But hadn't he himself thought how different Eve was from Karen? He pressed a hand over his eyes and instantly thoughts of Eve filled his head, her fragrance fueling longings he had tried so hard to suppress. It wasn't only Polly who missed her. Eve had been like a breath of summer in the middle of winter, brightening up the house with her smiles and kind words.
He couldn't deny the truth any longer. Watching Polly and Eve together, it was obvious his daughter needed a woman in her life. Tom had done his best to get the girly stuff she wanted. Painting the bedroom pink and sticking fairies on the furniture had kept her happy for a short while. He played Barbies with her, and he could put her hair in a ponytail and add some flowery clips, but French plaits were a step too far. How long before she got interested in fashion and nail polish and other girly stuff? And then there was puberty to deal with.
"If you marry Eve, she can be my mummy."
"Eve's got an important job, pumpkin. She has to live a long way away."
"But you haven't asked her to marry you."
"Polly, she'd say no."
"She wouldn't." Polly dug in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of card. "Look." She handed it across. It was one of Eve's business cards with her e-mail address handwritten on the back. She'd given Polly her contact details, but she hadn't given them to him. For a shameful moment he was jealous of his own daughter.
"E-mail her and ask her, Daddy."
"I can't ask her to marry me by e-mail." Then he realized what he'd said. "I can't ask her to marry me at all. We've only just met!" But he would very much like to spend time with Eve and get to know her better. Tom examined the business card. Eve was a tax specialist. He could do with some advice on tax planning.
***
Eve checked her watch and knocked on her brother's front door. She didn't expect Connor to answer. It was lunchtime and he would be at work. She'd come to see his wife, Lilly.
After her time with Tom and Polly, Eve had thought a lot about families. How they supported each other, or didn't. When her parents died, she'd leaned heavily on Connor and expected him to be there for her. She was ashamed to admit this must have put a huge strain on his relationship with his new bride. Eve could hardly blame Lilly for being less than friendly.
The door opened and Eve smiled as her sister-in-law waddled out. She was only five two and her pregnant belly was already huge. Her fluffy blonde hair curled around her face and her blue eyes widened at the sight of Eve.
"Connor's not here," she said and moved to close the door.
"I haven't come to see Connor."
"What?" Lilly paused, confusion crossing her face.
"I'm here to see you."
"Me?"
Guilt flashed through Eve as she realized this was the first time she had ever visited her sister-in-law when Connor wasn't here. Eve held up the shiny bag in her hand. "I come bearing gifts."
"Oh. Well you'd better come in then." Lilly didn't sound overjoyed to see her, but she backed up to let Eve past her protruding belly. Eve slipped in and they headed to the kitchen. "Would you like a drink?" Lilly asked.
"Let me get us one. You sit down and rest."
"Okay." Lilly watched in bemusement as Eve filled the coffeemaker. Finally her sister-in-law broke the awkward silence. "So, are you busy at work?"
"Usual mad rush before Christmas with people sending their tax stuff in late. They send their records in halfway through December and expect us to have the tax returns completed and filed in January." Eve rolled her eyes and Lilly laughed.
"I think I might be like that if I had to fill out a tax return," Lilly said.
"Be thankful you don't have to."
Eve set the mugs on the table and sat beside Lilly. She turned the mug between her hands, wondering how to say what she'd come to say. In the end she went for the honest, straightforward approach. "I'm here to apologize."
"What for?" The wary tone was back in the other woman's voice.
"For hijacking your husband. I'm sorry I demanded so much of his time after Mum and Dad's accident. It must have been hard for you."
Lilly twisted her rings around her fingers. "A little."
"I know it's a bit late, but can we start again? I want you and Connor to be happy. I hate to think I've caused the two of you any problems."
"I know your parents' dying hit you hard. It was a difficult time for us all. I'm happy to start afresh if you are."
"Great!" Eve lifted the gift bag onto the table. She extracted Connor's present, then passed the bag to Lilly. "For you."
