Which meant she was talking to hermother.
Yeah, yeah, I knew Simon was the only one who had trouble getting the time zones straight. But since Christmas, her mom had suddenly wanted to play the role of grandmother—which was a helluva lot easier to do if Holly and Lily lived inAustralia.
So thehere? Holly was referring to NorthAmerica.
That, or her mother didn’t realize Holly and Lily were visiting me inMontreal.
Holly was quiet for a beat before saying, “Really? Drew doesn’t mind the fact that Lily belongs to someone else?” The snorted skepticism in her tone helped lessen the shock from the kick to mygut.
Another pause. “No. No, he hasn’t. But it’s not as simple as that.…No, I’m not interested in marrying him like that.…Until we know what’s going to happen, there’s no point worrying aboutit.”
Her voice then softened, almost as if she had given up the battle within herself. The battle I wasn’t privy to. “Okay, if that happens, I’ll give the job offer some serious consideration.…All right. Good-bye, Mum.” She was silent for another beat, then ended thecall.
Did her words sting? Like hell theydid.
“I take it your mother’s still trying to get you to move back to Australia,” I said, causing Holly tostartle.
And no, it wasn’t aquestion.
Was it the first time her mom had tried to do that?Nope.
Was it the first time Holly sounded like she was seriously considering it—that everything she and I had together meantnothing?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
She smiled softly—but everything about her held an edge of weariness. A night of hot and dirty sex, and then waking up a few hours later to feed a baby would do that toyou.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” She glanced at the sleeping bundle in her arms. “Let me put her down then I’ll join you inbed.”
I nodded and returned to ourroom.
She entered it a few minutes later, yawning, and cuddled up beside me on the bed. I gathered her in my arms, prepared to talk about what she and her mom had beendiscussing.
I never had thechance.
The tension in Holly’s muscles drained away and her breathing evenedout.
Did I fall asleep right away? Nope—I couldn’t stop dwelling on the phonecall.
She and I had already discussed us getting married. She shot me down faster than a body plummeting from the Golden GateBridge.
Why? Because she wasn’t interested in marrying me—but did that mean she wasn’t interested in marryingDrew?
Since I wasn’t sleeping, how about we do themath?
First—he wasn’t an American, which meant if she married him she still couldn’t stay in the country like she could if she marriedme.
Second—she didn’t need to marry him to stay inAustralia.
Third—she was an independent, resourceful woman who could easily be a single mother. She didn’t need a man to look after her andLily.
Fourth—she had never considered herself the marrying type, especially growing up in a family where her parents lived together but didn’t love eachother.
And finally—she didn’t love him. At least I didn’t think shedid.
When you added it all up, it didn’t make sense. What was Drew offering that Holly needed toconsider?
By the time I finally fell asleep, the early signs of dawn were peeking in through the slit between thecurtains.
