Miracle Christmas. Shirley Jump

tense muscles smoothing out. ‘Can you move in immediately? Today, if possible?’

      Rilla blinked. ‘Whoa! I thought we’d learned the not-rushing-in lesson.’

      ‘Please, Rilla, I don’t want to miss out on one day of the pregnancy.’

      She sighed, completely undone by his emotive plea. She nodded slowly. What was the point in delaying any further now she’d agreed? She didn’t have the right or the heart to deny Luca the connection he craved with their baby.

      ‘I’ll make some arrangements later on when I’m feeling better.’

      Luca put his hand on his heart. ‘Thank you, Rilla. You have made me a very happy man.’

      He looked so sexy, so … Italian, standing there in his clingy pyjamas with joy shining from his black eyes, that she practically swooned. ‘Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet. Just because I’m moving back, it doesn’t mean we won’t have our teething problems. Seven years of silence, Luca. That’s a long time. I think it’ll take a while to feel natural around each other again.’

      Luca nodded. ‘Of course. But I promise to do my best to ease the way. Our baby deserves that commitment. We can make it work for the baby’s sake.’

      Rilla swallowed. For the baby. She had to keep her eye on the ball. There was no room to be sentimental. She was reconciling with her estranged husband for definite reasons. It would be dangerous to read any more into it than that.

      ‘I have to get ready for work,’ Luca said, fighting the urge to go in and sit back on the bed beside her and seal their deal with a kiss.

      Rilla nodded slowly. Somehow agreeing to a reconciliation with him standing in the doorway to her bedroom didn’t seem right. It was a huge step and the distance between them made it seem like an even colder-blooded decision. But it did represent their new life together. Married without intimacy. Together for their child only. Separate bedrooms.

      ‘Sure. I guess I’ll see you tonight?’

      Luca smiled. ‘Tonight.’ He liked the sound of that.

      Coming home to Rilla.

      Again.