While waiting for tea and dessert to be served, Tessa excused herself to use the ladies room, and Ian used the opportunity to speak freely to Peter.

“I want you to know,” he began somewhat haltingly, “how much I admire you, Peter. Tessa’s told me very little about your life, but I know it was a difficult one. The pair of you were more or less orphans for a good part of your lives, forced to look out for yourselves. And you’ve both managed to make a good life for yourselves, to fight your way out of poverty and abuse. And,” he added soberly, “I especially admire you for everything you did for Tessa. Not many young men would have looked out for her that way, or put their own plans on hold to make sure she was taken care of.”

Peter looked distinctly uncomfortable at this unexpected praise. “She helped me out, too,” he acknowledged. “Worked two or three jobs to help support us so that I could get my college degree. And she was just about the only friend I had for a long time. The only person I didn’t feel ill at ease with, or threatened by. After what I went through as a kid, it was hard for me to make friends or trust people. I kept to myself a lot, didn’t talk to people unless I had to. I know most everyone thought I was a weirdo or some sort of misfit, but Tessa never once made me feel that way.”

He paused to take a sip of his water, a wistful smile on his face. “She was so damned pretty, Ian. Even at sixteen she was a knockout. Guys looked at her everywhere she went but it was like she didn’t even notice. She’d already been through so much by that point in her life that I think maybe she forgot she was still a teenager. Or didn’t know how to have fun and do all the things girls her age were expected to enjoy. I used to tease her all the time when she fussed over me, called her “Little Mother”. But it was flattering, too, because in all my life no one had ever looked out for me like Tess did.”

Ian nodded, but oddly enough didn’t feel the slightest bit of jealousy at hearing this. “Tessa is a natural born mother,” he agreed. “She fusses over me as well. And it’s every bit as flattering to me as I’m sure it was to you, Peter.”

Peter’s smile looked a little sad. “She will be a great mom one of these days. That is,” he added hastily, “assuming that you, uh, want kids.”

Ian chuckled. “Yes, very much. But I also want Tessa all to myself for awhile before I have to share her with a baby. So the children will come, but just not right away.”

“Good, good.” Peter looked relieved. “That’s one of several reasons why I ended our marriage when I did, you know. Considering the trauma I endured I’m not sure I’ll ever be emotionally stable enough to deal with parenthood. But Tess - well, she’s so warm and affectionate and loving that it would have been a crime for her not to have children. And seeing the two of you together, how much you care for each other - I know that you’ll be the kind of father her kids deserve.”

“I hope so,” replied Ian quietly. “Though most days I’m not sure that I deserve Tessa. Look, one last thing before she returns. I’ll always be grateful to you for everything you did for Tessa - protecting her, marrying her to make sure she didn’t wind up in a bad situation. And, well, even for divorcing her when you did so that I could finally approach her. So I’d like to find a way of doing something for you in return, Peter.”

Peter frowned. “You mean like money? No way would I ever agree to that, Ian. I looked out for Tess because it was the right thing to do, because I wanted to do it. I would never take money for helping out a friend in need.”

“I know that,” Ian told him. “And I wasn’t planning to take out my checkbook. But I would like to offer you this, if it’s something that interests you. I have a very good friend from our university days - Roger Metcalfe - who is currently the head of the Associated Press office in London. I don’t know how long your current contract runs, or if you prefer to stay in the Middle East, but if you think you’d be interested in a change, I can arrange for you to meet Roger. The rest would be entirely up to you.”

Peter’s eyes had widened at the mention of the worldwide, well renowned news agency. “The API?” he murmured in wonder. “That’s pretty much the top news agency in the world. And you could really get me an interview with the head of the European division? That’s pretty mind-boggling, Ian.”

“It would be the simplest thing in the world to arrange,” he confirmed. “Just say the word. It’s the very least I can do to thank you.”

“Wow.” Peter shook his head in disbelief. “Of course I’d be interested. At least, I would be when the time comes. My current contract is up in September, but I’ll need to decide by July at the latest if I’m going to re-sign with them. If I could talk to your friend at API sometime this spring I think that would be about the right timing.”

“Consider it done.”

Ian and Peter exchanged phone numbers and email addresses just as Tessa returned to the table, and the waiter arrived with their tea and dessert.

She looked at Ian and then at Peter, and smiled. “Why do I feel that the two of you have been swapping secrets about me while I’ve been gone? Oh, God,” she wailed to Peter. “Please tell me you did not tell Ian about the first time I tried making meatloaf and almost burned the apartment down in the process.”

Ian arched a brow. “He didn’t. But now that you’ve brought the subject up, Tessa, you know I’ll badger you until I hear the entire story.”

Peter grinned. “I’d actually forgotten about that meatloaf. It took a whole day to clear the apartment of smoke. But, no. I wasn’t telling Ian about your early adventures in learning how to cook. What I was telling him,” he added gently, “was how happy I am for the two of you. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Tess, and I can see for myself how that’s worked out. I know how upset you were when I left for Bahrain, but I knew you’d never really be happy as long as we remained married. So I’m very glad to be proven right, because if I’d stayed you and Ian would have never been together. And that would have been a real misfortune, because I’ve never seen two people more in love with each other before.”

Tessa reached across the table to give Peter a fierce hug, and whispered her thanks in a tearful voice. Meanwhile, Ian met Peter’s eyes and mouthed a silent “thank you” to him.