Postcards from Hawaii

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 61

“Should we leave them like that?” Nic asked in a drunken whisper that was as loud as her normal voice. She gestured to Ella lying in Roman’s arms on the long sofa, both of them appearing as though they had fallen asleep.

“Come on,” Geoff murmured leading her away and towards the stairs.

Ella heard the creek of the floorboard at the top of the stairs before she opened her eyes and looked up at Roman.

“You can stop holding your breath now,” she murmured, “They’ve gone.”

“I wasn’t holding my breath, I was trying not to laugh at you pretending to be asleep,” he murmured back.

Ella stretched and eased off him to sit up. She smiled as he immediately reached out and rubbed the small of her back before moving to sit next to her. She inhaled the scent of his aftershave smiling at the familiar fragrance. She’d bought him it for his birthday last year.

“So did I do ok?”

“Getting Toby here?” She asked and he nodded. “Oh yes, I’ve missed him.”

“He said you skype every week,” Roman murmured feeling guilty because he hadn’t spent as much time talking with their elder child as Ella did.

“I’ve been trying to tell him that it’s ok for him to stay there and not move to the Bay,” Ella commented and bit her lip. She flushed as Roman moved aside a lock of her hair and kissed the back of her neck.

“But you do want him closer,” Roman said softly. “He understands that.”

“He’s plenty smart,” Ella sighed and moved to rest her head on his shoulder.

“He is, takes after his mother.”

“Uh huh Solider, you don’t get round me that easily,” she said softly before turning and meeting his lips with her own. She felt his arms sliding around her tentatively and smiled at that. His kiss was gentle, non-demanding and she liked that. The urge to sneak him up the stairs and into her room overwhelmed her and she pulled back looking into his eyes.

“El,” he said as though he was reading her mind, “I need to go to bed,” he added his eyes flicking to the study door where he would be sleeping on the sofa in there. Although it pulled out into a double bed he was planning just to crash on it, after all it was no different to sleeping on his own sofa which he did sometimes.

“I know, been a good night, kids didn’t drive me crazy trying to set us up too much,” she said quietly.

“I noticed,” he chuckled.

Ella stood slowly and stretched again before turning to him and taking hold of his hand. He stood too and walked with her to the bottom of the stairs switching out lights on the way. She groaned when he lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to it.

“Night,” she whispered and walked slowly up the stairs. She didn’t have to look to know that he was watching her before disappearing into the bedroom.

Turning Roman flicked out the last light and opened up the study door, He chuckled to himself when he saw that Ella had pulled out the bed and made it with his favourite cover and an abundance of pillows. She’d placed a single rose on one of them and he picked it up and gave it a sniff before noticing a strange lump in the bed. He peeled back the covers and looked at Fudge curled up asleep in the middle of the bed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Lily?” he murmured to his cat.

The cat gave him a sleepy eyed look before rolling over on his back and going back to sleep.

Roman undressed and changed into his sleeping shorts and t shirt before sitting on the side of the bed. He inhaled feeling a strange sense of déjà vu about the fragrance. Moving the pillows aside as he searched he found a small lace handkerchief with Ella’s perfume sprayed on it. Lifting it to his nose he inhaled again, this time, deeply, before grinning.

Despite the fact he was a macho idiot he did enjoy it when she surprised him with romantic gestures just like this one. It let him know that she thought of him, and also that she wanted him to know that. He wished he’d done something like this for her now and sighed. They needed to arrange a date soon just so they could spend some time together.

It was his last thought before he slipped asleep next to the cat.

Ella woke at her normal time and slipped out of the bed. She pulled on her bathrobe and eased out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She heard Lily speaking and knew that her daughter would soon be demanding breakfast. Heading into the kitchen she was surprised that Roman wasn’t already up and around and smiled to herself as she walked around the kitchen fixing the first pot of coffee. Looking across the garden she spotted Toby climbing out of the pool. Another early riser, she thought with a sigh and wondered where they got it from because it certainly wasn’t from her. She waved over to him and he nodded as he wrapped a towel around his hips and began walking up the garden towards her.

Grabbing the ingredients for the fry up breakfast they normally had she got out the large pans next and began cooking.

“Isn’t that Dad’s job?” Toby asked stepping inside and grabbing the orange juice from the fridge.

“He doesn’t live here anymore remember?”

“Like that would stop him,” Toby chuckled before pouring out a glass for her too as well as his own.

Ella looked at him before she changed the subject. “So why are you here?”

“I want to do some research on moving here,” Toby replied.

“I thought you’d already looked at relocating your shop?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to check out for myself.”

“True,” Ella stepped back to the cooker and turned the sausages in the pan. Opening a cupboard she took out a large bowl and began cracking eggs into it before whisking them.

“Ma, I want to ask Amy-Belle to marry me,” he admitted.

“I thought it was something like that,” Ella murmured shooting him a glance over her shoulder. She reached for a couple of cups and poured out coffee for them taking a long sip of hers before getting out the milk and handing it to him. Toby grinned as he added milk and took out a spoon from the cutlery drawer to stir his drink. He tapped the spoon twice against the side before placing it in the sink.

“If I don’t live in the Bay I don’t think she’ll say yes. Sure she comes and stays with me but only for a few days at a time.”

Ella nodded again.

“I think you two are very young to make that step,” she commented giving him a look before her attention moved back to the food. “Can you get the plates out of the dishwasher and set the table?”

Toby grinned as he moved around the kitchen. It was strange how at home he felt there. He transferred the plates to the side and then over to the table, leaving them stacked up, knowing that breakfast would be served up buffet style. Next he tackled the beakers for the orange juice placing them on the table too and then pouring out the juice into the large jugs. As he worked he thought about what Ella had said and frowned.

“Are you telling me…” he stopped when he heard movement coming down the stairs.

Ella moved towards him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Amy-Belle isn’t the one for you,” she murmured softly, “Focus on where you want to be and the rest will fall into place.”

Toby laughed at her before he was attacked by Lily running over to him.

“You’s still here,” she proclaimed loudly with a sigh, “I thoughts you’s not be here.”

“Stop being melodramatic Lily,” Ella sighed at her daughter.

“But’s but’s…” Lily blinked up at her.

“So what have you been up to Squeals?”

“Me no squeals…” Lily murmured grinning.

Ella as always marvelled at the change of expression on her daughter’s face. One minute looking like the world was about to collapse and the next full of mischief. She smiled as Lily moved closer to her brother as if daring him to tickle her.

“Where are the others?” She asked her daughter.

“Me’s gets them Mama?”

“Please squeals,” Ella murmured and watched as Lily skipped over to the stairs and up them.

“She doesn’t change,” Toby said softly.

“No, unfortunately,”

“Hey!”

Ella laughed at his outrage before she began serving up the food. She placed the various bowls on the table.

“And five, four, three…..”

“Hey Mum,” Sammy murmured leading Robbie and Taylor past her and over to the table. “Toby.”

“Morning mate,” Toby greeted his brother.

“Can we go surfing while you are here?”

Ella laughed at Sammy’s question before gasping at Toby’s response.

“Sure mate, as long as your Mum comes too….”

“Tobias…”

Sammy chuckled and shot his mum a look before he got his food. He and the other boys moved to the sofa and sat down putting the tv on at the same time.

“Ma,” Toby looked at her.

“Ok, I have been out a few times actually,” Ella told him.

“Good,” he murmured handing over her cup of coffee.

She took a long drink before seeing to putting more toast in the toaster. It did six slices at a time and she knew that before breakfast was over they would get through a loaf of bread. Looking over at Toby she saw that he’d dished himself up some breakfast and smiled at him as he perched on one of the tall stools she had at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

“Morning,” Roman called sheepishly as he walked out of the study.

“Dad,” Toby greeted around a mouthful of food.

Ella smiled at him as she moved to the cupboard and took out a mug. She filled it with coffee and handed it to him watching as he added milk before taking a long drink.

“Rough night?”

Roman nodded at Ella’s question. He’d been assailed by a series of well, kinky, sex dreams about her and put it down to having that handkerchief tucked inside one of the pillows. Her perfume had driven him mad.

“Yeah, I had a few dreams,” he commented taking another drink, “I was going to cook,” he added looking around.

“It’s ok, not everyone is up yet so you’ll probably get your chance. Do you want to use the en suite to get a shower?”

Roman looked at her carefully before he nodded slowly.

Ella smiled before easing on to a seat next to Toby. She deliberately sipped from her cup and watched him as he moved to the table and helped himself to some breakfast. She caught Toby giving her a look and she smiled innocently back at him.

“Don’t fool me Ma,” he murmured.

“Tobias….” She muttered back warningly.

“I think it’s cool,” he said so quietly she strained to hear him and half-nodded before she could stop herself. They looked at each other then and burst out laughing.

“Oh crikey,” Sophie muttered from the bottom of the stairs. “She’s in a good mood, look out….”

“Sophie!” Meggy said giving her sister a push before the pair of them plus Angel walked over to the table and helped themselves to breakfast. They wandered to the sofa and sat with the boys.

“Where’s Georgie?” Ella called out.

“He went for a run early this morning with Mike,” Sophie called back.

“God that must have been early!”

Ella chuckled at Toby’s expression before she finished her drink and placed the cup next to the coffee pot. As she debated whether to have another cup of coffee Sophie called out something about the photographs and she sighed.

“You know where they are Soph,” she murmured.

“Can we go in the study?”

“As long as you don’t wake the cat,” Roman murmured answering his daughter.

“Which one was in there Daddy?” Sammy asked quickly.

“Fudge,” Ella answered before Roman could. She peered round the archway and looked over at the kids. “You know that is the only cat that can put up with his snoring!”

Sammy convulsed into giggles with the others joining in and Roman giving her a look. She smiled innocently at him before turning around and disappearing up the stairs. She moved past the nursery where Lily was instructing the younger kids like she was their drill sergeant and into her bedroom. Closing the door behind her she went into the en suite and slipped out of her clothes to go stand under the hot shower.

She was about to step out when the shower door opened and Roman climbed in behind her.

“You did say I could use the en suite…” he murmured suavely at her gasp.

“Roman,” Ella cried out before he grabbed hold of her arms and wrapped them around her so they rested on top of her stomach, preventing her from turning around in the narrow confines of the shower cubical. He pressed her body against his.

“Some clever witch decided that they would seduce me with their perfume,” he whispered moving her wet hair aside and pressing his lips to her neck. He trailed kisses down to her shoulder. “I spent all night dreaming about her, about doing really naughty things to her body,” he added sighing against her lips as she turned her head towards him.

He kissed her passionately, feeling her rubbing against him as she struggled slightly.

“Tell me you locked the door,” she begged huskily.

“No, in fact I’ve got an audience booked to come…”

“Ha bloody ha Harris!”

She groaned as he reached for her hands and lifted them up to place them flat on the tiles in front of her. Using his leg he nudged her legs apart and eased between them. She could feel how aroused he was and moaned under her breath.

“What did you dream?” She gasped out breathily.

“This,” he said joining with her.

“Oh,” Ella moaned.

He chuckled huskily.

“And a few other things,” he added before whispering them in her ear. He felt her shudder in reaction and laughed before kissing the back of her neck again. He knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with just this, the way he was feeling he wanted to tumble them into the bed and keep making love to her until they collapsed exhausted in each other’s arms. How long had it been since they had been able to do that, he asked himself. He groaned at the building sensations within him.

“Tell me you are close…” he whispered.

“No were near…”

“So funny witch,” he muttered and ran his hands over her body. He focused on her, on the enticing scent of her, the clean after shower smell combining not with strawberries this time but with jasmine. She was using a new shower gel. He inhaled deeply finding the change intoxicating.

“Love you,” she whispered quietly.

“Oh El, I love you so so much,” he told her.

Sophie knocked on her parent’s bedroom door before turning the handle. With surprise it opened and she cautiously eased inside.

“What do you want?” Ella asked from her seat in front of her dressing table where she was smoothing body moisturiser over her legs having decided to wear shorts and a vest top knowing that she’d be running around with the kids today.

“I thought..” she stopped and looked around. The bed was made she noticed as her cheeks blushed. Maybe the parents hadn’t…

“If you want your dad he’s taking a shower,” Ella commented.

“Oh,” Sophie sighed before shaking her head, “We wondered whether you could take a photo of us with Angel?”

“Soph,” Ella began.

“Please, please, please,” Sophie cried moving over to her and kneeling in front of her.

“Fine, I suppose you’ll want make up on too?”

“And our hair ..” Sophie murmured, “You are so good at hair…please Mum.”

Ella shook her head at the pleading note in her daughter’s voice.

“Go on then, get my beauty case out of the wardrobe.”

Sophie stood up and ran over to the wardrobe stopping when she reached the door and looking around.

“Yes Sophie, you know where it is,” Ella commented with a smile on her face as she stood up and looked at her. She gathered her towels from where she’d left them on the floor and wiped her hands before hooking them over her arm to take downstairs into the laundry. “Got it?”

Sophie nodded and placed the large vanity case on the bed watching as her mum collected the other kit that she had to style hair and the pair of them walked out of the bedroom. Ella paused to close the door behind her.

“So what did you think you were interrupting?” Ella asked her daughter quietly.

“Er…” Sophie went bright red and looked at her feet before groaning as she heard her mother laughing softly. “Don’t!” She cried.

“I’m sorry Soph, but I asked if your Dad wanted to use the en suite on account of how we have a house full of people.”

“Oh,” Sophie continued to look down before making her way to the living room where Angel and Meggy were waiting.

“Leaving us to get breakfast …” Nic complained from the other side of the room.

“I cooked the first lot,” Ella murmured, “And I believe that you were planning to take care of everything ….”

Nic groaned as Sophie and Angel laughed at her.

“Grab a chair Sophie,” Ella instructed before she tackled hair and make-up, turning the girls into models.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 62

Ella gathered her things together and put her camera away. She looked at the sea for the last time before glancing across the beach and couldn’t miss seeing Roman standing and looking out at the sea on the stretch of sand near the diner itself. She could tell even from this distance away that he had a pensive expression on his face. Looking around she checked that there was no one that knew them before she jogged over to him.

“Hey,” she began about to use the term solider again and stopping herself when she saw that he was on the phone. He gave her a look before murmuring something into the phone and ending the call.

“Sorry, that was the bank.” He muttered and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Problems?”

“No, not really, it was about the business account for the diner.”

“Ok,” Ella took half a step back seeing that he was distracted.

