CHAPTER SIX

It was one of those incredible bits of timing. If it had happened a few minutes earlier or later, she'd have just got a taxi to the airport and been free of the whole business. But instead, just as Lana was leaving the house with her bags, Dylan was arriving outside with Kerry, Scotty and Claire. "Hey, what's going on?"he asked. "Are you going away?"

Lana hesitated. She didn't want to lie for Sky but she didn't want to blow everything open for her either. "Kids, can you go inside?"she asked. "Your mum's there."

There were quizzical looks, especially from Kerry and Scotty, but they complied. Dylan went along with it, obviously sensing something was wrong.

"Sky and I are breaking up,"Lana explained.

To his credit, Dylan actually looked surprised. "What? I thought you were settled."

"So did I. But it turns out I'm not what she really wanted. Never was. Neither were you."

That last comment seemed to shock Dylan more. She wondered if there'd been a split second there when he'd thought she was going to tell him Sky wanted to get back with him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Boyd."

"Boyd?" Dylan almost spat the name.

"Turns out Sky's been seeing him in secret all the time she's been living here. All the time she was with you and all the time she was with me. Oh, and apparently he's Scotty and Claire's father." It occurred to Lana as she was saying it just how much she was knocking Dylan's world apart. Perhaps that was unfair. But someone had to tell him. "I'm sorry but…I'm out of this mess. Tell…tell the kids I'll call them later and say goodbye." She saw her taxi pulling into the street and headed for it, not looking back.

"Sky?!"

The voice echoed throughout the house. And Sky could tell from Dylan's tone that he knew something. After making sure the children were occupied, she headed out into the hallway. "I take it Lana's told you something?"

"About Boyd? Yeah. I mean, seriously, of all people? He was a loser when we were kids and he's a loser now. Look at the way he treated Janae!"

"He's not a loser,"Sky snapped. "He was someone that I loved very much. And who's still very precious to me. He always was."

"And what was I then?"Dylan asked.

"You don't want to know that,"Sky retorted. He continued to glare at her and that caused her to lose any reticience she'd had to soft pedal it. "Oh come on, Dylan, you don't seriously believe I moved here and just happened to fall back in love with you, do you? I got back with you for Kerry's sake. It was the only reason I moved here, so she'd have two parents. I didn't want you and you didn't really want me. You just didn't want to admit that she was the only thing we had left in common. Not that we had much in common in the first place. If we hadn't had her, we'd have parted company and never seen each other again when we were kids."

"And Scotty? Claire? I mean, I know Kerry's mine, I had a DNA test done. Have you..?"

"No, I haven't had a DNA test done,"Sky sighed. "But come on, Dylan, face facts. I was with Boyd when they were conceived. They look like him, not you. And did you really think, with all your fertility issues, that we managed not one but three miracle pregnancies?"

"Well, yeah,"Dylan replied. "Because I trusted you. Because I didn't think you'd trick me into bringing up someone else's kids. Because that's what you've done, isn't it? Good old dependable Dylan. You didn't particularly want me as a boyfriend, definitely didn't want me as a husband, but I'm a decent free babysitter, right?"

It was at that moment that Kerry and Scotty came into the hallway, with a confused-looking Claire holding their hands. "Mum?"Kerry asked. "What's going on?"

Dylan turned to them. "Congratulations, kids, you've got a new dad. Oh, not you, Kerry. You still have to put up with me. But the rest of you have hit the jackpot. Oh, and your mum's stuffed things up with Lana already." He turned to Sky. "Do not think we've finished talking about this." He walked out of the house.

"Mum?"Scotty asked. "What did he mean?"

Sky looked at them and took a deep breath. "Your father's name is Boyd Hoyland. He was my first boyfriend, he's someone I still care very deeply about and who I've been spending time with…"

"You have sex with him?"Scotty interrupted.

Sky hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do, when we see each other. And I promise you, even though you've never met him, he's a good man and he knows all about you. And I'm sorry I've never told you the truth."

There were more questions, of course, some she could answer and some she really couldn't. Claire needed a lot more explanations, to try and help her grasp how she could have another dad other than the one she knew. Eventually, they'd been convinced to go to bed and leave Sky sitting on her own.

It was around ten o'clock when she heard the front door open. She knew she hadn't locked it but she also knew not many people would just walk in. Had Lana come back? Or Dylan? Had Grandad found out and popped round to give his opinion on things?

Sky headed out into the hallway and stopped at the sight of Boyd standing there, dropping his bags on the floor.

Without a word, she ran to him and fell into his arms, letting him hold her in a silent hug.

"So how's everyone taking it?"Boyd asked, once he and Sky were settled in the living room.

"About what you'd expect,"Sky admitted. "Lana packed her bags and left. Dylan's hopping mad. The kids are confused…and a bit hurt."

"Do you think me being here will help?"

"I think that they need to meet you." Sky paused, reluctant to admit the next part. "And I think you need to meet them."

Boyd didn't argue with her. "I guess we've got an interesting day ahead of us."

"How long did they give you off work?"

"Well, they weren't keen on me leaving straightaway…so I quit."

Sky looked at him in shock. "Boyd!"

"I figured this was more important." He looked around. "So is there a motel I can stay at?"

"We both know that's not going to happen."

Boyd gave an awkward smile. "I didn't want to assume."

Sky cuddled up to him. "At the end of a crazy day, I am really glad you're here."