Read Online Three-And-A-Half Heartbeats by Amanda Prowse - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda Prowse
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as if Chloe had passed a test.
‘Yep, bless her. I’ll change her nappy now so we don’t have to disturb her later. ‘Ssshh…’ Grace whispered, to quell her daughter’s whimpers as she lifted up her nightdress and removed her pull-ups. ‘It’s bone dry.’ She laid her hand on the dry, warm nappy. ‘That’s odd.’
‘Not really, Grace. She’s hardly drunk anything, has she?’ Tom said.
‘No, of course, that’ll be it. I guess usually she’s guzzling all day, isn’t she?’
‘Again, like her mother!’ He laughed. ‘Talking of which, shall I go pop the fire on and open a bottle of red?’
‘If you like. I don’t feel a hundred per cent. I’m thinking I might go in a bit later tomorrow, get Chloe back into her routine in the morning, help you get her settled. I can get the 11.30 train and be in for lunchtime. That’d be okay, wouldn’t it?’
‘More than okay. She’ll be happy.’ He pointed at their sleeping beauty. ‘And her daddy is certainly happy. Hello, lie-in!’ Tom beamed.
‘With Miss Squeaky Door on patrol at the crack of a sparrow’s fart? You should be so lucky.’ The two laughed as Grace placed Dr Panda by her side and tucked the duvet around her little girl. She kissed her forehead. ‘Goodnight, baby. I love you, Chloe. We were so proud of you today, you did really well, my beautiful girl.’
Chloe stirred and opened her mouth. ‘Aspetimeee…’ She fell back again against the pillow, asleep.
Grace looked at her husband and shrugged. They both laughed.
‘Definitely one over the eight!’ Tom bent low and kissed his daughter. ‘You were a star today, Chlo. I’ll be up to check on you in a bit.’
Grace paused on the landing. ‘Ha! Tom, listen!’ She cupped her hand around her ear. ‘No snoring!’
Tom made out to clap and twirled on the spot. ‘Mr Portland, I love you, and so will the captain of the rowing team!’
Grace dug him in the ribs as they tiptoed down the stairs. While Tom gathered the bottle of wine from the kitchen, Grace switched her phone on. ‘Flaming Nora, I’ve got a million texts from Mum and Alice and Jayney, all asking how she got on! I can’t be arsed to reply to them all. Is it okay to send a group reply, do you think?’ She looked up at her husband.
‘Yes, do it, then we get more us-time!’ He winked.
Grace laughed as she rattled off a response. Evening all! Home! Happy to report all went very well. Chloe now soundo. Will give update in the morning. Night y’all. xxx
Tom collapsed by her side and handed her a glass of wine. ‘I’m exhausted.’ He yawned as if to prove the point.
‘Poor baby.’ She stroked his hair. ‘And there was me hoping for a bit of TLC.’
‘Ooh, that feels nice. And I did offer to get you Paracetamol earlier, that was TLC!’ He nestled against her, catlike and yawned again.
‘Oh, honey, yes you did. Are you too tired for sexy thoughts?’ Grace nudged him with her elbow.
Tom looked up. ‘Grace, I am never too tired for sexy thoughts.’
‘Shame.’ She sipped at her wine. ‘Cos I am.’
Tom lunged forward and kissed his wife hard on the mouth, drawing away to chat. ‘It’s been a funny old day, horrible because of what Chloe went through, but really lovely as you’ve been home. I’ve loved it.’ He kissed her again, longer this time.
‘I’ve loved it too,’ Grace whispered, feeling slightly breathless by the force of their contact. Her face glowed as she marvelled that even after all these years, they still had that magic; even when she was feeling a little under the weather, he could make her heart thud.
‘Shall we take this wine upstairs?’ he asked as he pulled her from the sofa.
