Just One Night (Presents Plus)

by Carole Mortimer

  Maybe it was a futile dream when Leonie had all but rejected his declaration of love, but no matter what happened there would be no more children. Maybe it was as well that they had these few weeks before they could make love, it would give him time to do what had to be done.

  ‘Something really lovely,’ he nodded agreement. ‘Although she’ll never be as beautiful as her mother—she doesn’t have her red hair, for one thing!’ he added teasingly.

  Leonie gave him a look of affected indignation. ‘My hair isn’t red, it’s titian, like the Duchess of York’s.’

  ‘Forgive me, Your Highness,’ his mouth quirked, ‘Holly doesn’t have titian hair.’

  ‘She will have,’ Leonie said with certainty. ‘Laura and I both had fair hair as babies.’

  Another red—titian-haired little minx to watch over and protect. He couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling lifetime occupation.

  ‘I realise you probably won’t want to wear white on Tuesday,’ he said quietly. ‘But maybe something close to that?’ he prompted.

  Leonie looked rebellious. ‘I have no intention of discussing my wedding dress with the bridegroom,’ she told him primly. ‘It’s bad luck.’

  His mouth twisted. ‘And we need all the good luck we can get, hm?’ he guessed ruefully.

  She shrugged. ‘You have to admit this won’t be an—orthodox wedding.’

  ‘It will be our wedding,’ he told her firmly. ‘The only one either of us will ever have, so I want it to be perfect.’

  ‘In that case, I’m sure it will be,’ she smiled.

  ‘Facetious witch,’ he drawled.

  ‘Having second thoughts?’ she taunted.

  His gaze steadily held hers. ‘Never!’ It was a promise as much as a denial.

  He could see by the flicker of panic in her eyes that Leonie was still wary of marriage, to any man. He would have to go slowly with her, much more slowly than he had been doing. The trouble was he forgot everything but holding her in his arms and proclaiming her his when he was with her.

  ‘I don’t want you to give Spencer another thought,’ he instructed harshly. ‘He’s my problem now.’

  Leonie looked upset. ‘What are are going to do?’

  ‘Don’t worry.’ His mouth twisted. ‘Nothing illegal.’

  She sighed. ‘Somehow that doesn’t reassure me.’

  Hawk gave a hard smile. ‘It shouldn’t,’ he drawled, bending to give her a quick kiss, moving back before she had time to protest—or respond, if she was going to. Sometimes he wished they could be like other couples, like Hal and Laura, the affection between them completely spontaneous. Maybe in time they would be. ‘I’ll go and talk to Jake about being my witness,’ he added dryly. ‘He’s far from happy that we’ve taken so long to decide to get married.’

  She nodded. ‘He seems convinced that Holly will be a teenager before her father and mother are married!’

  It was testament to how much Jake liked Leonie that he had held his silence about Spencer when she asked him to. But Hawk didn’t feel jealous of that affection any more; he knew, after several heated conversations with Jake, that the other man liked her, not desired her. Not that the other man didn’t still have some questions to answer about Spencer!

  No wonder Leonie had turned to him so brokenly on the drive back from the hotel the other night. And did Spencer’s visit to the house yesterday morning have anything to do with the way Leonie had responded to him on that blanket beside the river? What did it matter why she responded to him, as long as she did!

  ‘Three more days should satisfy even him,’ Hawk said hardly. ‘Do you want me to come with you when you put Laura and Hal out of their misery,’ he derided, ‘or can you handle that alone?’

  ‘I’ll tell them,’ she said lightly. ‘You’d better go and talk to Jake.’

  He found the other man back in the kitchen again when he went in search of him; he and June broke off what seemed to be a rather heated conversation as Hawk entered the room. He looked at the two of them searchingly; what was going on between these two?

  He shot them a puzzled frown. Jake was looking rebellious now, while June seemed upset. ‘I need to talk to you, Jake,’ Hawk told the other man slowly.

  ‘Sure,’ snarled Jake, marching over to the door, halting to turn abruptly and face the woman across the room. ‘I’m sorry, June,’ he bit out abruptly, his expression bleak. ‘But you’re interfering in something you just don’t understand.’

  She shook her head sadly. ‘Oh, I understand, Jake, I understand only too well,’ she added softly.

