Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 47

Tom went home and spent the afternoon playing with Jasmine. He was so lucky to have found them, and he needed to tell Sophie, but he wasn't quite sure how. He'd never had to tell anyone he loved them before. He'd show her.

When Sophie was putting Jasmine to bed, Tom made himself busy, stacking the dishwasher and cleaning up the kitchen. As soon as Jasmine had fallen asleep, he took Sophie's hand and led her to their bedroom.

"Soph?" he murmured against her hair as she was lying in his arms later.

She mumbled something sleepily as she snuggled closer to his bare chest and wrapped her arm around him tighter.

"Soph?" he said, a little louder. He wanted to make sure she was awake - needed to see the reaction in her eyes, needed to see the love shining back from her.

She lifted her head, her blue eyes looked tired in the lamp light.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered as he caressed her cheek lovingly. "And I -" love you.

The ring of his phone cut the words off. He wanted to ignore it and just get back to what he was trying to say to Sophie, he really did, but it was nearly eleven. It had to be urgent.

Tom cringed as he sat up in bed, feeling the loss of her warmth against his chest. It was a phone number he didn't know. "Tom Sanderson," he answered.

"Mr Sanderson, this is Captain Brady from the Melbourne Police department," the stern voice on the other end of the phone had his heart racing. "I'm afraid I'm going to need you to come down to the Melbourne Central Hospital to collect your brother."

"What?" he shrieked and Sophie was instantly wide awake and staring at him in concern. "Is Gabe okay?" He met Sophie's eyes and was glad that she was there with him. This was the phone call he'd always dreaded. If something had happened to Gabe after the way they'd argued earlier that day, he'd never forgive himself.

"He's been in an accident I'm afraid, and apart from having a few scratches and losing his licence for driving under the influence, he's fine."

Tom closed his eyes and put his head in his hand. He was relieved that his brother was okay. That was his biggest fear. And now he was over the shock, he was furious at Gabe. "Has he been charged?" he asked, wanting to know everything.

"Yes. But we're going to let him be released from hospital into your care," the police officer told him.

The next morning Tom barged into the spare room where Gabe had crashed on an old sofa bed of Sophie's. Tom hadn't liked the idea of his drunk, angry brother sleeping in the bedroom down the hall from Jasmine, but it was the best place for him.

"What do you want, Tom?" Gabe groaned, putting his hands over his eyes.

"You need to clean up your act. What you did was incredibly stupid. You could have been seriously hurt, or worse. You promised you'd behave when I left Hawaii. Then you promised the same thing yesterday," Tom growled as he pulled the curtains back to force Gabe out of bed.

"So I went out and had a few drinks? You need to lighten up, maybe go out for a few drinks yourself for a change."

Tom blew out a breath and glared at his young brother. "You did more than just have a few drinks, Gabe. You could've killed someone."

"But I didn't," he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

Tom was livid. Not because he'd been stupid, again, but because he didn't seem to care that he could've killed himself or someone else. "You were incredibly lucky. You were ridiculously stupid last night. You not only lost your licence, but you crashed your car. And if you screw up again, you're out of a job, permanently." He had to learn. Somehow.