Hostile Resolve - BK3 TPBS 1st Draft Complete

-27-

Not edited.

Grayson felt himself almost floating as he pulled into the driveway of Josie's house. It had been two days since he'd seen her and as fantadtic as it was to know she was only a phone call away it was moments like these that he knew he would count on.

Raising his hand to knock the door was opened by a Josie whose face was awash with tears. She looked like she hadn't slept in days and he immediately stepped forward and brought her to his chest. She sobbed into him as if her life depended on the warmth and love she knew he was feeling. He held her like that until her sobs became ragged breaths.

"Beautiful... whats wrong?"

She started to cry again and he immediately berated himself for asking such a stupid question. She finally calmed down again but this time he wasn't so stupid. He simply held her until she was ready to talk.

"Nicholas is teething and I haven't slept since... wait... what day is it?"

Grayson frowned as he pulled back to look down at her.

"Have you slept at all since coming home?"

She shook her head and the tears started to flow again.

"Just minutes unless I'm holding him. Then I get about an hour."

Grayson sucked a breaath in sharply.

"Why didn't you call me?"

Josie gave a sad smile.

"I'm his mother. I should be able to look after him myself." Her lips started to tremble "I'm such a bad mother" she howled as she buried her head into his chest again.

"No you're not. You're just exhausted."

He moved her slightly and bent down and picked her up.

"Bedroom?"

She had no energy to fight him on this so she simply pointed a weary hand in the direction he had to go.

"Where's Nicholas?"

"Taking a nap. He'll wake up soon... he always does... he doesn't sleep. He's in so much pain and the teething stuff isn't working... I'm such a bad mother!"

"Shush now! Enough of that" Grayson turned so he could enter her bedroom sideways with out her hitting her head.

Leaning down he placed her gently against the pillows. He stood up and looked around and saw the door to the bathroom and went to get a washcloth to wipe down Josie's face.

He sat beside her and reaching to her face he gently washed the tears away.

"Sleep now. When Nicholas wakes up I'll take him to the chemist and see what we can do for him."

"Thank you Grayson" her words were spoken with the threat of a yawn that escaped as she finished speaking.

He lent across her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You're not alone anymore beautiful. I'm not leaving you ever again. I love you."

He stood and reached down to pick up the rug that was folded at the end of het bed and as he turned to look at her face he smiled as he saw that her eyes were already closed.

He stood with one hand resting on the door frame and watched her as she slept and knew that his words were true. He woukd never leave her alone again.

He heard the beginnings of a whimper in the next room and quickly went to see his son before he could wake his mother.

He quickly grabbed the dummy (pacifier for the US readers) and put it in his mouth before picking him up and taking him to the change table to change him.

Nicholas was sucking on the dummy as hard as he could while watching him as he talked in hushed tones to him as he got him ready to go out.

Grayson couldn't help but wonder if he realised the he was his father?

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Have you started to read 'He Told Me'... I put up two short chapters earlier today.