31 Days of Autumn (12 page)

One week later
~ Thursday 17
^th
October

Ellie

‘Dan, honestly, I’m fine,’ I protested, when he brought
in a wheelchair to take me from my private hospital room to the car.

‘Ellie, don’t start being your usual stubborn
self,’ he warned. ‘I nearly lost you a week ago. You’ve had a caesarean and a
uterine repair, as well as a blood transfusion. You’ll do as you’re told and
you’ll be resting for the next few weeks.’

‘I have a new baby, two boys, and you to look
after, Dan. I don’t have time to rest,’ I muttered as I carefully swung my legs
off the bed to sit on its edge.

‘You can nurse Eva and give as much love as you
like to the boys, but you
will
rest. We’ll stay in London for a few more
days, just to make sure you’re well enough to head home, and I have people on
standby if we need additional help.’ He gave me his most dominant,
don’t
mess with me
, face. I rolled my eyes, which made his narrow.

‘Fine,’ I reluctantly relented. I couldn’t
imagine what it must have been like for him to go through that. I knew how
worried I’d be if he’d been in the hospital. He didn’t need any more stress in
his life, God knows he’d had more than his fair share of trauma already. He
helped me off the bed and down into the wheelchair. He quickly crouched at my
feet, taking both of my hands when I winced and looking up at me with a
concerned frown.

‘Are you ok?’

‘I will be, my stomach’s a little tender, but I
have the most amazing and attentive husband to make up for that,’ I smiled. He
gave me one in return and kissed each of my hands, lingering on my left ring
finger, where all of my rings from him sat. ‘I adore my eternity ring, it’s so
beautiful. Thank you so much. I’m going to need surgery for a dislocated
shoulder from the weight of all of the diamonds I’m carrying on that hand.’

‘That reminds me, I need to up your life
insurance before I bump you off,’ he teased.

We were interrupted by a gurgle from the baby
pod in the corner, so Dan gave me a gentle kiss, then went to get her and came
to put her in my arms. I couldn’t tear my eyes off her. She was so beautiful,
with a mop of dark hair, just like Oliver had, but she looked more like Jonas
and I. Oliver was so excited when he met her, we’d let her lie on his lap when
he was safely settled on the armchair, with Dan making sure she didn’t fall.
Jonas wasn’t really fussed, but he was too young to understand or be interested
in a baby that just lay there and cried from time to time. I was sure that when
she was his age, walking and playing, he’d love her just as much as he did his
big brother. I was so lucky to have such a wonderful family, and the thought of
how close I’d come to never being with them all again made a lump form in my
throat. I put my finger in Eva’s tiny fist and took a deep breath. She was here
now, I was ok, and our run of bad luck was finally over.

‘Good morning, Mrs. Davenport. Looking forward
to going home?’ came James’s voice.

‘So much,’ I nodded, forcing myself to look up.
‘They’re amazing here, but I’ve missed the boys so much. Afternoon visits
weren’t enough.’

‘They’ve missed you, too. They’ve run Magda
ragged this morning, she’ll be glad of a break.’

‘O dear,’ I laughed. I couldn’t wait to see
them. James took my case and the baby bag and Dan wheeled me out, with Andy hot
on our heels. I thanked all of the nursing staff as they came out to say
goodbye. I suspected it was more to ogle Dan than to see me off, but either
way, they’d been super attentive and had looked after Eva so well. I needed to
arrange a card to say thank you. Dan and Andy waited inside of the sliding
glass doors with me while James went to bring the car around. I was desperate
to get outside and have some fresh air, but Dan refused, saying it looked nice,
but it was too cold for Eva and I. I loved how protective he was of his family.
When James pulled up in the limo, Dan went to put Eva in the car seat, then
came back for me.

‘Ok?’ he asked as he helped me out of the wheelchair.

‘Great,’ I smiled, but I held his hand tightly
as we made our way down the steps and across to the car. I still felt quite
weak after lying in bed for the last few days. Cold or not, I gulped down the
fresh air. It was far better than the recycled air of the hospital, but nothing
beat the fresh air up at the loch. I was really homesick and couldn’t wait to
get back up there and into our routines again. Andy made sure we were safely
inside before closing the door and joining James in the front. Dan took my hand
again as we set off and I turned to look at him. He looked so tired. He leaned
down to kiss me, so I clasped his face and made it last. I’d hated not being
close to him, sleeping with his arms around me. He’d brought the boys over
every afternoon before taking them home again. Magda had moved in to cook for
them all, so when Dan got them to bed, he’d return to the hospital to sleep in
the spare bed in my room, returning in the morning in time to get them up. They
were missing me as it was, without Dan not being there morning and night, too.
No wonder he was tired.

‘Wow, that was some kiss,’ he murmured, as I
pulled my head back and took some deep breaths of air.

‘Hmmm,’ I confirmed, still a bit dazed by his
response to it. ‘Just a small thank you for all that you’ve done, until I can
thank you properly.’

‘Which will be when?’ he asked, his fingers
tangling with mine again. I knew how he was feeling. Despite my surgery, my
hormones were raging.

‘They recommended six weeks, the same as with
Jonas,’ I pouted.

‘We only waited three,’ he reminded me, perking
me up instantly. ‘But this time we’ll wait the full six. You had the added
complications this time and lost a lot of blood. I don’t want to make things
worse.’

‘I’ll tell you when I feel ready.’

‘No, I’ll tell you when you’re ready,’ he
retorted, smiling when he saw my face drop. ‘Just because we can’t have sex
doesn’t mean that I can’t let you have an orgasm or two when you’ve built up
your strength. But only if you behave and do as you’re told when it comes to
resting,’ he warned.

‘Get out that gold star sticker pack, Dan, as
I’m about to be your number one pupil,’ I grinned.

