Grace groaned out loudly.

How in the hell did she know they were here?

She cursed herself inwardly for not hiding the jeep, but she had no idea Lucy was visiting or that she'd even venture all the way out to the lake to find them.

Or Harry rather.

"I said," she yelled out again, "top of the morning to you!"

"Jesus Lucy, he's not Irish you dimwit!" Grace rolled her eyes as she replied.

"Yes, but he's across that way," she waved vaguely, "across the pond, like a frog in a pond!"

"He's not standing in jelly, oh my god..." Grace whispered the last part to herself.

"But I could be," Harry whispered causing them to both snicker.

"Did you want something Lucy?" Grace called up to her.

"Oh...yes...I left something here last night," Lucy replied.

"Yeah, your dignity," Grace murmured.

Harry again giggled but then stopped as he felt guilty for doing so.

"Sorry I know she's your family," he said quietly.

"Just because someone's your family, doesn't mean you automatically like them," Grace sighed, "look I feel for her sometimes, I really do," she paused, "but then she opens her mouth and then I don't. Bit like David Beckham," she went on, "he's lovely to look at but then he starts talking..."

Harry snorted in response.

Lucy started to clumsily make her way down to where Grace and Harry sat, letting out squeaky noises as she tried to keep her balance.

"Did you get what you wanted?" Grace asked, knowing full well Lucy left nothing behind last night.

"Not yet," she murmured as her greedy eyes roamed over Harry's shirtless body.

"Sorry?" Grace replied.

"I mean, uh, not yet, I'll um, pick it up on my way back..." she stammered before regaining her composure and sitting herself down between Grace and Harry, "so what are we doing?"

"Swimming...eating...talking..." Grace replied flatly, "until you came along."

"Now, now Gracie darling," Lucy glared at her before turning her attention to Harry, "don't you look good enough to eat," she said, licking her lips.

Harry did the only thing he could think of given the current situation.

"Brownie?" he thrust the container out to Lucy, hoping that would satisfy her apparent hunger.

"God no!" she looked offended, "do you have any idea how much fat is in those?" she looked pointedly over her shoulder at Grace, "some of us should steer clear of those you know..."

Grace looked down at the half-eaten brownie in her hand and then down at her body.

Normally she didn't really care about how she looked, she was healthy and that was good enough for her.

Still didn't mean it wasn't a little bit difficult to keep that same confidence when she was sitting next to a bean pole and a Greek god.

Harry frowned at Lucy's unnecessary comment before he stood up and walked around a confused Lucy, only to settle himself back down on Grace's other side, the container of brownies in his hand.

"You need to help me finish these off don't forget," he nudged Grace with his elbow, earning a small smile in return.

"So...Harry?" Lucy cleared he throat, her eyes angry as she turned and looked at the two of them, "given anymore thought about my question from last night?"

Oh god, not again, he thought.

"Uh...no..." he trailed off.

"Well I have," she carried on, "there's this fantastic new restaurant in town- "

"Oh, for god's sake Lucy, he does not want to go out with you!" Grace snapped, "leave him the hell alone!"

Lucy glared at Grace and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Why do you always have to be so jealous of me Grace?" she asked, "you're such an old married woman."

"As opposed to a woman who's had no offers of marriage?" Grace bit back, "or are you just waiting for mummy and daddy to pay someone to marry you?"

"You bit-" Lucy began.

"Children!" Grace cut her off, "watch your language around my daughters," she paused, "and Harry."

"How about a drink?" Harry hastily offered, trying to defuse the tension between the two women.

He had visions of them lunging at each other and he was going to be stuck in the middle between them.

The idea of it scared the hell out of him.

But if he was a betting man, he'd put his money on Grace to win.

He hurriedly scrambled to grab a juice for Lucy, his nerves easing when she smiled at him as he handed it to her.

Until it slipped and landed all over the front of her dress.

"Oh my god I'm so clumsy!" Lucy shrieked, the orange seeping into the white material, "oh my dress will be ruined if I don't soak this out!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it!" Harry fumbled around for a towel to help Lucy wipe at her dress.

Grace sat back and couldn't help but smile in amusement at the scene in front of her, knowing full well that Lucy was purposely clumsy, she'd seen this happen before, and that Harry was beside himself trying to fix the problem.

It was when she suddenly stood up and pulled her dress up over her head, revealing a very tiny underwear set underneath, did Grace and Harry both stand up simultaneously.

Harry decided to turn his attention to the girls, turning so quickly he stumbled which ended with Grace copping a face full of brownies as the container shot up in Harry's hand.

Grace was too angry to notice, brushing crumbs from her face as she snatched the towel out of Harry's other hand.

"Put this on!" she demanded, "cover yourself up around my daughters, what the hell are you thinking?" she seethed.

Lucy merely grabbed the towel slowly, refusing to put it on as she stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Not my fault Harry has big hands," she let her gaze fall to his boardshorts, "among other things."

"Mama?" Dottie and Tilly wandered up to see what all the fuss was about, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing baby," Grace replied, "Auntie Lucy accidentally spilled some juice on her dress that's all."

"Is it all wet?" Tilly asked.

That was probably an understatement right there, Grace thought.

