A Little Christmas Charm

by Kathryn Freeman

  He’s decided he doesn’t want to go. Again, unlikely. His last words to her yesterday had been I can’t wait to get you to myself for two days.

  Something more important has come up. And ouch, that one was a killer. So many times she’d felt the sting of it with her mother. It was why it had hurt so much when Owen had cancelled their holiday. Was he about to cancel this break now, too?

  She nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone rang. Rushing back to the sitting room where she’d left it, she snatched it up.

  ‘Gabby, I’m really sorry. I’m going to be late.’

  She bit into her cheek. ‘How late?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  He sounded as frustrated as she did, but it all felt like déjà vu. ‘What’s happened?’ She was about to add this time, but stopped herself. She was bigger than that. ‘It’s not your dad, is it?’

  He blew out a breath. ‘No, he’s fine. It’s Stella. She’s had a row with Simon and come back alone. I’m taking her and Zoe home.’

  Gabby clutched at the phone, inhaling slowly. Count to ten. Don’t say anything until you’ve counted to ten. ‘She seems to have a knack for ruining our plans.’ Damn, she’d only made it to four.

  On the other end of the phone she heard Owen exhale sharply. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll be with you as quick as I can.’

  Thirty years of resentment churned inside her. Thirty years of being let down. Of never being important enough. Never being the one people changed their plans for. Always being the one who got dumped on. ‘I’ll save you the bother of all that dashing around. You make sure Stella’s okay. I’ll make my own New Year plans.’

  Before he could say anything else, she pressed disconnect, turned off her phone. And wept.

  A couple of hours later, Gabby pulled into the car park of the Old Mill Hotel. After inspecting her face in the mirror – yep, still a disaster area – she sighed and climbed out of the car. Faith was hardly going to mind what she looked like, and Adam, her hunk on legs husband, only had eyes for his wife. Dragging her case out of the boot, she made for the entrance. Pushing the huge wooden door open, she stepped inside.

  ‘Gabby!’ Faith darted from behind the reception desk and ran towards her, curly hair a riot around her face. ‘I’m so glad to see you.’ After giving her a warm hug she pulled back, her eyes skimming the entrance. ‘Where’s this man of yours? Left him behind?’

  Gabby bit into her lip. She wasn’t going to cry in public. She wasn’t that type of girl. ‘He’s not coming.’

  Faith’s pretty hazel eyes zeroed in on Gabby’s face. ‘What happened?’ she asked softly.

  ‘Something more important came up.’ And with that, Gabby disgusted herself by letting out a noisy, inelegant sob.

  Quickly, quietly, Faith propelled her up the stairs and into the private quarters she shared with Adam and their two crazy Cavachons, Nip and Tuck. ‘We’re safe here for a bit. Adam’s taken the dogs for a walk.’

  Gabby took the offered tissue and wiped furiously at her eyes. ‘I bet that’s a sight.’ She’d not been able to stop laughing the first time she’d visited Faith and seen her big hulk of a husband holding the cute dogs under each arm.

  ‘Village is used to it now, but the guests love it.’ She sat down opposite Gabby and gave her a firm look. ‘Now tell me what happened, before our peace is shattered.’

  It only took a minute for her to recite the phone call. It took several more for her to recount her jumbled feelings.

  ‘Are you jealous of Stella? Do you think there’s something going on there, some residual feelings?’

  ‘Yes. No.’ Gabby put her head in her hands. ‘Oh God, what’s happening to me? I’m such a mess. I don’t do drama and here I am, sobbing on you like a total drama queen.’

  ‘I think you know what’s happening to you, sweetie.’

  Gabby sat back up with a start and stared into Faith’s calm, understanding eyes. ‘You think I’m in love with him?’

  ‘Yes. Now answer the question about Stella.’

  She was in love with Owen. Her heart bounced around her chest like a pinball. Oh God. She’d fallen in love. Taking in a deep breath she tried to rein in her wild, seesawing emotions and focus on what Faith was asking. ‘I’m upset he chose Stella over me, yes, but I don’t think he’s still in love with her.’ She swallowed down the emotion lodged in her throat. ‘He said he loves me.’

  ‘He did? Wow.’ Faith smiled, reaching for her hand. ‘Do you believe him?’

