Page 19 of Keep This Promise
We all take a seat, and he dishes me a plate of food. Eden goes back to hers, chopping on another slice of bacon. I haven’t eaten in what feels like days. Nothing has seemed appetizing, and I was too stressed to handle much more than a piece of fruit or a muffin.
However, I could devour everything on the table.
“I ate two pieces, and I had fruit and two eggs,” Eden says around a smile.
“Two eggs?” I say with my brows rising. “You must’ve been quite hungry.”
Her little head bobs up and down. “I like the bacon here, Mummy.”
There were things I loved eating when I came on holiday. The one thing I remember most was the difference in bacon. I can’t wait to eat it again and see if it lives up to the memory.
I take a slice and bite in, moaning softly as I do. Well, this is exactly as I remember it.
“Good?” Holden asks with a knowing grin.
My hand covers my mouth, and I laugh. “That obvious?”
“The moan gave it away.”
“Well, it is heavenly. Our bacon doesn’t quite taste this good in London.”
“Glad the US has at least that.”
I lower my hand and smile at him. “At least there’s that.”
“Mummy, can I watch the telly?”
“Sure, go grab your tablet and sit nice on the sofa.”
Eden’s hands clap together and then she’s off, leaving Holden and me alone at the table.
I try not to stare at him and remind myself of my self-made rules, but he’s so handsome. His hair is a mess of chestnut brown, but it’s perfect for him. There is a five o’clock shadow dusting his cheeks and contouring his strong jawline. He has a face I could paint.
Holden clears his throat. “I have to head into the hospital today for a few minutes. I explained that I had family come in unexpectedly, and I needed to be here. Another doctor offered to cover my shift, but I need to grab some things from my office to finish up here.”
It’s nuts to me that this man, who was wasted at the club, is a doctor. I know that sounds a bit judgy, but the two versions of him are so contradictory. So many things about that night are a blur, but us meeting has always been something I can recall in perfect detail.
“That’s fine. We can stay here while you run out.”
“Or you guys can come with me. This is a very small town, and if we hide you away, people will think there’s a reason. It’s best we decide what we’re willing to tell people and stick to that.”
“I don’t understand,” I confess. “What does the town have to do with anything?”
“Our town is amazing, filled with caring and wonderful people who thrive on gossip. It’s just the way it is, and from what I’ve learned, it’s better to just go out there and be the one who sets the tone of the story.”
“You want me to meet people here and tell them my story?”
He shakes his head. “Not like that. We’ll come up with something that’s close to the truth, and it’ll make things easier, trust me.”
“What is close to the truth?”
He glances into the living area, where Eden is contently watching a show. “It took me less than a minute to realize that Eden is my daughter. While I don’t have a DNA test to prove it, she’s identical to my sister at that age. It’s not going to take Mama James or any of the people in this town very long to see the resemblance. If we deny it, I think it’ll cause more drama.”
I wring my hands, nerves hitting me at this next thing. “Do you . . . want a DNA test?”
“I don’t need one.”
At that, I’m shocked. “What?”
