Falling In Love Again
Page 30
Suddenly his eyes were blurring. Pregnancy, it seemed, had set him on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride.
When Gem caught sight of him, her gorgeous face lit up and she waved. He grinned back, his heart surging with love.
‘Hi.’ She wrapped her arms about his waist and relaxed against him. ‘You did it.’
‘Told you I would.’
‘You did,’ she agreed with a nod. ‘You know I had every faith in you?’ Her eyes sparkled up at him.
‘Yep.’ No doubt about that. Her unwavering belief, the trust she placed in him, had made him the man he was today. With her by his side anything seemed possible.
It had been her faith that had got him through early concerns that maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew in returning to complete his degree. Getting back into study after so many years hadn’t been easy but he’d managed to pass with distinction, off the back of which he’d received a number of career offers. The future looked promising.
He kissed her forehead. ‘You had faith, but don’t forget I did all the work.’
She laughed, not the girlish giggle of long ago but genuine laughter, the way she laughed so often and so easily these days. They’d come a long way since he’d moved to Sydney. Sticking to his word, he’d taken their developing relationship slowly until time and the healing process, together with Drew’s instant and total acceptance of him in their lives, had worked their magic. After six wonderful months of living together as a family he’d asked her to marry him and she’d said yes.
He grinned to himself. Best. Wedding. Ever. Apart from Harry and Lou’s, of course.
‘Ooh!’ Gem gasped, scattering his thoughts. ‘Our little one’s making her presence known.’
She took his hand, spread his fingers and placed them on her five-month-pregnant belly. What felt like a tiny foot pushed back at him, making him laugh with the wonder of it all. He never ceased to marvel that growing inside this woman he loved was a miniature human being, a baby girl to make their family complete.
Drew, who’d been lolling against Harry’s legs with the easy familiarity that accompanies warm affection, came running over. ‘Can I feel, Mummy?’
‘Of course you can, sweetheart.’ Her beautiful face was radiant with happiness as she guided his hand to the right spot.
He pressed his little hand down. ‘I think she’s going to be a footballer,’ he announced, eyes wide with excitement.
‘You know what, young man?’ said Harry. ‘With parents like yours, I reckon she can be anything she wants to be if she puts her mind to it.’
‘Hear, hear,’ said Lou.
‘Are you intimating that my darling husband and I are stubborn, Harry?’ Gem’s wide-open smile belied the accusatory tone.
‘I wonder where Jamie could have got that from,’ chimed in Lou, rolling her eyes.
As he watched the interplay and listened to the friendly teasing, Jamie regarded his family with a fiercely possessive love and pride. All his life he’d been a dreamer, dreaming of finding where he belonged. Well, he’d finally found out exactly where that was.
Right here.
He’d once been foolish enough to believe that home meant a place. It didn’t. It meant being with the people your life was unimaginable without.
While the others continued their good-natured banter, he drew Gem to one side, gently pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head up. She looked at him, face aglow, and he lowered his lips to hers.
‘I love you, Mr Coltrane,’ she murmured against his mouth. Her breath tasted of orange-flavoured lip balm and peppermints, and he knew he had to be the luckiest man alive.
High on happiness, he gathered her tenderly in his arms. ‘Who says dreams can’t come true?’
Gemma smiled at him and her golden-girl laugh bubbled up and over. It had to be the best sound in the world. ‘Nobody I know.’
Thanks for reading Falling in Love Again. I hope you enjoyed it.
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ISBN: 9781489240996
Title: Falling in Love Again
Copyright © 2017 by Marilyn Forsyth
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