Page 45 of This Woman Forever

Another roll as I place her down and sacrifice her one last time to others. Ava moves in on Joseph first, throwing her arms around him as Elizabeth claims me. “Look after her,” she says quietly. It’s an insult. “And promise you’ll visit us soon.”

“I will,” I say, to the latter demand, not the first. “But your daughter has to take some time off work first.” And if she does, I’m even willing to share her with her parents for a few hours before I take her on our honeymoon, whenever that may be. When the fuck will that be?

Elizabeth surrenders my shoulders for Ava’s, and I take Joseph’s hand when he offers it. “Safe journey,” I say.

“Thanks for everything.” He quickly checks where Ava is. She’s buried in the crook of Elizabeth’s neck. Then Joseph releases me and replaces his hand with an envelope, slapping the back of my hand with his spare.

“What’s this?” I ask, looking down at the bulging package.

“For the bar,” he says. “I said I wanted to cover the bar bill for the day.”

“Joseph, really?—”

“Don’t,” he orders, as sternly as I’ve known Joseph to talk. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I’ve not even raised an invoice.” Funny. I don’t know how. Sarah does.

“I’m sure that’ll cover it, but let me know if not.”

I back down, because who the fuck am I to stop him from spoiling his daughter, even if she’s unaware. “She won’t like it,” I say for the sake of it.

“Which is why she won’t know.”

Many might ask what the point is if she doesn’t know. The point is, Joseph feels like he’s done her well. It doesn’t matter that she doesn’t know. He’s there without needing the praise or credit, and that is a commendable quality. I hold the envelope up, nodding my thanks, before slipping it into my back pocket. I hope I can make the same gestures for my kids. The pang of pain isn’t avoidable as I look at Ava. Will she ever fucking accept it? And the money Joseph just gave me? That’s starting our kid’s trust fund.

“Elizabeth,” he calls, forcing mother and daughter apart.

“I’m coming.” She rubs Ava’s cheek, slips into the car, then they drive off, Elizabeth waving out of the window as they go.

I see Dan. Ava sees Dan. Then she walks to the Aston. “You’re not going to say goodbye to your brother?”

“No.” She gets in and shuts the door.

And that’s that.

I look across to him as I round the car. He’s glowering. Fuck me, what’s his problem? I feel like he’s got my card marked. What’s worrying is my card is a fucking mess of marks already, and I really don’t need Ava’s brother digging to find those marks.

8

I pass through the glass doors of Lusso with Ava in my arms, feeling her smile on my cheek. Isn’t that what any man wants? A happy wife? But there’s this awful underlying tension lingering, and I absolutely can’t go into another week with it hanging over us. Get her inside, sit her down, and talk. It’s all that’s been on my mind since I pulled away from The Manor. I’ll have to speak my truths, I know that. I’ll have to explain my reasoning, show her my vulnerability, I know that. She’s pregnant. She has to be. Everything points to it—the emotions, the vomiting, the tiredness.

We’ve been through so much, I know we can get through th?—

I stop abruptly halfway across the marble floor, my head emptying when my eyes and brain register someone behind the desk. Someone who definitely isn’t my usual old, round concierge. Who the fuck is this?

He looks up at me as he talks on the phone, and I take him in. All tall, good-looking, young inch of him. Jesus Christ, is this the new concierge? My eyes naturally narrow as he looks back at me with a wary gaze. Yes, be wary, kid. Be very wary. I feel my chest expand of its own volition and my grip of Ava tightens. He definitely takes a step back, despite the meters of marble between us. How old is he? Mid-twenties?

His stare finally moves from me.

Onto my wife.

My beautiful, sexy, mid-twenties wife.

I’ll dig his eyes out with a spoon.

“Where’s Clive?” I ask shortly, feeling Ava wriggling in my arms, trying to remove herself from my hold. Absolutely not. “Stay where you are, lady.”

She laughs a little but does as she’s told. For once. Did I miss the funny part? “You’re behaving like a caveman,” she whispers.