Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) (30 page)

“Oh I see”
he walked through to the kitchen, pushing Daniel through and put the kettle on “Now then lad” he offered him a seat in their tiny kitchen.  He looked up and his eyes met Daniel’s, they were serious “What’s going on? What the bloody hell is going on with you and my daughter, it’s worse than Eastenders”. 

Daniel started talking and they sat down and listened to him, the cookies were left uneaten as he spilled his heart out to two
people he had never met before. He told them he knew about George, that he had mistakenly overheard Nicole, that he thought she was seeing someone else. That he loved her more than anything else in the world.

Nicole opened the front door pushing the pram through the opening; she could hear her parents talking in the kitchen so she picked George up and walked through to see them.  The sight that greeted her when she walked in left her speechless.

“Daniel?” she looked at him puzzled, “What? I mean how are you here?  I don’t understand” she sat down with George and Daniel stared at his son for first time.

“Oh my
God” he said his hand covered his mouth and he stared at the baby “He’s beautiful Nicole, can I hold him?” Daniel had tears in his eyes as he looked at his son; the same blue eyes stared back at him.   Nicole turned him away and glared at him.

“No.  I asked what you were doing here Daniel” she said coldly, her mum took George from her
arms and they left them alone. “You think you can just walk into my home like nothings happened? You called me a whore Daniel, you just jumped to the wrong conclusion again.  Don’t you think I’ve had enough shit in my life without you turning out to be yet another arsehole?” she stared at him, her eyes were like fire and Daniel knew he had one chance to make this count.

“I am nothing like Andrew, you know that for
God’s sake Nicole I would never hurt you ever I swear.  I saw the photos on your Facebook profile, of George, oh God why didn’t you just tell me?” he said quietly “What did you think I would say?  I told you I loved you on your birthday. You must have known how I felt about you even the first time we met?”

She shook her head “Y
ou were pissed I didn’t believe you, we hadn’t seen each other for a year.  And God no, I thought you were too good to be true”

“We spoke every day; you were all I thought about, look
it’s all in the past, please Nicole my life’s only complete with you” his eyes searched hers but she just stared at him, still in disbelief “Look I’m sorry I lost my temper this morning, I jumped to the wrong conclusions”

She interrupted him “Haven’t we been here before?” she started crying now, u
nable to hold back any longer “All I wanted to hear was that you loved me Daniel I didn’t know if I was just another of your” she couldn’t find the words “Women. I was going to tell you about George this morning, I just needed to find the right moment”

He looked hurt “B
ut surely you knew how I felt about you? You are my soul mate, and I know I’m probably too intense but I guess that’s just who I am.  I don’t want to spend another night apart from you Nicole.  I am so sorry I just keep thinking it’s going to go wrong again, but God” he took a breath “I have a son” he wiped his face, his voice cracked “I have a son, I woke up this morning and now I find out I have a baby with the woman I love more than anything in the world” he looked at her, his eyes were desperate and she felt her heart break at his pain. 

He walked round
to where she was sat and got down on his knees, grabbing her hands in his and her anger diminished when she looked in his eyes.  She could tell he meant every word and she smiled at him through her tears, she reached out for him and held him tightly.  He buried his face into her hair and she breathed in his smell, the wood smoke and horses that she had become so familiar with. “I can’t believe you came down here, for me” He pulled away and looked at her.

“Nicole, I
would go anywhere to be with you, I love you with all my heart and soul, I can’t live without you, I want to share the rest of my life with you” he reached into his pocket “I wanted to choose the right time in a starlit restaurant in Rome or somewhere but sod it. Nicole will you marry me” he pulled out the antique ring his grandmother had left him in her will.  The single diamond glinted under the kitchen light and she was speechless.  His beautiful face looked up at her but she saw the person inside, the vulnerable, insecure and fragile soul within and she knew she loved him with all her heart. 

“Y
es” she breathed and the tears flowed as she laughed through them “Yes of course I will marry you” she pulled him towards her and they kissed in the kitchen of her parents terraced house, the last place she could ever imagine Daniel MacIntyre sitting when she first saw him in the paper. 

They walked through to the lounge and
sat down, she picked George up and gave him to Daniel, and he held him like he was made of glass “I can’t believe this is my son, our son”, he stuttered. He was overcome by love for the little baby as he gurgled happily in his father’s arms.  Nicole looked over at her parents, her face was radiant.

