Robert; I wasn’t in love with him. But…’ She paused, drawing in a deep breath. ‘I have to be honest with you, Liam, and tell you that I can’t regret my marriage to him. He was a wonderful husband and father; neither Bobby or I could have had better.’ There, she had said it!
Because it had to be said. If there were to be any future relationship at all between Liam and herself, even that of friendship just for Bobby’s sake, then Liam had to understand she regretted making none of the choices that had been open to her, that she would never have a denigrating word said about Robert, on any subject, within her hearing.
She hadn’t been in love with Robert, but she had loved him deeply, and she knew that Bobby felt the same about the man he had known as his daddy. How Liam, with the knowledge that he was Bobby’s biological father, intended dealing with that she had no idea. But he would have to deal with it in a way that was acceptable to her. Otherwise she would fight all the way any claim he tried to make on Bobby. She owed Robert that, at least.
Liam looked across at her with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. ‘You asked me a short time ago why I hadn’t told you that I knew I was Bobby’s real father,’ he began slowly. ‘My answer was I was waiting for you to tell me. But there’s a lot more to it than that, Laura,’ he continued firmly as she would have spoken. ‘Being a father isn’t about impregnating a woman. It’s being there for her during the sometimes scary days of pregnancy, being at her side during the birth, helping to care for and nurture the child once it’s born. All the things that Robert did, in fact,’ he acknowledged. ‘The deep affection you had for him once frightened the hell out of me—eight years ago I thought you felt more for him than you did for me! But it doesn’t frighten me any more, Laura. Now I’m just grateful to him. For being there for you, and Bobby, when I couldn’t be or simply wasn’t,’ he admitted sadly.
The tears were swimming in Laura’s eyes now. ‘Do you really mean all that?’ she breathed.
‘Of course I mean it,’ he replied. ‘I’m not expecting to just walk into Bobby’s life, announce that I’m his real father and take over that role as if it’s my right! Because it isn’t. I have to earn that right. In the same way I have to earn the right to tell you I’m still in love with you,’ he carried on. ‘That I’ve never stopped being in love with you,’ he added emotionally.
‘Oh, Liam…!’ she choked tearfully.
‘Is that, Oh, Liam, you’ll never be able to convince me of that?’ he asked. ‘Or is it, Oh, Liam, I’ll let you try if it’s what you really want to do?’ He looked at her with narrowed eyes.
Laura drew in a deep breath; it was now or never! ‘It’s, Oh, Liam, I do love you,’ she admitted shyly, holding her breath as she waited for his response.
He became very still, eyeing her warily. ‘Is that, I love you, Liam, or is that, I’m in love with you, Liam?’
She gave a shaky laugh. ‘Which do you think?’
He raised his eyes heavenwards. ‘After the confusion of the last week—I have no idea!’ he admitted. ‘Although I’m hoping it’s the latter,’ he added. ‘You have no idea how much I’m hoping that!’
Oh, she thought she did—if it was anything like the way she felt!
‘I love you very much, Laura. I’ve never stopped being in love with you,’ he assured her. ‘And, if you’ll give me the chance, I would like the time to convince you of that.’
She took a step towards him. ‘Don’t you think we’ve wasted enough time already?’ She took another step.
Liam covered the short distance that was left between them, sweeping her into his arms, holding her so tightly against him he was in danger of snapping her in half. ‘I love you, Laura! I love you so much it hurts!’ He groaned into the softness of her throat. ‘I never want to be without you again!’
She could feel him shaking as she put her own arms about his waist and held him just as tightly as he was holding her. ‘You won’t be,’ she promised. ‘Not ever again!’
As his mouth claimed possession of hers, lips moving passionately against her, sipping, tasting, Liam desperate to make her a part of him, Laura knew that this time they wouldn’t be parted by anything, or anyone.
This time it was for ever…
EPILOGUE
‘OH, LOOK how tiny she is.’ Bobby glanced up excitedly at Liam as they stood side by side looking down into the tiny hospital crib. ‘Isn’t Hannah beautiful?’
Liam glanced at Laura as she lay in the hospital bed, the two of them sharing a smile of complete love as Bobby enthused about his hours-old baby sister, Hannah Mary.
‘Gorgeous. But not as beautiful as your mother,’ Liam answered Bobby huskily, raising Laura’s hand up to his mouth as he kissed the softness of her skin. ‘Thank you,’ he mouthed silently.
‘When can we take her home, Mummy?’ Bobby pressed excitedly.
Laura smiled at her beloved son, so pleased that he had taken this new addition to their family so well.
She and Liam had been married for a year now—a year of complete happiness, but also of necessary adjustments for all of them. Bobby most of all. He had had to learn to share his mother with ‘Uncle Liam’. Now he had to share her with a baby sister too…
‘Tomorrow, probably,’ she answered sleepily. The labour with Hannah had been much shorter than with Bobby, but very tiring.
Liam had been with her this time, every day of her pregnancy, all through the hours of labour. As she had no doubts he would be with her every day for the rest of her life.
During Laura’s maternity leave Perry was in charge of Shipley Publishing. Liam’s book had been published three months ago, had been at the top of the bestseller list for two of those, and was looking likely to remain there for some time.
Laura knew she had never been so happy, knowing herself completely loved, and completely in love with Liam in return. And now they had a daughter as well as a son.
Liam had told her at the outset of their marriage that he thought Bobby should continue to think of him as ‘Uncle Liam’, in the hope that one day Bobby would decide to call him Daddy, simply because he wanted to. Telling Bobby the whole truth about his birth, they had decided together, could wait until he was older.
‘Can I hold her?’ Bobby asked softly. ‘Can I, Mummy?’
Laura smiled. ‘If you sit in this chair next to the bed I’m sure Dad—er, Uncle Liam will pick her up and give her to you.’ She blushed slightly at the slip she had just made.
But it was how she always thought of Liam now. He had become Bobby’s father, loved him, played with him, scolded him slightly if it were necessary, listened to him. Everything a father should do. And she knew if Robert could see them all now that he would be happy that Bobby and Laura had someone who loved them both so deeply.
‘Will you, Daddy?’ Bobby looked up almost shyly at Liam. ‘Please?’
Laura watched as Liam swallowed the lump in his throat, her own eyes swimming with tears. It was the first time Bobby had called him Daddy…
But as she watched Bobby cuddling Hannah, Liam bending solicitously over both of them, Laura knew it wouldn’t be the last time.
They were a real family now.
Complete.
Chapter One
1816, St Claire House, London
‘I have no immediate plans to marry, Hawk. Least of all some chit barely out of the schoolroom