Prudence shook her head, chestnut-brown hair rippling round her creamy shoulders, soft pink mouth curving. ‘That when you look at the twins asleep, you would never guess what little rips they are when they’re awake-’
‘You were so proud when they started crawling,’ Nik teased, closing a hand over hers as he drew level with her. ‘They’re quite something, aren’t they?’
She hid a smile at the level of pride he could not hide.
‘I can even feel a little sorry for Theo now. We have the next generation he always wanted,’ Nik commented.
‘Your parents make wonderful grandparents,’ Prudence replied.
He tugged her to him. ‘I have a surprise for you,
‘But you already gave me this…’ Prudence held out her hand to display the beautiful sapphire and diamond eternity ring that sparkled and caught the light.
‘This surprise of mine seemed a good idea when I came up with it, but it may not have been as good an idea as I hoped.’ With that cryptic utterance, Nik escorted her downstairs. ‘I set out to get you a new pet dog.’
Her eyes lit up in surprise. ‘You did?’
‘It seemed so straightforward.’ He explained carefully how he had gone about the challenge.
The internal courtyard seemed at first glance to be full of dogs. Nik strode over to the wall and scooped up a small, shivering mongrel and petted it almost absent-mindedly. Looking a touch defensive, he swung back and began to introduce her by name to the four animals gambolling round her. ‘They’re all ours,’ he completed.
Even Prudence, the eternal dog lover, gaped at that news. ‘
Nik grimaced. ‘I couldn’t face leaving one behind.’
‘That is so sweet,’ she told him happily and gave him a huge hug. ‘You do such wonderful things for me.’
‘Such as?’
‘You sold your yacht so that I could have my dream house,’ she reminded him.
Nik vented an appreciative laugh. ‘And then luckily for me my wife inherited a yacht that was twice as big and twice as fast.’
‘Do you know how much I love you?’ she whispered.
‘I never get tired hearing it,
When he called her ‘my love’ Prudence could feel her heart swelling with sheer happiness. They walked back into the house and kissed with intense pleasure in each other before they strolled down to the dining room to enjoy their anniversary meal.
Lynne Graham
Born of Irish/Scottish parentage, LYNNE GRAHAM has lived in Northern Ireland all her life. She and her brother grew up in a seaside village. She now lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which is wonderfully private.
Lynne first met her husband when she was fourteen. They married after she completed her degree at Edinburgh University. Lynne wrote her first book at fifteen and it was rejected everywhere. She started writing again when she was at home with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold her first book and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in the local store has never been forgotten.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest, and her only natural child, is in her twenties and a university graduate. Her other children, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted: two from Sri Lanka and two from Guatemala. In Lynne’s home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, which adds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life.
The family has two pets. Thomas is a very large and affectionate black cat, and Daisy is an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves being chased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of the kitchen stove.
Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collecting everything from old toys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
