Chapter Twenty-One

Melissa scrubbed off every inch of her make-up, undressed and crawled into bed.

She was going to bring in the New Year alone. Exactly as she deserved.

When she’d first dreamt of falling in love, it had never felt like this. As a young girl she’d imagined love to be warm and beautiful; a fierce, protective hug that would never let her go.

What she felt now hurt more than anything else in her whole life. More than her parents not being around in the school holidays. Even more than the way Lawrence had treated her. When she thought of Daniel with another woman, it broke her heart.

It turned out being in love was painful and raw. A gaping hole in her chest that would never be filled.

Tears gushed from her eyes and Melissa was helpless to stem the flow. She was onto her second pack of tissues when she heard a knock at the door.

‘Melissa.’ She recognised the voice instantly. ‘If you’re there, please open the door.’

Startled, she sat bolt upright. Instinctively she checked herself in the mirror. Bad idea. Puffy eyes and a clown red nose. Then her mind jumped in a panic to William. Oh God, what if Daniel had come round to tell her something was wrong? Grabbing a dressing-gown, she fled down the stairs. ‘Is it William?’ she yelled, struggling with the locks on the door. ‘Is he ill?’

The moment she threw the door open she was bundled into a strong pair of arms. ‘Shh, it isn’t William,’ Daniel reassured her. ‘He was fast asleep last time I checked.’

Instantly she relaxed, her body remembering how good it felt to be held by him. How warm and safe. But then she remembered who’d last been in those arms, and jerked away. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked sharply.

Hurt came and went in his eyes. ‘I came to check you were okay. You left the party before midnight.’

‘I felt tired,’ she replied stiffly. ‘I had the beginnings of a headache so I thought I’d better leave.’

Daniel studied her with narrowed eyes. ‘You’ve been crying,’ he stated. Gently he drew a finger down her cheek and she jolted backwards. His eyes darkened. ‘Christ, Melissa, is my touch so distasteful to you?’

Nothing could have been further from the truth. At the realisation, her eyes filled with more tears. ‘Go home, Daniel,’ she sobbed. ‘Leave me alone.’

He let out a ripe oath. ‘How can you expect me to leave you like this? I’m not going anywhere until you start to talk to me.’ As if to prove it, he stalked into the living room and sat on the sofa, crossing his legs and stretching out his arms behind his back. ‘I’ve got all evening,’ he continued, his dark eyes quietly assessing her. ‘So if you want to go back to bed, I suggest you start by telling me why you’ve been crying.’

He left her with no choice. Besides, she owed it to him to be honest. ‘I was jealous,’ she muttered sitting as far away as she could from him.

‘Good.’

Her head snapped up. ‘You bastard. Is that all you can say? You go cuddling up with another woman right under my nose and now you sit there, pleased as punch that it hurt me.’

‘First off, if you were watching, it was her who was doing the cuddling up, not me. Heck Melissa, you have to know I’m not attracted to her.’ He let out a slow, deep breath. ‘How can I be, when I’m in love with you?’

Briefly she closed her eyes, allowing the warmth of his words to penetrate her heart. ‘And the second point?’

He moved from the sofa to sit on the edge of the coffee table, his eyes level with hers. ‘I have to admit to being pleased you were jealous. At least it shows you have some feelings for me. I know they aren’t strong enough to make you want to marry me, but my ego takes some consolation from knowing you care enough to be jealous.’

‘Of course I care,’ she mumbled, afraid to let him look into her eyes. Afraid he’d see that she’d moved way beyond caring, and straight into love.

He took hold of her hand, startling her. ‘Seeing you and not being with you, it’s killing me,’ he said softly. ‘I don’t know what to do any more. I’ve tried to call it off, but I can’t seem to live with that.’ Carefully he kissed her fingers. ‘I want you in my life, however you’ll have me. If you won’t marry me, that’s fine. I’ll learn to live with it. One thing I can’t do, is live without you.’

For an instant Melissa’s heart seemed to stop beating. When it started again, it beat so fast she almost felt dizzy. So this was love, she thought, stunned. This man cared so much for her… loved her so much … he was willing to give up on his dream of marriage just to be with her. No longer pushing for what he wanted, Daniel was stepping back and giving her what he thought she wanted.

A few days ago promising herself to him had seemed a risk too huge to take. Another gamble on love, when she’d failed so miserably the first time.

But what she and Lawrence had shared hadn’t been love she realised, not really. Their relationship had been based on need – he’d needed her looks, her willingness to bend to his bidding. She’d needed his security.

Daniel had just unselfishly proved how much he loved her.

Was promising herself to this man really the huge risk she’d convinced herself it was?

Reaching out, she carefully touched his face. The sharp cheekbones, the chiselled jaw. ‘I want you in my life, too,’ she admitted hoarsely. ‘It wasn’t until I saw those women fawn over you, I realised how stupid I’d been.’ She put her arms around his neck, holding him tight. ‘You’re mine, Daniel and I’m yours.’ He let out a low groan as her lips sought his but before he could deepen the kiss she drew back. ‘Will you ask me to marry you one final time?’

‘Really?’ His voice was thick with emotion.

She smiled, nodding once.

‘Third time lucky?’

She nodded again.

‘Melissa, will you marry me? Please?’

And this time she didn’t feel fear or panic. This time all she felt was utter joy. ‘Yes, Daniel. Yes, yes, yes.’

His face split into a grin and he lifted her into his arms. ‘I thought I’d never hear you say those words,’ he murmured into her neck. ‘I promise we’ll have a long engagement. Time for you and William to get used to the idea. But, oh God.’ He buried his face in her hair. ‘You’re actually going to marry me.’

