‘But,’ he was saying, ‘he also saw how much it was hurting me to let you go. So, he let me go instead.’
‘I don’t follow.’
‘Connor is almost a young man. He knows he won’t be at home much longer. He wants to be a doctor.’ Noah beamed when he said it. ‘He said he doesn’t want to tear my life apart and make me move to Brighton, when he could be studying medicine anywhere in the country in a couple of years’ time. He’s going to apply to Birmingham and Bristol as his first and second university choices, and both of them are much easier to get to from Worcester than Brighton, so hopefully we’ll be able to see more of each other.’
That’s all well and good, Daisy thought, but she still wasn’t sure what this meant for her and Noah, if it meant anything at all.
‘Which means, that I’m not moving!’ he declared and waited for her response.
Daisy had no idea what to say. She was still reeling from him telling her that he thought he was falling in love with her.
‘I will be looking for another job. GP maybe – the hours are much better. Daisy?’ he asked, when she still didn’t say anything. ‘I thought you’d be happy. Zoe said you were breaking your heart because we’d split up.’
‘I was. I am, but it’s got nothing to do with me whether you move or not, has it?’
‘Yes, it has, because I want you in my life, but Connor’s in my life too and he’s the child, so he’s my main concern and priority. I need for you to be on board with my seeing Connor, possibly once a month.’
‘Are you saying you still want me?’
‘I am!’
Daisy smiled. ‘I’ve never been to Brighton. I hear it’s lovely. Do you mean it?’
‘About spending more time with Connor?’
‘No, about falling in love with me,’ Daisy said, her heart in her mouth.
‘Yes. Absolutely. One hundred percent.’
Well, that was romantic, wasn’t it! She cocked her head at him, and raised her eyebrows.
‘Ah, you want me to say it, don’t you?’ he said, and Daisy nodded.
‘Daisy Jones, I love you! There, I’ve said it!’ He sat there, defiantly, as if he expected her to laugh at him, or worse, to tell him “thanks, but she didn’t love him”.
‘I love you too,’ she said softly, and she felt as though she’d been given the best Christmas present ever.
Chapter 37
Connor made a stunning usher in his top and tails, and sage green tie, which he kept tugging at self-consciously. He’d wanted to give his mother away, but the honour went to Kate’s dad.
While the congregation waited in the church for the bride to appear, Daisy whispered in the boy’s ear. ‘If ever me and Noah get married, not that we are planning on it and he hasn’t asked me yet, and he might never ask, and he’d only do it if you are happy with the situation, because you are the most important thing in your dad’s life, then you can give me away. David might want to do it, but he’ll just have to suck it up. If he is that bothered, he can be a page boy.’
‘A page boy? How old is he?’ Connor looked so nervous, Daisy wanted to give him a hug, but felt it might be too much, too soon, for the lad. He had enough on his plate right now with sharing his mum, without his father’s girlfriend trying to get all touchy-feely.
‘Twenty-seven,’ Daisy said, deadpan.
Connor burst out laughing.
Last night, when Kate (who was lovely, by the way, and had eyes only for Ian, and had made Daisy feel very welcome, indeed), had gone to her parents’ house to sleep, she and Connor had had a little chat about the way they’d met and Connor had apologised. He really was a nice kid, just like Noah said. Gone was the belligerent teenager, and in its place was a pleasant young man. He’d been scared, Daisy had realised, that was all, and had acted out of fear of losing his mother, and of being replaced in her affections by her new husband.
Talking of husbands, Ian looked terribly nervous as he stood at the front of the church, shuffling his feet, and every so often craning his neck around to see if Kate had arrived. He seemed a nice enough bloke, and Noah appeared pleased that Kate was getting hitched.
The music started, the Wedding March (Daisy didn’t know why anyone would want anything else), and Connor quickly slipped out of the pew Daisy and Noah were in and scuttled to take his place at the front with Kate’s parents. Ian gave him a reassuring smile, and to Daisy’s delight, Connor beamed back at his new step-father.
