Their Christmas Family Miracle

by Caroline Anderson

  ‘No. No, of course not, but it’s sitting there. I just thought they might enjoy it. And I’d like to show you the office. Not that you’ll be working there necessarily, but you might find it interesting to see the place.’

  She would. She found everything about him interesting, and that was deeply worrying. But she accepted, telling herself that it would give her a better insight into his business operation and help her make a more informed decision about whether to take the job or not.

  In fact, maybe she should talk to Kate, and she vowed to do that as soon as she had a chance. But, in the meantime, she’d have a look at his offices, let the kids have a swim and think about it.

  The following morning, after the children were washed and dressed and she’d taped up Jake’s cast so he could shower, and once they’d had breakfast and walked the squeaky-clean Rufus in his smart little coat, they went over to the old country club site and he let them into the offices hidden away behind the walls of the old kitchen garden.

  ‘Sorry, it’s a bit chilly. The heating’s turned down but we won’t be in here long and the pool area’s warm,’ he said, and pushed open a door into what had to be his office. There was a huge desk, a vast window and the same beautiful view down the long walk that the drawing room and his bedroom enjoyed. A long, low sofa stretched across one wall, and she guessed he sprawled on it often when he was working late, a coffee in his hand, checking emails on his laptop or talking on the phone.

  She pictured him pacing, gesturing, holding everything in his head while he negotiated and wrangled until he was satisfied that he’d got the best deal. She’d seen David do it, seen the way he worked, the way he pinned people down and bullied them until he got his way, and a chill ran over her.

  Was Jake like that? The iron hand in the velvet glove? She didn’t like to think so, but even a pussycat had claws, and Jake was no pussycat. He could be tough and uncompromising, she was sure, and that made her deeply uneasy. But then wasn’t everyone who’d survived in business in these difficult times? And she needed that job.

  ‘Come on, kids, more to see and then there’s the pool,’ he was saying. They scrambled off his sofa and ran back to the door, and she followed them, Thomas in the stroller so she could have her hands free to help the children when they had their swim.

  ‘This is the main office, this is Kate’s office, this is reception—I brought you in the back way, but visitors come in via this door from the garden,’ he explained, opening it so that the children could go out and run around in the snow, and she looked out over a pretty scene of snow-covered lawn surrounded by what looked like roses climbing up against the mellow brick walls. In the centre was a little fountain. The children were chasing each other round it, giggling and shrieking and throwing snowballs, and she smiled, relieved to see them so happy after such a difficult year.

  ‘It’s beautiful. It must be lovely in the summer.’

  ‘It is. The staff sit out there for their coffee and lunch breaks. It’s a lovely place to work, and I knew it would be. I saw it just before—’ He broke off, then went on, ‘I saw it five and a half years ago, and I was committed to it, so I just shifted my plans a little and went ahead anyway, and it’s been a good move—and the right one, although I had no choice because the house was sold and we’d started work on this already.’

  ‘That must have been hard,’ she said softly, and he shrugged.

  ‘Not really. We’d made the decision. It was the house that was so hard to deal with. We got the builders in and started at the top. We’d planned to live in the rooms up there at first, so that was already commissioned, and then—well, I got an interior designer in to do the rest, but I wouldn’t let her interfere with that bit. It went ahead as planned, and I made it the place where people with children stay, because that was always the idea. We were going to put a kitchen up there as a temporary measure but of course that never happened and I lived somewhere else while it was all done and concentrated on the offices at first.’

  He was standing staring at the house, visible over the top of the garden wall, his hands in his pockets, a brooding expression on his face, and she turned away, giving him privacy. Why on earth was she imagining he’d be interested in a relationship with her? Of course he wasn’t. He was still in love with his wife—the wife with whom he’d planned the rooms she and her family were living in now.

  Of all the rooms for them to have chosen—but maybe it was a good thing. It showed that the plans had been right, and Kate, who didn’t know about his wife and son, loved the rooms, too, and had stayed there. And he’d designated it the area for families, so maybe she was just being oversensitive.

