She laughed, pressing her centre to him and hearing him groan. “Baby, anyone can walk in and you’re still an invalid. You need to rest.”
“I can rest. I’m happy to let you do all the work.”
His expression flashed with frustration and he moved away. “I love you Rayah Maynard, but I’m not being kicked out of a hospital for pounding my girlfriend into next week, which is what I’d end up doing.” He bent over and kissed her chastely. “I’ll see you in a few hours with Sadie. Shall I tell the kids?”
Her face nearly broke in two with the grin. “Yes. And tell me their reactions. Shit, Jonny, what if they don’t like the idea?”
He shook his head, smiling. “Rayah, they’ll be over the moon. And they’ve probably worked it out already. See you in a bit. I love you.”
She watched him leave, his words bouncing off the walls in a joyful chorus. She didn’t think she could be any happier.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jonny leaned against the wide doorway into the living room where all three of his kids were sitting on the sofa, quietly watching a documentary about snakes. Sadie was in the middle, her legs tucked under her and her head leaning on Charlie’s shoulder. Harry, for some reason, had hold of one of her feet, clearly a subconscious move as if Harry usually got anywhere near her feet, Sadie would scream blue murder.
He’d wanted to tell them last night, but the full moon or a wind blowing at certain temperature or something had induced temper tantrums that would put a Hollywood reality star to shame. Anything he’d have said would’ve induced sulking and bitching and he wanted delivering the news that he and Rayah were together to be at the right time.
A vet at London Zoo was talking on the TV about looking after reptiles, what they needed to be fed and the size of the tank required.
“That’s Callum Callaghan,” Charlie looked over to him. “His brother’s married to Gran’s Vanessa.”
“I thought he looked familiar.” He’d met Vanessa’s husband and brothers-in-law when Gran’s Gin Distillery had opened last year. “Not sure I’d want his job.”
Harry didn’t take his eyes off the TV. “I do. I want to be a vet when I grow up and have lots of snakes and lizards….”
Jonny sensed there was about to be a long list of did-you-know facts from Harry which would definitely sour Sadie’s mood.
“I need to tell you something.”
The three pairs of eyes belonging to his children stayed fixed on the TV.
Jonny sighed and took the chair. There was no point in trying to have this discussion while they were transfixed with whatever Callum Callaghan was doing with the snake, which was pretty fascinating, he had to admit.
Twenty minutes later, the mini-beasts on the sofa had started to stir, the program over.
“What did you need to tell us, Dad?” Charlie stretched legs that grew longer overnight.
Jonny suddenly felt tongue tied. He pushed his fingers through his hair and weighed up his offspring. There would be an immediate reaction from Sadie. Harry would be non-plussed. Charlie would think about and then think some more.
“Rayah’s coming out of the hospital tomorrow. She’s going to stay here.” That was one way into the conversation.
“Cool.” Harry was still pronouncing the ‘oo’ sound with way too much emphasis, as if he had just discovered the word.
Charlie shifted, his eyes firmly fixed on his father. “How long is staying? I like having her here.”
Jonny realised that his son had been born with far more tact that the average person.
“Maybe a while.” Permanently. As soon as it would work seamlessly, he’d ask her to move in with them. “But she’s staying as my girlfriend, not just as my friend now.”
Charlie snorted. It was a noise that was reminiscent of Jake Maynard and Jonny wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
“So Rayah’s your girlfriend?” Sadie ran over to him and scrambled onto his knee. “Does that mean you kiss?”
He heard Charlie trying not to choke and Harry making the same noise that he did when he saw green beans on his plate.
“Yes, we kiss.” And do a hell of a lot more, but that was a conversation for some time never.
Sadie poked his mouth and squinted at him. “Wasn’t she your girlfriend when you kissed in the kitchen under the mistletoe?”
