in her stride.’
Jessica could agree with that assessment up to a point. She’d yet to see her cousin thrown by events. Only this was surely a case on its own.
‘Just how much do I tell her?’ she queried.
Zac lifted his shoulders. ‘I see no need to bring Grandfather into it.’
‘Not even to explain why we’re getting married in such a hurry?’
‘We don’t have to explain it,’ he said. ‘It’s entirely our own affair. We’ll start the ball rolling this morning.’ He paused. ‘What about your parents?’
What about them? she almost asked, biting it back to say instead, ‘I’ll be contacting them, of course.’
Dark brows lifted. ‘Contacting?’
Jessica met his gaze with an equability she was far from feeling. ‘I haven’t seen all that much of them since the divorce. They live opposite ends of the country now.’
‘It’s hardly that big a country.’ Zac studied her thoughtfully. ‘What kind of a relationship did you have with them before the divorce?’
‘Not terribly close,’ she admitted. ‘They spent most of the time at loggerheads with each other.’
‘With you in the middle.’
‘On the periphery. I learned to stay out of it as much as possible.’
‘Could be things might have been better all round if they’d divorced a great deal earlier than they did.’
‘They probably would have done if it hadn’t been for the hotel. Finally, even that failed to keep them together.’
The grey eyes held an empathic expression. ‘It sounds as if you had a hellish childhood.’
‘Not really,’ she said. ‘They were never hard, just a bit indifferent.’ She hesitated. ‘How’s your mother going to react to all this?’
His smile was brief. ‘She’ll be happy enough once she’s met you. She always wanted a daughter.’
A daughter-in-law was hardly the same thing, Jessica reflected. ‘You must miss your father a great deal still,’ she said.’
‘Yes, I do. He’d have liked you,’ he added. ‘Grandfather does.’
‘With some reservations,’ she suggested lightly.
‘True.’ The smile this time was teasing. ‘You’re a mite too lippy at times, he thinks, but that’s up to me to do something about.’
‘I’ll make a note to be properly subservient the next time we see him.’ Jessica sobered again at the thought of how little time he might have.
‘How long is it since your cousin Brady got married?’ she asked after a moment.
‘Nearly a year.’ Zac had sobered too. ‘His wife is pregnant, hence the increased pressure on me to at least make a move toward following suit.’ He paused, regard veiled. ‘Were you serious about wanting children yourself?’
Jessica lifted her shoulders, hardly knowing which way to answer. ‘It isn’t something I’ve ever given any thought to. I just told your grandfather what I believed he’d want to hear.’
‘Right.’ There was no telling what his own thoughts on the subject might be. He put down his knife and fork and pushed back his chair. ‘We’d better get moving.’
Jessica made the appropriate answer, only too happy to put the question from mind. She would need to be a whole lot more certain of the long-term future before she gave it any consideration at all.
The morning went by on wings. With time at a premium, Zac jumped at the offer of a slot fallen free at the Register Office on the following Monday due to a cancellation. From there they went on to Aspreys, where Jessica was invited to choose both engagement and wedding rings.
‘I still can’t believe it’s only three days since we met!’ she exclaimed over a late lunch. She lifted her left hand to look at the diamond hoop once more, seeing the stones flash as they caught the light. ‘This must have cost the earth!’
Zac looked amused. ‘The only woman I ever met with a concern for my pocket!’
‘I’ve told you before,’ she responded with mock severity. ‘You’ve been mixing with the wrong type!’ She sobered again to add, ‘Speaking of which—’
‘All in the past.’ Zac was still smiling, but there was a note in his voice that hadn’t been there before. ‘As with your Paul, I hope.’
‘He isn’t my Paul,’ she said. ‘He probably never was.’
‘You think he was two-timing you all the time you were together?’
‘I suppose it’s possible.’ Jessica shook herself mentally, regretting the turn the conversation had taken. ‘It isn’t important anyway. Not any more. Did you make any decision about the Valldemosa hotel?’
Zac accepted the change of subject without demur. ‘Not yet.’
‘Do you often do that sort of thing?’
He gave her a quizzical look. ‘You consider it beneath my lofty position to go out on the road?’
‘I’d imagine it’s pretty unusual.’
‘It probably is. I’d go crazy sitting around an office all day and every day, so I take the chance whenever I can.’
‘How much of the world does Orbis cover?’
‘Just about anywhere people might want to go. The Maldives are getting to be one of the biggest draws.’
‘Have you been there?’
‘A couple of times. Wonderful scuba diving. Have you ever done any?’
Jessica shook her head. ‘I’ve always wanted to handle a snorkel!’
‘Easy enough to learn. Fancy it?’
She laughed. ‘Some chance!’
‘Every chance,’ he corrected. ‘There are tiny islands out there that are just made for honeymooners.’
It took Jessica a moment or two to come up with a response. ‘I thought we’d already had the honeymoon.’
It was Zac’s turn to laugh. ‘I doubt if we’ll be the first to have anticipated.’ He lowered his voice to a seductive murmur. ‘Imagine nights making love under a starry sky on a bed of pure white sand, with no need for clothing because there’s no one else there to see us.’
Jessica could imagine it only too vividly. The very thought set the blood sizzling in her veins. ‘Are you serious?’ she questioned uncertainly. ‘About going there, I mean?’
‘Unless
