Rowan swallowed hard. ‘You remember nearly breaking my toes on the dance floor when you tried to force my shoe back on?’
‘You’ve surely forgiven Nick for that by now, Ro?’ Paul said.
‘I just want to know if he remembers.’
‘I hang my head in shame at the memory,’ he said, ‘but I’m sure you’ll have good memories of that day too?’
‘Of course. It was my sister’s wedding. I have lots of wonderful memories.’
‘Like that sunset over the lake?’ Nick asked.
‘I didn’t see the sunset,’ Rachel complained.
‘You were too busy slow dancing with me,’ Paul said with a wink.
‘You get amazing sunsets at this time of year,’ Nick said, ‘especially up here in the north-west, but nothing I’ve ever seen has come close to the sunset that evening.’ He caught Rowan’s eye and she could feel her face flaming. He did remember that kiss, didn’t he?
‘Anyway, as much as I love to reminisce, I think we should get down to practicalities,’ Paul said. ‘Have we got enough food to see us through? I mean, if there’s snow and we get stuck. There’s four of us now and we’d better get ourselves organised. It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow which means shops shutting early.’
‘Darling, you packed enough for the whole county!’ Rachel reminded him.
‘Yes, but it’s Christmas and we don’t want to go without, do we?’
‘I’ve brought plenty of food too,’ Rowan said, ‘even though I thought it would only be me staying here.’
‘I can’t bear the thought of you being alone here,’ Rachel told her. ‘You should have asked to spend Christmas with us.’
‘But I am,’ she said with a grin.
‘Yes, but not by design,’ Rachel said.
‘What did you bring, Nick?’ Rowan asked, acknowledging the fact that she wanted to embarrass him.
He cleared his throat. ‘You mean other than a wolf and an axe?’ He frowned. ‘Not a lot. Enough for a couple of meals for me and the dog.’
‘Were you planning on hunting your own Christmas dinner?’ Paul said. ‘I wouldn’t put it past you.’
‘No, nothing like that,’ Nick said. ‘Actually, I was only planning on staying one night. I’ve got to be somewhere.’
‘Sounds enigmatic,’ Rachel said.
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’m going to see my dad.’
‘How is he?’ Paul asked.
‘That’s what I’m hoping to find out,’ Nick replied. ‘He doesn’t say a lot on the phone and he’s terrible at keeping in touch by email since the stroke.’
‘Of course,’ Paul said. ‘I was sorry to hear about that.’
‘It must be hard on you living so far away from him,’ Rachel said.
‘It is. I come up as often as I can, but it preys on my mind all the time. There’s also the small problem of Dad not having forgiven me yet, either,’ Nick confessed.
‘What hasn’t he forgiven you for?’ Rowan asked.
‘Taking Harley from him.’
‘He’s your dad’s dog?’ Rachel said.
‘Yep,’ he said. ‘Shortly after his stroke, Dad had an operation on his ankle and there was no way he was going to be able to manage Harley properly so I took him down to London with me. It wasn’t ideal, of course. I’ve got a pretty small flat and had to put him into doggy day care, but he comes with me to work now which is great. But Dad misses him like crazy. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me.’
‘But it was for his own good,’ Rachel told him.
‘Yeah, but he doesn’t see it that way. I took away his loyal companion.’
They sat quietly for a moment, all eyes on the beautiful Harley who was completely unaware of the trouble he had caused between father and son.
‘So you’re spending Christmas with your dad?’ Paul said.
‘I’m leaving first thing tomorrow. Shouldn’t be a bad journey to Keswick from here unless it snows, of course,’ Nick said.
‘If it snows, we’ll not allow you to set a foot out of the door,’ Rachel said. ‘The roads around here would be lethal.’
‘I’m making the journey no matter what the weather,’ he said. ‘I need to be with Dad.’
Rowan looked at the earnest expression on Nick’s face and couldn’t help admiring his tenacity. Maybe, just maybe, she might have misjudged Nick Madden.
