A Christmas Family Wish

by Helen Scott Taylor

  Rachel stood and tucked Toby into bed again. "You stay here, sweetie. I'll be back in a few minutes." Her emotions fluctuated. She wanted Toby to have Jimbo, but she didn't want Ian to risk hurting himself to get a soft toy.

  "Are you sure about this?"

  "Let's have a look."

  Ian headed for the door and Rachel followed.

  "Where's your coat?" he asked.

  "Downstairs in the hall closet."

  "I'll retrieve that first. Don't want you getting soaked."

  "Thanks. It's the red one."

  Ian disappeared and came back a few moments later with her raincoat.

  She pulled it on, drawing up the hood, then followed him onto the landing. Wind gusted through the damaged wall, splattering them with rain. Ian played the flashlight beam over the devastation that had been Toby's room, then passed her the light. "Shine this in front of me if you can."

  Ian kicked aside the remnants of the door and stepped into the room. The whole house seemed to creak as he made his way through the tree branches, ducking under some, climbing over others. Stamping on a few with his heavy leather boots until they snapped.

  Rachel pointed the beam of light towards the bed. It sat at a drunken angle beside the only piece of external wall left standing. Ian grabbed the striped blue bear off the covers.

  He was halfway back when the remaining section of wall just disappeared, Toby's chest of drawers containing his clothes with it.

  The whole floor tilted.

  "Ian!" Rachel willed him to hang on.

  He scrambled over a large tree branch, and jumped out into the hallway.

  "Yeah, that was stupid of me. Never mind. I'm still in one piece."

  He seemed remarkably calm for someone who'd nearly fallen through the floor.

  They went back into her bedroom where Toby huddled wide-eyed in the bed. "Mummy, Mummy." He crawled across the covers and fell into her arms when she sat down. He must have heard her fearful shout.

  "It's okay, baby. Ian rescued Jimbo for you."

  Her son peered up from within the safety of her arms and Ian grinned. In the strange white light she met his gaze, his warm brown eyes just visible beneath the peak of his hat. Her stomach gave a little flip. After all these years, he still affected her.

  Ian reached into the front of his jacket and slowly pulled Jimbo out, so the teddy peeped over his lapel.

  "Jimbo!" Toby opened his arms to receive his best friend and hugged him tightly, grinning up at Ian.

  Rachel reminded him to say thank you and he did, still grinning.

  "We'd better get you dressed in some warm things, sweetie."

  Rachel found a thick cardigan and fastened it around Toby, then helped him into the waterproof top she wore for running. He didn't have any shoes, but she intended to carry him to the vehicle.

  The house creaked and groaned like a sinking ship in a storm, and she couldn't wait to get safely away from it.

  "Need to hurry up," Ian said, his voice pitched low. "Have you packed your valuables, your passport, bank cards, that sort of thing? You need to take your house insurance policy as well."

  "I have my passport. My handbag and the insurance documents are downstairs." She knew the house would be left unsecured. Anyone could climb in the damaged front wall and steal her stuff. There wasn't much she could do about it.

  "Let's get going then. I'm not happy about the two of you staying here much longer. The place is unstable."

  Rachel pulled a hat down over Toby's ears and picked him up, then followed Ian downstairs as he carried her bag.

  "Wait here while I load your stuff in my pickup. I'll move Toby's car seat across from your vehicle at the same time."

  She told him which car was hers and handed him the keys, then he dashed out the back door. In the pale light of dawn, Rachel hugged Toby as she stared at the total devastation of her lovely kitchen. She rescued her handbag from just inside the door and stared at the wet, stained leather with a sigh.

  She'd worked so hard to save enough to buy this house. It was meant to give her and Toby a solid base on which to rebuild their lives after her disastrous relationship with Greg.

  Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them away. She couldn't feel sorry for herself now. Toby needed her.

  Rachel pressed her face against her son and struggled for composure. She would have to find money for a cheap hotel. She could afford a few nights until the insurance company provided her with temporary accommodation.

  "Okay, all set," Ian said, dashing back through the door. It was still raining but had eased off a little. "Shall I hold the little guy while you grab the last few things you want to take?"

