Page 39 of The Baby Behind Their Marriage Merger

No, she was used to being alone, doing alone. And when they returned to Cape Town tomorrow that was exactly what she’d do.

This was it; they were home.

Their out-and-about-in-Africa fling was over.

Jude’s jet rolled to a stop and Addi pulled her seat belt apart, grimacing at the wet and windy weather outside the plane’s small, oval window. She wished she was back in Zanzibar or Turtle Bay, swimming in the lukewarm sea and wearing flip-flops. She far preferred summer to winter, though to be honest making love in front of a fire yesterday, while the wind had wailed and roared around Dune House, hadn’t been a problem.

Jude leaned forward, looked past her and grimaced. ‘They say that this has been the wettest and coldest winter in decades.’

Yep, let’s talk about the weather, because that’s what’s important, Addi thought.

‘At least there isn’t as much snow with this system,’ Addi replied, pulling her bag off the seat in front of her. Her floppy felt hat lay on top of it and she pulled it on, as well as a voluminous scarf. The weather was easy to discuss, and far less explosive than asking what their relationship would look like going forward from this point on. A bunch of other questions hovered on her tongue.

When would she see him again, make love to him again? Was thisit? They’d inspected all the properties; they’d had their affair. Now that they were back in Cape Town, they were going to have to be a lot more circumspect, act as if they barely knew each other, that they were no more than work colleagues. And that was going to be hard. She was so used to taking his hand, snuggling into his side when he put his arm around her, sharing her bed and her body.

She didn’t know how to act, or what to say.

‘All you need is big sunglasses and you’ll look like an A-list celebrity who’s trying to look like she doesn’t want the attention but secretly does,’ Jude commented.

Addi poked her tongue out at him, then wrinkled her nose, thinking she was no more mature than Nixi or Snow.

‘What are your plans today?’ Jude asked, standing up as the engines faded away. He lifted his arms to stretch, his cashmere jersey pulling flat against his wide chest.

‘Well, I want to spend some time with Lex, to reconnect with her. I have to tell her about the baby, obviously, and about Joelle seeking custody of the girls.’ His mouth opened and she knew he was going to remind her not to say anything about their marriage.Really? Again?‘Don’t, Jude.’

He nodded, looking resigned. ‘Are you happy about her and Cole?’

‘How can I not be?’ she asked him. Lex being Cole’s chauffeur and then being snowbound in a ski lodge he owned had led them to fall in love. She’d been the first person Lex had called when Cole had proposed, and they’d spent hours on video call catching up. That Cole loved Lex was indisputable and Addi was so happy for, and maybe a little jealous of, her younger sister. Lex was incandescently happy. And that was all that mattered.

‘She wants to show me the new house Cole has bought. She’s also asking if I’m interested in moving into their guest house.’

Cole had bought Lex a massive property that would house all the sisters in individual houses, allowing Nixi and Snow to run from the main house where they’d live to her cottage and the above-garage apartment they’d allocated to Storm.

Jude’s gaze pinned her feet to the floor of the plane. ‘Are you? Interested, that is?’

She shrugged. ‘I haven’t even seen the place, Jude! And I love my house, it’s home. And I’m not sure I want to live on my soon-to-be brother-in-law’s property. I’m far too independent for that.

‘Lex and I have so much to talk about! She’s going to rip my head off for keeping so many secrets,’ Addi continued.

Jude pushed his hands into the pockets of his grey trousers. ‘Lex marrying Cole will be a big boost to your custody suit. His name is as big as mine. If it gets that far, I don’t know if you are going to need to name me in the papers.’

Addi knew he was worried his name would be leaked if they got before the judge. Her lawyers had agreed to keep quiet the fact that they were married, and that Jude would only be brought into the conversation if all other means to obtain custody of the girls fell through. His involvement was a last resort, a nuclear option. But, now that Cole was marrying Lex, Jude’s influence might not be needed, especially as the girls would be moving into his house with Lex.

Addi understood that Jude didn’t want his business to be front-page news again. But a part of her—the silly, tender, romantic smidgeon of her soul—wanted him to say that he’d walk through fire for her, endure months of being fodder for gossip for her. She was falling in love with him—wasin love with him—and a part of her wanted him to make the grand gesture, to defend her, to move mountains for her. Not to care what the world thought...

You’re forgetting that this is a business arrangement, Addi, that there is nothing between you but a baby and great sex.Your fling is over.

‘After I tell her about the custody battle, I’ll need Lex to come with me to meet Thandi so she can get up to speed on the case,’ Addi told him. ‘I imagine that, as soon as Cole hears about Joelle’s latest scheme, he’ll offer to pay for the lawyer’s costs.’

‘I’m paying for it, that was part ofourdeal,’ Jude snapped.

She wasn’t prepared to argue with him, not right now. ‘Lex will be furious with Joelle, but she’ll probably be a lot less worried about winning custody than I am. Lex is far more optimistic than I am.’

‘I think the chances of a judge siding with your neglectful mother against three sisters who are raising two happy and healthy little girls is minimal. I don’t think there’s much to worry about,’ Jude told her.

But it was her job to worry, her job to ensure that their family was safe and protected. ‘I’ll relax when I see the court order, when Lex and I are named their guardians.’

‘You have to have a little faith, Addi.’

---