  What was she thinking? Did she like the set-up, or was she just being polite? Or did she genuinely like it but didn’t want to work with him?

  Too complicated, too much baggage for both of them?

  ‘We need to talk terms,’ he said, hoping that he could coax her into it and that, once coaxed, she would have time to get used to him, to find out the kind of man he was, to learn to trust him. Because she must have trust issues after a bastard like David Jones had messed so comprehensively with her life.

  But he couldn’t rush her, he knew that. All he could do was make it possible for her to live again, to give her time to draw breath, to get back on her feet. And maybe then—

  His phone rang and he pulled it impatiently out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Kate. He felt a flicker of guilt but dismissed it and answered the call.

  ‘Well, hello there. Had a good Christmas?’

  ‘Yes…Jake, can we talk?’

  ‘Why? What’s wrong?’ he asked, suddenly concerned that something might have happened to her.

  She just gave a strangled laugh. ‘What’s wrong?’ she exclaimed. ‘You told me I hadn’t heard the end of it, and I haven’t heard a thing from you since, and the last time I spoke to you, you were injured and hopping mad. I didn’t know if you were all right, if you’d forgiven me, if I’d even got a job to come back to. So of course I didn’t have a good Christmas, you idiot! Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that, but—really, Jake, I’ve been so worried and you didn’t return my call, and you always do.’

  Damn. He should have rung her. He’d meant to, so many times, but his eye had been so firmly off the ball—

  ‘I’m sorry. I meant to ring. Of course you’ve got a job. Look, why don’t you bring Megan over for a swim and have a chat and a coffee? In fact, swing by a sports shop and pick up some swimming things for Amelia and the kids on the way here. Theirs are in store. See you in—what? An hour?’

  ‘Less—much less. I’ve got a costume Millie can use, and one of Megan’s that Kitty can borrow, so I only need to get something for Edward and I might be able to find something here of his he left behind in the summer. I’ll see you soon,’ she said, and hung up.

  He put the phone back in his pocket and turned to Amelia. ‘That was Kate,’ he said unnecessarily. ‘She’s coming over now with swimming things for all of you.’

  ‘I gathered. Did she really think she might not have a job?’ Amelia asked, frowning worriedly. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing your remark. I’ve been meaning to ring. I had a missed call from her on my phone, and I meant to ring her back, but—’

  ‘Ditto. We’ve been dealing with other things. Don’t worry, she’s fine. She’s far too valuable for me to lose, and she knows that. Or I hope she knows that.’

  ‘I don’t know that she does. She certainly doesn’t take you for granted. I think she feels you’re a bit of a miracle.’

  ‘Me?’ He gave a startled laugh and thought about it. ‘I’m no miracle. I’m a tough boss. Make no mistake about that, Amelia. I don’t pull punches. I expect my staff to work hard, but no harder than I do, and if they give me their best, I’ll defend them to the hilt. But I don’t suffer fools.’

  Fools like her husband. Correction—ex-husband. Thank God he was in Thailand, it’d save him the eff
ort of driving him out of the country.

  ‘Jake? Does she know? About your family?’

  He shook his head. ‘No. Hardly anybody does. A few who’ve known me for years, but they don’t talk about it and neither do I, we all just get on with it.’

  ‘OK. Just so I know not to say anything. I thought she probably didn’t because we talked about you and she didn’t mention it, but I don’t want to put my foot in it and you’ve obviously got your reasons for not telling everyone.’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s just never come up. Work is work. I don’t talk about myself.’

  ‘But you talk about them. Kate said you always ask about Megan, and about other people’s families, and you give very generous maternity deals and so on, and you send flowers when people are sick, and when Kate’s pipes froze you put them up in the house—so it’s only yourself you keep at arm’s length,’ she pointed out—probably fairly, now he thought about it.