  "Ian will hold you for a while, okay, Toby?" Her son nodded and she passed him to Ian. Toby put his arm around Ian's neck, holding on so trustingly. The sight made Rachel's breath catch in regret. Her poor boy should have his daddy in his life to look out for him. For the millionth time, she cursed Greg.

  She pushed the thought aside and dug her household insurance file out of the bills drawer in her lounge and stuffed it in a plastic bag. She grabbed two photo books she'd had printed up with photographs of Toby and added those as well.

  Ian watched her from the lounge doorway. He gestured at her television. "I'll come back for this electrical equipment once you're safely in the pickup. Otherwise some jerk might walk off with it before my men can secure the place tomorrow."

  "Thanks, Ian." She couldn't believe how kind he was being. She looked down and touched a sore scratch on her cheek from when she'd rescued Toby. Stress and fear welled up and she hung on to her control by a thread. "Do you know a cheap hotel?"

  She just needed somewhere to put her stuff and clean up so she could go to work. It was only a couple of hours until her shift at the airport started.

  "You can come to my place."

  Rachel looked up in surprise and met his resolute gaze. She wasn't about to protest. She had nowhere else to go. "Thanks."

  "I owe it to your dad to take care of you. Tomorrow we'll contact your insurers."

  Ian carried Toby out to the pickup and stepped aside for her to strap him in. He'd started the engine and inside the vehicle was warm and toasty.

  Rachel climbed in, hugged herself, and closed her eyes, waiting while Ian brought her television and DVD player out and stowed them in the back of the pickup. She didn't know what she would have done without him tonight, but tomorrow she would have to stand on her own feet and start to sort out this disaster.

  To Rachel's surprise, Ian drove out of the city into the country. In a short time they were heading along narrow roads, streaming with water, hedges enclosing them on either side.

  "What village do you live in?" she asked.

  "I don't. My place is out in the country on its own."

  They turned down a drive. The headlights cut through the rain as they swung past a yard surrounded by barns. Ian didn't stop but continued on along the track for another hundred yards before he pulled up beside a farmhouse. Lights blazed down, illuminating the parking area and porch.

  "This is mine," he said. "Meadow Sweet Farm. I'll get out first and unlock the door so you can dash straight in with Toby."

  She reached back and released Toby from his seat. He climbed forward to her lap and she held him close while they waited. When Ian beckoned, she dashed through the rain to the house.

  Her breath rushed out in relief as Ian closed the back door behind her. Lights recessed in the ceiling lit up a welcoming farmhouse kitchen with a large wooden table in the center, old flagstones on the floor, and a huge cooking range to one side.

  "Look, Mummy, a dog." Toby wriggled to get down and she set him on his feet. He walked towards a golden retriever in a basket by the range.

  "That's Max," Ian said, taking off his coat and hat. "He's friendly if you want to pet him, but be gentle. He's a granddad dog."

  Toby crouched in front of the dog and held up his teddy. "Hello, Max. This is Jimbo." The retriever sniffed
the teddy and Toby giggled. He stroked his small hand over the animal's wide head. Gray hairs peppered the old dog's muzzle.

  Toby seemed to be taking this disruption in his stride. Rachel was grateful for it. She was struggling to hold herself together. If Toby had acted up, she might have snapped and burst into tears in front of Ian. She glanced his way to find him watching Toby with the dog, a smile playing on his lips. He seemed at ease with her son. She glanced around the room for evidence of whether he had children.

  "I hope we don't disturb your family."

  His smile faded as his gaze returned to her. "I live on my own, so you don't need to worry about that." He held out a hand. "Let me take your jacket. I'll hang it up to dry."

  Rachel took off her wet coat, passed it across, then pulled the waterproof top over Toby's head and gave that to Ian as well.

  "This is the utility room. Boots and coats go in here," he said, taking the garments to a room off the kitchen.

  He returned and set a kettle on the range. "I suggest we have a hot drink, then get some more rest. We've all had a disturbed night."

  Rachel pulled her phone from her bag and checked the time. It was nearly six a.m. She needed to think about leaving for work soon. Then it hit her—she'd left her car behind.

