Chapter 16

I stood shocked into silence. The bunch of flowers dangled from my nerveless fingers as I stared at the beautiful woman in front of me. She paused and then she was in my arms, a sob escaping her lips.

Her lips found mine in a desperate kiss, “Ohh God, Michael, you don’t know how I missed you.”

“Sally, Oh Sally,” I swallowed the surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm me.

We felt two more pairs of arms as Zoe and Mila joined us, and we morphed into a four-way hug. All of us had tears of joy streaming down our faces.

I pulled back and asked, “What are you doing here. I thought it was going to be weeks before you could getaway.”

Sally smiled at me, “I didn’t need to be in the UK for the next few weeks, so I thought I’d surprise you.”

“And you did, and it’s wonderful.”

Zoe hugged Sally, “I feel as though I’ve known you all my life. I thought I was going to burst to keep the secret from him.”

I gave her a playful smack on her butt, “So you’ve been keeping secrets from me, have you. How long have you known?”

“Since Wednesday,” Zoe admitted.

I pointed my finger at the other two, “And don’t think that you are going to get away, scot-free.”

Zoe kissed me and said, “I’ll go and get the car and meet you outside if you go with the girls and get their luggage.” She kissed me again and then the other two before jogging off in the direction of the short-term parking.

Mila pressed herself against me, “Did you only miss my auntie, or did you miss me as well?”

I gave her a little smack on the bottom. “Idiot girl, of course, I missed you as well. I was surprised to see Sally, that’s all.”

“That’s okay then,” and she kissed me on the lips. She hid a yawn behind a hand, “Sorry it’s been a long day,” she apologized.

“Let’s get you home then.”

Sally and Mila took a hand each, and we walked in the direction of the baggage carousels. We didn’t say much; the physical contact was enough to let us reconnect at so many levels. We were lucky as we didn’t have to wait long for all of their bags to appear. I loaded them onto a trolley and pushed it out to the curb. Zoe appeared in the SUV and we managed to cram all their bags in the back.

As we drove away, Zoe said, “Michael, we are going to need a bigger car and we can’t use Bree’s all the time; it’s not fair to her.”

“True,” I said. I ticked off the options in my mind and settled on the simplest. I was going to need to move some more money around. I would do it as soon as we got back to the apartment.

“Okay, tomorrow morning, we are going to buy you a new car to replace your old wreck,” I told Zoe. “We can hire a car for the girls for the next few weeks and I want to pick up a decent four-wheel-drive SUV.” I ticked the points off on my fingers as I spoke.

I turned in my seat and looked at the two sleepy lovers. “But first, let’s get the pair of you back to the apartment.”

When we had unloaded the car, Zoe took it back to Brianna’s to collect the Aston. Sally and Mila took a shower to wash off the grime of the journey. They joined me in the lounge wrapped up in toweling robes. They curled up one on each side of me. Mila gave me a token kiss before tucking her legs under her and settling down. She was asleep in a few minutes.

Sally stretched herself out, resting her head on my chest. She said, “Have you got over the surprise of seeing me yet?”

“I can’t believe you managed to wrap everything up so quickly.”

Her gown had loosened, and she took my hand and slid it under it and onto her breast. “I’m a very efficient secretary; you should know that boss.”

I kissed her lips, “You always were my love.” My hand caressed her soft breast, and I felt her nipple hardening under my palm.

“It wasn’t as difficult as we thought. Clive’s accepted my offer; he gets the house. I just wanted a few things of mine. Mila and I packed them up last week. I’ve stowed them in your storage unit.”

“And the decree absolute?”

“We should get the decree nisi in the next couple of weeks, then six weeks later the decree absolute, if everything goes smoothly.”

I asked, “So how did you get away from the hospital? I thought they were insisting you work out your notice.”

She grinned at me, “Never underestimate the amount of influence a hospital full of pissed off secretaries can put in play when they think one of their own is getting shafted by the hospital administration.”

Christ, it didn’t bear thinking about, I suspect it was going to cost me a fortune in drinks the next I meet up with my ex-colleagues.

She wriggled into a more comfortable position. On my other side, Mila was fast asleep.

“Let me take young one and get her settled in bed,” I said, and Sally sat up.

I picked Mila up and carried her to the spare bedroom. I lay her down and pulled the covers over her. As I bent down to give her a kiss, her eye opened, and she whispered sleepily, “I love you, Michael.” Her eye closed, and she was asleep again.

Sally had got us a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to me. She looked at all the paperwork on the table and saw the details of the cabin in Evergreen. She picked up the papers and came and sat down and stretched out and pillowed her head on my thigh. One knee was raised and the gown fell open displaying her ginger landing strip to my gaze

“Is it as nice as it looks?” She asked as she read the details.

“Nicer.” And I wasn’t only thinking about the house details.

“And we can move in soon because this place is not going to be big enough for the four of us?”

“I’ve signed a short-term lease that’s going to cover us until the sale goes through. So we can start moving in this weekend.”

I looked at Sally carefully, “Sally, love, I’ve dropped the whole Zoe thing on you without a lot of discussions. You know that you are the most important thing in my life, don’t you?”

“Michael, I’ve loved you for the past twelve years. I also know that you are capable of loving more than one person without compromising your feeling for any of them. I know you love me just as I am aware you love Mila and Zoe.”

“Michael, I know Mila, she’s young and while I believe she thinks that this is what she wants, don’t be surprised if she doesn’t stay committed. This is still somewhat of a game to Mila. But Zoe’s really has fallen for you. You understand that she’s scared that you will send her away,” she said.

It was a lot to take in. I accepted that this was probably a game to Mila and that I was just a phase in her life. A serious one, but never the less still a phase. Zoe, on the other hand, had committed herself body and soul to us.

I said, “I’d never sent her away.”

“Then I think you better tell her that because if I’m not mistaken, she’s scared to come back here in case you tell her to go.”

“What?”

“Michael, it’s been well over an hour, and you said it should only take her twenty minutes at most. She was quiet around us and rather keen to get your car tonight even though you said it could wait till tomorrow.”

I checked the time, and she was right. “Crap, I’ll give her a call.”

Sally put her hand up in a ‘wait one moment’ gesture. “Michael, I’ve shared you with the memory of Linda and now with Mila and Zoe. And I don’t care because I know that you can love all of us.”

“Mila’s just happy to be part of this. You are an extension of her feelings for me. But Zoe’s scared; this is all new to her. She needs to know that your feelings for her haven’t changed. I could sense her growing fear the last couple of times we spoke on the phone.”

“This is why I love you,” I told her.

I called Zoe’s cell, and a timid voice answered, “Hi Michael.”

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I’m at Bree’s ... look, I thought that I’d give you three sometime together, so I’m going to stay here tonight...” Her voice trailed off.

I spoke loudly and firmly down the phone, “Zoe Hanson, that’s not going to happen. This is not a request; get your ass over here. We will expect you in fifteen minutes. Any longer, and I’m putting you over my knee.”