“We have something to tell you” she couldn’t stop smiling. 

“So you said yes then?” her dad smiled back “He’s a true gentlemen you know he did ask me when we had a little chat earlier” her dad looked at Daniel “I had to make sure he was good enough for my daughter you know”.  He stood up and shook Daniel’s free hand “Welcome to the family”.  Nicole felt so happy as they finally sat together, she felt free at last.

Her mum wiped a tear from
her eye “Come on, that chicken dinner won’t cook itself” she looked at her husband and dragged him into the kitchen. 

Nicole
watched Daniel with George, it felt like a dream seeing them together after all this time and she couldn’t imagine feeling happier than she did at this moment. “Oh bloody hell I need to tell Libby” she grabbed her phone and started to text.

“A
h yes there’s something you need to know” Daniel cleared his throat “She might be a bit busy right now” Nicole’s eyes widened when he told her Alex had gone to see her. 

“She has broken off the engagement you know” she couldn’
t help but smile as she spoke “She said she has never felt this way about anyone before, oh my God can you imagine if they get together?  How weird, our best friends?” 

“Well I guess it was all meant to be then eh?” he lent over and kissed her.  Sh
e took George from him. The little baby had fallen asleep and he complained at being moved from the comfy spot in his father’s arms.

Later that evening Nicole settled George in his cot while Daniel waited outside the bedroom and they joined h
er parents for a roast dinner. He complimented her dad on his cooking and they sat round the table drinking Prosecco that they had bought from the Tesco Express. Nicole still couldn’t believe he was with her as they walked through the park to the shop, the same route she had taken so many times on her own.  Daniel raised his glass and they toasted with the cheap wine glasses

“What shall we toast to?” he asked the table. 

Nicole smiled “To love, family and happiness and no more secrets?” she said and they all agreed, he looked at her and they clinked glasses as her parents cleared the table “Forever” he whispered and kissed her lightly on the lips.

As the night came to a close
Nicole took Daniel up to her bedroom and he sat on the bed to take his clothes off, he couldn’t wait to hold her.  No more secrets and no more messing about, he thought as he took his socks off.  Nicole came out of the en-suite wearing the red slip, she ran her hand seductively up her body and walked over to him.  He stopped taking his sock off as she climbed onto him, he ran his hands up her thighs.

“O
h no it’s happening again” he joked “Seduced by a gorgeous woman in a red slip as I take my socks off, God I remember this” he smiled as he looked down at the red fabric and played with the thin belt “That seems so long ago now, so much has happened, I feel like the luckiest man alive” she giggled as he undid the belt and ran his fingers over her body.

“
Shh” she said “My parents are downstairs” and she stifled another giggle as he kissed her neck.  

Nicole woke up early the next morning, she heard the sounds of her son stirring in his cot and she brought him into the
bedroom. The little baby lay between his parents and Daniel stroked his sons head. Nicole sat up and realised she had to face her office, she had arranged another “Keeping In Touch” day. “Oh shit it’s Monday I have work.  I might phone in sick I can’t face a day in the office”

“You want to carry on working?  Well I mean of course you do but…” he trailed off “I can’t move down here Nicole, I need to be near the estate” He realised how much change
it would mean for both of them. “You don’t have to work you know”.

“You think I should be a lady of leisure for a while?” she smiled “I could get used to that but no I need to earn my own money, you know that Daniel”

“No, you can pick vegetables and cook my dinner, like a proper wife” she glared at him and he kissed her.  “You can do whatever you want, we have so much to sort out I mean are you happy to come and live with me?”

She smiled “A
re you sure you can cope with all the clutter and mess we will bring”

He laughed.  “Ok that will take a bit of getting used to” he
looked around her bedroom “Do you always live in a room of unpacked boxes?  Anyway we can go up in a couple of days; we will give my parents the shock of their lives”.

Her eyes widened “T
hey will hate me keeping that from them” she sat back down on the bed and he sat up as she gave a bottle to George.

“No they won
’t, it will be a shock but they will love it.  Nicole, there’s other things going on in my life which I wanted to tell you about” he explained that a competitor was interested in a takeover, but they didn’t want to keep him on.