"Ok, okay," Dottie shrugged before taking Tilly by the hand and leading her back to where they were making mud pies.

"Lucy, get yourself dressed or so help me..." Grace threatened.

"Or what?" Lucy sneered, "what will you do to me? Run to James? Like he'd care..." she sat herself back down on the blanket, reclining back with her legs slightly apart as she looked up at Harry.

"Fine," Grace replied, "have it your way," she grabbed the empty container out of Harry's hand and turned and walked over to where the girls were, bending down with her back to Harry and Lucy.

Lucy laid there with a satisfied smirk, not realising Grace had returned.

Until she felt a pile of mud plonked on top of her head.

Lucy shrieked and scrambled to her feet, her expression one of shock and rage.

"How dare you!" she seethed as the mud ran down her face and onto the ground.

"Think of it as a favour," Grace smiled, "they charge you an arm and a leg for this shit at the day spa."

Lucy let out a frustrated scream as she wrapped the towel around her and scooped up her dress.

"You," she pointed a finger at Grace, "you are such a cold, frigid, bitch," she stepped closer, "no wonder James-"

Lucy got no further before Grace's hand connected with her face, shock registering with both women.

"How dare you," she said in a low voice.

"Grace...I..." Lucy began, shame creeping into her voice.

"I suggest you leave," Grace cut her off, "now."

Lucy quickly turned and headed up to where her car was parked, turning back around to look down at Grace and Harry.

"Just know that I'll be speaking to James about this," she threw her nose in the air.

Grace held her arm out to the side.

"Look at all the fucks I give," she replied, "oh that's right, none!"

Lucy glared at her before disappearing from sight.

"Mama, what did you say?" Dottie called out to Grace.

"Ducks!" she yelled out, "I said I wish I had ducks to give!"

Grace looked over at Harry, her eyes wide.

That was it took.

He doubled over, laughing hysterically at all that had happened, but also in relief as well until his eyes filled with tears, only stopping when a handful of mud landed on his back.

He swung around to see Grace reaching for more mud, ready to sling it at him and he immediately went into attack mode, scooping his own ball of mud up and throwing it at her.

The girls stepped back to hide behind the safety of a tree, giggling in excitement at their mother and Harry having a mud fight until they were a right mess, laughing uncontrollably at each other.

Harry turned his attention to the girls and roared, making them squeal as he chased after them, scooping Dottie up and planting raspberry kisses on her cheek, earning more giggles from her.

Grace suddenly stopped and watched the interaction.

Harry noticed her smile drop and a look of fear cross over her face.

"Grace?" he said, still holding onto Dottie but having stopped in his tracks.

She shook her head slightly, as though she was shaking a thought away before she turned and silently made her way to the water's edge, immersing herself in the lake.

Harry placed Dottie down gently onto her feet before holding onto her hand and inviting Tilly to take his other one.

"Why don't you come over and have some more lunch and something to drink hey?" he suggested, sitting the girls down with more food in front of them as well as juice.

"Thank you Harry," they chorused.

He beamed at them before turning his attention to someone else that he knew needed it.

He just didn't quite know what he could do for her.

Harry made his way over to the water, silently wading in and swimming over to where Grace was.

"You okay?" he asked gently, "if I did something..." he trailed off.

Grace bit her lip before looking down at the water, shaking her head before looking up at the rocks.

"You're not him," she said quietly, "you're not him."

Harry's eyes widened, not expecting that to come out of her mouth.

"I have to remember that you're not him," she went on, like it was a mantra for her.

"Who?" Harry dared to ask.

Grace finally turned to Harry.

He'd never seen such pain and sadness radiate from a person in all his life.

She shook her head as her she bit her lips, willing the tears in her eyes to stay where they were.

"You're not him," she gave him a weak smile, before nodding her head, reinforcing her statement.

To herself or to Harry, he wasn't sure.

Harry didn't want to push her any further, it had been a ridiculous and emotional afternoon for her.

It always seemed to be whenever a member of her family, save for the girls, were around.

Instead he swam a little bit closer to her, just enough so that he could reach out and take her hand in his, squeezing it in comfort.

To his surprise, she held on tightly to it.

They stayed like that for a small while until Grace stopped looking everywhere else and looked at Harry.

All she could see was his eyes.

And she couldn't look away.

Her breathing hitched, and she hoped that he didn't hear it.

But the fact that he brought himself closer to him told her that he did.

What on earth was she doing?

She was married.

He was the help.

His lips were so pink and plump.

What?

Harry had no idea what he was doing.

His mother would promptly whack him over the head with a newspaper if she could see him right now.

This was his boss.

His very married boss.

His very beautiful and gorgeous and sexy boss that he spent many a night thinking of while he...

He was in trouble.

His other hand slowly moved through the water to land on her waist, drawing her closer to him.

Should he stop?

He should stop.

Should Grace stop him?

She should stop him.

The girls.

If the girls weren't here he'd have pulled the front of her bikini top down to reveal her breasts to him before moving her bikini bottoms to the side, so he could slip his cock straight inside her.

The girls.

"The girls," he said out loud, his voice hoarse.

Grace nodded silently in agreement, her gaze still transfixed on him as he reluctantly let her go.