Morgan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"I will admit I stuffed up big time but in my mind I had a good reason. You see, when I went back to the city I headed straight for the office and told Bran what I wanted to do. He had no problem with it because it was my project so long as we didn't lose any money. I put together a plan the board could and did approve."
"So why did you take so long to get back here if it was so simple?"
"My father is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, something we tried to keep private. My brother and I have run the company for years but there are days when he forgets what is going on. He thought he still had control of the business and tried to take me to court to cut me out when he heard what I wanted to do." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It was pretty horrible for my mother but we had to get him declared incompetent in the eyes of the law before we could proceed." He cringed inside at the memory of his poor father being taken into care and the devastating pain that had hit his mother watching it. But it was nothing to the pain they all suffered when two days later he died of a heart attack.
"It must be horrible for you but you could at least have phoned to let me know."
"Yes I could and I should have but I didn't. I don't even have the heart to make up an excuse. I won't lie to you Stacey. I let you down and acted like a spoiled selfish kid. I'm sorry."
"I need more than that Morgan. Can you understand? I need someone that will be there for me and the baby, regardless of what else is happening in our lives. If there is a holdup I deserve to be told about it, not pushed to the back burner. I don't work like that."
"Fair enough, I get that." He took a deep breath and asked the question. "Is it too late for us?"
A small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth before her lips wobbled. He noticed the tears building in her eyes.
Striding over to the bed he gathered her in his arms before she broke down and cried.
"Shh, I have you darling. Nothing will hurt you again, least of all me."
Stacey sobbed as though her heart would break and Morgan held her tight rubbing her back. Doc had told him she hadn't let go of her shock yet and he was worried about her going home and breaking down without someone to support her. Hopefully this was her release.
"Can you lie on the bed and hold me please Morgan. Just hold me while I sleep for a bit longer. I'm so damned tired."
Morgan stretched out beside her and slipped his arm under her head bringing her down onto his chest. Smoothing her hair back he stroked it until she fell asleep in his arms. For the first time in days he was relaxing. Closing his eyes he breathed in her scent and drifted off to sleep.
When the mothers peeked in later that evening, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Both of their children were sleeping happily in each other's arms. That bode well for the future.
"Let's go and have dinner at the pub. I hear Nigel does a fabulous steak," Lois said slipping her arm through Stacey's mothers guiding her out of the hospital.
The End
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Outback Café
Ann B Harrison
Untitled
All Rights Reserved 2019 Ann B Harrison
First published in 2016
Ann B Harrison is the internationally best-selling author of thirtyfive plus romance novels including her fabulous Watson Brothers Romance stories published by Tule Publishing Group.
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Volume Four
Prologue
The presenter held the gold envelope up, a teasing smile on her heavily made-up face. The music reached fever pitch and Lena gripped Cole’s hands, her eyes on the stage as the woman pulled out the slip of card with the winner on it. She batted her eyelashes at the crowd and gave a coy smile and a wink before reading out the name. God please let it be us. After all the hard work bringing the restaurant up to where it is now, we deserve it.
“And the winner of Australia’s Top Restaurant for 2015 is…” A loud drum roll filled the packed venue and more than six thousand people held their breath. “Cibo Buono, under the ownership of Cole Franklin and wife Lena Hawkins.”
Yes! Finally. Lena turned to the man by her side, grabbed his face, and looked into Cole’s stunned expression Tears rushed to fill the edges of her own eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “Told you we could do this. So very proud of you, baby.” She locked lips with him and her heart rocked in silent triumph. Things had suddenly become so much more appealing. All the hard work paid off. At long last.
Lena broke the kiss, ignoring the call of the crowd to get a room and grabbed her husband’s hand in hers. Together they made it past the tables in front of the stage and hurried up the stairs to walk over to the microphone. The crowd was going
