Double Trouble: Pregnancy Surprise: Two Little Miracles / Expecting Royal Twins! / Miracle: Twin Babies

He hadn’t really believed that there could be so many shops all selling similar things lined up row after row after row. Well, he’d known they existed, of course he did, but that they should be so heaving with people on a February week-day stunned him.

But they found a stairgate for the babies, and lots of clothes, nappies and toys—so many, in fact, that he ended up making more than one trip back to the car to offload them. And there was a special baby zone, where they were able to feed and change the babies, and for once he managed not to get too messy.

Then it was back to the fray, and he caught Jules looking longingly at a clothes shop. For women.

‘When did you last buy anything new?’ he asked, and she smiled wryly.

‘What, apart from jeans and jumpers? I can’t remember. But I don’t need anything else.’

‘Yes, you do,’ he told her. ‘Of course you do.’

‘When for?’

He shrugged. ‘When I take you out for dinner?’

‘What, with the babies in tow?’

‘No. When we get a babysitter.’

‘I don’t know a babysitter—well, apart from Jane, and she won’t want to babysit for me in the evening. I usually take the girls round to her if I need to go somewhere where I can’t take them.’

‘My mother?’

‘Linda? She lives in London.’

‘She’d come up.’

‘What—just so you can take me out for dinner? That’s a bit of an ask.’

‘We could stay there.’

In their old room? The one where they’d stayed in the past? She was looking doubtful, and he realised why.

‘Sorry. I’m getting ahead of the game here, but—why not buy a dress? Something pretty. A top, maybe, if you don’t want a dress, or some new trousers. You can always dress up at home, if you want to.’

‘But I don’t,’ she said bluntly, and he blinked.

She was looking at him as if he’d suggested something wrong, and it dawned on him that she was taking it as a criticism of her clothes.

‘Oh, Jules, don’t get uppity. I wasn’t criticising. I just thought—if you wanted something pretty—’ He broke off. ‘It doesn’t matter. Forget it. I’m sorry.’

And, without waiting for her response, he walked away.

Damn.

Had she misread him? Because she’d love to buy some new clothes, something pretty that fitted her new, different body and made her feel like a woman again instead of a milk machine.

Underwear. Pretty, sexy underwear.

For Max?

Maybe. God knows he wasn’t seeing her in her nursing bras.

And a pretty top, and some nice, well-cut trousers that didn’t cling to her lumpy thighs like glue. None of her old trousers fitted her any more. They were all too tight, but she’d been stick-thin when they’d been jetting all over the place, because there had quite simply never been time to eat.

But she had time now, and the inclination, to keep herself well, and so she had curves where she’d never had curves before.

She grabbed the hands of the baby buggy and ran after him. ‘Max? Max, stop! Please!’

He stopped, and she caught up with him and tried a smile. ‘I’m sorry. I misunderstood—and you’re right. I’d love to get some new things. I actually need to get some new things. Can you bear it?’

‘Only if I get to see them as you try them on.’

‘Oh. I was talking about underwear, really.’

His eyes flared, then darkened. ‘Even better,’ he murmured, and she felt a soft tide of colour sweep over her cheeks.

‘You can’t—’

‘Maybe not in the shop,’ he agreed. ‘But later.’

She swallowed. ‘OK, forget the underwear,’ she said hastily, and he pulled a face, but he laughed anyway.

‘So, what else?’

‘Just—tops, trousers. It won’t take long.’

He snorted. ‘I’m not that naïve. Why don’t I take the kids with me and leave you to it for an hour or so? You can ring me when you’re ready, and I’ll come and pay.’

‘You don’t have to pay!’ she protested, but he just raised an eyebrow.

‘Jules, you’re my wife,’ he said firmly. ‘And I will quite happily pay for your clothes. I’ve just paid several hundred thousand pounds for the sake of spending a little time with you. I don’t think the odd top or pair of trousers is going to make a whole lot of difference.’

Oh, lord. She’d thought the Yashimoto deal was a bit hasty. Now she was beginning to realise just how much he’d invested in their relationship, and she looked at him with new eyes.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to do that.’

‘Jules, it’s fine. I’m happy with it. It was a good decision. And we’re talking about a cut in profits, more than a deficit, so forget it. Now, my phone?’

‘Oh. Yes.’ She rummaged in her bag and found his phone, but, as she handed it over, there was a bit of her that wondered if he’d suggested this as a way of getting the phone off her.

‘No. Trust me.’

Had she said it out loud? ‘Sorry. Right, I’ll be as quick as I can. Don’t leave them.’

He gave her a look, then turned away and headed off into the crowd, leaving her feeling suddenly empty-handed and at a loss.

Come on, Julia, she told herself. Organisation. Underwear first, then a top, then trousers. And she headed into a large top-end department store, found the lingerie and started shopping.