"Thank you, Eve. I'd better put it under the tree."
"No, open it now. It's only two days until Christmas."
Lilly smiled. "Okay." She pulled out the selection of luxury toiletries Eve had chosen and laid them on the table. "This is my favorite brand!"
"I know. I checked with Con."
"Thank you so much." Lilly leaned towards Eve, and they hugged awkwardly around Lilly's belly.
"You should take it easy and pamper yourself. Con said your blood pressure's high."
They chatted for a while about Lilly's visits to the hospital and her frustration that the doctors always sent her home without explaining why her blood pressure was so erratic.
Eve checked her watch. "Sorry to love you and leave you, but I'd better get back to the office. Have a lovely Christmas."
"Sorry we can't see you on Christmas Day. We're going to Mum and Dad's," Lilly said.
"No problem. I'll see you sometime after New Year's."
They hugged again at the door, and Eve headed back to her car, a sense of peace calming the place inside her that had been in turmoil for many months. If nothing else, her stay with Tom and Polly had made her step back and examine what was important in her life—and being kind and thoughtful to her family was the most important thing in the world.
***
"There's a new client to see you, Eve."
"What now?" Eve glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes. Why did people leave their tax affairs to the very last moment? In thirty minutes she would be leaving for the Christmas break, and she needed these last minutes to deal with a few admin issues. The last thing she wanted right now was a new client.
"Are you sure you can't persuade him to come back after the holidays."
"I doubt it. He was very insistent."
Eve frowned in frustration. It wasn't as if she could do any work for him now. She needed to get home promptly to pack her suitcase. It was months since she'd seen her brother, Ed, so she'd made a last-minute decision to accept his invitation to join his family in Germany for Christmas. She was booked to fly out tomorrow and didn't plan to return until the second of January.
"Okay, better show him in. What's his name?"
"Mr. Millington."
Eve had just bent to slide her new laptop into her bag. She jackknifed upright at the name, a question forming on her lips. But her personal assistant had gone. There in the doorway stood Tom.
Her breath rushed in and burst out, her heart racing. His dark hair gleamed under the bright lights, his eyes bluer than she remembered. He wore a black leather jacket she'd never seen before and dark blue trousers. He didn't look at all like a farmer!
"Tom." The word came out all croaky and she had to clear her throat and repeat it. "What're you doing here?"
"Polly showed me your business card. You didn't tell me tax was your thing."
"It never came up, I guess."
"I need some advice."
Her wildly beating heart fluttered and dropped. Had he really come all this way to see her only to ask advice about his tax affairs?
"You'd better take a seat." She pointed to the chair on the other side of her desk.
He approached but ignored the chair, coming around to her side. "I didn't say I wanted tax advice, although that might come in handy down the line."
"What, then?"
He smiled, and despite his apparent confidence, a touch of uncertainty crept into his eyes. "I
need advice on what to buy Polly for Christmas."
He was standing so close that Eve struggled to think straight. He smelled of something deliciously spicy, and behind the fragrance was the wonderful, familiar smell of wood smoke that immediately pulled her back to the comfortable old farmhouse. "Haven't you already bought her Christmas presents?"
"Uh-huh. But I doubt I've got it right."
"Oh, Tom, don't put yourself down. I'm sure she'll be pleased with what you've chosen for her."
"Maybe. But I want to give her some girly things. The sort of things a mum would buy as a surprise for her daughter." He raised a hand to Eve's hair, stroked a finger down the side of her face. "We miss you, Eve. I know the partnership means you have to stay in Bristol, but Polly and I both want you in our lives. Even if you can only make it down to visit us occasionally."
"You want me?" The moment the words left her mouth, heat flooded her cheeks. That hadn't come out quite as she intended.
"I want to get to know you better. I can't stop thinking about you." Tom stepped closer and drew her into his arms.
He leaned down to kiss her, but she flattened a hand on his chest, held him at bay. "There's something I need to tell you. I haven't accepted the partnership yet. I asked for time to think the offer over."
