married
to one,” Cindy reminded him dryly. “You better like it.”
“Oh, sugar,
I’ll show you just how much tonight.” Tim waggled his brows at her.
“Or maybe this afternoon?”
Mr Lawson
cleared his throat.
“Right.” Tim
coughed and turned back to Marty.
Swallowing the
dry lump in her throat, Belle managed to fake polite interest in
the conversation as any good guest would do. The only thing she
couldn’t bring herself to do right then, was look at Marty.
The low-life
bastard. He’d known! And he’d been so bloody nice to her! Probably
laughing at her the whole time. She wanted to rip his head off.
And cry a bucketful. Instead, she raised her brows at Cindy in
polite query.
“Trevor likes
his women on the slender side,” Cindy explained. “They look like
models. Some of them are models. So when the word went
around that the woman who’d finally caught out his cheating arse
was a large woman, everyone was in shock. Those who saw her at the
wedding say she was quite pretty, but a big girl, not his type at
all.” Cindy’s eyes twinkled. “I think her shouting out that Trevor
had taken her virginity only days before really made the gossips
swoon in delight.”
“I bet.” Belle
managed not to slide under the table in sheer embarrassment.
“I’d love to
meet that lady.” Cindy looked at her brother. “You saw her, right?
You were there. What did she look like?”
Marty took
several seconds to answer. “She was beautiful. You’d like her. She
had fire.” His gaze slid to Belle, locking onto her with an
intensity that was almost unnerving. “She was too good for an arse
like Trevor. I just hope she knows that.”
“I’m sure she
does now,” Cindy said.
Unable to
maintain eye contact with Marty, Belle glanced down the table to
find Tim watching her with a thoughtful expression on his face.
That was dangerous. Beneath his fun-loving exterior the vet was a
thinker, and if he thought too hard he’d soon put two and two
together.
Tim looked from
her to Marty, and his eyes narrowed.
Uh-oh. Time to
put out that fire before it blazed into awareness.
Setting down
her glass, Belle looked at Mrs Lawson. “I’m sorry to have to tell
you this, but I’m afraid that I have to leave earlier than
planned.”
Mrs Lawson was
genuinely dismayed. “Oh dear, why?”
“Something
personal at home came up.”
“Your mother?
Is she all right?”
“Oh, Mum and
Dad are fine. It’s just - it’s something. I can’t really discuss
it, but I’m afraid I have to leave tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
Marty echoed.
“Oh.” Cindy was
disappointed. “I was so looking forward to getting to know
you.”
“Yeah.” Tim
scrutinized her.
“Is there
anything we can do?” Mr Lawson asked.
“No, but thank
you.” Belle smiled at him. “I really am sorry, and I thank you for
everything.”
“It’s been no
trouble, we’ve enjoyed having you.” Mr Lawson assured her. “You’re
welcome back anytime.”
“Anytime,” Mrs
Lawson agreed. “And next time you must bring your mother with
you.”
“Thank you.”
Belle smiled around the table but when she saw Marty watching her
with such intensity, she had to swallow a little nervously and
glance away again.
The rest of the
meal passed pleasantly, though Marty was a lot quieter and spent
most of the time talking business with his father while his sister,
mother and brother-in-law chatted about everyday things. Belle
offered a word here and there but mostly remained quiet.
When Cindy and
Tim finally prepared to leave, she bid them farewell and made her
escape to her room. Closing the door behind her, she went straight
across to the closet and dragged out her suitcase. Setting it on
the bed, she stared at it for several long seconds before dropping
down onto the bed beside it with a groan.
Bloody Marty
Lawson! He’d known. He’d known exactly what Trevor had done
to her and not once had he even mentioned it. Not once. She felt
like such a freakin’
to one,” Cindy reminded him dryly. “You better like it.”
“Oh, sugar,
I’ll show you just how much tonight.” Tim waggled his brows at her.
“Or maybe this afternoon?”
Mr Lawson
cleared his throat.
“Right.” Tim
coughed and turned back to Marty.
Swallowing the
dry lump in her throat, Belle managed to fake polite interest in
the conversation as any good guest would do. The only thing she
couldn’t bring herself to do right then, was look at Marty.
The low-life
bastard. He’d known! And he’d been so bloody nice to her! Probably
laughing at her the whole time. She wanted to rip his head off.
And cry a bucketful. Instead, she raised her brows at Cindy in
polite query.
“Trevor likes
his women on the slender side,” Cindy explained. “They look like
models. Some of them are models. So when the word went
around that the woman who’d finally caught out his cheating arse
was a large woman, everyone was in shock. Those who saw her at the
wedding say she was quite pretty, but a big girl, not his type at
all.” Cindy’s eyes twinkled. “I think her shouting out that Trevor
had taken her virginity only days before really made the gossips
swoon in delight.”
“I bet.” Belle
managed not to slide under the table in sheer embarrassment.
“I’d love to
meet that lady.” Cindy looked at her brother. “You saw her, right?
You were there. What did she look like?”
Marty took
several seconds to answer. “She was beautiful. You’d like her. She
had fire.” His gaze slid to Belle, locking onto her with an
intensity that was almost unnerving. “She was too good for an arse
like Trevor. I just hope she knows that.”
“I’m sure she
does now,” Cindy said.
Unable to
maintain eye contact with Marty, Belle glanced down the table to
find Tim watching her with a thoughtful expression on his face.
That was dangerous. Beneath his fun-loving exterior the vet was a
thinker, and if he thought too hard he’d soon put two and two
together.
Tim looked from
her to Marty, and his eyes narrowed.
Uh-oh. Time to
put out that fire before it blazed into awareness.
Setting down
her glass, Belle looked at Mrs Lawson. “I’m sorry to have to tell
you this, but I’m afraid that I have to leave earlier than
planned.”
Mrs Lawson was
genuinely dismayed. “Oh dear, why?”
“Something
personal at home came up.”
“Your mother?
Is she all right?”
“Oh, Mum and
Dad are fine. It’s just - it’s something. I can’t really discuss
it, but I’m afraid I have to leave tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
Marty echoed.
“Oh.” Cindy was
disappointed. “I was so looking forward to getting to know
you.”
“Yeah.” Tim
scrutinized her.
“Is there
anything we can do?” Mr Lawson asked.
“No, but thank
you.” Belle smiled at him. “I really am sorry, and I thank you for
everything.”
“It’s been no
trouble, we’ve enjoyed having you.” Mr Lawson assured her. “You’re
welcome back anytime.”
“Anytime,” Mrs
Lawson agreed. “And next time you must bring your mother with
you.”
“Thank you.”
Belle smiled around the table but when she saw Marty watching her
with such intensity, she had to swallow a little nervously and
glance away again.
The rest of the
meal passed pleasantly, though Marty was a lot quieter and spent
most of the time talking business with his father while his sister,
mother and brother-in-law chatted about everyday things. Belle
offered a word here and there but mostly remained quiet.
When Cindy and
Tim finally prepared to leave, she bid them farewell and made her
escape to her room. Closing the door behind her, she went straight
across to the closet and dragged out her suitcase. Setting it on
the bed, she stared at it for several long seconds before dropping
down onto the bed beside it with a groan.
Bloody Marty
Lawson! He’d known. He’d known exactly what Trevor had done
to her and not once had he even mentioned it. Not once. She felt
like such a freakin’
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