Lynne Graham - The Greek’s Chosen Wife

‘Milly was in an accident…she has only one eye.’ Nik studied the good-natured golden Labrador jumping up to offer him a welcome and smiled before moving on.

‘Peanut was found tied to a skip.’ A small, shrinking terrier with frightened eyes was trying to efface himself from notice at the back of the kennel.

‘And lastly we have Sausage, who lacks the wow factor…’ Nik met the large, doleful brown eyes of a shaggy dog with a big body grafted onto incongruously short, stumpy legs. ‘Of course, if there isn’t a suitable candidate in this lot, we’ll have another couple by next week.’

‘And these dogs here?’ Nik queried.

The vet winced. ‘These are the no-hopers. The council will pick them up but they’re unlikely to find a home for any of them. I hang on to dogs like these for as long as I can.’

Nik tensed and paled as comprehension sank in. He turned back to study the dogs with greater intensity. The rejects could well be facing the offer of a ticket to that great kennel in the sky, so he needed to make the wisest possible choice.

While Nik was making his selection, Prudence was twirling in front of a cheval mirror, admiring the fit and flow of the burgundy silk evening dress she had put on that bared her shoulders and emphasised her curves. It had taken some hard work to shed the extra pounds she had put on during her pregnancy but she was delighted with her sleek and shapely figure.

Tonight, she and Nik were celebrating their second anniversary since the marriage blessing. Diamonds sparkling at her ears and at her throat, she walked down the corridor towards the nursery. Life, she was reflecting, had been much better than good. Having waited a few months before trying for another baby, she had almost immediately fallen pregnant with twins. Although both she and Nik had been a little nervous during the early stages in case she suffered another miscarriage, everything had gone very well and their son and daughter had been born just a couple of weeks early. Nik had turned out to be a devoted father, who loved to spend time with his children.

Nik had eventually taken over Demakis International but only after Cassia’s father and his replacement had messed up as CEO. The board of directors had approached Nik and literally begged, and her grandfather’s empire was now mercifully sailing along peacefully with Nik at the helm. Nik had restructured the business and hired a stronger executive team, so that he would not be forced to put in the hours of a workaholic.

Although they necessarily spent more time now in Greece and often flew out at weekends and holidays, their daily lives were still firmly based at Oakmere Abbey, which had now been fully renovated to offer all the luxurious comfort Nik enjoyed. Prudence had been shaken and deeply touched when she found out Nik had signed his main asset over to her when he had feared losing his business. The animal sanctuary had thrived and she had had to hire more staff to cope. She had become involved with local charities and fund-raising but she had cut down on those activities after the birth of the twins.

Now, when she looked into the cots in the nursery and saw her children, her heart simply jumped with happiness. Leo, who was finally dating Stella, had acted as a godparent at the twins’ christening. At ten months old, Andreus was very much a little boy and his father’s son with jet-black curls. His sister, Leora, was smaller but very determined and incredibly pretty with creamy skin and enormous toffee-coloured eyes. Sleeping, they looked adorable and peaceful.

‘What are you thinking?’ Nik asked from the doorway.

Prudence shook her head, chestnut-brown hair rippling round her creamy shoulders, soft pink mouth curving. ‘That when you look at the twins asleep, you would never guess what little rips they are when they’re awake-’

‘You were so proud when they started crawling,’ Nik teased, closing a hand over hers as he drew level with her. ‘They’re quite something, aren’t they?’

She hid a smile at the level of pride he could not hide.

‘I can even feel a little sorry for Theo now. We have the next generation he always wanted,’ Nik commented.

‘Your parents make wonderful grandparents,’ Prudence replied.

He tugged her to him. ‘I have a surprise for you, thespinis mou .’

‘But you already gave me this…’ Prudence held out her hand to display the beautiful sapphire and diamond eternity ring that sparkled and caught the light.

‘This surprise of mine seemed a good idea when I came up with it, but it may not have been as good an idea as I hoped.’ With that cryptic utterance, Nik escorted her downstairs. ‘I set out to get you a new pet dog.’

Her eyes lit up in surprise. ‘You did?’

‘It seemed so straightforward.’ He explained carefully how he had gone about the challenge.

The internal courtyard seemed at first glance to be full of dogs. Nik strode over to the wall and scooped up a small, shivering mongrel and petted it almost absent-mindedly. Looking a touch defensive, he swung back and began to introduce her by name to the four animals gambolling round her. ‘They’re all ours,’ he completed.

Even Prudence, the eternal dog lover, gaped at that news. ‘ All …of them?’

Nik grimaced. ‘I couldn’t face leaving one behind.’

‘That is so sweet,’ she told him happily and gave him a huge hug. ‘You do such wonderful things for me.’

‘Such as?’

‘You sold your yacht so that I could have my dream house,’ she reminded him.

Nik vented an appreciative laugh. ‘And then luckily for me my wife inherited a yacht that was twice as big and twice as fast.’

‘Do you know how much I love you?’ she whispered.

‘I never get tired hearing it, agapi mou .’ He watched her getting muddy paw prints on her dress and found that he was smiling and couldn’t stop smiling. ‘I love you more every day.’

When he called her ‘my love’ Prudence could feel her heart swelling with sheer happiness. They walked back into the house and kissed with intense pleasure in each other before they strolled down to the dining room to enjoy their anniversary meal.

Born of Irish/Scottish parentage, LYNNE GRAHAMhas lived in Northern Ireland all her life. She and her brother grew up in a seaside village. She now lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which is wonderfully private.

Lynne first met her husband when she was fourteen. They married after she completed her degree at Edinburgh University. Lynne wrote her first book at fifteen and it was rejected everywhere. She started writing again when she was at home with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold her first book and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in the local store has never been forgotten.

Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest, and her only natural child, is in her twenties and a university graduate. Her other children, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted: two from Sri Lanka and two from Guatemala. In Lynne’s home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, which adds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life.

The family has two pets. Thomas is a very large and affectionate black cat, and Daisy is an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves being chased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of the kitchen stove.

Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collecting everything from old toys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.