by Suzanne Snow
Tom began to read and Olivia knew at once there was no reason to worry for him. He was perfectly confident, natural, and any suggestion that he might struggle was gone. Tears were already sliding down her face as he continued, instinctively finding the right tone for his voice, the moments to slow down, when to go just a little faster. By the time he read of Santa rising up the chimney and whistling his team of reindeers, her phone was going crazy and she ignored everything to focus on Tom wishing a Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.
He was smiling as he closed the book gently, and his gaze met Olivia’s for a long moment. She ended the broadcast and flung her phone onto the nearest table to rush over and wrap her arms around her dad. She held him tightly, the narrow shoulders slight beneath her arms.
‘Get on with you,’ he chuckled, letting her go as he got slowly to his feet. ‘I think someone else needs you more than I do just now, Liv.’
Olivia turned to face Tom as her dad shuffled into the next room. Tom stood up as she found her voice, overflowing with a love for him that was impossible to hide.
‘You were right and I’m sorry. I’m so frightened of failing again that I’ve just let myself give up trying. What if I love you too?’ She whispered the words, wanting to hold him and be held. To comfort him in the way she already had these past weeks, to be supported by his strength and to have him beside her whenever they needed one another. ‘I didn’t want to.’ She sniffed and it turned into a helpless laugh. ‘You’re far too famous and annoying and generous and clever and amazing, and I just do. I want to try, with you, if you’ll have me? If it’s not too late?’
‘Oh, Liv. Never.’ Suddenly their arms were around one another, holding each other as tightly as they could. ‘I just want to be with you.’
‘You didn’t have to do that, the reading.’ Olivia said, unable to hold in any more tears. She hadn’t cried properly for years and couldn’t seem to stop now that she’d started. ‘You’ve well and truly blown your cover. Twitter is going mad.’
‘You helped me to decide that I should try again. That what happened is part of me and I need to just accept it and move on.’ Tom tipped his head back, his thumb brushing away a tear hovering. ‘Have you even been reading our hashtag books? Charles Dickens and his haunted man?’
‘I skipped that one. Sorry.’
‘You’re a terrible bookseller.’
‘I know.’ She reached up to touch Tom’s face, feeling his mouth against her palm when he kissed it. ‘Maybe you can read that to me next Christmas.’
‘You’re on.’ He ran a finger down her cheek. ‘Acting is over for me, Liv, but at least now I feel as though I’ve ended a performance on my own terms.’ He grinned. ‘Anyway all I really need to do is give my detective an even hotter love interest and ramp up the sex in my next book, and then it’ll be all about that and not me. I’m thinking of making her an estate agent who is utterly immune to his charms. He doesn’t have many, admittedly, but he is wickedly handsome.’
‘That definitely lets you out then when the producers come to cast the part.’ Olivia loved teasing Tom, the mischief she saw in his expression and how he didn’t take himself too seriously. ‘And I think my role as your publicist is now officially redundant with that statement.’
‘Good,’ he murmured, letting his arms fall away to grasp her hands. ‘Because I’d much rather have you as my wife. You’re far too unpredictable as a publicist.’
‘Very funny. You’ll be telling me I’m your fairy godmother again next. Are you going to put this in your Christmas movie?’
‘What, the bit when the guy gets down on one knee and asks the girl to marry him?’ Suddenly Tom was kneeling on the floor, looking up at Olivia with eyes full of love and a hint of nerves. ‘I think I’d have to, wouldn’t you say? Happy endings, and all that.’
‘Tom, I… What are you saying? You’re not serious! Are you? Really?’
‘I came from nothing, Liv, and I haven’t got much to offer you but me. Maybe a book that’ll amount to something and a job I want to make a success of. If you’ll have me on those terms then will you marry me, make that wedding night in the honeymoon suite we didn’t get official?’
‘What about my terms?’ Her voice was faltering and Olivia had to swallow, she needed to make him understand. ‘If we’re going to be together then I want to share all I have with you, Tom. For us to be equal in everything.’
