replace me, of course,” Jared said, as if he’d read her thoughts, “but he can’t forbid me to see you. You are free to choose who you spend your time with.”
“He can dismiss me,” Jocelyn pointed out.
“I don’t think he will,” Jared replied thoughtfully. “I imagine he thinks he’s looking out for you.”
“Perhaps he is,” Jocelyn said playfully. “How am I to know you can be trusted?”
“You can trust me with your life,” Jared said, his brows knitting together as his expression grew serious. “Jocelyn, I would do anything to keep you safe.”
She nodded, overcome by emotion. No one had ever said anything like that to her, not even her father or brother. “You’re a good man, Jared.”
“I’m really not, but you make me want to be better.”
He held the door open for her, and she stepped inside, wishing the major wasn’t so averse to opening the windows. It was hot and muggy and smelled of the haddock Mrs. Johnson had prepared for the major’s supper.
“Goodnight, Jared,” Jocelyn whispered.
“Goodnight,” he said, and kissed her softly on the lips. “For the first time in my life, I’m looking forward to Christmas.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Jocelyn said, but her smile told him otherwise.
Chapter 60
March 2018
London
Having stayed long enough to visit with Chrissy and meet baby Max, who had a shock of black hair and a stubborn chin identical to Logan’s, Quinn and Jude were ready to leave. Quinn was glad to see that after that brief wobble at the beginning, Logan had taken charge of the situation and was already making plans for taking Max home and hiring a baby nurse for the first few weeks to teach him and Rafe how to care for Max properly and help with the night feedings. He hadn’t mentioned what Chrissy’s role in Max’s life would be, and Quinn didn’t ask. Presumably, everything would work itself out in time.
“Do you want to come by?” Quinn asked Jude once they walked out of the hospital into the crisp evening.
“No. I’ll just go to Mum’s, get out of this uniform, and enjoy some peace and quiet for a few hours. It’s been a long time since I’ve been completely alone. I see fish and chips and a beer or two in my immediate future.”
“Well, enjoy. I’ll ring you tomorrow.”
“Will do,” Jude said, and headed toward the nearest Tube station.
Quinn decided to splurge on a taxi. She hoped Gabe had organized something for dinner. She was too tired to cook and was starving, having missed lunch. Quinn let herself into the house, tossed her bag onto the console table in the foyer, kicked off her shoes, and walked into the lounge. The spicy smell of curry emanating from the kitchen made her mouth water. Gabe must have picked up a takeaway on his way home. Through the door, she could see the table, set for two, and a bottle of red wine and glasses in readiness on the worktop. A bunch of yellow tulips stood in pride of place on the table, the whole scene like something out of a magazine. Husband of the Year was kipping on the sofa but woke up the moment Quinn walked in.
“Hi,” he said blearily, and sat up, running a hand through his hair. “All right?”
Quinn had called him several hours ago, but they hadn’t spoken since Gabe had texted to tell her that he’d dropped off the children at Jill’s.
“More than all right. Hungry and tired, though,” Quinn said. “It turned out to be a very emotional day. Sylvia was sorry to have missed Max’s birth. She really wanted to be there for Logan. She’s coming back from Manchester tomorrow.”
“Where’s Jude?” Gabe asked.
“He went back to Sylvia’s. He just wanted a few hours to himself.”
“Good, because I only got enough food for us,” Gabe said ungraciously.
“Curry smells amazing,” Quinn said, her stomach rumbling. “Are you ready to eat?”
“We should probably heat it up. It’s been sitting out for an hour.”
“I’ll just pop it in the oven for a few minutes,” Quinn said, “but first, I have to tell you about Max. Oh, Gabe, he is so sweet. He looks just like Logan. Here, I have a photo,” she gushed as she pulled her mobile out of her back pocket. She held out the phone to Gabe, who reached for it slowly.
Quinn expected a smile at the very least, but what she saw on Gabe’s face was shock. He seemed to be staring just past her shoulder, and Quinn felt a