CHAPTER 5
When Rowan awoke, she had that strange discombobulated feeling of not remembering where she was. Her eyes slowly widened and she took in the pale blue painted walls before her and the pretty blue and white curtains at the bedroom window and she remembered. She sat up in bed and immediately shivered. She hoped she wasn’t the first up and that somebody had lit the wood burner otherwise she might just go back to bed.
‘Coffee!’ she said. She’d sneak down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. That would warm her up.
Popping a jumper over her pyjamas and stuffing her feet into her fluffy pink slippers, she yawned and opened her bedroom door, checking to see if the coast was clear. It was and so she went downstairs.
She was just pouring the freshly boiled water into her mug when Nick walked into the kitchen with Harley by his side. Rowan was so surprised that she leapt into the air, a splash of hot water scalding her hand from the kettle.
‘Ouch!’ she cried.
‘Hey!’ Nick called, flying to her side. ‘Cold water – quickly. Get it under the tap.’ He grabbed hold of her hand and thrust it under a stream of cold water at the sink. ‘How’s that?’ he asked after a moment. ‘Better?’
‘Yes. Thank you.’
‘Let me see,’ he said, examining her hand. ‘It’s a bit pink, I’m afraid.’
‘It’s fine.’ She withdrew her hand from his, all too aware that the tingling sensation she was feeling couldn’t be completely blamed on the cold water.
‘I’m sorry I startled you,’ he apologised as Harley approached her to say hello.
‘I didn’t think anyone was up yet,’ she said, bending to stroke the dog.
‘I’m an early riser. Can’t break the habit even if I’m not at work. I’ve been out for a jog.’
‘You like jogging?’ she said.
‘Yeah. Especially up in the mountains.’
‘Me too,’ she said.
‘You jog?’
‘When I can.’
‘Hmmmm,’ he said. ‘I didn’t have you down as a jogger.’
‘Why not?’ she asked defensively.
‘I had you down as one of those Zumba women, huffing and puffing in the safety of a village hall.’
Rowan gave a cry of alarm. ‘I’ll have you know that I’ve completed a few half marathons in my time.’
‘Well, good for you!’ he said.
‘Yes!’ she said and then she frowned. ‘Are you teasing me?’
‘You’re very easy to tease,’ he said and she play-thumped his arm. It was then that she remembered she was stood there in her pyjamas with absolutely no make-up on and her hair a fright after a night’s sleep. Her hand flew to her hair. ‘Erm, I’ve got to get dressed,’ she said, grabbing the half-made cup of coffee and leaving the kitchen.
*
Nick had seen fewer sights cuter than Rowan Corrigan in her pyjamas and pink fluffy slippers first thing in the morning. She had no idea just how adorable she was, did she? She’d become all self-conscious with her bed-hair and had fled just as things were getting interesting between them.
Nick checked his watch. He wanted to leave for his dad’s as early as possible because the weather forecast wasn’t good, but he also wanted to spend a bit of time with Paul and Rachel.
And Rowan, a little voice inside him said. The girl who got away.
Well, he’d never actually been able to call her his girl so he couldn’t really say that she’d got away from him. Theirs had been a strange sort of fleeting nothing, if he was absolutely honest, but it was a fleeting nothing he’d never forgotten.
Over the years
, Nick had had a few girlfriends, but he’d never found anyone he felt completely relaxed with. Nobody he could invite for a weekend’s hike in the hills, nobody he’d felt connected to.
‘You like her too, don’t you, boy?’ he whispered to Harley who looked up at him with his huge brown eyes.
But he didn’t have time to think about how cute Rowan was because he had to get ready to leave. He was becoming increasingly worried about the weather. He popped his head out of the door and looked up into the moody sky full of the threat of snow.
‘Nick?’
It was Paul.
‘Morning,’ Nick said, closing the front door and nodding as Rachel followed Paul into the living room.
‘You been out already?’ Paul asked.
‘Gave Harley a stretch and got some wood in just in case the snow arrives,’ Nick said and Paul bent to help him move the wood to the basket near the wood burner.
‘Who’s for scrambled eggs?’ Rachel asked.
‘Me!’ Paul said.
‘Nick?’
‘Sounds great. Thanks. You want a hand?’