‘Half of nothing is still nothing, Liv. You can’t risk your home and your business for me. I wouldn’t want you to.’ Tom stood up and Olivia tugged his hand impatiently.
‘You don’t understand.’ She could hear the tremor in her voice as she rushed on. ‘If I can trust you with my heart then I trust you with everything else. My life, the home we’ll make together. And besides.’ Her hands went to his face, holding him gently. ‘I want to be there for you, to come home to you. For you to come home to me. I already know you love me, and I love you. Can we do this?’
Tom’s eyes were blazing on hers, the fire crackling behind them. ‘I think we can.’ He leaned forward to murmur into her ear. ‘You do throw the most amazing birthday parties.’
‘Can we put that in the movie?’
‘Nope. That was our evening, I’ll have to think of something else.’
‘You’re really going to write it?’
‘I think maybe I really am. It sounds like a lot of fun and as you said before, we’ve done most of the research. But you still haven’t given me an answer.’
‘To what?’
‘Liv!’
‘The proposal? Was that what it was?’ She drank in the expression of exasperation and love as Tom stared at her. ‘What would happen in your movie?’
‘They would declare undying love to one another and she’d say yes without torturing him.’
‘Right. Yes. Just a bit of torture, I don’t want to be a predictable wife again, I’d much rather be an unpredictable one. Yes, again, just to be clear. But there’s no rush, right? We should maybe try dating first, even if we are sort of engaged and already living together.’ Olivia was still laughing as Tom pulled her back into his arms and she had to mutter her next words into his chest. ‘Do I get to choose what you wear when we do eventually get married? Can it be…’
‘Olivia Bradshaw, if you say breeches then I’ll…’
She silenced him with a kiss she planted on his mouth, murmuring innocently against his lips parted in a smile. ‘I wasn’t going to say breeches. I was going to say maybe a white shirt. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Right.’ Tom seemed relieved. ‘Good. A white shirt sounds fine.’
‘Unbuttoned, of course, we definitely should have a nod to Harrington. I’m thinking white sand, turquoise seas, sunset, barefoot.’
‘Sounds perfect. Your dad’s always told me that he wants to see more of the Yorkshire coast. Haven’t you, Hugh?’
Olivia heard her dad clear his throat as he returned from the other room with a book, swallowing down the emotion he didn’t often display. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Tom, I said nothing of the sort. It was the Amalfi coast, if you remember. I have an author friend who’s based there.’ Hugh was beside them and he held out a hand to shake Tom’s firmly. ‘Congratulations. I do love it when a plan comes together.’
‘Dad! You’re worse than Ellie. What plan?’
‘Never you mind. Just get on with living it.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
Olivia felt bleary-eyed but still elated when she walked downstairs on Christmas morning. Twitter had gone wild since Tom had read the book and she was replying to notifications in all her free moments, which were in short supply. The party last night had been a huge success and Mrs Timms had been a star, dashing home for extra mince pies from the freezer, which made Olivia laugh whenever she caught Tom’s eye. They had yet to make their own mince pies and she was looking forward to the opportunity.
As it was so late when they’d managed to wave off the last of their guests, Hugh had
suggested they all go to the eleven p.m. church service. Candlelit, it was as beautiful as before and Olivia left her phone at home and strolled through the cold, frosty night with her dad on one side and Tom on the other. She had been sorry to miss Annie and Jon at the service but being just home with a tiny new baby took priority over everything else.
After the service Olivia had made sure her dad was settled in his room, watching him whizz up to the first floor on his stairlift from the landing. When she’d come back down again Tom had opened champagne and was waiting for her. They’d sat up to finish the final two staves of A Christmas Carol, taking turns and reading one each. Christmas Day was already a couple of hours old when they’d finally crept up to bed in Tom’s room, the turkey roasting gently in the oven to maintain the Bradshaw tradition of cooking it overnight, the table laid for breakfast.
