by Sarah Morgan
Posy grabbed it. She hadn’t expected her mother to literally give her a list. “Okay, go for it.” Please don’t let there be too many things.
“You need to make the cranberry sauce, and freeze it. The cranberries are in the fridge and there are fresh oranges in the bowl. The children love my cinnamon spice biscuits, so you need to make two batches—” The list went on and on until Posy’s hand ached almost as much as her head.
How was she supposed to get all this done? Would her mother notice if she used cranberry sauce from a jar?
“No wonder you’re ill. Just looking at the length of this list is bringing on flu symptoms and I was healthy five minutes ago.”
“I still have ten stockings left to knit for the team fund-raiser. You can’t do that, I know, so bring me my wool and needles and I’ll do it here.”
“You need to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep knowing there is so much to do. You look pretty.” Suzanne’s voice was raspy. “I don’t often see you wearing makeup. Are you going out?”
“Only to the café.” Which she was now going to handle alone as both Vicky and her mother had now been felled by flu. “Beth did my makeup.”
“I love seeing you girls having fun together. And I’m glad you have help.”
Help? So far Beth had been about as much use as a fan in a blizzard.
Nothing was the way it was supposed to be.
Beth, normally her steady, predictable sister, was here without the children and on her phone every two minutes. Hannah, who was the most together person she knew, had been decidedly untogether even when she’d picked her up from the airport. Even the skilled application of makeup couldn’t disguise the shadows under her eyes. She wore an air of desperation, as if she was on the verge of running from everything and everyone, including herself.
“I’ll send Beth up with lemon and honey.”
“No! She shouldn’t come near me.”
“Why not?”
Suzanne’s eyes drifted shut. “If she catches this, it might harm the baby.”
“What baby?”
“You don’t need to pretend to me. The word is out in the village. Obviously, I would have liked her to tell me first, but I’m thrilled she’s pregnant again.”
Posy decided she was going to kill Aidan when she saw him. “Mom, she’s not pregnant.” But Hannah might be.
“Then why would people think she was?”
“Misunderstanding. That’s what happens in a place where people don’t mind their own business. We were talking generally, and someone overheard. Now sleep and don’t worry about a thing. I’m going to fix everything.”
“I’m officially worried. I’m worried about Beth, worried about Hannah, and now I’m worried about you.” She paused to have a coughing fit that almost launched her from the bed. “You won’t be able to cope with all this on your own. There’s so much to do before Jason and the girls arrive.”
“Beth and Hannah can look after themselves, and we still have a few days until Melly and Ruby arrive. Gives us plenty of time. There is no reason at all to panic.”
“I so badly wanted it to be a perfect Christmas for everyone.”
“And it is going to be a perfect Christmas.”
Perfect disaster, more like.
The doorbell went and Posy straightened her mother’s sheets. “I need to answer that. It’s probably the delivery of yarn you’re expecting.”
Beth reached the door before her, and Posy heard a gasp of shock followed by a chorus of familiar voices. She peered downstairs.
It was Jason and the girls, together with enough luggage to fill an entire plane.
Posy sat down heavily on the top stair and put her head in her hands.
There was definitely a reason to panic.
16
Beth
The last thing Beth had expected was that Jason and the girls would show up early.
She should have been annoyed that he’d disturbed her private time, but she’d never been more relieved to see anyone in her life.
“We wanted to surprise you.” Jason hovered by the front door, as if unsure of his welcome. “Did you need more time on your own? I wanted to be spontaneous.”
Melly tugged at his coat. “Now, Daddy.”
“You think so?”
“Now.”
Jason pulled his hand from behind his back and produced a bunch of white tulips.
Beth gasped. “Where did you find those?”
“We asked the cabdriver to take a detour.”
Beth adored flowers, and right now she also adored her husband. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“I told you she’d like those best,” Melly whispered, and Jason winked at her.
“Great advice, Mel.”
His hair was messy, his coat was rumpled and he hadn’t shaved, but Beth had never loved him more. Even now, after so many years together, seeing him lifted her mood.
The feeling of euphoria lasted until she remembered that they hadn’t parted on good terms and that none of their issues had been solved.
She stepped forward and kissed him. His cheek was cold under her lips, his jaw roughened by stubble. “You need to shave.”
“I know, but shaving requires time alone in the bathroom.”
“Mommy!” Having waited long enough, Ruby pushed him aside to get to Beth and Melly followed, their noisy presence reminding her there was going to be no chance of a serious adult conversation for some time.
Beth closed the front door, put the flowers on the console table her father had made himself from reclaimed wood, and dropped into a crouch so that she could hug the girls properly.
Melly’s coat was undone and Beth noticed she was wearing her best dress—clearly Jason wasn’t great at saying no, either—and that Ruby’s sweater was inside out and her socks didn’t match.
It didn’t matter, she told herself. They were alive, they were hers and they were here. She was so pleased to see them she could have cried.
She hugged them so tightly Ruby squealed a protest.
