I saw Luke before he saw me. He had his back towards me as Nina and James smiled and nodded to me the moment I stepped in and another guy who Thomas had informed me was Christopher, had his arm wrapped around my man. The twang of jealousy I expected in my chest never appeared when seeing him consoled by someone who clearly cared deeply for him. All I felt was sorrow. I should be doing that. Me.
I shut the door, but remained in the doorway as Luke turned his head in slow motion and saw me standing there. I’d never been so nervous of his reaction before and we’d shared plenty of tough moments together as his eyes flitted to Nina’s water-filled ones and James’s smug grin.
“Freddie…”
I took a step closer and nodded, allowing a tear to spill down my cheek.
“Luke…” I carried on moving closer, ignoring every other person present in the room. I had my sights set on one person and one alone. “Baby, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I’m sorry. I know you said in your letter that those would be your last words. Yourfinalwords to me, but I never got to say mine.”
“Fred?” Luke uttered in awe.
“I’ll travel the last mile to get you back. Always. You’re mine Luke and you can run from me, you can hide, but these guys…” I pointed around the room at Nina, James and even Christopher. “They are your family and they have made room in their hearts for me. Just like my family has for you. Each of them knows we are made for each other. I’m never going anywhere unless you’re by my side.”
Luke stumbled forward and placed his forefinger to my lips. “Will you just kiss me already?” he whispered.
I grabbed Luke’s face with my palms and pulled him into a tight embrace. His hands reached up and tangled in my hair, desperate to close the distance between us as my five o’clock shadow rubbed against his skin. I teased as I held back a moment and froze, seconds from Luke’s lips, and gazed up into the fiery tornado within his eyes before he dragged his lips to mine and sealed our mouths together. A frenzied dance of passion drove our movements wilder as our tongues delved into each other’s mouths; thanks to the whistles that surrounded us from the guys.
I pulled back and rubbed my thumb over Luke’s mouth and smiled. A real smile for the first time in a long while as the bubble of warmth swirled in my stomach and my dick twitched at the contact.
“I’m so glad I was able to help.” Nina chuckled. “But Luke, you owe me a shopping trip.” She glared as I shrugged my shoulders at her.
“I may have let slip about Isobel,” I admitted as he pushed me in the chest before I grabbed Luke’s hand and brought it to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. “I couldn’t help it. She did bring them to me.”
A knock at the door disturbed the conversation as Thomas’s red-rimmed eyes landed on Luke and I felt him stiffen in my hold. “Bro.” His voice wobbled as he grasped onto the doorframe to keep himself standing upright. “Do you want to come and meet your niece?”
“I have a niece. You have a daughter,” Luke choked out. The gasps and congratulations echoed around the room as Thomas nodded, frozen to the spot. Luke turned to face me and pulled my hand into his. “Will you come and meet her with me?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
LUKE
Ihad a niece. Damn, I had a niece.
“Your hands are shaking.” Freddie grasped my hands and squeezed them. “Relax.”
“Come on.” Thomas placed his hand on my shoulder, tightening his grip. “Lauren is waiting. You too, Christopher.”
I nodded my head and let him lead me away. “Can Freddie come?” I asked as we got to the door.
“Of course.” He nodded his head at the door, gesturing for Freddie to join us. “Considering she may technically be your niece as well, if you boys get hitched.” He chuckled at our looks of embarrassment as he walked ahead of us down the corridor, leading the way to Lauren.
Christopher jogged ahead a few steps as Thomas disappeared through the door.
“Here they are.” He stopped at Lauren’s side and bent down to kiss her cheek. “Who’s first?”
I walked straight over to Lauren and took her hand in mine. “Hey, you.” I bent down and kissed her cheek. “Well done, mummy.”
She leaned her head back against the pillows. She looked absolutely exhausted. “This is Freddie, I take it?”
“Yes.” I reached back and squeezed his hand as Christopher stopped on the other side of the bed. He was so busy stroking the tuft of dark hair on the baby’s head that I knew she already had him wrapped around her little finger. “Nina brought him with her.”
She reached out and squeezed Freddie’s fingers. “It’s lovely to meet you, Freddie.” She smiled at him and it made me so happy to see them meeting.
“Are you ready to meet your uncle Luke?” Thomas walked around the foot of the bed as Freddie directed me to take a seat at the side of Lauren. Freddie stood behind me as Thomas slowly lowered the pink little bundle into my arms.
“She’s so tiny.” Her little hand was clutched against her chest as she stared up at me. She had the cutest little pout on her face as she wriggled in my arms. “Hi there, baby girl.” I placed my long finger against hers, smiling as she quickly grasped it in her small fist. “I’m your uncle Luke!”
I looked up and smiled when I saw Freddie gazing down at us. He looked so happy.