A Home for Her Baby by Eleanor Jones

Author:Eleanor Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-04-12T17:53:47+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

IT WAS MIDAFTERNOON by the time Grace Roberts and Lily had finished the lunchtime rush. Grace smiled as her daughter hurried to dry her hands and take off her apron.

“Can I go now, Mum?” she asked.

“It depends on where you’re going,” Grace said.

Lily shrugged, looking sheepish. “Just to take Pip for a walk.”

Grace raised her eyebrows. “To see Ali Nicholas I suppose?”

“Might be,” Lily responded defensively.

“Oh Lil, I know you too well for you to try and pull the wool over my eyes. I don’t mind you seeing Ali, I’ve already told you that. Just don’t be too long and be careful on the road.”

“I’m always careful,” Lily insisted. “I’m not a kid anymore, you know, Mum.”

Grace’s round face puckered. “I know love, you’ll be eighteen very soon and that’s grown up.”

Watching her daughter, as she walked off down the road with Pip running along beside her on a lead, she couldn’t help but sigh. Lily might think she was all grown up and she had to let her believe that. Truth was she would always be a child and Grace would never stop worrying about her until the day she died.

* * *

AT COVE COTTAGES Ali was trying to concentrate on writing but her thoughts were all over the place. In a couple of days she had an appointment for her scan and no one but she would see the picture of her baby growing inside her; it made her feel so alone that she wanted to cry. In fact she felt tearful quite a lot lately.

Since she’d spoken to Tom that day he’d done as she asked and stayed away. Trouble was she really missed him, but how could there ever be anything between them when she was having another man’s child? She had far too much time on her hands, time in which to brood and speculate on her loneliness and worry...and on what might have been. Come to think of it, the only person she’d really seen since her doctor’s appointment, apart from the woman who worked in the village store, was Lily.

Without Lily keeping her head straight these last few days, popping in on a regular basis to see Freckles and chat about normal things, Ali didn’t know what she’d have done. Even Lily was becoming curious, about the secretive way she was behaving.

“You look worried, Ali,” she’d said a couple of days earlier and, “You look so tired. Are you ill?”

For a moment Ali had almost broken down and told Lily the truth; to be able to share her troubles would be such a relief. Instead she’d just complained of a headache, which hadn’t seemed to convince the girl at all. Just yesterday Ali had caught her staring at her with a speculative expression, as if trying to work out what was going on. Lily may be different but she wasn’t stupid, it was only a matter of time until she worked it out for herself, and she’d be so hurt to find out that Ali hadn’t trusted her with her secret.

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