“Want to get a coffee I could use a chat,” Roman murmured after a minute.

“Ok,” Ella said again mimicking herself.

Roman shot her a look and grinned suddenly before leading the way off the beach and over to the diner. He moved inside and returned with two takeaway cups of coffee and walking back to her.

Ella accepted the cup, pointing to the pier. The two of them walked along it before Roman stopped and eased down sitting on the edge his feet hanging over the side. Ella sat beside him and took the lid off her coffee and blowing on the hot liquid to cool it.

“What’s going on?” She asked after a moment.

“We’ve made a substantial profit,” he said after a while looking out at the sea.

“And that is making you look like you’ve lost your best friend,” Ella mocked although she had to admit she felt relieved that it wasn’t something more serious.

“You are my best friend Ella,” Roman said sounding serious.

Ella half shook her head for two reasons, the first being that he reckoned the kids got nothing from him. Did he really not notice that Sammy had the same expressions as him, especially that earnest look that Roman gave her just now? It was just the same as their son would present when Sammy was being all logical and serious. And the second reason was the fact he was so serious when he said it.

“I’m serious,” he cried looking at her.

“I can tell,” she murmured back at him before sipping from her cup. She stroked her hand down his arm and directed the conversation back to the profits of the diner.

“Yeah, talking to Leah and Irene. We’ve arranged a bonus for Colleen and a couple of the other waitresses, our long term workers.”

“Colleen will be stoked,” She murmured wondering where the conversation was going.

“Leah suggested that we look into expanding the business,” he murmured back his eyes still on the horizon, “Maybe trying again with the restaurant.”

“And?”

“I’m not sure Ella, I mean can we handle it if I’m working every evening and they will be some late nights involved? We’d never see each other let alone the kids,” he sighed and looked at her then. “I don’t want the kids to miss out on…”

“Hold on, Roman these are our kids, not you and your brothers and sisters. Sophie will beg you to work in the restaurant and if you don’t let her she’d put on a disguise and hire on as your sous chef anyway,” she smiled at him lacing her fingers through his as she took hold of his hand. “And Georgie will probably be your bar manager,” she added.

“And you?” he asked before holding his breath as he waited for the answer.

“I’m already plenty proud of my man, he doesn’t need to open a fancy restaurant to impress me, he doesn’t need to do anything,” she smiled at him, “except what makes him happy, and if that involves opening a restaurant then I’ll support him.”

Roman groaned his eyes straying to a point over her shoulder.

“You have to go and say something like that when I can’t kiss you,” he muttered.

Ella laughed, that tinkling joyful laugh of hers, he noticed, before turning her head and spotting like he had a moment earlier, Toby sitting outside the diner with Gabby. She grinned as she put her cup down and waved at them.

“I’ll give you a raincheck. Thursday night I’m heading to the studio,” she murmured to him, “Going to be on my own all night.”

“Witch,” Roman groaned.

“Me, a double bed, massage oils, strawberries and cream, fizzy pink cava, lace and silk lingerie.”

“I’m going to spank you,” Roman promised giving her a narrow eyed look.

Ella laughed before she stood up. “Going to have to catch me first Harris,” she murmured to him before walking away to join Gabby and Toby. She knew he was watching her and she might just have wriggled her behind a bit more as she walked away.

“Hey Ma,” Toby called affectionately.

“Hey,” Ella eased into a seat opposite them.

“Was that Dad I saw you with?”

Ella smirked at Gabby’s question and nodded. “You know very well it was young lady!”

“I was just telling Toby that I’ve heard back from Jacob,” Gabby launched into frantic speech.

“And you want to book your flight?”

Gabby nodded, her loose hair falling on to her flushed cheeks. She looked brighter than she had for a long time and Ella wondered if her daughter realised that. Her eyes went to Toby and she caught him smirking.

“Ok, we’ll sort out everything,” Ella murmured.

“It’s horrible timing because Toby has only just got here,” Gabby pouted.

“I’m sure that when you get back you can go see him,” Ella murmured her mouth twitching at the corners as she tried not to smile. Oh how familiar was she with pouting daughters, thanks mainly to Lily.

“Course we can…” Toby encouraged.

Ella smiled liking the way that Toby had fit into the family. She still hated that both of her babies had been taken away from her and been raised by others. Not that she could begrudge the people who’d loved Toby for her but Gabby’s adoptive parents were still serving jail sentences for not only what they’d put her beloved daughter through but also for the various frauds and scams they’d performed over the years. Looking over at Gabby she couldn’t help lifting her hand and touching her daughters long dark hair feeling the silken strands slip through her fingers.

“Mum,” Gabby murmured.

“Just thinking,” Ella forced a smile on to her lips before taking a drink from her coffee.

“So, what were you and Dad talking about?”

Now she did smile. “He wanted to ask me something.”

“When are you going to get back with him Mum?” Gabby blurted out flushing red as Toby and Ella laughed at her.

“Sorry my Angel, but no,” Ella said finally.

“Oh come on, he’s around the house all the time, from what the others have told me,” Toby murmured matter-of-factly.

“He’s your father, do you expect me to prevent him from seeing you?” Ella pointed out.

“Yeah, but he stays Mum,” Gabby murmured, “I’m only surprised that he keeps to the spare room.”

Ella shot her daughter a look knowing that her face was flushing.

“I think you need to change the subject before I’m forced to dock your allowance.”

Gabby pouted before she looked at her mother, her mouth dropping open.

“You don’t pay us an allowance!” She gasped.

“That so works with the others…” Ella murmured with a sigh before all three of them laughed.

“So what have you been doing?” Gabby murmured managing to keep a straight face even though her gaze flicked to where Roman was standing on the end of the pier.

“I’ve been taking some shots on the beach,” Ella said.

“So you’ve been back behind your camera?” Toby murmured.

“She’s been asked to do an exhibition,” Gabby blurted out.

“Thanks Gabs.”

“That’s cool Ma, you should do it,” Toby shot her a look that reminded her so much of Roman she gasped before half shaking her head. “I’m serious,” he added unaware he was mimicking Roman from earlier.

Ella’s gaze shot to her ex-husband across the pier before she looked back at Toby.

“I’m not sure what pictures I can even use, all of the ones in my stock footage have been seen,” she shook her head again, “or appear in my books.”

“The ones in your books are good, exceptional even,” Toby said seriously leaning forward as he tried to get his point across.

Gabby laughed suddenly looking at Ella.

“Us,” she said and Toby nodded.

“What?” Ella asked puzzled before she shook her head. “No,” she muttered.

“I know you’ve got this thing where you want to protect us but if you ask we’ll all say yes,” Gabby began. “Take that photo of Sophie with the daisies in her hair, or some of Angel and Sophie you did the other week,” Gabby paused to suck in a breath before continuing, “or even those ones of Lily, my god Mum, you make Lily look angelic!”

“Hey, that’s my sister,” Toby protested.

“Yeah, you won’t be defending her after spending six weeks with her,” Gabby shot back.

Ella sighed leaning back in her seat.

“Maybe we should ask Dad,” Toby suggested looking past her shoulder.

“Ask me what?”

Ella’s head spun around as she heard Roman’s voice.

“Mum needs encouragement to use some photos of us in her exhibition,” Toby explained quickly.

She could feel a rising tide of colour creeping up her neck as she felt his eyes on her and resisted breathing a sigh of relief as he moved and sat next to her.

“Really? And you think she’d listen to me?” Roman muttered grinning as he placed his hand on her leg under the table, with his fingers tracing circles on her inner thigh.

“It was worth a shot,” Toby shrugged enjoying the way that Ella kept shooting his dad looks. It was so obvious that something was going on between them that he couldn’t believe that no one else had noticed. A sudden wind whipped up causing the lid from his Mum’s cup to slide across the table and on to the floor. He bent down to pick it up his eyes catching sight of his Dad stroking her thigh under the table. Smirking as he straightened up he shot his Mum an amused look and let out a chuckle as she blushed and shot up from her seat suddenly.

“Need a refill,” she got out in a strangled voice and disappeared inside the diner.

“So Dad,” Toby began.

“Son,” Roman murmured in a warning tone.

“What was the chat about? Looked pretty earnest from here,” Toby said smoothly.

“Yeah, Mum wouldn’t tell us..” Gabby looked at him and pouted.

“Nothing much, just ..” Roman sighed as both of them leaned closer and looked at him, “You can’t tell anyone,” he said himself leaning closer. “Your Mum is pregnant.”

“What the hell!” Gabby screeched out causing a few people to look over at her. She flushed and shook her head. “Seriously Dad, another one? Did you not learn your lesson after Lily learned to speak?”

“Hey, why is everyone so down on Lily, she’s..”

“Just wait six weeks,” Roman and Gabby chorused together.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 63

Roman pulled up outside the studio and parked up slowly. It had been a long frustrating week waiting for Thursday to come around. Not that he was fantasising about making love to her much, he assured himself, chuckling as he smirked again just at the thought of Ella naked on a bed. Grabbing his overnight bag from the back he locked the car up and ran over the road and up to the door. Pressing the buzzer he chuckled as she opened the door without checking it was him. He moved inside checking that the door was shut behind him before taking the steps two at time until he was standing outside the inner door.
“Going to let me in then?” he groused into the intercom as he pressed the inner door buzzer.
“Hang on,” he heard called out to him, although he wasn’t certain because of the loud music playing. Eventually the door opened and she stood in front of him.
“Hey,” he murmured looking her over. His eyes narrowed as he realised that the jumper she was wearing over tight short, as in really short, cut-off jeans was one of his. She had the sleeves rolled over a few times and pushed up on her arms. He felt something primitive race through his veins looking at her and bit back a sound that would have been more like a growl than anything else. He forced his thoughts to stop deviating to sex with difficulty before speaking again. “you cooking?” he asked redundantly looking at the food and the pots in the kitchen behind her as he placed his bag down.
Ella picked up the remote to the stereo and turned down the music before nodding at his question as she began to walk back into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I thought I would… Roman…” She stopped and turned around, looking at him and blushing at the way he was looking at her.
“I can’t help it you are wearing my jumper,” he growled out looking at her.
“Oh really, I suppose you want it back….”
Roman nodded slowly watching with his lips parted as she reached for the hem of the jumper and began easing it off. He saw a glimpse of her abdomen and began panting like a lovesick school boy. She wriggled as she drew the jumper further up and he gasped at the way his body was reacting. He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them in shock when the woollen fabric was thrown in his face. Pulling it away he gasped again at seeing Ella standing there wearing just the jean cut-offs, her hair pinned up on the top of her head and bare feet planted on the floor. She made no effort to cover her bare breast and he moaned low in his throat from just looking at her.
“You witch,” he finally gasped out in a husky whisper.
Tossing the jumper to one side he strode over to her and pulled her into his arms. His lips smashed down on hers in a passionate declaration of his desire. Hauling her up he eased himself between her legs as she wrapped hers around his hips to help steady herself. Her arms were tangled around his neck, fingers teasing the back of his neck. He drove them backwards unsteadily slamming them both into the fridge behind her. She moaned against his lips and he paused for a half second putting his hand on the top to steady them. He felt something soft roll over to his fingers and looked to see he’d placed his hand next to a bowl of strawberries that had tipped over and one of the ripe berries had rolled towards him.
He grinned with intent as he bore them both to the floor in the kitchen and reached into the bowl taking a couple of the ripe fruit into his hand. Squeezing them between his fingers he allowed droplets of the juice to slip over his fingers and on to her breasts before using the soft pulped fruit to draw a pattern on her skin. Lowering his head he began tease her with his tongue, licking it off slowly.
“Now, you really taste like strawberry,” he whispered softly his breath drifting over her sensitised skin.
He ran his tongue around the aureoles of her nipples hearing her gasp with arousal. It made him gasp when she wiggled under him and his ministering tongue. He opened his mouth to close it over her nipple taking it deep in his mouth as he suckled.
She arched up her body moving in shock at the new sensations.
“Take off your shorts,” he ordered gruffly as he pulled off his shirt. His eyes spotted drops of red fruit juice streaking on his clothes but he didn’t care about the stain needing to be naked and inside her. He thought about how long it had been, a few days since that unsatisfying fumble in the shower and before that it had been longer, weeks. He suddenly couldn’t wait.
Looking at her lying naked on the floor in front of him made him ache even more to be inside her but he resisted. He kissed her, his lips plundering her sweetness. He was the one in control he told himself knowing he was lying. She’s worn his jumper to tease him, knowing that something was his was against her skin. No bra either, making it so sexual and the jean cut-offs revealing her long legs, cupping her behind so tightly and what had she been doing when he arrived, cooking.
“Witch,” he gasped against her skin, “you are a witch.”
He heard Ella laughing at him and felt his face getting hot. She wriggled underneath him as she removed her shorts and threw them to one side. Of course she was naked underneath them he groaned. Reaching up he ran his fingers sightlessly along the top until her found another strawberry. Taking it in his hands he lowered it to her body trailing it over her belly.