Tom's gaze sharpened. "And have you thought it over?"
"Mmm. I don't think it's going to work for me. I've recently decided I prefer the weather down in Devon."
A slow grin spread across his face. "All that snow, you mean?"
Eve linked her arms around his neck and snuggled closer to his hard chest. "Yep. The sort of snow that can keep me stranded in the middle of Dartmoor all winter."
"So, will you be able to transfer to the Plymouth office?"
"I'll probably try for a partnership in a different firm. There are a few alternatives I'm looking into."
"Come back home with me, Eve. Spend Christmas with us."
"Oh, Tom, I'd love to, but I've arranged to go to Germany to see my brother." She thought for a moment. "How about I stay with you for Christmas and you and Polly spend New Year’s in Germany with me and Ed's family. I'd need to check with him, but I'm sure he won't mind."
"Sounds perfect to me," he whispered. He kissed her then, long and slow and deep, until she pulled away to catch her breath.
It was strange how a week ago she'd been so focused on her career, when now all that mattered was being with Tom and Polly.
***
Fluffy snowflakes spiraled out of the night sky as Tom parked his pickup in Higher Combe. Eve hadn't seen the village before and the pretty, old cottages looked like a Christmas card with a layer of snow frosting their roofs and windows. Christmas lights twinkled in bushes and around doors. Inside the mullioned window of the general store, a Christmas tree sparkled. The medieval church rose into the darkness, a glowing cross lighting the top of its spire.
Polly gripped Eve's hand tighter. The child had hardly let go of Eve since she and Tom arrived back at Combe Farm yesterday evening. They climbed out of the pickup. Polly tugged Eve to follow her. "I want to show you my school."
"Not now, pumpkin. It's all closed up, and it's nearly time for the carol service to start." Tom took Eve's other hand, and for a moment she was pulled in two directions at once.
"Hey, you two, quit the tug of war."
Tom laughed and relaxed his grip. "I'm sure Eve wants to see your nativity scene, Polly?"
The little girl bounced up and down in her fleecy pink boots. "Oh, yes!"
They crunched across crisp, frosted grass, and joined the throng of villagers heading towards the church for the Christmas Eve service.
"There's Lindy." Polly dropped Eve's hand and darted away between the people towards a little girl wearing a blue hat. The two children squealed and jumped about together holding hands.
Tom slipped his arm around Eve's waist and pressed his lips to her cheek. "Better take every opportunity I can for a kiss. I don't think I'm going to get you to myself much over Christmas."
Eve leaned into Tom's side as they walked, marveling at how right it felt to be with him, as if she had known him for years, not days. She felt so comfortable with him, yet a thread of excitement ran through her every time she looked at him. When Connor found Lilly, Eve had started to wonder if there was a man she'd want to spend her life with. Now she'd found him. She was certain of that.
Polly skipped back to them. They headed down the paved pathway between the ice-topped gravestones. A wreath of holly trimmed the church door with a sprig of mistletoe hanging over the doorway. The elderly couple in front of them paused beneath it for a quick kiss and giggled like teenagers.
"The vicar obviously has a romantic streak." Tom stopped and pulled Eve close. He stared into her eyes. Everything around them fell away. She forgot the people and why she was here, lost herself in the soft blue depths of his gaze.
"May this Christmas be our first of many," he whispered, and then pressed his lips to hers.
"Daddy, come on." Polly's demand brought Eve back to the present. She blushed at the crowd of people who had gathered behind them, waiting to pass through the church door.
Tom chuckled as she pulled him out of the way. The vaulted church roof rose above them, the wooden pews trimmed with glittery pine branches. Candles burned in small alcoves in the stone walls, casting flickering light off the colorful stained-glass windows.
"Here, look." Polly skipped ahead and led them to a nativity scene at the back of the church. "Lindy and I made baby Jesus in his crib. Isn't it good?"
Tom and Eve chuckled together. "Very good, sweetie," Eve said, stroking the little girl's hair.
