Playing the Playboy's Sweetheart

Steele.

She could write to him perhaps. Maybe it would be better in a letter. But telling someone you loved them when you were pregnant with someone else’s children came at a huge disadvantage and it was an impossible letter to write.

She never wanted him to think that she wanted him simply as a father for her children.

The natural order of falling in love had for the most part been denied them.

She tried to keep it light, wondering through her words that if it was all too much to deal with for him, maybe they could somehow be friends with benefits. Then she screwed up that piece of paper because given how much her stomach had grown in the past few days she doubted if very soon she would appeal to him.

And so she wrote him a postcard—one she had swiped from the villa and had meant to use for Macey.

Steele,

I wish...how I wish...that you were here now.

Candy xxx

List sorted, she decided.

Now she had to get on with relaxing.

As she walked back she thought she was seeing things because there, sitting on the little chair outside her villa, was Steele. He was wearing dark jeans and a black T-shirt and was very unshaven but very welcome to her eyes.

‘I didn’t know I had a genie.’ She met him with a smile.

This was how he remembered her, Steele thought as she approached. This was how she’d been before it had all happened—here she was smiling, laughing, intuitive and sexy. She handed him the postcard she had written and he read it with a smile.

‘That explains what happened, then,’ Steele said. ‘One minute I was sitting chatting to Macey and the next, puff, here I was in Hawaii...’ He looked at her and took in the changes, and not just to her body.

She had been right to come alone, he conceded, because it had served her well—she looked relaxed and healthy and happy.

It was very nice to see.

‘I’ve been making lists,’ Candy said. ‘I’m all sorted now.’

‘Can I see?’ he asked, and then shook his head. ‘Sorry, stupid thing to ask.’

‘Go for it,’ she said.

‘Let’s go for a walk,’ he said, and he dropped his bag in the villa and took her hand. They headed to the beach and sat there.

She could hear the wind through the palm trees and was all knotted on the inside but in a very nice way.

Steele was here.

‘Why are you here?’ she asked.

‘Because I had this vision of trying to date you from Kent while you were living with your parents,’ Steele said as he read through her list.

‘I’d already addressed that,’ she said, and pointed to her decision on the list she had written.

So she had.

‘I feel like the teacher is reading my homework,’ she admitted. ‘Do I get marked?’

‘Verbal comments,’ Steele said. ‘I didn’t bring my red pen.

‘Okay, I think moving away from your parents is very brave and very sensible.’

‘Thank you.’

‘And I think telling Gerry’s parents is very brave and very right too,’ Steele said, and carried on reading through her list.

‘Work...’ Steele said, and his hand wavered in the air. ‘That’s a tough one.’

‘I like what I do.’

‘I know.

‘What’s “Ha-ha-ha” for?’

‘Money,’ Candy said, and he laughed.

He was serious when they got to Gerry. ‘As for the memorial service...’

‘I feel bad that I didn’t go.’

‘I went,’ Steele said.

‘Were there a lot of people?’

‘It was packed,’ he said. He decided not to mention Elaine and her tears. He had spoken to her the next day and had hopefully helped by listening a bit.

‘I met Rory, and Gina...’

‘Gina!’ Candy’s eyes were wide. ‘She’s been on extended leave. I think she’s been in rehab.’

‘Well, it looks as if she’s coming back,’ Steele said. ‘Oh, and I met Anton. We went for a drink afterwards.’ He watched as she blushed. ‘Is he the doctor overseeing your pregnancy?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you happen to mention my infertility?’

‘I did.’

‘It’s fine that you told him. I don’t have any issue with that at all. You must have been in the most confused space.’