Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) (5 page)

Laughter isn’t just the best medicine.

Sometimes it’s the only option.

‘When you said
go crazy
, just how crazy are we talking?’ I pluck another dress from the rail and toss it into our already overflowing basket.

Shooting me a glare, Oliver holds Noah on his hip and shakes his head in frustration. ‘The cases are back on Wednesday, just keep that in mind…’

Now that he mentions it, I guess I have got a little carried away. The mortification of people seeing me in nothing more than my husband’s crinkled t-shirt soon melted away when I stepped into the store and stumbled across the most amazing selection of clothing I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous dresses, stunning swimsuits and frankly fabulous shoes fill the shelves and some have even made it into my basket. I don’t know how. They must have literally
thrown
themselves off the rails. Attempting to cram in another swimsuit, I decide to have a quick rethink about just how much I will need to see me through the next couple of days. Crouching down, I take a moment to carefully consider each item.

‘Jeez, Clara!’ Oliver hisses, the vein on the side of his head visibly throbbing. ‘Can you hurry it up a little? I’m melting here!’

Suddenly remembering that Oliver has to keep his jacket zipped up because I am wearing his only t-shirt, I quickly shove a handful of dresses back onto the display and make my way over to the checkout. Taking Noah from Oliver, I step to the side as he whips out his wallet. Thankfully, we managed to bag Noah’s baby essentials from the pharmacy next door and Oliver bought all he needed whilst I was getting carried away in the women’s section. Watching the numbers rack up on the screen, I try to remember what the exchange rate is. Ouch! However much it is, I didn’t expect the total to amount to, well, that.

‘Tax.’ Oliver groans, literally reading my mind.

‘Oh…’ I mumble, biting my lip and hoping I look cute enough that he doesn’t yell at me. ‘Come on, Noah, let’s go and wait outside.’

Smiling at the assistant who is eyeing up my outfit uncertainly, I take his hand and lead him out into the sunshine. The sky is a stunning shade of blue, highlighting the tips of the rollercoasters that stand proudly in the distance. Shielding my eyes from the bright rays, I walk along the pavement and eye up the delicious looking menu at the restaurant next door. Other than a pathetic cereal bar, we haven’t had a bite to eat all day and I think I can safely say that we are all more than ready for some lunch.

Just as I am salivating over the yummy sounding dishes, Oliver appears behind us, his arms laden with bags.

‘That is the first and last time we are going to shop on this vacation.’ He gives me a stern stare as a couple of teenagers walk past with balloons.

Before I can stop him, Noah’s eyes light up and he points at the balloon excitedly. ‘Mummy! Balloon!’

‘OK...’ Taking another glance at the bright yellow balloons, I notice they are from the burger joint across the street.

‘Burger?’ I ask Oliver, not noticing that he is already heading in that direction. ‘Are we going to take the car?’

‘No. Let’s chuck these bags in the trunk and we’ll walk over.’ Tossing the bottle of water that he is drinking into a bin, he beckons me to follow him.

Being very aware that the car is all the way around the other side of the building, I pluck up Noah and resist his struggles to get down. We will get there a whole lot faster without having to wait for Noah to throw a tantrum.

Finally making it to the car, I 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 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.

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 curl up on the bed opposite him. ‘It’s growing on me...’ His face falls and I suddenly feel a little bad for teasing him. ‘I’m kidding! I love it! I absolutely love it. I promise.’

‘Really?’ He looks up hopefully and pulls my legs into his lap.

‘Really!’ Clinking my bottle against his, I let out a yawn and run my toes over the soft sheets. ‘When do your parents get here again?’

‘Tomorrow morning.’ Oliver confirms, taking a gulp of his beer. ‘They’re going to meet us down at breakfast as their flight gets in super early.’

‘Great.’ I reply, mindlessly peeling the label off my bottle. ‘Have you spoken to them at all since we got here?’

Shaking his head, he flicks on the television and starts scrolling through the channels. ‘I have not. I did try and call my dad a few times, but it just rang out.’

