Silver Christmas

by Helen Scott Taylor

  To a casual observer, she, Owen, and Chloe might look like a family, but they weren't. The only thing she and Owen had in common was a daughter.

  Owen crouched at her side and ran a finger along the fur sticking up on Sixpence's spine.

  "So, when do you leave us?" he asked.

  "As soon as you want me to go."

  "Don't you have a date to start at the zoo job?" He sounded surprised.

  "I haven't accepted it yet, but I probably will. It ticks all my career boxes."

  Owen pressed his lips together for a moment. "That's a good thing, I guess, but don't forget people matter too."

  "I plan to make plenty of time to see Chloe. Maybe she can come to me every other weekend and half of her school vacations."

  Owen scooped up a kitten that was trying to clamber over the corral they'd put around the cat bed, and deposited the fluff ball gently back beside its mother. She waited for him to answer her. Instead he rose to his feet and turned towards the door.

  "Owen. Will that be okay?"

  "Yes. Of course." He turned at the door, his expression unreadable. "By the way, Chloe's not the only person who cares about you."

  Jennifer parted her lips to speak, not sure what she planned to say, but it didn't matter because Owen was gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jennifer jumped up with Sixpence still cradled in her hand, the sweet furry bundle of life a little talisman, giving her courage. She hurried after Owen, careful in her haste to shut the door properly to keep the other kittens safely inside.

  Stepping out onto the landing, she glanced up and down the corridor and heard the kitchen door downstairs.

  After that provocative comment, no doubt Owen was escaping to hide out with his goats. When things got emotionally charged or difficult, she'd noticed he headed for the goat shed.

  Cradling a sleepy Sixpence against her neck, she ran downstairs, along the hallway and into the kitchen. As she expected, Heidi and Zach weren't in their beds.

  Owen had always been like this, she realized. He'd never been good at discussing his feelings with her. He said his piece and then retreated and stewed, never giving them a chance to talk things out.

  Because she'd hated the way her parents had shouted at each other, sometimes right over her head, she'd refused to argue with him over Chloe and just run away.

  Each of them were as bad as the other!

  She marched down the tiled corridor to the back door and found Owen in the mudroom, wearing his old yard coat, pushing his feet into his Wellington boots.

  He glanced up, startled, as she stopped in the doorway, blocking his exit.

  "You can't make a comment like that and run away," she said.

  "I'm not running away. I'm going to check on the goats."

  Jennifer had to suppress a smile. Who would have thought the playboy who used to dote on his sports car would become so fond of goats?

  "Do you still have feelings for me?"

  Owen turned his back on her and rinsed out the dogs' dishes in the sink. Then he dried his hands on an old towel, giving her a sideways glance. "Of course I have feelings for you. You're the mother of my daughter." He cleared his throat. "Do you have feelings for me?"

  "I asked first. I want a proper answer." Jennifer knew she sounded childish, but strangely she was enjoying this conversation. She felt childish and silly, and excitement bubbled inside, as if she was on the cusp of something that might turn out to be wonderful.

  Without taking her gaze off Owen, she pressed her lips to the top of Sixpence's head.

  He watched her and swallowed. "Yes."

  "My answer is yes as well," she said.

  He rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. Then he kicked off his boots and shrugged out of his yard coat, tossing it on the counter.

  "You're not going out to see the goats, then?"

  "The goats can wait." He grinned, a grin that lit his eyes with desire.

  He moved closer and rested his hands at her waist, leaning in to put his lips to Sixpence's fur. He brought his face so close she could have kissed his cheek, so she did.

  "Oh, Jenn," he whispered. His arms slid around her and pulled her close. The warmth of his breath brushed her neck and ear as he pressed his lips there. "I love you. I always have."

  After all the acrimonious things he'd said when she left, she'd thought he hated her. But she should have guessed things weren't what they seemed. She knew that sometimes people lashed out when they were frightened of losing what they loved. Her mother had taught her that.

  "I love you too, Owen."

  "Has there been anyone else since me?"

  Trust a man to immediately ask that. "Yes." When he stiffened slightly, she continued quickly. "All my loves had fur, hide, or scales, though."