‘No need. This is what I love most about the Christmas holidays,’ she said. ‘Taking time to make a really hearty breakfast instead of having a rushed bowl of cereal and a measly slice of toast.’ She left for the kitchen and, ten minutes later, all four of them were eating breakfast at the kitchen table.
‘Look, I can’t really delay it any longer,’ Nick said as he took a final swig of his coffee.
‘But it’s madness going out in this!’ Rachel said, looking out at the icy sleet that was now hitting the kitchen window at a vicious angle.
‘Madness or not, I’ve got to try.’ He got up from the table and went to retrieve his bag from his bedroom.
‘The roads will be really dangerous,’ Rachel continued, following Nick as he got his things ready. It was then that Rowan came into the room.
‘Are you really going?’ she asked him. ‘It doesn’t look safe out there.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll drive extra slowly.’
‘I know I wanted a white Christmas, but I really wish it wasn’t going to snow now,’ Rachel said.
‘You do know it’s forecast?’ Paul asked Nick.
‘Yeah, I heard which is why I’m leaving right away.’
‘Well, I’m not going to let you go alone,’ Paul said, suddenly grabbing his coat from the back of a chair.
Rachel stared at him in horror. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m going with him. If he gets stuck, he won’t be able to get out alone.’
‘You’re going to leave us here?’ Rachel said. ‘Seriously?’
‘You’ve got food and heat and each other,’ he said. ‘You’ll be okay.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘But it’s Christmas and I want to be with you.’
Paul looked at Nick who shrugged.
‘You can all come if you want,’ Nick said. ‘There’s room in the Volvo if you don’t mind sharing it with Harley and there’s plenty of room at Dad’s house.’
Rachel looked at Rowan and the two of them nodded in understanding.
‘We’re coming with you,’ Rachel declared. ‘I mean, if that’s okay.’
Nick shrugged. ‘Fine.’
‘Ro,’ Rachel said, turning to her sister, ‘you don’t need to come. Didn’t you want Christmas at the cottage by yourself?’
‘Not if I’m likely to get snowed in. I don’t want to be on my own then,’ she said. ‘I’m coming with you, okay?’
‘Okay, just let me grab a few things,’ Rachel added, and the three of them got busy, coming back a few minutes later with overnight bags, several bags of food, a flask of hot tea and a couple of blankets.
They had all just bundled into the car along with Harley and were about to leave when Rachel suddenly yelled, ‘Wait a minute!’
‘What is it?’ Nick asked, eager to make a start, but Rachel had leapt out of the car.
‘Rachel? What are you doing?’ Paul cried after her. ‘We’ve got to get moving.’
But she’d disappeared back into the cottage.
Nick didn’t want to show his impatience at the wife of his friend, but he was beginning to wish he’d sneaked out and taken his chances making the journey alone. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and was just about to say something when she reappeared.
‘What on earth?’ he said.
Paul turned to look at his wife and his face drained of all colour. ‘Oh, no! Rachel – take it back.’
She opened the car door.
‘I’m bringing the tree,’ she told them, doing her best to cram it into the back of the car complete with lights, tinsel and baubles.
‘Don’t be silly,’ Paul said.
‘It’s only small. It won’t take up any room at all. We can’t leave Christmas in the cottage, can we?’
Nick looked at Rachel and then at Paul to see if he was going to protest, but he looked thoroughly defeated by Rachel’s determination.
‘Well,’ Nick said as he looked at the two women, the German Shepherd and the Christmas tree in the back, ‘you’ve got to sit with it.’
‘And it’s fine, isn’t it?’ Rachel asked Rowan.
Rowan cleared her throat, but didn’t say anything.
‘Okay, let’s get going,’ Nick said, looking in his rear view mirror and trying not to chuckle at Rowan who had half a dozen baubles rattling around her face and Harley’s head on her lap.
*
The snow was falling in earnest from the heavens only half an hour after they’d left the cottage. At first it seemed beautiful, something to wonder at and admire, but it soon turned into something sinister, like a thousand swirling demons.
‘I’ve never seen the roads like this before,’ Rachel said. ‘Do you think we should go back?’
