by Penny Parkes
‘And we’re still dead set against something Welsh and traditional, are we?’ Taffy checked, more in hope than expectation of a reversal on that position.
Holly shook her head. ‘It’s not a blanket ban, Taffs. I just want to be able to pronounce them.’
‘Fair point,’ he conceded, having spent most of his time at medical school in England correcting the pronunciation of Meirion. Hence the change to Taffy upon graduation; sometimes it was just easier to admit defeat. On the other hand, they both knew how happy it would make Patty to have a Dilwen or an Angharad in the family.
Holly shifted slightly, the weight of the babies pressing on her scar. She’d quietly joked with Cormack as they’d wheeled her at alarming speed down the corridors towards the operating room about whether he could give her a nice tummy tuck ‘while he was there’.
‘Don’t worry, Holls,’ he’d replied. ‘I’ve been practising my embroidery all summer. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll have an interesting few months, with four kids and Taffy in the house while you recuperate, but I’ll take care of my part with precision.’ Good as his word, he’d spent an age putting her back together; eventually Taffy had been ushered next door with their two babies to have a little quality time.
Apparently that quality time had resulted in one very emotional, somewhat tearful husband, with a whole new list of names to run past his ever tolerant wife.
‘What about Luna?’ he suggested, as the light of said moon emerged from behind a cloud and lit up the city skyline of Bath. ‘Or Jane, you know, like Jane Austen?’
Holly shook her head. These two girls were virtually identical in every way but size, their features still delicate and their hair downy and brunette. ‘What about Katie?’
‘Or Tabitha?’ Taffy countered.
Just as they spoke, both girls stopped feeding and stretched languorously, their tiny fingers reaching out and tangling in Holly’s hair.
‘They do look like happy little cats,’ Holly said. ‘Katie? Tabby?’
The girls slept on in disinterest.
‘Bert? Ernie?’ Taffy tried, just to test. Nothing.
Holly laughed, wincing for a moment as she did so. ‘You silly arse, what would you have done if they’d responded?’
‘I can think of worse names. Meirion, anybody?’
‘Lottie?’ Holly tried, and to her absolute amazement, the larger baby opened her eyes in an instant. ‘Lottie? Is that who you are, gorgeous? Are you my Lottie?’ The small hand that suddenly clasped hers made it perfectly clear that she was.
Holly looked up at Taffy. ‘Well, she certainly seems to know her own mind.’ She smiled down at the baby, whose lashes were fluttering sleepily again. ‘Night-night, Lottie,’ she whispered and the tiny mewling noise in response made it official in her mind.
‘Livia?’ tried Taffy, following her lead. ‘O-livia?’
In an uncanny mirroring of her older sister, the second baby opened her eyes. It couldn’t be a true smile, Holly knew that, but nevertheless the response was there.
‘Olivia,’ cooed Holly and the baby snuggled into her more deeply, utterly sated and serene.
‘Lottie and Olivia,’ said Taffy after a moment. ‘Well then, I think you’re nearly ready to meet your big brothers.’
As the clock ticked around to nine a.m. Holly jolted awake. Some sixth sense had alerted her, because only moments later she heard her sons’ voices and the sound of their pattering feet as they ran down the corridor. ‘Mummy? Mummy? We’re here!’
Pausing only for a second in the doorway, they were both on the bed in moments, throwing their little arms around Holly’s neck and covering her face in butterfly kisses. ‘I missed you,’ said Ben solemnly. ‘So did Nineteen, so he slept on my bed.’
Lizzie appeared behind them with Dan on her heels, both of them out of breath. ‘Crikey, they’ve got a turn of speed. Sorry about the pig in the bed thing.’
‘Pigs in blankets?’ snorted Dan. ‘Oh come on . . . we were all thinking it!’
The room fell silent for a moment, as they all turned to watch Ben and Tom being introduced to their sisters. ‘This one’s Olivia,’ said Holly. Ben reached into the basinet gently, managing only a breathy ‘wow’ as Olivia opened her eyes and grasped his finger.
‘Can I call dibs on this one, Mummy?’ Ben said after a second. ‘I think she likes me.’
‘What’s mine called?’ asked Tom, automatically assuming that the other, larger, baby was to be his.
‘This is Lottie,’ said Taffy. ‘And Lottie and Olivia are joining our family. We’ll all have to share a little, okay?’