  He relaxed again and chuckled. "Are you still going to take the zoo job?"

  "You don't want me to?"

  "I want you here with Chloe and me, but I'm not stupid enough to tell you not to take the job." He pulled back and gave her a knowing look. "I've learned from my mistakes. No telling you what to do anymore."

  "Kiss me," she said.

  Careful not to squash Sixpence, he held her close and pressed his warm lips to hers, transporting her to the place she normally only traveled in her dreams.

  • • •

  In the sitting room at Rosemoor Farm, the fire crackled in the grate, cheery Christmas music played, and Jennifer sipped her Christmas Day mulled wine, happier than she'd ever thought possible. People talked about this day being magical, but she'd never really felt that until now.

  Today really was going to be a special day, not only her first Christmas Day with her daughter, but the start of a new relationship with Owen, a second chance to have the happy family life she'd given up.

  "I just need to bring in one more basket of logs to make sure we have enough to keep the fire going," Owen said, winking at Jennifer.

  "Oh, Dad. Why didn't you do that earlier, before we had breakfast?" Chloe huffed.

  "You'll make some man a wonderful wife one day, cocoa puff." Owen ruffled her hair as he passed. "You've got the nagging bit down already."

  Jennifer raised her eyebrows at him, and he offered a wry smile in return. She knew exactly where Owen had gone, and it wasn't to get a basket of logs.

  Chloe had been manic all morning, dashing around with Paddy, excited about the special present she was going to get. She'd barely sat still while they ate breakfast because she was so eager to start opening her presents.

  Jennifer surreptitiously shut Zach and Heidi in the kitchen and returned to the sitting room. "Come and sit beside me, Chloe. Dad won't be long." She patted the sofa at her side, and her daughter plopped her bottom down with a heartfelt sigh.

  "I'm coming," Owen called. "Are you ready?"

  "Yes." Jennifer grabbed Paddy's collar and made him sit at her feet as Owen entered with a decorated box in his hands.

  Chloe immediately caught on. "You weren't getting logs. You were getting my special present."

  "This might be for Jennifer," Owen said.

  Chloe rolled her eyes, not fooled for a moment.

  Owen crouched in front of the sofa and passed the box to Chloe. "Gently now. The lid is loose. All you have to do is lift it off."

  A tiny plaintive meow came from inside the box, and Chloe squealed.

  Owen winced and Jennifer laid a hand on Chloe's arm. "Not too loud, now. We don't want to frighten her."

  Chloe lifted the lid from the box to reveal her kitten snuggled in a piece of furry fabric. "My Silver Sixpence." She lifted the kitten gently from the box and held her out to touch noses with Paddy. They'd introduced the two animals a few days ago, and Paddy was amazingly gentle with the little creature.

  "She's from both of us," Owen said, squeezing Jennifer's hand where it lay in her lap.

  She caught hold of his fingers and squeezed back, this change in their relationship so new it felt strange in some ways, but oh so familiar at
the same time.

  "Our other surprise is that I'm going to stay with you," Jennifer said, her voice catching.

  Chloe put an arm around her mother's neck, holding Sixpence between them. She pressed her cheek against Jennifer's. "I've prayed every night that you'd stay, Mum."

  Tears pricked Jennifer's eyes, and she blinked them back.

  "Will I get a brother or sister now?"

  Jennifer stifled a laugh. Trust a child to get right to the point.

  Owen cleared his throat. "You don't need to worry about that today, cocoa puff. You concentrate on your kitten."

  They took turns cuddling Sixpence and stroking Paddy so he wasn't jealous while they watched Chloe unwrap her other presents. Then they sat back and sipped their mulled wine. Later, Chloe took Sixpence up to the bathroom to use the litter box and have something to eat.

  As soon as Chloe left the room, Owen pulled a small red velvet box from his pocket and put it in Jennifer's lap. Her heart clenched painfully at the poignant rush of emotion. She pressed a hand to her mouth as tears burned in her throat. She'd seen this box before—ten years ago.

  "Jenn, I didn't mean to upset you. It's too soon. This was stupid of me." Owen reached to retrieve the box, but she curled her fingers around it and hung on.