‘We’re going on,’ Nick said. ‘That was the plan and you agreed to it when you got in the car.’
‘I know,’ Rachel said, ‘it’s just – well – it could be lethal.’
‘I feel like I’m in a chapter of The Famous Five,’ Rowan said, making Nick chuckle. ‘We’ve even got the dog, haven’t we?’ she said, giving Harley a cuddle.
They continued driving, slowing the speed right down as they drove through the enchanted white world. On a good day, the journey should have taken them no more than an hour and a half, but it took over four hours to reach Nick’s dad’s in a village just outside Keswick and they all breathed a sigh of relief when Nick pulled up in the driveway and cut the engine outside an imposing Victorian villa.
‘Your Dad still run it as a bed and breakfast?’ Paul asked.
‘I’m afraid not, and it’s much too big for him now, but he refuses to move.’
They all got out of the car, grabbing the bags and the Christmas tree, Harley trotting inside the house with them.
‘Are you sure he’s home?’ Rowan asked. ‘There aren’t any lights on and it’s pretty dark.’
‘His bedroom and the kitchen are at the back of the house,’ Nick said. ‘He’s probably in his bedroom. He keeps a plug-in radiator in there as it’s easier to warm up.’
Rachel pulled a face as Nick switched some lights on and they walked into a large living room with a big bay window.
‘It’s very...’ she began and then stopped.
‘What?’ Nick asked.
‘Very grey in here, isn’t it?’
‘I guess Dad never went in for ornaments or pretty knick-knacks.’
‘You can tell you grew up without a mother,’ Rachel said.
‘Rachel!’ Rowan cried.
‘What? It’s true.’
‘It’s true all right,’ Nick said.
‘But you didn’t need to say it,’ Rowan said. ‘Anyway, I quite like it. It’s very masculine.’
‘Oh, you like antlers on the wall and carpets the colour of old socks?’ Rachel teased.
‘I’m going upstairs. Make yourselves at home, okay?’
Nick left the sisters debating the bea
uty of grey whilst he took two steps at a time up the stairs, closely followed by Harley.
‘Dad?’ he called. ‘You in there?’ He felt ridiculously nervous about finding his father. He’d tried to call him several times to tell him he was on his way up to the Lakes, but he’d always got the answerphone. His dad’s neighbour, old Mrs Wray, kept an eye on him and spoilt him rotten with home-baking, he knew. She also had Nick’s number in case of emergencies so Nick felt sure that his father was still in good health, but he couldn’t help his misgivings as he reached the landing and his father’s bedroom door.
‘Dad?’ he called, softly knocking and entering.
Bryan Madden was sitting in a chair by his plug-in radiator, a thick blanket over his knees. As soon as Harley entered the room, he went and lay down by his master’s feet.
‘Dad? Are you okay?’ Nick was also by his side in an instant.
His father looked up as if confused. ‘What are you doing here, son?’
‘I’ve come to see you.’
‘What for?’
‘What do you mean, what for? It’s Christmas.’
‘Oh, you fool!’ his dad said. ‘You shouldn’t have bothered.’
Nick grinned. It was typical of his father to assume that nobody would bother to visit him at Christmas and, to be honest, Nick hadn’t spent many Christmases with his father since getting his job in London, but he’d been worried about him since his stroke and with good cause, he could see now. The place was a mess, it was freezing cold and his father had visibly lost weight.
‘Why don’t we get you downstairs and light the fire, eh?’ Nick suggested. ‘The girls will get some dinner on.’
‘What girls?’ he asked. ‘Don’t tell me I’ve got grandchildren you’ve never told me about!’
‘No, you don’t need to worry on that score. They’re friends. You remember my friend Paul from uni? Well, it’s him and his wife, Rachel and her sister Rowan. Come and meet them, Dad. You’ll like them.’
‘Let me be the judge of that,’ Bryan said, getting to his feet.
Nick shook his head. His father gave the impression of being a grouch, but he liked people really. He couldn’t have run a successful bed and breakfast for as long as he had without getting on with people.
The Christmas Collection Page 16