  She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. How could she have been so stupid as to leave her car?

  "What's the matter, Rachel?"

  "My shift starts at eight and I have no way of getting there. I also need to drop Toby off at the…" Her voice trailed away as reality sank in. How could she take her son anywhere when he had no clothes? But she couldn't miss a shift. She needed the money, especially as she was bound to have extra costs with the damage to her house. Insurance never covered everything.

  "Hey, don't worry. Just call your employer. They must have cover for situations like this. They'll understand." Ian stepped closer and rested a hand on her shoulder.

  The airline she worked for would not understand. She was already in their bad graces because of her dispute with Greg. Unfortunately, as a pilot he had a lot more status than she did. Especially now she worked on ground staff. They could fill her job easily but they couldn't afford to lose him.

  She slumped down in a chair at the table. The only choice was to call in and report her absence. Scrolling through the address book on her phone, she found the number and left a message on the automated absence line.

  The kettle Ian had set on the range whistled and he pulled it off. "Tea or coffee?"

  "Tea, please." Rachel closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples as a tension headache started to take hold.

  Ian set a big mug on the table beside her. "What would Toby like?"

  "Milk, if you have enough."

  Ian filled a plastic cup with milk and placed it on the table. "Gonna sit up for a drink, kiddo?"

  Toby left Max and joined them at the table, climbing onto the chair and quickly drinking his milk. He yawned hugely and covered his mouth with his teddy. Rachel stroked back his hair. "You're tired, baby, aren't you?"

  She couldn't expect to drag him off to day care now. It wouldn't have been fair to him even if he did have clothes to wear. With a sigh, she accepted the inevitable. Her life was screwed up. It would take a few days to fix and cost her money she could ill afford.

  "Are you happy to share a double bed with Toby?" Ian asked.

  "That'll be perfect. Thank you." She preferred to keep her son with her as he didn't know the house.

  "Great. Bring your mug of tea. I'll show you where you can sleep."

  Weary and despondent, Rachel took Toby's hand, picked up her mug, and followed Ian into a hallway. He grabbed her bag and carried it upstairs to the landing. Opening one of the doors, he switched on the light and stood aside.

  "Here you go." He followed her into the room, put her bag on the bed, and turned up the thermostat on the radiator. "It should warm up in a few minutes. The bathroom's at the end of the corridor."

  It was a beautiful bedroom with old oak furniture, floral drapes, and a deep window seat in the thick stone wall. A house like this wouldn't blow down in a hurricane. It was solid and steady, like its owner.

  "Thank you, Ian. I really appreciate your helping me like this. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

  He patted her shoulder as he went out. "You were doing pretty well on your own. You rescued Toby from his bedroom. Lots of people would have panicked."

  Rachel shrugged. Right now she just felt tired and helpless. Everything she had was in that house—everything she had worked so hard for after she got away from Greg.

  "Sleep as late as you want. I'm going back to bed as well. I'll see you tomorrow." Ian left, closing the door behind him.

  Rachel quickly took Toby to the bathroom, then returned her sleepy boy to bed. "Hop under the covers, sweetie." Rachel pulled back the pretty floral bedspread so Toby could slide in between the crisp sheets. He cuddled his teddy and closed his eyes.

  Once he was settled, Rachel texted her parents to tell them she and Toby were safe, then slipped out and returned to the bathroom. She switched on the light above the mirror and examined her face.

  When she rescued Toby, she barely noticed scratching herself, yet a nasty deep cut slashed across her cheek. It stung like crazy now she was in the warm. She sluiced her face with water and patted it dry on the clean towel Ian had laid out for her, then she bathed her bruised feet in the bathtub.

  She couldn't go to work in this state, anyway. The shift manager would take one look at her and send her home. She couldn't even try to cover up the damage to her face. Her makeup bag was still at home in her bathroom. All she had in her handbag were a lipstick and mascara.

  In the medicine cabinet, she found antiseptic ointment to apply to the various scratches on her face, arms, and legs. She was a mess, her hair tangled like a bird's nest.

