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Authors: Kim Lawrence
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self-disgust. ‘Some parent…’
‘I think you show great potential,’ Anna said with an intensity that earned her a quizzical look.
His slow, steady regard was hard to bear. When her mother spoke Anna realised she’d forgotten, in the intimacy of the moment, that they weren’t alone. As well for me we’re not, she thought sternly. I’m about as covert as an earthquake.
‘Anna is one of those rare people who have never forgotten how it feels to be a child. That sort of empathy is rare.’
‘ Anna’s rare.’
It was, she thought, almost as if Adam too had forgotten they weren’t alone, from the way he looked at her. A solid lump of hot emotion welled in her throat. A wave of debilitating weakness that had nothing to do with flu swamped her.
‘I’m glad things worked out,’ she said, with the merest hint of a tremor in her voice. She clenched her fists whilst searching for inspiration to dispel the strange intimacy which had built up. ‘Go on, Mother, you were aching to spill the dirt.’
Looking at her mother helped prevent her eyes from straying to the way Adam’s blond hair curled ever so slightly against his tanned neck. Bad medicine—that was Adam Deacon!
‘Simon Morgan is back!’
Anna knew she had been a caricature of startled dismay for all of twenty seconds before she managed to recover from this piece of news. She shot Adam a defensive glare and he smiled back sunnily, all white teeth and benign disinterest. It was too much to hope he hadn’t noticed her monumental slip.
‘That’s nice,’ she floundered.
‘I knew you’d be pleased,’ Beth continued happily. ‘Anna and Simon were really close all through school,’ she explained helpfully. ‘I always encouraged the girls to have different friends and interests. So many people treat twins and triplets as a single entity. Simon went off to Canada about four years ago now. How time flies.’
‘Is the whole family over?’ Anna asked dutifully, even though it was the last subject she wanted to discuss in front of Adam. The whole family… Simon, Rachel and their baby, who probably wasn’t a baby any more.
‘Split up,’ Beth said in a hushed tone.
Anna swallowed. Having Simon unavailable and married she could accept. Knowing the situation was different and that he was right here needed some quiet time for reflection. How did she feel about it?
‘I’m a bit tired; I think I’ll go back to bed,’ she mumbled, regardless of the impression her hasty retreat would give.
Breathless after taking the stairs two at a time, she threw herself on her bed and inhaled deeply, staring blankly at the ceiling. After all these years Simon was back, without Rachel.
Her best friend from the age of eight, she had imagined she knew him better than anyone else. As things had turned out she couldn’t have been more wrong.
She could still see his laughing face as he’d confessed ruefully to harbouring a passion for her for years. To add insult to injury he’d chosen his own wedding day to make the admission.
‘Only I didn’t want to ruin a beautiful friendship, Anna. You were obviously not interested. It seems ridiculous now. I always knew you didn’t have much time for relationships with your dedication to dancing,’ he’d told her.
The irony of the situation had made her unable to reply without making a total fool of herself. She’d been crazy about him for years! She had vowed at that moment never again to waste an opportunity for happiness by hiding her feelings. Life was filled with ‘if only’s. But sometimes she wondered… Now he was back—and alone!
CHAPTER FOUR
‘W HAT are you doing here?’ Anna swung upright, hugging her knees to her chest as she registered a hostile presence in her sanctuary.
‘Your mother sent me with your tea; you forgot it.’ Adam calmly placed the cup on her bedside table and looked around with interest.
‘Don’t let me detain you.’
‘Not very tidy, are you?’ He picked up a delicate
‘I think you show great potential,’ Anna said with an intensity that earned her a quizzical look.
His slow, steady regard was hard to bear. When her mother spoke Anna realised she’d forgotten, in the intimacy of the moment, that they weren’t alone. As well for me we’re not, she thought sternly. I’m about as covert as an earthquake.
‘Anna is one of those rare people who have never forgotten how it feels to be a child. That sort of empathy is rare.’
‘ Anna’s rare.’
It was, she thought, almost as if Adam too had forgotten they weren’t alone, from the way he looked at her. A solid lump of hot emotion welled in her throat. A wave of debilitating weakness that had nothing to do with flu swamped her.
‘I’m glad things worked out,’ she said, with the merest hint of a tremor in her voice. She clenched her fists whilst searching for inspiration to dispel the strange intimacy which had built up. ‘Go on, Mother, you were aching to spill the dirt.’
Looking at her mother helped prevent her eyes from straying to the way Adam’s blond hair curled ever so slightly against his tanned neck. Bad medicine—that was Adam Deacon!
‘Simon Morgan is back!’
Anna knew she had been a caricature of startled dismay for all of twenty seconds before she managed to recover from this piece of news. She shot Adam a defensive glare and he smiled back sunnily, all white teeth and benign disinterest. It was too much to hope he hadn’t noticed her monumental slip.
‘That’s nice,’ she floundered.
‘I knew you’d be pleased,’ Beth continued happily. ‘Anna and Simon were really close all through school,’ she explained helpfully. ‘I always encouraged the girls to have different friends and interests. So many people treat twins and triplets as a single entity. Simon went off to Canada about four years ago now. How time flies.’
‘Is the whole family over?’ Anna asked dutifully, even though it was the last subject she wanted to discuss in front of Adam. The whole family… Simon, Rachel and their baby, who probably wasn’t a baby any more.
‘Split up,’ Beth said in a hushed tone.
Anna swallowed. Having Simon unavailable and married she could accept. Knowing the situation was different and that he was right here needed some quiet time for reflection. How did she feel about it?
‘I’m a bit tired; I think I’ll go back to bed,’ she mumbled, regardless of the impression her hasty retreat would give.
Breathless after taking the stairs two at a time, she threw herself on her bed and inhaled deeply, staring blankly at the ceiling. After all these years Simon was back, without Rachel.
Her best friend from the age of eight, she had imagined she knew him better than anyone else. As things had turned out she couldn’t have been more wrong.
She could still see his laughing face as he’d confessed ruefully to harbouring a passion for her for years. To add insult to injury he’d chosen his own wedding day to make the admission.
‘Only I didn’t want to ruin a beautiful friendship, Anna. You were obviously not interested. It seems ridiculous now. I always knew you didn’t have much time for relationships with your dedication to dancing,’ he’d told her.
The irony of the situation had made her unable to reply without making a total fool of herself. She’d been crazy about him for years! She had vowed at that moment never again to waste an opportunity for happiness by hiding her feelings. Life was filled with ‘if only’s. But sometimes she wondered… Now he was back—and alone!
CHAPTER FOUR
‘W HAT are you doing here?’ Anna swung upright, hugging her knees to her chest as she registered a hostile presence in her sanctuary.
‘Your mother sent me with your tea; you forgot it.’ Adam calmly placed the cup on her bedside table and looked around with interest.
‘Don’t let me detain you.’
‘Not very tidy, are you?’ He picked up a delicate
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