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“All right. Look, I’ve got an idea about the next few days. Leave it with me. I’ll get back to you shortly, okay?”
“Yeah, thanks Alex.”
“No worries. Speak to you soon.”
I end the call and think for a moment.
I’m incredibly touched by his words. I feel as if he’s given me his blessing to take the next step with his mum, and that means a lot.
I bring up my contacts and dial the number of a friend of mine. We chat for a while, and then, filled with hope, I finish the call and head back down to the bottom terrace.
Chapter Thirty-One
Missie
I’m sitting on the lower terrace, chatting to Kennedy and having a cuddle with her little boy, Eddie, before she puts him down for the night. He’s about eighteen months old, and he’s plump and beautiful, quite happy playing with a plush toy dog and sucking on its hard paws that are obviously designed for teething. We’ve been talking babies because Kennedy is around seven months pregnant with her second.
“I’d love a water birth,” Kennedy says.
“Would Jackson be there for it?” I ask.
“God, yeah. He’d be in the pool with armbands and a snorkel.”
That makes me laugh. “Aw, how sweet. Lee didn’t come to Finn’s birth. He went out with his mates, wetting the baby’s head before it had even arrived.”
“Oh no.” Her brows draw together. “How awful for you.”
“He wasn’t interested in the pregnancy at all. He found it all quite distasteful.”
“I know some men can be like that, and I kinda get it, you know? It’s all a bit alien-like and weird, and I think sometimes they get frightened about the birth. I’m glad Jackson’s not like that, though. It was such a relief to have him there.” She picks up Eddie’s dog as it falls to the floor and passes it back to him, then gives me a mischievous look. “So… you and Alex… I’m going to be really nosy now. How serious is it?”
I give a shy laugh. “I don’t know. I like him a lot. We’ve only been dating a week. But…” I bite my bottom lip. “Mae told me that on the day he met me, back in March, he rang her and said he’d found the girl he was going to marry.”
Her face lights up. “Oh, wow. How romantic! Did you have any idea?”
“Not at all! I thought he found me annoying. You know what he’s like, so serious and hard to read.”
“Yeah, he’s always been like that.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Since he first came to the house. Me, him, and Damon were all twelve. The two of them have always been good to me. They’ve never been the sort of boys who pulled your braids, you know? They were always protective of me. Still are. He’s a lovely guy, Missie. You’ve fallen on your feet there.” She glances across the terrace and smiles. “Here he is, on the hunt for you, I think.”
I look up to see Alex walking toward us. Most of the men have taken off their jackets during the evening as it’s so warm, but Alex is still wearing his. He looks suave and sophisticated today, with his hair tamed into a neat swept-back style, and his neatly shaven jaw. God, he’s gorgeous.
“Hey you two,” he says, smiling at us. “Sorry to interrupt, but can I have a word, Missie?”
“Of course.” Surprised, I hand Eddie back to Kennedy, then rise and let Alex take my hand and lead me to a quieter spot in the gardens. “What’s going on?” I ask when he stops and turns to face me.
“I had a call from Finn,” he says. My eyes widen, and he says, “Don’t worry, he’s fine, no problems at all.” He explains that Robbie has asked Finn to go with him and his family to the coast with Zelda, and that Mum is talking about spending New Year’s with Mike.
“Oh,” I say softly, sad and pleased for her at the same time.
“Are you okay with that?” He cups my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
I nod. “Of course. She deserves to be happy, just like Kait.”
He clears his throat. “Look, it’s entirely up to you—I’d understand if you’d prefer to spend New Year’s with Finn. But I made a quick call to a friend of mine who owns a luxury villa out at Akaroa. It’s a beautiful place—I went there for a party one year. And he said it’s free until the second, because he’s away in the Northland till then. So… I wondered if you’d like to go with me?”