Roman awoke alone in her bed. He stretched feeling the kinks easing out of his body. They’d made love three times before he’d fallen asleep on her, hearing her gentle teasing about his age before she moved into his arms and dozed herself. He realised he was hungry and in need of a drink and eased out of the bed finding that Ella had placed his bathrobe on the end of the bed. Pulling it on he stepped out of the bedroom and looked round for Ella.
“Hey sleepy,” she called from the kitchen where she busy sorting food.
“I need a drink,” he commented before walking over to her.
Ella took out a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to him.
“Thanks,” he murmured leaning down and kissing her before he opened the bottle and took a drink. “Are we still having dinner?”
“Of course, aren’t you hungry?”
On cue he heard his stomach rumble and they both laughed.
“I guess I am,” he said moving over to breakfast bar and taking a seat there. Looking at her he smiled as he watched her chopping up herbs before she put them into the sauce. She turned the heat down and stirred it.
“I’ve cooked you a steak,” she murmured to him.
He laughed. “Is that a way of telling me I need to keep my strength up?”
“Roman,” Ella glared at him.
“Sorry,” he murmured smirking because her face had gone red.
“Yeah, like I believe you, Harris!”
“What can I do?” He asked looking around the kitchen.
“Nothing, it’s about done,” she smiled at him as she began plating up the food.
“Then can I get you a drink?”
Ella shrugged her eyes on the plates in front of her as she loaded them with vegetables.
Roman smiled again, noting that he was feeling really happy and dismissed the idea that was just because he’d had a lot of sex. He stood and walked over to the fridge smiling as he saw she’d got his favourite beer in. Lifting a couple of bottles out, he uncapped them and moved over to the table placing them down. A second trip and he collected cutlery before finally sitting.
Ella chuckled at him as she walked the plates over and put them down.
“It looks good,” he said to her as she sat down.
“Uh huh Solider, you are still in shock I can cook occasionally,” she murmured.
Roman reached out and caught hold of her hand.
“I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone, but I happen to enjoy the fact that occasionally my wife burns dinner because she is far more interested in making sure we are happy and ok than checking on dinner.”
Ella flushed and laughed before leaning down and kissing him.
“I’m not your wife, remember.”
“Sure I can’t change your mind over that….”
“Pretty sure,” She said before biting on her bottom lip.
“You know I’m going to keep…”
“Uh huh, solider,” she said leaning down and kissing him again before moving to sit opposite him.
“El,” he began a serious expression on his face.
“Oh no.”
“Oh no?”
“You are about to spoil tonight with something serious,” She shrugged suddenly looking more fragile than usual.
“Only going to say about moving in together…”
“What?”
“When we decide it’s time to take that step, I’ll be happy to move into the house.”
“Oh, er… you sure…?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I saw your face when we did the tea party, you love that house, and you love knowing the children are safe and happy in that house.”
“I love you too…”
“I know, and you’d uproot and move at a moment’s notice if I asked you too, but El, I love you too and I love the house,” he said finally feeling tension leaching off her.
“Really? I will move if…”
“No Ella, we are …” he was interrupted by her giggling and launching herself at him. He pulled her on to his lap and held her as she kissed him. “I love you so much, my Ella.”
“We should look at the list and make sure we work through all our issues,” she murmured looking down and biting her lip again.
“Yeah, but not all at once, let’s take it slow El, we’ve got time to build on our relationship and sort out those things.”
She eased daintily off his lap and moved to sit back next to him. Picking up her knife and fork she began eating. He watched her for a moment before he too began eating, his appetite growing as he tasted the food. She’d cooked his steak just how he liked it, perfectly seasoned too. He smiled at her.
“You’ve got a goofy expression on your face,” she commented.
“I do?”
“Yup,” Ella murmured grinning back at him.
“Just loving my steak…”
“And not because of all the sex we’re having?”
“Well of course, it could be down to that too.”
Ella looked at him, her fork halfway between the plate and her mouth, and giggled.
“I’m kinda happy myself,” she told him.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 64

Roman eased behind the wheel of his car and put the key in the ignition. It had been a full on session in the Diner. Leah had called in sick and instead of the day off he’d planned after coming home from the studio that morning he’d been dragged in to cover the other woman’s shift. Not that he minded so much, Leah had covered a lot of his shifts over the past few months to enable him to have some time off. He made his way over to Ella’s; he was picking up the kids for their weekend with him and grinned because he was going to see her again.
“Hey Soph, where’s your Mum?” Roman asked as soon as he walked through the front door.
Sophie looked up from where she was sitting on the sofa, a guilty expression on her face as she pointed to the study door.
“Ok,” Roman murmured before he caught sight of Meggy walking down the stairs. She was wearing a long white dress and instantly his mind went back to where he’d seen it before. Ella. Afghanistan.
“Hey Daddy,” Meggy called out.
“Where…” He stopped his throat drying up.
“Where what?” Meggy asked. Her hand went to the skirt and she lifted it up a little so she didn’t step on it as she moved down the rest of the stairs.
“Take that off,” Roman growled out.
“What?”
Sophie moved over to them looking at their faces before she caught Meggy’s expression, her sister looking like she was about to cry.
“You heard me, take that damn dress off.”
“What’s going on?” Ella asked from behind them, the noise of their arguing obviously disturbing her. “Oh Meggy,” she murmured. “I wondered why you two suddenly stopped bugging me.”
“Take it off,” Roman said again.
“Will someone just tell us what is going on?” Meggy cried, tears beginning to slip down her face.
“Nip and get changed and I’ll tell you, ok,” Ella told her softly watching as her daughter spun around and half tripped on the long skirt as she began running up the stairs.
“We didn’t…” Sophie began.
“It’s ok, off you go with Meggy,” Ella murmured.
Roman only noticed then that Sophie was wearing a long blue evening dress. He watched silently as the two girls went up the stairs together.
“Better go sit down and I’ll get you a drink,” Ella said her voice gentle. She gave him a push and he moved through to the sofa in the living room. He noticed that his hands were shaking and he all but collapsed on the long sofa. He saw then the large suitcase near the fireplace and next to it, resting on the coffee table a number of dress bags. Obviously Ella had brought some things home from the studio. He frowned thinking of the white dress. Meggy had to wear that one. As much as all their daughters looked like Ella, Meggy resembled her most of all.
“Here,” Ella murmured suddenly standing next to him. She handed him a cup and he clasped his hands round it.
“I should apologise.”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks,”
“No worries,”
“Wasn’t really thanking you.”
“I know.”
“I..” Roman stopped talking as the girls moved back into the room dressed in ordinary clothes. He frowned as his hand began shaking again when he saw them putting the dresses away.
“Okay girls want to explain why you were…”
“Oh Mum!” Sophie interrupted.
Ella smiled at them as she perched next to Roman on the sofa. She sipped from her own cup.
“I’m sorry Meggy,” Roman said quietly. “Just that dress…”
Meggy folded her arms and glared at him.
“Meggy,” Ella began. “Your Dad and I, well we ‘got married’ in Afghanistan. I was wearing that dress.”
“What the fu…..”
“Better not finish that sentence Meggy,” Sophie muttered giving her sister a push.
“They got married.”
“Actually, the Base Chaplin couldn’t legally marry us, so he performed a blessing.”
Roman turned his head and looked at Ella. She knew what he was thinking and smirked before an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Damn, he thought, so no sneaking her into a church for a ‘blessing’ and actually marrying her then.
“And you what? Couldn’t be bothered to track down the woman you wanted to marry? Maybe if you’d done that then we wouldn’t have lost Gabby and Toby!” Sophie shouted out.
“You wouldn’t have been born,” Ella said softly in the face of her daughter’s anger. “Nor would you and Sammy, or the others.”
“Really?” Roman muttered before he focused his attention back on his daughter’s.
Ella nodded and smiled as the two girls looked at them, shocked.
“You wouldn’t have had more kids?”
Ella shook her head before taking a drink of her coffee.
“With three kids at roughly the same age? I know we managed with you guys, Sammy and Georgie, but remember we were older and had my money to rely on. If your Dad had left the army to come and find me what would he have done for a job? How would we have coped?”
Sophie grimaced as she thought of all the stuff they had, making a mental list; her clothes and make up, the TV and DVD player upstairs, Georgie’s laptop, trips out, new shoes and school uniforms. She looked at Meggy and saw a mirroring expression on her face.
“So things worked out this way for a reason?” Meggy said quietly.
Ella stood and moved over to them, putting her empty cup on the mantle before she put her arms around both girls.
“I think that I’ve been very blessed with kids, and happy memories and good times. Your dad and I had some very good years being together and I really don’t regret anything. Except maybe his snoring sometimes,” she murmured quietly.
“Hey,” Roman groused. Of course he recognised that Ella had smoothed things over for him again. Taking care of him and not letting the kids question him over his extreme reaction to the dress. He remembered waiting an hour for her, wearing a suit that the hotness of the day was making uncomfortable and almost feeling confined by it. Maybe that was why he didn’t like wearing ties now. He’d been consumed by the knowledge he didn’t have a ring for her to wear, that she should have something special. His eyes flew to hers as he wondered whether she’d ever wear his ring again. The eternity ring if not a wedding band.
“I am sorry Meggy, you didn’t deserve me to shout at you. For a minute I … well all I could remember was being back in Afghanistan and all the bad stuff we went through.”
“That’s ok Daddy,” Meggy said quickly, her natural inclination was to make him feel better, he thought a grin slipping on to his face.
“We want to wear the dresses at the school dance,” Sophie muttered her eyes daring her Dad to argue with her.
“Excuse me Missy, we still need to have a chat about you going through my stuff here.”
“But… you…” Sophie cried.
Roman chuckled and earned a glare of all three of them.
“You been to the studio?” He asked.
Ella rolled her eyes at him as she nodded.
“I thought I would sort through my stuff,” she shrugged.
“Ok,” Roman began before stopping as Lily walked in the back followed by Gabby and Toby. Toby was sporting a black eye. “What happened to you?”
“It wasn’t me’s Dada,” Lily said quickly.
“I’ve got the flight sorted,” Gabby blurted out talking over everyone.
“Ok then,” Ella murmured, “When do you go?”
“Tomorrow,” Gabby cried out. “I haven’t even packed yet? What do I say to him? I need…”
Roman stood and quickly walked over to Gabby’s side taking hold of her arms and giving her a gentle shake.
“Right then, first things first, packing,” he murmured when she stilled and looked up at him, her lips parting in shock. She allowed him to lead her out of the house and down to the barn.
“Woah Ma, don’t you normally do that?” Sophie muttered.
“Ah,” Ella shrugged again, “Let your father do it, make him feel useful.”
Meggy giggled before she prodded her sister and pointed to the suitcase.
“Go on then,” Ella said collecting the cups and taking them through to the kitchen. She glanced at Toby being forced by Lily to go upstairs with her and smirked as he looked at her in appeal. “Lily, do we need to have a talk again?” She called out.
“But’s Mama, he wants to play…”
“Lils.”
Lily pouted and let go of her brother’s hand. She gave him a look and fluttered her eyelashes before pouting as that didn’t work. Giving him a last look she began stomping her way up the stairs to where the other younger children were.
Toby waited until she was gone before he went over to his mother and collapsed on one of the chairs next to the breakfast bar.
“We warned you…” Ella said handing him a beer from the fridge.
“Thanks,” he said seeing the smile on his mother’s face. “You taking care of Daniella when Gabby goes?” He asked her.
“Yeah, I think it will be good for Gabby to sort things out with Jacob without having the distraction of looking after Nella.”
“You think they will get back together?”
“Maybe, it’s up to them,” Ella shrugged.
“Come on Ma,” Toby scoffed. “You know….”
“Toby,” She protested.
“Me and Amy-Belle…” he pointed out. “Mike and Danni….”
“Have you decided what you are going to do about Amy-Belle?”
“I’m not going to ask her. I’ve found a property to rent here.”
“For you or the bookstore?”
“The store. Priced it up. Just got to sign the lease and sort out stock.”
“So are you moving here?”
“That is why you built the extra bedrooms over in the stables isn’t it?”
Ella smiled and half shook her head but there was an expression on her face that Toby had seen a few times before. A kind of knowing look.
“You should talk to Mike and see if he can get you the syllabus for the next school year so you can stock up on the required reading lists.”
Toby grinned at her before being distracted by the squealing coming from the other room.
“What is going on?” He muttered.
“Your sisters have found something,” Ella murmured stepping through the archway and into the other room. She saw Meggy holding up a dark blue cocktail dress as Sophie was holding a white ruffled blouse. “Girls?”
“These are so cool, how come we never see you dressed up in this stuff?” Sophie cried out.
“Because they would be ruined by all the baby spit I get covered in.”
Ella smiled at their expressions before she moved back into the kitchen with Toby. She saw him grinning at her as she went over to the fridge and took out a couple of beers, one for him and one for herself. She’d drank half of it when she saw Roman walking up alone from the stables. He stepped inside and grinned at her sitting there drinking beer with Toby.
“Is she packed?” Toby asked his father.
“Just about,” Roman grimaced. “I remember when she didn’t have a lot of clothes.”
“Uh huh Solider,” Ella murmured. “What’s that?”
“A list of stuff she needs from the pharmacy,” Roman murmured before raising his voice and continuing. “Most of it is girly stuff so I thought…”
“We’ll go…” Sophie murmured sticking her head around the archway and looking at him.
“Come on then,” Roman said to them.
Ella watched as he guided the girls out to the car and set off. Looking back at Toby she caught him grinning at her.
“Nothing going on?” He asked her.
“Nope,” she said slowly.
“Should you be drinking in your condition?” He asked her just as she was swigging from the bottle. She choked and spat out the beer at the same time.
“Condition?” She muttered when she could talk again.
“It’s ok, Dad told us,” Toby murmured.
“He did, did he?” Ella muttered before taking out her phone from her jeans pocket and dialling.
“Hello,” Roman murmured answering from the other side of town.
“I’m feeling a few cravings darling, can you pick up some stuff for me…” Ella drawled.
“What?” Roman gasped out.
“Yeah, some pickles, ice-cream, tim-tams, sourdough bread, olives and cheese.”
“Er, you are on speakerphone…” Roman muttered.
“Oh, and I need my feet rubbing when you get back because you know how my ankles get with the condition I’m in.”
“Ella, speakerphone.” Roman said again.
“I think that is it…” She said and hung up on him.
“Dad is there something you want to tell us?” Sophie asked giving him a look as she folded her arms across herself.
“Yes, never try and mess with your mother,” Roman chuckled.
“This is going to be a good story,” Meggy called out from the back seat.
“No.. oh.. no…. it isn’t…” Roman eased the car to a stop, parking up and pointed to the pharmacy. “In you go, I’ll be next door, shopping.”
Meggy chuckled at Sophie’s groan as they climbed out of the car and moved into store with the list of things that Gabby wanted.
Roman chuckled before he headed into the next door shop. He headed for the snack food isle and began loading up with biscuits then chips and dip before adding olives and pickles to the trolley. He added lots of different bread next before cheeses and then headed to the frozen section for ice-cream. It was going to be an interesting night, he thought with a grin.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 65