  Gabby thought of all the times he’d not only told her how he felt, but shown her, too. The Love Hearts sweets, the advent calendar, his obvious hurt when she’d gone back home instead of staying with him the entire Christmas holiday. ‘Yes, I believe him.’

  Faith’s hand tightened over hers. ‘Then why do you say he chose Stella over you? Isn’t he just trying to help out a friend? A friend who happens to be the mother of the girl he thinks of as his daughter?’

  Tears welled again. This time at her own stupidity. ‘When you put it like that, it sounds so simple.’

  ‘That’s because I can see it from a viewpoint not tainted by a childhood full of crushing disappointments. A lifetime of being made to feel unimportant.’ She nudged Gabby’s arm. ‘Why don’t you give him a call? I’ll go and make us a drink.’

  She disappeared into the kitchen and Gabby dragged out her phone. Her heart pounded as she dialled Owen’s home number. It rang. And rang. And rang. Then went into voicemail. Shit. ‘Umm, Owen, it’s me. Gabby.’ She cringed. As if he wouldn’t already know that. ‘When you get this can you give me a call?’

  He had to be home by now, didn’t he? Should she try his mobile? But what if he was still with Stella? Or worse, he’d seen it was her calling and chosen to ignore it?

  What if he’d had enough of her blowing hot and cold on him? Of her keeping her feelings tucked safely to her chest, not daring to reveal them.

  Not having the decency, the courtesy, to give him what he’d so unselfishly given her.

  By the time Faith came back in, holding two mugs, Gabby was feeling wretched. ‘I’ve got an awful feeling I’ve blown it. I’ve been blaming him for letting me down when actually it’s me who’s let him down. Again. I should have been understanding. I should have told him not to worry, I’d wait for him. Instead I had a hissy fit.’ Shame washed through her. ‘What sort of woman does that make me?’

  Faith gave her a soft, understanding smile. ‘It makes you a woman in love, because we often do and say daft things when our emotions are involved. And if he loves you like I think he does, he’ll forgive you.’

  ‘God, I hope so, because if I’ve ruined this, the best thing to ever happen to me.’ Suddenly Gabby jumped to her feet. ‘I have to go back. I need to talk to him.’

  Faith pulled her back down. ‘Oh no you don’t. Wait for him to return your call. Drink your tea.’

  A series of barks echoed from the kitchen and Faith heard a deep, firm voice echo round the apartment. ‘Stay.’

  Gabby darted a look towards Faith, then started to smile as she heard the scampering of feet. A second later, Nip and Tuck hurled themselves onto Faith’s lap.

  ‘Bloody fluffballs on legs. Wait till I get hold of you …’ Adam stopped abruptly when he came into the room, his rugged, at times serious face breaking into a huge grin. ‘Hey, Gabby, great to see you.’ His eyes swivelled to Faith, and Gabby felt a spurt of pure jealousy at the adoration she saw there. ‘Where’s Owen? That’s his name, yes?’

  Faith reached out and tweaked his hugely impressive bicep. ‘Be a sweetie and go and man the reception desk for me for a few minutes. Chloe’s due soon.’ Chloe was Faith’s niece, who helped out in the holidays and was hoping to go to university to study hotel management.

  Adam nodded, giving them both another look. ‘Is that code for butt out, we girls need to talk?’

  Faith gave him a bright smile. ‘Two years of marriage and I finally have you trained.’

  Chapter Twenty-Nin
e

  She hadn’t waited for him. Owen had known Gabby was angry, but he’d figured by the time he’d dropped Stella and Zoe home – and checked Stella had calmed down enough to leave them – her temper would have cooled. The lack of response when he’d rung on the bell, together with the lack of a red Audi outside, suggested otherwise.

  Seems her threat to go it alone this New Year hadn’t been an idle one.

  To say he was gutted, was an understatement. He knew her issues, understood and sympathised with them, but to realise she still didn’t trust him, didn’t trust his feelings for her … crushed was how he felt. Add in hurt and bitterly disappointed, too.

  Sitting in his car outside her house, he felt battered. Seems he was destined not to go away with Gabby. Destined to bring the New Year in alone, and no doubt spend the next year alone, too, because how the hell could he be with someone who had so little faith in him?

  But then he remembered his dad’s words. I have every confidence that my son will win over the woman he loves, if she’s important enough to him.

