Chương 5: He Who Adore Her Offsprings

Pizza.

Someone was making pizza.

Claude and Nicole must have convinced Jane to make or order pizza.

Again.

Julie slowly opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around and sighed in relief.

Home. She was at home. But how?

The last image she remembered was Nicole talking about a castle...

"Duncan," she whispered.

He must have a death wish to carry her 90 kg weight from the main entrance to her house. Julie sigh. A handsome man had carried her to her house and she was unconscious.

Oh, well.

Julie looked out of her bedroom window. Twilight. Her favorite time of the day. When she glanced at her bedside clock she groaned.

It was almost dinner time. And her kids were suspiciously quiet.

She wasn't worried though. Claude knew how to re-heat the packed food in the freezer, and Nicole must be painting again. Her living room though would never be clean.

She flopped back on the bed again and closed her eyes.

Five years.

They have been away from their home country for five years. And look at her now? A general manager of the biggest hotel in Scotland and part-time writer.

Who would have thought that getting away from everyone was her only way to grow?

Julie looked outside again. She missed her friends. Video calls were not enough. They were the only ones who were there when no one else was. At least physically that is.

[God, you never left me. Not even once.]

Does she sound Holy with her belief in a being that was incorporeal yet powerful? No. But it doesn't hurt to know that even in your darkest hour, you are not alone spiritually.

Julie stood up and went to her bathroom to take a shower.

She undressed inside the bathroom, making sure that her clothes were all in the hamper. Unlike her kids, they tend to leave clothes in their bathrooms.

"Damn I needed this," she sighed in happiness. Some would call her crazy for using cold water when taking a shower, but what the heck.

She reached for her favorite scent. Strawberry? Nope, mint.

After lathering her body with enough liquid soap he titled her head and close her eyes and let the events of today's excitement wash away.

His image flashed in her mind.

Duncan.

The way he looked at her was enough to make any woman drop their undies for him. Julie was sure he was aware of his effect on the women around him. She shook her head, sending droplets of water on the wall.

Okay, she admits she was attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? He was gorgeous and oozing with charm. A woman would be stupid not to even take notice of a specimen of such male perfection.

The only solace was her vow to stay away from men like him. At the same time, she has children no man would want a woman with two kids.

Plus the fact that all of them emotional bagged. A man had already hurt them, to fall and to even let another man in their now quiet life was suicide.

Never again.

She stepped out of the shower and headed for her walk-in closet, not even bordering to dry her body. Old habits die hard. It was only her and Jane so might as well let her ladies breathe.

Julie picked a knee-length floral maxi dress to wear. She loved this dress because it hugged her round hips and curves. The deep V cut exposed a generous amount of her breast but covered enough to be called modest.

She left her hair unbound and wet, then stepped out of her bedroom intending to greet her friend in the kitchen. But when she saw her living room she was taken aback.

It was clean.

The usual mess was not there. Nicole's plushies were not on the floor, and Claude's Legos were also not in their usual spots. The sofa did not have the scattered drawing notes and the crayons that were always there. Even the clothes on the back of the sofa were missing.

Baffled, Julie checked their room.

Between the two of them, Claude was a bit messy, yet when she opened her door, it was clutter-free. His toys were neatly arranged on his shelves, together with his toys.

Next was Nicole's room. All the plushies that were in the living room were all on her bed. All of them were tucked in. Her notebooks, crayons, and pens were also neatly arranged on her table. The same way as Claude's.

"Weird," she muttered. Jane must have promised them something so important to them that they made sure all of their things were in order.

She was not about to take this gift for granted though. Her house was never this clean and neat. Whatever the older woman had promised, she would gladly do something for her.

When she reached the kitchen though, it was not Jane who was helping Nicole with her homeschooling work. It was not Jane who was assisting Claude as he washed the dishes they used to make the pizza.

It was Duncan. And he was wearing one of her pink aprons as he moved around the kitchen as he had always been part of her family.

Julie stepped back and retreated into the shadows so that they would not notice her. Giving her time to observe this man.

He took off his signature trench coat finally giving her a chance to see that he had to hid underneath. It was a crime to cover such a body.

He was...he was...yummy.

The dark blue polo moved each time he did. His shoulders were broad and his arms looked like he had been spending time at the gym.

Julie's eyes went down, even the lower part of his body was good. She could not help but wonder if was also packing.

Her face began to turn red with the thoughts running in her head. She should not be thinking about such things. She was a mother for heaven's sake.

She has no time for such lustful thoughts. And yet looking at her children...

Nicole had a smile on her face when Duncan made sure all her answers were right. Julie could see that her eyes lit up with adoration. And Claude? There was a soft smile on his usual reserved face.

Julie closed her eyes and leaned her back against the wall. To see her children bestow a man they have just met with affection was rare.

Her heartache.

Claude and Nicole, despite not trusting their father were slowly being drawn to Duncan's attention.

And him?

He was doing something she had only read in the romance books in her collection when a female lead has children before the male lead had met.

Duncan McLaren was acting like a father.