‘I didn’t exactly change my mind. I knew I loved you. The only thing that changed was that I decided to tell you. Last night Christy came to see me and after she left I sat in the dark and did a lot of thinking.’
He gave a short laugh. ‘That explains the mess in my kitchen. I wondered where the scones came from.’
‘She told me a few things. Things that I already knew. Things I was allowing myself to ignore because of Keith.’
‘What things?’
‘That you’re a good man. That you were fully aware of the responsibility you’d be taking on, that if you said you wanted the baby, too, you meant it…’
He frowned and his gaze turned to the cot where the baby lay sleeping. ‘It doesn’t feel like a responsibility, Miranda. It feels like a gift.’
At that moment the baby woke up and started to whimper. Miranda smiled at Jake. ‘Go on, then—if you’re going to be her father, you’d better start getting to know her.’
‘Have you thought of a name? I can’t keep calling her “the baby”.’
Miranda brushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘Can we call her Hope?’
‘Hope Blackwell.’ Jake said it slowly and then nodded. ‘Hope. Sounds good. What made you think of it?’
She hesitated. ‘It’s what you’ve given me. When we met on Christmas Day I was in the depths of despair. I was cold, lost and completely alone,’ she said softly, ‘and then you appeared out of the mist. And from then on, no matter how many times I tried to push you away, you were always by my side. And that made everything better. I’d grown up believing that happy families were an illusion, but you’ve convinced me that I’m wrong.’
He smiled and lifted the baby out of the cot. ‘So are you giving me Hope or am I giving you Hope?’
‘Both.’ She watched him. Watched the tender way he held the baby. How could she have doubted him? Feeling ridiculously happy, she sat down in the chair and prepared to feed the baby. ‘I’d better ring that man and tell him I no longer want the flat.’
‘No need.’ Jake placed the baby carefully in her arms. ‘I’ve already done it.’
‘You have?’ Her eyes widened. ‘Why?’
‘Because there was no way I was letting you move out! I was buying myself more time.’
She shook her head in amazement. ‘You’re manipulative, do you know that? Some might even call you arrogant.’
‘The word is constant.’ He leaned forward and kissed her. ‘I’m in love, Miranda. And seeing the baby just doubled my determination to marry you. Two for the price of one. My girls. I love you.’
‘And I love you, too.’
* * * * *