‘Yes. This is what life is, isn’t it? It’s the happy and the sad and the unpredictable. It would be wrong to pretend anything different. Lexi needs to know that life is sometimes hard and that things can’t always stay the same. She needs to know that change isn’t always bad and that the unfamiliar can become familiar. And she needs to know that my love for her will never change, no matter what happens to the way we live.’

Ryan stroked his fingers over her cheek. ‘You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever met. When your husband walked out, who supported you? Not your mother, I assume. Your friends?’

‘For a while. Then I discovered that they’d all known he was having the affair and that they’d known about his other affairs and hadn’t told me.’ Jenna pulled away from him. ‘I found that hard. That and all the advice. “Turn a blind eye.” “Dress like a pole dancer and seduce him back—”’

There was amusement in his eyes. ‘Did you adopt that suggestion?’

‘Of course—I went around wearing nothing but fishnets and a basque.’ Pleased that she was able to make a joke about something she’d never thought would seem funny, she wound a strand of hair around her finger. ‘To be honest, I didn’t want him back. Not after I found out that he’d had a string of affairs throughout our marriage. But the worst thing of all was the way he behaved towards Lexi—it was as if he suddenly just washed his hands of her. His own daughter!’ Humour faded and anger flooded through her, fresh as it had been on that first day. ‘Whatever he felt about me, that was no excuse for cutting Lexi out of his life.’

‘Forget him now.’ His voice was rough as he pulled her back to him. ‘He was your past. I’m your future.’

Jenna stared at him, silenced by the possibilities that extended in front of her. She wanted to ask what he meant. She wanted to ask whether the future meant a few weeks, or more than that, but she was terrified of voicing the question in case the answer was something she didn’t want to hear.

He was watching her, absorbing her reaction. ‘Jenna, I know this is soon, but—’ There was a buzzing sound from his pocket, and Ryan swore fluently and dragged out his phone. ‘Maybe there are some advantages to living in a city—at least someone else can carry the load when you want some time off.’ He checked the number and frowned. ‘It’s Logan. I’d better take this—sorry.’