#WIPpet Wednesday - Reunions (with the Davenports part 2) #amwriting

WIPpet numbers for 14th December, 2016:

((14x12)/16)x(2+0)=21 paragraphs

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I’ve missed a chunk out to keep this as short as possible, but this week, I’m following on from my last WIPpet post, when readers wanted to know: “Who’s staying in Pete’s bed?” Read on!

In context, Eleanor is one of ‘The Circle’—the nine friends at the centre of the Hiding Behind The Couch series. Now aged 40, she’s the eldest of the Davenport ‘children’. Charlotte—aged 35—is third eldest and still lives with their parents, as does Pete—the youngest at 23.

This scene takes place on the last Sunday before Christmas; the Davenports are getting ready to go to church before heading down to Ben’s (second eldest) for the Davenport family Christmas. Toby (in the snippet) is Eleanor’s son. Note: this is ‘hot off the keyboard’.

“Who’s Pete got staying?” Eleanor timed the question badly, as her mum was on her way back down and heard her.

“It best be nobody,” she grumbled on her way to the toaster. She slammed two slices of bread into the slots, gave the kettle a shake to check the water level and switched it on, checked the time and switched it off again. “He can have juice and like it.”

“I dunno,” Charlotte answered belatedly. “Did you ask him?”

“Hm. He told me to go and say hello. I’m not going in there. It’s a pig heap.” Eleanor tossed her head back to indicate broadly in the direction of Pete’s bedroom. As she did so, something soft and heavy collided with her shoulder, and she spun in her seat, ready to thump whoever was responsible. “What in— Well! Would you look at the size of that!” She got up at the same time as Toby launched from his chair, but she wasn’t close enough to catch him and could only watch in perceptual slow motion as he dived head first towards to floor…and into the enormous pillow. It had to be at least six foot long.

“Golly. That’s a big one.”

“Ah!” Charlotte managed to say before the giggles took her again. “You thought… The pillow… Someone staying…” She bent over double. “Oh, God, it hurts.”

“Charlotte!” their mother hollered. “Enough!”

Undaunted, Pete gestured to his eldest sister—“Ellie, meet Mr. Cuddles”—and then to the pillow—“Mr. C, this is Ellie.”

“Funny, you are not,” Eleanor said.

Pete grinned and crouched down to Toby. “Good, isn’t it?” he asked.

Toby nodded enthusiastically and rolled away, clinging to the giant pillow with both arms so that it was on top of him, then underneath him, then on top of him—a toddler lint remover, gathering all the bits of fluff from the kitchen floor.

Eleanor shook her head, disconcerted. “To think of the fortune I’ve spent on toys when I could’ve just got him one of those.”

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever bought,” Pete confirmed. “And it was great value. Free P and P. I could’ve got a second one for half price, but there’s no room for a third.”

“A wh…” That was as far as Eleanor got, because Charlotte instantly stopped giggling and gawped at Pete with a mix of horror and amusement. They’d lost Eleanor; one glance in their mother’s direction confirmed she didn’t understand, either.

Their mother dumped a plate on the table. “Get that down you, quick,” she told Pete. “We need to leave in ten minutes.”

“That’s ages yet.”

“And you haven’t shaved.”

“Can’t go to church with a beard,” Charlotte said before their mother could.

“Why not?” Pete protested. “The disciples had beards.”

“You’re not a disciple. You’re just a sad single man who shares his bed with a man-size cushion.”

“And Jesus.” Pete gave Charlotte a surreptitious wink.

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Christmas Freebie of A Midnight Clear
(available until 19th December):

On Beaten Track (coupon AB54V)

On Smashwords (coupon AB54V)

On All Romance eBooks

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What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Witt - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x