“Here, let me, you shouldn’t carry things in your….”
“Tobias…” Ella murmured warningly before allowing her grinning son to take hold of the suitcase, watching as he carried it to the stairs. She followed at a slower pace with the dress bags.
“Seriously, are you like…”
Ella looked at her son as they both walked into her bedroom. She let out a sigh as she placed the dress bags on the bed before walking around it and over to the wardrobe. Opening the doors she began to put things away, aware that she was at last using the empty side of the wardrobe that used to be Roman’s. She gave a shrug as the guilt crept over her, he would just have to deal with it, besides she rationalised he had fewer clothes than her anyway.
“Ma,” Toby prompted.
“We’re talking things through, taking it slow. We don’t want to go through this again.”
“Cool, I’m glad,” Toby grinned at her noting the play of colour across her face. “I know I wasn’t here when this…”
“Toby,” Ella muttered before sitting down on the bed for a moment. “Your Dad and I, well we’ve been there before. We want to make sure it’s for keeps this time.”
“I can understand that,” He nodded.
“We don’t want the kids to…” She looked at him and sighed. “Get their hopes up.”
“But surely they know?”
“You’d think so wouldn’t you?” Ella scoffed before standing and moving to the wardrobe and hanging up the rest of the clothes. “But no, from the amount of matchmaking they are doing they don’t have a clue.”
“So they want you together?”
“You mean you haven’t been drafted to join in with them?” She turned and asked him her hands balancing on her hips.
“Not yet,” he murmured a grin on his lips.
Ella looked over at her elder son and smiled at the resemblance between him and her husband. He really did look like a younger version of Roman. She thought about Roman’s brothers then and how all three of them had the same genes. She wondered if her husband, woah, er, ex-husband, she corrected hastily feeling herself start to blush, had been in contact with them recently. She should arrange for the kids to visit with their cousins, she thought with a sigh.
“What’s that for?”
“The sigh?” Ella murmured, “Just thinking about you guys seeing your cousins. It’s only a few months until Christmas and then it will be another year gone.”
“Yup,” Toby agreed. “And I’m pretty sure I heard Meggy saying she wanted a birthday party.”
Ella groaned. “Really?” She muttered and saw him nodding.
“She sounded as though she didn’t want to put you out by asking,” Toby said quietly.
“Sounds as though I need to talk to my daughter. Seriously, I need another 10 hours in each day to cope.”
Ella groaned again as she closed the wardrobe doors and led Toby out of the bedroom. They began walking down the stairs hearing Lily calling out orders to the others, Daniella in with the twins along with Liam.
“She’s a lot like…”
“Her sister Nicole,” Ella finished Toby’s sentence and heard him laugh.
Just as they reached the stairs the front door opened to admit Roman and the girls.
“Hey,” he said giving her a pointed look.
“Hey yourself, did you get everything?”
“We did Mum and er.. “ Meggy shot her sister a look.
“Oh er… “ Sophie murmured returning Meggy’s look before she blushed and stuttered. “Er…”
“Nip that stuff over to Gabby and check that she has all she needs,” Ella said putting them out of their misery before smiling as she watched Roman carrying bags to the kitchen and place the contents on the top. “Did you get everything?”
“I did, and thanks, that wasn’t at all embarrassing,” he murmured ignoring that Toby stood there and grabbing hold of her wrist pulling her towards him. He kissed her quickly before letting her go.
She folded her arms across herself and gave him a look.
“Great, you can do some food for us can’t you,” she instructed as he gave her another look.
“Ma,” Toby chuckled.
“Go see the boys,” Ella murmured pointing the stairs.
Toby chuckled and grabbed his beer before he shot up the stairs out of the way.
“So,” Ella turned to Roman and gave him a look.
“I may have mentioned to Toby that you …”
“That I was pregnant?”
“Possibly,” Roman smirked as he looked at her. Her face was flushed and her eyes were shinning. Did she honestly not realise how amazingly beautiful she was, he thought as his eyes ran over her body. “That white dress…” he murmured suddenly thinking of it.
“It no longer fits me,” Ella said softly, “I brought it home for the girls,” she added and bit her lip.
“Sophie or Gabby but not Megs please,” Roman said quietly in response.
“Why?”
“She’s so like you El, I couldn’t, not seeing her in that dress and feeling,” he stopped looking at the way he’d clenched his hands into fists. “Damn,” he cursed softly.
“Maybe you need to talk about this?” Ella suggested.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll give Louise a call.”
She nodded at the mention of his counsellor.
“If I get an appointment will you come with me?”
“Me? Why?” Ella gasped out the questions stopping on her way to the fridge and looking over at him, her head tilted to one side.
“I think it’s time that I let you know what we talk about,” he said slowly giving his attention to the food as he took the last bits from the shopping bags.
“Talk? Present tense?”
Roman nodded once.
“Yeah, I still see her, I thought that I needed to, after the divorce, after..”
“Roman,” Ella prompted when he went quiet.
“I needed to know that I wasn’t ever going to hurt you,” he whispered and closed his eyes briefly. His eyes shot open when he felt her hand stroke down his back in the old familiar gesture and he sighed as he lent into the caress.
“Ok,” she murmured softly. “Now then, will you babysit whilst I take…”
“No, I’ll take Gabby; I think she will need a chat.”
“Ok then,” Ella looked at him and he shot her a crooked grin.
“She’s worried about Jacob coming back with Sophie here,” Roman murmured quietly.
“Is that because Sophie is older now?”
“A little,” Roman kept his voice quiet and glanced at the door.
“I’ll speak to Sophie and check that she’s ok,” Ella began and gave a large heartfelt sigh.
“El?”
“Meggy wants a birthday party,” she said quietly.
“And when are you supposed to find time to do that?”
“Roman,” she pouted as she spoke his name and saw him flash a look at her before he folded his arms across himself.
“I think the worst thing I’ve ever done to you is nag you about your degree,” he muttered suddenly.
“What?” She gasped out.
He shook his head. “I mean it, you have so much on and I go and make you feel guilty over it and end up just adding to the list. I know I said we’d talk about doing something permanent about birth control but I can’t risk getting you pregnant again. I love the twins, as much as all our other kids but again, that was me being selfish without thinking about the consequences.”
“Er..”
He frowned as he realised how fierce he sounded and forced himself to breathe out slowly and try to relax his shoulders.
“Ok then, how about you do Meggy’s birthday party and take some of the stress off me?” She suggested.
His eyes lit up and he grinned suddenly as he looked over at her.
“Really? Me?” he chuckled, “You think she will want me to organise her birthday party?”
“Did ok with the wedding,” she commented.
“We did the wedding, together,” he pointed out.
“Oh come on, if it were me then we would have had the reception on the beach,” she muttered and looked down suddenly noticing a drip of condensation down the side of a tub of ice cream. Going over to the cutlery drawer she took out a spoon and then grabbed the tub and opened it.
“Aren’t you going to share?”
“I would, but it’s almost melting so I think I’ll have this one …” She flushed at him laughing at before grabbing a cloth and taking the tub and the spoon and moving through to the lounge. She sat cross-legged on one of the sofas and pulled the throw over her lap before taking a big spoon of the pistachio flavoured ice cream.
Roman busied himself with sorting through the rest of the food. He put the snacks out on the table recognising that the reason Ella had given him the list and asked him to do it was because she wanted to give Gabby a send-off before her flight in the morning.
“Thank you,” Ella called out around a mouthful of ice cream just as Lily led Liam and procession of kids down from upstairs. Lily took one look at her mum sitting there and eating ice cream and began to pout.
“Mama?” Liam called out.
“Want to find a film to put on for Nella?” Ella said quickly distracting her daughter.
“Food is done,” Roman said finally.
“Dada,” Liam called walking over to the table. He peered at the food on there before pulling out a chair and climbing on it. “Wow,” he murmured picking at a cherry tomato and putting it in his mouth.
“Hey,” Ella called over to him. “Go get the big boys down.”
Liam pouted and looked over the food longingly before he hopped down and ran out of the room.
“Me’s gets big girls?”
“No,” Ella told Gust at her question. “They are over seeing Gabby,” she murmured and pointed to where Lily was sitting on the floor pulling out DVD’s and scattering them in a pile around her.
Gust nodded and moved over to where Lily was.
“Mama we no’s find Nemo,” Lily muttered.
Ella heard Roman chuckling from the kitchen before he poked his head round the corner and grinned over at his daughter.
“Here,” Ella held out the tub of ice cream to him and heard him mutter slave labour at her as he fetched the tub, cloth and used spoon and took them through to the kitchen.
Taking out her phone Ella dialled Sophie’s phone.
“What?” she heard barked out.
“Bring Gabby up to the house and whilst you are at it, fetch Danni and Jennie.”
“Mother!” Sophie protested.
“er… yes.. do I have to remind you about how you were going through my stuff earlier?”
“Fine,” Sophie sighed.
Ella rang off and caught Roman grinning at her before he pulled out his phone and made a call.
“Oh good, food,” Sammy exclaimed coming into the room.
“Samson, me’s needs help?” Lily pouted.
Sammy grinned as Georgie sniggered beside him followed into the room by Toby who was holding onto Liam’s hand.
“I gets them,” Liam explained.
“Good boy,” Ella called and patted the space beside her, grinning as Liam reluctantly let go of his brother’s hand and ran across the room to sit with her.
“So why have we got food?” Georgie muttered.
“I’ll explain later,” Ella murmured conscious that Nella was with them. She smiled at her granddaughter sitting patiently as Lily destroyed the order the DVD’s went in as she searched for Finding Nemo.
“Helps me’s,” Lily instructed bossily looking at her brothers.
“Squeals have you asked what Nella wants to watch?”
Lily nodded.
“She wants Nemo.”
“Really Squeals?”
“Yes’ss Mama,” Lily murmured her lisp back again.
“Are you sure about that?” Sammy murmured moving to sit with them as he began sorting the films out.
Nella looked at the twins and then Lily before she picked up Kung Fu Panda 2 and looked longingly at the box.
“No Nella, no’s Nemo,” Lily told her looking fierce.
“We’s like Po,” The twins chorused.
Lily glowered at them before she sighed and nodded.
“We’s watch it, eh?” she offered.
“Mum?” Sammy checked.
“I think Po is a good choice.”
Roman moved into the room spotting Georgie giving him a look and smiled at his son before he placed a big bowl of popcorn on the table.
“I didn’t know we had that in the cupboard,” Ella murmured reaching for a handful.
“No, I always carry some popcorn just in case of surprise movie nights,” Roman said smoothly inwardly chuckling at her slip. We. She’d said we. Including him as being back part of the family. Like he was already home. Forcing his expression to remain neutral he glanced at Toby watching his older son smirk.
“Ok, we’re here,” Danni said breathlessly ahead of the other girls. She glanced around the room her face falling a little as she realised Mike wasn’t there before glaring at Ella as the other woman gave her a grin.
“Georgie do you want to get everyone a drink?” Ella asked.
Georgie nodded and moved into the kitchen followed by Sammy.
“Food, good I’m hungry,” Meggy murmured.
Whilst the trailers on the DVD played, the kids milled around the room collecting plates of food and drinks before settling down some on the sofa with some choosing to perch on cushions on the floor. Ella grinned as Danni put Jennie into her arms to hold whilst she grabbed some food and a beer from Georgie. She moved back and sat next to Ella her eyes on her daughter as she nibbled on a slice of bread with some of the cheeses on top.
“Hey,” Mike called out as he walked through the door.
“Mother,” Danni hissed out in a whisper as she flushed bright red.
“I brought some wine with me and more beer,” Mike murmured covering up that he was nervous. He moved into the kitchen and they heard him placing the bottles and cans on to the top.
“Good job you got changed and had a shower and put on some make up wasn’t it?” Ella leaned over and whispered in Danni’s ear grinning as her daughter flushed.
“So why are we here?” Mike asked after he collected some food. He grinned as the kids moved round leaving a space next to Danni as he walked over and sat next to her.
“I’m going to see Jacob,” Gabby murmured quietly her eyes on her daughter’s back checking that she wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.
“That will be good, sorting things out,” Mike murmured to her.
Gabby’s face suffused with colour and she gave a half shake of her head when the other kids looked at her.
Sophie and Meggy shared a look before grinning.
“I don’t know how I’m going to tell…” Gabby sighed and glanced at Ella watching her mother sitting there still holding Jennie.
“Tomorrow,” Ella murmured, “You’ll have lots of time to tell her tomorrow, and she’ll love staying with the twins.”
“Just not our other sister,” Sammy said picking up on the conversation.
Meggy snorted.
“Is that relief troublemaker that they aren’t talking about you?” Mike asked trying to avoid sighing because Danni had sat back on the sofa and relaxed next to him. He was very conscious of the warmth of her body and the fact that her perfume was drifting past his nostrils drawing him in.
“Yeah,” Meggy shot his a grin.
“It’s your birthday soon,” Ella began giving Meggy her attention. She tried not to smirk as Meggy flushed before nodding her head.
“We should give her a party,” Roman murmured picking up on Ella’s lead.
“I don’t think so,” Ella commented her eyes on Meggy. “She’s not been good enough this year.”
“Huh,” Meggy grumbled.
Roman grinned at her before he spoke again. “I’ll organise it,” he offered again.
Ella rolled her eyes at him before she looked at her daughter. “Megs?”
“I don’t want like a big party, just us, and Casey, and well.. maybe a couple of others,” she stuttered.
“Angel?”
“Yeah and the boys,” Meggy flushed feeling everyone looking at her.
“I think we can do something pretty cool,” Roman said quietly.
“Well that is sorted then,” Ella smiled.
“Really?” Meggy gasped before springing up from her seat and running over to hug her Dad before doing likewise with her mother, being careful of Jennie. “Thanks!”
Toby looked at his parents and then round at his siblings. He smiled thinking about how happy he was that he was so readily accepted by them. When he’d first tried to search for his birth parents he’d been frustrated at the dead end his search had concluded in but then from out of nowhere Ella and Roman had turned up and just from the way Ella had used his full name, Tobias, he’d known who she was. It was like a sort of homecoming. He grinned again now because Ella had turned her attention to him whilst he’d been musing, as if she knew what he was thinking. He lifted his beer bottle in a salute before draining the last of it.
“How about getting the chess set out?” Ella said softly.
They laughed as Sammy shot up and ran over to the wall unit where it was kept.
“What?” he cried out.
“Nothing Samson,” Roman murmured. “Let’s set it up on the table,” he offered coming over and moving the food into the kitchen.
“Who’s first?” Sammy asked looking around the room.
Toby chuckled and stood up before walking over to where Sammy was.
“So wait, I can move the pawns one square or two?” he asked.
Sammy flushed.
“Are you…” he began trailing off when Toby grinned at him.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 66