Nicole’s eyes widened “B
ut you love your work Daniel” he looked at her.

“My priorities have changed, I don’t want to be working away and entertaining clients,
do you really want to see my picture in the gossip columns again? Come on” As she agreed, Daniel turned round to get his wallet “They have offered me 18 million for the business” he pulled out a piece of paper and Nicole unfolded it.  It was a cheque he had written to her for half the amount.

“What’s this Daniel?” and searched his eyes. Another cheque, hadn’t he learnt it wasn’t about the money?

“If you had said no to marrying me yesterday I was going to give it to you anyway so you didn’t have to work, and that George would have what was rightfully his.  As my future wife I want you to invest it.  I think you have a good business head Nicole and some great ideas, you need to make it work” 

She felt overwhelmed, “
God this is too much to take in” Nicole knew her life had changed beyond anything she could comprehend. She had to get used to handling this type of money, she lent over George and kissed him tenderly.

“Thank
you, we can work it out together. What about you. What will you do?” 

Daniel sat back “I think I want to take some time out and then take over the estate, I spoke with my parents, they are glad to pass the burden onto someone else”.

Nicole smiled at him, she knew his heart was in the countryside, she prodded him “Oh no, does that mean you are going to start wearing old trousers with baler band for a belt?” they started laughing and he looked at her his face serious for a moment.

“Probably”.  She reached over and he kissed her tenderly.

Chapter 23

October
– Anna’s Wedding.

Nicole checked her bag, she had everything she needed.  Tickets.  Passport.  Euros.  She was sat in her
parent’s kitchen and George was struggling to escape from his highchair.  Her mum pushed him back in and he argued.

“
God he has a stubborn streak this baby” she looked at Nicole.

“
Let’s guess who he gets that from” she laughed “Are you sure you don’t mind bringing George tomorrow?”

“No of course not, now go on you’re going to miss that flight,
it’s only one night Nicole.  Go on, that taxi will leave if you don’t get in soon” Nicole kissed her son and hugged her mother and ran to the taxi; she waved as it set off to the airport.  

It had only been four weeks since Daniel had proposed to her in that kitchen,
and they had moved to Edinburgh. It felt like a lifetime ago. Daniel. Her heart fluttered with anticipation, he had gone to London two days ago and she had returned back to Manchester for a couple of nights.  He was finalising the business acquisition and the money would clear today, it was arranged by bank transfer. She was relieved she didn’t have to go to her local bank to deposit a cheque for eight million. It meant she would officially become a multimillionaire. 

Nicole still felt uncomfortable with his gift, but she had so many ideas of how to invest the money, they had spent hours discussing different concepts.  Daniel was sharp, his eye for detail was impeccable and she enjoyed the challenge of her business
ideas being scrutinised by him. Her feelings for him had intensified and she missed him. Being apart for even two days had left a hole in her heart and she yearned to see him, he was meeting her in Rome. 

Only a few ho
urs and they would be together. She arrived at Manchester Airport and checked in, Daniel had insisted she flew business class, he said it was a luxury she needed to experience but she was happy to spend the two hour flight in economy.  He was so pushy, she had to fight her corner whenever they disagreed on anything, but she loved the challenge.

The flight was on time and she felt her stomach plummet
as the plane landed. Nicole said a silent “thank you” as it came to a stop.  She walked away from the plane and waited for her bag to arrive.  Nicole loved travelling on her own and she thought not for the first time how lucky Libby was to have a job which took her around the world.  Her case appeared as she waited with the other passengers and she walked out into the hot Italian air. 

Rome
.  It was Anna’s favourite place and Nicole could see why her best friend was to get married in Italy. They had been a few times after university and the city held fond memories for Nicole, she couldn’t wait to go out for dinner and she knew Anna had booked a table at La Mediterraneane. Sounds expensive. She couldn’t comprehend that she no longer had to worry about the cost of a bottle of wine and hoped it wouldn’t change her. She opened the details for the hotel and thought about taking the train to Termini, but it had been so long since she had gone to Rome she wasn’t sure she would remember how to find Via Veneto. 

H
er phone beeped and she checked it. 

