Falling for You by Jill Mansell

Author:Jill Mansell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc
Published: 2015-06-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

“Right. Fun’s over.” Fastening his shirt, Jake bent over the bed and planted a warm, lingering kiss on Kate’s mouth. “Back to the real world. Orders to take, caskets to deliver.”

Feeling bereft already, Kate said, “Malcolm’s looking after the business. You don’t have to go.”

Was that needy? She didn’t care.

“I do.” Jake kissed her again. “Have to pick Sophie up. You were amazing. What a way to spend an afternoon.”

Needy was one thing but begging quite another. Resisting the almost uncontrollable urge to ask when she’d see him again, Kate smiled and stretched like a cat.

“You were pretty amazing yourself.” She couldn’t stop smiling, actually. Great waves of happiness kept swooshing over her. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this fantastic.

“Good.” Jake straightened up and headed for the door. “I’ll let myself out. And don’t forget, Maddy’ll be around later.”

“Maddy.” Kate pulled a face.

“Hey, she’s sorry. And she’s having a tough time. Go easy on her,” Jake said gently.

He blew her a kiss and left.

Hmm. Settling back against the mass of pillows, Kate pictured herself going easy on Maddy Harvey.

Oh yes, and pigs might perform aerial acrobatics.

Then again, then again…

By five thirty, Kate had had a major rethink. It was completely ridiculous, carrying on a childhood feud for no other reason than that each of them was too stubborn to apologize. It made matters awkward whenever their paths crossed. Neither of them stood to gain anything from it. The only mature, sensible thing to do, surely, was to forgive Maddy and heal the rift.

Plus, she was Jake’s sister.

* * *

Saying sorry to Kate Taylor-Trent should have been an excruciating prospect, but nothing was as bad as having to phone Kerr to tell him it was over, that from now on they wouldn’t see each other anymore, ever again.

“Ever?” Kerr queried. “How about next year, after the baby’s born? Couldn’t we try again then?”

Maddy heaved a sigh. She’d thought of that too. But what were the chances of Kerr still being interested and available then? By next year, any girl with an ounce of sense would have snapped him up.

More importantly, he’d still be a McKinnon. Nothing in the world could change that. Some families, Maddy knew, fought like cats and dogs. She’d seen enough episodes of Jerry Springer to know that plenty of mothers and daughters hurled abuse at each other and didn’t care how much pain they caused because they genuinely couldn’t stand the sight of each other. They were happy to be estranged, living their own separate lives, carrying on without exchanging so much as a word for years.

But she could never do that to Marcella. They may not be related by blood, but Marcella had devoted her life to her stepchildren, and they’d loved and adored her in return. Becoming estranged simply wasn’t an option.

“I can’t,” said Maddy, her chest aching with suppressed grief. “We can’t. I’m sorry. I just…”

“Can’t.” Kerr finished the sentence she was incapable of finishing herself. “OK, I understand. Take care.

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