“Samson are you planning on going out swimming with the rest of them?” Ella murmured to her son. He was sitting at the table replaying the chess game from the previous night whilst she was hugging a fretful Daniella, the little girl missing her mum already and it had only been a couple of hours. She’d had a text from Roman saying he was on his way back after dropping Gabby at the airport.
“But I need to know how Toby beat me…” Sammy whined.
“He led with his bishop drawing you in,” Ella told him.
“Yeah I got that,” Sammy muttered his focus on the board.
Ella shook her head at her son before she pulled out the chair and sat opposite him. She settled Daniella on her shoulder before picking up a piece and moving it on the board.
Sammy narrowed his eyes before he moved a piece himself as they recreated the game from the previous night.
“Move dat one,” Nella said pointing to a knight.
“That isn’t the right piece,” Sammy said without looking at her.
“Me says dat one,” Nella muttered.
Sammy looked up and sighed before he finally smiled and picked up the knight. “This one?”
“Horsy,” Nella asserted nodding.
Sammy moved it up the two squares and along one before placing it down.
“No’s, it jumps more,” Nella cried.
“Mum,” Sammy moaned before he grinned and made the ‘horsey’ jump over the board and was rewarded when his niece giggled at him.
“Now what one Missy?”
“dat one,” Nella instructed a frown on her face.
“Oh no, not me,” Ella murmured in a comical voice as she had the King doing a little dance.
Sammy giggled remembering suddenly that was how his mum had taught him which pieces to move.
“Still playing chess Samson?” Roman asked as he walked through the front door.
“I was trying to figure out how …”
“Toby beat him last night,” Ella finished smirking at Roman. He’d stayed over the night before, it being the night he normally collected the kids and took them to his place and they’d stayed up talking for a while after getting everyone to bed.
“He’s still not over that?”
“Oh come on it’s only been a few hours; it’s going to take years to get over it…”
“You two are very funny….” Sammy groaned.
“Go get changed and then take Nella into the pool.”
Sammy nodded and stood up from the table and moving out of the room.
“She get off ok?”
“A little tearful at leaving that one,” Roman said reaching out and touching Nella’s hand.
Ella smiled at her granddaughter before meeting Roman’s gaze.
“I’m not saying anything,” she murmured watching the play of emotions on his face.
“No,” he half shook his head remembering the way she was when they’d sent the children away.
“So what are your plans for the rest of the day, the kids are swimming at the moment.”
“Well I suppose I better take them to mine,” he murmured a smile playing on his lips.
“You could stay here; I’ve got this little one to take care off anyway so I won’t be getting any rest.”
“I could,” Roman confirmed.
“Better check with the kids,” Ella murmured quietly.
“Uh huh,” he murmured giving her a look. “I’d need to go get some stuff from mine.”
Ella nodded at him before grinning at the noise Sammy made on his way back into the room. Their son shot them a look before he walked over to them. Ella eased down and murmured some encouraging words before watching as Sammy led his niece down the garden and over to the pool. She kept her eyes on them checking as Sammy organised Nella putting on the inflatable ring around her middle before guiding her into the pool.
“He’s a good kid, you know,” Roman murmured from behind her.
“Of course I know that but well…” She trailed off when she saw his expression and gave a big sigh, “Fine, you go ask the kids and I’ll make a list.”
“A list?” he muttered raising his eyebrow as he looked over at her.
“Food,” She chuckled at his expression before taking a step closer to her. “What did you think I meant?”
“Well,” he lowered his voice as he spoke until it was that husky sexy voice that send shivers down her spine, “with you there is this tendency to keep me on my toes,” he said softly. “to keep me guessing.”
“And why would I like doing that?”
“Oh, because you know that it keeps me interested, keeps me challenged.”
“I can see that is something that seems to appeal to you,” she said wondering if it were just her imagination that the air seemed to be thick with sexual tension or that even though he hadn’t taken a step towards her she seemed to be so aware of him, from the musky scent of his body spray to the fact he’d foregone his morning shave in order to get Gabby to the airport.
“Oh you appeal to me,” he whispered stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. The action made his arm muscles flex and she noticed that too. He was so strong. Strong enough to lift her up and carry her up the stairs, all without breaking a sweat before laying her down on to the bed and ravishing her.
“I think,” she paused and deliberately licked her lips slowly, “That you should go speak to the kids,” she added.
“Witch,” he muttered and shook his head before stepping past her and out into the garden. She watched him go before fanning herself with her hand. Damn, her husband was hot to look at she thought looking at the way his backside filled out his jeans.
Pulling herself together she moved into the kitchen and began a quick inventory of what they would need to buy, her lips twitching as she thought of shopping and later cooking with him. She knew logically that she should maintain some space between them so that the kids didn’t get their hopes up but she also wanted to spend time with Roman. She liked that it was starting to feel natural to have him around again, to count on him to be there for them. She knew that she needed that as much as Roman did.
“Kids said ok,” he murmured from behind her.
She spun around and looked at him seeing the expression on his face and only just stopped herself from going over to him and kissing him.
“Right I’ve got what we need,” she murmured.
“You’ve got what I need,” he commented.
Ella felt herself blushing as she caught his assessing gaze raking over her body.
“I’ll go tell them we’re going,” she muttered walking past him.
Roman reached out and caught hold of her hand his gaze boring into hers as he looked into her eyes.
“So we’re going shopping?”
“Well I am, and you are picking up your stuff,” she said her voice husky.
“Don’t trust yourself to be in a supermarket with me, huh?”
Ella laughed.
“I don’t trust you.”
“Harsh, way harsh.”
She giggled once more at the petulant look on his face before tugging her hand free and strolling down the garden to talk to the kids and make sure they would be ok with her popping out for an hour or so.

Pulling up outside his house Ella turned the engine off and looked over at him.
“Here you are,” she murmured.
“Thanks for the lift,” he muttered stiltedly.
“You’re welcome.”
He gave her a look and groaned as she got slowly out of the car and began crossing the road towards his house. He watched for a fast second before joining her and laughing he reached for her hand and pulled her towards him.
“You are…”
“Got to keep you on your toes solider.”
He found himself grinning like a lovesick fool before drawing her into his arms just outside his front door and kissing her. Of course his happiness had nothing to do with the way she’d wrapped her arms around him and was kissing him back. He placed his hands on her waist loving the feel of her skin under his fingers as her top rode up. She was so incredibly sexy. His woman. His lover. Did she know how much she turned him on? How her hands felt when she touched him? How her lips felt as she kissed him? He lost himself in loving her over and over again. She made his heart pound with passion. From the moment of their first kiss and even now, years later when they had loved each other every way they could. She was amazing.
“I love you,” he said simply.
She smiled up into his gaze and nodded once.
“I love you too,” she murmured. “It feels good planning things with you, having you around us,” she sighed.
“I know,” he picked up on the note in her voice.
“I’m not quite there yet,” she sighed again.
“But we are closer?”
“Oh yes, I trust you again, I want to be with you, I…” she trailed off at the sudden hurt look on his face.
“Trust,” he muttered.
Reaching into his pocket he drew out his keys and opened the door, stepping to one side and allowing her to walk in ahead of him.
“Roman,” she began as he closed the door behind them.
“I know when you use my name it means something bad is coming,” he muttered more to himself than her. Walking over to the kitchen he began to make a pot of coffee feeling disappointed that they weren’t heading up the stairs to make love. It was a harsh lesson that he learnt, not to substitute lovemaking for communication. No matter how painful talking things out would be.
“I don’t mean trust you as in suspect you’d cheat on me, or well trust you in bed,” she murmured stuttering over the words in an effort to get them out. “I mean, that I trust you again not to push me away, not to run out on us, not to…”
“Let you down?”
“No, you’ve never…”
“Liar!”
“Roman please,” Ella gasped out.
“If we are moving on, you have to be honest with me Ella,” he said slowly.
“Fine, when you went into Witness Protection you let me down.”
“Good.”
“And when you refused to talk to me about what was going on with you,” she muttered. “And when you sought out a mortgage and then when you left.”
“Anything else?”
“When you had a girlfriend and tried to date me again.”
“Finished?”
Ella nodded unaware that she was biting on her bottom lip anxiously.
“So have you forgiven me?”
“I must have done,” she burst out with.
“Why?”
“Because I’m well.. I’m… having sex with you.”
“That could be just sex,” he murmured waiting for her to deny it.
“Yes,” she said and he frowned at her agreeing with him before a denial burst into his brain. He forced the hasty words back and looked over at her.
“Do you… think I’ll let you down again? Is that part of why you aren’t letting me move back home?”
“What? So I’m using the kids as an excuse?” She glowered at him.
“Maybe,” he said slowly.
He realised that he’d forgotten to finish making the coffee and looked at the cups he’d taken out of the cupboard and put on the top. Already he’d assigned one of the cups to her from the set he’d hastily bought when he moved in, the one with the pink daisy like flowers on.
“Maybe I am,” she agreed with him folding her arms across herself.
“Maybe if we were to have sex now I wouldn’t feel so bad,” he muttered folding his arms across himself.
“Maybe I’m not in the mood anymore.”
“Well I sure as hell don’t want to sit here and drink coffee with you.”
“Then you better just go get your stuff and we’ll go shopping.”
“Fine.”
Roman walked past her and up the stairs feeling his heart thudding in his chest. He moved into the bathroom and began putting things in his wash kit before moving into the bedroom and stopping when he heard Ella coming in behind him.
“Of course there have been times when my trust has been tested, just as the times I’ve let you down,” she whispered. “I don’t want it to be bad between us Roman; I don’t want the kids to go through another of our break-ups.”
“So how can I prove…”
“You don’t have to prove anything,” she gasped looking at the set of his shoulders as he dealt with what she was telling him. “I’m not trying to punish you, I’m not saying that you have to romance me or whatever, I just wanted us to work through things and move on,” she moaned as tears began to fall down her face.
“Are you sure that is what you want?” He asked still unable to turn and face her.
“I want us,” she moaned.
“Even though you don’t trust me?”
“I do,” She denied.
“No, you think you do,” he muttered finally turning around. “If you trusted me then….”
Ella stepped forward and began to take her clothes off. He tried to watch her dispassionately but the sight of her clothes falling to the floor in front of him held him enthralled.
“Surely I wouldn’t be able to do this?” She asked him standing before him naked.
“I don’t know,” he said eventually.
Ella stepped forward and over to his wardrobe. He wondered what she was looking for when she pulled out two of his silk ties and stepping over to the bed. He found himself hardening as he watched her pulling back the covers on his bed loving the way she moved so gracefully and then he gasped when she tied one of the ties to the headboard and then sat slowly on the bed. She put the other tie around her eyes and blindfolded herself before slowly laying down her head resting on the pillows. Lifting her hands up to the headboard after some stumbling she finally located the tie she’d put there and tangled her hands into it.
Roman moaned.
“So er..” he began unable to finish the sentence. He dropped his washkit to the floor and smiled grimly as she flinched at the unexpected noise. Dragging off his clothes he moved over to the bed and eased down to sit beside her. “You think this is some sort of joke?” He asked his voice almost snarling the question. “You think you have to do some kind of penance?” He muttered as his gaze was drawn down her supplicant body almost beyond his will. He saw the frantic rise and fall of her chest as she dragged in breath after rapid breath, betraying her fear and also her arousal and he frowned before lowering his mouth to hers he breathed slowly out letting his breath drift over her lips.
“Kiss me please,” she whispered.
“I can’t,” he moaned.
“Why?”
“Because,” he whispered redundantly as he was lured into kissing her.
Knowing she was completely at his mercy was erotic. He could do anything to her whilst she lay there. Trailing his fingers down her body he watched as she moved underneath his seeking touch. She was so very beautiful and he loved her, loved to watch her as he aroused her and brought her to the heights of pleasure. The last restraints removed from his thoughts by his own arousal he covered her body with his own and began a sensual assault on her body. The way she moved under him drove him wild and now, this moment was no exception.
Reaching up he pulled the blindfold away from her eyes and smiled as she blinked up at him.
“Ok,” he whispered, “So you trust me,” he added before entangling his hands with hers in the midst of the silk tie on the headboard before joining their bodies.

“Well,” Roman murmured after a while.
“Well? You can still formulate words?”
“Not easily,” he said with a grin as he turned to her. Reaching up he loosened the tie and freed her hands before tossing it to one side as he pulled the covers over them. She snuggled up to him and sighed.
“We need to.. stuff.. things…” she muttered and waved her hand in the general direction of the stairs.
“Shut the door,” Mike called out from downstairs.
Ella groaned her face flaming. She pulled the covers over her head and groaned again.
“Being a bit more quiet would be good too…” Mike called.
“Oh, my, god!” Ella groaned shaking under the covers.
“Yeah you already said that,” Mike called. “A few times.”
Roman stopped laughing and vaulted out of the bed. He dragged on his robe and moved to the top of the stairs.
“Private, I still outrank you so I suggest you shut up, go out for a very long run and forget everything you ever heard or saw before I’m forced to tell Danni what you are planning…” he called out before going back into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 68

