Part 20 (2/2)

'Well, there will be at least two, won't there?' murmured Joanna defensively. 'Anya and ...'

'And our child,' agreed Jake tenderly. 'Oh, love, how did I ever survive without you?'

'You tried to,' she reminded him reprovingly, and he gathered her closer, so close that she could feel the hard pressure of his hips.

'I was a fool,' he averred, his hands moulding her to him. 'If Anya hadn't chosen to make her wishes known, I might never have had the chance to -'

'Don't!' Joanna laid her fingers over his lips. We owe Anya a lot, I know it.'

'And she owes you,' declared Jake roughly. 'You've restored her faith in herself and in other people.' He nuzzled her cheek.

'Maybe Marcia was more astute than she knew.'

'Well, she wasn't surprised when it happened,' Joanna agreed, stroking his hair back from his forehead. 'It was Mummy who was appalled when I said I was going to become a farmer's wife.'

Jake frowned. 'Didn't you really mind living at Ravengarth?'

Joanna stared up at him. 'You know I didn't.' She paused.

'Why? Are you finding the work too demanding? Would you rather we -'

'No. Oh, no,' Jake rea.s.sured her. 'My darling, Gordon's not a philanthropist. He wouldn't keep me on unless I was some use to him. But I have been playing with the idea of doing some freelance work, of making a drawing office at the farm and spending some of the time there. Does that appeal to you?'

Joanna touched her lips to his. 'Wherever you are, I want to be,' she said simply. 'As long as you're happy ...'

'Oh, I'm happy,' Jake exclaimed, swinging her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. 'So long as we're together, that's all that really matters. Which reminds me,' he shed his robe and slid on to the bed beside her, 'Marcia's offered to baby-sit. After the baby's born, I mean. She says she'll have both Anya and the baby while we go away together, like we did on honeymoon. What say we go back to Barbados? Making love on a moonlit beach is definitely to be recommended.'

Joanna gurgled with laughter. 'Anywhere,' she said, allowing him to untie her straps.

end.

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