page29 (1/2)

Maybe they were Deep dohere it counted She started the ball rolling ‘Today brought ho happened to you as it did to your father’ Her voice hitched ‘And Sebastian’

‘In spades Those deep, anguish-filled sobs got to ency departments’

‘I guess knoe’re having a baby makes it all the more real and worrisome I understand that, Conor I really do’ Tamara stood, went around to him and leaned in to kiss his mouth

Conor’s hands ca her away ‘Tamara’

Not Ta was off More than today’s episode in ED This tight, don’t-be-hard-on- was familiar She’d felt the apprehension before and kneould lead to bad things ‘Tell me Now’

Conor’s chest rose, and his gaze lifted to her eyes before his hands dropped away from her and he stood up ‘I’m sorry, Tamara, but I can’t marry you’

Why wasn’t she in a heap on the floor? Her legs were like jelly and her heart had stopped But standing she was, and in front of her was Conor, the man she’d believed in and come to accept wouldn’t hurt her All the moisture in her mouth dried up, and words were impossible as this rerun of her past unfolded before her The man she’d foolishly fallen in love hen she’d kno dangerous that would be Strange how theher she understood she really did love him

‘We’ll still bring up Sebastian jointly I’ away from my son Or my responsibilities’

As the mother of your son, I’m one of your responsibilities

No, she wasn’t Her life was her business, her problem Not Conor’s

He looked pale and tense But also deterht be easier if we have two ho over each other all the time’

Thought he’d enjoyed tripping over her, hauling her up against that divine body to kiss her whenever she got in the way She sank back onto her chair ‘Why?’

‘I’ve let you down I’ his hips What was he staring at? Seeing?

‘Why?’ she repeated over the clunking of her drea into tiny pieces He’d never said he loved her, only proposed ether

Conor leaned back against the sill ‘When I proposed I thought I could face anything with you at my side’

‘So what’s changed?’

‘I was fooling h what my mother suffered’ Those dark eyes locked on her ‘I rushed into proposing before we’d talked through so , but for a few crazy days I let uard down I wanted to have the wonderful life you and our baby were offering’

‘You can We can’

‘We can’t’

Anger began unfurling He wasn’t doing this to her Not without a fight ‘You sure you’re not using your medical history as an excuse?’

‘I don’t believe so’ Those lips were getting tighter by the word

‘So we’re not getting htening defensively Keep talking ‘We are having a baby, but we’ll raise hi to Sydney in the next couple of ? ‘We, Conor We, e’

‘I’ll stay and apply for a permanent position in one of the hospitals in Auckland if you’d prefer’

‘Conor’ Her hands slapped her thighs ‘I don’t want to change a thing’ She’d got it daain Conor held her heart and he’d july, sure, but it had happened

She loved hi? What if she told him how she felt? Just because she hadn’t said those three little words it didn’t mean they weren’t real She opened her mouth but the words would not come out The last time she’d told a oing any better Hoould saying it out loud help? Gulp S She whispered, ‘I do love you, you know’

Conor jerked, like he’d been stabbed or so ‘Please, don’t, Tamara’

‘Doesn’t itto you?’

He stared at her, looking deep, as though absorbing her love Then the shutters ca theo Better to finish it now before we get too involved’

Ja her hands over her ears, she cut off that voice that usually had her in a rush of hor