Chapter 13 #2
Sitting around the sleek breakfast bar they all laughed at the dismayed if slightly horrified look Alex now wore.
“Dad! You’re supposed to be on my side.” Burying his face in his hands, he pretended to be more upset than he was with the man he had looked up to all his life.
His father was his inspiration in life. Alex had acquired his father’s work ethic but his mother’s more subdued nature.
Cameron on the other hand was like a carbon copy of the man who was now pulling his stool closer to Grace in order to drape his arm around the less than comfortable young woman.
“You can stop molesting her now, Dad. She’s mine!
” Alex held out his hand to pull Grace from her seat and positioned her protectively between his open denim clad thighs where she happily nestled as they finished their tea.
“No long queue of men, Mr Carter, and I quite like your son’s ink. It makes him who he is. Are you staying for the week?” Grace slid her hand into her pocket to hide her now crossed fingers, praying they were going home sooner rather than later.
“No, dear. Just a few days. We have our grandson’s christening to attend next weekend.
Well, I say christening in the loosest sense of the word.
Our daughter-in-law is not a Christian so they’re having some fancy naming ceremony thing in their back garden.
It’s all a bit ‘tree hugging’ for me but, well we don’t like to interfere do we, dear? ”
At that father and son spat their tea out in a burst of laughter.
“I think Cam and Em would disagree, Mum. The face you pulled when you opened the invite was enough. You even complained about them getting married on that cliff top instead of in church. Turning up in your rain hat ‘just in case’ wasn’t the best idea either.
” Alex high fived his father as he watched his mum’s face contort as she tried to hold in the laughter that was obviously bubbling under the surface.
“Grace, we can elope. Don’t worry, I won’t let her ruin your day with her plastic rain hat.
” He planted a soft kiss on her now crimson cheek.
“Whoa there, tiger! I agreed to a weekend not a wedding!” The panic was evident on her face as she turned to face him.
Giving her his undivided attention he studied her face as though there was just the two of them in the room.
Placing his hands in her hair he gently gripped her head as he pulled her towards him until their foreheads were touching.
“It’s just details, babe. Weekend, lifetime, beyond.
Whatever. I know how I feel.” His voice barely above a whisper, he held her in place making his point.
He was in this for the long haul. She couldn’t vocalise, only grinned stupidly at him as she planted a kiss on the tip of his nose before remembering they had company.
Without lifting his head or breaking their gaze, he addressed his parents.
“Stay the week; I’ll get Iz to book us all a flight on Saturday. We could go to the naming thing together then. Grace and I can fly back on Monday. Can you get Monday off work, babe?”
Stuttering as she spoke, her mind racing, she said, “Oh, they won’t want me there. Don’t be silly, it’s a family thing. I’ll just be in the way.” Grace tried to push away from him, create some space between them but Alex was having none of it, holding her firmly in place.
“You are my girlfriend, of course I want you there. Besides I want you to meet my brother and I am pretty sure my invite said Alex plus one. Emma would have my balls if I left you at home, not to mention Izzie.” He smirked as he spoke to her.
Glimpsing around the breakfast bar she took in the expectant look on his parents’ faces as they awaited her response. “Well, I need to go shopping then. I don’t have anything to wear to a christening. If you’re sure you want me to go with you.”
Ann clapped her hands together excitedly. “I love shopping; we can go together tomorrow, have lunch too. We’ll leave these two here. What do you think, Grace?”
A hurried phone call later and Grace had managed to secure some annual leave from work; thank God her boss was laid back.
It helped that in the whole time she had worked there she had only taken one day of leave.
Going home to her family didn’t hold the attraction it obviously did to Alex.
Her parents were only too glad when she had announced she was moving to Scotland.
They had visited her once in the last couple of years and the phone calls were almost as rare.
“Sorted?” Alex asked apprehensively.
“Yep, I took the next two weeks off. In for a penny, in for a pound or so they say. Alex, are you sure they won’t mind me tagging along? God, I should buy a gift too.” The worry was now evident on her face.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll add your name to mine. Come on, we have old people to occupy.” Holding out his hand for Grace to hold, the smile spread widely across his face as she willingly went to him. Glancing at their clasped hands he marvelled at how comfortable this all felt.