Playing the Playboy's Sweetheart

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘We can.’ Emily smiled.

  ‘Depending on your migraines, of course.’

  ‘I don’t get migraines any more.’ It was lovely to smile at their history, to lie and fall asleep in each other’s arms and know they were the person the other wanted beside them in everything yet to come.

  Yes, Emily thought as she drifted off to sleep, life could not get better than this.

  She was wrong.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  ‘I CAN COME with you if Hugh can’t make it,’ Louise offered.

  Emily had just seen Alex for her post-operative check-up and was having a coffee up in Theatre before her antenatal appointment with Anton.

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ Emily smiled. ‘And you were right, he is lovely to his patients.’

  ‘Told you,’ Louise said. ‘Shame he’s so miserable with all the staff. Honestly, I am so tired of him checking and re-checking everything. I wonder what he’s like with the staff on Maternity.’

  ‘You’ll find out soon,’ Emily said, because Louise was starting there next week. ‘I’m sorry I can’t make your leaving do. Hugh had already booked for us to go to the Lake District before I knew the date.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Louise said. ‘I’m sure there’ll be other nights out. You’d better head down for your appointment. You don’t want to keep Anton waiting.’

  Emily walked from Theatre down to Maternity Outpatients and tried to tell herself that it was natural to be nervous.

  It didn’t worry her that Hugh hadn’t made it, but then she saw him walking briskly toward her and it was very, very nice that he had.

  Emily gave her name at Reception and then they took their seats to wait their turn to see Anton.

  ‘Why don’t we drive tomorrow?’ Emily said, but Hugh shook his head.

  ‘I’m going to have a sleep when we get in and then we can head off at midnight. I’ve only got four days off.’

  And Hugh wanted to squeeze everything in.

  ‘Are you nervous?’

  ‘Yes,’ Emily admitted. ‘You?’

  ‘Yes,’ Hugh said, though he actually wasn’t too nervous about the appointment. He had an awful lot else to be nervous about, though he daren’t tell Emily just yet.

  ‘Good to see they keep doctors waiting too,’ Hugh said, and she pulled a face.

  ‘I’m a nurse and this is my appointment.’

  It was Hugh who smiled now. They knew just how to wind the other up, just how to make the other smile. Living together was a journey of both discovery and also a kind familiarity. They had been friends for way longer than they should have been after all.

  ‘Well, if I was pregnant,’ Hugh said, ‘I’d expect to be seen on time.’

  ‘If you were pregnant, you’d be seen on time by every doctor and medical student in the place.’

  It was a very long wait and Hugh tapped his feet with impatience and read all the sex tips in all the magazines, along with the problem pages, as Emily read her book and tried to tell herself it would all be fine.

  ‘Emily Jackson.’

  Finally they were called in.

  ‘Get used to waiting.’ Anton smiled by way of greeting. ‘One day it might be you two keeping the waiting room waiting.’

  ‘Might be?’ Emily checked, as he took her blood pressure.

  ‘Planned Caesareans, for me, are a very beautiful thing.’ Anton smiled again and Emily blushed. Louise was right, he was gorgeous. Oh, God, she was going to be one of those women who had a crush on their obstetrician. How embarrassing!

  They went through all the usual questions and he asked if she had any plans for her delivery.

  ‘None,’ Emily said.

  ‘Are you still getting used to the idea that you’re pregnant?’

  ‘I’m used to it being in there now,’ Emily said. ‘I’ve just not thought as far as getting it out.’

  ‘Well, you’re not due till the twenty fourth of February so you have plenty of time to work out your birth plan.’

  ‘Lots of drugs,’ Emily said, recalling the screams that had come from Theatre. ‘Actually, that planned Caesarean is starting to sound very beautiful to me too.’

  Anton continued smiling. ‘Let’s see how things progress. Usually I don’t do an ultrasound at this stage,’ Anton said, ‘but I would like to just check and I’m sure you want to see for yourself that it is all okay, and then we can leave things till the nineteen-week scan.’

  Hugh hadn’t been there for her ultrasound and he saw their baby for the very first time. There was a lot more to see four weeks later and it moved and wriggled and Hugh could barely take in the evidence of what had happened that morning.