‘Bribery with orgasms,’ he chuckled, brushing
his lips over my cheek. ‘I’ll have to remember that one for the future.’

‘Before you gloat, just remember that idea can
work both ways,’ I reminded him with a teasing smile. He laughed and we both
looked over at Eva as she squealed.

‘Christ, don’t tell me that my voice scares her
too.’

‘It’s only when you sing that you scare Oliver
and Jonas, they love it when you read to them.’

‘She’s gorgeous,’ he sighed, looking over at
her with a proud smile on his face. ‘Thank you for not letting me talk you out
of having her.’

‘Thank you for relenting, I know how nervous
you were again. I’m just so sorry that it went the way it did. What can I do to
make it up to you? You look exhausted.’

‘I won’t lie, it’s the most tired I’ve ever
felt in my life. I’ve barely slept for the last two weeks. But to have you
home, to have my family complete, and alive, that’s all I could ask for, Ellie.
Just be you, you don’t ever have to do anything more.’

‘Then don’t expect me to sit back and let you
work yourself into an early grave. If I need rest, then so do you.’

‘Then we’ll rest together, I’ve missed you in
my arms at night. You heard the doctor when we discussed the implications of
your surgery, no more babies. The risks of this happening again are too high.
This is it.’

‘She was going to be my last anyway. I can’t
imagine how mothers cope with two children without the help of a nanny, let
alone more.’

‘Most women don’t have a demanding writing
career and highly sexed, demanding husband to keep entertained, too,’ he
replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Dan helped me out of the car and put his arm
around me as I looked up at our house with a smile.

‘Thanks, James,’ Dan nodded, as he returned
from unloading the limo while Andy carried Eva inside for us.

‘You’re welcome, Sir. It’s good to see Mrs.
Davenport and Miss Eva safely home.’

‘So, we’re back to “Sir” and not Dan?’

‘I was just standing in for Mr. Steel when you
needed your best friend.’

‘He left me this morning. What if I ordered you
to be my permanent stand in and always call me Dan?’ he asked. James looked
mortified, which made me giggle.

‘It wouldn’t be appropriate, Sir. You’re my
boss and I’m your employee.’

‘No, James. You’re also my friend, a very good
friend and one I’d have been lost without. You’ll never know how grateful I was
to have you there that night, or since. In fact, how grateful I always am to
have you around.’

‘Yes, thank you, James. Dan said how good you
were to him. I truly appreciate your friendship, too,’ I smiled, giving his
firm bicep a squeeze. I could have sworn his cheeks went red with
embarrassment.

‘I’m very flattered that you both think so
highly of me, but I think me addressing you correctly again from now on is more
appropriate. That said, regardless of your salutations, or my standing in your
employ, I’ll always consider it an honour to count you both as my friends, too.
You know that I’ll always have your backs. Your family and their safety are
very important to me, Sir.’

‘As are you to us, James. I won’t force you to
call me Dan if that will make you uncomfortable, but know that if you ever need
a shoulder to lean on, like I leaned on yours, mine is available.’

‘I think he’s trying to tell you that he loves
you, James,’ I grinned. ‘As do I.’

‘Thank you,’ coughed James, looking as if he
didn’t know where to put himself. ‘I’d better get the limo into the garage as
I’m blocking the mews access. Let me know if you need me this evening.’

‘We’re not going anywhere tonight, James. We’ll
be having a quiet family night.’

‘A wise choice indeed, Sir.’ He nodded and
headed back to the driver’s side of the car. I quickly looked up at the house when
I heard a scream.

‘Mummy.’

‘Darling,’ I called, blowing kisses up at the French
windows to see Oliver waving through the railings, Magda holding Jonas as they
watched us.

‘What am I? Some distant bloody relative,’
grumbled Dan as he helped me over to the front door.

‘You know he adores you. In a few years, he
won’t want me, he’ll be all about his dad.’

‘Hey, hey, be gentle,’ Dan warned, when Oliver
flew down the stairs and threw himself at me. ‘Your mum’s not very well.’

‘Well enough for a welcome like that,’ I
beamed, when he wrapped his little arms around my legs. Dan prised him off and
picked him up, letting him lean in to circle my neck and kiss me. ‘I missed you
so much. Have you been a good boy for Magda?’

‘Yes,’ he nodded solemnly.

‘He has been a very good boy,’ confirmed Magda
as she headed down the hall with Jonas. He held out his little chubby arms for
some love, too, but Dan refused to allow me to hold him, saying he was too
heavy and that he might accidentally kick me. ‘They both have. I'm happy to
look after all of your babies anytime.’

‘Did I suddenly become the invisible man?
They’re my children, too.’ Dan rolled his eyes and got one of Magda’s sternest
scowls.

‘Babies always need their mothers more. They'll
need you when they are older, for money and lectures. And knowing my grown-up
Ollie, he will have plenty of lectures for them,’ she nodded. I laughed as Dan
shook his head with a look of despair at me.

‘She’s right. You can be very bossy, Mr.
Davenport.’

‘Starting now. I want you upstairs with your
feet up. The children can sit with you while you watch a film and relax. Magda
has dinner under control, so there’s nothing for you to do or worry about.’

‘What about you?’ I asked, taking his free hand
as we headed for the stairs. He probably had work to do and it wasn’t like I
could really object.

‘I’ll be wherever you are, baby. I’m not
leaving your side. Tonight it’s all about our new family. Magda is heading home
after we’ve all eaten together and will come back tomorrow. I wanted to have
some time with just the five of us.’

‘The five of us,’ I repeated, smiling over at
him. This was it, my complete family unit. He grinned, dipped his head, and
kissed me. It was the happiest I’d felt all week.