As Kate glided down the aisle, Daisy thought how lovely she looked in a simple sheath dress in off-white satin, which clung to her curves, and showed off her height. Her dark hair was gathered up at the back of her head, with soft curls framing the sides of her face. A simple headdress completed the picture.
Noah reached for Daisy’s had and gave it a squeeze.
‘She looks gorgeous,’ Daisy said.
‘Doesn’t she just. I’m so proud of her.’ Noah was staring at the bride intently, a strange look on his face, and it took Daisy a minute to work out what it might be.
Then she got it. The look was one of love.
There was a second or two when Daisy had a mental wobble but, as Noah had told her several times, he did care for Kate, love her even, but as a brother loved his sister. He was not in love with her, and he didn’t think he ever had been (teenage crush, and all that, and if Kate hadn’t become pregnant, they would have drifted apart naturally). But as the mother of his child he cared for her, and though she exasperated him sometimes, and they occasionally argued about what they thought was best for their son, he did care for her and he always would.
Daisy had accepted that. More or less. She was aware it would take more than a weekend when the bride was totally distracted by her forthcoming nuptials, to get to know this other woman in Noah’s life, but then she hadn’t met his mother and father, or even his brother yet, either. She sincerely hoped they were nothing like her own. Except David, she conceded – he was alright in small doses, when he wasn’t annoying the hell out of her.
As she watched her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, and the mother of their child, get married to another man, their son solemn and sombre in the pew ahead, Daisy understood this wasn’t going to be a bed of roses. She knew they would have their ups and downs, and being a step-mum to an almost-grown teenager would present many challenges, but she also knew the man at her side, his hand holding hers, was worth it.
She glanced up at him as the bride walked past, and Noah turned his attention from Kate to Daisy, and the look in his eyes took her breath away.
‘I love you, Miss Jones,’ he whispered, and this time there was no misunderstanding but just to make sure, she whispered back, ‘I love you, too.’
Epilogue
Daisy leaned away from a table which was still groaning with the remains of an enormous Christmas dinner, and undid the button of her jeans with a sigh of relief. As usual, she’d eaten her share along with someone else’s. Now she was feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Her mother stood up. ‘Shall we open our presents now?’ she suggested. ‘It’ll give us time for our dinner to go down before I bring out the Christmas pudding.’
Not that again! Hadn’t everyone learned their lesson last year?
‘I’m not having any,’ Daisy declared, ‘and you can’t make me!’
‘Don’t be such a party pooper. I made it especially for you.’ Sandra threw her a scowl.
Gee-Gee piped up, ‘Your mother wouldn’t let me put the sixpence in.’
‘I should bloody well hope not, after where it’s been!’ Daisy retorted.
‘I don’t know what you’re banging on about; I gave it a swill under the tap.’
‘It needed more than a swill, it needed melting down for scrap,’ Daisy replied, darkly.
‘Anyway,’ Gee-Gee carried on. ‘There’s a doctor in the house, this time.’
Noah tipped his glass in Gwenda’s direction.
‘Bella will have some, won’t you my darling?’ Sandra cooed.
Daisy rolled her eyes. ‘She’s only six months old, Mum.’ She looked at Zoe and shook her head in mock despair. ‘It’s a wonder David and I survived long enough to reach adulthood.’
Zoe said, ‘We’ll stick to the custard, I think,’ and wiped little Bella’s mouth. On the opposite side of the table, Elsie mirrored her actions with Gwenda.
Sandra unceremoniously plonked several badly wrapped gifts on the table. The baby had already unwrapped hers, and was sitting in her high chair waving a piece of decorative ribbon in the air, and gurgling to herself.
‘All those expensive toys, and the kid plays with the wrapping,’ David muttered, but his indulgent expression when he looked at his daughter gave the game away.
‘Here,’ Noah said. ‘Happy Christmas, Daisy,’ and he placed a small square package on the table next to her plate.
Was it…? Could it be…?
Her heart in her mouth, Daisy handed Noah an envelope. She wanted him to open his present first, because once she’d opened hers (if what was inside that gorgeous wrapping paper and beautifully tied ribbon was what she hoped it was) everyone’s attention would be on the third finger of her left hand, and she so desperately wanted Noah to be able to enjoy his gift for a few minutes before the shrieking started.