  "I'm not upset." She squeezed the velvet box, remembering how Owen had knelt beside her bed in the maternity ward. With the nurses and other new mums watching and her tiny newborn asleep in the bassinet beside the bed, Owen had proposed.

  Jennifer had been emotionally exhausted, confused about her future, and uncertain about her feelings. Owen had sprung the proposal on her when she was most vulnerable. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she wasn't ready to make such a huge commitment.

  She lifted the lid of the box with a trembling hand and pulled out the gold band with its cluster of diamonds. "It's a beautiful ring."

  "I still want to marry you, darling. Will you say yes this time?" He'd seemed so sure of what he wanted last time, so certain things would work out as he planned. This time his tone was husky with uncertainty. This time he really was asking her to marry him instead of expecting her to comply with what he wanted.

  Jennifer slipped her hand behind Owen's neck and pulled his face down to hers. She closed her eyes, rested her forehead against his, and let the emotion spin inside her like a tornado until she could speak.

  "Yes," she whispered. "Yes. I would love to be your wife."

  "Jenn." Owen drew her close, his lips finding hers. She lost herself in his kiss, relished the sensual pleasure of his fingertips stroking her neck.

  As Owen slid the ring onto Jennifer's finger, Chloe rushed back into the room, cuddling Sixpence. She skidded to a halt and stared, her brown eyes big and round. "Is that an engagement ring?"

  Owen nodded.

  Chloe dropped to her knees at their feet and ran her finger over the ring. "It's so pretty. Does this mean you'll get married soon?"

  "In the spring, I expect." Owen stroked some of Chloe's hair back behind her ear. "Do you fancy being our bridesmaid, cocoa puff?"

  "That'll be great. Can Paddy be a bridesmaid dog? We can make a ruffled collar for him out of the same material as my bridesmaid dress. And Sixpence will be big by then. Can she be a bridesmaid cat? I can hold her in a basket with ribbons on it."

  "Whoa," Owen said. "Let's decide the date of the wedding before we get carried away."

  "A spring wedding will be perfect," Jennifer said. "After Easter will be nice. And I think it'll be fun to have a bridesmaid dog and cat." She gave Owen a mischievous smile. "We could even have a bridesmaid goat. What do you think, Chloe, seeing as how your dad loves his goats so much?"

  Chloe howled with laughter and then climbed on the sofa holding Sixpence, worming her way between Jennifer and Owen. Paddy circled the sofa, tail wagging furiously, not sure why everyone was excited.

  "Hey, Paddy Paws. Come on up here and join the family cuddle," Chloe shouted.

  Jennifer called him up and he lay on the cushions at her side, his front paws on her lap, his nose pressed against Sixpence, who snuggled sleepily on Chloe's lap.

  Owen put his arms around them all and kissed each of them in turn. "Merry Christmas, Chloe. Merry Christmas, Jenn. Merry Christmas, Paddy, and Merry Christmas, Silver Sixpence. This is my favorite Christmas of all time."

  "Mine too," Chloe said.

  Jennifer did her round of kisses, starting with Chloe and ending with a lingering press of her lips against Owen's.

  Ten years ago, she'd taken a wrong turn and got lost. She'd searched for happiness on the other side of the world and finally come home where she belonged, to the man she loved and her darling daughter.

  "It's definitely my favorite Christmas as well," she said.

  Silver Sixpence meowed as if agreeing, and they all laughed.

  Epilogue

  The church bells pealed, and villagers lined the road to watch Jennifer arrive at Rosemoor church in a white limousine. From a clear blue sky, the sun shone on the purple crocuses and yellow daffodils that carpeted the churchyard with spring color.

  Owen's cousin's wife Vicky held open the kissing gate at the entrance to the churchyard. "Come through the gate carefully. I nearly stained my wedding dress on the green wood." Only two weeks before, Vicky had been the one getting married to Owen's cousin Jonathan.

  "Thanks for the tip. It'll be a miracle if I make it inside the church without getting dirt on my dress." Jennifer slipped through the gap sideways. The ivory wedding dress was gorgeous, but with the farmyard and dogs at home and the moss and lichen on the church gate, she had to hold the satin tulle bunched above her knees.