He shrugs his shoulders and strips off his t-shirt before climbing under the covers. Finishing my drink, I place the empty bottle on the dressing table and sit up straight.

‘What’s the plan for tomorrow?’ I ask, twisting my hair up out of my face and applying a thick layer of my newly purchased moisturiser.

‘Tomorrow is Rapture Realm.’ Stuffing a pillow behind his back, he lets out a groan and frowns.

‘Back hurting again?’

Nodding in response, he squirms around for a moment before finding a comfortable spot.

‘Are you sure Rapture Realm is a good idea? You don’t want to be going on rollercoasters and throwing your back out…
again
.’ Giving him a stern stare, I reach into my handbag and toss him some painkillers.

Even though his back has plagued him for months, Oliver refuses to acknowledge that he is getting older. He might still have a full head of chocolate hair and be looking hotter than ever, but whether he likes it or not, things are starting to creak. Popping my head into Noah’s bed, I adjust his covers and plant a kiss on his head. After all his fun in the paddling pool earlier, Noah declared that he loved Orlando, much to his dad’s delight and proceeded to eat the world’s biggest ice cream before falling into a food coma beside his dinosaur.

Leaving him to sleep, I quickly brush my teeth and splash some water on my face. Despite the horrendous downpour earlier, my skin has caught some colour and my cheeks are now a rather embarrassing shade of red. Applying a layer of the after sun that Brittany kindly had sent up to our room, I flick off the light and climb into bed next to Oliver. Realising that he’s already snoring lightly, I snuggle down into my pillow. Our first day in Florida has been somewhat of an adventure in itself and I really can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store. Here’s hoping that we are in for a smoother ride…

*   *   *

Peeling open my eyes, I look around the hotel room and try to work out what on earth is causing all the noise. To be woken up this way is wrong on so many levels. A few moments ago I was lost in a heavenly slumber, now I feel like I’ve been tossed off my comfy cloud and thrown into a demolition yard. Pushing myself to my elbows, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and try to bring myself back into the world of the living.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Finally working out that someone is at the door, I stumble out of bed and grab the courtesy dressing gown from the wardrobe.

‘Did you order breakfast to the room last night?’ I grumble to Oliver, who has pulled the sheets up over his head and curled up into a tiny ball.

Taking that as a
no
, I throw open the door and blink twice in a desperate bid to get my tired eyes to focus.

‘Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!’ The Texan drawl that pierces my ears causes my head to throb instantly.

‘Janie?’ I whisper, flicking on the light and stubbing my toe in the process.
Oww!

‘Of course it’s Janie!’ Letting out her familiar blood curdling cackle, she plants a hot pink kiss on my cheek before pushing past me into the room. ‘Who else do you know who looks this damn good?’

‘Mom?’ Diving out of bed, Oliver reaches for a t-shirt before greeting his mother with a hug. ‘I thought we were meeting down at breakfast?’

‘Well, I decided to come up here! You got a problem with that?’ Pursing her overly plumped up lips, Janie feigns anger before bursting into laughter.

Oliver catches my eye and I force myself to smile. Wearing a revealing red swimsuit and the world’s smallest denim shorts, she couldn’t look more outrageous if she tried. The bright pink lips and wedges to match are just the icing on an already ridiculously overdressed cake.

‘Yoo-hoo!’ Dumping her leopard print tote bag on the floor, she reaches into Noah’s bed and plonks him on her hip.

Not knowing what is going on, he lets out a grumble before realising that the crazy cradle snatcher is actually his beloved grandma.

‘Look at you!’ She yells, ridiculously loudly considering it is so early. ‘You are getting more and more like your Uncle Ernie every time I see you!’

‘Where’s Dad?’ Oliver asks, pulling back the curtains and flooding the room with light.

‘I tried to call you from the plane.’ Sighing dramatically, she attempts to frown, but the many years of Botox abuse prevent her from doing so. ‘Ernie’s sick, so your father has had to stay behind.’

‘
Again?
’ I gasp, looking at Oliver and suddenly feeling rather worried.