Gabby moved through the airport with her bags her eyes searching out for Jacob in the crowd. She felt like she should somehow sense him amongst this churning mass of people and the fact that she didn’t make her stomach swirl with nausea. She dragged her phone out of her jeans pocket and hastily switched it on before dialling her mum’s number. Frowning as the call went through to voicemail Gabby didn’t give a thought to the time difference as she spoke into it.
“Oh Mum,” she wailed, “He’s not here, it’s all for nothing, I never should have….” She broke off as her eyes met Jacob’s not realising that he’d found her amongst the crowd. “Gotta go,” Gabby muttered into the phone and hung up.
“Hello,” Jacob said a hint of a smile on his lips.
Gabby heard Sophie’s voice inside her head telling her to play it cool and she obeyed the directive by simply nodding her head at his murmured greeting. Of course it helped that because she felt like crying and needed to compose herself.
“This is all your luggage?” Jacob was asking.
“This is it,” she said slowly looking at the case and the backpack.
“Didn’t you used to travel light?”
Gabby found she was readying herself for a fight before she realised that he was teasing her. The Jacob who had left her to start his charity work overseas hadn’t joked, or laughed, and she frowned as she realised this. Maybe this had done him some good, gaining some distance and perspective.
“Ha, you should see the stuff I didn’t pack,” she joked back and was rewarded when he smirked at her. She felt her cheeks warming and hoped that she wasn’t blushing as she felt him looking at her.
“So er, this way,” Jacob said after a moment leading her through the crowd and out of the airport terminal. He guided her along to the car park and managed to steer her towards his car. A non-descript four wheel drive vehicle with mud covering most of the paintwork.
Once they were on the road Gabby considered that it was safe to look over at his profile. He seemed older and she frowned at the thought, it was barely a year since she’d seen him last.
“Have I changed?” Jacob shot her a glance.
“What? Oh no, I er….” Gabby stuttered.
“Don’t tell me that you’ve suddenly gone shy?” he mocked her.
Gabby gave a small gasp and fixed him with a stare before she focused on the road stretching out ahead of them. It seemed to be carved in the middle of green forest and for a moment she imagined that the lush greenery was trying to somehow reclaim the road.
“Where are we going?” She thought to ask after a moment.
“To the compound where I teach,” Jacob said after staying silent whilst he navigated a stretch of road. “I’ve arranged for you to stay there.”
“Oh,” Gabby gasped. She immediately thought of the sleeping arrangements and frowned at the small voice that wanted him to say some reason why she had to stay with him. Then she remembered her doomed relationship with Brett and frowned. She had to tell him that she’d cheated on him and wondered how she could find the words. As immediate as those thoughts were she grimaced as she remembered that she was there to organise a divorce. Now faced with the man she’d married when everything had been against them she suddenly wasn’t sure that she wanted it to be over between them.
Just from thinking this had her glaring even more fiercely. Not at Jacob, but at her mother. Damn, why was her mother always bloody right about things and more importantly when she herself had barely even thought about Jacob let alone mentioned him over the past year had her mother ‘known’. Dammit, maybe her mother was part witch after all in which case, sorry Mum, she thought hastily and found herself grinning.
“Something funny?” Jacob asked glancing across at her. “Wait, did I leave shaving foam on me or something?" He added quickly lifting a hand from the steering wheel to touch his ear.
“No, oh no, and er, you shaved? To meet me?” Gabby blushed scarlet. She felt her cheeks heating up and knew that two raw patches of colour had flamed in her face.
“Yes, why,” Jacob paused as he negotiated the road slowing the car and making a turning into the compound. He began easing the car to a stop before finishing his sentence. “Is there a problem with that?”
“No, oh no, no problem,” Gabby stuttered as she fumbled with trying to undo the seatbelt.
“Gabrielle?”
She stopped as he murmured her full name.. Why is it that it felt like his voice was caressing her skin as he said her name she wondered feeling her whole body going hot with embarrassment.
“My father shaves,” she whispered looking down.
“Well you did say that he got rid of that beard he came back with,” Jacob said not picking up on the inference in her words.
“No, he shaves, “she muttered lifting her head and looking at him, well at looking at a point somewhere in the distance that meant she didn’t make eye contact with him.
“Oh,” Jacob stopped. He looked down at his hands as he drew the keys out of the ignition and then back at her before looking down again. “You mean before they… “
“My mother has sensitive skin apparently, and oh god, can we please please please ever forget that I even mentioned it…”
Jacob grinned at her before his grin turned into a smirk.
“No,” he said with some of his old confidence. “Nice to know that you still find me attractive…”
“Where did you get that from…. “Gabby groaned and reaching blindly for the door handle she flung open the door and staggered out. “I hate you,” she gasped out.
Jacob’s laughter followed her as she slammed the 4x4’s door and went to storm off. It took a couple of moments to sink in that she wasn’t back in Summer Bay before she actually stopped and looked around.
“That one,” Jacob pointed out a small cabin-cross-bungalow type structure across the compound. “Feel free to slam the doors,” he added a smirk on his face.
“You, you, grr….” Gabby stamped her foot on the soft ground before she moved over to the building he’d pointed out and moved inside. She stopped as she looked around. Mosquito netting doubled as muslin style curtains up at the windows, the walls a mixture of wooden planks and pale cream painted plaster work contained some poster sixed prints of various sea views that she vaguely recognised.
“They are from one of your mother’s books,” Jacob confirmed.
“So they do those? Is that how she makes money?”
Jacob grinned at her innocent question before moving to one of the bedrooms adjoining the living room. He opened the door and stepped inside to place her bags in there. Gabby noticed the double bed with mosquito netting around it first, then the pale green bedding that looked suspiciously like it had been ironed before being placed on the bed.
“She does books, prints, posters; works with other authors to provide cover shots for their books and novels, fashion photography, pretty much everything.”
“Wow,” Gabby gasped wondering why she’d never sat down with her mum and asked her about her work herself. “I guess that we take her money for granted.”
Jacob smiled at her and nodded.
“That is exactly how Ella wants it. She does work hard not just on her photography but my publishing friend told me that Ella donates a lot of money to various charities,” he commented.
“So that is how you know?”
“Yes,” He turned and gave her a look. “Now for length of service you get some perks around here, one of mine is that I’ve got housing to myself which includes its own shower and toilet.”
“I can see that is a good thing,” Gabby said slowly.
“So if you want to freshen up, go through that door there,” he gestured.
“Thanks,” Gabby moved over to her case and opened it. She saw the gift wrapped package on the top and bit her lip before handing it too him. Over the past year she’d been collecting pictures of Daniella along with some of her drawings and a nosey certain sister, who no longer had pink hair, had found them and compiled them in an album for her to bring out. Not that she’d found it until she got to customs and had to open her bag. “This is for you,” she said quickly before losing her nerve and shoved the package into his hands.
“Oh, er, thanks,” he muttered.
She watched as he fiddled with the bow on it before opening it slowly and then tackling the colourful wrapping paper. Never in her life, aside from Mike, the annoying brother, had she seen anyone take so much time unwrapping a present. She felt her nerves growling at her as she longed to shout at him to hurry up but new from past experience that he enjoyed the reveal as much as the gifts.
“Wow,” he whispered softly as he gazed upon the photos in the book.
Gabby found herself tearing up as she immediately felt guilty for not bringing Daniella in person. Jacob had been a hands-on Dad as soon as their daughter was born. He’d done the night feeds and walking the floor with her when she was teething. Suddenly overwhelmed with memories and emotions Gabby stepped back and folded her arms around herself. She should have made more of an effort to keep him closer to them, to let him share in the day-to-day stuff of raising their daughter.
As she thought those things she remembered how they’d all given Ella a hard time when she’d disappeared to England with the kids. Now she knew that as horrible as they were to her it would have been nothing to what Ella put herself through. Suddenly she saw her mum in a different light and longed to ring her. To somehow apologise for all the years she hadn’t bothered in really getting to know her and for always immediately thinking the worst when something happened. Gabby knew that she had issues, it had been highlighted before by other people and also when she’d done some hard thinking about herself recently but now faced with viewing things through Jacob’s eyes she felt a deep sense of shame that she’d allowed her guilt, trust issues and abandonment fears to always cloud her images. Maybe with some reflection and some time she could make amends and hopefully never make the same mistakes with her children.
“These are wonderful, thank you,” Jacob murmured, his husky voice dragging her out of her reverie. Gabby nodded at him and immediately became flustered when he walked over to her and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She knew she was still sporting the passive-aggressive body language and must have a scowl on her face because as soon as he kissed her he retreated and moved out of the room.
“Dammit,” she whispered under her breath before slowly breathing out as she forced her features to relax. Following in the way he’d gone she caught up with him near the small kitchenette off to the side of the living room. He was making coffee his movement fluid as he worked organising the coffee pot, cups and fixings.
“Do you want coffee? Or a rest .. or…” he stopped when she placed her hand on top of his.
“I’ve had a relationship with someone else; well I suppose it should be called an affair.”
“Ah,” Jacob slowly removed his hand from under hers and reached for the ground coffee packet. He lifted the spoon and began putting spoonful’s in the coffeepot. One, two, three, four, and so on keeping the repetitive action going until she lost count at around 8 spoonful’s.
“Jacob,” she cried out.
He stopped and looked at everything on the top in front of him.
“Stupidly I haven’t been unfaithful. I mean, seen anyone. I’ve had offers, lots of offers but well, I didn’t accept them and you know what, that was probably a mistake. Yeah, I’m going to go now, get some headspace. There’s a TV in the main living quarters, you’ll have to introduce yourself to the others I’m afraid.”
He dropped the spoon to the top and seemed to flinch at the metallic ding it made before turning away and staking to the door. Pulling it open he ran outside and over to his car. Gabby watched him go, the first of what she suspected many more tears to come slipping down her face.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 69

Ella collected Nella and the twins from nursery before heading to the Shack. She’d promised Nella a treat because the little girl was missing her mum. Opening the door and stepping inside she found herself smiling as Roman looked up and spotted her. A smile crawled on to his face and she chuckled softly under her breath.
“Come on girls,” she called ushering them inside.
“Grandpa,” Nella called excitedly.
“Hey,” he murmured coming over to them and accepting their hugs. “What do you guys want?”
“Me’s milkshacks Dada,” August lisped.
“That’s Milkshake,” Ella corrected her daughter.
August nodded her blonde head solemnly before she grinned. “But we’s at the shacks,” she pointed out. “so we’s wants milkshacks.”
Fleur nodded too before letting herself be led into taking a seat at one of the tables. She glanced at August and then Nella as they sat next to her before looking up at her mum.
“’Narna?” she lisped smiling sweetly.
“I see Lily’s influence,” Roman commented.
“They’ll be at school with her next year,” Ella murmured to him grinning at his expression.
“Can we adopt some more?”
“Roman,” Ella frowned at his question before catching sight of his teasing expression. “No, and definitely no,” she added.
“Guess that is a no to having some more then…”
“Go get our ‘milkshacks’…” Ella said laughing.
Roman chuckled as he walked away from them and over to the counter. He began making the kid’s drinks and then pouring out a coffee for Ella. Balancing them on a tray he walked them over to the table and handed them out.
“Ta!” the kids chorused.
“You’re welcome.”
“Want to join us?” Ella asked him her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Roman nodded ignoring the look that the blonde girl in the corner shot him as he slid into the bench next to Ella. The girl had spent most of the past few weeks sitting and watching him and the few times he’d spoken to her she’d flushed bright red and run out of the place. From the amused look on Ella’s face he knew that she’d noticed the young girl.
“So what have you been busy doing?” Roman asked the three little girls.
“I rang Mama,” Nella told him.
“Ah, is she alright?” He asked and felt Ella’s hand touching his leg under the table. He inclined his head slightly picking up on her unspoken answer to his question. Gabby was obviously struggling with her dealings with Jacob. As usual he felt his shoulders tense as he thought of the other man. After Jacob’s role in the whole William drama and his treatment of Sophie he always felt that the other man didn’t quite fit into the family.
“She sad ‘cause she no has me with her,” Nella said knowledgably.
“I bet she is,” Roman agreed.
Nella nodded.
“Yes’s, Mama tells me I is special,” Nella announced.
“We say that about Lily,” Roman commented and felt Ella’s fingers press into his leg as warning and he turned smirking at her.
“So how is your planning coming along?” Ella changed the subject.
“Planning?” He looked blank.
“Meggy’s party.” She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing at his expression. It was so obvious that he’d forgotten he’d volunteered to organise their daughter’s birthday party.
“Oh, it’s er fine, I was planning on ringing Jacko and getting him down to help.”
Ella laughed out loud before leaning forward and surprising them both when she kissed him. She drew back quickly and met his startled gaze.
“Oh, er, oh,” she stuttered.
“Mama funny,” Fleur murmured.
“Oh I am, am I Miss Flower?”
‘Dada’s face is red,” August announced nodded before she moved the straw in the glass and it made that buzz-slurp noise when she sucked up the last of her drink.
“So it is, Gust,” Ella murmured laughing as Roman went even redder under her scrutiny.
“You better stop picking on me,” Roman murmured, “Or I won’t make you anymore milkshacks.” He grinned as they all started laughing at him.
“So Meggy’s party,” Ella prompted after a moment.
“Ok, well, a sleepover, I’ll ask Gabby if we can use the stables for it so that Meggy has some independence with her friends,” he murmured looking over at Ella and trying to get a read on her face. She presented him with a neutral expression and he almost swore in front of them. “Maybe a …” he stopped.
“Maybe a what?”
“A dance floor and a tea party.” He trailed off as ran out of ideas.
“I see,” Ella sipped from her cup refraining from commenting.
“Is that not a good idea?”
“Just wondering how you are going to fit everybody’s needs into that idea,” Ella raised an eyebrow.
“Younger kids liked the fairy tea party,” he blurted.
“You so haven’t given it any thought whatsoever have you?”
“None,” he admitted looking suitably chastised.
“Well you are going to have fun when you get working on it, next week is coming fast,” Ella added.
Roman paled despite his tan and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the menu and groaned.
“Dammit woman, why didn’t you remind me?” he growled out.
Ella laughed at him.
“And I would need to remind you of your favourite daughter’s birthday because?”
“Because I’m a man, we don’t do birthdays.”
Ella laughed again before looking over at her other daughters and Nella seeing them watching them intently.
“Dada funny,” Fleur announced.
“He is,” Ella agreed. “Do we want to help him plan Meggy’s birthday party?”
“yes,” Fleur cried out.
“Me’s help too,” Nella added quickly.
“Of course,” Ella included them all smiling as August reached over and patted her father’s hand.
“We helps,” Gust intoned.
“Oh, so tea party, if that is what you want to do, how about making it vintage?”
“Vintage?” Roman frowned.
“Like 1940’s.”
“Mama?”
“For the older girls,” Ella explained for the girls, “my younger girls can have a fairy palace in the fruit trees.”
“Sounds like an idea,” Roman nodded.
“Liam’s too?”
“And Liam,” Roman answered August’s question.
“The sleepover is a good idea,” Ella added.
“But?”
“No, it’s…” she sighed and caught him looking at her and knew that he was inwardly gloating because even though she was trying to be brave he’d caught her as she bit her bottom lip.
He half-nodded before standing up and going over to the counter as people drifted in.
“Dada makes more,” August pouted looking at her glass.
“No, babes, we have to go and pick up Lily and Liam,” Ella told them as she glanced at her watch.
“We’s stay here,” Fleur muttered her eyes going over to where he dad was serving up a bowl of ice cream.
“Miss Flower,” Ella laughed and stood up. She gathered up all the glasses and her cup and began taking them over to the counter, smiling as Roman gave her a look and smiled back. With the table clear she began ushering the kids out of the Shack and over to the car. From there she headed to the school, parking up in a spot close to the school gates. She was able to watch most of the kids coming out of the school and getting picked up from her vantage point before getting out of the car and standing at the side waiting for Lily and Liam. She lifted her hand and waved to Lee who was collecting Millie.
“Mama, they’s here yet?” August called out.
“Soon Gust,” Ella responded grinning as she saw Lily bossily leading Liam out of the school gates. Her daughter looked around before spotting her and began running towards her before frowning as Liam hung back. She turned and fixed him with a look before yanking on his arm and pulling him again. ‘Lily Alyssa Harris!” Ella called out to her daughter.
Lily stopped and gave her a look before her mouth dropped open in a round ‘o’ shape. She gave a sudden grin and ran over to her Mum.
“It wasn’t me Mama,” she muttered quickly.
“Stop bossing your brother around Miss Lily,” Ella murmured as she ushered her daughter in the car. She showed Liam into the car next smiling as he gave Lily a glare. She suspected that sooner or later she would need to have a talk with her daughter about letting Liam have a bit more freedom before smirking as she thought about making Roman do it instead.
“We’s had milkshacks,” August announced.
“Mama,” Lily called out immediately.
“No,” Ella said as she climbed into the front seat.
“But’s mama, we’s no had one,” Lily lisped.
“Tough Squeals,” Ella told her daughter aiming for the tone of voice that she wouldn’t argue with. She met Lily’s gaze in the rear view mirror and sighed. Well, she bargained with herself, she could text Sophie and get the older kids to meet her there and well, maybe it did give her a chance to see Roman again. The weekend had been good and frustrating. Aside from the rather intense lovemaking as they went to his place to pick up his things so he could stay over they’d had to keep their hands to themselves around the older kids, plus after being caught out by Lily that time she hadn’t quite worked up her nerve to risk sneaking around again with Roman in the house.
“Ok’s Mama,” Lily said with a loud sigh.
Ella half shook her head and directed the car to the Shack. She grinned at the change of expression on Lily’s face when she realised where they were going.
“One drink and no more milkshacks for you little ones,” Ella cautioned.
“Cookie?” Nella asked in a sad voice.
“No,” Ella murmured.
“Please?” Nella added.
“We’ll see,” Ella told her.
“That means yes’s.” Lily said wisely.
“Hey,” Ella protested and caught Lily giving her an innocent smile. She pulled up and parked the car, leading them all into the shack. Roman was busy behind the counter making smoothies for people’s orders and she grinned over at him as she got the kids seated. Pulling out her phone she texted Sophie and Georgie telling them where she was and waited until she got the delivery reports before putting her phone away.
“Mama can I go….” Liam began trialling off when Lily gave him a glare.
“Go where babes?” Ella prompted.
“See Dada,” he finished sounding a little subdued.
“Not just now babes, he’s busy working, give him a few minutes and he’ll come over here,” Ella told her son gently.
“K’s Mama,” he grinned his normal cheeky grin before talking to the twins and Nella asking them what they had been doing while he was at school.
“Hey,” Roman murmured finally able to come over to them after a while.
“Hey back, Lily wanted to come and see you,” Ella murmured the excuse she’d come up with. She caught Roman giving her a long look and found her face growing hot under his scrutiny.
“Well do you want drinks?” He asked after a moment.
The kids called out what they wanted and he chuckled.
“And I’ll have your pineapple and coconut smoothie,” Ella added.
Roman laughed again letting his hand trail along her arm as he moved away into the kitchen. He began assembling all the drinks his eyes going around the room checking on the customers before delivering the drinks to the table.
Ella took a long drink and smiled as she rolled the various tastes across her tongue. “Good,” she told him a smile playing on her lips.
“What are doing later?” Roman asked quickly.
“Tonight? Just going home for dinner,” Ella muttered, “Why?”
“How about you guys come over and I cook?”
“Roman,” Ella muttered narrowing her eyes and giving him a look which he returned by giving her an innocent look in return.
“Can we?” Lily asked quickly. “I has no homework.”
“But Lil’s we has reading…” Liam murmured earning himself another glare from his sister.
Ella shook her head and rolled her eyes before she pinned Roman with her gaze. “Ok, but the food better be good,” she cautioned.
“What food?” Sammy asked walking in through the door. “Are we getting dinner? Cool,” he added.
“What?” Meggy muttered looking at her brother and then round the table.
Ella groaned and explained that they were going to their dad’s for dinner, having to repeat herself when her other twins came in. She caught Roman continuing to give her subtle looks and knew that her face was flaming under all the scrutiny.
“Oh wow, that will be cool, because we totally haven’t seen him since like two days again,” Sophie drawled out slowly.
“Shut up,” Meggy groaned giving her sister a push.
“Girls,” Ella said warningly.
“I have a footie game tomorrow night,” Georgie said pushing his hair out of his eyes as he collapsed into a seat on the next table near them He pulled out one of his books and his main folder. He dived into his backpack and rustled around before getting out his pencil case and dropping that on top of his books.
“Where are you playing?” Roman asked his son.
“Oh, at the school,” he said distracted by his homework. “Why do you want to come and watch?”
“Yes,” Roman answered his son immediately.
Georgie dropped his pen to the floor and looked over at his dad before nodding once. He retrieved his pen from the floor and made out that he was once more absorbed by his schoolwork.
“Can I get a juice?” Meggy murmured into the sudden silence.
Roman nodded and moved back behind the counter sorting out drinks for everyone. He kept himself busy focusing on what he was doing and ignoring the slight emotional tremor to his hands. Georgie had looked really pleased at his interest in his son’s sports and he made a mental note to keep track of his son’s footie games and try and get to a few more. Looking up he caught Ella’s gaze on him and he inclined his head slightly trying to tell her he was ok but was caught when she winked at him. She knew what he was feeling, his personal witch and he was damned if he didn’t love her just a bit more on account of it.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 70