‘Okay,’ said Tom easily. ‘You can have her when she poops.’ He shot a look over at Holly to see if she’d heard, nervously laughing at his brave use of a ‘swear word’.
‘Coo-ee! Is it alright if we all come in?’ Elsie said, giving Dan no choice but to step aside.
Suddenly their tiny side room was filled with their nearest and dearest. Elsie, Lizzie, Alice and Grace all clustered around the babies and the boys, oohing and aahing their delight. Dan held back a little, shaking Taffy’s hand repeatedly and occasionally slapping him on the shoulder for good measure. Jamie was the absolute surprise, though, as he sat down on the bed beside Holly and asked her how she was feeling.
Obviously that prompted everyone else in the room to remember they had a new mother amongst them and to ply her with enquiries as to her health and recovery. It was some measure of the excitement in the room, though, that nobody really listened to the answers, all too busy waiting their turn to cradle these beautiful babies in their arms.
It was so wonderfully, typically Larkford that Holly could only sit back against her wall of pillows and smile – no boundaries, no pretence, just one large family for her children to join.
Holly looked down as a small chocolate-coloured nose nudged her hand and Coco curled in tightly beside her on the bed, the little dog’s empathy and compassion growing daily as she took on each and every new challenge she was presented with. She yawned widely and rested her head on Holly’s legs, her eyes full of affection.
‘Tilly sends her love,’ said Alice. ‘We’ve left her holding the fort until we get back.’
And no doubt she would do a formidable job of it, thought Holly. Hiring Tilly had been the best hormonally-driven choice she could possibly have made. At a time when personal relationships meant so much more than professional posturing, Tilly had proven to be exactly the kind of team player they needed, especially as the new Rural Affairs Committee was taking up more and more of the partners’ time with success after success at the negotiating table. The Panorama special had been the icing on the cake, bringing their message to millions of viewers and yet more weight to their cause.
They certainly had a lot to feel proud of this year, Holly thought. On every level. And all these successes gave her permission to take this time now, to enjoy her maternity leave with a clear conscience and a full heart.
‘Have you considered any middle names?’ asked Elsie. ‘I’m sure you could borrow mine if you asked nicely.’
‘Lottie Elsie Graham-Jones,’ experimented Holly.
‘Olivia Ava Graham-Jones,’ said Elsie, offering her own middle name for good measure.
‘Fine by me,’ said Taffy easily. He glanced up to find Holly watching him.
‘I love you,’ she mouthed across the crowded room, across their four children and their very best friends. She honestly had never dreamed she could feel this contentedly happy.
‘I love you,’ he said in reply, loudly, unapologetically and with absolutely no hesitation, despite his audience.
‘Aw, mate,’ said Dan, deliberately misunderstanding. ‘It’s a mutual thing, Taffs. I love you too.’ He took Taffy’s face in both hands and kissed him loudly on the forehead. ‘Now, which one of these gorgeous girls is going to be my goddaughter?’
Acknowledgements
I am quietly convinced that the feeling of belonging to a team, of being part of
something bigger than oneself, can build confidence like nothing else – and so it has proven to be. The learning curve on my path to publication has always been exponential and, at every point, the Books and the City Team at Simon & Schuster have been there with insightful advice, encouragement, excitement and even (on occasion) cocktails and cupcakes . . . To work with such wonderfully passionate and like-minded people is a true privilege – Jo Dickinson, Sara-Jade Virtue, Emma Capron, Laura Hough, Dominic Brendon, Jess Barratt, Hayley McMullen, Rich Vlietstra, Claire Bennett and Joe Roche – a huge and heartfelt thank-you for all your hard work and your fabulous support. Never before has ‘going to work’ been such a joy.
A special thank-you is required for Sian Wilson who continues to produce such beautiful artwork in bringing the town of Larkford to life and humouring my aversion to all things pink.
Cathryn Summerhayes – you rock. Thank you for your boundless enthusiasm and, of course, for making sure I get to spend even more time in Larkford with my imaginary friends!
