‘What details did you want?’ Sam raised an eyebrow.
‘Everything,’ Alisha chimed in with a gap-toothed grin.
Claire cast him a look. ‘I’ll get them directly from Clara.’
They all sat back at the table, and Sam leaned right back as both his nieces tried to sit on his knee at the same time. ‘Ok, you’re getting a bit big for this.’
‘So, you’re a teacher like Sam,’ Claire said to Clara. ‘I don’t know how you do it.’
Clara smiled. ‘Teaching can be tough, but I enjoy it. I used to teach social studies, but I moved into guidance a few years back. It’s not quite the same as I’m not in a classroom anymore, but it’s still challenging.’
‘I could never do what you do,’ Claire said with a shake of her head.
‘Likewise. It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse. You’re amazing for doing it.’
Claire shrugged. ‘It’s just my job.’
‘I bet the patients love you. Just like the school kids all love Sam… so do the staff.’
Sam held his breath. Was she going to say that she loved him again? Alisha took the opportunity to tickle him in the ribs, and he nearly catapulted the two of them into the hedge. ‘You totally winded me.’
‘Be gentle.’ Claire gave them a stern look. ‘Remember Uncle Sam is a softy, and if you push him too hard, his stuffing will fall out.’
‘Such a lovely image.’ Sam shook his head.
Claire laughed. ‘So, everybody loves you. How sweet.’ She cocked her head and blinked her eyes in a fake way.
Sam groaned inwardly but couldn’t help cracking a smile. ‘Of course they do. Just my natural charm.’
Clara patted his arm. ‘That’s exactly what it is.’
Moira chuckled. ‘Wait until you hear the story they told Dominic.’
‘What story?’ Claire’s eyes widened. But before Sam could speak, Moira had already taken up the tale, and Claire was laughing.
‘And he believes it?’ she said.
‘So far,’ Sam said.
‘And to what lengths will you go to prove it?’ Claire looked between the two of them with a grin.
Alisha tugged on Sam’s sleeve. ‘Does it mean you’re getting married?’ she asked.
‘No.’ Sam laughed and tousled Alisha’s dark hair affectionately. ‘Clara and I are just friends.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Claire sat back with a sceptical expression.
Mina looked up at Sam with big brown eyes. ‘Can we be flower girls when you get married?’
‘I’m not getting married.’ Sam smiled at Mina, then looked at Claire, who was still giving him a very annoying look – nothing more than he’d expected.
With his mum and sister so genuinely taken with Clara, time passed quickly with pleasant chat and a lot of laughs.
As the late afternoon shadows crept in, Claire checked her watch with a sigh. ‘Right, I’d better get going.’ She gave Sam, then Clara a quick hug. ‘Duty calls.’
‘It’s been so lovely meeting you,’ Clara said. ‘And hopefully I’ll see you again before we leave.’
‘Aw, I’ll try to. Work is at such odd times, but hopefully we’ll get some time together.’