Noah shrugged and opened the envelope.
‘Tickets,’ he said, looking confused. ‘To Tenerife.’
‘There’s more,’ Daisy said, trying to keep a lid on her excitement.
He pulled another sheet of paper out of the envelope. ‘What’s this?’
‘Read it.’
‘A visit to an observatory.’
‘I wanted to get you a space flight, but I don’t have the same pull or earning power as Richard Branson, so I arranged for you to visit the observatory on Mount Teide instead.’
‘Just me?’
‘Do you honestly think I’d let you go to Tenerife for a week all on your own?’ she cried, pleased at the expression on Noah’s face. His grin was wider than the cracker he’d pulled earlier.
‘Your turn,’ he said, and Daisy eyed the box with barely contained enthusiasm. Slowly, carefully, savouring every second, she unwrapped the little box, intending to save the paper, the ribbon, and the bow. She didn’t want to forget anything about this glorious day.
She placed the unopened box on the table, a dark blue velvet box, just large enough to contain a ring, and her heart thundered so loudly, she wondered how come no one else heard it. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine what sort of ring Noah had chosen. She hoped he was a solitaire kind of guy.
Opening her eyes, and taking a deep breath, she slowly eased the lid open to reveal…
A necklace.
‘How lovely,’ she managed, disappointment knocking her hard. She lifted it out, hardly seeing it as her eyes blurred with tears, and she turned her back to the table. ‘Put it on me?’ she asked, relieved to hear the steadiness in her voice. She’d never forgive herself if Noah thought she wasn’t thrilled with the gift. He twisted in his seat, and fastened the chain around her neck. She used the time to compose herself, and plaster a grin on her face.
‘You haven’t looked at it properly, have you?’ he accused, and she realised she’d disappointed him after all.
She lifted it off her chest and pulled her chin in, peering cross-eyed at the pendant. When she saw what it was, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
‘I had it mounted,’ Noah said, as Daisy gaped in disbelief at the silver sixpence.
‘Is it…?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’ Noah grinned, clearly pleased with himself. ‘Your great-gran found it where you’d left it on the table. She wanted to put it in the pudding again this year, but I told her the luck wouldn’t work a second time, and I persuaded her to give it to me.’
It was a lovely gesture, but all Daisy could think of was where it had once been. And here she was, wearing the disgusting thing just above her heart. Then there was the issue of luck… She had worked hard to get rid of the damned thing once, and now it had found its way back, like something out of a horror film. It seemed bad luck wasn’t finished with her yet, and she had the awful feeling that something nasty was about to happen… Again!
She got up, and planted a kiss on Noah’s lips. ‘Thank you. I love it,’ she said, crossing her fingers to ward off the lie.
‘Now that’s all out of the way, I’ll fetch the pudding,’ Sandra said, but when Daisy began to help her collect the dirty dishes and the mounds of food still left in the tureens, her mother waved her away.
‘You helped prepare the lunch.’ (Daisy had cleaned the veg – that was all her mother trusted her to do). ‘Let the men do some work for a change. They can help clear it away. David, Noah, help me carry these into the kitchen.’
Once they were out of the room, Zoe whispered to her, ‘You did a good job, there.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Don’t worry, I don’t think Noah could tell.’
‘Tell what?’ Darn it, she’d hoped no one had realised she’d thought the box contained a ring, and she was fully prepared to deny everything.
‘That you don’t like the necklace,’ Zoe said. ‘I don’t think I would either, knowing where it’s been. Trust a doctor not to see that. Still, it’s a lovely thought, and it didn’t bring you bad luck, did it?’
Daisy pondered her sister-in-law’s comment. Her run of bad luck had actually started before she’d swallowed the coin, but it had continued right up until she’d “eliminated” it. Or had it? Actually, when she thought about it, if it wasn’t for the sixpence, she never would have met Noah. And Melissa and the MD had been planning her exit from Caring Cards long before she’d set eyes on the sixpence. But now she had a new job with prospects (Mr Bradley – Ken – was making noises that he wanted to ease back a little and enjoy those grandchildren of his, and was giving more and more responsibility to Daisy), a nice lump sum, and the icing on the cake – Noah. Handsome, funny, loving, sexy Noah, who knew her as well as she knew herself (except when it came to certain small, silver coins).
