Be My Hero Read Online Free PDF Page B

resented Polly’s illness. It made her less photogenic.”
    â€œThat’s terrible. Does she see her mother?” Nathalie’s eyes widened with concern.
    â€œLaurel visits occasionally, usually if she wants something.” Evan tried to keep the bitter note out of his voice. He always found it hard to be civil to his ex when she made one of her fleeting appearances in their lives. Her sporadic visits always brought Polly more sorrow than pleasure. But she was still Polly’s mother, so what could he do?
    He grew aware of the increased volume of voices around them, and he realised the room had filled with customers whilst they had been talking. “Would you like another drink?”
    Nathalie looked at the empty glasses before them, then around at the busy room. “No, I’m fine. Perhaps we ought to go.”
    Evan took the empty glasses back to the bar. She had every right to be angry with him over the way he’d treated her. He should have got in touch with her sooner, explained about Laurel and the baby. He’d never thought of himself as a coward and had prided himself on doing the right thing, but seeing the pain in Nathalie’s eyes, he knew his pride had been misplaced.
    ****
    Nathalie collected her coat and waited by the door for Evan to return. Her head buzzed with everything he’d told her. His story hadn’t given her the closure she’d hoped for. Instead, it had reopened old wounds, just as she had feared it might. Laurel might be a monster, but she had succeeded in giving Evan something Nathalie couldn’t: a child. She knew from seeing them together that Evan loved Polly very much.
    â€œAre you ready to go?” His breath blew warm on the nape of her neck. Her skin tingled at his closeness as he helped her on with her coat. She might still have been angry with him, but when he stood so near, her body played traitor.
    A refreshing blast of icy air hit her as she opened the door. She zipped her coat up, snuggling into the puffy down as they crossed the car park to Evan’s car. He made no move to take her hand this time. She shivered at the distance between them.
    Evan unlocked the car and opened the door for her. “Polly thinks you’re the bee’s knees, by the way. Anyone who knows something as cool as where to find free duck food is a star in her eyes.”
    Nathalie wriggled inside the Jeep, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she waited for Evan to get in the driver’s side. Polly had seemed a sweet little girl, but she hoped Evan didn’t think she was a candidate to replace Laurel as a mother figure.
    â€œThe car will soon warm up.” He started the engine and waited for the frozen screen to clear. “We talked a lot about me in there. What about you, Tali? You haven’t felt the urge to get married or start a family?”
    â€œI’ve been dating, but I suppose I haven’t met the right person to settle down with yet.” Nathalie endeavoured to keep her voice light. She concentrated on the half-moon of screen as it cleared in front of her.
    â€œWhat about children?” Evan asked.
    â€œNot for me,” she declared emphatically and gripped the sides of her seat so hard her knuckles hurt, hoping he wouldn’t notice how much his probing affected her.
    â€œYou’ll change your mind one day,” Evan declared, his tone filled with confidence.
    She couldn’t tell him the real reason she wasn’t planning a family. It felt too personal, too painful, and she didn’t want to see the pity in his eyes. Too many people had made the same statement in the past — family, friends, customers, all blithely assuring her that she’d someday have a baby of her own. All of them unaware of how much it hurt her each time she heard those words.
    â€œThe screen’s cleared now; we’d better go.” Nathalie wanted to get home.
    Evan gave her a puzzled glance, but he pulled out of the