This morning Tom had suggested that Olivia take her time and join him downstairs when she was ready. She had her phone in her hand and was messaging Ellie. It was too early for the Zoom that was scheduled for after lunch when Ellie and Logan’s morning had got underway. Tom was at the range when Olivia walked into the kitchen and she went over to slide her arms around him, sniffing appreciatively at the smell of turkey almost ready.
‘Merry Christmas.’ She glanced at the pan he was gently shaking. ‘Pancakes?’
He let go of the pan to cup her face and kiss her. ‘Yes. I remembered you said you used to like coming downstairs for pancakes on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas, I love you.’ He let go with a grin, reaching for the pan just as the contents began to catch. ‘I think it’s fair to say that this Christmas is turning out not at all like the one either of us expected.’
‘Agreed. And I love you too. Even more than I did yesterday, if that’s possible, now I know you can make pancakes. No, don’t say it, I know there must be an end to your talents somewhere.’
‘Yes, but it’ll be ages before we get that far.’ Tom flipped the pan with an expert hand. Olivia could watch him cooking all day: his quiet confidence in bringing a meal together for the three of them, taking care of her just as much as she loved taking care of him. ‘This is ready, is your dad on his way?’
‘No, he’s in the bathroom.’
‘Then it’s yours.’ Tom slid the pancake onto a plate and Olivia settled at the table. ‘Buck’s fizz?’
‘Perfect.’ She stood up again. ‘We’re a team, remember? I’ll get it.’ She shook her head in wonderment as she crossed to the fridge, and he laughed. ‘Look at how well you’ve already trained me.’
It wasn’t long until he joined her and they clinked glasses. ‘What do you think Ellie will say, about us?’ He sounded worried and Olivia wanted to reassure him.
‘She did tell me to go for it, that nice people like you don’t come around that often, especially as I’m crap in the kitchen, according to her.’
‘You’re not really, not totally. You don’t think she’ll think it’s too soon?’
‘Doubt it, she was at pains to point out how incredibly old we are when she was here.’ Olivia saw the relief and then amusement in Tom’s face. ‘How do you think you’ll like having a firecracker for a stepdaughter?’
‘A stepdaughter?’ His voice caught for a second. She left her place and Tom pushed back his chair so she could sit on his lap, and their arms went around one another. ‘That sounds wonderful. I hope she will think so too.’
‘Oh, she will, and she’ll let you know if you’re getting it wrong.’
‘I’m just so looking forward to being part of your family.’
‘You already are.’ Olivia touched his face with a hand. ‘And you might want to include a stepson-in-law in there too. I don’t think Logan’s going anywhere in a hurry, although I hope they don’t rush into anything.’
‘Like us, you mean?’
‘Tom, we haven’t talked about practicalities.’ Her voice was suddenly small. ‘What we’re going to do, where we’ll live.’
‘You could live here, with me,’ he said. ‘I’ve got six months, but I don’t plan to stay on in the house forever. Once I’m working then we could search for somewhere to share together. Apparently you’re pretty good at that.’ Tom was laughing as she raised her eyebrows. ‘Unless you want to be in your apartment?’
‘I absolutely don’t. Manchester is a great place to live but it’s never really felt like home, not like Thorndale. Living here with you sounds amazing until we find something else. I can work from here and travel when I need to.’ She was quieter still. ‘Tell me you didn’t take the job because of me?’
‘Not entirely. I want to have a go at the role and I think I can make a success of it. There’s the possibility of acting workshops too and you’ve always been right, Liv, about my profile. It will help if I use it in the right way and it was one of the reasons the board wanted me.’ Tom was stroking her hair in a way Olivia found entirely too distracting and it was harder to think about work in this moment.
‘My dad will be over the moon that you’ve accepted. Congratulations, I’m so pleased for you. I think you’ll be wonderful and they’re so lucky to have you. You’ll bring such a lot to the job.’
‘Yeah, like writers and more readers, hopefully. If I can encourage people, help them write, then that would be amazing. Teach maybe, too.’