“It is so good to see you all!” She kissed first one child and then the other.
“That’s a nice dress, Mom.” Melly nodded her approval and Beth pulled her close, breathing in her daughter’s familiar scent.
She’d missed them so much. “How was your journey?”
Ruby burst into tears. “Daddy left Bugsy on the plane.”
Beth looked up at Jason and realized he looked exhausted. “You lost Bugsy?”
She wasn’t sure who looked more traumatized, her daughter or her husband.
She expected him to hand the problem over to her along with the kids and the luggage, but instead he crouched down next to Ruby, who was clinging to Beth.
“I called them, honey. They’re checking the plane to see if Bugsy is still on the seat.”
“What if he isn’t?” Ruby was wearing a traumatized expression that only the loss of Bugsy could produce.
“Then we’ll work extra hard to remember where you last had him.”
“I don’t know where I last had him!”
“She had him in that café,” Melly said helpfully, “when you gave her that mountain of fries.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “You fed them fries?”
“Thanks, Mel.” Jason turned a shade of puce but kept his attention on Ruby. “We’ll find him, I promise.”
Beth winced. Although she understood what had driven him to say that, she also knew it wasn’t wise to make promises you couldn’t keep.
So did Ruby. “What if we can’t? Melly said Bugsy might be flying somewhere else now. He could even be in Hong Pong.”
“Kong,” Melly said, and Ruby’s face crumpled.
“I can’t live without Bugsy.” Her voice rose to a shrill wail and Po
sy appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“Wait—” She put her hand behind her ear and glanced around, pretending not to see them, “I thought I heard Ruby’s voice, but that can’t be right because Ruby isn’t arriving for another few days.”
Ruby stopped yelling and took a juddering breath. “I’m here, Aunty Posy.” She gave a hiccup. “It’s me.”
Posy continued searching. “That’s weird, because I can hear her voice, but I can’t see her.”
“I’m here!” A gurgle of laughter escaping through the sobs, Ruby let go of Beth and ran to Posy.
“You are here.” Posy caught Ruby as she ran and swung her high in the air. “Well, hello! And is that Melly I see? No, that’s not Melly. It’s a beautiful princess. But what would a beautiful princess be doing in my house?” She balanced Ruby on her hip and held out her hand to Melly, who ran across to her with a shy smile.
“What happened to your face, Aunty Posy?”
Posy touched her free hand to her cheek. “Something has happened to my face?”
“You’re wearing makeup and you never wear makeup.”
“Ah—that. That polished look you’re admiring is the work of your clever mommy, who is trying to decide which color lipstick Socks prefers. Perhaps you can come with me and we can ask him together.”
Ruby giggled. “That’s silly. Socks doesn’t care if you wear lipstick.”
“No? Try telling that to your mommy.”
“You look nice,” Melly said shyly. “If you like, I can help you with your makeup every day while we’re here. And I can do your nails.”
To Posy’s credit, she didn’t recoil. “That would be great. Thanks, Melly.”
Ruby tugged at her. “Where’s Grandpa and Grandma?”
“You just missed Grandpa,” Beth said. “He was running late and left a few minutes ago—” she caught her sister’s eye “—after he ate the delicious omelet I made him.”
Posy grinned and shifted Ruby onto her other hip. “And Grandma is ill in bed, so you can’t see her right now. Maybe later.”
Ruby’s face fell. “I wanted to see Grandpa. And I did a special drawing for Grandma.”
“You did? That’s great. We’ll find a way to give it to her later. I am so glad you’re here, because Socks has been missing you.”
Ruby brightened. “Can we ride him?”
“That’s up to your mom.” Posy looked at Beth, who felt a rush of anxiety.
Everyone knew horse riding was dangerous.
Jason put his hand on her shoulder. “Let her ride. You know she loves it. She can wear a helmet.”
“It isn’t just their heads, Jason. It’s their spines.” Beth bit her lip. “We should have bought chest protectors for them. I should have thought of it. And nowadays they make airbags so that if you fall you pull a cord and you’re cushioned. Maybe it’s not too late to get them delivered before Christmas.”
Why was everyone staring at her?
Posy bounced Ruby on her hip. “I think a helmet is probably enough. I’ll be leading Socks. Nothing can happen.”
Of course things could happen! No wonder there were so many accidents. People were too cavalier about safety. Which was their business, of course, but she didn’t want people being cavalier with her children.
Ruby was holding her breath, her arms clasped round Posy’s neck as she gazed hopefully at Beth. “Please.”
She was in an impossible position. How could she say no?
“All right. But definitely wear a helmet and do everything Aunty Posy tells you. Don’t talk too loudly around Socks, and if you’re going to feed him, keep your hand flat or—”
“Beth.” Jason put his arm round her shoulders. “They’re going to be fine.”
“I know, I’m just saying that—”
“You want them to be careful. And they will be. Let them go with Posy. It will give us a chance to catch up.”
That was true.
