by CC MacKenzie
She'd been seven, wearing her best frock with her hair brushed until it shone with her little suitcase at her side. The excitement of the little girl cut deep into a heart that had been utterly broken. After two hours sitting on the step she'd been worrying herself to death that something bad had happened to him. Then her mother had placed her arm around her thin shoulders and whispered that her father wasn't coming. Eve would never forget the creeping disappointment and bitter tears that she wasn't going on a plane with her daddy to visit his house in Hollywood. He was too busy with a big movie. His big chance, her mother had told her not bothering to hide her own bitterness and hurt from her little daughter. And he'd promised to make it up to her. He never had. Her mother had refused to permit him to disappoint his only child again and the rift between father and daughter had been permanent.
And like her father Matt had big plans for his future too.
The difference was that he wanted her and their child with him.
But for how long?
Anxiety crawled into her gut at the thought of marriage and everything it entailed.
Marrying a man like Matt would mean that there would be a good chance she'd come face to face with her father. And Eve wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to deal with that event.
Now she was pulled back to the present as Matt drove along the road leading to The Dower House. She took a surprised breath. Set in landscaped gardens covered in snow and glittering with frost the house was gorgeous. Constructed of pristine sandstone, the building was a stunning miniature of Ludlow Hall. The house and gardens were illuminated by up lights and in the middle of the turning circle stood a fabulous pine tree at least twenty feet high lit by thousands of tiny white lights.
Matt brought the Range Rover to a halt, got out and jogged around to open her door.
He took her hand as she stepped out. The air was crisp with winter, nipping her cheeks and rippling her hair. She didn't feel a thing. All she felt was Matt's hand in hers and his eyes on hers.
"What a stunning house," she said.
"You like it?"
"Love it."
Still holding her hand, he picked up a big bag from the trunk and led her to fabulous arched double doors of ancient oak.
Before he had the chance to tug the bell pull, the door was opened by Nico Ferranti.
He was dressed in black jeans and a cashmere sweater in pale grey.
Eve's head tipped back to meet dark eyes that went sharp as they studied her face. And she got the distinct impression that this was not a man to cross. Then he smiled and the handsome face went from hard to welcoming. Nico grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. She stepped onto large stone tiles that stretched through the vast entrance hall. To the right a wide wooden staircase of polished oak wound up to the next floor and tucked in the curve of the staircase was another beautiful Christmas tree, this time decorated for children. Candy canes hung from the lower branches.
Nico gave her a brotherly kiss on each cheek before giving Matt a backslapping man hug.
"Welcome," he said. And then his eyes followed hers as Eve grinned at the drunk looking fairy perched on the top of the tree. "Si, she got caught in the crossfire. The twins were fighting to see who would put her on the top. They are very excited about the visit from Santa."
Matt handed him a carrier bag which held a couple of gaily wrapped boxes. "The pink one's for Sophia and the blue one is for Luca."
"Grazie," Nico said in that deep rumbling Italian accent that made Eve grin. "They are asleep, thanks be to God. We spent the day making snowmen. I am happy to say they are exhausted."
He led the way into a gorgeous sitting room.
"Admit it, you had more fun than the kids," said a blonde woman, hugely pregnant and sitting in a chair next to the fire.
"Hello, gorgeous." Matt went over to greet her. She kissed him twice on each cheek.
"Hello, handsome," she said and beamed into his face. She ran her fingers through his hair. "Is this a new look or for a film?"
"I'm incognito."
For some reason the statement made the woman roar with laughter.
Matt took Eve's hand and brought her over to meet her hostess.
"Bronte Ludlow, Eve Langan."
Friendly emerald eyes met Eve's and she read humour and not a little curiosity.
"Of course I recognise you from the TV adverts and the glossy magazines. I'm thrilled to meet you," she said. Then added before Eve could respond, "I'd get up but I've been on bed rest and Nico won't even let me stand."
"Is everything okay, you look wonderful," Eve told her and meant every word.
Bronte Ferranti was one of the most stunning women Eve had ever seen. And in her job she'd seen plenty. Slippy ash blonde hair was caught in a high tail and ran across her shoulder and down her breast. She was wearing a cashmere sweater the colour of new grass, which flowed over her bump and matching skinny pants. Her narrow feet were tucked into super thick socks the colour of clotted cream.
"This pregnancy's been a challenge. What would you like to drink?"
Eve turned to look at Nico who was holding an open bottle of champagne.
She opened her mouth to speak but Matt beat her to it.
"We're pregnant, too. A fresh orange or apple juice if you have it," he said.
Immediately Bronte caught Eve's hand and squeezed tight.
"Congratulations! How exciting. How many weeks?"
"Almost twelve."
Eve found herself being hugged by Nico and her cheeks bussed again before Matt endured another man hug before bending down to receive a kiss from Bronte.
Nico poured two glasses of champagne for the men and sparkly apple juice for the ladies.
He raised his glass. "Congratulations. I never thought I would ever live to see this day."
Matt settled a suddenly nervous Eve next to him on the couch and put his arm around her shoulders.
"We're thrilled."
He gave her big eyes and a happy smile.
She gave them right back at him.