Roman looked over at the small white marquee that had been erected in the garden knowing that inside his daughter was having the first part of her birthday party. He hadn’t quite managed to get over how grown up she looked with her hair in a 1940’s style, wearing a colourful cotton dress and a pair of high heels. That, and the make-up had made him feel old, pale blush, dark mascara and of course bright red lipstick outlining her perfect smile. Ella had employed a hairdresser slash make-up artist to come and style the five girls, Meggy and Sophie of course, and then Angel, Casey and someone called Buffy. Two other girls from Meggy’s class, Mia and Lucy, had also been invited and had arrived already in 1940’s costume.
He’d been responsible for making the ‘high tea’ for them, utilising some recipes from the time period. Then there was the fairy’s tea party for the younger children in the orchard. Ella had organised for a little boy called Fred to come over too and provided Liam, Fred and also Kai with matching costumes. Millie had joined with the girls along with Mira. Each of them dressed in princess dresses.
The older boys, including Sophie’s boyfriend Steve, along with Tyler and Robbie were ensconced in the attic rooms playing one of the games consoles and watching films.
“Hey,” he called out seeing Ella walking towards him.
“Hey yourself,” She gave a small sigh before approaching the fridge and taking out a can of soda for herself. She popped the lid and took a long drink.
“It’s a hot day,” he murmured looking out into the garden.
“I’m going to bring the younger kids inside in a bit,” she nodded.
“El,” he began giving the room a check and making sure that there was no one about. “are you ok?”
“I’m tired, was up late sorting out dresses,” she shrugged not mentioning the long nights she’d had recently with Gabby. Jacob had signed the divorce papers without comment and she’d flown home in pieces because of it, the young girl knowing with certainty that she didn’t want her marriage to end. All Ella could offer her was returning to see Jacob, taking Daniella with her and seeing if she could settle there and make a life with him. Of course, she didn’t want her daughter and her granddaughter being half way around the world especially in a place where Medical help and supplies were scarce and where there was always the risk of trouble starting up.
“Ok,” he began, “I believe you,” he added giving her a look that promised he was going to find out what was going on later.
Ella shrugged and pointed to the tray he was working on. He was in the midst of preparing mock tails to take out to Meggy and her friends.
“I like Casey,” he commented. “Heard what you are doing for her Mum.”
“Me, not doing anything,” Ella stuttered feeling her cheeks heat up.
“That isn’t what I’ve heard,” he smiled at her.
“You must need your ears checking,” she told him in her sassy voice before finishing the can of soda and moving back out the door and down to the garden where the younger kids were. She began rounding them up and starting them on a treasure hunt that she’d plotted out to end inside the house where she would encourage them to have a nap whilst one of their films played. She couldn’t help grinning at Fred and Liam playing with Kai; her wonderful son managing to enjoy the company of other boys for a change.

Roman carried the tray of drinks carefully into the marquee. He smiled as the girls squealed at the coloured drinks as he handed them round.
“Thanks, Mr Harris,” Buffy stuttered out.
“You’re welcome and please call me Roman,” he gave her a brief some before beginning to collect up the tea service they’d used.
“We were just saying about the dances they did back then,” Sophie murmured looking at her dad.
“I hope you weren’t thinking of asking me about them, I may be ancient but I’m not that old,” Roman said grinning at his daughter.
Sophie flushed as some of the other girls laughed at her before she shook her head.
“No, not that, it was well you and Mum danced at the wedding,” she stuttered.
“Oh, you mean like this,” Roman pulled on Sophie’s hand until she had no choice but to stand up. She stood still for a minute before finally joining in with the steps as Roman practiced some jive moves with his daughter, spinning her around and out before pulling her back again. Her dress flew up as she twirled and there was a happy expression on her face.
“Yeah,” Meggy cried out.
She too stood up and grabbing hold of Casey’s hand began copying them. Angel looked over at Buffy and grinned before nodding at her and the two girls got up to dance leaving only Mia and Lucy sitting and watching until finally they too stood up and joined in.
“Enough Daddy, I’m puffed out,” Sophie cried after a few dances.
“Oh finally, I thought I was going to have to fake a heart attack,” he murmured grinning as the girls chuckled. He moved back to what he was doing, stacking the used cups, saucers and side plates on the tray before carrying them away up to the house.
“Your parents are pretty cool,” Mia murmured sitting back down and taking a long drink out of her glass. She sighed at the taste of the mocktail, lifting up the cocktail umbrella and taking a bite from the pineapple on it.
“They are,” Sophie agreed looking at a nodding Angel. She sat down and collected her drink taking a long swallow. “Is it my imagination or have we chosen the hottest day ever to have a party?”
“Lol!” Lucy giggled as she fanned herself. “Maybe we can go inside?”
“We have the stables if we want,” Meggy put in quickly, “It’s were we are having the sleepover tonight,” she added looking round the group.
“Let’s go,” Casey put in. “We can take these drinks can’t we?”
“Of course,” Meggy added.
She led all the girls across the garden and up the path to the stables and then inside. Immediately she felt cooler and looked at the others before she spotted the giftbags on the coffee table.
“Wow,” Mia called out looking at them. “You are spoiled,” she added glancing at the others.
“Not me,” Meggy chuckled.
Buffy looked at Mia before she went over to them. Within second she spotted the one with her name on the tag and picked it up as she placed her drink down.
“This has my name on,” she called out.
“Mum did them,” Sophie said slowly looking at Meggy. She could tell that Mia’s comment had upset her sister and wanted to say something to the other girl herself but this was Meggy’s day and she wasn’t going to cause a scene.
Casey and Lucy walked past Meggy standing next to Mia and over to the bags. They put down their drinks and picked up the bag with their name on. Inside there were onesies pyjamas, beauty kits with sweets and chocolates making up essentials for a sleepover.
“These are cool,” Buffy called out as she emptied the bag and looked at the things.
Mia gave a small smile before she collected her bag and looked at it.
“Yes, they are cool,” Mia murmured before putting her bag to one side and sitting on the long sofa. “So what are we going to do?”
“Well, we have a karoke machine that my brother Toby set up or we can watch a movie?” Meggy suggested.
“Sounds pretty… well boring,” Mia drawled.
“Depends on the movies, what do you have?” Buffy collected her drink and took a sip of it as she sat down. Lucy sat next to her and they looked over at Meggy.
“I don’t know,” Meggy bit her lip. “We have a lot of kids movies.”
“I’m not surprised with the amount of brats running around the place,” Mia muttered.
Sophie took a step forward and looked at the other girl before offering her a saccharine smile. “I’m sure Lily would love to hear you call our family brats,” she declared. “We have the whole twilight series.”
“Cool,” Buffy murmured.
Meggy nodded her eyes going to Mia. She didn’t know the other girl that well but she thought she’d be cooler than she was. It was like she wanted to create a scene just so she could get some attention.
“Let me put them on,” Sophie said into the silence. She moved over to the tv and dvd player and routed around for a minute before putting the first movie on.
“Hey girls,” Ella called from the doorway.
“Mum,” Meggy began and lapsed into silence.
“I’ve got the little ones in the house settling down for a nap. Are you ok? There are sodas and snacks in the kitchen for you,” Ella murmured looking around the group.
“Thank you for the gift bags,” Angel said giving the other girls a glare as if to get them to say their thanks too.
“You’re welcome,” Ella said softly.
“I think we are going to watch some movies now,” Sophie explained quickly.
Ella nodded and moved over to the wall. She clicked a couple of switches and the electric fan came on circulating the air in the room and cooling it down. Next she closed the blinds, shutting out the light so they could focus on the movie.
“I’ll get us some more drinks,” Angel volunteered heading into the kitchen.
“This is an interesting house, Mrs Harris,” Mia commented.
“Thank you; it’s my daughter Gabby’s.”
“It’s big, and then there is the poolhouse, like wow, you must have a lot of money!”
“I do,” Ella gave the youngster a smile before she moved over to help Angel. Opening the cupboard where she’d put the snacks she opened the popcorn and poured it into a bowl.
“A lot of money?” Lucy hissed quietly at her friend. “What is with you?”
“I was making conversation,” Mia defended herself.
“Yeah, right,” Lucy shook her head before turning to Meggy and mouthing the word sorry to her.
“Here you go,” Ella murmured placing the crisps and dip on the table next to a bowl of popcorn. “Have a nice time girls, see you later,” she added giving them a smile before easing out of the stables and walking back to the house. She saw Roman sitting with Liam and Kai, Fred having been collected by his parents and had gone home.
“And what are we doing?” She asked them.
“We’s plays lego,” Liam murmured. “Boy’s game!” He added in a strident voice.
“So I see,” Ella said softly. “But aren’t you supposed to be asleep? It’s nap time.”
“We’s not sleepy Mama,” Liam protested. “We naps in a bit, eh?”
She smiled at her son before easing past him and checking on the other kids on the sofas. The twins were with Daniella and on the other sofa were Lily with Mira and Millie. She watched them for a second before easing away from them and heading out of the room and up the stairs. There was going to be a BBQ later when the others turned up, Geoff, Nicole, Aden, Belle, along with Toby, Gabby, Mike and Danni. The latter couple had decided to spend some of the day together with Jennie to the surprise of just about everyone.
Walking into her room she threw open the window and let the soft breeze into the room. She could smell the roses and the other flowers. She’d planted some lavender plants at the side of the house and the aroma of them reached her. Slipping off her shoes she laid full length on the bed and closed her eyes. Within minutes she was asleep.

