Family Connections by Anna Jacobs

Author:Anna Jacobs
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788634311
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2019-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Brad put the phone down, frowning.

‘Not bad news, I hope?’ The receptionist gave him a bright professional smile that said she didn’t really care then turned to the next customer.

He wandered into the bar and ordered a glass of beer. As he turned around, he saw Bridie sitting in a corner reading a magazine and sipping something pink from a tall glass. She wasn’t looking in his direction so he went around to the other side of the bar, needing to be alone yet not wanting to go up to his room, because even the most beautifully decorated hotel room felt soulless and quiet, far too quiet for his present mood.

What had led to the Quentins’ sudden change of heart about Rosie?

Was the decision Jane’s or her husband’s?

Brad took another sip of beer without really tasting it and frowned into space. What was he going to do tomorrow afternoon? Sit in the living room at Jane’s and make stilted conversation in front of a man who clearly resented him? That was no way to get to know his daughter.

Stu’s voice had sounded angry.

Brad tried to think how he’d feel if someone turned up and claimed to be Joanna’s biological father? Angry, yes, and jealous too. He could see the other man’s point of view, of course he could, but Stu had always known Rosie had been fathered by someone else. It was hardly a surprise to him.

He remembered his daughter’s face, the shy hope on it. She had a lovely smile, with Jane’s generous mouth.

Oh, hell, what a tangle! Whatever he did, someone was going to get hurt.

Maybe he should go and see Rosie tomorrow then cut his losses and move on?

He took a sip of beer. No! He’d come ten thousand miles to meet her. She clearly needed to get to know him, too. If he let Stu drive him away, he’d be letting Rosie down, so he’d just have to persuade the Quentins that he wasn’t trying to usurp Stu’s place as father, that all he wanted was to make a place of his own in her life. If they’d let him.

A group nearby burst into raucous laughter and suddenly he couldn’t stand it any longer. He went outside for a walk, moving from one garishly lit space to another, hearing canned laughter, seeing hucksters and small-time gamblers, lingering to buy some sticky pink and white Blackpool rock and then biting a chunk off and sucking it as he walked along.

He was lonely. Had been since his wife died, really. Wanted a woman in his life again. Why hadn’t he taken up Judy’s offer, gone out with her?

Because he wasn’t attracted to her in that way. Even Jane didn’t attract him this time round.

He had always been better at making friends with women than romancing them. The thought of chatting someone up made him cringe. How did one do it these days? Not to mention making love to a woman for the first time…

Oh, hell, he didn’t know what he wanted, just – something, someone, not to be alone any longer.

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