'Leonie!' he greeted her in some relief. 'Laura isn't about, is she?'
She frowned at his almost desperate tone. 'No, she's upstairs,' she replied slowly. 'Hal, you haven't changed your mind, have you?' She evaded Hawk's reaching hand as he would have furiously taken the receiver from her.
'Of course not,' Hal scoffed instantly. 'I just—
Stephen hasn't arrived!' he revealed in a panicked voice.
'Oh no!' she groaned.
'What the hell is it?' Hawk demanded tersely. 'What's wrong?'
Leonie put her hand over the mouthpiece. 'Stephen hasn't turned up,' she explained with a frown. 'Hal sounds frantic.'
'Hell,' scowled Hawk. 'This is all Jake's fault,' he sighed. 'Okay, tell Hal I'll stand up as the other witness,' he instructed tersely. 'In the meantime we'll just have to hope Stephen arrives before the ceremony.'
'What's happening?' Hal demanded down the telephone line. 'Leonie?' He sounded more desperate than ever.
'Don't worry about a thing,' she soothed him. 'Your father will deal with it.'
'Oh, good.' Hal sounded relieved to have the problem taken out of his hands. 'I've been calling the hotel in London all morning, but they haven't seen him at all today,' he added worriedly.
'Your father said he'll be the other witness,' Leonie calmed again. 'I'm sure Stephen is on his way,' she encouraged.
'Maybe,' Hal said tersely. 'Thank Dad for me.' He rang off.
Leonie turned to a scowling Hawk. 'Maybe you should have stayed in town with Hal,' she said lightly. 'He sounds a little panicked without anyone there to reassure him.'
'Jake and Sarah are there,' he dismissed vaguely. 'If Jake hadn't sent Stephen to London none of this—'
'I think a panicked bridegroom is enough for one day,' she reproved gently, moving to straighten his grey tie. 'Don't you?' She quirked one mocking eyebrow.
He relaxed slowly, looking down at her with warm eyes. 'I wish today were our wedding day,' he murmured gruffly.
Leonie moved back abruptly, suddenly very self-conscious. 'I don't think we should tell Laura about Stephen,' she said briskly. 'She'll only worry, and it could all be for nothing.'
'Okay,' he dismissed absently, still gazing down at her. 'You look beautiful, did you know that?'
Her cheeks felt warm. 'Wait until you see Holly,' she evaded responding to the compliment.
The pale green and cream full-skirted floral suit, with its tiny fitted jacket and wide belt at her waist in the same material, was something else she and Laura had purchased during their shopping trip yesterday for her own wedding outfit. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, and she felt almost carefree. It was only when she thought of her own wedding tomorrow that she panicked a little.
'I'd rather look at her mother,' Hawk murmured huskily, his hand gentle beneath her chin as he tilted her face up to his. 'You're so beautiful, Leonie,' he told her softly before his lips descended on to hers.
'Leonie, I—Oh!'
Leonie pulled hastily away from Hawk to turn to a red-faced June, the other woman looking completely flustered as she witnessed their closeness.
'Tell her,' Hawk instructed gruffly, his arm possessively about Leonie's waist.
Leonie swallowed hard, knowing what he was asking. Hawk had meant it when he had said there were to be no more secrets, but she had managed to get him to wait until the end of the reception today before announcing their own wedding tomorrow. She was hoping the same friends and family would be able to attend their wedding too, although she had preferred the idea of a small luncheon party afterwards for a few close friends, with Laura and Hal leaving for their honeymoon straight after lunch. June was one of the people still to be told of their arrangements.
Hawk's expression was suddenly teasing. 'You do realise June's been resisting the impulse to poison my food ever since I moved in?' he drawled.
June blushed deeply red. 'Oh, I haven't—'
'Don't be silly, Hawk,' Leonie dismissed impatiently.
'Am I being?' He quirked dark brows at a still flustered June.
Her chin went up challengingly. 'I can't stand people who pass judgements on other people,' she announced stiltedly.
'June…?' Leonie eyed the other woman dazedly.
Hawk frowned. 'What judgement did I pass?' he asked softly.
June shook her head. 'I prefer not to discuss it.'
