Page 149 of Mistaken Impression

I step back a little, although I don’t let go of her hand. “Why did he want you to know that?”

She smiles. “I see you’re not denying it?”

“No. Why would I deny it? It’s true. I remember telling him I was in danger of falling for you.”

“Even though we’d done nothing but argue?”

I nod my head. “I thought you were beautiful and sexy, and I wanted to spend some time with you… to get to know you. But stop changing the subject. Why did Drew tell you?”

“Because he wanted me to tell you about the baby. He said you had a right to know.”

I’m not about to disagree or ask her why Drew’s ploy didn’t work. She’s apologised, and that’s enough for me. I’m the one who’s in the wrong here, not Ella.

“I’m sorry you didn’t feel you could tell me… even after Drew’s efforts.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I only told you about my conversation with him, because I wanted to explain that I was in love with you, too.”

“Back then, you mean?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe not on the first day we met, but pretty soon afterwards.”

“How soon? Before or after our first kiss? Before or after we first made love?”

She blushes. “I was most of the way there before, but it was making love that clinched it,” she says and I can’t help chuckling, as she leans in to me for a moment before she pulls back. “I brought you up here for a reason.”

“Oh, yeah?”

I wiggle my eyebrows, and she smiles, shaking her head. I guess our presence upstairs has nothing to do with her bedroom, or me seeing her naked and pregnant, but as I’m about to ask her for an explanation, she turns and opens the door behind her.

“I wanted to show you this.”

I follow her inside the room, my breath catching in my throat when I see the pale blue walls, the crib by the window and the dresser by the far wall. She releases my hand, and I let her go with some reluctance, watching as she wanders over to the dresser, pulling open the second drawer down.

“I—I haven’t bought very much for him yet, but these rompers caught my eye, and…” She turns back, holding up two tiny garments, one in grey with white ducks on the front, and the other in white with grey ducks. I smile, going straight to her, and take the rompers, holding them in my hands.

“They’re so small.”

“Aren’t they?” She leans in to me. “We can go out together and get some more things for him, if you like.”

“I’d love to,” I say, kissing the top of her head just as my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket, frowning when I see Moira’s name on the screen, and I reject the call. “Have you thought of…” My phone rings again.

“I think you’d better take that, don’t you?” Ella looks up at me and I nod my head, handing her back the rompers and connecting the call as I wander over to the crib, focusing on the mobile that’s hanging above it.

“Hello?” I’m looking at a fox, a rabbit, a bear and a toadstool, all made of felt, and all hanging over what will be my son’s crib. They’re interspersed with green leaves and grey stars, and I can’t help smiling, wondering what he’ll make of it.

“Hi.” Moira’s voice brings me back to reality.

“I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”

“I know… and before you ask, I’ve remembered you’re still in America, but I wanted to see how it all went and ask if you need picking up from the airport on Monday.”

I’m unsure how to answer the first part of her question, so I ignore it. “I’m not coming home on Monday.”

“Oh? Is there a problem with the flights?”

“No, there’s no problem. I’m just not coming home.”

There’s a brief silence. “Y—You mean you’re staying there?”

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