Beth nodded. “Off you go. Have fun.”
Ruby whooped and Melly looked excited, too.
Posy took over. “Do you have warm clothes?”
“Yes!” Ruby turned to look at Beth. “Will Mommy go away again?”
“She’s not going anywhere. It’s Christmas.” Posy kissed Ruby on the cheek. “We’re all here together. After we’ve fed Socks, we’re going to hang our stockings and you can help me bake Christmas cookies, but first you need to get changed. Then we’ll find food for Socks because it’s cold out there and he needs extra food.”
Beth looked at her gratefully. “Don’t you need to be at the café?”
“I’ll bonus Duncan heavily to go in early and open up for me.”
“Here...” Jason picked out a suitcase. “This is all the girls’ outdoor stuff. Gloves, hats, that kind of thing. I’ll take it upstairs for you.”
“No need, but thanks.” Still holding Ruby, Posy picked up the case with her free hand. “Ruby and Melly bring the glamour to this party, and I bring the muscles. Right, girls. Let’s take this to your bedroom and find something warm to wear. We’ll need to be very quiet so we don’t disturb Grandma. She needs her sleep.”
“Kiss her better,” Ruby said, and Posy nodded.
“Good plan.”
“How about Aunty Hannah?” Ruby looked hopeful. “Where’s Aunty Hannah?”
“She’s working right now, but I know she’s going to be very excited to see you.”
Ruby nodded. “Aunty Hannah works a lot. She has an important job.”
“She does.”
Ruby patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Your job is to feed Socks.”
“That’s right. And that’s an important job, too, because feeding Socks means the difference between life and death. Not all important jobs come with a six-figure salary.” She gave Beth a pointed look before turning her attention back to the girls. “Do you have boots? Because the field is mucky.”
Ruby wound her arms round Posy’s neck. “How many meals a day does Socks eat? Daddy couldn’t believe we had to eat as many times as we did. He said I ate like a horse.”
“Well, horses pretty much eat all the time,” Posy said, and Melly gave a snort.
“In that case Ruby is definitely like a horse.”
Their voices faded as they climbed the stairs together, leaving Beth and Jason staring at each other.
She felt awkward and self-conscious. She knew they had things to deal with, but she didn’t know where to start or whether this was the right time. She didn’t know why he’d come early. “Child-free time. So rare, we probably don’t know what to do with it.”
“Yeah.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about Bugsy.”
“Easily done.”
“You never did it.”
“I’ve had more practice than you.” She realized how that sounded, and flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay. It’s true. You look great, by the way. Melly was right about that.” His gaze traveled down her body and lingered on her legs. “Is that dress new? You left without luggage.”
“I borrowed it from Hannah. You, on the other hand, don’t look great. Did you get any sleep on the plane?”
“Are you kidding? With those two? Fortunately, the woman in the seat near us took pity on me, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to use the bathroom.”
Their conversation felt stilted and unnatural.
Neither of them had any idea how to move past the massive boulder that had been dropped into their relationship.
Beth decided that this situation had to be treated like cold water. You just had to jump right in. “Those things I said—”
“Not now.” He shook his head. “I know we need to talk, but after two cabs, two flights and nonstop action with the girls, my brain isn’t functioning well
enough for me to be confident that the words that come out of my mouth are what I really want to say. The conversation is too important to mess up, so let’s wait until I’ve taken a shower, unpacked and caught up on sleep.”
She didn’t want to wait. She knew couples whose arguments simmered along for weeks, but she and Jason weren’t like that. If they disagreed, which happened rarely, they discussed it and fixed it. They’d never had a major problem.
Until now.
“Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll put the flowers in water and help you unpack?” She looked at the rest of the luggage. “You have more cases than Hannah.”
“I didn’t know what to pack for the girls, so I packed everything. And I packed some things for you, too, because I knew you didn’t bring anything with you. I imagined you ruining those sexy boots of yours walking through a muddy field.”
“Take a shower. I’ll make coffee and something to eat.” She vanished into the kitchen and through the window saw Posy and the girls wrapped up in coats and scarves, tramping through the field toward Socks.
She put the tulips in a vase and stood for a while, watching the children as they clambered over the gate and showered the ever-patient Socks with affection and fresh hay.
Turning away, she poured coffee into a mug and made a stack of buttered toast using the fresh loaf her mother had made the day before.
She piled it onto a tray and carried it upstairs.
The door to her bedroom was wide-open and there, sprawled across the bed, was Jason.
As she set the tray down on the nightstand, he stirred. “Beth?”
“I thought the plan was to take a shower before you had a rest?”
“I need a rest before I take a shower or there’s a strong chance I’ll drown. It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but I think I may already be dead.”
“I’m sorry you’re exhausted.”
“No, you’re not. This is exactly what you intended to happen.”
He looked so pathetic lying there it was hard not to smile.
“Aren’t you at least going to remove your shoes?”
His only response was a grunt, and this time she did smile. “Are you really that tired?”