That had her spine cracking as she straightened too fast. ‘Isn’t that enough? I’m dedicated to my career.’ Apart from shopping for high-end clothes and getting in the minimum of groceries once in a while, what else was there to do?
‘Your career shouldn’t be everything. Don’t you ever want a partner? A family? Your own home? Most of us do.’
‘I’m not most of you.’
‘What about this Flynn? Do you want to see him again?’
Yes. But she wasn’t about to admit that. ‘No,’ she muttered, hating herself as she lied.
‘You haven’t fallen in love with him, have you?’
And if I have? Ally raised her eyes to Darcie and when she went to deny that suggestion she couldn’t find the words. Not a single one.
‘I see. That bad, huh?’ Darcie leaned back in her seat. ‘I don’t know what’s gone on in your life, Ally, and I’m not asking.’ She paused, stared around her beautiful apartment before returning her gaze to Ally. ‘Sometimes we have to take chances.’
Ally shook her head. ‘Not on love,’ she managed to croak.
‘Loving someone can hurt as much as denying that love. But there’s always a chance of having something wonderful if you accept it.’
There really wasn’t anything she could say to that so she kept quiet.
The buzzer sounded throughout the apartment, its screech jarring. Darcie stood up. ‘That’s probably Mary from the ward. We’re heading out to St Kilda for a few hours. Want to join us?’
Ally shook her head. ‘Thanks, but, no, thanks. I’ve got a couple of chores to do and then I’m going to blob out right here. But with coffee, not wine.’
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, pulled off the band from her ponytail and shook her hair free. Her hand kneaded the knots in her neck. What was Flynn doing? Had he taken Adam around to see Jacob? Her heart squeezed. I miss you guys already.
‘Hello, Ally.’
She jerked upright. ‘Flynn?’ Couldn’t be. Her imagination had to be working overtime.
‘Ally, we came to see you.’ No mistaking that excited shriek. Or the arms that reached for her and held tight.
Not her imagination, then. Adam was here. Flynn was here. Meaning what? Lifting her head, she stared at the man who’d stolen her heart when it was supposed to be locked away. The man she’d walked away from only hours ago without a word of goodbye or a glance over her shoulder—because any of those actions would’ve nailed her to the floor of his home and she’d still be on Phillip Island.
Adam tightened his hold. ‘I’m missing you, Ally. You didn’t wait for us.’ Out of the mouths of babes—came the truth.
Her head dropped so her chin rested on Adam’s head. ‘Adam, sweetheart.’ Then her throat dried and she couldn’t say a word. Finally, after a long moment of trying not to think what this was about, she raised her eyes to find Flynn gazing at her like a thirsty man would a glass of cold water on a hot day. The same emotions she’d been dealing with all day were glittering out from her favourite blue eyes. ‘Flynn,’ she managed.
‘Hey.’ He took a step closer. ‘The house didn’t feel the same when we got back from our walk. Kind of empty.’ Flynn didn’t sound angry with her, but he should. She had done a runner.
She owed him. ‘I’m really sorry but I couldn’t wait.’ If I did I’d never have left. Her heart seemed to have increased its rate to such a level it hurt. ‘It’s an old habit. Get out quick. Don’t look back.’
Bleakness filled his gaze, his tongue did a lap of his lips. ‘I see.’
Adam wriggled free of her arms and sat on the floor beside her.
Flynn didn’t move, just kept watching her.
Suddenly Ally became very aware that this was the defining moment in her life. Everything she’d faced, battled, conquered, yearned for—it all came down to now and how she handled the situation. She loved Flynn. Before—Gulp. Before she told him—if she found the courage—she had to explain. ‘It’s an ingrained habit because of all those shifts I made as a child. I learned not to stare out the back window of the car as my social worker took me away from my latest family to place me in the midst of more strangers.’
Flynn crossed to sit in the chair Darcie had been using earlier. He still didn’t say a word, just let her take her time.
Her chest rose and fell as she spoke. ‘I know it’s not the same as what I did today, that you do care about me and never promised me anything that you haven’t already delivered, but I come pre-conditioned. I’m sorry.’
‘You were waiting for one of those families to adopt you.’ Flynn looked so sad it nearly brought on her tears.
