Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and join her in a glass of fizz. I am making a mental note of everything that I need to pack when Madison squeezes through the crowd and throws herself at Gina’s legs.
    ‘I want to go on a plane!’ She wails, her chubby cheeks turning a rather worrying shade of purple.
    Oh, God. Great timing, Madison.
    ‘Maybe next year…’ Gina grumbles, trying to palm her off with yet more cake.
    ‘Not next year! I want to go now! Now! Now! Now!’ Stamping her feet, Madison proceeds to shout until Gina crouches down to her level.
    ‘You, young lady, are heading right for the naughty step!’ Trying to get her to calm down, she succeeds only in making her scream ten times louder.
    Resorting to throwing her over her shoulder, Gina lets out an embarrassed laugh and disappears into my bedroom. Stifling a laugh, I smile apologetically at the mums from playgroup who are obviously perturbed at Madison’s diva like behaviour.
    ‘Where’s my Mimosa?’ My mother yells from across the room, holding her hands to her throat as though she is going to die from dehydration.
    That woman gets more like Janie every day. Shaking my head at her demands, I manage to clutch three glasses at once and get them through the crowds of children without spilling a single drop. Score. Before I can bring the glass to my lips, Noah lets out a wail to rival Madison’s. Someone once told me that you know you’re a mother when you can hear a child scream from three rooms away, but you can be three streets away and still hear Noah when he decides to throw a tantrum. Thankfully, Oliver gets there first and beckons me to follow him into the playroom.
    ‘I think he’s tired.’ I take off his jumper and hold him on my lap. ‘Balloons, birthday cake and a room full of people is a lot to take in when you’re just two years old.’ Planting a kiss on his head, I rock him back and forth until his eyes start to close.
    ‘Did you tell Madison about Orlando?’ I whisper, once I am confident that Noah is drifting off.
    ‘No, I told Marc and he told Madison.’ Oliver mumbles, picking up a toy car and running it across the carpet.
    ‘Why would he do that?’ I shake my head at his stupidity and lay Noah out on the couch.
    ‘Beats me…’ Oliver crashes down in a chair opposite and lets out a yawn.
    ‘Err, what the hell are you doing?’ I hiss.
    ‘Taking a nap.’ He closes his eyes and gets comfortable. ‘I’m sure they can entertain themselves for a little while.’
    ‘Oi! There’s two dozen people out there!’ Kicking his legs playfully, I tickle him until he stands up. ‘Let’s just get through this afternoon and then we have seven whole days of relaxation to look forward to.’
    ‘You’re kidding, right?’ He lets out a little laugh and rubs my shoulders. ‘If you think Orlando is about calm and relaxation, you are going to be majorly disappointed.’ Firing him a confused look, I pause at the door and wait for him to elaborate. ‘Adrenaline and adventure, yes. Massages and margaritas, not so much.’
    Determined to prove him wrong, I push my way back into the kitchen. As far as I’m concerned, Orlando involves juicy cheeseburgers, abundant sunshine and some of the world’s best rollercoasters. Now tell me, what could possibly be stressful about that?

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Stress really doesn’t go with my outfit…

Chapter 4
     
     
    ‘I don’t understand.’ I stammer, trying to process what the airport assistant has been attempting to tell me for the past thirty minutes. ‘How? How can that even happen?’
    I don’t actually believe what I am hearing here. Smiling apologetically, he shrugs his shoulders and continues to talk, but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears drowns out his every word. After a long haul flight with a two-year-old who howled like an angry wolf for the entire journey, this is the last thing I need. Of the millions of cases that arrive at airports all over the world on a daily basis, what are the odds that