Page 17

Holly sat with a book and a kitten on her lap as she watched her daughter until just after eleven, when the doorbell went.

‘Hope, that’ll be your dad. Go upstairs and get your things please, sweetie. I’ll let him in.’

‘But I’ve nearly got it!’ Hope said, stamping her foot on the ground. It was a sure sign that the tiredness was still there, lingering beneath the surface. Any second now, she was going to crash.

‘You can practise your cartwheels at Daddy’s, Hope. I’m sure Ivy and Grace would like to see how well you do them now.’

Mentioning her sisters was the one thing that got Hope moving.

‘Fine,’ she said, striding towards the house. ‘But I need to take all my bunnies. I don’t like sleeping without having them all.’

‘Then you better go pack them.’

A minute later, Holly was opening the front door, while Hope was stomping her way up the stairs.

‘She’s exhausted,’ Holly said, as she stepped to the side and let Ben into the house. ‘I don’t know what kind of mood she’s going to be in later. Just so you’re forewarned.’

‘It’s fine,’ Ben said. ‘She’ll cheer up when she sees the girls. They’ve been trying to make me come and fetch her since they woke up.’

Holly smiled. As an only child, she often felt in awe of the love Hope shared with her siblings, and it was a bond she suspected would only grow as they got older.

‘She’s getting her teddies sorted, which means she’ll be a while. Want a cup of coffee?’

‘Tea would be great,’ he replied. ‘And can I smell blueberry muffins?’

Holly couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Come on through. I’ll put some in a tub and you can take them back for the others.’

‘So,’ Ben said as he followed her into the kitchen. ‘Last night was a bit of a surprise. For me, anyway. I assume you knew it was going to happen.’

‘No,’ Holly said, grateful she had her back to Ben so he couldn’t see her face. ‘No, I didn’t know it was going to happen. So, yes. It was a definitely a surprise.’

‘But a good one, right?’

What was it with people using that tone with her? Why would people not think Giles getting married was a good thing? Other than he had completely rushed into it, and Sienna was the worst match possible and it was bound to end in disaster. Thinking about it like that, it was no surprise people wanted to talk about it, although for Holly, a different topic of conversation was taking priority in her mind. There was a question she wanted to ask. One she had thought countless times over the last few years, but never said. Yet, as she began to fill a plastic tub with the previous night’s baking, she knew she couldn’t keep it in any longer. Stopping what she was doing, she turned around and looked at Ben.

‘I need to ask you something,’ she said. ‘Is that all right?’

‘Sure. Go ahead – what is it?’

Holly took a deep breath in as she considered if she actually wanted to do this. In the end, though, it wasn’t about wants. It really did feel like a need. So, with an apologetic smile already forming on her lips, she locked eyes with Ben.

‘I want to know why you’ve never proposed to Georgia,’ she said.

17

It was a surprising relief to finally get that question out. After all, she had probably thought about it over a hundred times in the last few years.

Rather than replying immediately with a throwaway answer, Ben stared down at his coffee. Holly wasn’t surprised by this response. Ben was always thoughtful about how he replied to questions and with this being of such a personal nature – and also involving Georgia – she knew he would want to answer with care.

Still, as the pause expanded, she couldn’t happen but wonder if she had made a mistake. She and Ben were incredibly open with others, discussing every aspect of Hope’s life and welfare together, but they had an unspoken boundary when it came to Georgia and the girls. Beyond Hope, that part of his life wasn’t any of Holly’s business yet, for the first time, it felt like she might have crossed that boundary.

‘It’s just that last night made me think about it, I guess,’ she said, growing acutely aware of the silence that was sweeping between them. ‘You’ve got two children together, a house together. You’re a perfect couple. I can’t believe it’s just wanting to save money. But… I mean, it’s nothing to do with me. If you don’t want to say…’

Ben lifted his thumb to his mouth, momentarily bit down on the nail, before he looked up at Holly.

‘Do you want to know the truth?’ he said finally.