  He gave her a smile that felt slightly off-kilter. ‘It’s just easier that way. I don’t want sympathy, Amelia. I don’t need it. I just want to be left alone to live my life.’

  Except suddenly that wasn’t true any more, he acknowledged, feeling himself frown. He didn’t want to be left alone. He wanted—

  ‘Can we see the pool now?’

  Kitty was under his nose, covered in snow, her cheeks bright and glowing with health, her eyes sparkling, and behind her Edward was stamping snow off his boots and shutting the door and watching him hopefully.

  ‘Sure. Kate rang. She’s bringing Megan over and some swimming things for you all. She’ll be here in a minute.’

  ‘Yippee, yippee, we’re going in the pool!’ Kitty sang, and Edward was laughing.

  ‘That’s amazing. We’ve just had a snowball fight and now we’re going swimming! That’s so weird. Are you coming in?’

  He shook his head. ‘I can’t—my cast,’ he explained, lifting up his arm. ‘I can’t get it wet. But I can’t wait. I swim every day at six before everyone gets here, and I really miss it. So you won’t mind if I don’t watch you, because I’ll just get jealous. You guys go ahead and have a really good time, OK?’

  And then Kate arrived with Megan, to the children’s delight, and he took one look at her and went over and hugged her.

  ‘Hey, smile for me,’ he said, holding her by the shoulders and looking down into her eyes. To his surprise, they filled with tears.

  ‘I felt so awful, but I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t think you’d mind. You weren’t even supposed to be here—’

  ‘Hey, it’s fine. And you’re right, I wouldn’t have minded and you did absolutely the right thing, so stop worrying. I’d probably be more cross if you hadn’t done what you did, so forget it. Anyway,’ he said, changing the subject, ‘the kids are dying to get in the pool, and I’d like a minute to talk to Amelia, so if you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on them. Amelia, is that OK with you?’

  ‘Sure.’ Amelia nodded, and Kate shot her a curious look.

  ‘Right—sort yourselves out, and come and find me, Amelia. I’ll be in my office.’

  And he left them to it, turned up the heating in his office and checked his emails. Grief. There were loads, and he scrolled through them, deleting the majority without a second glance, saving a few, answering a couple.

  And then she was there, standing in the doorway looking a little uneasy, and he switched off his machine and stood up.

  ‘Come on in, I was just doing my email. Coffee?’

  ‘Oh—thanks. Will you have any milk or should I go and get some?’

  ‘Creamer. Is that OK?’

  ‘Fine.’ She crossed over to the window and stood staring down the long walk. ‘How do you get any work done?’ she asked softly, and he chuckled.

  ‘It helps. There’s nothing going on—well, apart from the odd squirrel. So my mind’s free to think. It’s good. No distractions, no diversions—it works for me. And it’s peaceful. I love it best when there’s nobody here, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.’

  ‘And the house?’ she asked, turning to face him.

  ‘What about the house?’

  ‘I get the feeling you sleep there.’

  ‘And eat. Sometimes. And entertain. And I do spend time there, in my study or the sitting room. I don’t use the rest of it much, it’s a bit formal really.’

  And lonely, but he didn’t add that, because he didn’t want to think about it, about how it hadn’t been lonely for the last few days, and how empty and desolate it would feel when they were gone.

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ve thought about the job any more overnight?’ he asked, handing her a coffee, and she took it and nodded, following him to the sofa and sitting down.

  ‘Yes, but I need to know if it will be enough, if you can offer me enough work to live on. I don’t want to be rude, and I’m not trying to push the rate up or anything, but I do need to earn a living and because my time’s limited I need to maximise. And I am good, I know that. So I need to do the best I can for my family. I’ve been thinking about what you said about Edward, too, wondering if I could get him a voice test or singing lessons, but I need financial security before I even consider that. It’s a juggling act, work time and quality time, although without the work the quality’s pretty compromised so what am I talking about? But I do have to think about this and I know you’re shut over Christmas and New Year, so I don’t know when you’re thinking of me starting—’

  ‘Whenever,’ he said, cutting her off before she talked herself out of it. ‘I can find you a pile of stuff. Judith—my translator—has been doing less recently, and there’s a bit of a backlog, so if you want to start on that, I’d be very grateful. Some of it’s probably getting a bit urgent.’

