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

beat.
    Suddenly feeling a little flustered, I twist my hair up into a bun and let it fall down around my shoulders. ‘I don’t really know. Sunshine for a start!’
    ‘It’s just a little shower.’ Taking my hand in his, he gives it a squeeze before letting go. ‘It will blow over in no time at all.’
    Not being convinced in the slightest, I raise my eyebrows as Noah shows me his masterpiece. ‘Wow!’ I breathe, trying to work out what on earth it is. ‘What is it?’
    ‘You and my dinosaur.’ Noah smiles proudly and points to the messy black squiggle on the page.
    ‘Well done, Noah.’ I can’t help but laugh as a different waitress appears with our drinks. ‘Now draw Daddy.’
    Eyeing up the incredible strawberry milkshake, I pull it towards me and take a huge gulp. That’s ridiculously good. Watching the red syrup drip down the side of the glass, I try not to think how many calories are in it and gulp it down.
    ‘Look, I know this vacation hasn’t gotten off to the best start, but my parents will be here tomorrow and we get the cases back on Wednesday.’ Flashing me a wink, Oliver clinks his glass against mine as Noah demands a taste too.
    Mentally kicking myself for making Oliver feel bad, I force myself to smile and nod in agreement. It’s not his fault that our cases got mislabelled and the sun didn’t want to come out and play, is it?
    ‘Alright.’ A chirpy American accent trills. ‘Two Big Bacon Burgers and a Kickin’ Kid’s Burger.’ Placing the enormous plates onto the table, she produces a dozen sauces before dashing off to another table.
    My mouth salivates as I pick up a chip and dunk it into a mound of ketchup. It might not be the most refined meal in the world, but right now I wouldn’t want anything else. Just as I am about to tuck in to the giant burger, the rain suddenly stops and a ray of sunshine floods into the restaurant. Catching Oliver’s eye, he gives me a look that says I told you so before getting stuck in to his meal.
    Feeling a little annoyed that he has proved me wrong, I chew away happily and feel myself start to relax. My teeth sink into the soft seeded bun and I swoon at the taste. Remembering that this is probably the last time we will be by ourselves before we are joined by the in-laws tomorrow, I make a promise to myself to enjoy every second. Because if my time with Oliver’s parents has taught me anything, it’s that a Janie tornado can cause a lot more destruction than a little heavy rain…
     

 
     
     
     
     
    Wherever you go,
    no matter what the weather,
    always bring your own sunshine.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Unpacking my precious new purchases, I spend a moment admiring each piece before carefully hanging them in the wardrobe. I take a step forward and run my fingers along the rows of fabric, smiling as my hands land on a beautiful maxi dress. Maybe this whole lost suitcase fiasco won’t turn out to be such a bad thing after all. I can’t remember the last time I did this much shopping. With a final glance at my new attire, I quickly tear up the worryingly long receipt and discard it in the bin.
    After our all American lunch earlier, we spent the rest of the day lounging around the hotel pool. I say lounging, but what I really mean is avoiding getting dunked by the hundreds of crazy kids that were playing a rather adventurous version of whack-a-mole. On the plus side, once the storm had passed the sun shone stronger and brighter than it did before, resulting in us rescuing a day that could otherwise have been ruined. Noah had fun splashing around in the children’s area with Oliver whilst I escaped for a quick, but much needed glass of red. Now that Noah is asleep, we are taking advantage of it being just the two of us and enjoying an ice cold beer in the hotel room.
    ‘So, what are your feelings towards Florida now?’ Stretching out on the bed, Oliver hands me my drink and motions for me to sit down.
    I take a sip and