'But I think we have to,' Hawk cajoled. 'You see, after tomorrow I'm going to be moving in here permanently.'
June gasped, looking uncomprehendingly at Leonie. 'Surely—'
'As Leonie's husband,' he finished softly.
'Husband?' June repeated in a high-pitched voice. 'But I thought—I thought—'
'Yes?' Hawk encouraged.
Leonie had no idea what was wrong with the woman who had become such a good friend the last six months; she had been so occupied with other problems that she hadn't noticed any friction between her and Hawk. Obviously Hawk had been well aware of June's dislike of him.
June looked uncomfortable. 'You seemed to disapprove of Leonie because she had a baby but no husband. I—Well, I—'
'That was my fault,' Leonie realised with a groan. 'That first day you saw Holly,' she explained to Hawk as he turned to her questioningly, 'when you left so abruptly. I told June that perhaps you didn't approve of unmarried mothers,' she revealed with a self-conscious grimace.
She had spoken out of self-defence that day, she hadn't realised the housekeeper would take the remark so much to heart.
To her relief Hawk's mouth quirked with amusement. 'You were right, June,' he drawled. 'I don't approve of this mother being unmarried—especially when it's my child she's the mother of!'
Leonie closed her eyes with a self-conscious groan, afraid to open them again as June gave a disbelieving gasp. Trust Hawk to blurt out the truth in that way—and to sound so proud of it too!
'I had no idea,' poor June began to splutter, 'or I wouldn't—Oh dear,' she groaned awkwardly.
'If you'd like my notice, Mr Sinclair, I quite understand—' She broke off as Hawk roared with laughter.
Both women turned to stare at him, Leonie with rising anger. There was nothing in the least funny about having June hand in her notice!
'June,' he finally sobered, although a grin still lightened his features, 'you can be as nasty to me as you want when I know it's in the cause of protecting Leonie.' He sobered completely, looking down at Leonie with dark eyes. 'You see,' he murmured softly, 'I don't ever want anyone to hurt her either.'
Leonie blushed at the possessive intent in his voice, but she didn't move away as she normally would have done, knowing she was completely safe in the haven of his arms.
'I really am sorry,' June grimaced uncomfortably. 'And—congratulations,' she added awkwardly. 'I actually came to tell you that it's time we left for town,' she told them with a frown. 'I know it's customary to be a little late, but even so…!'
Leonie gave a hasty glance at her watch. 'Heavens, yes!' she gasped. 'I'll go and get Laura—'
'And I'll get Holly,' Hawk announced determinedly. 'Yes?' he prompted huskily at her sharp look.
'Yes,' she agreed slowly, accepting that she would have to relinquish quite a lot of her daughter— their daughter, to this man.
June halted her as she turned to go up the stairs. 'I really am sorry,' she repeated contritely. 'You just seemed so upset that day he came here, and I—'
'It's all right, June.' Leonie squeezed her hand consolingly, gazing after the man who had caused all the trouble as he tactfully went up the stairs ahead of her. 'Hawk likes to indulge in the melodramatic,' she dryly derided his method of announcing himself as Holly's father. 'But it is the truth, and we're going to be married tomorrow.'
June nodded. 'I'm surprised you got him to wait that long,' she said wryly.
Leonie laughed softly. 'So am I!'
'I'm glad that's settled.' Hawk was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. 'I wasn't sure which one of us you would c
hoose if it came to that!' He eyed her derisively.
'Why, June, of course,' Leonie came back pertly. 'You can't cook, can you?' Her eyes gleamed mischievously.
'I have other, much more useful talents as a husband.' He wiggled his eyebrows and twiddled an imaginary moustache.
Leonie gave him a scathing look. 'One of them isn't a believable impression of Groucho Marx!'
He chuckled. 'Because I wasn't doing Groucho Marx!' he said disgustedly. 'Don't you recognise a lecher when you see one?'
'Unfortunately, no,' she gave him a pointed look.
Hawk groaned. 'Will I ever win one of these verbal battles with you?'
Leonie eyed him speculatively. 'Do you want to?'
He looked at her appreciatively. 'No,' he acknowledged indulgently. 'Boredom is something I'm never going to fear being married to you!'
She affected a haughty look. 'Can I say the same, I wonder?'
