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She’d cope, whatever his reaction—she knew that. She just needed to know what it was. If he wanted to be involved in his child’s life or not. Then she could start making plans. Until then...this horrible limbo persisted.
Time to move the action back into her own hands. Take responsibility. Take control. ‘If he doesn’t call tonight I’ll phone him.’
‘You’ve been saying that for weeks,’ Dolly said from the door.
Sad, but true. ‘Yeah, but now I’m desperate. I’ll do it.’
Dolly sighed, shut the front door behind her and came to sit on the sofa, lifting Luce’s feet to rest them on her lap.
‘Has it occurred to you that you might be better off without him? I mean, he’s basically disappeared off the face of the earth for two months now, Luce.’
‘I know. And it has.’ Luce sighed. ‘Chances are he’ll run like the wind when I tell him anyway. But he needs to know. And I need to know.’
‘This is all because you can’t write your “To Do” list before you tell him, isn’t it?’
Luce chuckled. ‘Partly.’
Dolly tilted her head to look at her. ‘Are you in love with him?’
Rolling her eyes, Luce gave her sister a shove to the shoulder. ‘You’ve asked the same question every day for two months now. What on earth makes you think my answer might have changed? No, I’m not in love with him. But he’s the father of my child, and the responsible thing is to let him know that and have a conversation about whether he wants to be involved. That’s all.’
Dolly’s smile was sad. ‘I think you’re getting less convincing every time you say that. Come on—I’ll make us some tea.’
The worst thing was Dolly was right. As ridiculous as Luce knew it was to have fallen in love with someone based on three days in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, she was starting to be very afraid that was what had happened.
She missed him. More than she’d thought she possibly could. When he’d called that first night she’d hoped that maybe they’d speak again while he was away. Then, when he hadn’t called, she’d been grateful for a while—after she took the pregnancy test and realised she had to tell him in person. She hadn’t been sure she could keep it from him if they spoke.
But now? Now she just ached to see him. She fell asleep wishing she had his arms around her and woke up missing his morning kisses and the way, the one morning they’d woken up together, the first thing he’d done was pull her closer, kissing her neck. She missed the way he told her she had to stop working sometimes, to relax and have fun.
And she really wished he was around to help her figure out what to do about Tom.
Dolly brought the tea tray back to the coffee table: thick slices of ginger cake on a plate next to the teapot, milk jug and cups. ‘I picked this up from the deli down the road. They said the ginger should be good for nausea.’
‘Smells wonderful.’ Luce picked up her plate and took a slice. Still warm.
Once she’d poured the tea Dolly settled into the armchair on the other side of the armchair. ‘Okay. Now that you’re fed and watered we need to talk.’
‘Look, Doll, I’m going to tell him. But—’
Dolly put up a hand to stop her. ‘Not about that, for once. We need to talk about Tom.’
Luce sank back against the cushions and ate some more cake. ‘I know we do. I just—’
‘Don’t want to. I understand.’ Dolly took a deep breath. ‘I think you need to tell him about the pregnancy.’
‘How on earth would that help?’
‘He’s talking to Mum about how he and Vanessa should have the house. Since she’s got kids already and they need the space.’
Luce blinked. ‘But it’s my house. Grandad left it to me. And besides, they’ve been together—what?—three months? And they’re already talking about shacking up in my home with her kids?’ Luce could hear her voice getting higher and squeakier as she talked, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
‘Okay, you need to calm down. Think of the baby.’
Luce rolled her eyes, but settled back obediently against the cushions. ‘As if I think about anything else.’ Except the baby’s father.
‘Look, I don’t know if he’s just testing the waters, or what. But Mum’s so happy to see him settled with someone that I think she’ll go for anything that keeps him that way.’
‘But it’s my house,’ Luce repeated, calmer this time.
‘I know. But you’ve always given in to them before. To me, too.’
