big. Too important. ‘How awful would it be to have their birthdays on Christmas Day? It’s bad enough being a twin and having to share your party with someone else. Imagine if you had to share it with half of mankind?’
‘You didn’t like sharing your parties?’
Rory took in a slow breath. ‘I didn’t mind at all,’ he said softly. ‘I would have given anything to be still sharing parties. But I’ve never even had one since Jamie died.’ He was silent for a breath. ‘After Dad died there was no one to even remember the date except me. And no gifts. Until this year.’
The baby donkey tried to move and fell over. Josephine nudged it back to its feet and closer to her body. It lifted a fluffy head and searched for sustenance.
‘Do you think it needs help?’ Kate sounded anxious.
‘Just wait.’ Rory felt for Kate’s hand in the straw and grasped it. ‘He knows what he needs. I think he can find it.’
Sure enough, the tiny muzzle soon gave up on the outside of his mother’s flank and edged behind her leg, then up to the underside of that round belly. A moment later and the blob of fluff that was the baby’s tail gave a triumphant flick. They could see matchstick legs bracing, and in the utter silence of the night they could hear determined sucking noises. Josephine gave a sigh and lowered her head. Her eyes drifted half-shut.
The baby donkey wasn’t the only one to know what he needed. Rory’s hold on Kate’s hand tightened a little.
‘This year I got the most amazing gift anyone could have ever given me,’ he told her. ‘I knew it was very special, but until tonight I didn’t realise exactly what it was and why I needed it so much. Why I will always need it.’
Kate’s eyes looked huge. And puzzled. ‘What was it?’
‘You.’
Her lips parted in astonishment and Rory swallowed. Hard. He needed a moment before he could say anything else. And then all he could say was, ‘Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?’
‘I’m not—’
Rory pressed a finger to her lips to stem the denial. He smoothed damp tendrils of hair from her cheeks and then he touched her lips again. Softly. Totally blown away by how touching her was making him feel. So powerful. Capable of protecting this woman from anything. Nurturing her. Spending as long as it took to convince her of just how beautiful she was.
Kate closed her eyes, and he felt movement on his fingers as she tilted her head forward to press her lips on his hand in a kiss.
Something inside him simply melted away.
‘I thought you were giving me comfort,’ he told her. ‘Because you felt sorry for me. I didn’t want that. But I knew you were giving me strength, and I did want that. I kept it the whole time I was away. Something pure and warm and good , and I needed it so much.’
He lifted her chin gently and waited for Kate’s eyes to open.
‘What I didn’t understand was that you were giving me love. I didn’t know it was there, and I hadn’t asked for it, but you gave it to me anyway.’
‘I had to,’ Kate whispered. ‘Because I do love you.’
There was still no way Rory could find a smile. ‘I’ve thought about it so much,’ he continued. ‘It was like you were some kind of a guardian angel while I was gone. You were a whole world and another lifetime away, but you were still there with me. Every day.’
‘And you were here with me. With us .’ Kate’s hand went to her belly and Rory covered her hand with his.
‘You said these babies are a gift, and you were right. Not just because of the new life they represent, but because they’re bringing us together. Making us a family.’
He felt Kate flinch. ‘I don’t want you to marry me because I’m pregnant,’ she said. ‘Or because you’re… I don’t know…grateful, or something, that I love you.’
‘I’m not saying this right.’ Rory’s hand was still on her belly, but his eyes were on her face. Seeking her gaze and then holding it
‘You didn’t like sharing your parties?’
Rory took in a slow breath. ‘I didn’t mind at all,’ he said softly. ‘I would have given anything to be still sharing parties. But I’ve never even had one since Jamie died.’ He was silent for a breath. ‘After Dad died there was no one to even remember the date except me. And no gifts. Until this year.’
The baby donkey tried to move and fell over. Josephine nudged it back to its feet and closer to her body. It lifted a fluffy head and searched for sustenance.
‘Do you think it needs help?’ Kate sounded anxious.
‘Just wait.’ Rory felt for Kate’s hand in the straw and grasped it. ‘He knows what he needs. I think he can find it.’
Sure enough, the tiny muzzle soon gave up on the outside of his mother’s flank and edged behind her leg, then up to the underside of that round belly. A moment later and the blob of fluff that was the baby’s tail gave a triumphant flick. They could see matchstick legs bracing, and in the utter silence of the night they could hear determined sucking noises. Josephine gave a sigh and lowered her head. Her eyes drifted half-shut.
The baby donkey wasn’t the only one to know what he needed. Rory’s hold on Kate’s hand tightened a little.
‘This year I got the most amazing gift anyone could have ever given me,’ he told her. ‘I knew it was very special, but until tonight I didn’t realise exactly what it was and why I needed it so much. Why I will always need it.’
Kate’s eyes looked huge. And puzzled. ‘What was it?’
‘You.’
Her lips parted in astonishment and Rory swallowed. Hard. He needed a moment before he could say anything else. And then all he could say was, ‘Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?’
‘I’m not—’
Rory pressed a finger to her lips to stem the denial. He smoothed damp tendrils of hair from her cheeks and then he touched her lips again. Softly. Totally blown away by how touching her was making him feel. So powerful. Capable of protecting this woman from anything. Nurturing her. Spending as long as it took to convince her of just how beautiful she was.
Kate closed her eyes, and he felt movement on his fingers as she tilted her head forward to press her lips on his hand in a kiss.
Something inside him simply melted away.
‘I thought you were giving me comfort,’ he told her. ‘Because you felt sorry for me. I didn’t want that. But I knew you were giving me strength, and I did want that. I kept it the whole time I was away. Something pure and warm and good , and I needed it so much.’
He lifted her chin gently and waited for Kate’s eyes to open.
‘What I didn’t understand was that you were giving me love. I didn’t know it was there, and I hadn’t asked for it, but you gave it to me anyway.’
‘I had to,’ Kate whispered. ‘Because I do love you.’
There was still no way Rory could find a smile. ‘I’ve thought about it so much,’ he continued. ‘It was like you were some kind of a guardian angel while I was gone. You were a whole world and another lifetime away, but you were still there with me. Every day.’
‘And you were here with me. With us .’ Kate’s hand went to her belly and Rory covered her hand with his.
‘You said these babies are a gift, and you were right. Not just because of the new life they represent, but because they’re bringing us together. Making us a family.’
He felt Kate flinch. ‘I don’t want you to marry me because I’m pregnant,’ she said. ‘Or because you’re… I don’t know…grateful, or something, that I love you.’
‘I’m not saying this right.’ Rory’s hand was still on her belly, but his eyes were on her face. Seeking her gaze and then holding it
Similar Books