His mouth quirked. 'Ask me the same thing on our first wedding anniversary!'
He was so self-confident, and he had reason to be. No woman could ever be bored with this man, not if she lived with him for a thousand years. He was so dimensional, so complex—eternity wouldn't be long enough to learn all there was to know about this man. But she suddenly so much wanted to try!
'I have to get Laura.' She moved away from him. 'Otherwise Hal will really start to panic,' she grimaced.
He nodded. 'I want this to be a happy day for all of us.' He drew in a ragged breath. 'Leonie, Spencer is the last person I want to mention today, but I have to if I'm to reassure you that it's all over with him.' He looked at her intently.
Leonie had felt her cheeks pale at the mention of her ex-husband, but she looked at Hawk uncertainly as he finished the statement. What did he mean? What had he done to Michael? Not that she was concerned about Michael, she had given that up long ago, but she didn't want anything to happen to Hawk.
He grasped her arms. 'I'm not going to go into details, suffice it to say my lawyer and I have made sure Spencer will never come near you again.'
She looked up at him searchingly, knowing that above all else she could trust him. If he said Michael had gone from their lives then she believed him.
'Thank you,' she said huskily, tears in her eyes. 'This will be the happiest day of my life.'
Hawk shook his head. 'That's tomorrow,' he told her huskily. 'Laura and Hal's wedding is just a practice run!'
Leonie was still smiling as she went into Laura's bedroom, although the tears actually started in her eyes as she saw how beautiful her sister looked in her frothy white dress of satin and lace.
Laura took one look at her and her own tears started to fall. She stood up to cross the room, and the two sisters hugged each other tightly.
'Everything will change after today,' choked Laura.
Leonie's arms tightened about her twin. 'We all have to go forward,' she comforted her. 'It isn't as if we aren't going to see a lot of each other,' she cajoled. 'And you do love Hal, don't you?' she prompted softly.
'Oh yes,' Laura replied without hesitation, straightening, but still maintaining a hold on Leonie's hands. 'We are doing the right thing, aren't we?' she said uncertainly.
Leonie smiled encouragingly. 'You're just suffering from a bride's rightful attack of nerves,' she soothed. 'As soon as you see Hal you'll know you're doing the right thing.'
'You thought you loved Michael too once,' Laura said worriedly.
Leonie frowned. 'I'm not sure that I did, not the way you love Hal. I just—I wanted to fall in love like other people did, and he—well, he knew a good thing when he saw it,' she conceded bitterly, remembering the way Michael had decided she earned enough for both of them and had instantly given up his job. 'It wasn't the same, Laura,' she insisted.
'And Hawk?' asked Laura. 'How do you feel about him?'
To stand by and let her answer that would be to destroy the tentative friendship that had sprung up between them the last couple of days. Hawk didn't like feeling vulnerable, but where Leonie was concerned he surely was.
The bedroom door stood slightly ajar, allowing him to have overheard part of the conversation between the two sisters, and he pushed the door completely open to stand in the doorway. 'You two might not mind keeping Hal waiting,' he said lightly, 'but this young lady isn't going to remain quiet indefinitely.' He looked down at Holly as she moved restlessly in his arms, wearing a pretty pale green dress that seemed to hint at a slightly red shading to her hair. Leonie was right, their daughter was going to be another redhead.
He watched the two sisters often as they sat in the back of the car together as he drove them all into town, June by his side, obviously still a little embarrassed at the mistake she had made as she gazed out of the side-window. He was relieved that problem was out of the way, anyway.
Leonie still worried him, however. From what he had overheard her say to Laura a few minutes ago she had had trouble falling in love even before her disastrous first marriage and the death of her son. What other reason could there be for her sounding so desperate about wanting to fall in love—she had only been twenty, for God's sake, hardly old enough to have considered herself an old maid.
He didn't understand the woman he loved at all, but he was going to. And this time he would do his investigating into her past himself; he was going to leave nothing to chance.
It was a beautiful ceremony, the love that openly surrounded the bride and groom as they gazed at each other making it so.
Stephen hadn't arrived, so Hawk had acted as the other witness, and Leonie had seen him have a few harsh words with a stony-faced Jake before the ceremony, the two men having studiously avoided each other since then.
