Nothing Josh had done, nothinghe had achievedânot even ahastily conceived and swiftlyregretted marriageâhad everdulled the memory of that onenight heâd spent with Grace. Still,in his dreams, his younger selfreached out for her.
It had been unbearably worse during the last twelve months. Sleep was elusive, and when he did manage an hour he woke with an almost desperate yearning for something precious, something that was lost for ever.
This. This woman clinging to him. This childâ¦
He brushed his lips against her temple and then, his head full of the warm, milky scent of baby, he kissed Posieâand for one perfect moment all the pain, all the agony of the last twenty-four hours fell awayâ¦
CHAPTER ONE
GRACE MCALLISTER restlessly paced the entrance to Accident and Emergency, punching yet another number into her cellphone in a desperate attempt to contact Josh Kingsley.
It would be Sunday evening in Australia and sheâd tried his home number first. A woman had picked up.
âAnna Carling.â
âOhâ¦â The sound of her voice, the knowledge that she was in Joshâs apartment answering his phone, for a moment drove everything else from her mind. Then, gathering herself, she said, âCan I speak to Josh, please?â
âWhoâs calling?â
âGrace⦠Grace McAllister. Iâm hisâ¦hisâ¦â
âItâs okay, Grace, I know who you are. His brotherâs wifeâs sister, right?â
The woman was in his apartment and knew all the details of his personal lifeâ¦.
Grace gripped the phone tighter until it was hurting her fingers. âCould I speak to him, please?â
âIâm sorry, Josh is away at the moment. Iâm his personal assistant. Is there anything I can do to help?â
âDo you know where he is?â
âHeâs moving about a lot. Hong Kong. Beijing. Can I pass on a message?â she prompted when Grace didnât reply.
âNo. Thank you.â This wasnât news she could ask a member of his staffâno matter how personalâto deliver second-hand. âI need to speak to him myself. Itâs urgent.â
Anna didnât waste time asking questions, playing the dragon at the door, but gave her a string of contact numbers. His cellphone. The number of his hotel in Hong Kong in case there was no signal. The private number of the manager of the Hong Kong office, since it was evening there. Even the number of Joshâs favourite restaurant.
There was no signal. She left a message asking him to call her, urgently, then called the hotel. He wasnât there and the manager of the Hong Kong office informed her that Josh had flown to mainland China. Apparently Anna had already called the office and primed the manager to expect her call and again, when she wouldnât leave a message, he helpfully gave her the number of Joshâs hotel there, and his partner in Beijing.
Beijing? He had a partner in Beijing? That was new since the last time heâd been home. Or maybe not. He hadnât stayed for more than a few hours and no one had been talking about businessâ¦
Calling the number sheâd been given, she was told that Josh was out of the city for a few days and that the only way to contact him was through his cellphone.
She felt as if she were going around in circles, but at least it helped take her mind off what was happening at the hospital, even if she was dreading the moment she found him.
This time it rang. Once, twice, three times and then she heard him. His voice, so familiar, so strange as he briefly instructed the caller to leave a message.
âMiss McAllisterâ¦â
She spun round as a nurse called her name. Then wished sheâd taken her time.
Sheâd been trying so hard not to think about what was happening to Michael. Sheâd only caught a glimpse of him lying unconscious on the stretcher while the emergency team worked on him before theyâd rushed him away to the operating theatre and sheâd been told to wait.
One look told her everything she needed to know. Her warm, loving brother-in-law had not survived the accident that had already killed her sister.
âJoshâ¦â She forced his name out through a throat aching with unshed tears. There would be time for tears, but not yet. Not now. âJosh⦠You have to come home.â