  ‘So—would I submit an invoice when you’re happy?’

  ‘Or I can give you a cheque now,’ he said. ‘Just an advance, to start you off.’ Which would give her enough money to find a rented house and move out, he realised with regret, but he couldn’t hold her hostage, even if he wanted to.

  ‘Don’t you want references?’ she was asking incredulously, and he laughed.

  ‘No. You’re a friend of Kate’s, I’ve met your children, I’ve met your husband—’

  ‘David? When did you meet David?’ she asked, her voice shocked.

  He shrugged. ‘Last year? I believe it was him. He came to me with an idea he wanted to float for a coffee shop chain.’

  ‘Oh, that’s him. It was a crazy idea. I had no idea he’d approached you about it. I expect the fact Kate works for you put the idea into his head. Funny she didn’t mention he’d been to see you.’

  ‘She didn’t know. I met him at a conference.’

  ‘Oh. So what did you say?’

  ‘I turned him down. It was ill-considered, risky and I didn’t want to put my money there.’ And he’d disliked the man on sight, but he didn’t say that, because it was irrelevant and, after all, presumably she’d loved him once, although what came next made him wonder.

  ‘Wise move,’ she said, and smiled ruefully. ‘Who knows what I saw in him, but by the time I realised what he was like it was too late, we were married and our second child was on the way. And when I tackled him about some things I’d found out, he walked.’

  ‘And Thomas?’

  ‘I let him come back. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. Maybe I felt I owed it to the children to give it another chance. It didn’t last, and then when he’d gone—my idea, not his, because I realised he was relying on my income to support him—I discovered I was pregnant again. And that time I did divorce him. But what’s David got to do with my job?’

  ‘Just that I know the mess your life’s in isn’t your fault. I can imagine you trying to hold it all together, and I can imagine him selling it all out from under you without you realising. So I know you aren’t in this position because you’re incompetent, and you’re right, you are good at your job. Quick and accurate. I need that—particularly the accuracy.
The exact meaning of a contract is massively important, and although a lot of the stuff is standard, there are some sneaky little clauses. I like those dealt with, and I need to know what they are. So—I’m more than happy to take you on. My HR people will sort out the fine print when they get back, but in the meantime I’ll give you the same rate Judith was on plus a twenty per cent enhancement and increase the retainer by forty per cent—I can find out exactly what that translates to in a minute, and you can start as soon as you like.’

  She nodded slowly. ‘OK. I need to see how the figures stack up. I might need to take on other work from somewhere else—’

  ‘Don’t do that,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘There’s plenty of communication with foreign companies on a daily basis that we might need help with, as well as the really important stuff. French and Italian aren’t too much of a problem—I speak them well enough for most things and so do a couple of others—but we struggle with Russian and our Spanish is on the weak side, so if you find you aren’t earning enough, just shout. I could probably use you getting on for full-time, even maybe phone calls, that sort of thing. We do so much work abroad now and it would be really handy.’

  She nodded thoughtfully. ‘OK. Let me see the figures, and we’ll talk again,’ she said with a smile, and he felt the tension go out of his shoulders.

  Good. He wasn’t going to lose her—not entirely. He’d make sure of that, make sure the money was so tempting she would be mad to turn it down. She might move out once she’d got some financial security, but he could still phone her, ask her to explain something, find excuses to keep in touch personally—and now he was being ridiculous.

  ‘Go and swim with your children. I’ll look up the figures, find some material for you to start on and we’ll go from there.’

  He just hoped he could convince her…