by Mandy Baggot
Explaining the truth to her dad however, had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. He hadn’t understood at first. She had seen the shame and hurt on his face. But Guy had held her hand the whole time, supported her through every word.
‘I wasn’t completely sure. We had a DNA test done,’ she replied, coolly.
‘Thank God for modern technology. Speaking of which, I’m still having terrible trouble with that bloody coffee machine,’ Ally muttered.
The front door banged open and Dominic came sprinting into the room, two plastic bags swinging from his hands.
‘They won! And you’ll never guess what… Guy scored!’ he announced, launching himself onto the sofa next to Emma.
‘Just one? Only one?!’ Ally teased, standing up and taking the bags from Dominic.
‘They won, two-one,’ Mike announced, as he and Marilyn entered the lounge.
‘And it was flippin’ freezing! I’ve got chilblains where they really shouldn’t be,’ Marilyn stated, rubbing her hands together.
‘I’ll serve this takeaway up, shall I? Did you remember everything, Mike? Because if I don’t have my egg rolls I go green and start talking Mandarin,’ Ally threatened.
‘Blast!’ Mike reacted.
‘Don’t tease the poor girl,’ Marilyn chipped in, giving Mike a thump on the arm.
Guy entered the room, his kit bag over his shoulder, his hair damp from the shower.
‘Hey, Guy, tell Mum about the goal. Mum, it was awesome,’ Dominic enthused, grinning with pride.
‘Come on, you. You’ve been moaning you’re hungry all the way home in the car. Let’s go and help Ally serve up dinner,’ Marilyn suggested, taking his arm.
‘Did you get chips to go with mine?’ he asked, standing up and following his grandad.
Guy put down his bag and Emma stood up. He paced towards her, putting his arms around her and holding her close.
‘How was it? It was the first game since… was it OK?’ she asked, squeezing his body tight to hers.
‘The press were outside when I arrive, lots of questions about the trial, a few accusations, unkind remarks but Finnerham, they have been so supportive to me,’ he responded. He raised his head from her shoulder and held onto her hands.
‘When the trial is finished it will all be over, for good,’ Emma reminded him.
‘We don’t talk about it now. We forget it until then. We have time to be a family, to plan the future… to organise costumes for Copacabana,’ he said, smiling.
‘Please, Guy, not tonight. Ally’s still hoping I’m going to give the lead role to her,’ Emma said.
He laughed and then he kissed her. A long, sensual loving kiss that told her exactly how he felt about her. She drew him in, deepening the kiss and relishing the way it felt to know she never had to let go. He pulled away, bent to unzip the top of his bag. He pulled out a string of fairy lights and shook them up and down.
‘I thought… for the garden. A little food, some Merlot… do you remember?’ he asked, his eyes thick with lust.
‘Yes. I remember,’ she said, her hand on his chest. ‘I’ll always remember.’
About the Author
MANDY BAGGOT is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer. The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into German, Italian, Czech and Hungarian. Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.
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