Holly behaved perfectly, sleeping through the whole thing, much to Leonie's relief. But how would Holly dare do anything else when she was held so firmly by her father!
'Let me take her,' offered Sarah as they all posed for photographs outside.
'No, let me,' Hal offered mischievously. 'It'll give our grandchildren something to think about when we show them our wedding photographs!' He and Laura posed with the baby held between them.
Leonie insisted on taking Holly so that they could have some more traditional photographs taken, standing to one side with Hawk until it was their turn to pose with the bride and groom.
'Did Jake have any idea where Stephen could be?' she asked Hawk softly.
'No,' he grated, his eyes narrowed. 'He didn't seem overly concerned either!'
'Oh, I'm sure you're wrong,' she protested. 'I know he's angry with Stephen just now, but—'
'Leonie, I've known Jake almost half my life, and I know something of the way he feels; he seemed almost relieved Stephen hadn't turned up today.' Hawk shook his head.
Leonie sighed. 'It seems such a pity, they're both such nice men. And I meant that quite impersonally,' she added quickly, aware of how frayed Hawk's temper had been concerning Jake, especially over the last few days.
His mouth quirked. 'I know that,' he gave her a wry smile. 'Loving someone makes you vulnerable.'
She was all too aware of that vulnerability, that was why she feared expressing her love for Hawk. Maybe one day she might feel brave enough, but not yet. She just wasn't ready to open herself to that sort of pain again just yet.
'Come on, you two!' Hal stood grinning in front of them, obviously relieved the trauma of the ceremony itself was over. 'Laura and I want to have a family photograph with just the five of us, and then just the three of you together.'
They couldn't have made a more public declaration of their relationship, and yet as Hawk posed at her side Leonie felt proud of the fact that she and Holly belonged to such a man. She smiled brightly into the camera, she and Hawk laughing together as Holly chose that moment to give one of her windy smiles, giving the impression that she too was happy with the day.
There were only thirty or so guests invited back for the buffet luncheon, but even so the house seemed very overcrowded.
Hawk swo
re beside her as the telephone began ringing almost as soon as they entered the house. 'It's either Stephen phoning to explain why he didn't make it, or it's a business call for me,' he grimaced. 'And neither one of them is welcome just now!'
'I'll go and answer it,' Sarah offered with a smile. 'You're due to give your speech any time now.'
Hawk didn't look pleased by the reminder as his secretary hurried from the room. 'I don't like speaking in public,' he confided to Leonie as she gave him a puzzled look.
Her eyes widened. He always gave the impression that he was so self-confident, so composed, so this disclosure came as something of a surprise to her.
'I know,' he grimaced. 'It doesn't fit in with the image. Nevertheless, it's true.'
Leonie rested her hand on the crook of his arm. 'Holly and I will be rooting for you,' she encouraged.
'I—What is it?' he frowned at Sarah as she made her way back to his side.
'Bob Norman is on the phone—'
'The Chairman of Alton Hotels,' Hawk told Leonie softly.
She turned to the other woman, having become interested in this deal that was taking up so much of Hawk's time.
'He wants to talk to you,' Sarah shrugged. 'He says it's urgent.'
Hawk scowled. 'Didn't you tell him my son got married today?' he rasped.
'Of course,' Sarah said calmly. 'He said he only wants a few minutes of your time,' she added regretfully.
'Okay,' Hawk agreed impatiently, giving Leonie an apologetic look. 'This should only take a few minutes. Tell Hal to start the speech without me if I'm delayed,' he drawled.
She laughed softly. 'Oh, I'm sure we'll all manage to wait for you!'
'Witch!' he muttered before turning to stride confidently across the room.
Sarah looked uncomfortable. 'I really didn't mean to interrupt this time for him, but Bob Norman did sound in a panic.'
Leonie gave the other woman an understanding smile. 'It doesn't matter,' she dismissed, soothing Holly as she began to fidget, her blue-grey eyes wide open.
'Feeding time again?' Sarah guessed indulgently.
'It seems like it always is,' Leonie grimaced, sitting Holly up so that she could have a look around. 'I'd better go and warm a bottle for her,' she excused herself with an apologetic smile.
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