A Change of Heart (The Heartfelt Series) by Adrienne Vaughan Page B

reunited, the soft burning at the base of her chest, yet something was not right. Was it because Larry was with her? Or the dankness of the day dampening her anticipation, her bubble of joy suppressed as she scanned faces of passengers emerging from the salon. No Ryan.
     Then she saw him, standing apart, hands on the rails, face set stern. He lifted his hand in stiff salute. She pushed forward, moving faster, Larry jogging to keep up. A woman appeared behind him, glossy hair whipping back, long camel coat flapping in the breeze.
     “Oh my God, is that who I think it is?” Larry whispered hoarsely beside her. Marianne felt a rush of blood to her head.
     “What the hell is she doing here?” Larry said, catching Marianne by the arm.
     Marianne’s insides flipped over, she took a breath. “Now that is a surprise.” She swallowed hard. “It had to be dealt with sooner or later. I guess this is sooner.”
     “ Jeez-us !” Larry exclaimed, looking up at the boat, then back at Marianne. “Okay, let me help with this Marianne, I know what we’re dealing with here,” he said, waving briefly at the wooden figures staring at them from the deck.
     “But we need to deal with this, Larry, me and Ryan,” her voice tight. Larry placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.
     “Please let me help, Marianne,” he said. “I know the rules of her game. There ain’t none, that’s all I’m saying.”
     She glanced up at the boat, hardly bearing to look.
     “Okay Larry.” She pulled her shoulders back, striding towards the water’s edge, smiling broadly now.
     “Hey, hi there, what a surprise, great to see you!” she called above the wind.
    Ryan beamed back. Bloody hell, he thought, Marianne should be the actor. Marianne grinned back at him. I’m going to kill you for not warning me about this, her eyes blazed radar-like at her beloved.
    “What the hell could I do? I left you a voicemail as soon as she was out of earshot, and yes, she just showed up, just like that.” Ryan pulled the door of the 4x4 closed, after ensuring Larry and Angelique were safely on their way in Pat’s cab.
     “You’d no idea?” Marianne was furious.
     “Are you joking, I thought she was still on tour with the boyfriend. We all thought she was. What we didn’t know was his tour took him to London, that’s how she got here so quickly, how she knew about the TV show, me quitting.” Ryan was livid too. “Please don’t be angry, Marie, that’s playing right into her hands. This is as much a shock to me as it is to you. I thought Angelique would be out of circulation for a long time, long enough to make things legal anyway. I can’t believe she just showed up like this.”
     Marianne put the key in the ignition. “I can, when you think about it, it’s only what any mother would do as soon as she heard her husband had absconded with her child.”
     “Aw, come on she’s not ‘any mother’, she’s hardly seen Joey since he was born. He’s had a string of nannies and me whenever I could be there. She’s been either partying here, there and everywhere or collapsed in a heap.” He placed his hand on her arm as she reached for the steering wheel, “That’s why I brought him here, that’s why I want him with us, you and me, he deserves better.” His voice turned to a whisper, “He’s only a little boy.”
    He sounded bereft, desolate. She opened her arms and he threw himself into her embrace, gripping her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair, breathing her in. After a moment he lifted her chin, pressing her mouth firmly with his, and then, because he was hungry for her, a deep warm kiss, sliding his tongue between her lips, lighting the fire inside her, the way he always did. She bit his lip playfully as she pulled away.
     “Okay?” she asked, smiling grimly.
     “Yep, okay now I’m on solid ground.” He looked into her eyes and then straight ahead. “Onwards then, let’s get to Maguire’s