Grace smiled, nodding as she picked up her glass and followed him back up. She poked her head into Chloe’s room and stood on the landing, enjoying the silence, which would take a bit of getting used to. Gone was the snuffle-pig snore that had become Chloe’s signature noise. She crept backwards,
‘Yep, bless her. I’ll change her nappy now so we don’t have to disturb her later. ‘Ssshh…’ Grace whispered, to quell her daughter’s whimpers as she lifted up her nightdress and removed her pull-ups. ‘It’s bone dry.’ She laid her hand on the dry, warm nappy. ‘That’s odd.’
‘Not really, Grace. She’s hardly drunk anything, has she?’ Tom said.
‘No, of course, that’ll be it. I guess usually she’s guzzling all day, isn’t she?’
‘Again, like her mother!’ He laughed. ‘Talking of which, shall I go pop the fire on and open a bottle of red?’
‘If you like. I don’t feel a hundred per cent. I’m thinking I might go in a bit later tomorrow, get Chloe back into her routine in the morning, help you get her settled. I can get the 11.30 train and be in for lunchtime. That’d be okay, wouldn’t it?’
‘More than okay. She’ll be happy.’ He pointed at their sleeping beauty. ‘And her daddy is certainly happy. Hello, lie-in!’ Tom beamed.
‘With Miss Squeaky Door on patrol at the crack of a sparrow’s fart? You should be so lucky.’ The two laughed as Grace placed Dr Panda by her side and tucked the duvet around her little girl. She kissed her forehead. ‘Goodnight, baby. I love you, Chloe. We were so proud of you today, you did really well, my beautiful girl.’
Chloe stirred and opened her mouth. ‘Aspetimeee…’ She fell back again against the pillow, asleep.
Grace looked at her husband and shrugged. They both laughed.
‘Definitely one over the eight!’ Tom bent low and kissed his daughter. ‘You were a star today, Chlo. I’ll be up to check on you in a bit.’
Grace paused on the landing. ‘Ha! Tom, listen!’ She cupped her hand around her ear. ‘No snoring!’
Tom made out to clap and twirled on the spot. ‘Mr Portland, I love you, and so will the captain of the rowing team!’
Grace dug him in the ribs as they tiptoed down the stairs. While Tom gathered the bottle of wine from the kitchen, Grace switched her phone on. ‘Flaming Nora, I’ve got a million texts from Mum and Alice and Jayney, all asking how she got on! I can’t be arsed to reply to them all. Is it okay to send a group reply, do you think?’ She looked up at her husband.
‘Yes, do it, then we get more us-time!’ He winked.
Grace laughed as she rattled off a response. Evening all! Home! Happy to report all went very well. Chloe now soundo. Will give update in the morning. Night y’all. xxx
Tom collapsed by her side and handed her a glass of wine. ‘I’m exhausted.’ He yawned as if to prove the point.
‘Poor baby.’ She stroked his hair. ‘And there was me hoping for a bit of TLC.’
‘Ooh, that feels nice. And I did offer to get you Paracetamol earlier, that was TLC!’ He nestled against her, catlike and yawned again.
‘Oh, honey, yes you did. Are you too tired for sexy thoughts?’ Grace nudged him with her elbow.
Tom looked up. ‘Grace, I am never too tired for sexy thoughts.’
‘Shame.’ She sipped at her wine. ‘Cos I am.’
Tom lunged forward and kissed his wife hard on the mouth, drawing away to chat. ‘It’s been a funny old day, horrible because of what Chloe went through, but really lovely as you’ve been home. I’ve loved it.’ He kissed her again, longer this time.
‘I’ve loved it too,’ Grace whispered, feeling slightly breathless by the force of their contact. Her face glowed as she marvelled that even after all these years, they still had that magic; even when she was feeling a little under the weather, he could make her heart thud.
‘Shall we take this wine upstairs?’ he asked as he pulled her from the sofa.
Grace smiled, nodding as she picked up her glass and followed him back up. She poked her head into Chloe’s room and stood on the landing, enjoying the silence, which would take a bit of getting used to. Gone was the snuffle-pig snore that had become Chloe’s signature noise. She crept backwards,
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