  ‘Meant to be,’ Hugh said.

  It was.

  As they headed off for a mountain of blood tests, she realised again that Hugh knew her very well indeed. ‘You fancy him, don’t you?’

  ‘Stop it.’ Emily was appalled that he could tell. ‘Maybe it’s hormones.’

  ‘Or that Italian accent,’ Hugh nudged, and then stopped teasing. ‘I’m sure he’s very used to his patients being a little in love with him. Apparently he’s got a very good success rate for IVF. He was a top fertility specialist in Milan. It would seem you’re in very good hands.’

  Emily had her bloods done and then booked in for her nineteen-week ultrasound. ‘We’re not finding out what we’re having,’ Emily said, because Hugh wanted to and she didn’t.

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘And if you can tell from the ultrasound then please don’t tell me.’

  ‘I’m not going to,’ Hugh said, and then gave her a warning of how it would be. ‘No matter how many times you ask me.’

  Emily smiled. There was a lot to smile about, but not when Hugh woke her up at midnight and said that it was time to head off.

  ‘Can’t we drive in the morning?’

  ‘No,’ Hugh said. ‘I want to be there by morning.’

  It was actually nice, driving through the darkness and chatting away, and Emily asked if he’d heard any more about Gina.

  ‘I’ll go and visit next week,’ Hugh said, ‘but Mr Eccleston went and saw her yesterday and she’s doing very well apparently. Her family hasn’t exactly rallied around her though. She wants to get out of anaesthetics.’ He glanced at her. ‘Why don’t you go to sleep?’

  ‘Isn’t the passenger supposed to talk to keep the driver awake?’

  ‘You’ve never bothered before,’ Hugh pointed out. ‘Have a sleep. I’m fine, I had a few hours when we got home.’

  Emily dozed off just before dawn, thinking about Gina and all the decisions she had to make but so glad she was getting help and support. She awoke a couple of hours later, frowning when she saw the road signs for Carlisle and trying to orientate herself for they’d passed the exit for the Lake District.

  ‘We’ve passed it.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we—?’

  ‘We’re not going to the Lake District,’ Hugh said. ‘We’re eloping.’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘We’re going to Gretna Green. Remember those forms you signed...’

  ‘And remember that I then changed my mind,’ Emily reminded him. ‘Hugh, I told you, it doesn’t mean anything.’

  ‘Well, it does to me. Even if your parents don’t take their vows seriously, I will, and I believe you will too. I’m not going to force you but, honestly, if it really means nothing to you, do it for me.’ Emily sat there. ‘I don’t want to hear them call out Ms Jackson. I don’t want our baby to be called Jackson-Linton or Linton-Jackson. Boring as I am, I want us all to have the same surname. Now, if marriage does mean something to you and you don’t think I’m the man you want to marry then it’s a different story...’

  ‘Yo
u are the one.’ She did want to be married, she was just scared. ‘I just swore I never would.’

  ‘If this marriage doesn’t work,’ Hugh said, ‘I won’t be doing it again. I’m not going to have our child walking up the aisle behind one of its parents over and over... We’ll do it once,’ Hugh said. ‘That can be our vow.’

  ‘What if—?’

  ‘Widow and widowers excepted.’ Hugh smiled. ‘I’ll leave you rich enough to be a very wicked widow.’ Then he was serious. ‘Marry me, Emily.’

  She nodded.

  ‘Is that a yes?’

  ‘Yes, but so many people are going to be upset...’ Emily stopped there and then. She didn’t care if her marriage offended some people, for their efforts had offended her deeply after all, but then she thought of something. ‘Won’t your parents be upset?’

  ‘They were a bit at first.’

  ‘You’ve already told them?’

  ‘Yes.’ Hugh nodded. ‘Then Kate came up with a plan that they’d all book into a hotel and if you said yes...’ Hugh shook his head. ‘No way!’

  ‘You said no to her.’

  ‘We had a row actually,’ Hugh said, ‘and, God, it felt good. I said that I didn’t even know if you were going to say yes. I didn’t want complete public humiliation.’

  ‘Oh, Hugh.’ She couldn’t believe all he’d been through just to get her to this point and, no, she couldn’t say no to him.

