Page 24 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

Anna turned and looked at her mother, who repeated what she’d been saying. The invitation was clearly for Willow only. Jean didn’t want her single mother daughter too much on show with the cousins, but apparently her granddaughter was acceptable.

Then her mother surprised her again. ‘You could maybe go and see Emily.’

‘Really?’ Anna checked.

‘I know you miss her, and...’ Jean gave a tight shrug. ‘Well, it’s something to think about.’

Then a doctor in scrubs came to the door and smiled, and for a while summer and holidays were forgotten.

Her mother raised it again a couple of weeks later, and Anna realised it had been more than an idle suggestion. Theyreallywanted to take Willow with them, and Willowreallywanted to go.

Emily was thrilled when Anna called.

‘Oh, my goodness. Yes!’

‘Seven nights,’ Anna said. ‘I’d arrive on Saturday and leave on the following Sunday, if that’s okay?’

‘I can’t wait!’

At six months pregnant, Emily clearly wanted to show off her lovely tummy and see her friend.

‘Alejandro keeps asking when you’ll be out to visit. He’s having to travel a lot, but that’s so he can take time off when the baby arrives.’

‘How have things been?’ Anna asked. ‘With the family?’

‘José seems to be doing well, although Maria’s still rubbing everyone up the wrong way. She’s moved back into the family home, so Carmen’s incensed.’

And...?Anna wanted to ask.What about Sebastián?

But she didn’t want to give even the slightest hint she might be remotely interested. As well as that, she wasn’t entirely convinced that Emily didn’t already know. So she listened as Emily asked about Willow.

‘Next time bring her. Honestly, once I have the baby it will be so much fun for us all to be together.’

But then finally, near the end of their conversation, Anna got a little sliver of the information she was desperate to hear.

‘Bloody Sebastián,’ Emily said. ‘Honestly, he’s off on his yacht...barely here...’

‘Things are no better between you guys?’

‘To be honest, I hardly see him.’

Anna saw him every time she closed her eyes...

Life for Anna was expensive, with school starting soon for Willow, as well as new clothes for her holiday in Scotland. Add to that a flight to Spain, and things were tight.

Emily had offered to pay for the flight, but Anna didn’t want things to be like that between them. She would be staying with her and Alejandro, so wouldn’t have to worry about accommodation.

She had saved hard, and had an emergency fund, but would prefer not to dip into that—after all, a holiday was hardly an emergency. And by trimming all excess off her own holiday wardrobe—apart from a gorgeous red bikini and a red and white sarong that had been on sale at the supermarket—plus the help of her sewing machine, Anna had managed to keep the emergency fund intact.

Come mid-August, she sat with Willow as they both packed their cases. Anna carefully added the blanket she had so painstakingly embroidered for the baby. Usually sewing was her means to relax, but since Sebastián had arrived and then so swiftly departed from her life she’d had to fight hard just to concentrate on the basics.

‘Are you going to give Emily the blanket now?’ Willow asked, and Anna nodded. ‘But she hasn’t had the baby.’

‘I’d like to give it to her myself,’ Anna said, ‘and I won’t see her again for a while.’

She looked at her gorgeous daughter, who didn’t have a jealous bone in her body and was simply happy that her mum was going on holiday too.

‘We’ll go to Spain together next time,’ Anna promised.

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