His For A Price |z.h|

2

At that moment, Niall heard his name being called, and turned to see Harry Tomlinson approaching across the grass. 

Niall sat up smiling. 'Hi, there." He looked around. "What have you done with Freddie?" 

"Louis has taken him down to the village.' Harry sat down beside him, shading his eyes from the sun. 'He wanted to buy something for his mother from that little pottery shop.' Harry sighed. 'I can hardly believe our week is up. And, would you believe, we're almost sorry to be going home. For which we have you to thank, of course.' 

'That's nonsense,' Niall said roundly. 'It was just lucky I happened to be at the desk that day, and was able to help.' 

He'd been waiting to buy some stamps when he'd over heard the clearly distressed young couple protesting to an unsympathetic looking desk clerk about the hotel's policy of barring babies and young children from the restaurant after seven p.m. 

As their voices failed to reach the deaf years, Niall helped translate for them in much crueler words, even though their objections were ultimately met with a shrug of complete indifference. 

They'd adjourned to the terrace bar for coffee, where Niall had learned they'd won their South of Ireland holiday in a magazine competition, but their intended destination had been a three star hotel in the St. Vermin chain. 

A fire had resulted in the grudging upgrade to the real St. Vermin. 

'But we felt from the moment we got here yesterday that they didn't really want us,' Harry had said. 'They made a fuss about putting a cot in the bungalow and told us there was no babysitting service, then dropped the bombshell about the restaurant. If we wanted to eat there, we had to have the special children's supper at six.' 

Harry sighed. 'We're just so disappointed with it all. It isn't a bit as we'd hoped. Now we feel we simply want to go home.' 

Niall could only sympathize but he was not surprised. The hotel was a place where little children might be seen but not heard, and Freddie had a good pair of lungs on him. 

But the St. Vermin had accepted this family, however reluctantly, and it was totally unfair to prevent them sampling the culinary delights on offer in the restaurant. 

Niall took a deep breath. 'I've had an idea,' he said. 'We - I - never have dinner until at least nine. If you're prepared to eat early, I'll come to the bungalow each night as soon as children's supper is over and look after Freddie for you, so that you can dine together in the restaurant.' 

There was a silence and then Harry said. 'No, we couldn't ask you. Couldn't impose like that.' 

'I'd love to do it.' Niall bent, and ran a finger down Freddie's round pink cheek, receiving a toothless grin as a reward. 'I can't produce any references,' he added ruefully. 'But I used to babysit a lot for our neighbors in North Ireland and I- I miss it.' 

The two husbands exchanged glances, then Louis leaned forward, his pleasant, tanned face serious. 

'Well, if you really mean it, we'd be endlessly grateful. We were actually going to find out today how much it would cost to cut our losses and fly home.' 

'Oh you can't do that,' Niall shook his head decisively. 'Because the food is really fantastic. You mustn't miss out on it.' 

The final details of the arrangement were hammered out there and then. Harry assured him that Freddie was a good sleeper who rarely woke in the evenings, but that he'd leave a bottle ready just in case. In return Niall made it clear that he would accept no payments whatsoever. And on that, they'd shaken hands on the deal.