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. ‘How—I’ll talk to you again later,’ he rasped, shooting Hawk an impatient glance.

  Hawk slowly followed the other man out of the room; he was certainly starting to feel like an unwanted third around those two! June seemed like a very nice woman—apart from her unexplained dislike of him!—so why was Jake fighting the attraction? Oh hell, he and Jake had enough tension between them without him interfering in his relationship with June Gaynor.

  Sarah was in the study working when the two men entered the room, and Hawk tersely sent her off to the kitchen for a break, apologising ruefully when she gave a pained frown.

  ‘What is it?’ Jake demanded impatiently, sitting on the edge of the desk.

  The other man looked weary, as if he hadn’t been sleeping at all well. And if this added strain was because of the attraction he felt for June… ‘If it’s any consolation, I think she likes you too,’ Hawk drawled.

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. ‘Who?’

  ‘Well, I certainly don’t mean Leonie,’ he snapped.

  Jake stood up. ‘If you’re going to start those insane accusations again—’

  ‘I’m not.’ Hawk ran a weary hand over his eyes before thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets.

  ‘Shall we talk about Leonie first, or Stephen?’ he said softly.

  Jake stiffened. ‘There’s nothing about Stephen to discuss,’ he bit out coldly.

  ‘He’s dropped out of college—’

  ‘That’s my problem, not yours,’ the other man retorted.

  It was true, and yet he and Jake had always been such friends that very often they had shared the bringing up of their two sons. He couldn’t turn off his concern for Jake—and Stephen—just because he was told this was none of his business.

  ‘Make it mine too, Jake,’ he encouraged huskily.

  The other man shook his head. ‘There’s nothing more to say about it. Stephen has dropped out of college. He’s over twenty-one,’ he shrugged. ‘It’s his decision.’

  ‘It’s a decision you can’t condone—’

  ‘Of course I don’t condone it!’ Jake flared furiously, his eyes glittering. ‘I think he’s an idiot, that he’s wasting his life, but there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it!’

  ‘Would you like me to talk to him?’ Hawk suggested gently. ‘An outsider who can see both points of view?’

  Jake’s mouth twisted. ‘Stephen isn’t in the mood to listen to anyone just now—especially the man he knows is my best friend!’

  Hawk had doubted that closeness lately; it felt good to know it was still there, no matter what his and Jake’s differences were at the moment. ‘I could try,’ he offered softly.

  ‘No,’ Jake argued. ‘It wouldn’t do any good. Besides, Stephen isn’t here any more,’ he added challengingly.

  Hawk frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  The other man shrugged. ‘He’s gone to London until the wedding.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I sent him there!’ flared Jake. ‘His behaviour has been disgraceful since he got here. A few days to think things over alone won’t do him any harm,’ he added grimly.

  Hawk wasn’t convinced of the wisdom of that, but he could see by Jake’s challenging expression that he wouldn’t welcome the criticism. And Jake should know his own son better than anyone else. He had some idea now how Jake had felt when he had to stand by the last nine months and w
itness his completely wrong handling of Hal; he felt like banging Jake and Stephen’s heads together to get them to see sense.

  But for now he had a wedding to announce, and he knew that would please Jake if nothing else he had done lately had.

  And then he had a visit to Michael Spencer to arrange. That would please him immensely!

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE RINGING of the telephone sounded ominous.

  It had been a morning of non-stop activity, all the last-minute rush and bustle preparing Leonie for what she would have to go through tomorrow morning before her own wedding.

  Hal hadn’t wanted to wait for a church wedding, but Laura had decided she would have everything else that a church wedding should have had, including the small luncheon reception for the guests at the house. Besides helping Laura get ready for the wedding Leonie had also helped June in the kitchen.

  And now, with only ten minutes to go before they all left for the register office, the ringing of the telephone was very unsettling.

  She picked up the receiver mere seconds before Hawk reached it, her eyes widening appreciatively on him in his grey morning-suit; this man looked good in anything!

  ‘Yes?’ she spoke breathlessly into the receiver.

  ‘Laura?’ Hal said immediately.

  ‘Certainly not,’ she mouthed Hal’s name to Hawk as he raised his brows questioningly. ‘She isn’t allowed to speak to you before the ceremony either,’ she reproved. Hal had spent the night at a hotel in town, intending to meet them at the register office.

  ‘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 choose 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.