I like to think it is a Presents story told in 1000 words.
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| Sunset over Princess Royal Harbour, Albany, WA where I attended a wedding last week. |
Coming Home
This past year hadn't been
what he'd expected. If only he hadn’t walked away, leaving Lily alone. At the
time, with his anger threatening to overthrow his control it had been the
obvious thing to do. Go away and cool down. Then go back and sort things out
with Lily.
Only Lily had been gone.
Their room, usually so immaculate, looked like a bomb exploded. There were
clothes everywhere. The contents of her jewellery box scattered over the bed.
She hadn’t taken a single thing he’d given her.
Twelve months later and he
was no nearer finding her. The bedroom was immaculate once more, all her things
restored to cupboards and drawers. Her scent had faded, only a whisper of
lavender and vanilla when he stirred the clothes in the walk in robe. Soon it
would be as if she’d never been a part of his life.
Lily halted the car at the
entrance of the Belliconi mansion. Would Nick have changed the codes? Winding
down the window, she pressed the keys of the security panel. With a buzz the
heavy gates parted. Odd that security conscious Nick hadn’t ordered new codes
after she left.
The paved driveway curved
up to the portico, the pillars faintly reminiscent of an antebellum plantation
house. The double doors loomed impressively and she hesitated. She owed this to
Nick…and to Lucas who looked so like his father. Even if Nick didn’t believe her.
The past year hadn’t been
what she expected. If only… She shook her head. When Nick asked her to move in
with him eighteen months ago, the only fly in the ointment was his spoiled
younger brother. Danny, who Nick felt responsible for, so he had him living
with him in the ocean front property he called home. He had been in rehab when
she and Nick first met at her gallery. It had only taken six weeks for him to
destroy everything.
The door chime echoed
through the empty rooms, pulling Nick out of his absorption. The latest reports
from the private detective were promising. He had tracked Lily to Adelaide,
Melbourne and then Sydney through the gallery’s that showed her paintings. Post
Office boxes weren’t much help, but they indicated the direction she was
moving. Closer to home. He allowed himself to hope.
Striding across the foyer
to the door, he quashed it. There was still the issue of the child. How would
she explain that small aberration? Dragging open the heavy door, he froze, his
heart stopping and then thumping hard. Lily…and the child. A boy, all black
curls and bright blue eyes. A Belliconi through and through. It should have
been his. Would have been if fate had not thrown his charming brother in Lily’s
path just when he needed to be out of the country on business.
“Lily. What can I do for you?”
Just the right tone, he congratulated himself. Cool and a little distant.
“I’ve come to see you about
Lucas. My son.” Her son. Well the boy was as good as fatherless with Danny back
in rehab.
“I suppose you want some
financial arrangement. Unfortunate that Danny is unavailable. Perhaps you could
come back another time.” In about six months, going on his brother’s usual
pattern.
“I know he’s not here. I
wouldn’t set foot in this house if he was here.”
“That’s a different story
from the last time you were here.”
She sighed, adjusting the
child on her hip. He was a solid child and she was so slightly built. Skinny,
she called it. Not his usual type certainly. His past women had been tall
blondes with plenty up top, and he didn’t mean above the neck. She looked
tired.
“You’d better come inside.”
She should have known
better than to come back. Nick wasn’t interested in his son. He’d barely
glanced at Lucas and his voice, usually so warm, was putting off arctic chill.
Seems like he’d believed Danny’s drunken ramblings. Well either way, he would
believe Lucas was a Belliconi and that meant he was entitled.
Following Nick to his
study, she had an opportunity to study him. He seemed thinner but it was hard
to remember after a year apart. The Tee and jeans clung lovingly to his
muscular torso and hugged his butt. What was wrong with her?
She was glad to sit down,
resting Lucas on her knees while Nick fiddled with papers on his desk.
“I want you to move back
in.”
Not quite believing her
ears she stared at him.
“I said I want you back.
Danny will never be a father to the boy. I can offer that at least. The child
will need a father. A proper family.”
“You want me back? Even
though you believe I had an affair with your brother, had a child by him?”
He looked uncomfortable,
his eyes lowered, avoiding hers. “Yes.”
“What if I said no?”
That brought his face up,
the intense blue eyes wide. “Why would you refuse? It’s a good deal. We were
good together.”
Lily stood up, letting the
anger out. “Because I couldn’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. Who
believes his lying brother before he believes me. I can’t live like that. All I
want is financial assistance for Lucas. He should have the chance for a good
education.”
“I didn’t believe it once I
had a moment to think. But you didn’t come back, so I thought it must be true.
I thought you were afraid to come back. I’ve been searching for you all year.”
“Even though you believed
that of me?”
“Don’t you know I would
forgive you anything? I need you.”
“You never said. I thought
it was just about the sex.”
“It was never just that.”
He smiled crookedly. “Though it helped.”
He was around the desk in
an instant. “My son?”
“Our son.”
His arms wrapped around
them both. “I love you, Lily.” His lips met hers, soft and tender. She was
home.
The End
