“So I had to have another bath. And clean up. It tasted good though.” Harry grinned. There was very little that ever fazed him, the opposite of Charlie.
“What are you doing now?” He saw Rayah smooth Harry’s hair as the tablet rocked in Harry’s hands. It was tender and sweet, how she always was with his kids, when she wasn’t involving them in some form of activity.
“We’re watchingA Muppet’s Christmas Caroland then having an early night. All of us.” She looked at Harry who was definitely the most awake and most likely to still be awake later on.
“But I’m not tired.” Jonny recognised the tone of a little boy who probably was but was going to fight it.
“I’m going to phone Rayah at eight-thirty and if you three aren’t in bed by that point, then I’ll be taking toys away for at least two days. Do you understand?”
Sadie Grace clearly did. She was now out for the count. There was murmured assent from his sons.
“Thanks Ray.”
She smiled, looking sleepy herself. “How’s my brother?”
“Charming the female population of Leeds.” The last time Jonny had seen Jake he’d been entangled with two blondes who seemed keen on the idea of it being the season of sharing.
“Sounds about right.” She brushed a curl away from her face. Her skin was make-up free, the darkness under her eyes suggesting that the end of term was well-needed. Rayah had always been pretty. When they had been at school the boys in his year and hers had been keen to go out with her, but she’d not been interested, preferring to undertake acts of adventure. When she’d gone to university she’d had a string of boyfriends, none serious, none good enough for her to be serious. The pyjamas she had on right now looked silly and daft, she’d probably bought them for staying over with the kids, a pyjama party, because that was Rayah. She didn’t give a flying rat’s backside about what people thought of her, she didn’t need to, because the standards she set for herself were high enough.
And then his mind went there and he wondered what she was wearing under the pyjamas.
Not appropriate. Not fair on her. Or his kids and if he was still thinking about what she was or wasn’t wearing later when he was on his own back at the hotel - maybe he needed to make the most of a night away.
“He’s in good spirits any way. We’ll make sure he makes relatively good choices.”
Rayah laughed, now holding the tablet. Harry eyes weren’t on him anymore, instead they were on the TV, his little body finally looking relaxed. Maybe he would sleep okay.
“Do you want me to sit Christmas Eve?”
“Mrs Morris said she would – I figured you’d probably be out.”
She shook her head. “Sorrell’s doing a family dinner at the hotel, to which you lot are invited. Why don’t I take the kids and then come back here? I kind of promised them some Christmassy things.”
“If you’re sure.” He’d learned early on that not accepting people’s offers to help through pride or stubbornness that he could manage on his own was an act of stupidity. If Rayah didn’t want to be there Christmas Eve, she wouldn’t have suggested it.
“I’m sure. Given that Keren’s due to drop any second and Sorrell’s being weird, it was never going to be a large one anyway. We can walk there and back too and see what’s happening in the town afterwards. Hopefully you’ll have a quiet night and get home straight after.”
“Hopefully.” He doubted it would be quiet. Christmas Eve was usually busy with people forgetting to blow out candles or leaving pans on the hob. He was basically doing a shift and a half so Will could do some family shit, but then he was doing Christmas Day.
“You should get back inside to your drink. I’m going to carry Sadie up to bed.” She gave him a smile that made something inside him ache. It was sweet and tired, but genuine. “Try not to freeze and if possible, make sure Jake doesn’t catch anything nasty.” She glanced at Charlie. “He doesn’t need a cold for Christmas day.”
Jonny laughed. “I’ll call you back in an hour or so, check the monsters are in bed.”
“Dad, I’m not a little kid!” Charlie managed half a protest. “You called us monsters when we were tiny.”
“You’re still tiny. Make sure you help Rayah out with Harry.”
Charlie poked his tongue out and then started the goodnight via video ritual which had become ordinary life for them with Jonny’s shifts. It had been hard, especially when one of them was ill or upset and he was at work, but they managed.
They werein a restaurant when he called Rayah to make sure the monsterswerein bed. Jonny found a recently vacated table and hid there. Rayah answered straight away, angling the tablet so he could tell she was lying on the sofa.
Wearing what?
“They’re all asleep. I had to carry Harry to bed. Swimming on a Friday evening is highly recommended.” She gave him a sleepy smile and he wondered if he’d woken her.
“I’m glad they’ve behaved. What are you up to? Don’t tell me I’ve disturbed your beauty sleep.”
“I’m beautiful enough. I might’ve been napping though. Your sofa’s comfy. I think it’s better than my bed.”
