drix this is…” her voice cracks, and she shakes her head. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” I reply, clearing my throat, hating the fact I’m lying to her, again.

“It’s everything.” Placing the recipe book on top of the others she leans over and presses a kiss against my lips. “You’re everything.”

“Lia, I–”

But my response is smothered with her lips on mine, and I’m lost to the sweetness of her kiss, a kiss that turns more intense as the seconds pass. We only pull apart when Daisy clears her throat.

“Not to spoil your fun, but there’s a kid in the room,” she reminds us with a wink.

“Gosh, sorry,” Lia says, her cheeks flooding with heat.

“That’s okay, Mama. I don’t mind having a younger brother or sister,” Toby says with a grin.

“A younger brother or sister?” I ask, chuckling.

“Yes, silly. Kissing makes babies,” he replies.

Daisy snorts with laughter, but quickly recovers when Toby frowns. “I guess kissing is part of it.”

Toby frowns, turning his attention to Lia. “But you said–”

Lia pulls a face. “There’s a little bit more to it than that.”

“Oh boy,” I say, looking between the two and wondering how on Earth Lia is going to explain her way out of this.

“Why don’t you grab Drix’s present, sweetheart? It’s still under the tree,” Lia says, and the whole baby making conversation is forgotten as he claps his hands and turns on his feet, grabbing it from beneath the tree.

“This is for you!” he says proudly, handing me the gift.

“I wanted to get you something special,” Lia says softly as she draws Toby onto her lap. “I hope you like it.”

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