  Damn it, she wasn’t just important to him. She was everything.

  So he needed to track her down. Grabbing his mobile he tried her mum’s, but Gabby wasn’t there, though her mum wished him luck. ‘She’s stubborn and headstrong but when she’s calmed down she’ll realise she’s overreacted.’

  He took some comfort from that. His next thought was the hotel in the Lake District. He wished he could remember the damn name of it. Something with a Mill in it, and owned by a lady called Faith.

  Several calls later, he had success. A deep yet surprisingly quiet male voice answered the phone, confirming The Old Mill Hotel was indeed owned by Faith Hunter, formerly Watkins.

  ‘Do you have a Gabby Sanderson staying with you this evening?’

  ‘Sorry, we’re not allowed to give out guest details.’ The voice paused. ‘You’re not Owen, are you?’

  His heart leapt. ‘Yes. And I’m heading your way right now. Please don’t tell her I’m coming. I don’t want her bolting.’ Worried he sounded like a crazed stalker, he added. ‘I just need to talk to her. After that, if she doesn’t want me there, you can kick me out. Hell, you don’t need to kick me out, I’ll leave.’ He didn’t have much pride left where she was concerned, but he wasn’t about to stay where he wasn’t wanted. Or where he wasn’t trusted. ‘Who am I talking to?’ he added as he started the engine and the phone clicked into hands free mode.

  ‘Adam Hunter.’

  ‘Hunter you said? Any relation to Faith?’

  ‘Husband.’

  ‘Oh, right.’ Owen jammed his foot on the accelerator and sped off down the road. ‘Well I’m not sure what Gabby’s told you about what happened.’

  ‘Nothing. And I’m not confirming there is a Gabby staying here.’

  The dry tone convinced Owen that Adam Hunter knew far more than he was letting on. ‘Got you.’ He hesitated, then went for bust. ‘You’re a married man, Adam. Have you any advice for me? Because if there is a Gabby staying with you, I desperately need her to stop running scared. It’s killing me.’

  Adam laughed softly down the phone. ‘No advice – I’m far from an expert. But I can tell you this. They’re worth it.’

  Owen sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. ‘Yeah. I figured that.’ He glanced at his GPS. ‘Should be with you in just over an hour.’

  ‘I would expect the hotel bar to be a good place to find a guest at seven o’clock on New Year’s Eve.’

  Owen smiled, liking the guy’s style. ‘Thank you. The bar it is.’

  It was spot on seven o’clock when Owen walked through the hotel reception. He expected to find Adam on the reception desk but instead there was a pretty young girl sporting a neat trouser suit, a professional smile. And bright green nail varnish.

  ‘I’ve just come for a drink in your bar.’

  ‘Owen Cooper, right?’

  He blinked. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Don’t worry. Gabby doesn’t know you’re coming. She’s with Faith and Adam in the bar.’ She pointed down the hallway before giving him a conspiratorial smile. ‘Good luck.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Shit, what was he walking into? Did everyone in the hotel know he’d come to beg Gabby’s forgiveness? Because beg he would, if he had to. Even if it was in front of the whole damn lot of them. Squaring his shoulders, Owen walked in the direction he’d been told, feeling like the accused in a courtroom, awaiting the verdict of the jury.

  Gabby looked at her phone again. No calls, no messages. And it was now seven o’clock.

  ‘Look, Faith, it’s been great to see you but I really need to go. Owen must be back home by now and he’s clearly not going to phone me, though I can’t say I blame him. I need to go back.’ Anguish engulfed her, leaving her heart weighing heavy in her chest. ‘I need to tell him I’m sorry.’

  Faith gave her a distracted smile, her eyes locked on something happening behind Gabby’s back. ‘Wow.’

  Gabby frowned. ‘Wow? Are you seriously checking a guy out when I’m pouring my heart out to you? And your hunk of a husband is standing right next to you?’

  Adam grinned. ‘You, Gabby Sanderson, are welcome back any time.’

  Faith cleared her throat. ‘I do believe someone’s come looking for you, Gabby.’ She bent to whisper in her ear. ‘And if you don’t grab hold of him and never let him go, you’re not as smart as I thought you were.’ Straightening, she took hold of Adam’s hand. ‘Me and my hunky husband will be in our private quarters if you need us. Though I rather suspect you won’t.’

