Page 48 of Lost In Someone

“And this is his place? I went to the house first and saw it was virtually empty, then had to call Drew because I had no idea where you could be. He seems happy, settled down. I was shocked when you’d told me he lived in the Mill House.”

“Yeah, he and Merrick are very happy. Drew loves Willow like she’s his own. Just as Brodie loves Milo. Brodie is Merrick’s best friend. That’s why he moved here.”

“What will you do about work and Milo? You can’t not work, Ivan. Although Brodie seems to have done well for himself to do up this old place.” Everyone in Calston Cove knows the old Palmer farmhouse and the history behind it. Rumours ran rampant of a huge argument, and the only child of the Palmers’ left the house one day and never came back. Even when they died, he refused to come home. He didn’t want anything to do with it, including any monies from the sale of it. He told them to send the money to the Terrence Higgins Trust. This gave us all an idea of what the argument could’ve been about and the reason he left.

“Hey, cut that out. Brodie sold a mews house in London. He’s turning the barns into a gymnasium. He worked for Well Fit before moving here. He knows his fitness.”

She hit a sore spot, though. I haven’t worked out when or how I can get back to work. The Forestry Commission is off the cards now, and there’s only so much tree work in the area. Surfing lessons aren’t exactly a well-paying job. I’m going to reconsider my career path. But I’ve still got my savings, and even after the cost of getting everything we wanted for Milo, I still have enough left to tide me over for a while.

Milo squirms, ready for his bottle. “Would you like to feed him, Mum?”

She beams, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. Even after all these years, she knows exactly what to do. The sight of her feeding my child brings home the enormity of what Kate has given up. The lump in my throat makes it hard for me to speak, but I need to talk about it to my mum—as a woman. She may have answers.

“How could she do it, Mum? How can a woman hand over her hour-old child? I mean, fuck, did she ever hold him? Did she not think that talking to me would’ve been a good idea? Instead, she signed a few forms and walked away.”

A thought I hadn’t contemplated springs to mind. “She knew all along she was going to do this. She had all the paperwork ready to sign as soon as he was born. What a bitch! She’d better stay away from me, from Milo.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t know what she was thinking. She was cruel to treat you this way, and I’ll be sure to have a few strong words to her parents. All you can do is love this little mite. He’s innocent in all this and deserves the best life he could ever dream of.”

“I’ve been telling him to call her, and he brushes me off every time.” I sip the coffee Merrick put in front of me. “She looked pissed off as well as hurt until she held Milo. She melted, and all her annoyance vanished.”

“Yeah, babies are good at that. But don’t you think Ivan could’ve done with your support?”

Should I have stayed? No, leaving them alone gives Ivan the chance to let his emotions out to his mum. He may tell her about Kate. He’s still holding on to a lot of anger and frustration, which has bottled up inside him, building up like a pressure cooker. I understand why he doesn’t want to talk to me about an ex-booty call. I don’t want to hear about him getting her pregnant only a couple of months before we met. This way he can let it all out without upsetting me.

“He’s better off talking to her without me.” It’s time for a subject change. “How’s the gallery doing? I love the glass exhibits you’ve got now.”

Merrick’s eyes brighten. “It’s incredible. The studios upstairs are full, and we have a waiting list. It’s all word of mouth too. I can’t believe how good Melanie is with the public and at selling. I might be onto a winner here. What about the gym? Have the plans been finalised?”

The next hour we discuss our plans for the future, which now includes Milo.

“Is this what you want? I’m sure when you moved to Calston Cove, you weren’t looking for your life partner, let alone having a baby in your life forever.”

He doesn’t ask out of malice but out of genuine concern. He never expected his life to turn around when he stumbled on an auction house. “Were you? You came here to start over, to heal. You got way more than you expected or wanted. Drew is perfect for you, and he loves you and Willow with his whole heart. Did you ever think it was too fast?”

“It’s different for me. I was the one with the child. You’d have to ask Drew about sliding into someone’s family. Would you have wanted to be with Ivan if he already had Milo? A tiny infant is so very different from a toddler. There’s no real routine, no full nights of sleep. You found this out after only a week or so.”

“I can’t answer that because it didn’t happen. Instead, I found out that the man I’d thought of, dreamt of for months, was here. And that the connection was still there. The spark that had drawn me to him the first time flamed again. It made falling in love with Ivan so easy. Milo is hard work, tiring, but he looks so like his daddy. How can I not love him and want what we have to work?”

“What about your family? What do they think of your new life here?” Merrick asks. I don’t know what’s showing on my face, but he chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re as bad as Ivan. You haven’t said anything to them.”

“You know what they’re like. They never understood why I left Scotland. I don’t think my new life will be any more fathomable, so the less they know, the better. I’ll tell them when I need to.”

“When’s that going to happen?”

The first thing that pops into my head is ‘when we get married’. If we ever will. I’ll marry Ivan in a heartbeat, but we haven’t talked about it. “No idea.”

Drew comes back from his trip to the supermarket, clutching bags too heavy for most people to lift. Willow runs ahead of him. “My back, Papa. Look.”

Why Drew would want to take a child to Waitrose is beyond me, but he can’t turn her down. Which is probably why she’s holding a new dolly. Drew lowers the bags to the floor and leans in to kiss Merrick.

He gives me a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, Brodie. Have I caused you to flee your own home? I didn’t know what else I could do. She’s his mum, and I’ve known her all my life.”

“It’s fine. A shock for both of us, but I’m glad you did. Ivan wasn’t going to do it anytime soon. I thought they’d talk more openly without me being there. She was very emotional when she held Milo, so I doubt any blood will be spilt.”

“I’ll put money on her being back by the end of the month.” Drew laughs and helps Merrick unpack the bags.

“Up, Bodie.” Willow holds her arms up.

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