Just then the grandmother clock in the corner of her room started to chime, signalling midnight, and they both started to laugh.

‘Happy New Year,’ she whispered.

‘It will be now,’ he replied, his lips seeking and finding hers again. ‘It’s going to be the happiest year of my life so far.’ His eyes settled on hers. ‘This is really happening, isn’t it?’

Grinning, she kissed him back. ‘Yes.’

‘I have this mad desire to run through the streets, announcing it to the world before you change your mind.’

‘I won’t change my mind,’ she countered firmly. ‘So why don’t you put all that boundless energy to some better use?’

He needed no further hint. Taking the stairs two at a time, he carried her up to the bedroom.

‘Do you want to tell William by yourself?’ Daniel asked as they pulled up outside Alice’s house the following morning.

She shook her head. ‘We’ll tell him together.’

Tears shot into his eyes and it was only through sheer force of will that they remained there and didn’t escape down his damn cheeks. ‘I appreciate that,’ he said when he finally had a handle on his emotions. ‘But don’t you think it would be better if you told him on your own? I mean, he’ll need time to think about it. To get used to the idea. Me being there … well … it might crowd him.’

Her beautiful grey eyes scrutinised him. ‘Why Mr McCormack, I do believe you’re nervous.’

He wiped his slightly clammy hand down his trousers. ‘Perhaps.’

To his chagrin, she started to laugh. ‘You’ve faced championship points without batting your eyes, but you’re nervous about telling a boy who adores you that he’s going to get what he wants after all?’ She shook her head, still laughing.

How could she be so calm when his heart was thumping against his ribs? ‘This time it’s real. He might not like the idea so much when he knows it’s actually going to happen.’

‘I thought you were a glass half full kind of guy?’

‘Not when it comes to matters of the heart,’ he muttered.

She stopped her laughing and took his face in her hands. ‘Then this is where I tell you to trust me. Do you really think I would suggest doing this together if I had any doubt about his reaction? My son loves you as much as I do. Relax.’

Feeling better, though still unbelievably jittery, he allowed her to drag him up the path and towards the house.

Alice opened the door, took one look at the pair of them, and beamed. ‘Well, well. Look what we have here.’ She gave him a none-too-subtle wink. ‘Isn’t it galling to know your sister is always right?’

He took the crowing on the chin, figuring anyone who’d managed to achieve the seemingly impossible and get him and Melissa together, deserved a boast or two. Still, it was his brotherly duty to pull her down at least a couple of pegs. ‘One occasion doesn’t equate to always.’

Melissa looked from him, to Alice and back to him, her face puzzled. ‘What’s going on?’

Oh no, he wasn’t getting into that now. He wanted all his ducks lined up before he told that one. ‘It’s a long story which I’ll share over a glass of celebratory champagne. Once we’ve told William.’

Right on cue, William bounded down the stairs to join them. ‘Mum!’ He did a double take. ‘Daniel!’ Racing up to them, he put his arms around them both. ‘Does this mean you’re friends again?’ he asked, taking in the fact that they were holding hands. ‘I know you said you were, but then you didn’t talk much so I guessed you weren’t, not really. You just said you were to keep me happy.’

Melissa rolled her eyes at him. ‘You think you’re pretty smart, eh?’

Daniel could feel the weight of his sister’s stare, but right now he had something more important to do than satisfy her curiosity. Thanking her for the party, he shepherded William and Melissa away from her prying eyes and back into his car.

‘How was your evening, Will?’ he asked as they did up their seat belts. ‘Did you stay awake till midnight?’

‘Nearly.’

‘What did you and Simon get up to. Did you watch a film?’

Melissa slid him a look. ‘Seriously? You’re going to spend the drive back to our house having polite conversation?’

‘Well, yes. I mean it doesn’t have to be too polite, but … yes.’

‘So we’re not going to say anything till we get back to our house?’

‘Say anything about what?’ William piped up from the back seat.

Melissa’s lips began to twitch and she looked like she was trying really hard not to laugh. All vestiges of tightness had left her face and she looked carefree and happy. ‘God you’re gorgeous,’ he blurted.

‘Thank you.’ Tugging his hand, she pulled him towards her. ‘You make me feel gorgeous,’ she whispered. Then she turned round to William. ‘We’ve got something to tell you, but Daniel wants to wait till we get home.’

In his rear-view mirror, Daniel watched as William’s eyes bulged. ‘You’re getting married, aren’t you?’

He’d wanted to wait until William was in his own home, but then again nothing about this proposal had run to plan so far. Daniel shifted his body so he could face the boy in the back. ‘Yes. I’ve asked your mother to marry me, and she’s said yes. Is that still okay with you?’

William’s eyes filled with delight. ‘Yippee! That’s the best news ever. Father Christmas rocks.’

‘Father Christmas?’ Daniel asked, feeling a bit put out. ‘Why does he deserve any credit?’

William shot him a dazzling grin. ‘My second wish, remember? I asked Father Christmas for a new dad, and now he’s given me you.’

And that was it. The tears in Daniel’s eyes were no longer content to stay put. As he fought to stop them flooding down his cheeks he slid a look at Melissa.

It didn’t help.

She was half laughing, half crying.

Almost simultaneously they opened their doors and jumped into the back seat, enveloping William.

And there, surrounded by his new family, Daniel gave a silent thank you to the big guy with the white beard and the red suit.

Perhaps he did exist, after all.