  Gabby’s heart was in her mouth as she slowly turned round. It couldn’t be, could it? But her gaze immediately locked into Owen’s dazzling blue one, and the bottom fell out of her stomach.

  ‘Owen.’ She could barely say his name, her mouth had gone so dry. He looked gorgeous, as always, but also tired, wrung out. And highly annoyed.

  ‘Can we go somewhere private to talk?’ His voice sounded sharp, the words clipped. ‘I assume you’re staying the night here.’

  ‘I … think so,’ she stammered, her cool deserting her now she was faced with this beautiful, tense, angry male.

  ‘You think we can talk, or you think you’re staying the night?’

  ‘Both.’ The pleasure at seeing him was being fast eclipsed by a sense of dread. Please God, don’t say she’d blown it. ‘We can go to my room.’ Heart pounding, she gazed up at him, shocked by the emotion swirling in his eyes. ‘You have no idea how happy I am to see you.’

  The tension in his face eased a fraction. ‘You are?’

  The fact that he doubted it brought a fresh wave of shame. ‘I am,’ she confirmed softly before leading him down the corridor to the suite Faith had reserved for her. For them, she thought with a sharp pang.

  The moment the door closed behind them, Owen brought his hands to her shoulders, holding her as if he wanted to shake her. Then he cursed roughly and dropped them, taking a step back. ‘Don’t ever run away on me again,’ he said tightly. ‘If you’re angry with me, at least do me the courtesy of saying it to my face. As a man who loves you, I deserve that. I also deserve the chance to talk to you before you slam the phone down on me.’

  He wasn’t just angry, she realised in alarm. He was livid. And by God, he was hurting, too. She could see it in the rawness of his expression. Feel it in the rigid way he held himself, maintaining a few feet of distance between them.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ She thought of all the things she wanted to say to him; things she’d told Faith but not had the guts to say to the man who deserved to hear them. But her mind was too full of emotion, her throat too tight. Her heart too full.

  His eyes searched hers and she felt their burn, and their pain. ‘I don’t know what you think is going on here Gabby, but let me repeat. I love you. You need to start to trust that. To trust me.’

  ‘I know.’ It seemed she was only capable of two word sentences.

  ‘Sometimes things might come up tha
t become a priority, things I have to deal with even though I’d rather be with you. It doesn’t mean they’re more important than you. Nobody in my life is more important to me, than you.’

  Oh God, the heart that had felt too full was now so stretched it was painful. ‘I thought I’d ruined things,’ she blurted. ‘When you didn’t phone me back, I thought that was it. That you’d got fed up with me. And I would have understood,’ she added on a sob. ‘I was really fed up with myself, too. It’s just I realised a few hours too late.’

  ‘I didn’t know you’d phoned.’ His gaze softened as he moved towards her, hands that had previously gripped her shoulders now gently cupping her face. ‘I will always be here, Gabby. We’re going to argue. Hell, if the last month is anything to go by we’re going to argue a lot, but you need to know this. I’m not going anywhere. I repeat again. I love you. You are it for me. I want to marry you, have kids with you, grow old with you. The only way you’re getting rid of me is if you tell me to go, and even then, I’m going to have a bloody good shot at persuading you to change your mind.’

  For a woman who didn’t cry much, she was now clearly going for the crying world record because once again tears gushed down her face. ‘Is that a proposal?’ She was half afraid it was, half afraid it wasn’t.

  He laughed softly. ‘Good God, no. I can do far better than that and besides, I’m not proposing until I’m certain you’ll give me the right answer.’ His face turned serious, a hint of vulnerability beneath the cocky front. ‘But if you can’t imagine a future with me in it, now’s the time to tell me. Please.’

  His voice cracked on the last word and Gabby’s heart went into free fall. Now, she told herself, screwing up her courage. Now was the time to tell him what she needed him to hear. But one glance into his beautiful eyes, shining with love, and suddenly courage wasn’t needed. Telling him was easy. ‘I see you in my future, Owen Cooper. And I love you, too.’ Joy burst across his face and another flood of tears streamed down hers. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you today. Sorry I acted like a total bitch.’ She slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. ‘I didn’t ask. How’s Stella? Is she okay? And Zoe?’