The Country Village Christmas Show

by Cathy Lake

  ‘See you later,’ she said, as she let herself and Goliath out onto the street.

  ‘You certainly will.’

  And just like that, something between them had changed. They had arranged to meet again and Clare had to stop herself from cheering as she walked along the street, because she knew that he was watching her go.

  Chapter 22

  ‘What time did Nanna say she’d be here?’ Clare asked Kyle as they set the hall up ready for the final auditions. It was five thirty and Clare was trying to ignore the fluttering in her belly every time she thought about seeing Sam again.

  ‘She should be here already.’ Kyle frowned.

  ‘I’m here! Stop fussing, Clare,’ Elaine said, rushing in at that moment.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Clare asked, then realised her hands were on her hips, making her appear quite confrontational.

  ‘I met someone for lunch.’

  ‘Lunch?’ Clare glanced at Kyle, but he was lost in his mobile phone.

  ‘Yes, Clare, you know that meal you eat between breakfast and dinner?’

  ‘Mum!’ She shook her head. ‘I’ve been back in the village for seven weeks and you haven’t been out for lunch once.’

  Elaine shrugged, a smile dancing on her lips. She looked so much better than she had done since Clare had come back to Little Bramble. She’d even put some make-up on.

  ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘To the vicarage.’

  ‘You had lunch with the vicar?’

  Kyle lowered his phone. ‘Was he wearing the lime-green Lycra, Nanna?’

  ‘No, he wasn’t, Kyle! And yes, Clare, at the vicarage.’

  Clare stared at her mum, taking in the glow on her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. Was there more to this than just lunch?

  ‘But he’s a bit younger than you.’

  Elaine rolled her eyes. ‘I had lunch with him, Clare, not on him, and even if there was more to this than sandwiches, why should it matter?’

  Clare searched for an answer that didn’t sound condescending or petty. Her mum was seventy-five and perfectly entitled to have lunch with whomever she liked, but it was more the fact that it had come out of the blue. Or had it? She’d been worried about her mum seeming low, about how they still seemed to clash over the same things they had when Clare was younger. She’d been caught up with showing Elaine how well she managed things, with not letting her barbs hit home, with being a good mum to Kyle and trying to ensure that everything ran smoothly between the three of them, with preparing everything for the auditions and the show, that she hadn’t noticed her mum making any extra calls or sending texts or leaving the cottage. Was this a new thing that had happened just this week or was it more long-term? Was it the magic effect of the show, bringing people together?

  ‘Nanna has a toy boy.’ Kyle laughed. ‘Good for you, Nanna.’

  ‘Thank you, darling. Although he’s only eight years younger than me.’

  ‘You’re in good shape for your age, Nanna, don’t you worry.’

  ‘For my age?’ Elaine raised her eyebrows at her grandson.

  ‘I meant for any age, Nanna. You’re a hottie.’

  Elaine giggled then, raising a hand to cover her mouth. ‘I shall have to tell Iolo that I’m a hottie.’

  Clare shook her head. Her mum had gone from seeming incredibly low to being almost as vivacious and effervescent as she had been when Clare was growing up. That was the contradiction that was her mum; she was both bubbly and harsh, the life and soul of the party and yet the cool disciplinarian. Thinking about it now, Clare became aware that the version of her mum that she knew was different to the version that others knew. It wasn’t that she expected her to be her best friend in the whole world, more that she wanted to understand why her mum had been the way she was to her only child.

  She resolved to speak to her about it later on. Some things could be ignored, but for Clare, finding out why her mum was such a woman of contradictions was becoming paramount.

  ‘Ooh! Who’s that?’ Kyle tapped Clare’s shoulder and she turned to the door. Her stomach lurched and she inhaled sharply.

  ‘That, Kyle, is Samuel Wilson. The local vet. He’s come here to help judge the auditions.’ Clare felt rather than saw her son’s gaze burning into her face. Was she that transparent?

  If so, at least Kyle would understand her. At least she wasn’t a mass of confusing contradictions.

  Walking into the hall was quite daunting for Sam, with Clare, Elaine and a man he thought must be Clare’s son all staring at him. He hoped he wasn’t about to trip or sneeze or do anything else that might affect his entrance. He felt as if he was auditioning – and perhaps he was, in a way. He was trying on the role of being Clare’s friend, and being judged by her mother and son was a part of that. They had every right to assess his suitability, just as he had assessed Sebastian’s. Although that matter was still not resolved and until he had the time to have a proper conversation with Alyssa, he wasn’t sure how it could be.

  ‘Evening.’ Clare smiled at him and some of the tension in his shoulders drained away. ‘I’m not sure you know my son, Kyle. Kyle, this is Sam.’

  ‘Hi.’ He smiled at them and Kyle gave a small wave, then looked him up and down. He pretended not to notice.

  ‘So, you’re here to help us with the auditions, are you?’ Elaine nodded.

  ‘Clare invited me.’ He felt the need to explain, in case she hadn’t told them, then he did a double take at Elaine. She looked different, healthier somehow. Perhaps having her family around her was having a positive impact.

