Chapter 38

“I’ve been telling him to call her, and he brushes me off every time.” I sip the coffee Merrick put in front of me. “She looked pissed off as well as hurt until she held Milo. She melted, and all her annoyance vanished.”

“Yeah, babies are good at that. But don’t you think Ivan could’ve done with your support?”

Should I have stayed? No, leaving them alone gives Ivan the chance to let his emotions out to his mum. He may tell her about Kate. He’s still holding on to a lot of anger and frustration, which has bottled up inside him, building up like a pressure cooker. I understand why he doesn’t want to talk to me about an ex-booty call. I don’t want to hear about him getting her pregnant only a couple of months before we met. This way he can let it all out without upsetting me.

“He’s better off talking to her without me.” It’s time for a subject change. “How’s the gallery doing? I love the glass exhibits you’ve got now.”

Merrick’s eyes brighten. “It’s incredible. The studios upstairs are full, and we have a waiting list. It’s all word of mouth too. I can’t believe how good Melanie is with the public and at selling. I might be onto a winner here. What about the gym? Have the plans been finalised?”

The next hour we discuss our plans for the future, which now includes Milo.

“Is this what you want? I’m sure when you moved to Calston Cove, you weren’t looking for your life partner, let alone having a baby in your life forever.”

He doesn’t ask out of malice but out of genuine concern. He never expected his life to turn around when he stumbled on an auction house. “Were you? You came here to start over, to heal. You got way more than you expected or wanted. Drew is perfect for you, and he loves you and Willow with his whole heart. Did you ever think it was too fast?”

“It’s different for me. I was the one with the child. You’d have to ask Drew about sliding into someone’s family. Would you have wanted to be with Ivan if he already had Milo? A tiny infant is so very different from a toddler. There’s no real routine, no full nights of sleep. You found this out after only a week or so.”

“I can’t answer that because it didn’t happen. Instead, I found out that the man I’d thought of, dreamt of for months, was here. And that the connection was still there. The spark that had drawn me to him the first time flamed again. It made falling in love with Ivan so easy. Milo is hard work, tiring, but he looks so like his daddy. How can I not love him and want what we have to work?”

“What about your family? What do they think of your new life here?” Merrick asks. I don’t know what’s showing on my face, but he chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re as bad as Ivan. You haven’t said anything to them.”

“You know what they’re like. They never understood why I left Scotland. I don’t think my new life will be any more fathomable, so the less they know, the better. I’ll tell them when I need to.”

“When’s that going to happen?”

The first thing that pops into my head is ‘when we get married’. If we ever will. I’ll marry Ivan in a heartbeat, but we haven’t talked about it. “No idea.”

Drew comes back from his trip to the supermarket, clutching bags too heavy for most people to lift. Willow runs ahead of him. “My back, Papa. Look.”

Why Drew would want to take a child to Waitrose is beyond me, but he can’t turn her down. Which is probably why she’s holding a new dolly. Drew lowers the bags to the floor and leans in to kiss Merrick.

He gives me a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, Brodie. Have I caused you to flee your own home? I didn’t know what else I could do. She’s his mum, and I’ve known her all my life.”

“It’s fine. A shock for both of us, but I’m glad you did. Ivan wasn’t going to do it anytime soon. I thought they’d talk more openly without me being there. She was very emotional when she held Milo, so I doubt any blood will be spilt.”

“I’ll put money on her being back by the end of the month.” Drew laughs and helps Merrick unpack the bags.

“Up, Bodie.” Willow holds her arms up.

“Manners, Miss Willow,” Drew reminds her.

She pushes her hair from her eyes. “Pease, Bodie.”

I scoop her up and sit her on my knee. “I have to go home soon, Willow. I’ve got to look after Milo, but I can stay while your papa and Drew put the shopping away.”

“’Kay. Look at my dolly.”

I don’t go straight home. There’s something I need to do first. Something I should have done in January, something that made me a hypocrite. Merrick calling me out has brought my guilt to the surface. I’m going to ring my parents.

I can hardly do it from Merrick’s driveway, but I know a quiet place. I get behind the wheel and drive down the hill until I reach the turning before the town and follow the narrow lane leading up to Drew’s cottage.

I park on the side in the scruff, keeping the pathway clear for anyone going to the beach. With my phone in my hand, I stare out towards the sea, trying to think of what to say. Hey, Mum, Dad, I just thought I’d let you know I’ve met someone, and it’s serious, and it’s a man. Oh yeah, he has a four-month-old baby too.

That’s not going to go down well. My parents have never given any opinions on homosexuality, and they love Merrick. Will they think the same about me loving a man? The only way to find out is to call them. I turn my phone over and over in my hand.

With a deep breath, I open my contacts and scroll down, and before I can bottle it and go home to Ivan and Milo, I press Call. Here goes nothing.

It rings three times before my mum’s soft voice answers with the burr of an east-coast Scottish accent. “Broderick, how lovely to hear from you. Are you well?”

“Hi, Mum. Yeah, I’m good. I just haven’t caught up with you in forever. How is everyone? Is Dad still driving you mad?”

She laughs. I can see her face lighting up and her eyes sparkling. “He is. He’s got a new ride-on mower. I’ve never seen the grass so short. What about you? How’s work?”

I breathe in again and let it out slowly.

“Broderick, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is good. Actually, it’s great. But a lot has happened, and I’ve not told you about it. I’ve met someone, and I’ve quit my job and moved to Devon. Do you remember me telling you Merrick moved here? It’s amazing down here, such a slower pace than I’m used to, and it’s given me the time to breathe and take stock of my life and what I want to do.” Well, that’s the first hurdle taken.

“Good grief, lad, that’s a lot to take in. What about your wee home? You love that house. Who’s this person you’ve met? What’s she like? Is she down there with you? I’m so happy you’ve finally found someone. I bet she’s beautiful. You always had such good taste.”

Time to spill all the beans and come clean. “I sold the house, Mum. And I bought an old farmhouse here and renovated it. It has two large barns I’ve got permission to convert into a gymnasium. I’m thrilled to start my own business. And my partner’s name is Ivan, and yes, he lives here too. We live together.”

“You said he. He lives with you? He? You’re with a man?” The surprise in her voice is to be expected, but then she lets out a long sigh.

“Yes, Mum, and he’s incredible. I’ve never been so happy. He just found out he has a four-month-old son too. We’re raising him together. They’re what’s been missing from my life. I want you to meet them.”

Silence.

Complete silence.