Thank-yous must also go to those lovely friends – authors and otherwise – who somehow manage to keep me (vaguely) sane, as I lurch between realities:
Thank you to the Cotswold Posse – Katie Fforde, Caroline Sanderson and Nikki Owen, true radiators one and all (also tops for spot-on advice and gin); AJ Pearce – it’s your turn next!; Milly Johnson – seeing your cover quote for PMP was a fabulous moment – you’re a star; Julie Cohen for taking me to Reading and for your pearls of wisdom; Emma Gill for prosecco, treehouses and hot tubs and always being there – here’s to another three decades of fun; Emma Horan for the laughs, the compassion and generally being a legend in your own lunchtime; Ali Turtle for keeping me on track when the odds seemed stacked against it and for (finally) making it back to Bath; not to mention the wonderful mums with whom I share the juggling, sharing, wondrous (daunting) task of keeping our children entertained and deadlines met during the long school breaks – we all deserve a medal (and gin).
And no acknowledgements could ever be complete without the most enormous hugs, kisses and general embarrassment of thanks to my two gorgeous children, my ever-tolerant (and thankfully resourceful) husband and to The Ginger Ninja, who had very large paw-prints to fill, but who has nevertheless filled my writing day with unconditional love and companionship. Larkford wouldn’t be the same without her.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
Penny Parkes
Penny Parkes is the author of three novels and the winner of the Romantic Novelist Association’s Romantic Comedy of the Year Award 2017.
To find out more about her writing, visit
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All of Penny’s books are available in print and eBook, and are available to download in eAudio
OUT OF PRACTICE
Penny Parkes
Come and visit Larkford, a hotbed of rivalry, rule-breaking and romance . . . and that’s just the doctors!
Meet successful GP Holly Graham as she relocates her family to join the team at The Practice in Larkford, hoping to revive her marriage in the process. But can she keep her private and professional lives separate in such a tight-knit community?
Her colleagues have their own issues to contend with. Dr Dan Carter is struggling to focus on work; having his ambitious ex-girlfriend Dr Julia Channing working alongside him isn’t really helping. Thankfully, the rather delectable Dr Taffy Jones is on hand to distract Holly from the escalating troubles at home.
Feisty octogenarian and resident celebrity, Elsie Townsend, is Holly’s favourite patien and saving grace. Elsie’s inspirational Life Lessons come at the perfect moment, as The Practice is under threat of imminent closure and Holly rediscovers her voice and her priorities just in time . . .
‘A pure delight from start to finish’ Julie Cohen
OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK, eBOOK AND eAUDIO
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Penny Parkes
‘If dishy doctors, cute dogs, hilarious OAPs and idyllic country settings are your thing, you’re in for a treat. Funny, moving, romantic and full of characters you’ll love – it’s perfect in every way’ Heat
The Practice at Larkford has suddenly been thrust under the spotlight – and its nomination as an ‘NHS Model Surgery’ is causing the team major headaches. Dr Holly Graham should be basking in the glow of her new romance with fellow doctor, Taffy – but she is worried that the team is prioritising plaudits over patients, and her favourite resident, the irreverent and entertaining Elsie, is facing a difficult diagnosis. Add to that the chaos of family life and the strain is starting to show . . .
Dr Dan Carter’s obsession with work is masking unhappiness elsewhere – he can’t persuade girlfriend Julia to settle down. It’s only as Julia’s mother comes to stay that he realizes what she has been hiding for so long. Alice Walker joins the team like a breath of fresh air and her assistance dog Coco quickly wins everyone round – which is just as well, because Coco and Alice will soon need some help of their own. Can they pull together and become the Dream Team that the NHS obviously thinks they are?
‘This book has everything: warmth, humour, drama, laughter and a few tears. I wolfed it down’ MILLY JOHNSON
OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK, eBOOK AND eAUDIO
About the Author
Penny Parkes survived a Convent education largely thanks to a ready supply of inappropriate novels and her passion for writing and languages.
She studied International Management in Bath and Germany, before gaining experience with the BBC. She then set up an independent Film Location Agency and spent many happy years organising shoots for film, television and advertising – thereby ensuring that she was never short of travel opportunities, freelance writing projects or entertaining anecdotes.
Penny now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, two children and an excitable puppy with a fondness for Post-its. She will often be found plotting epic train journeys through the Alps, baking gluten-free goodies or attempting to reach an elusive state of organisation.
Her novel Out of Practice, the first book in the Larkford series, won the RNA Romantic Comedy of the Year Award in 2017. This is her third novel.
Follow Penny on Twitter and Instagram: @CotswoldPenny
ALSO BY PENNY PARKES
Out of Practice
Practice Makes Perfect
eBook only:
Swept Away (eBook short story)
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2018
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