Free The Bridesmaid's Baby by Barbara Hannay Page B

these days,’ he said. ‘The locals in Willowbank have accepted the idea of Mattie’s surrogacy very well.’
    ‘Well, yes. That’s true.’
    But, despite her silly dreams, Lucy couldn’t imagine having a baby with Will. He’d never fancied her. And, even if he did, he was Josh’s brother.
    ‘Look, Lucy, don’t get me wrong. I’m not pushing this, but I’m happy to talk it through.’
    ‘Why?’
    A slow smile warmed his eyes. ‘We haven’t talked for years and we used to be really good at it.’
    Lucy felt a blush spread upwards from her throat. Her mind was spinning, grasping desperately at the idea of Will as her baby’s father and then slipping away again, as if the thoughts were made of ice. ‘But what exactly are you saying? That you would be willing to…um…donate sperm for another round of IVF?’
    Surprise flared in his face. He tossed the grass stalk into the water. ‘If that’s what you want.’
    ‘I…I don’t know.’
    ‘Of course, there’s always the natural alternative. If you’ve had trouble with IVF, that shouldn’t be ruled out.’
    Lucy bit her lip to cover her gasp of dismay. She watched the grass float away, disappearing behind a rock. The dogs began to bark again. ‘They’re tired of this spot and they want to move on,’ she told Will.
    ‘Let’s walk, then,’ he suggested.
    There was just enough room on the track for them to walk side by side, and it should have been relaxing to walk with Will beside the creek—like in the old days. But today an unsettling awareness zapped through Lucy. She was too conscious of Will’s tall, rangy body. So close. Touching close.
    She couldn’t think straight. She was so tantalised by the idea of a baby, but how could she even talk about having a baby with Will when she’d never admitted that she’d always had a crush on him?
    She didn’t want to frighten him away, not now when he’d made such an amazing suggestion.
    Dragging in a deep breath, she said, ‘OK. Just say we did…um…give this some thought. How do you actually feel about becoming a father?’
    She glanced at Will and saw his quick smile. ‘To be honest, fatherhood has been well down on my wish list. But I guess I’m seeing it in a new light lately. I’ve been hit by the feeling that I’ve been wasting my life.’
    ‘Because of the little boy at the funeral?’
    ‘Yes, that little guy really got to me. But there’ve been other things too—like Gina’s twins. They knocked me for six. They’re so damn cute.’
    ‘I know. I’m eaten up with envy every time I see them. But you haven’t answered me. Would you really want to be my baby’s father?’
    Will stopped walking. ‘I can’t promise I’d be a terrifichelp, Lucy. I don’t even know where I’m going to be working yet, so there’s not much chance I’d be a hands-on father. But, if you want to have a child, I’d certainly be ready to help.’
    She was so surprised she found her thoughts racing ahead. ‘I don’t mind managing on my own. It’s what I’d planned anyway.’
    Will smiled. ‘So what does that mean? Do you want to give this some serious thought?’
    ‘I…I don’t know.’ She was feeling so dazed. ‘I know I was the one who started this, but I never dreamed you’d take me up on it.’
    Even as she said this, Lucy wished she’d sounded more positive. This was her dream, to have Will’s baby. OK, maybe the dream also involved Will falling madly and deeply in love with her, but surely half a dream was better than none?
    ‘But I guess there’s no harm in thinking about it,’ she said.
    His eyes were very bright, watching her closely. ‘I wasn’t even expecting to see you today. There’s no pressure to make a decision now. We should sleep on it. If we decide to go ahead, we can fine-tune the details later.’
    ‘Fine-tune?’
    ‘IVF versus the alternative,’ he said without smiling.
    The alternative.
    This time Lucy’s skin began to burn from the inside out. She hadn’t