"It was a surprise," she admitted wanting to be scrupulously honest to the lovely couple. "But it's beginning to feel real."
Bronte held up her glass. "Cheers, I think you look wonderful together and it's so sweet to see Matt finally settled. You've got yourself one of the good guys, Eve."
Matt grinned at Eve with a complacent told-you-so smile.
The sound of the doorbell pealed through the house.
Nico moved fast. "That will be the entertainment for the evening," he muttered.
Bronte just laughed at Eve's wide eyes. "What he means is that it's my brother Alexander and his wife Rosie. Rosie can't wait to meet Matt."
"A fan?" Eve guessed.
Bronte's emerald eyes danced with sheer mischief. "Oh yeah." She grinned at Matt. "I'll apologise ahead of time. Our Rosie's mouth doesn't possess a filter."
Eve snuck a look to see if Matt was uncomfortable with the impending attention but when he caught her eye he shrugged, reached out to stroke her hair.
Sitting at the candle lit dining room table an hour later, Eve decided that the Ludlow's made an interesting couple. Alexander was tall and slim with an athletic build. Exceptionally good looking with his sister's eyes and slicked-back hair the colour of chestnuts. He obviously adored his wife. Rosie Ludlow reminded Eve of a demented fairy. She was tiny with huge eyes the colour of melted dark chocolate. Her mobile face was framed by a head of glossy curls that fell just past her slim shoulders. Her eyes never stopped sparkling, especially when she looked at Matt. Eve could hardly blame her since Matt was keeping them in stitches describing the bad behaviour of a major movie star.
Letting the conversation flow over her head, she wished for just a little of the love that Bronte and Nico Ferranti had. Making the decision to tell Matt that he was going to be a father hadn't been an easy one for her. Typically, once she'd weighed up the pros and cons she'd set her mind on the task and followed it through.
Ho
wever, she recognised the emotional aftermath had taken its toll.
Matt's friends had welcomed her with open arms, but they were his friends, not hers. Now she felt weary and under scrutiny. And Bronte was looking tired, uncomfortable. Nico was watching his wife like a hawk. The bond between the couple went deep and was quite wonderful to see. Bronte's brother Alexander was lovely. As far as Eve was concerned the only fly in the ointment was Rosie who was openly flirting with Matt. Twice Alexander had tried to catch his wife's eye and failed. Rosie seemed to be an over-excited little twit. If Eve hadn't been a guest in someone's home she'd have given Ms Rosie a verbal slap. For some odd reason she kept calling Matt, Dick. A little in joke that Eve wasn't in on. And the constant giggling and grins were seriously pissing her off.
"Did you ever receive the picture of me I sent you," Rosie asked Matt now in a voice that found Eve desperately struggling not to roll her eyes.
He smiled, flashing a dimple next to his mouth.
"I don't believe I did," he said with a patience that was charming, but that made Eve clench her teeth. How the hell did he put up with this sort of pitiful adulation day after day?
Alexander just turned his head and gave his wife big eyes.
She returned the look, gave him an elbow dig. "I wasn't naked or anything."
He gave her a little poke on the shoulder. "Well, that's all right then."
She turned and beamed another smile to Matt. "I bet you receive tons of fan mail."
Matt flashed the dimple again.
"Not personally. I'm on the move a lot. My PR firm deals with fan mail."
Now Rosie pouted. "I bet my picture is languishing at the bottom of a pile of thousands."
"When did you send it?" Matt wanted to know.
Rosie sent an evil little look to her husband who was watching her while running the tip of his tongue over his top teeth. He shook his head and at last his wife received the message.
"Years ago. Don't worry about it. What's up next for you?"
Matt gave them the edited version of his vampire movie set in New Zealand.
"I love blood suckers," Rosie said. "Who else is in the movie?"
He reeled off a couple of names and then added, "And Rupert Gillier's due to be signed up as the bad guy. He's a bit of a dog with women, but he does do a good bad guy."
Eve's fork clattered to her plate.
She hid her shock by gulping down her water.
Dear God.
What were the odds of her father and Matt in a movie together?
There was no way she could go to New Zealand now.
No way.
She was aware of Matt's eyes on her, but kept her eyes glued to her plate.
Then Nico Ferranti unwittingly came to her rescue.
"Rosie, you are not drinking? I thought the Frascati was your favourite. I can open something else."
Rosie's face went pink and those brown eyes again went to her husband. A silent message was sent and received.
Alexander pushed his chair back from the table and pulled his wife onto his knee. She buried her face in his neck.
"What is it?" Bronte demanded.
Over Rosie's head Alexander stared at his sister for the longest moment and Eve's heart melted at the unconditional love she read from a brother to his sister.
Then he smiled.
"You're going to be an Auntie in about seven and a half months."
Rosie grinned at Bronte's cry of joy. "We were going to wait until the end of the first trimester to tell everyone, but we can't keep a secret in this family."
"Madre de Dio," Nico said. "We have three women with child at the table. How fitting that it is only two days until Christmas."
Rosie's dark eyes flew to Eve. "You too?"
