“Yes, Daddy,” she murmured obediently, walking slightly tenderly as her burning bottom chafed on the fabric stretched tight across her swollen cheeks.
She hadn’t been at her desk more than two minutes when Vanessa sidled up. “I’ve got to be quick,” she said, glancing across at Janice who gave a curt nod. “Are you okay? What happened? Have you been crying? Your eyes are all red and your mascara is a bit smudged. You really should invest in some waterproof stuff.”
Jilly smiled. “This is waterproof stuff,” she said. “But yes, I was crying. A little bit.” Liar! her inner mind taunted her. But she forced it aside. Vanessa didn’t need to know the details. “There was a bit to work out, but I’m good. Still have my job, just had to apologise and... stuff.”
Vanessa hugged her. “It’s so good to have you back!” she exclaimed. “This place just wasn’t the same without you.”
“It’s good to be back,” Jilly said. And it was. She liked her job. And even though Matthew had been more than generous in his offer, she didn’t want to be entirely dependent on him. She liked earning her own money.
“Well I’m back to work, no more gossiping for me, Mr. Hutchings is on the warpath. Final warning.”
Jilly tsked and shook her head. She was surprised Vanessa hadn’t been given a final warning a while ago, actually. “Catch you later then. Morning tea. Matthew is taking me out for lunch.”
“Good for you!” Vanessa said, without a hint of malice. “He’s good for you, you know. He likes you, I can tell.”
“Mmhmm.” Jilly smiled. “I know.” But that was all she said. Nobody needed to know the rest of their plans yet. Not until Jilly had taken Lily out to see his house, anyway. If she hated it, they would be back to square one.
* * *
Lily’s eyes were wide as Matthew drove them in through the front gate of his rural home. A concrete tree-lined driveway meandered its way up a slight rise, past a small pond with a jetty and ducks, a donkey in the paddock beside it, and a few sheep in the paddock off to the left.
“You have a farm!” she breathed excitedly, her face pressed to the window, her little body bouncing up and down in the seat. “I’ve never been on a farm before!”
Matthew chuckled. “Not a farm, exactly, but a few acres. Plenty big enough.”
As soon as Matthew pulled his car up in the centre of the big, circular driveway outside the lavish white weatherboard home, Lily had her seatbelt off and was leaping out, racing toward the paddocks.
“Lily!” Jilly yelled, fearful for her daughter, but Lily kept running.
In a flash, Matthew was out of the car chasing after her, his long legs catching up to her in just a few strides. He caught her up in his arms and Jilly could hear her infectious giggle. She watched as Matthew put her daughter back down on the ground but took her hand, leading her through the gate and into the paddock, walking slowly up to the donkey. Jilly could sense the little girl’s excitement as she stroked the animal’s coarse fur and she allowed herself to relax. It would be so good for Lily out here; a quieter lifestyle where she could be surrounded by animals, but still commutable distance to the city.
The little she could see of the interior of the house through the French doors looked nice, and it was definitely big enough for all of them. And more babies. Jilly smiled and wandered out to the paddock too, to join Matthew and her daughter. My family.
“Mum! Mum! Matthew’s got a donkey!” Lily yelled, scampering toward her mother, her little legs fairly flying across the grass. “And he’s beautiful!”
Jilly laughed. “I can see!”
“Can I have a pony? Please, Mum? Pretty please? I’ll take such good care of him!”
“You’d have to ask Matthew, sweetie. I don’t know if he has the room. Or if he wants a pony here.” Reining in her animal-loving daughter would be challenging, and it was a challenge she hadn’t thought of.
As soon as Matthew was close enough, Lily reached out and took his hand, looking up at him with her big eyes. “Please?”
Matthew chuckled and tugged gently on her ponytail. “Yes, if your mum’s happy about it, you can have a pony.”
Lily squealed and threw her arms around him. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I can’t wait to live here!” she yelled, excited. She turned to Jilly. “See? I can! Matthew said yes! How about a kitten? Can I have a kitten, too? Pretty please?”
“Let’s just wait and see, shall we?” Jilly said. “There’s plenty of time for that.”
Jilly watched, her heart overflowing with happiness, as Lily tugged on Matthew’s hand. “Do we get to stay here forever? Mum and me?”
“Yes, sweetheart, you can stay here forever and ever.” Jilly’s heart melted as the man she loved bent down and answered her little girl. Then he straightened and wrapped his arms around Jilly, pulling her close, claiming her mouth with a delicious kiss. “As long as it’s okay with you.”
“It’s okay with me,” she whispered back.
He kissed her again, her lips, her nose. “Excellent. I love you, baby girl.”
“And I love you, Daddy.”
The End
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