‘Ta dah!’ Sandra breezed back into the dining room, holding a plate of flaming pudding. Noah came in behind her, holding the bowls, and David carried a jug of brandy sauce. Bella let out an ear-piercing shriek when she saw the flames, banging her chubby fists on her high chair.
‘See,’ Sandra said, ‘the baby would have some, if she was allowed, so you’ll have to have her share, Daisy.’
‘If it will stop you going on about it, I’ll have a spoonful,’ Daisy conceded. ‘But if I choke on it, my death will be on your head.’
‘Stop being such a drama queen,’ her mother said, holding her hand out to Noah like a surgeon expecting a scalpel.
Noah slapped a bowl in her palm, Sandra spooned a small amount of pudding into it, and David poured brandy sauce over the top.
‘There, hardly a mouthful. Happy?’ Sandra said, popping the dessert down in front of Daisy.
‘Did you put the sixpence in it?’ Gee-Gee asked, peering at it. Over the last year her eyesight had become progressively worse and so had her hearing. Her memory wasn’t so good, either. Daisy was simply grateful the old lady was able to join them this year, because she really didn’t fancy eating Christmas lunch at The Grange. Most of the food there could be sucked up with a straw.
‘No, Gee-Gee, it’s around my neck.’
‘It won’t do you any good there. You should have put it in the pudding. I thought you were going to, Sandra?’
‘No Gran, you must have heard wrong.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with my hearing, I’ll have you know!’
‘Now, ladies, no squabbling,’ David said, and Daisy shot him a grateful look. She didn’t want her family to frighten Noah off; his family was so much more… normal.
In an effort to tune out what could be the start of an epic row, Daisy turned her attention to her bowl. It was only a spoonful, so she scooped it up and popped it in her mouth.
/> Bloody hell! The woman had put a sodding sixpence in it after all, Daisy thought, after she’d bitten down on something very hard indeed. It was a wonder she’d not broken a tooth.
‘Mum!’ she cried around the mouthful of gooey pudding and rock hard…
That wasn’t a coin, it was the wrong shape for a start, sort of lumpy and with a hole in the middle.
She spat it out into the palm of her hand and stared at it.
There, covered in sticky, dark brown pudding, lay a diamond ring.
Daisy continued to stare at it, wordlessly.
This time she really did think she was going to die, because she couldn’t breathe. Elsie nudged her in the ribs, and placed a small jug filled with soapy water on the table.
‘Here, let me, seeing as you’re not going to,’ her nan said, snatching the ring out of Daisy’s hand, dropping in the jug and swirling it around. When it was clean, she took it back out and gave it to Noah.
He went down on one knee. ‘Daisy Jones, will you marry me?’ he asked.
Everything and everyone were totally and utterly silent. Even baby Bella didn’t make a sound.
‘Yes, oh yes!’ Daisy cried, when she couldn’t hold her joy in any longer, and Noah slipped the ring on her finger.
‘It’s got six diamonds around the big one,’ he said, ‘and they represent every penny in that sixpence. The middle diamond represents our love.’
Daisy squealed with happiness, and threw herself into Noah’s arms. As their lips met, Daisy Jones realised she was a very, very lucky lady, indeed.
‘Climbing out the window in her dress and tiara wasn’t exactly how Frankie imagined her wedding day…’
Runaway bride Frankie Ashford hops a plane to Norway with one goal in mind – find her estranged mother and make peace with the past. But when a slip on the ice in Oslo lands her directly in Jonas Thorsen’s viking-strong arms, her single-minded focus drifts away in the winter winds.
When it comes to romance Jonas knows that anything he and Frankie share has an expiration date - the British heiress has a life to return to in London that’s a world away from his own. But family is everything to Jonas and, as the one man who can help Frankie find the answers she’s seeking, he’ll do whatever it takes to help her reunite with her mother.
A Very Lucky Christmas Page 25