Page 27 of The Baby Behind Their Marriage Merger

But, because he considered all angles, good and bad, he considered the question of what he would do if the press found out that he was married. While he did not doubt that Addi wouldtry tokeep their wedding secret from her sisters, she might slip up and, if it got out, what then? He stared up at the moon, thinking about how he’d deal with that scenario.

They’d have to pretend that they were in love, and that getting married had been an impromptu decision. That they’d wanted to be married and take their time planning their church ceremony and the big reception everyone expected from one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. With some luck and some charm, nobody would ever find out that they’d married to get rid of his board of trustees. It would all be fine.

Nothing could go wrong.

Could it?

The next morning, Jude helped Addi climb down from the diving boat. They’d encountered wild dolphins and seen a manta ray and a huge turtle while they’d been snorkelling but, instead of seeing the same joy on her face as he did on the other guests’, Addi’s face looked a little pinched. He gathered her close and bent his head to speak in her ear. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

She nodded, tipping her head back to look at him. ‘I think so.’

That wasn’t a yes. He stepped back to look at her, glad to see that everyone else was walking up the beach and away from the speedboat. ‘What’s wrong?’ he demanded.

Addi wrinkled her nose and placed her hand low on her abdomen. ‘I’ve just got a little pain. It’s not something I’ve had before.’

Every hair on his arms lifted as his skin cooled. Thoughts of what had happened to his mum battered him. ‘How bad is the pain? Are you cramping?’

She looked at him as though he was losing his mind. ‘It’s just a dull pain, Jude. It’s nothing.’

‘How do you know it’s nothing? Maybe there’s something wrong,’ he said, admittedly sounding a little unhinged.

Addi sent him an ‘are you mad?’ look. ‘Will you please relax? Geez, it’s nothing serious.’

‘How do you know?’ he demanded, slapping his hands on his hips. ‘You’ve never been pregnant before.’

Addi rolled her eyes so hard that he was sure she’d give herself a headache. ‘I’mfine, Fisher.’

‘When are you going to see a doctor? Have you made an appointment to get a scan?’ He planted his feet in the sand as Addi wrapped her sarong around her hips. ‘Maybe I should call my pilot up and get him to arrange for the Cessna to pick us up so that we can fly to Maputo.’ He looked at his watch. It was eleven now; if they could leave by twelve, they could be in Maputo by half-one, meet his private jet and be in Johannesburg by three. His assistant would find a gynaecologist who could see her shortly after she landed. By the end of the day, she’d be getting treatment.

But, if she miscarried, where would that leave them? Divorced, he supposed. And the thought left him with such a bitter taste in his mouth that he felt slightly sick. He couldn’t imagine her not being married to him, not carrying his child. But neither could he imagine a committed, day-to-day situation, living life with her. Or maybe he didn’t want to imagine it because it scared him to the souls of his feet. If he lost his ability to be completely self-reliant, how would he scrape himself off the floor when it all went pear-shaped? And, nine out of ten times, it went pear-shaped.

Addi placed a hand on his bare chest and stared up at him, confused and a little irritated. ‘Will you please calm down? I said that I’m a bit sore, not that there is anything wrong.’

‘But don’t you think we should get it checked out?’

Addi shook her head, her bright hair glinting in the sunlight. ‘The pain is receding, it’s almost gone. I think we should grab a drink, and you should take a breath. Or five.’

‘Are you suggesting that I’m overreacting?’

She shook her head, her mouth curving up in a smile. ‘No, I’mtellingyou you are overreacting. Just relax, Fisher. I’m not the first woman to fall pregnant, and I’m perfectly healthy.’

She was right, she wasn’t the first, but what if the boat ride had been too bumpy, if she’d overdone it this morning? She was under his care and protection, and he didn’t know enough about pregnancy to know what could cause a miscarriage or not. And, yeah, maybe there was a bit of fear that what had happened to his mum would happen to her.

Scrap that, maybe there was alotof fear...

CHAPTER EIGHT

ANHOURLATER, they sat in the corner of the restaurant at their favourite table, one that was slightly isolated from the rest of the dining area. Jude had an icy beer in front of him and Addi wished she could order one herself; there was nothing better than a cold beer or cider after a morning spent on the beach or in the sea.

She’d had an amazing morning, one that she’d remember for the rest of her life. She, Jude and another couple had hopped aboard the dive boat and, within minutes, they’d been speeding north, the boat following the line of the coast. After ten miles, they’d came across a pod of dolphins which had been just as interested in them.

Within minutes, she’d pulled on a snorkel and dived off the boat, going as deep as she could and hoping that the dolphins wouldn’t bolt at the sight of these strange white blobs in the water with them. As she’d come up for air, one dolphin had positioned itself next to her and mirrored her vertical ascent, its stunningly intelligent eyes on her face. When she’d broken the surface and laughed, she’d seen it streaking away, and she’d felt a surge of disappointment.

Ducking back under the surface of the mirror-flat sea, she’d seen her new friend turn and speed back toward her, circling her. She’d wanted to reach out and touch the dolphin but figured that, since she wasn’t a fan of strangers touching her, she’d give the mammal the same courtesy and keep her hands to herself. She’d dived down, the dolphin had followed, she’d come up and it had mimicked her actions. As a test, Addi had spun around in the water and had nearly gulped water when the dolphin did the same.

When the dolphin had swum next to her and nudged her stomach with its nose, Addi had sensed that the creature knew she was carrying a baby, another cog in the wheel of life. It had been a deeply profound, amazing and emotional experience and, when the dolphins had finally left them, her dolphin being the last to leave, she’d blamed her red eyes on the salt water, her tears now part of the ocean.

They’d climbed back into the boat. The skipper and other guests had wanted to discuss the experience to death, but Addi had been desperate for quiet, for some time to take in the almost spiritual experience. Then Jude had gripped her chin, placed a tender kiss on her lips and rested his forehead against hers, and she’d known he understood.

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