‘I think you’ll be perfect at that. And you have your book to look forward to. You’ll need to make time to write another.’ She tipped her head, lips hovering over his mouth. ‘I think the turkey might be ready.’
‘Oh?’ Tom’s hand was in Olivia’s hair, drawing her closer. ‘It can wait.’
‘I’m not sure it can.’ Her lips were against his mouth now and she kissed the corner, felt his other hand tightening on her back. ‘We might burn it. And it’s Christmas Day, we won’t get another.’ She kissed him again and freed herself as he pulled a face, reluctant to let her go. ‘I’m telling you, it’s done. Someone needs to keep this meal on track.’
Olivia crossed the room, carefully lifting the turkey from the oven and leaving it to rest on the top of the range. ‘Perfect. Just in time, good thing I didn’t let you keep on distracting me.’
‘When are we Zooming Ellie and Logan?’
‘After lunch, about three, before they get stuck into their meal. They were planning to go swimming first thing.’
‘Then when we’ve spoken with them and shared our news, I’ll give you your present.’
‘You’ve got me a present?’ Olivia had finished checking the turkey and she whirled around to face Tom. ‘But what if I haven’t got you one?’
‘That doesn’t matter. I wanted to give you a gift, I’m not bothered about me.’
‘But I am. Luckily I did get you one too, because I like giving gifts as much as I do receiving them.’ She started to laugh. ‘I think I’ve just worked out what yours is going to be.’
‘Have you been rummaging underneath the tree?’
‘Don’t need to.’ Olivia was still merry. ‘It’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s a DVD of your series with all the extras and behind-the-scenes stuff. Because I haven’t seen it yet.’
‘Busted.’ Tom was grinning as she continued.
‘That’s something to look forward to, spending Boxing Day with Harrington and watching women swooning.’
‘I can do better than a DVD.’ Tom left the table to walk towards her and Olivia swallowed down her giggle at the look in his eyes.
‘Oh?’
He caught her, swinging her around as she half-heartedly tried to make him set her down again. ‘You’re going to be spending the day with the real thing. Breeches, shirt, boots, whatever you want. On or off.’
‘Seriously? You’ve actually got them here?’ Olivia was gasping with laughter now, her feet almost back on the ground, and she was still smiling as she kissed him. ‘I don’t want any of that. Just you. Only you.’
* * *
The lunch that Olivia and Tom produced together was a triumph. She’d insisted on doing the
roast potatoes and he’d made the gravy, and her dad had pronounced it perfect. The little shop at the end of the garden was in darkness and she began to realise she didn’t mind so much now. She’d realised how tiring yesterday had been for her dad and he had accepted the changes in his life, had begun to embrace them with the new friends he was making on his rambles around town. Living here with Tom, at least for now, meant that they would be able to see her dad more often.
Over Christmas pudding Olivia stunned the pair of them when she announced that she’d taken the rest of the week off too and had put an out of office on her email. Family time, even with Ellie and Logan far away, plus this burgeoning relationship with Tom, was all too new and precious to let her clients call her away. Work could wait for the New Year and then she would be able to help Tom sort through the books and they could clear the house together, readying it for the handover to the arts consortium.
She tried and failed not to cry when they Zoomed Ellie and Logan and saw them sitting outside in the sunshine on the beach in Tobago, looking healthy, relaxed and fit. They were having a wonderful time and two of Ellie’s stepbrothers were visiting too so she was enjoying getting to know her younger siblings better. She was thrilled about Olivia and Tom’s news, even if she did give them a sideways look when they said they were planning to marry at some point but there was no immediate rush. Hugh was with them and it was over an hour before they said goodbye.
Her dad was still tired from last night’s activities, and he wandered off to his library for a snooze, book in hand. Olivia covered him with a blanket and returned to the sitting room to see that Tom had topped up their champagne flutes with the last of the bottle they had opened over lunch. He set the glasses down on the coffee table.
‘Would you like your present?’