  Tears flooded her eyes as she stared at her ravaged face. The night's events overwhelmed her and a sob caught in her throat. It had been hard work starting from scratch when she left Greg. But she had pulled herself up and got back on her feet, rebuilt a life for herself and Toby, despite Greg's attempts to sabotage her.

  Why had fate decided to knock her down again? She wasn't a bad person. Sure, she'd had an easy life when she was younger and probably hadn't appreciated it as she should. But she didn't deserve this. It was time fate gave her a break.

  She grabbed some tissue and mopped her eyes but more tears flowed down her cheeks, stinging her cut.

  She slumped down on the toilet and gave in to the tears. She only had so much strength, so much resolve. Right now she had reached the end of her rope.

  Chapter Three

  Ian sent Jeff Carne a text to let him know Rachel and Toby were safe. Jeff was bound to be worrying, as any father would. Ian worried about his daughter, Ella, all the time.

  He dashed off a couple of texts to his men, telling them to head straight to Rachel's house in the morning to secure it.

  Mentally drawing up a list of what he needed to do when he got up, he tidied the kitchen, switched off the light, and went upstairs.

  When he reached the landing, he paused at a muffled sob from the bathroom. Rachel must be in there crying. Ian pinched the bridge of his nose, half tempted to ignore the sound and retreat to his bed. He was tired and had a full day's work ahead of him in a couple of hours.

  The sound of her tears brought back uncomfortable memories of the night eight years ago when he'd tried to explain why he couldn't date her. He hadn't done a good job of it.

  He decided to leave her to sort herself out but his feet stayed glued to the spot. She'd had a horrible night and must be stressed out. She'd impressed him by keeping her cool up until now. Little Rachel Carne, who'd once behaved like a spoiled princess, had grown into a sensible woman.

  He guessed he'd changed in the last eight years as well. He hoped he was more tolerant and understanding than he'd been in his early twenties.

&
nbsp; With a weary sigh, Ian trod along the hall in his socks and rapped a knuckle on the bathroom door. "Rachel. Are you okay in there?"

  The sobbing stopped. She sniffed and blew her nose. "I'm fine." Yet she obviously wasn't.

  "Things will look brighter in the morning," he said.

  "It's the morning now. They don't look very bright."

  Ian chuckled, despite himself. She had a point. "They'll look brighter when you've slept some and aren't so tired."

  The door latch clicked. Rachel came out, the scratch on her cheek red, her eyes swollen from her tears. She looked a state, yet it was plain the pretty girl he'd known had blossomed into a beautiful woman. He couldn't understand what she was doing alone with a kid. Any man with a pulse would find her attractive.

  "Sorry to hog the bathroom, Ian."

  "No problem. I've got my own. You and Toby have this one to yourselves while you're here." He planned to step aside and let her pass; instead, he slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Things really will look better when you're not so tired. Climb into bed with that boy of yours and get some shut-eye. In the morning, we'll discuss what your next step should be."

  Rachel pressed her lips together, trying not to cry. Despite her efforts, more tears overflowed her lashes and streamed down her cheeks. Her face crumpled and she looked down, swiping her hand over her eyes.

  "Aw, come here, love. Come here. It's going to be all right." Ian pulled her into his arms and held her close, rubbing a hand on her back to soothe her as if she were a child.

  His body quickly noticed she didn't feel like a child. Soft womanly curves pressed against his chest and the floral smell of her hair filled his nose. The memory burned through him of her lips pressed to his, so eager and innocent, of the red-hot kiss that nearly stole his control.

  Rachel Carne felt good in his arms. Too good. The six-year difference in their ages didn't matter now they were older, and he no longer worked for her father. But he had enough hassle right now trying to deal with his ex and see his daughter. He couldn't cope with another woman and child in his life.

  "Come on, Rach, love. Let's get you into bed." He guided her down the hall and opened her bedroom door. Toby lay fast asleep under the covers. She turned away from Ian, obviously embarrassed. Despite knowing any intimacy between them was a bad idea, he still released her with a hint of reluctance. Holding her would be addictive. He must make sure it didn't happen again.