“Go do your job. Be a hero.” She leaned closer to him. “Be Thor…”
“You were listening?”
“I was sitting near the door de-gluing your daughter. You handled the questions well. He needs more reassurance still.”
“He does. He’s ready for some fathering.” Jonny’s hand touched her shoulder. “I’ll call you. My credit card is in my drawer upstairs. Use it.”
“Sure.”
She watched him as he said goodbye to each of his children, none of them the slightest bit fussed about him having to leave. They were used to it because their daddy had always been a hero. Thor. With slightest reddish-brown hair instead of blonde.
Her phone started to ring almost as soon as Jonny had closed the front door, Sorrell’s name flashing up with a picture of them together over Christmas.
“How’s the sickness?” She was predicting Sorrell needed to vent her grumpy hormones at someone.
“Fine but I need an extra pair of hands and I have no one else to ask, even Zack’s working. Abby hasn’t turned up for her shift and I’ve no one else to pull in – that sickness bug has taken out half my staff. Any chance you could just come and help turn over a couple of rooms? You know I wouldn’t ask normally.”
She wouldn’t. Sorrell was one of the proudest people Rayah knew. She also knew that this weekend was a ridiculously busy one as the hotel had been completely booked out for a wedding and tomorrow she was full again with a yoga retreat and as much as she would work her own fingers to the very delicate bones, Rayah knew she was tiring easily because of the pregnancy.
“Jonny’s just gone off to a fire. I have the kids. Give me an hour to make sure they’re washed and grab things to keep them amused and we’ll all come up. Charlie can help; I’ll give him extra cash for chores.”
“If he helps with the washing up, I’ll pay him. Thank you. A million thank yous.”
Rayah heard the relief in Sorrell’s voice. “It’s fine. You’d do the same for me.”
She was about to hang up when Sorrell spoke. “Why are you at Jonny’s? Did he call you because of the fire?”
They said they wouldn’t lie.“No, I came over last night for a movie night with the kids and I stayed over.”
“If I didn’t have to serve breakfast, I’d be asking more questions right now. As it is, consider yourself lucky that I might forget. Growing a baby takes brain cells.”
Rayah laughed. “Consider it payment for helping you out.” Then she realised she’d pretty much confessed to it being more than just falling asleep on Jonny’s sofa after watching a film.
The kids weren’tthe sort to moan about having a change of plan with their Sunday. She hadn’t gotten round to promising them a trip to the bowling alley or a trip out to the penny arcades so they weren’t disappointed to be walking round to her house to pick up her car, Sadie Grace carrying her games console, Harry his current science experiment kit and Charlie Sadie’s car seat. Anywhere but Severton they’d have looked a slightly strange crew. Here they fit right in.
“I noticed you had no lights on in your house last night, Rayah Maynard!” Maud, one of the Coven, hollered over. “And your curtains weren’t drawn. If you send me a text next time I’ll bob in and close up for you.”
And that was how you announce to everyone with ears that you stayed out elsewhere overnight.
“Thanks Maud, I’ll do that in future.” There was no point in being anything other than sweet, and in all honesty, Maud generally was just trying to help. If it had been Gran, the comment would’ve been far subtler. And even helpful.
“It’s good that you help Jonny out with these three. He works ever so hard.” Maud gave them all a beaming smile, one that Rayah knew would translate into chocolate bars and sweets the next time they were in the post office that Maud helped run with Gran.
“Daddy was home last night. We all watched a film together.” Harry shouted it across the road.
“That’s lovely. He’s a good man, your daddy. A good man, Rayah Maynard.” The twinkle in her eye was unmistakable. “You make sure you look after him.”
“We do!” Sadie yelled and was immediately distracted by the car. “Can I sit in the front?”
The squabble was brief but intense, resolved without her needing to verbally intervene, simply putting the car seat in the back helped a great deal.
She started to strap Sadie Grace into the seat when the little girl’s expression changed, her usual rosy cheeks paling.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?”
“That was the car.” Sadie pointed to a long black Porsche that had just pulled up.
“What car?” Rayah frowned, trying not to stare.