Roman persuaded Liam that he needed a nap too when Kai started yawning. He placed the two boys on the sofa together with the twins and eased into the kitchen where he cleared away the remains of the two tea parties. Next, he began to organise the food for later, starting on the salads and coleslaw and then making vegetable kebabs before tackling chicken kebabs and prawn skewers. He cleaned and washed all the tops down thoroughly along with his hands before he put the potatoes in the sink and gave them a wash. Placing them in a couple of oven tins he sprinkled on seasoning before putting them in the oven and setting the timer for the oven to start cooking them later.
This was what he liked; sorting through the food and organising it before cooking it and then watching people enjoy it. Ella was right, he didn’t like her being a vegetarian and now Liam was too. He suspected that in time some of them other kids would choose to follow that lifestyle. Not that there was anything wrong with it, he added quickly inside his head, just that Ella had never tasted how he cooked chicken or steak or any number of recipes that he’d worked on over the years and he had to admit, he enjoyed showing off for her.
The food prep done he grabbed a beer for himself and took along sip. With a grin on his face he grabbed a second one and within a minute he found himself outside Ella’s bedroom. He knocked softly on the door before heading inside.
“I’m asleep,” she mumbled her head buried in the pillow.
“I’ve got an ice cold beer,” he called to her softly.
“No, not even for an ice cold beer,” she told him lifting her head and peering at him.
“How about sex?”
“Yeah right,” Ella scoffed before moving on the bed and making room for Roman. He eased up next to her and handed over the bottle of beer.
“So what’s been going on El,” he murmured.
“Stuff, I’ll tell you later,” she told him taking a long drink from the bottle.
“Is this got anything to do with Jacob?”
Ella smiled at him and nodded.
“He signed the divorce papers.”
“Isn’t that what Gabby wanted?” He asked genuinely confused.
“At one stage, but after seeing him..” Ella shrugged.
Roman gave her a look before he took his phone out of his pocket and dialled.
“Roman.”
“Shush,” he murmured as the call connected. He could tell from the tone of the greeting he got that he’d interrupted someone’s sleep and smiled grimly as he remembered time differences. “Jacob it’s Roman,” he announced. “Yes,” he murmured in response to something. “Now listen here, get your backside on a plane and come home, your wife needs you.”
Ella’s eyes opened wide at his words and she could only imagine the shock that the other man would be feeling on the other end of the conversation.
“Is that right? Then perhaps you need me to remind you that I’m trained to kill and I’ll happily give you a demonstration of that,” Roman growled out. “That didn’t scare you? No, well perhaps I’ll hand the phone over to Ella and you can explain to her why you are hurting her daughter, yeah, I didn’t think so. Let me know your flight number and I’ll come and pick you up from the airport.” He ended the call and looked over at Ella as she tried not to laugh.
“Threatening him with me?” she paraphrased.
“It worked,” he murmured before leaning over and kissing her.
“You idiot,” she gasped out and returned his kiss.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 71

“Hey,” Jacko called walking around the side of the house next to Pete and James. He paused and shared a look with the others before grinning and pointing at Roman standing next to the BBQ looking exceptionally ‘Chef-y’ wearing his whites over a top and jeans. “I’m beginning to feel a little underdressed,” he muttered to the two men standing beside him before they all laughed and moved forward.
“Oh look it’s the old man and his helpers,” Meggy said in a quiet voice that was only loud enough for the three men to hear. She grinned at Jacko’s consternation.
“Mouth like her mothers,” he chanted. “huh,” he added.
“Jacko, nice you could make it,” Ella said as she stepped out of the house. “I better warn you we have more girls running around than usual.”
“Don’t worry the troublemaker has already begun to try and wind us up,” Jacko grinned before he nodded at Pete causing the other man to hand over a gift bag to Meggy.
“Oh, guys, thank you,” Meggy gasped out. “I really wasn’t expecting presents,” she added with a frown.
“Great, see we’s could have saved ourselves some money,” Jacko muttered his eyes twinkling as he looked at a blushing Meggy.
“Guys, thanks, go get yourselves a drink,” Ella instructed and waved in the general direction of the bar that Georgie and the boys had set up. They began to move off leaving Meggy with her mum.
“Mum,” Meggy began looking at the giftbag, “What would you do if someone was being really, like really annoying?”
“You know what I’d do Meggy,” Ella shot her daughter a grin, “I divorced him, still he comes in handy sometimes.”
Meggy looked dumbfounded for a moment before grinning and looking over at her Dad. He must have sensed something because he looked up and over at them and they could see him frowning as they both waved at him. Suffused by giggles Ella guided her daughter inside and over to the long sofa. She sat down and eased Meggy down beside her.
“Maybe, Mia, or whoever it is, needs to see that despite me having a load of money that my children aren’t spoilt. That you do have nice clothes but not loads of them and that you share your room and don’t have an IPad or your own laptop.”
“Thanks Mum,” Meggy gave her a smile.
“Now, come on let’s see what they got you,” Ella prompted.
Meggy flushed, only just remembering that she’d been given a present. She looked slowly into the giftbag and drew out the gift wrapped box. Pulling slowly at the ribbon around it she opened the wrapping to reveal a small jewellery box.
“Mum,” she gasped out looking at it.
Again her movements slow she opened the box and took in the long silver chain and the charm on the end of it.
“Very nice,” Ella told her.
“It is,” Meggy said slowly. “It’s my birthstone isn’t it?”
“It is, and also you see this, the ‘M’ symbol with the point on the end of it, well that is for Scorpio your birth sign.”
“It’s so very cool,” Meggy murmured her voice awed.
“I think that it’s cool too,” Ella spoke softly to her daughter.
“You know don’t you Mum,” Meggy muttered giving her mum a look.
“I do,” Ella confirmed.
“How,” Meggy shook her head. “I mean,” she stopped and gave her mother another look.
“I think that your Uncle Jacko would be flattered that you have crush on him and maybe a touch embarrassed. We won’t mention what your Dad will think,” Ella smiled and touched her hand to her daughter’s face.
“Maybe we won’t tell anyone,” Meggy gasped out her eyes straying to the door and out to the party.
“I think it’s safe, and you know that soon you are going to meet a nice boy who is going to make you feel special,” Ella promised.
“I don’t think so, I’m not like Sophie,” Meggy shrugged.
“Of course you aren’t,” Ella gave her daughter a smile, “You are your own person and for that I’m very grateful.”
“Really Mum?”
“Really my troublemaker, I love all my boys and girls equally, unless they need a bit extra sometimes.”
“I don’t need any extra love,” Meggy quickly denied.
“No? Not even because Mia is making you feel a bit horrible?”
“I’m good see,” Meggy gave her mother a bright smile.
“Ok my Megs,” Ella said softly.
Reaching out she took the necklace from the box and fastened it around Meggy’s neck.
“It’s perfect,” Meggy said softly looking at it. She reached over and kissed her mum’s cheek before standing and walking out of the house and rejoined the party. Ella watched her go a curious expression on her face before she moved the gift bag and the rubbish to one side and stood up herself. She moved out of the house and over to where Roman was standing next to Jacko and the others.
“Didn’t think we’d be here again,” Jacko drawled his eyes on Ella’s face.
“Yeah well, Roman invited you without me knowing,” Ella shot back.
“See that’s where the young one gets her mouth,” Jacko said to Pete and James.
“Meggy?” Roman murmured, “Or Lily?”
“Either,” Jacko drawled.
“So what is going on with you two? Are we being invited to another wedding soon?”
“Not a chance in hell,” Ella responded immediately.
“Does this mean you are going to date other people?” James asked slowly.
“Rehearse this discussion on the way down did you?”
“No,” Jacko murmured his eyes flicking from Ella’s face to watching Roman. “But well, how about we go for a drink sometime?”
Roman reached out immediately and smacked Jacko round the back of his head.
“LT what the hell?” Jacko muttered.
“I’m right here Sgt, and if Ella wanted to date it sure as hell wouldn’t be with you,” Roman bit out.
“Maybe the lady should decide that and no, don’t hit me again,” Jacko lifted his hand up and rubbed the back of his head.
“Well Ella?” Pete murmured prompting her.
Ella felt all their eyes on her and never liking being centre of attention she felt her face flush and knew she was turning red.
“I’m gay,” she announced. “It’s why Roman and I split, suddenly I like girls,” she muttered and turning on her heel she stormed away.
“Isn’t that the second one you’ve made Gay?” Pete commented.
“What?” Roman dragged his attention back to the conversation and realising what Pete had said he glared at the other man, glaring even more as the three men burst out laughing at him.
“You two are so seeing each other,” Jacko muttered his hand still on the back of his head.
“We’re not…” Roman said quickly knowing that his voice lacked conviction. He turned away to focus on the food. Removing the snags from the grill he flipped the burgers for the last time, gave them a final moment before taking them off too.
“Okay Hardcore, we’re convinced,” Jacko said with a laugh.
Pete reached over and clapped Roman on his back.
“Want another beer?” He asked him.
“Thanks,” Roman muttered.
Pete and James wandered off to get drinks leaving Jacko behind.
“You know I was joking right?” Jacko asked him quickly, “I wouldn’t do anything to…”
“I know mate,” Roman forestalled him. “And you are right, Ella and me, well we’re trying again, we’ve gone to counselling and we’ve sorted out a lot of stuff,” he added in a soft voice.
“We’re glad,” Jacko murmured. “Seems like you’ve got a lot of stuff sorted,” he paused. “We’re going out to Bosnia again; we want to make it an annual thing.”
Roman stopped what he was doing and immediately sort out Ella amongst the crowd.
“I need to…” he stopped not sure how he was going to finish the sentence.
“It’s cool if you don’t come,” Jacko said. “Just thought we’d mention it.”
“Mention what?” Pete murmured handing over the beers having joined them.
“Bosnia.”
“Ah, okay,” Pete murmured.
“Food is done,” Roman said changing the subject.
“I want the first burger,” Aden called out walking over to them.
“Hey,” Mike called over to them. “Wait your turn..”
Aden smirked at him.

Ella eased into a seat next to Lily and smiled at her daughter.
“Are you having a good day squeals?” she murmured softly.
“It’s been good,” Lily said with a nod. “I think we’s hungry,” she added rubbing a big circle over the top of her stomach.
“I see,” Ella smiled and looked around the other girls, Millie and Mira and her beautiful twins, August and Fleur, and of course Daniella, and then to Kai and her precious Liam. She leaned down and kissed her daughter’s head. “I better go and get my babies dinner.”
She eased up and moved over to Roman’s side over near the food table and smiled as he handed her a platter with the kid’s food on.
“And that’s for Liam,” he pointed out passing over a second plate.
“Thanks,” Ella said politely aware of the others standing next to her ex-husband. She grinned suddenly at managing to put the ex in front of the husband bit, her smile turning into a smirk when Roman gave her a puzzled look. Turning back the way she’d just come she moved over and help the little ones get their food.

Nic and Belle sat to one side. They’d been drinking copious amounts of wine and gossiping about Ella and Roman, comparing notes.
“I’m sure that he came out of their room earlier,” Nic muttered tapping her finger against her half-empty glass.
“Who came of whose room?” Danni asked moving to sit with them.
“Roman,” Belle supplied.
“Out of Ella’s” Nic added.
“Let me guess, he was trying to hide the fact that they’d been at it like rabbits all afternoon,” Danni drawled.
“Are you mocking us?” Nic murmured pinning Danni with her intense looking blue eyes.
“Only a little,” Danni gestured with her finger and thumb.
“Dad and Ella always get back together,” Nic muttered. “This is the longest they’ve split.”
“Divorced,” Danni pointed out.
“Split,” Nic insisted. “Do you think Sister dearest, that if they really hated each other they could do this?”
“I think that we should leave them alone,” Danni said with feeling her eyes seeking out Mike. He was standing talking to Toby over at the bar with his brothers. As if he sensed her eyes on him he turned and smiled at her before resuming his conversation with his brother. Danni felt her face flushing before she turned her head and looked back at Nic, “Seriously, let them sort things out. I don’t want us to lose what we have and I know things were bad when they first split up.”
“She makes sense,” Belle murmured.
“Yeah she does,” Nic nodded her eyes narrowing. “You cowbag,” she added glaring at Danni. “How long?”
“er… I … er..”
“Nic?” Belle asked.
“How long have you known they’ve been seeing each other?” Nic muttered the question.
“Are they…” Danni said slowly trying to prevaricate. “Fine, okay. It’s been months.”
“I knew it,” Nic muttered glaring over at her dad.
“That would explain Aden’s bloody smirk half the time whenever Roman or Ella were mentioned,” Belle said.
Danni laughed before looking up again and over at Mike. It had been a good day spent with him and Jennie. She’d actually felt more relaxed with him and even left him with Jennie a number of times without panicking. Maybe they could even see each other again soon; she thought a smile on her face.
“Where’s Gabby?”
Danni looked up at Nic’s question before realising she hadn’t seen the other girl for most of the evening.
“I don’t know?”
“Is she ok?”
“After seeing Jacob? No, I don’t think she is,” Danni sighed. “I hate this,” she added her guard dropping.
“You and Mike will work it out,” Nic promised her.
“I hope so,” Danni said.
“You girls are looking earnest, do you need more wine?” Ella interrupted.
“Only if you drink it too,” Nic shot back her eyes flicking from Ella over to her dad and then back again.
“Sorry, I’m on the beer tonight,” Ella smirked at the disappointed expression that passed over Nic’s face for the briefest moment. “Anyway, come and get some food,” She led them up the garden and over to the food table watching as they selected things.
Looking round the garden she saw everyone had something to eat and drink. Soon they would bring out the cake for Meggy and after that had been served up and eaten she’d take the younger children to bed, and then sort out Meggy and her friends over in the Stables. The boys would go upstairs leaving the older ones to finish the night. And by then she’d be half asleep. Her eyes were drawn to Roman and he smirked as if reading her thoughts. Maybe if he hadn’t have followed her upstairs earlier she would have got some sleep instead of spending forty minutes making out with him.