"Yep," Matt said. He pushed back his chair and mirroring Alexander pulled Eve onto his knee. She wasn't used to public shows of affection and felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up her neck and into her cheeks. Strong arms held her tight as he tucked her hair behind her ear to kiss her hot cheek. "I'm a lucky man." He kissed her cheek again. Under cover of the family hugs and kisses, he whispered in her ear. "Are you feeling okay? You went as white as sheet."
Vivid blue eyes searched hers and she felt emotion threaten to overwhelm her. He looked so genuinely happy and excited. She read sincere concern for her and wondered how the hell she was going to tell him she was staying in England.
"It's lovely to witness such a happy moment in their lives. They're all madly in love. It's such a rare thing to see."
He nodded, seemingly accepting her words.
"They're great. Wait until you meet the kids."
Before she could respond Bronte slumped over the table gripping her belly.
"Oooooooh."
Immediately Nico was at her side.
Bronte gripped his hand. "Phone an ambulance. My waters have broken."
The lights in house stuttered before they went out.
Eyes filled with something like horror they all stared at each other over flickering candles.
"Fucking hell," said Matt.
Chapter Fifteen
There was a flicker of electricity and then the lights came back on.
Nico started issuing orders.
"That's the back-up generator. Matt, there are flashlights in the store cupboard in the kitchen. Rosie will show you where they are. Alexander phone an ambulance, tell them she's four weeks early. Eve, can you come with me to keep Bronte company?"
Eve was on her feet and went immediately to Bronte's side.
"I was a birth partner for one of my friends last year, so I know the drill," she told Nico. Something like terror had gripped her belly. The baby was coming too soon. Oh God. There was no point in fearing the worst until it happened. Perhaps the ambulance would get here in plenty of time.
The big Italian's mouth was a tight hard line as he picked up his wife, but he sent Eve a nod. "Grazie. She was due to have an elected C section next month."
When Bronte cried out again his face went white.
Nico carried her up the stairs with Eve following on behind.
She glanced at the time on her watch.
"There are extra sheets in that cupboard," he jerked his head as he laid his wife on their huge bed and stripped off her clothes. Eve ran to the cupboard and collected a handful of crisp cotton sheets. She unfolded and slid them under Bronte who was now dressed in a huge white T-shirt belonging to her husband. Nico placed more logs in the fire place and it didn't take long for the flames to catch.
When he sat on the edge of the bed, Bronte's eyes were wild as she gripped his arm.
"It's too soon for it to be born," she whispered. And then went pale as another contraction gripped her.
Eve checked her watch. "Five minutes between contractions. Try and breathe through it rather than holding your breath. That's it. You're doing great."
Poor Bronte's eyes were wild as they stayed glued to Eve's.
"I've never gone to childbirth classes. My midwife told me I should attend to understand what happens to a woman during natural childbirth, but I've been too busy with the twins, with the business." She bit back a frightened sob.
A horrible oil slick of panic coated the back of her throat, but Eve swallowed it down.
And desperately tried to remember what the midwife had said to her friend when she'd been in labour. She took Bronte's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Just remember that your body is equipped to do this. I'll help you breathe through the pains. Listen to your body and focus on trying to remain calm."
The look Bronte gave her told Eve that was easier said than done.
Matt popped his head around the door and gave a chin jerk to her and Nico.
"The ambulance is on its way. But there's a blizzard blowing outside."
Nico cursed like a trooper.
Matt nodded. "A snow plough is clearing a path. They're at least fifteen minutes away. How's she doing?"
Anxiety
in Nico's dark eyes was clear to see. "The contractions are five minutes apart. This baby won't wait."
Matt didn't hesitate. "Look, I don't know if this is going to help, but I attended a couple of real life deliveries when I was in the hospital soap. And I actually assisted at a birth two years ago for a movie."
Nico gripped Matt's shoulder and hauled him into the room.
Bronte groaned and Eve flew to her side.
She glanced at her watch, three minutes.
"Breathe through it, Bronte. That's it."
By the time the contraction had passed Bronte was sweating and fat tears leaked into her hairline. The woman was terrified. That was so not good. The key to a successful delivery was to keep the mother calm and as relaxed as possible.
The atmosphere in the room was too tense and Nico looked as if he was going to explode with frustration and sheer terror. And if that happened Eve just knew Bronte would panic.
"Nico, could you sit behind her to support her back and take the weight?" Eve asked.
The big Italian toed off his socks and shoes, climbed on the bed behind his wife and set her between his long legs. He bent his knees and just held her in his arms, his hands holding hers. Bronte endured another crushing contraction and Eve was relieved to see that even though Nico's eyes rolled back in his head when his wife nearly crushed his fingers, Bronte was coping a little bit better.
"That's it take a nice big breath as you go over the wave. Good job, Bronte."
Matt had washed his hands in the bathroom and came to the bed with a bundle of clean white towels.
"Bronte, you need to listen to me," he said from the bottom of the bed where he was peering between Bronte's legs. "This baby's in a hurry to be born. But we don't want it born too fast because we don't want it shocky. Okay?" She nodded and groaned when another contraction hit her. "Do you need to push?"
She nodded and tucked her chin to her chest.
"Breathe nice and slow," said Eve. "You're doing great."