NICOLE. ARE YOU IN
ITALY YET? I’M JUST BOARDING THE PLANE.  NEED PROSECCO.  LOVE YOU. DANIEL. X

She replied to tell him she was and smiled at his message
. Only four weeks and yet she felt they had never been apart, like they had already spent a lifetime together.  She found a taxi and climbed in the back, the air conditioning was welcome in the muggy autumn sun. 

Memories of
Rome flooded through Nicole as she watched the old city pass by in the taxi, she recognised the streets as though it was yesterday and she remembered the holiday they had taken when Libby met a hot Italian guy and they didn’t see her for days. She smiled at the memory, at the time they thought she had been kidnapped by the mafia. How their lives had all changed in the last few months, she thought and smiled again. The taxi pulled up at the exclusive hotel and she stepped out, the attentive doorman already walking towards the door with her bag and she followed him to the reception desk to check in.

“Mrs
MacIntyre?”  The receptionist asked her and she was confused for a moment.  Who?  Daniel!! She would kill him when she saw him. Nicole nodded in agreement and was shown up to the penthouse suite he had booked for their overnight stay in the city. The patio doors were open and she walked through onto the terrace, the city walls and the park were a stones throw away.   It was perfect; she knew Daniel would choose the best place to stay. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out. 

YOU HERE YET?  HURRY UP I NEED TO SEE YOU! ANNA
X

Nicole replied

GIVE ME HALF AN HOUR. HARRYS BAR?

She quickly unpacked
the
black dress and hung it on the door. The Italian marble bathroom was decedent and she couldn’t work out the shower, fiddling with it until eventually a sharp jet of water hit her in the face.  She quickly showered, curled her hair with her tongs so it feel in soft ringlets down her shoulders.  The black dress clung to her curves and she checked her reflection in the mirror.  Not bad.

She headed out into the Italian air and breathed the smell of
Rome, Harry's bar was only across the road from her hotel and she strode confidently across the road in her heeled shoes.  She saw Anna sat outside the bar with a bottle of Prosecco.  Her friend stood up.

“Nicole!” she looked at her friend, her eyes sparkled with happiness.  “I can
’t believe you are here, how exciting is this” they sat down and Anna poured the fizzy Prosecco into the two glasses, sipping the froth as it spilt down the edges.  “Edward is just getting ready so it’s a good chance for a catch up before dinner”.

Nicole sipped her
drink “Mmm this is gorgeous, it’s lovely to be back in Rome, so are we prepared for tomorrow?” Anna was getting married in Tuscany in two days time and they were all travelling up to the country villa in the morning, tonight was a chance to have a catch up and a break before the hectic preparations of the wedding started. 

“Yep as prepared as we will ever be” 

“I can’t believe you are marrying the geeky accountant” Nicole teased her friend.

“And I can’t believe you are marrying THE Daniel
MacIntyre.  Where is he anyway?  I can’t wait to finally meet him.”

“
He’s going to meet us at the restaurant.  Oh Anna it’s just been amazing, it was awful hiding George from him all that time, but now he’s just been brilliant with him.  I know we only moved in together two weeks ago but it’s just been like a dream”

“What did his parents say when they found out about George?”

Nicole cringed as she recalled their visit to the castle.  They had spent the week in Manchester and Nicole knew they would travel up to Edinburgh at the weekend.  Daniel had contacted Alex and she had dropped the Audi outside the terraced house.  It looked out of place and almost took over the road, her parents were convinced someone would dint it and Daniel just shrugged his shoulders. 

They made the four hour drive back up to
Scotland; Daniel had bought a new car seat and a travel cot for George and drove cautiously up the motorway with his baby in the back.  It was dark when they arrived at his house and they walked into the kitchen, Daniel’s housekeeper had tried to clean the coffee stain from the wall but the brown stain was evidence of his temper.

“I will get it repainted” he traced the mark with his hand and looked shamefully at Nicole. “I’m sorry I got so angry, it’s like a reminder of my irrational behaviour.”  Nicole put her arms round him and kissed him gently. 

“It’s fine” she looked at him “Just make sure it never happens again, it’s all behind us now” she looked around the kitchen, George was awake and gurgling in his car seat.  She picked him up and sat down on the leather sofa.

