Page 12 of Twin Surprise for the Italian Doc

Finding a parking space near the main buildings of the ski resort, the two women handed over their vouchersto receive another meal featuring dumplings.

Georgia felt suddenly weary.

‘I feel like I’ve been on a full shift already,’ she told Kate. ‘And we’re only a third of our way through the competition. At least we get a break after this. I’m going to try and catch a nap.’

After they’d eaten, they went outside into the sunshine and found a grassy patch to lie on that was shaded by a huge tree. Georgiaclosed her eyes and hoped that Kate would think she had fallen asleep.

She just needed a little quiet time and maybe she could stop the unsettling thoughts that were only a distraction to why she was really here and then she could focus completely on winning this competition.

Childhood memories of the trauma of being forcibly taken from her mother, the intervention of child protection servicesand then being moved from one town to another until her father’s death had finally freed them from the threat that had never gone away but were of no help to her concentration.

Stupid dreams of finding ‘the one’, like Kate still had, were just as useless.

The plan of launching her new future as a single parent by choosing her baby daddy at this competition were well and truly being laid to rest.

Because, if she had the choice, she wouldn’t be able to choose anyone other than Matteo?

And he would end up finding out, wouldn’t he? He was best friends withherbest friend’s friend and secrets had a nasty tendency to get revealed eventually.

Besides...she liked him.

Shereallyliked him. Too much to consider the kind of deception that would end up haunting her for ever.

Her breath escapedin a small sigh as she turned her mind back to the tasks they had already completed today. The baby resuscitation. All those little scamps creating havoc in the schoolroom.

And thinking about those children produced an idea that Georgia hadn’t ever considered before.

Perhaps she didn’t actually need to have a baby herself. There were always children who needed adoption or fostering. Childrenwho were having to live with the kind of trauma she knew about all too well.

She’d be good at that.

With another long, outward breath, Georgia relaxed into the companionable silence she was sharing with Kate.

Yes. That was an idea that merited a lot more thought in the near future. When this competition was over.

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