‘He did insist on one.’
‘Oh…’ Mia looked a little taken aback. ‘Well…I guess that’s understandable. I mean, you haven’t seen him for years; Lachlan could easily have been someone else’s kid.’
Ashleigh sent her a quelling look.
‘I mean if you were any other sort of girl…which, of course, you’re not,’ Mia amended hastily.
They fell into step as they continued along the Esplanade and Mia tucked her arm through her sister’s affectionately. ‘You know something, Ashleigh, this is like a dream come true. Lachlan now has a father—his real father. I can already see how happy it has made him. Sure he’s a little shy around Jake, but he keeps looking up at him with this big wide-eyed look of wonder and it just makes my heart go all mushy.’
Ashleigh kept walking, not trusting herself to respond.
‘Jake even brought him a present,’ Mia continued. ‘It’s one of those digging trucks. He said he could help him in the garden at Lindfield.’
He had it all planned, Ashleigh thought bitterly. She wasn’t being considered in any part of this; even her family had succumbed to his plan to take over her life as if she had no mind of her own.
‘Why are you frowning like that?’ Mia asked. ‘You love him, don’t you, Ashleigh? You’ve always loved him.’
There didn’t seem any reason to deny it.
‘Yes, but that’s not the point,’ Ashleigh said, searching for her keys.
‘Then what is the point?’ Mia asked as they came to a halt beside Ashleigh’s car.
Ashleigh shifted her gaze out to sea once more, a small sigh escaping before she could stop it. ‘I have always loved Jake. From the moment I met him I felt as if there could never be anyone else who could make me feel that way. When we parted and I came back to Australia, I sort of drifted into a relationship with Howard, more out of a need for security than anything else. I thought if I settled down with some nice decent man I would eventually forget all about Jake.’
‘Jake is not exactly the forgettable type,’ Mia remarked wryly.
‘Tell me something I don’t already know.’ Ashleigh gave her a twisted smile.
‘Have you slept with him yet?’
Ashleigh felt her face start to burn and turned to unlock her car.
‘Ohmigod!’ Mia crowed delightedly. ‘I knew it! You have! Look at your face—you’re as red as anything!’
Ashleigh threw her a withering glance. ‘One day, Mia, I swear to God I’m going to strangle you.’
Mia just laughed. ‘I’ll see you at home,’ she said with her usual grin. ‘I just want to run to the point and back again. Unlike you, my heart rate hasn’t gone through the roof today.’
Ashleigh got into the car without another word.
Ashleigh had barely got in the door when Lachlan rushed towards her, his little face beaming.
‘Look what Daddy gave me!’ He held up the shiny truck for her to see.
She gave him an overly bright smile and bent down to kiss the top of his raven-dark head. ‘I hope you said a big thank you,’ she said.
‘He did,’ Jake said, stepping out into the hall from the lounge, his eyes instantly meshing with hers.
‘I…I need to have a shower…’ she said, making her way past him.
‘Wait.’ His hand fastened on her arm, halting her.
He turned to his son, who was watching them both with large eyes. ‘Lachlan, give me five minutes with Mummy and I’ll be up to read that story to you I promised earlier.’
Lachlan’s face threatened to split into two with his smile. ‘You mean just like a real daddy does?’ he asked.
‘You betcha.’
‘And will you tuck me in and get me to blow the light out?’
Jake turned a quizzical glance Ashleigh’s way.
‘It’s a little thing we do,’ she answered softly so Lachlan couldn’t hear. ‘I put my hand on the light switch and as soon as he puffs a breath out I turn it off. It makes him think he’s blown it out like a candle.’
‘Cute.’
Jake turned back to the hovering child. ‘Better get your lungs into gear, mate. That light might prove a bit difficult unless you start practising right now.’
Lachlan scampered off, the bounce in his step stirring Ashleigh deeply.
‘He’s a nice little kid,’ Jake said into the sudden silence.
She raised her eyes to his, catching her bottom lip for a moment with her teeth.
‘You left without saying goodbye,’ he said. ‘I was worried about you. Where have you been?’
‘I needed some time alone. I went for walk on the beach.’