  ‘I’d love to marry you,’ Emily said. ‘And, for the record, it means everything to me.’

  ‘We get married at three,’ Hugh said, as the signs came up for Gretna Green.

  ‘What about—?’

  ‘I’ve covered everything.’ He gave her a very nice smile. ‘Don’t panic, I have very good taste and once Kate had got over her hissy fit she actually helped me with a lot of the arrangements.’

  They stopped thirty minutes from Gretna Green to pick up the rings that Hugh had chosen—Emily’s a diamond and platinum ring stamped with an image of the anvil. It could not have been a better choice. And Hugh’s ring was the same, just minus the diamonds.

  ‘So you don’t say I cheated you out of an engagement ring,’ Hugh explained.

  Emily’s nerves were really fluttering as they pulled up at a small hotel and Hugh told her he’d booked her in for hair and make-up, which was all very lovely but there was nothing in her case for such a big day.

  ‘God, what do I wear?’

  He had thought of everything.

  Hugh opened his suitcase and there, wrapped in tissue paper, was an ivory dress.

  ‘You know your favourite black dress, the one you said ages ago that you wish you’d bought it in every size, because it was perfect for you?’

  That conversation had been close to two years ago and that he’d remembered, that he knew it was still her favourite dress touched Emily deeply. ‘I had it made up...’

  ‘You’ve really planned this.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Hugh said. ‘Now, are you sure you don’t want to ring your parents? We can delay it.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Do you want Louise or—?’

  ‘I just want you, Hugh.’ Now she could more easily admit it. ‘I always have.’

  ‘Then let’s make it official.’

  It was the only way Emily could have ever married, or rather the best way for Emily to marry, and it was the most beautiful day, apart from her feet, because a half-size up would have been better but she chose not to say anything.

  It was near the end of summer and the beginning of their new lives.

  A piper walked Emily to the wedding room and Hugh was wrong about one thing.

  She did cry at weddings.

  But only her own.

  Emily looked down as he slid a ring on her finger and they said their vows and both meant every word.

  Then the anvil was struck and they were husband and wife yet the fun had only just started.

  Yes, it had all been planned.

  A photographer was waiting and photos were taken outside the old blacksmith’s and by the sign that said ‘Gretna Green’. A little while later the first images came to Hugh’s phone as they sat holding hands and trying to eat at the same time, with Emily’s shoes on the floor beside her feet.

  ‘Time to update our statuses,’ Hugh said. ‘Or do you want to ring your parents first?’

  ‘Do it this way.’

  Guess where we are?

  He posted the image of them dressed for their wedding, kissing beside the Gretna Green sign, and not even a minute later her mum was on the phone.

  Then her dad.

  And then the ‘likes’ started and the comments.

  What took you so long?

  About time.

  Congratulations.

  We’re all having a champagne for you both!

  And a picture of colleagues and friends toasting them was posted from Louise’s leaving do.

  A cyber wedding party was happening and it was possibly the only way Emily’s complicated family could all be together to share in the celebration.

  Her mum joined in, as did her dad and Cathy.

  Donna got off the animosity horse and said she was thrilled and that the twins were really excited and would love to see them both soon.

  ‘Wow!’ Emily blinked.

  Jonathan had clearly told Jennifer because she sent a long message saying she was ringing Alex with the happy news now.

  Then came a message from Jessica.

  Wonderful news. Mum says to say she is pleased for you. xx

  It was very nice to know that Katrina perhaps had cared after all.

  ‘I thought she’d forgotten me,’ Emily admitted.

  ‘No.’ Hugh told her he had seen her in the recovery ward and how awkward Katrina had been. ‘Sometimes people don’t like to look at their mistakes. She was angry with your father, it was never about you.’

  ‘I know.’

  It was just nice to have it confirmed.

  Yes, it was the best wedding, but just as Hugh went to switch off his phone and get back to the two of them, Emily took out hers and posted a little teaser of her own.

  More good news to come.

  There was.

  Emily knew it and so did Hugh.

  Finally she was safe in love.

  * * * * *

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  ISBN-13: 9781460342572

  Playing the Playboy’s Sweetheart

  Copyright © 2014 by Carol Marinelli

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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