Secrets of a Chalet Girl by Lorraine Wilson Read Free Book Online

sighed again, a heartfelt sigh.
    Maybe she does get it after all.
    “So what would you do if you could? What’s your dream job or your fantasy business, say?” His management skills were kicking in, he could feel it. It was exciting to realise he might be able to help Flora, to make a difference to her.
    “I’d love to be able to have my own bag range, even get them into the shops somehow. I want to be able to prove them all wrong, that you can make a living from being creative, that it isn’t an indulgent waste of my time.”
    Interesting. Who exactly is it she wants to stick two fingers up to?
    “Maybe you can.” He decided to shelve the awkward questions for the moment.
    “Maybe.” Flora yawned loudly.
    He could tell she was shattered. He on the other hand was buzzing. He always had trouble switching his mind off for sleep. Biting back the questions he wanted to ask he listened to Flora’s breathing pattern change as she fell asleep.
    He felt wired, the desire to help Flora tugging relentlessly at his concentration. There was something about her that caught his imagination, she needed someone on her side; he knew it in his guts.
    Having a project always made him restless. There was no point trying to sleep. Quietly he reached for his laptop and began to click and read, making notes in a separate Word file.
    Time to do some research.
    His BlackBerry buzzed nearby. He reached over and grabbed it before it could wake Flora and saw the text was from Nick.
    ‘Still up?’
    He slipped out of bed and pulled his jeans on, making his way to the kitchen, where he wouldn’t disturb Flora. Then he scrolled through his contacts and hit the button to call Nick.
    “Hi mate.” Zac grabbed some juice from the fridge. “Congratulations.”
    “Thanks, it’s bloody amazing, really it blows your mind. I held my son in my arms tonight, can you believe it?”
    “I know, pretty unbelievable. You – a father!”
    Nick seemed to miss the joke, which wasn’t like him. Already, Nick had taken a step away from their relationship, even further than when he’d married. Sure, Zac knew how it went, how relationships drifted. He’d just hoped it wouldn’t happen to them.
    When you didn’t have a supportive family, your friends meant that much more to you.
    “It’s the best feeling ever.” Nick’s voice bubbled over with enthusiasm, carried away on a tide of euphoria. “You really ought to do it mate.”
    “Whoa, I haven’t done the first step yet.”
    “Exactly! You’ve got some catching up to do. What are you waiting for?”
    Zac frowned at that. Sure, they’d always been competitive but settling down and starting a family was hardly something you could compete over. After all, his own parents had married young. Much good it had done them.
    “You’ll end up a lonely old bachelor, mate.” Nick added.
    “Thanks for that,” Zac replied dryly, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “Enough about me. Tell me about that godson of mine…”
    When Flora woke it took her a while to work out where she was. She’d expected to wake up in a bunk-bed but instead woke cradled by the most comfortable mattress she’d ever lain on, blinking up at a high vaulted ceiling. Light streamed through the windows stretching up to the apex of the roof. She could see the snow capped Alps from where she lay, vividly contrasted by the brightest of blue skies.
    She had so much more space than back in the dorm room. She could stretch out her limbs any way she wanted in the super king bed. It was quite a change.
    As was the super-fit guy sitting up in bed by her side. He was working on his laptop looking as fresh as the pristine snow that’d fallen during the night.
    “Morning.” He smiled. “Sleep well?”
    “Very well thanks,” she replied, wondering how she was going to manage the naked dash to the bathroom. Where in the heck were her clothes?
    “I guess it must be nice not having to get up early to make loads of breakfasts for Scott’s