Page 70 of Prudence
I had a feeling that last message had her flustered and blushing—which pleased me no end—because it took her longer to reply. And when she did, I wasn’t expecting her one-word response to make me want to ditch work and go find her so I could ravish her in some dark corner—perhaps the back seat of my car again.
Milly: Same.
Bloody hell, it was going to be a challenge to sit at the table with her at dinner with my entire family there and not touch or kiss her.
Work kept me longer than anticipated, which meant I was over half an hour late to dinner. As I let myself into my parents’ house, I heard voices coming from the dining room. Pausing by the door, I recognised my mother’s voice, as well as Milly’s. She must’ve walked over because I didn’t see her red car out front.
“What made you choose radiology?” Mam asked her.
“Honestly, it wasn’t even on my radar at first. I always imagined myself becoming a GP because hospitals can be a lot of stress, but then when I began my residency, I was drawn to the technological advancements. The idea of discovering new ways to detect cancers and other life-limiting illnesses in the early stages was incredibly rewarding to me. Now I’ll be training up the next generation who’ll be working in the field, and I love the thought of passing on my knowledge and experience. I’m excited for the new challenge.”
I adored the passion in her voice when she spoke about her career, and when I finally stepped into the room, Milly’s eyes brightened, landing on mine.
“Hello, everyone,” I greeted. Gigi and Pablo were already there since they’d been spending the day with my parents. My daughter sat next to Milly, with Nuala, Tristan and Mam opposite them and Dad at the head of the table. The only free seat was next to Milly, which I suspected was Mam’s doing. Gigiwas happily quizzing her about every little thing Deirdre was getting up to over in London.
“Derek, you made it,” Mam declared happily as I took the free seat.
“I wasn’t sure I would. Things at the hotel were busy.”
“Nobody likes a bragger,” Dad grumped.
“He misses the excitement of handling all the little problems that used to come his way,” Mam explained.
“More like bored off my trolley sitting around the house all day,” Dad corrected. “Once I’ve recovered from this surgery, I might start volunteering at the local council. Mayor Devoy said she could use my expertise.”
“Let’s just take it a day at a time,” Mam interjected, but I knew by my dad’s face that there would be no dissuading him from his plans.
Milly’s floral perfume drifted past my nose, and she cast me a fleeting glance, a faint rouge tinting her cheeks before she returned her attention to her dinner plate.
“Are you still going to London to visit Deirdre?” Gigi asked, garnering Milly’s attention. Mine, too, since it was the first I’d heard of a trip to London.
“Yes, the week after next,” Milly replied as she looked at my daughter, and I noticed a certain hopeful gleam in Gigi’s eyes before Milly continued, “You’re still welcome to come with me to see her.” Gigi’s face burst into a giant smile while Milly cast me a glance. “So long as your dad is okay with it?”
She stared at me questioningly, and I wasn’t sure how to respond at first because I was touched that she’d be willing to take Gigi along with her. Travelling with a teenager wasn’t always fun and especially when it was some else’s teenager.
“When exactly is the trip?” I asked, a frog in my throat.
“Not this weekend, but the weekend after,” Milly replied. “Just a short visit for two nights. Deirdre’s father will be awayfor a medical conference, so we’ll be staying in his townhouse. There’s more than enough room for Gigi.”
“Maybe I’ll come, too,” I blurted, and her eyes flared wide. “If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Oh, yes, please come with us,” Gigi put in. “You can take me shopping in Covent Garden, and we can go to that dress shop I love.”
“You should definitely go,” Pablo added, and Tristan let out a quiet chuckle.
“Not that it would benefityouto have the apartment all to yourself for an entire weekend.”
“Thanks a lot for pointing that out,” Pablo griped, as if I ever would’ve left him alone if my brother hadn’t said something. He and Tabitha were officially boyfriend and girlfriend now, and no way was I providing them with an adult free apartment to get up to God knows what in for two whole nights.
“If I do go, you’ll be staying here with your grandparents,” I told him firmly.
Pablo muttered something in irritation under this breath, while I glanced at Milly. Her throat flickered as she swallowed, colour rising in her cheeks again at the idea of going on a trip away with me. Sure, we might not get much privacy with both our daughters present, but I’d still be able to enjoy her company.
“I don’t mind you tagging along, not at all,” she replied at last, and I felt like I’d won something. I’d have to spend every hour I had working like a dog over the next two weeks in order to free myself up to go to London, but it would be worth it to spend time with Milly.
“Well, that’s that all settled,” Mam said, looking pleased. “Now, who’s ready for dessert?”
While everyone was distracted by the white chocolate cheesecake Mam produced, I softly slid a finger along Milly’s thigh and watched with relish as a tiny shiver went through her.It was the only touch I allowed myself, especially since Gigi was right there. With how fast my feelings were growing, I decided I needed to be honest with my daughter. It wasn’t fair to keep things from her, and being secretive for too long might be more damaging in the long run. I wanted to handle the situation with care and the way in which I told her was important. I needed to prepare the right words to ensure she didn’t feel betrayed or hurt by the news. Pablo, I suspected, wouldn’t be at all phased. If I sat down to have a serious conversation with him about dating Milly, he’d probably look me square in the eye and tell me he couldn’t care less about my love life.
