Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) by Lacey London Read Free Book Online Page A

wait for Oliver to toss the bags into the boot. A sudden breeze ruffles my hair and I look up to see that the once blue sky has clouded over. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that I was back in London. Taking hold of Noah, Oliver throws him onto his shoulders and takes my hand in his. At last we can start to enjoy our holiday. Breathing a sigh of relief, I allow Oliver to lead us across the enormous car park.
    Too busy admiring a passers-by’s glossy handbag, I almost don’t notice the first drops of rain that slip down the back of my neck. Screwing up my nose, I spot Noah rubbing his little face looking equally as confused.
    ‘Was that rain?’ I ask Oliver, as another huge droplet lands on the tip of my nose. ‘It was, wasn’t it?’
    Nodding in agreement, he quickens his pace and looks up at the clouds. ‘We better hurry…’
    Before he can finish the sentence, the heavens open and raindrops the size of bullets fall from the sky.
    ‘What the hell?’ Attempting to shield myself from the thundering downpour, I let out a yelp as a shower of hail stone fires down on us.
    Within seconds my hair is drenched and Oliver’s t-shirt clings to my body like a soggy second skin. This is insane! Not being able to see more than a couple of feet in front of me, I cling to Oliver’s jacket as he practically throws us across the street and into the restaurant. With my soaked hair clinging to my face and Oliver’s t-shirt on the verge of being see-through, I can only imagine what I must look like. Taking a glimpse around, I am surprised to see that no one has even looked up from the plates. Turning my attention to Noah, I grab a napkin from the stand of condiments and dry off his face. Shaking his curls so that wet droplets shower the other customers, he lets out a cute giggle. At least he can see the funny side.
    ‘Well, I am glad you find it funny.’ I mutter, smiling apologetically at the scowling customers.
    A rather glamorous blonde lady wearing a fifties style dress grabs a couple of menus and strikes up a conversation with Oliver. Too concerned over the state of my bedraggled appearance, I leave them to talk and tug on the sleeve of the t-shirt self-consciously. Just when I think this holiday is looking up I am literally attacked by the weather. It seems that a holiday to Orlando is a rollercoaster in itself.
    Letting out an exasperated sigh, I slide into a red booth opposite Oliver and sit Noah next to me. Now that I have had the chance to look around, I realise that this place is actually really cool. From the monochrome tiled floor to the funky retro bar stools and stripy tablecloths, you would be forgiven for thinking that you had stepped back in time.
    ‘Burger!’ Noah yells, taking the menu and banging it on the table happily.
    ‘Sounds good to me, buddy.’ Taking off his wet baseball cap and dropping it onto the table, Oliver stretches his arms over his head and yawns loudly.
    ‘Me too.’ I mumble, not even bothering to look at the menu.
    The pretty waitress from earlier reappears at our table and I look up at her with a smile.
    ‘What can I get you guys?’ Puling a notepad out of her apron, she quickly scribbles down our order before handing Noah a pack of crayons and a colouring book.
    ‘Say thank you .’ I prompt him, stroking his cheek gently.
    Looking up at the waitress, Noah’s cheeks flush a bright shade of pink and he buries his face into my stomach.
    ‘He’s shy.’ I explain, as Noah refuses to make eye contact with anything other than my muffin top. ‘Thank you so much.’
    Once the pretty lady has sashayed out of sight, Noah pulls himself up and gets to work at scribbling on the page.
    ‘So…’ Oliver says, resting his elbows on the table. ‘What do you think of Orlando?’
    Trying to find the right words I look out of the window at the heavy rain, not really knowing what to say. ‘It’s not quite as I expected.’
    ‘What did you expect?’ He fires back, not missing a