Page 81 of Take My Hand

“Yeah. It’s a pretty fancy do from what you told me.”

“It is. No expense spared. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d like to come. At night. We’re staying over at the hotel so thought maybe you could stay… in my room, with me.”

My heart seized and then jumped into over drive. “Yeah, that sounds good.” I tried to sound casual but not sure I really managed it. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Good, me too.” She sounded relieved, and it struck me how much like a pair of teenagers we were. “Maddy will be okay on her own for the night?”

“Yeah, I can ask Louise and Sam if she can stay here.”

Maya laughed. “Will, she’s seventeen. I’m sure she’d like a night home alone.”

“I’m sure she would, but I’m also sure her bloody boyfriend would like it, too.” I rubbed a hand down my face and groaned. “I know I need to let her grow up.”

“She seems like a sensible girl, Will, but you have to do whatever you think is best. She’s your daughter.”

She was spot-on. What was right was to let Maddy grow up and be a normal teenager. If that meant… fuck, I didn’t want to think about it.

“I’d love to come the wedding,” I told Maya. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yes.” She made a little squeaking noise. “All the family are desperate to meet you. Shit, I’m so sorry.”

I laughed, amused by the fact that she was sure I’d be upset, but I wasn’t. I loved that her family wanted to meet me. It meant that she’d talked about me. That she’d shared. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

“And I’m desperate to meet them, too. I can’t wait to hear all their stories about you.’ The smile that stretched across myface made my cheeks ache, and I wondered what the hell I was turning into?

“Don’t believe a word of whatever they tell you. It’ll all be lies.” She giggled, and my dick stirred again.

“Maya,” I groaned.

She didn’t speak, and all I could hear was her breathing. Electricity crackled down the line as we both struggled to find the words big enough. I didn’t know what I wanted to say to her, but I knew I wanted it to be important.

“I know,” she croaked. “The weekend can’t come quickly enough.”

Those words told me a lot. They told me that she was as desperate as I was. That maybe she had the same hope in her heart that I did.

“I’ll be counting the days,” I whispered.

“Speak to you later?”

“You definitely will, gorgeous.”

As we said our goodbyes, I was already desperate for it to be time to call her back. Desperate for the weekend and desperate for the future.

Yep, I was turning into a fucking love sick moron!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Maddy

DAD

Have a good time. Be good. Call the bar if you need anything in case I can’t hear my phone. If you walk home DO NOT take the short cut across the railway line. DO NOT WALK HOME ALONE in fact make sure Zak walks you home.

“Your dad again?” Emma asked as we walked towards Zak’s house, carrying bags of snacks and some beers from the previous Christmas that I’d found in the cupboard under the stairs.

I dropped my phone into my jacket pocket. “Yeah. Last-minute check in that I’m going to be good.”

Emma giggled and poked me in the side. “And do you think you will be?”

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