‘I’m afraid so.’ Janie confirms, raising her tattooed on eyebrows a millimetre higher than they already are.

For those of you who don’t know, this isn’t the first time that Oliver’s dad, Randy, has had to miss out on a holiday to take care of his Uncle Ernie. When Noah was first born, poor old Ernie took a turn for the worse, meaning that Randy didn’t see his first grandchild for the first couple of weeks of his life. That particular bout of illness is actually why Noah ended up having Ernest as his middle name, but that’s a different story entirely.

‘He’s going to be OK though, right?’ Concern etches onto Oliver’s face as he tugs on a pair of shorts.

‘Who?’ Janie spins around and checks out her reflection in the mirror. ‘Ernie? Yeah. Yeah, he’ll be fine.’ Passing Oliver a pair of shorts, she adjusts her swimsuit and puts Noah back into his bed. ‘Let’s get some breakfast. My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.’

Locking eyes with Oliver, I offer Janie a small smile and make for the bathroom. Sunshine streams in through the window and I breathe a sigh of relief that we aren’t in for another downpour. Listening to Janie coo over Noah, I quickly jump under the shower before changing into one of the pretty sun dresses that we purchased yesterday. A quick layer of sun cream and a change of clothes for Noah later, we find ourselves downstairs in the restaurant.

‘So, Rapture Realm!’ Janie’s eyes sparkle as she takes a bite out of her celery stick. ‘Are you excited, Noah?’

Happily chewing at his bacon, Noah resorts to a swift nod of the head before returning his attention to his food. I have to hand it to the hotel, they really have put on an impressive breakfast buffet. Everything you could possibly wish for is laid out in the canteen. From tempting pastries to a full cooked breakfast, you could put on weight just looking at the calorific dishes. Even Janie, the pickiest of eaters, managed to fill her plate with treats. Well, if you class celery, carrots and grapes as
treats
.

‘Before I forget, I just want to say thank you so much for this. It’s really kind and generous of you and Randy to fly us all out here.’ I smile gratefully and give her arm a little squeeze.

Her cheeks colour up and she bats away my gratitude. Not wanting to embarrass her, I decide to drop the subject and return to my breakfast. Taking a bite out of my omelette, I reach for my napkin and wipe a blob of ketchup from Noah’s chin.

‘Have you done something to your hair?’ Janie asks, gulping down the remnants of her Bloody Mary and running her fingers through my curls.

‘I guess I had a trim a couple of weeks ago.’ I sip my coffee and squint my eyes at her suspiciously. ‘Why?’

‘It looks… good.’ Motioning for the waiter to bring her another cocktail, Janie sits back in her seat and applies yet another layer of lipstick. ‘Makes your face look thinner.’

‘Thanks... I think.’

In the many years that Oliver and I have been together, that is probably the first compliment my mother-in-law has ever given me. Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I can’t help but think she’s up to something. For someone who usually growls and snarls their way through the day, Janie seems particularly merry considering that she is minus her husband.

‘I bet Dad was pretty beat up about not coming up here?’ Oliver throws down his napkin, indicating that he is finished with his meal.

‘Rollercoasters aren’t really his thing.’ Brushing off his question, Janie thanks the waitress as another glass is put down on the table in front of her. ‘Do you guys not want a proper drink?’

‘It’s 9am and besides, I’m driving!’ Oliver laughs and shakes his head at his audacious mother.

‘Clara?’ Turning her focus to me, she adjusts her blonde beehive and points to the cocktail menu.

‘I don’t think alcohol and theme parks really mix...’

Scrunching up her nose, she twirls her straw around the glass and looks down at my stomach. ‘You haven’t got another bun in the oven, have ya?’

‘Mom!’ Oliver yells, dropping a handful of notes down and motioning for her to drink up.

‘Is that a yes?’ Obviously not wanting to drop the subject so easily, she prods at my stomach and winks. ‘Hey, Noah. Do you want a little brother or sister?’

‘
No!
’ Noah and I yell in unison.

Laughing like a wild hyena, she throws her head back and gulps down her drink.

‘I’m kidding, let’s go.’