her into her arms with a murmured endearment. She stood facing Wil. ‘You’re still determined to take her?’ she said. The baby rested comfortably on her hip.
‘She’s my daughter, Sharyn,’ he said. ‘We’ve gone through all this.’ Georgia could see a pulse throbbing at his temple that belied the calmness of his voice.
‘You didn’t even know you had a daughter,’ Sharyn said. ‘Angie hated you. Wanted to punish you by keeping Nina from you.’
Maree the social worker placed herself between Sharyn and Wil. ‘We’ve discussed this. Legal aspects aside, your sister’s dying wish was very clear. She wanted Nina to be in the custody of her father, Wil. I can understand your sadness at little Nina going but—’
‘Rightly or wrongly, all Angie would have been thinking of was Wil’s money and Nina having access to it,’ said Sharyn. ‘I told her that Nina should know her father but Angie wanted revenge on her ex for kicking her out. She wanted her secret kept until one day she could taunt him about Nina and blackmail him for more money in return for seeing his little girl.’
Georgia shuddered at the matter-of-fact tone of Sharyn’s voice as she discussed her sister’s warped motivation. Wil’s expression didn’t change but the words must have hurt. ‘That changes nothing,’ he said.
Sharyn hugged the baby closer to her. ‘Nina is happy here with us. I looked after her when her mother was at work. What makes you think you can look after a little girl?’ Georgia sensed the pain underneath the anger.
‘She’s my daughter and belongs with me,’ Wil repeated. ‘I can look after her very well.’
With Wil’s wealth he could give his daughter every advantage. So much more than the aunt could provide. Georgia appreciated that he didn’t rub in their difference in social status and income. Besides, she didn’t think that was what Wil meant—he meant the special love of a parent, the closest bond a child could have. Father trumped aunt. Wealthy father with doting grandparents, no doubt waiting in the wings, held all the cards.
‘You? A guy on your own? A guy who couldn’t stay married for even six months?’
Georgia cringed at Wil’s sharp intake of breath. ‘Yes,’ he said, obviously through gritted teeth.
‘It’s not right.’ Sharyn clutched the baby tighter, as if daring Wil to prise her out of her arms. ‘If you cared about her, you’d leave her with me. A little girl needs a mother...a woman in her life.’
‘She will have a woman in her life,’ said Wil. He moved closer to Georgia and put his arm around her. That was the first shock. Then came the second. ‘Georgia is my fiancée.’
What?
Georgia stiffened, went to protest. But Wil tightened his grip on her shoulder. She knew what he meant. Play along. Back in the day they’d sometimes pretended to be dating to deter an unwanted admirer at a party or out at a bar. Each other’s wing person. They’d have a good laugh about it afterwards.
Georgia didn’t feel like laughing now. ‘Uh, yes.’ She forced a smile. This wasn’t a game.
‘Congratulations on your engagement,’ said the social worker, looking very pleased.
‘Th-thank you,’ said Georgia, not able to meet her eye, furious with Wil for putting her on the spot.
‘She’s an elementary schoolteacher and knows all about little kids,’ Wil added. He squeezed Georgia’s shoulder again in an unmistakable prompt.
‘Uh...yes, I do,’ she said. ‘And babies. I have five nieces and nephews and have looked after them all. Ask me anything you want about babies.’
Sharyn looked her up and down as if she were something loathsome. ‘Angie told me all about Georgia. The best friend she thought her husband fancied. Looks like she was right not to trust you, if you’re now engaged.’
Georgia gasped at the accusation. Went to deny it. Bit her tongue. This wasn’t real. She was, in truth, just his friend. She had nothing to feel guilty about.
‘Not true, Sharyn,’ Wil said. ‘Georgia was indeed just a friend then.’
Irrationally—because that was all true—his dismissal of her as a woman his wife had had no cause to fear hurt. Georgia schooled herself not to betray just how much it hurt. She’d never tried to be more than just a friend, she reminded herself.
Georgia was aware of the woman’s narrowed glance at her empty ring finger and she fisted her left hand in response and put it behind her back. Of course people would expect an engagement ring. Guess Wil hadn’t thought of that with his spur-of-the-moment comment. Unless he’d planned to say she was his fiancée all along?
She put that thought aside to consider later. By not denying his from-out-of-nowhere claim—how could she have?—she had committed to playing along. Especially as Wil’s former sister-in-law seemed still determined to fight.
Wil pulled her closer. She tried to relax against him, difficult when she was so intensely aware of his strength and warmth, the utter masculinity of him. He still smelled the same. She’d always managed to deny how attractive she found him. Pretending to be his wife-to-be took her denial to a whole new level.
Sharyn continued. ‘But that doesn’t qualify you to be a mum. Especially to a little girl who has lost her own. She looks cheerful enough now but she knows her mummy is gone, that something is very wrong in her world.’ She choked up but scowled at Georgia’s look of sympathy.
Georgia glanced up at Wil, trying to seem like a concerned fiancée seeking reassurance, then back to Sharyn. ‘I’ll do my best. I should imagine Nina would be a very easy child to...to love. Just because Nina is going to live with her dad and...uh...me, doesn’t mean she has to say goodbye for ever to her aunty and cousins. I’m sure Wil will want you to be part of her life.’
Georgia sensed Wil still beside her. Had she overstepped the mark, gone where a pretend fiancée shouldn’t go?
‘Really?’ said Sharyn, relief softening her combative expression. ‘We’ll get to see her?’
Georgia was so disconcerted at the situation she found herself in, she struggled to sound normal. ‘Of course. Family is important.’ She looked back up at him. ‘Isn’t it, Wil?’
‘Yes, it is,’ he said with a vehemence that surprised her.
‘So I don’t have to tell the boys they’ll never see their baby cousin again?’ Sharyn said.
‘No. Uh...in fact they could be pageboys at our wedding.’ Georgia had to suppress a grin at the look on Wil’s face. Served him right for dropping her into this. ‘They’d make cute little ring-bearers, wouldn’t they, Wil?’ she said, perhaps a little too sweetly.
‘Uh, yes,’ he muttered.
Sharyn’s face lightened. ‘Pageboys? I’m not sure they’d stay still long enough for that,’ she said. ‘But you’re serious about keeping in touch?’
Georgia gritted her teeth. How could she possibly be expected to answer such a question? She pasted on a fake fiancée smile as she gave Wil a glance she hoped
