What Should Have Been

Part 68

Sam rolled over in bed the following morning to look down at Connie as she peacefully slept. Leaving her for a short while longer he lay back, a hand running through her hair.

A smirk came to his face as he thought about the few days ahead of them. Unaware to what Sam had arranged, Connie lay asleep thinking she'd be up for work in a matter of hours. However that wasn't quite how today would be going.

In the time Sam had spent sitting alone yesterday before Connie arrived, he had been thinking. In five days, his little girl started school and soon their time and attention would be taken up by someone new. He had looked into last minute flights, bookings and sorted something he was sure would end their summer perfectly.

Propping himself up on his elbow he looked down to Connie with a smirk. Running a hand across her cheek he brushed her hair back from her face. "I love you..." He smiled watching her nose twitch as she began to wake up. Connie lifted her arms from beneath the duvet, stretching as Sam leaned backwards with a laugh.

"How long have you been trying to irritate me?" "Irritate you? Would I ever." He was cut off by Connie's gaze causing him to drop his head back with a laugh. Connie groaned rolling onto her front, leaning over Sam's chest as she did so. "Bully-" "How!?" He sounded surprised as he lifted up to look down at her slightly. "You just are."

He couldn't help but laugh again dropping an arm around her waist as he leant in to kiss her. "I love you-" Connie pouted trying to refuse him but found she couldn't as he slowly neared her lips. "Suppose I love you too." She spoke quietly, her words coming out muffled before he pecked her lips gently.

Falling down onto his chest she felt Sam's hand on her stomach. "How's our beautiful one this morning?" "Not making me feel like I want to vomit every five minutes, so they're doing good today." Sam smiled placing a kiss to the top of her head, his hand remaining pressed against her tummy. "I still can't get my head round it you know. Us, parents to another child."

Connie nodded against his chest as she pressed a hand against his toned muscles. "Better start believing it because I'm sure as hell going to need your help with two of your children running around me." Sam smirked lifting his hand to her back, running it up and down. "I'll be here every step Con, don't worry about that-" "You better be, or I'll kill you myself."

A few more minutes passed by as Connie began drifting off to sleep again. Sam noticed before jogging her gently. "Hey, you can't sleep again-" "Whyyyyyy? I don't start for a few hours..." Sam pushed his hand back through her hair before looking at her. "You've not got work, but you do have a plane to catch in less than three hours."

Connie shot up right in the bed looking down at him. "WHAT?" "A flight. Three hours. No work-" "I'm not an idiot, I heard you perfectly clear. I meant what the hell do you mean I have a flight to catch?" Sam leant over picking something up from the table beside him passing it to Connie. He was beginning to notice the sides of her mouth turning up, the prospect of getting away somewhere dawning on her.

She looked down at the flights to Paris before narrowing her eyes towards Sam. "Am I to think this booking was for our daughter, or you?" "Grace, obviously..." Connie nodded with an arched brow before checking all the details again. "You booked this yesterday?" "Look, after the last eight months you deserved a proper thank you, and I wanted Grace to enjoy her last few days before school. Can't a guy treat his girls?"

An hour later Connie stopped moving to face Grace who was standing beside the front door, wrapped in a coat and scarf folding her arms against her chest. "Why are we putting suitcases in the car too? Mummy?" She bent down before Grace zipping her daughter's coat up. "Because, your Daddy is taking us away somewhere okay."

Her eyes were bright as she looked to Sam who had finished putting the bags into the car. "Everything okay-" "Daddy where are we going?" He smirked crouching down beside Grace with a smile. "Well Princess Grace, I thought that before you started school you might like to meet a few other princesses..." She had a pensive look on her face looking around at the floor before her eyes widened, looking back to Sam.

"We're going to Disneyland!?" "I think that might be close-" "Thank you Daddy!" She jumped into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck as he stood up smiling to Connie. "You are very welcome princess. Now how about we get you in the car and head to the airport, wouldn't want to miss our flight would we?"

True to his word, in less than three hours they were sitting on a plane, looking out of the windows as they took off. Connie leant backwards in her chair feeling Sam's hand on her thigh. Turning her head she looked to him with a smile before he leant closer and kissed her. "I love you." Connie did nothing but smile in return as she felt him begin to trace patterns higher up her thigh.

Grace was staring from the window barely able to sit still. "You okay baby?" Connie glanced around Sam to her daughter whose eyes were focused out the window. "Yes Mummy... How long does it take?" "Oh only a couple of hours... I reckon if you put a film on it'll be over before you know it."

She smiled warmly with a nod as Sam helped her set up the small screen before her. Once settled, he twisted back to Connie. "So, what exactly have you got planned for us?" "Oh, did I not mention that you're finding out nothing until it happens." Connie frowned with a glare as Sam smiled turning back in his seat. "You Strachan are nothing but a bully-" "A bully who loves you enough to take you to Paris."

Connie but her lip rolling her eyes as she dropped her head to the side to see him smirking at her. "You'll never win Beauchamp-" "Oh I will one day, don't worry." He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers as they relaxed enjoying the peace and quiet of the flight.