  Safely on the flagstone path leading to the church door, she released the soft, floaty fabric, and Owen's sister, Shelly, joined Vicky to smooth it and spread out the twelve-inch train behind her.

  "You'll pick up some dirt on that train," Shelly said.

  "I know, but I couldn't resist this dress." Jennifer had loved the form-fitting cut and the tiny crystal buttons down the back. Most of all, she'd adored the sheer beaded overlay on the bodice with butterfly-wing sleeves. It was like something out of a fairy tale, and sometimes she thought she was living one.

  The past four months with Owen and Chloe had been a dream come true. Owen was so loving, so determined to make up for all their years apart. And their daughter was a delight.

  Chloe's shiny dark hair, which Jennifer had brushed for her, hung over the shoulders of her primrose-yellow satin bridesmaid's dress. She had a silver circlet decorated with freshly picked primroses on her head. For once, Paddy sat obediently at her side. He had a new yellow leash especially for the occasion, and wore a frilled collar of primrose-yellow silk around his neck.

  "Paddy's going to be good, Mum. I promise," Chloe said. The black Labrador's tail wagged lazily. He was always so pleased to be with his people.

  "I'm sure he will." Jennifer smiled, fairly certain that if Paddy managed to go through the whole wedding ceremony without being naughty, it would be a miracle. Chloe had been desperate to bring Silver Sixpence as well, but all the people and the noise might have scared her. Owen had arranged for one of his men to bring Sixpence to the church for photographs after the ceremony.

  Marcus strode out of the church, cutting an impressive figure in his dove-gray morning suit and primrose cravat.

  "Nearly ready?" he asked.

  "Is Owen inside?"

  Marcus gave her a roguish grin. "Don't worry. We didn't lose him last night. Jon arranged a very civilized meal at the Fat Goose, and we were all in bed by midnight."

  Jennifer hadn't really worried when Owen, his cousins, and a few male friends announced they were going out for a stag night on the eve of the wedding, but she was relieved all was well.

  "Okay, your dress is perfect and you look stunning," Shelly said, tweaking a couple of the crystal beads in Jennifer's hair. "Chloe, you and Paddy come and stand behind your mum." Chloe did as she was told, and Shelly stepped back beside
Vicky to admire their handiwork.

  "Take your place, Marcus," Shelly ordered.

  "Yes, ma'am." Marcus moved to Jennifer's side and offered his arm as he whispered a teasing aside. "My little cousin can be so bossy."

  Shelly rolled her eyes. "That's the result of growing up with a brother and two boy cousins who tried to tell me what to do all the time."

  Jennifer slipped her right hand through Marcus's offered arm, chuckling at their banter. They loved each other, really. She was privileged to be joining such a close and loving family.

  Marcus led her sedately along the path towards the open church door. She had tried to contact her dad about her wedding, but he'd moved without telling her. After all the pain of her past, she decided not to search for him. Instead, she'd accepted Marcus's offer to walk her down the aisle and give her away.

  He was such a lovely guy, and yet he was always on his own. Jennifer had been in Rosemoor for five months and had yet to meet his wife, the infamous Gabriela.

  Organ music greeted them as they stepped beneath the arched doorway of the medieval church. Her guests were work colleagues from the charity and some old college friends. There were far more people on the groom's side of the church—Owen's relatives and friends from all over the country.

  Before they started down the aisle, Jennifer glanced over her shoulder to check on her daughter. Paddy walked at Chloe's side, behaving himself so far. A miracle in itself.

  They walked past the font and she was bathed in rainbows from the sunlight shining through the brightly colored stained glass windows. Then she had her first glimpse of her fiancé, standing beside his best man, Jonathan. Owen was so handsome in his gray morning suit, a cream orchid in his buttonhole that matched her bouquet. Her heart fluttered and nerves tingled in her tummy.

  Tearing her gaze away from her husband-to-be, she smiled at her friends as she passed them. Some had travelled all the way from Africa to be here.

  Marcus kissed her cheek and passed her hand to Owen, then took his seat on the front pew with Chloe, Shelly, and Vicky.