“You know I have sat in this room and thought about whether this moment would ever happen” she wiped the tears as they sprung into her eyes.  Daniel sat next to her and put his arm round her.  “I’m sorry,
it’s just I never thought we would be here like this, with you and George” 

George started crying and she realised it was past his dinnertime, she rummaged in the bag for his dinner and he grabbed the plastic spoon from her hand.  He gulped down the glutinous food, she hated using jars but the
y were fine for emergencies.

“Anyway we can talk later, let me just get him settled”.

Nicole bathed her son and got him ready for bed, she was concerned he wouldn’t sleep in the travel cot, but he settled down straight away and she padded downstairs.  Daniel handed her a glass of wine and had found some venison steaks in the freezer which he was defrosting in the microwave.  She sipped her drink and looked at him, he was so gorgeous and she felt different being here with him now, much happier.

“It
’s strange being back here knowing that there are no secrets between us”

“Strange good or bad” he looked at her and she knew what he was thinking, she put her glass on the granite worktop and wal
ked towards him. “Strange good” she kissed him lightly on the lips and ran her hands up his chest. He put his glass down.

She kissed him seductively, she could feel how hard he was and she unfastened his belt
, watching his eyes as she teased him with her hands.  She pushed him onto the leather sofa and he looked up, unable to speak as she straddled him.  He ran his hands under her top and she took an intake of breath as he pulled her top over her head and his lips found her nipples as he unclipped her bra.  He grabbed her hips as he went deep inside her watching her face. Having Nicole here, at home and knowing she wasn’t going to leave him, he couldn’t control himself.  He moved faster as he lost himself to her, no more games or lies.  She moaned as he moved underneath her and she couldn’t stop herself as the orgasm took over.

“You do this to me every time Nicole,
God you are beautiful do you know I don’t think I will ever be able to resist you.” He held her close in his arms and she buried her face into his hair.

They ate their venison steak and
rosemary roast potatoes, shared the wine and talked, Daniel felt so happy, he was the most content he had ever felt, but he was concerned about the reaction of his parents in the morning.  How would they react to Nicole and George?  He didn’t care, it was his life but he didn’t want anything to destroy the happiness that had engulfed him. It was like he was waiting for something to burst the bubble again and send him back in the spiral of depression, like he would wake up and it had all been a dream.  George woke them early the next morning. 

Nicole got up to see
to him but Daniel stopped her “Let me go” Nicole snuggled back into the duvet, but she couldn’t sleep. Daniel was talking to his son and she heard him walk downstairs, she still couldn’t believe it was happening like this and she smiled happily at the ceiling as she heard him cursing.  She knew he had tried to change his nappy and she giggled. 

The sight that greeted her when she
went downstairs made her laugh, Daniel’s face as he tried to change their sons nappy on the floor. She showed him how to do it and tidied up the mess he had made, he kissed her and he tasted of coffee.

Nicole felt nervous as they made their way to the castle.
  “Oh God I feel scared” she looked at him “What if they hate me and my baby?” Daniel didn’t know what to say, he had no idea either.  

He opened the great wooden doors and carried George in h
is car seat through the hallway, his parents would be sitting in their drawing room reading the Sunday papers at this time of day and she followed him through the maze of rooms.

“W
ow this place is amazing” she looked at the furniture, all original period pieces and some looked new, as though they had never been used “This would make a great hotel Daniel” she laughed “It’s like a museum”  he looked at her and nodded his agreement. 

His parents were sat eating their breakfast when Nicole and Daniel walked into the room. 
The big oak table dominated the room, its surface covered in ornate candlesticks and silver pheasants, their toast and marmalade looked out of place against the grandeur.

“Daniel, oh this is a surprise” his mother stood up to greet her son and she smiled warmly at Nicole. “Hello again” she kissed her on the cheek and Nicole felt comforted by this show of affection. 

Daniel had put George by the door and he cleared his throat. “Mother I have some news for you, there’s someone else you need to meet” she looked at him curiously, his father turned round to see what the conversation was about, he raised his toast at Nicole who smiled weakly.  Daniel bent down and unfastened the baby from the car seat, his mothers eyes widened as she saw the tiny figure in his arms.

“Oh my goodness, that little baby looks just like you” she looked at Daniel and Nicole and her hand went to her mouth
as the realisation struck, Daniel stood close to Nicole and grabbed her hand with his, squeezing it tightly.  His mother sat down clumsily on her chair.  “I don’t believe this” she shook her head, lost for words.