6. Claudia
The family debacle that played out in the middle of town kept playing for another hour before my dad could be convinced Liam’s dick had to stay attached to him. Gisele also took some time to run out of steam, agreeing eventually to stop shouting at the newcomer for having the worst kind of audacity and character to arrest her father in front of his granddaughter and agreeing to let Miracle go home with her uncle Josh.
Getting Gisele calmed down had been exhausting. First, she wanted to have Liam strung up for demanding custody of their daughter. Laughable if anyone wanted my opinion. Then she started in on the detective, and I had to admit that had turned out to be the most entertaining part of the whole episode.
I had a sneaking suspicion that Gisele was more than a little taken with the good-looking cop. Despite her vehement objections to the contrary, the very visible pulse at her throat and the way her eyes followed his every move, I had to beg to differ. And I did, much to her annoyance, especially when Elle got in on it with me.
“What’s the smile about?” Josh asked me, breaking into my thoughts. Smiling at him, I couldn’t help the pang in my heart seeing Miracle asleep in his arms.
The look of him with a baby in his arms fitting my husband perfectly, but still the sadness I kept controlled most of the time raised its ugly head. Josh should be holding our baby, not Gisele’s.
“Gisele. I think she may have a crush on the man who is here looking to find Jake’s body in a mine shaft.” My humour was boarder line morbid, but I had my mother to thank for that. Something Josh was very used to.
“I don’t think he is going to find our brothers-in-law’s corpse, but you might be right about your sister,” Josh replied wearily. His arms had to be about ready to fall off. Since Elle gave over Miracle to him hours before, he had not let her go. Miracle adored her uncle and he in turn worshipped her. We had suffered a miscarriage about a year ago. I was in my second trimester when it happened, and it killed Josh and me. We were yet to talk about trying again, the loss we suffered was still there, but it was lessening, however judging by the flutter in my heart and lady parts, I was now thinking that was a conversation to be had sooner rather than later.
“Where could he be Josh?” I suddenly blurted out, “I mean he has done the whole disappearing act more than once, but not for this long.”
“I don’t know baby,” Josh sighed, careful to keep his voice low so not to disturb Miracle. At the Town Hall, she had cried that her beloved Grumpy might be taken away, then she cried when she thought she was going home with Liam, like he wanted. Luckily, Georgina convinced Liam to back down and leave so Miracle could calm down. Not that he left for that reason, his daughter’s distress had not affected him a single bit. He was more worried about how he looked in front of his wanker mates and his parent’s former neighbours. He ended up leaving, heading in the direction of the pub, much to the delight of us all.
“I’ve spoken to a few of Jake’s work buddies, but none of them have anything interesting to say. Some say he is with another woman, and a couple said he got into some money troubles. Maybe drugs, maybe not.”
Looking at my husband, I opened my mouth to say something then closed it. Drugs? Seriously?
“Does Elle know about any of this?”
“Not to my knowledge, but with Jake it’s possible.” Josh assured me, “Jake’s so-called mates are afraid of any woman with the last name of Blessing. Trust me, they haven’t said a word to her about Jake stepping out on her or using. Though it does explain a lot.”
“It does, but we are kidding ourselves if we think Ellie doesn’t know about his cheating. She told me the last time they had sex she insisted on him wearing a condom. My sister isn’t stupid, Josh. She knows she married the wrong guy.”
“I would never call any Blessing woman stupid, baby. But please don’t talk about your sister and having sex in the same sentence ever again. Elle and Gisele are more than in-laws to me, the last thing I want in my head is a vision of … you know … that,” he grumbled, his body shaking.
See what I mean? Sweetest man ever.
“Okay, Joshy no more talk of sex involving my sisters.” I agreed, plopping carefully down on the cushion next to him, my hand instinctively lacing with his that was resting on Miracle’s blanket covered tummy.
“She could honestly sleep through a hail of bullets,” I mused adoringly. “Why won’t you talk little chickee?” I said so quietly I didn’t think Josh heard me, but he did.
“She will,” he whispered with so much confidence, I had no reason to not believe him. “She’s content to just listen for now. Plus let’s face it baby, with your sisters, you and your mother she’d never get a word in anyway.” His handsome face splitting with a devious grin.
“Lucky you have a sleeping child in your arms mister,” I growled, untangling our fingers and getting to my feet. “I’ll go turn her bed down.”
“Okay baby,” Josh smiled at me, his eyes soft and full of love. Blowing him a kiss, I turned to go to Miracle’s room we kept for her here when Josh stopped me.
“Claudia?”
“Yeah honey?” I said softly, looking back over my shoulder at him.
“Can we start trying for a baby again? I think it’s time.”
One sentence, just one and my world shifted on its axis, rocking me to my core. Not even trying to hold back my tears, I looked at my husband with pure love.
“Yeah honey,” I answered him, my voice cracking.