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“But bloody hell, you’re soaked through. We need to get you out of this rain and warm you up. Are you okay to walk?”
“Y-yes.” I sniff. “Now that you’re here, I am.”
“Good. Now, take your coat off.”
I do as he asks. He removes his own winter jacket and gives it to me. It’s not intended for city life, like mine, but to provide genuine protection against extreme weather in the great outdoors. It’s roomy at the shoulders and too long at the arms, but I don’t care because, to my delight, it zips up over my bump, even if it is a tight squeeze. It feels like being wrapped in a cocoon of warmth.
“That should help, but I still want to get you inside as soon as possible. Hook your arm through mine. I’ll carry your coat and the umbrella—can you manage the torch?”
I nod and take it.
“Good. If I go too fast, just say, but let’s not delay longer than we need to.”
Guided by torchlight, we set off at a brisk pace, but I find I’m able to match his speed. Now he’s by my side, as if by magic, all my anxiety is gone. I don’t have to worry because I know he’ll do everything in his power to keep me safe—tonight and always. This realisation hits me with a certainty I can’t question. I know it to be the truth the same way I know that cream and jam taste good on a scone or that Emily and I will be best friends for life. I’m not sure why I ever doubted him.
“We’re heading to Bannock?” I ask when it occurs to me we’re retracing my steps. “I’d thought you might be at the house you showed me at Christmas. Jamie said you’d moved out of your mum’s, and I assumed—”
“Aye, I know what you assumed. Jamie called me and told me you arrived at the hotel upset then disappeared into thin air. When he mentioned the last thing he said to you—that I’ve got my own place now—I put two and two together, and thank God I did. What’s that phrase?” He glances sidelong at me, and despite the obvious concern in his expression, that lovable cheeky grin breaks through. “To assume is to make an ass of u and me?”
I let out a sound that’s half gasp, half laugh. “Aidan Stewart!” My voice is still finding its strength again, but I push on. “Are you calling the mother of your child an ass? And on Valentine’s Day!”
He grins and gazes at me like I’m the most precious thing in the world. “Fuck, you’re beautiful, Grace. I’ve missed you.”
My heart skips a beat, even though I’m sure he must be lying—it’s dark, and I’m a wet, bedraggled mess. And yet . . . something in his eyes tells me he’s being perfectly serious.
I swallow. “I’ve missed you too.”
We press on through the woods, back towards Bannock.
Suddenly a thought comes to me. “Wait, how did Jamie get through to you? I tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up.”
“Ah. Sorry about that. I was doing some work in my new place, and my music was on pretty loudly. Jamie got lucky: I heard my phone going in a break between songs.”
I’m in no position to tell him off, not after what I’ve put him through, but even so, I say, “Well, listen out in future, okay? When I call, you answer. I need you, Aidan. We . . . we’re having a baby together.”
He nods. “How about we make a deal? You stop going for walks without your phone, and I’ll always pick up when you ring. Agreed?”
“Agreed. So, er . . . you didn’t buy that house we saw on Boxing Day?”
He chuckles. “No. You made it quite clear you hated it. I got a place in Bannock.”
“Oh. Right. I . . . feel pretty stupid.”
“You shouldn’t. I don’t like that you put yourself in danger, but I am flattered you were so desperate to see me you set off through the woods. Am I that irresistible?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “You are. I . . . want you in my life. I want us to raise this child together, if that’s something you’d like too?”
Aidan doesn’t miss a beat. “Of course it is. I love you, Grace.”
He says it so bluntly and with such conviction I’m caught off-guard.
I hesitate, but not for long. “I . . . love you too, Aidan.”
He stops, turns to me, and presses his lips against mine. Despite the cold and wet, they’re soft and warm, and they ignite a fire inside me. I lose myself in the kiss, every nerve in my body tingling.
Eventually, he pulls away again and grins. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist, but we really should get you back. C’mon!”
The journey to Bannock feels only half as long as my lonely walk out. When we get there, we pass the church and cross the old stone bridge, then Aidan turns down my brother’s lane.
