Page 36 of Forgive Not Forget

Having taken copious notes on her phone, Anna let them finish their dinner, which was followed by a Katherine-made chocolate cake.

“How on earth do you find the time, Katherine?” Laura asked, eyeing up the cake.

“Easily. Cooking is my essential relaxation time. I wouldn’t be sane without it.”

“Lucky for me,” Anna piped in.

“Relaxing! It’s not a word I would use to describe cooking — not for these two.”

“Don’t look at it as a daily chore,” Katherine advised. “Look at it more as a gesture of love, and you’ll probably begin to enjoy it more. I receive a great deal of enjoyment from seeing others enjoy my food.”

“Well I certainly enjoyed that,” Laura replied. “I think it’s the best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever tasted.”

Tom laughed. “It’s definitely the best one I’ve had.”

“Oi, cheeky,” Laura said, sticking her tongue out at her son.

It was the first time Anna had seen Tom laugh; it suited him.

After dinner, Laura insisted she had taken up enough of their day and would leave them to their evening. As Anna showed her out, she suddenly remembered to ask about the tent.

“Abi mentioned you might have a tent we could borrow.”

“Yes, it’s in the shed somewhere. Are you going camping?”

“Not exactly. We’ve had more graffiti at the abbey. We’re going to see if we can catch them at it.”

“Golly, that’s dedication. I’ll get one of the kids to drop it round tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

As Anna closed the door on them and returned to the kitchen, she felt the atmosphere that had accompanied the children and filled the house that afternoon had been suddenly drained from it. She’d enjoyed their company more than she thought she would; they brought an energy to the house that suited it. The acoustics were different with them there as their voices reached parts of the house the soft tones of adults would never fill. It was an atmosphere she immediately missed.

CHAPTER14

Katherine’s lips parted as she regained her breath. “That’s certainly one way to be woken up.”

Anna’s bare body emerged from under the duvet. Katherine writhed as Anna placed kisses on her soft belly, working her way up as far as her neck. Goose bumps washed over her body, and she shivered. She made to embrace Anna, but her body was still weak and trembling from her touch.

“I hate to interrupt this. Aren’t you going to be late for work?” Katherine added, as Anna’s lips pushed against her cheek and then nibbled her earlobe.

Anna looked at the clock on Katherine’s bedside. “Shit. I’m opening up for Carrie this morning too. She has a dentist appointment.”

“And don’t forget Becks is coming tonight.”

Anna’s warmth pressed into her belly as she sat back and straddled her.

“Oh, I had forgotten. Now that we have the tent, I thought we could camp out tonight.”

“Sorry. Rain check?” Katherine replied. Though she didn’t want to camp out at all, she didn’t want Anna going out there alone.

“I’ll hold you to it,” Anna said, leaning over and teasing one of Katherine’s nipples with her tongue. “What time are you coming in today?”

“Our meeting isn’t until two, so I thought I’d just come in for that. I’ve worked my hours and then some this week. I’d like to prepare for Becks’s arrival.”

“Takes all morning to put a crate of champagne in the fridge, does it?”

Katherine dug her fingers into Anna’s side, making her squeal and jump out of the bed.