Exchanging Christmas wishes with the other smiling villagers, they made their way to a pew halfway down the church and sat beside Mr. and Mrs. Undy.
"First time I set eyes on you, I knew you belonged at Combe Farm," Mrs. Undy whispered to Eve. "The good Lord works in mysterious ways."
He certainly did if He had a hand in Pickle escaping into the snow and her wrecked car, but Eve was glad of it. She had much to say thank you for when the time came to pray.
The hymn sheet included Christmas carols Eve hadn't sung since she was a child. As the organ played and voices rose to the rafters, her spirits soared with the music.
When it was time to pray, Eve kneeled on the old embroidered hassock. The faint musty scent of the fabric combined with the smell of ancient oak took her back to the last time she'd kneeled to pray inside a church, eighteen months ago at her parents' funeral.
Losing them had cast her adrift like a lost balloon floating into the sky, longing for a friendly hand to grab her string and pull her back to earth. For the last year and a half, she'd been lost and she hadn't even realized it until Tom found her that day in the snow. When he'd taken her back to his home, he'd done more than rescue her from her stranded car, he'd shown her the way back to happiness, shown her what her life might be like if she opened her heart and took a risk.
She reached out and slid her fingers into Tom's hand. His eyes rose to meet hers as the vicar recited a prayer. "Thank you," she whispered. He would never know how much he had done for her that day in the blizzard, and she wasn't sure she could ever explain it. But she would do her best to be there for him and repay his kindness with her own.
Her heart told her he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. It was about time she followed her heart and gave her head time off for the holidays.
Epilogue
One year later
Eve halted just inside the sitting room door and smiled with contentment. Ribbon-tied swags of pine and holly decorated with baubles trimmed the mantelpiece over the roaring log fire. The Christmas tree twinkled with multicolored lights in the corner of the room.
After lots of hassle changing her job, Eve had finally moved down to Plymouth six months ago. She and Tom knew each other well now, and a few weeks earlier he'd asked her to move in to Combe Farm. And she couldn't stop smiling.
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This Christmas she had helped Tom and Polly choose the Christmas tree. She'd lain in the snow with Polly and made snow angels while Tom cut the tree down, then they'd all carried it inside and decorated it together.
The scene before her reminded her of her childhood family Christmases. Polly and Connor were playing snakes and ladders in front of the fire, while Lilly sat on the sofa cuddling her baby girl, Jasmine.
Tom came in behind Eve. She took half a step back into the warm circle of his arms. His lips brushed her neck, eliciting a flutter of desire in her tummy. His breath warmed her ear. "I love you," he whispered.
She turned in his arms and snuggled close, closing her eyes and reveling in the solid strength of this man who had become the center of her world. "I love you too, darling. Always."
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. So much had happened in the past year that she felt like a different woman—a happy and contented woman who had finally found her place in the world.
"Hey, that's not fair," Connor's voice cut into Eve's pleasurable moment. "Barbie's cheating."
Eve stared at her brother, her mouth dropping open in question.
"When I came to help you tidy up," Tom said, "Barbie took over my place in the snakes and ladders game."
A disbelieving laugh burst from Eve. "Con, please don't tell me you're upset because a doll's beating you?"
Her brother gave her a sheepish smirk. "Okay. Maybe I overreacted."
Eve glanced at her sister-in-law who had her hand clamped over her mouth, trying not to laugh. They shared despairing eye rolls.
"Men," Eve muttered affectionately.
Tom tickled her middle and she squirmed away from him.
"What about men?"
"Nothing." She ran out of his reach, giggling. "Time for the presents, I think."
"Presents." Polly jumped up, knocking the snakes and ladders board and scattering the counters, making who was winning a moot point. "I want to hand them out."
They all dutifully took seats around the fire, then Polly fetched the brightly wrapped presents from beneath the Christmas tree and passed them out. "This one's for you, Uncle Connor." She handed across a box covered in pink paper decorated with angels. "I wrapped it for you."
A Family for Christmas (Contemporary Romance Novella) Page 6