stilted voice, in explanation of her son’s demand.
Oliver! She had even called the child by the name he had…And yet as he looked into the little boy’s solemn eyes Sean found it impossible to resent or hate him.
‘Story?’ he enquired, smiling at him and ignoring Kate.
Oliver nodded his head enthusiastically. ‘Mummy—book,’ he commanded imperiously, turning his head to look at Kate.
‘Please use proper sentences, Oliver,’ Kate reminded him automatically.
‘Mummy, give me book for man to read, please.’ Oliver smiled winningly and Kate could feel her whole body melting with love.
‘Sean has to go,’ she informed Oliver, automatically using Sean’s name without thinking. ‘I will read you a story later.’
‘No. Sean read Oliver story!’
The frowning pout he was giving reinforced Kate’s awareness that her son was overtired, and all too likely to have one of his rare tantrums if he was thwarted—the very last thing she wanted him to do in front of Sean, who would no doubt enjoy seeing her in such an embarrassing situation.
‘Why don’t you just give me the book?’
The quiet voice and its soft tone made Kate turn her head and stare at Sean in surprise. Oliver was already lying against Sean’s shoulder.
‘It isn’t really his bedtime yet,’ she said.
‘Is there a law which says he can only have a story at bedtime?’
Mutely Kate shook her head, too caught up in the heart-wrenching sight of her son in his father’s arms to protest any further as she went to get Oliver’s favourite story book.
Half an hour later Sean nestled Oliver deeper into his arms and told Kate, ‘By the looks of him he needs to be in bed.’
‘Yes. I’ll take him up.’
Automatically she moved to take Oliver from him, but Sean shook his head.
‘I’ll take him up. Just tell me which room.’
Weakly, she did so.
As he laid Oliver down on his small bed Sean felt the ache of an old and powerful emotion he had thought safely destroyed. Kathy’s child. He could feel his eyes starting to blur and he blinked fiercely.
As he left the room he hesitated outside the other bedroom door, and then quickly opened it.
‘Where are you going? That’s my bedroom!’
He hadn’t heard Kate come up the stairs, and they confronted one another on the small landing.
‘And you sleep there alone?’ He couldn’t stop himself from asking the question he knew he had no right to ask.
‘No. I don’t!’ Kate turned her head, not wanting him to see the expression in her eyes and therefore missing the one in his. ‘Sometimes Oliver comes in and gets into bed with me,’ she continued.
He had no valid reason to feel the way he did right now, Sean acknowledged, and no valid right either!
‘How do you manage on your own? I know you work full-time.’ He was frowning, looking as though he was genuinely concerned, and Kate turned away from him quickly and hurried towards the stairs. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again—thinking that Sean had real feelings.
‘I manage because I have to, for Oliver’s sake. I’m all he’s got—’
‘You mean his father abandoned you?’ His voice was harsh and almost condemning. ‘He left you?’
Kate could hardly believe the censure she could hear in his voice. ‘Yes, he did,’ she agreed as calmly as she could, once they were both back downstairs. ‘But personally I think that Ollie and I are better off without him.’
She walked purposefully to the front door and unlocked it, pulling it open and making it clear that she wanted Sean to leave.
‘I want you back at your desk tomorrow morning,’ Sean warned her curtly.
‘Well, I’m afraid I’m not going to be there,’ Kate responded, equally curtly.
‘I warned you, Kate—’ Sean began.
‘Tomorrow is Saturday, Sean,’ she reminded him dryly. ‘We don’t work weekends.’
There was a small, telling pause, during which Kate wondered what the woman who now shared his life thought about the fact that he obviously worked seven days a week, and then he said, ‘Very well. Monday morning, then, Kate. Be there, or face the consequences.’ He walked past her and out of the door.
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