Tags:
Fiction,
General,
Romance,
Contemporary,
Adult,
California,
Arranged marriage,
loss,
Custody of children,
Mayors,
Social workers
ââjust good friendsâ sounds very comforting to me.â
Soon afterwards Adam and Gabriel took their son off to the Stables for his bath and supper, promising to return with him later for dinner.
âThough whether Fenny will be home in time to share it is uncertain,â said Frances, chuckling. âBut sheâll ring at some stage. Fen tries not to worry me too much.â
âYour ewe lamb,â teased Tom.
âCome over with us, Kate,â said Adam. âIâll show you the jug I found for you.â
She looked at her mother. âUnless thereâs anything I can do to help?â
âNo, darling. Itâs a very simple meal tonight.â
Adam took charge of the buggy as the three of them walked briskly to hurry the baby into the warmth of the stable block which had been Adamâs private quarters since his eighteenth birthday.
âIâll look on while you do the hard part,â Kate told Gabriel. âOr is Daddy going to do bathtime?â
âWe share the process unless Iâm late home,â said Adam as they went upstairs. âActually, I wanted a word on the quiet, Kate,â he added, cuddling his son while Gabriel filled the baby bath. âI take it you werenât too pleased to see Alasdair?â
âNot at first.â She wagged a finger at him. âNor with you, either. You might have warned me! After all this time it was a bit of a shock to find him waiting for me outside school, of all places.â
âHe wanted to surprise you.â
âIâve never met this Alasdair, of course,â said Gabriel,undressing her squirming baby, âbut I gather heâs done well for himself.â
âUnlike me, heâs done what everyone expected of him. And now heâs here to run the UK operation of the pharmaceutical giant who head-hunted him from Cambridge,â said Kate. âGosh, the baby does wriggle, doesnât he?â
âTerrified me the first time,â agreed Adam, and hooked his hands under his kicking sonâs armpits while Gabriel did the spongingâa process Hal objected to at the top of his voice.
âPass him over quickly,â begged Gabriel, and hastily wrapped her son in a warm towel to cuddle him. âDash down and get his bottle, darling, please.â
âYouâre not feeding him yourself, then?â said Kate, mopping up splashes.
âNo. Not that Iâm sorry. This way we can share the night-time feeds. At least thatâs the theory,â added Gabriel, chuckling. âBut I wake up anyway.â
âI bet Adam doesnât when itâs your turn!â Kate watched while her nephew was fastened into a stretchy sleepsuit. âDo you enjoy motherhood, Gabriel?â
Her sister-in-law turned with a smile, cradling her restless son against her shoulder. âJust between you and me, Kate, I hadnât thought to go in for it quite yet, but now heâs here I wouldnât give him back.â
âNeither would I,â said Adam, as he joined them. âWe never get enough sleep any more, but this, weâre assured, will improve with time.â He kissed his wife as he handed over the bottle of formula. âWeâll leave you to it, sweetheart.â
When Adam unwrapped the silver-mounted crystal jug heâd found on his travels Kate stroked it with pleasure.
âPerfect. But how much would you have got at auction for a beauty like this?â
âIrrelevant. You can have it for the money I gave for it,â he assured her. âBut look, if you canât afford itââ
âI most definitely can. Iâve been saving up ever since Gabriel told me she was pregnant.â Kate smiled. âI rather took it for granted youâd ask me to be godmother.â
âYou knew I would,â he said gruffly, and gave her a searching look. âNow weâre on our own, is everything all right with you,