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“Like when we’re going to tell the people at work about the pregnancy.Our friends.That kind of thing.”
Oh, that.She’d almost forgotten about that too.She’d been expecting him to want to talk about the current case, so this out of the blue topic surprised her.Opening the other eye, she gave an inward sigh.The scar on Nico’s cheek was pronounced as he considered her, a sign he was more worried than he let on.She sat up a little so she could concentrate on his face, and swapped her feet over, letting him massage the other one.
“I think it’s usual to wait until twelve weeks.So that gives us a month to come up with the details,” she replied patiently.
“Okay, that seems fair.What about our families?Are we going to wait until twelve weeks to tell them, too?”
Lacey screwed up her mouth in thought.“Um, I’m not sure.”The doctor had confirmed her pregnancy at her appointment yesterday, so the news was definitely official.But she was only seven weeks along; it all felt a little soon to be broadcasting the announcement.
“We’re still coming to terms with the whole baby thing, but I’d like to tell them soon.I think they have a right to know.And my mum will be over the moon.Her first grandchild and all that.”Nico’s eyes brightened at the idea of his mum being a grandmother.
Shit, that meant if he was going to tell his parents soon, then she’d have to tell hers.The idea scared the hell out of her.Nico’s mum, Catarina, would make a wonderful grandmother.Her mother, on the other hand, wouldn’t.
Nico caught the fearful look in her eye, and almost as if he could read her mind, he said, “You have to tell them, Lacey.This isn’t something you can keep from them.”He stopped massaging her foot and laid his hand on her thigh.
“I know,” she said miserably.“But I don’t think I could cope with my mother demanding to come here and take over everything to do with the baby.It’s what she does.It’s what she’s always done.”
“This time will be different,” Nico assured her.“We’re going to set the ground rules early.And I will be there to enforce them this time.She doesn’t get to overstep, or I’ll quite happily send her packing.”
“Well, you might have to do exactly that,” Lacey told him.“Boundaries are there to be broken in her book.She takes being toldnoas her own personal challenge to do the exact opposite.”
Lacey hadn’t really wanted to consider the ramifications of everything bringing a child into the world would entail.She’d wanted to keep the secret safe just between her and Nico.But of course a baby would make an impact in more than just their lives.There were other people to be considered.It was over six months since she’d talked to either of her parents.Ever since she’d made them aware of how their treatment of her was no longer acceptable, and that something needed to change.But of course, nothing had changed.Lacey was conscious the impasse needed to be stopped soon, otherwise their rift might become irreparable.She knew she would have to be the bigger person and be the one who broke the ice first.But her stomach quivered at the mere idea of talking to her mother.Perhaps she should phone her dad first.
She put a protective hand over her belly.One thing she was certain about was that she wasn’t letting her mother’s corrosive manner and toxic manipulation touch this baby’s life.If she had to cut her mother out of her life for good to protect her child, then that was what she would do.
“I’m sorry to bring it up, Lace, but you need to start thinking about when and how you’re going to tell them.”
She nodded.“It’s just sad.You’re so excited, and you can’t wait to break the news to your mum and sister and brother.But I’m the complete opposite.Elora is going to find a way to make this all about her, I just know it.And we’re going to end up fighting.Again.”
“Maybe,” Nico acknowledged.“But what about Mathew and Sammy?They’ll be happy for us, right?”
She knew her older brother, Matty, would definitely be happy for them, for her.His own life was hectic and fast-paced and that’s the way he liked it.There was no time for a wife, let alone kids.But her younger sister, Sammy, well… Lacey wasn’t so sure.Sammy was becoming more like Elora every day.It probably had something to do with the fact she was still living at home in the mansion in Toorak, enjoying all the perks of having rich parents.While Lacey had shunned everything to do with that lifestyle.Except her trust fund, she still had that, but she never used it.
“Matt will,” she consented.“But I won’t tell them until I’m ready to reveal it all to my parents.The secret might be too much, especially for Sammy.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’m sorry,” Lacey said quietly.She was scared her side of the family were going to spoil any happiness this baby might bring.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.We all have family dramas, no one comes without baggage of some kind, and I went into this relationship with my eyes wide open.Like I said before, we’ll get through this together.”He pushed her foot out of his lap and grabbed her hand, tugging her to sit on his thighs instead.“This is going to be the best adventure of our lives.We need to stay focussed on that and the rest will fall into place.”
Lacey stared into his indigo eyes, his pupils huge and dark.Slowly, Nico leaned in and kissed her.Not with the intent to seduce, but with a sweetness and tenderness that made her heart swell.He was right; nothing mattered more than the two of them—soon to be three—and their life together.No one could touch that.Not now, not ever.
CHAPTER EIGHT
NICO STARED OUT of the window at the busy main street below.It was Friday afternoon and the operations room was fairly quiet, every officer on his team either out on patrol or following up leads and errands of his making, Lacey and Linc included.Which left him alone in ops.He stifled a yawn just as Detective Pederson strode in.Sitting up straighter, he shuffled some of the papers on his desk.
“Anything new to report?”he asked, keeping his tone all business.
Pederson screwed up his face in the closest thing to a scowl Nico had seen on the man.Detective Jay Pederson normally kept his feelings under wraps and played his hand close to his chest.Pederson was one of a very few indigenous detectives in Tasmania, and Nico put his cool reserve down to a sort of self-protection.The life of a detective was hard enough without all the added strain of prejudice and social judgement he would’ve endured on his way through the ranks.Regardless of how hard the man must’ve worked to get where he was, and how much Nico respected him for that, he still couldn’t find it in his heart to like the other detective; he was blunt and abrasive, and a pain in the ass.
“Perhaps.”Pederson leaned down and pulled out a chair, sitting on the opposite side of the desk.“But I also wanted to pick your brains on a few things that have been bothering me.”
“Sure, go ahead.”Nico sat back in his chair and watched the other man’s dark eyes as they roved over the murder board before coming to rest on his face.
“Just to update you, Saito has spent the day working with Sally-Ann.They’re looking at every unsolved cold case going back twenty years, both in Tasmania and on the mainland.Trying to see if they can find any similar murders.”
“Mm hm.”Nico made a noise wondering where Pederson was going with this.The Hobart police had already looked into cold cases when the serial killer had first come to their attention, but he didn’t bother to mention this to Pederson.Hobart PD hadn’t uncovered anything of interest, but they’d only gone back ten years, not twenty, which had made Nico highly dubious as to the depth of their research skills.Silently, he applauded the two women’s proactive approach.Most cops hated the dull, repetitive job of research, but it was an important part of police work, and Sally-Ann was especially good at it.With the help of Tasman Saito, they’d make a formidable team.He always encouraged his team to follow their intuition on a case, and the two women might have more luck with their superior fact-finding skills than the lackluster Hobart team.
