Read Online Risk of a Lifetime (Mills & Boon Medical) by Caroline Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Caroline Anderson
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going, she stripped off her clothes, pulled on her jeans and a T-shirt and went back to the kitchen and normality. ‘That’s better. Oh, is that tea for me? Thanks, Mum.’
She sat down at the table with the children and listened to their chatter with half an ear. There had been a bit of a ruckus at nursery. One of the boys had pushed one of the girls over, and he’d been made to stand on the naughty spot all day ! Well, according to Chloe it had been all day, but Grace thought it was only after milk and biscuits, so that wasn’t all day. All day was breakfast to supper, wasn’t it?
‘I expect it felt like all day,’ she said, mediating with the bit of her brain that wasn’t wondering what on earth she’d agreed to. ‘Right, girls, put the crayons away, please, it’s nearly time for your bath and bed.’
‘But I haven’t finished!’ Chloe protested.
‘So put it away and finish it tomorrow. Come on, it’s bathtime and if you mess around now you won’t get a story.’
Chloe put it away. Stories were sacrosanct, and the mere suggestion was enough to ensure her cooperation. If it hadn’t been, Grace would have taken the picture from her and put it away herself, she thought with an inward smile.
She chivvied them into the bathroom, perched on the loo and listened to more of the little boy’s misdemeanours as the girls played in the bath and soaped themselves.
‘Don’t get your hair wet, it doesn’t need washing tonight,’ she reminded them, and then one by one she dried them, cleaned their teeth and sent them to get into their pyjamas.
They had two stories, mostly because she felt so guilty about the ‘me time’ that was coming that she was overcompensating, and then, unable to stall any longer, she tucked them up in bed and went to brave her mother.
‘Gosh, that smells good,’ she said, going back into the kitchen.
‘Shepherd’s pie. Nice and simple, and the girls love it.’
‘I love it, too. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate coming home every evening to a cooked meal and safe, happy children. Will you marry me?’
Her mother laughed and hugged her. ‘Silly girl. I’d be lonely without you all.’
‘Well, good, because it’s not likely to happen.’
And seamlessly, as if the two thoughts were connected, which they probably were, knowing her mother, she said, ‘So, where are you going tonight? Anywhere nice?’
Her heart skipped a beat. ‘I’m meeting Ed for a drink,’ she told her. It was the truth, or as close to it as she intended to get. She was sure that at some point in the proceedings they’d have a drink, and it was a nice simple social thing that didn’t necessarily have any massive implications.
Except that of course it did, for them, and she felt her heart thump and the colour creeping up again towards her cheeks.
‘That’s nice,’ her mother said, setting the pie dish on the table and pulling up her chair. ‘So what are you going to wear?’
‘Oh, nothing smart,’ she said, wondering herself what would be appropriate. Lacy underwear? No underwear —?
‘Jeans and a top?’ she offered hastily, mentally fanning herself.
‘Will you be inside or out? It can get chilly if you’re sitting outside at the pub.’
‘Oh, I doubt if we’ll do that. It’s a bit breezy today.’ Especially with no underwear—
‘Well, take a jacket just in case. There’s nothing worse than being too cold.’
Cold? Cold ? Not a chance she’d be too cold. She was practically catching fire at the thought of what was to come. The only thing that was stopping her from spontaneous combustion was the little icy finger of dread crawling up her spine at the thought of taking off her clothes in front of someone so beautiful and having to endure the disappointment in his eyes.
‘I’ll take a jacket,’ she said. ‘I’m going to walk there and back in any case. Yum, this is delicious. Thank you. So, what have you been up to today? Done anything nice?’
* * *
So there
She sat down at the table with the children and listened to their chatter with half an ear. There had been a bit of a ruckus at nursery. One of the boys had pushed one of the girls over, and he’d been made to stand on the naughty spot all day ! Well, according to Chloe it had been all day, but Grace thought it was only after milk and biscuits, so that wasn’t all day. All day was breakfast to supper, wasn’t it?
‘I expect it felt like all day,’ she said, mediating with the bit of her brain that wasn’t wondering what on earth she’d agreed to. ‘Right, girls, put the crayons away, please, it’s nearly time for your bath and bed.’
‘But I haven’t finished!’ Chloe protested.
‘So put it away and finish it tomorrow. Come on, it’s bathtime and if you mess around now you won’t get a story.’
Chloe put it away. Stories were sacrosanct, and the mere suggestion was enough to ensure her cooperation. If it hadn’t been, Grace would have taken the picture from her and put it away herself, she thought with an inward smile.
She chivvied them into the bathroom, perched on the loo and listened to more of the little boy’s misdemeanours as the girls played in the bath and soaped themselves.
‘Don’t get your hair wet, it doesn’t need washing tonight,’ she reminded them, and then one by one she dried them, cleaned their teeth and sent them to get into their pyjamas.
They had two stories, mostly because she felt so guilty about the ‘me time’ that was coming that she was overcompensating, and then, unable to stall any longer, she tucked them up in bed and went to brave her mother.
‘Gosh, that smells good,’ she said, going back into the kitchen.
‘Shepherd’s pie. Nice and simple, and the girls love it.’
‘I love it, too. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate coming home every evening to a cooked meal and safe, happy children. Will you marry me?’
Her mother laughed and hugged her. ‘Silly girl. I’d be lonely without you all.’
‘Well, good, because it’s not likely to happen.’
And seamlessly, as if the two thoughts were connected, which they probably were, knowing her mother, she said, ‘So, where are you going tonight? Anywhere nice?’
Her heart skipped a beat. ‘I’m meeting Ed for a drink,’ she told her. It was the truth, or as close to it as she intended to get. She was sure that at some point in the proceedings they’d have a drink, and it was a nice simple social thing that didn’t necessarily have any massive implications.
Except that of course it did, for them, and she felt her heart thump and the colour creeping up again towards her cheeks.
‘That’s nice,’ her mother said, setting the pie dish on the table and pulling up her chair. ‘So what are you going to wear?’
‘Oh, nothing smart,’ she said, wondering herself what would be appropriate. Lacy underwear? No underwear —?
‘Jeans and a top?’ she offered hastily, mentally fanning herself.
‘Will you be inside or out? It can get chilly if you’re sitting outside at the pub.’
‘Oh, I doubt if we’ll do that. It’s a bit breezy today.’ Especially with no underwear—
‘Well, take a jacket just in case. There’s nothing worse than being too cold.’
Cold? Cold ? Not a chance she’d be too cold. She was practically catching fire at the thought of what was to come. The only thing that was stopping her from spontaneous combustion was the little icy finger of dread crawling up her spine at the thought of taking off her clothes in front of someone so beautiful and having to endure the disappointment in his eyes.
‘I’ll take a jacket,’ she said. ‘I’m going to walk there and back in any case. Yum, this is delicious. Thank you. So, what have you been up to today? Done anything nice?’
* * *
So there
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