Adam, who shouldn’t be taking the slightest notice of this conversation, stared up at her and asked, ‘What’s adopt mean?’
‘Oh, sweetheart. It’s when people give someone else a place in their family, share everything they’ve got, including, and most importantly of all, their hearts.’
‘Don’t you have a family?’ He’d understood far too much.
‘No, Adam, I don’t.’
‘We can adopt you. Can’t we, Dad?’
Ally’s mouth dropped open. Her stomach tightened in on itself. Her hands clenched on her thighs. What? No. Not possible. He didn’t understand. It wasn’t that simple.
She leapt up and charged across to the floor-to-ceiling window showcasing Melbourne city. Her heart was thudding hard, and the tears that should’ve run out hours ago started again.
‘Ally.’ A familiar hand gripped her shoulder.
She gasped. ‘You’ve taken your ring off.’ Could she start believing?
He tugged gently until she gave in and turned around. But she couldn’t look up, couldn’t face the denial of Adam’s silly statement if it was staring at her out of Flynn’s eyes. ‘Ally, look at me. Please.’
Slowly she raised her head, her eyes downcast, noting the expanse of chest she’d come to know over the last month, the Adam’s apple that moved as Flynn swallowed, that gorgeous mouth that had woken every part of her body and could kiss like no other man she’d known. Expelling all the air in her lungs, she finally met Flynn’s gaze. There was no apology there, no It’s been nice knowing you but we don’t want to know you any more. All she found was love. Genuine love, deep love that spelled a bond and a future if she dared take it.
‘Flynn,’ she whispered. ‘I have to tell you something.’ The breath lodged painfully in her chest, but if she was going to gamble, then she had to start by being honest. ‘Today was different. For the first time ever I didn’t want to go. That’s why I ran.’ Tremors rippled through her. This was way too hard. But there was a lot to lose—or gain. A deep breath and she continued. ‘I’ve fallen in love with you. Both of you.’ And then she couldn’t utter another word as tears clogged her throat.
His arms came around her, held her loosely so he could still watch her face. ‘This is the last time you’re walking away. You’re not on your own any more. You have me, us. We are your family.’ His mouth grazed hers.
‘You want to adopt me?’ she croaked against his lips, being flippant because she was afraid to acknowledge what he’d said for fear his words would vaporise in a flash.
‘Try amalgamate. We want to bring you in with us, make us a threesome, a family.’
‘Amalgamate? Sounds like a business deal.’ But the warmth lacing his voice was beginning to nudge the chill out of her bones. ‘I’ll bring two bags of clothes and my music player and you’ll supply a home.’ She smiled to show she wasn’t having a poke at him. Then she gasped and dashed to her bag to pull out the dogs. ‘Plus these two. I take them everywhere. This time when I put them on the shelf they’ll stay there so long they’ll gather dust.’
Flynn looked ready to cry. ‘That’s the closest you’ve got to owning a pet?’ His arms came around her again.
‘Bonkers, eh?’
He stepped back, shoved his hand through his hair. ‘You have no idea how much I mean every word. I love you so much it hurts sometimes
.’
She gasped. Had Flynn said he loved her?
He hadn’t finished. ‘I could’ve told you that days ago, but I got cold feet. I put Adam before everything else. Which I have to do, but I used him as an excuse not to let you know where my feelings for you were headed. I didn’t want you to leave, yet I didn’t know how to tell you that. I think I was kind of hoping you’d just hang around and that would solve my dilemma.’
She stared at him as a smile began breaking out across her lips, banishing the sadness that had dominated all day. ‘You said you love me.’
‘Yes, Ally, I did. I mean it. I love you.’
‘No one’s ever told me that before.’ Oh, my goodness. Flynn loved her. But it wouldn’t feel so warm and thrilling and wonderful if she didn’t love him back. ‘I’ve never loved anyone before.’ There hadn’t been anyone to bestow that gift on. ‘This love is for real, I promise.’
‘Hey, I can see it in your eyes. It’s been there for days if only I’d known what to look for.’
‘Adam, look away. I’m going to kiss your father.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I love him.’
‘Do you love me?’