  ‘Wonderful!’ Elaine took a seat at the table in front of the stage. ‘The more the merrier.’

  ‘How was your afternoon?’ Clare asked Sam, as Kyle took a seat next to his grandmother.

  ‘Not bad. I had to empty a bulldog’s anal glands and X-ray a bearded dragon’s broken tail, but apart from that, it was quiet.’

  ‘Your job is so interesting.’ Clare blinked up at him and he knew that she meant it. ‘I always wanted to work with animals.’

  ‘Why didn’t you?’

  ‘I fell for a man’s charm, got married, had a child.’ She sighed.

  ‘All good things to do, but you could still have worked with animals.’

  ‘Perhaps. Time just got away from me.’

  ‘It’s never too late, Clare, and with your job at the stables, you have that opportunity now.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Hey, I know – why don’t you come and spend some time observing at the surgery? You could see what we do, learn about the different roles there, see if you’d fancy it. If you’re too busy at the moment with the show, we could arrange it for after Christmas.’

  ‘I’m too old to retrain.’

  That’s nonsense.’ He shook his head. ‘You can do anything you put your mind to.’

  Her eyes flickered from side to side and when she looked up again, he saw that they were glistening.

  ‘Hey . . .’ He lowered his voice, not wanting to draw Elaine and Kyle’s attention to her. ‘What’s wrong?’

  She shook her head, pressing her lips together until they turned white.

  ‘Tell me. You can trust me.’ He flashed her a smile. ‘I trust you.’

  ‘I-I’m not used to being told things like that. No one’s ever said things like that to me before. Except my dad and Kyle.’

  Sam squeezed her shoulder, then hugged her quickly behind her mother and son’s backs. Before he knew what he was doing, he had pressed a kiss to her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. ‘Believe in yourself, Clare. You’re amazing.’

  He gently released her and she looked up at him again, but the emotion in her eyes had changed to something that made his nerve endings tingle and he had to fight the impulse to pull her close again. It was probably a good thing that her family were there because Sam was finding his attraction to Clare and his emotions when he was close to her quite overwhelming. Telling her so much about his past earlier that day had
created a bond between them and it was an unfamiliar feeling for him, but one that he liked.

  He just hoped that they would be able to continue to nurture whatever it was that was growing between them.

  Sitting next to Sam, trying to concentrate on the acts as they performed, Clare found it difficult to keep still, even with her mum and Kyle on the other side of her. Sam had kissed her hair in the way a lover might. The strangest thing about it was that it felt so natural being with him, having his hands on her, his lips against her hair. It was, if she allowed herself to be extremely romantic, almost as though they were meant to be this way.

  She was aware that it had been a long time since a man had held her, kissed her or caressed her and that she could be experiencing such a dramatic reaction to Sam because he was the first man to show her any attention in quite some time. She might be naïve about some things, but she could, at least, understand that. Even in the early days with Jason, he’d never been particularly affectionate or attentive. They’d been in love, she didn’t doubt that, but it had been a different type of love. Clare had been so young, so keen to prove to her parents – especially her mum – how grown-up she was, how strong she was and how she could make her own life, create her own home. It was even possible that she had latched onto Jason as the first decent man to show her some attention other than her father; he had made it easy for her to fall for him. But their relationship had not been one of equals and she had not felt valued for a lot of their time together.

  Sam made her feel valued, and it was refreshing. Finally, she knew what it was to see herself through someone else’s eyes – not as a daughter, wife or mother, but as a person with value just for being herself – and she liked what she saw. Perhaps this was what she’d read about in novels and magazines, finding that special someone who made you the best version of yourself because they believed in you. She knew that she shouldn’t ever need a man to feel confident, that she didn’t need a man full stop, and that she was enough on her own, but it was still very enjoyable to see herself from his perspective . . .

  The acts they’d seen so far had included a salsa dancing team of six ten-year-olds and a teenaged boy playing acoustic guitar while his girlfriend sang ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ and shook a tambourine. The final act was Alyssa Wilson.

  She entered the hall in her wheelchair and went to the stage, then up the ramp on the far side. When she’d parked in the middle of the stage, she announced her name, which all the acts had been asked to do, even though the judges knew who everyone was.

  Kyle leant over the desk. ‘Is she your sister, Sam?’

  He nodded.

  ‘She’s gorgeous.’

  ‘And in a relationship, Kyle,’ Clare added quickly, not wanting him to get any ideas.

  ‘Shame.’ He folded his arms and sat back in his chair.

  ‘Thanks,’ Sam whispered. ‘I don’t think I could cope with her being involved in a love triangle.’

  Clare hid her smile behind her hand. Kyle was right, though, Alyssa was gorgeous. Her hair had been styled into a curly topknot, exposing her beautiful face and long, elegant neck. She was wearing a red skater-style dress with tiny white moons on it and black knee-length biker-style boots. Next to Clare, Sam tensed, and her heart went out to him. There was something not quite right between the siblings and she suspected it was linked to the accident in some way. She hoped that Sam would tell her at some point, not because she was nosy, but because it was clearly bothering him, and it might help him to get it off his chest.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Kyle asked Alyssa.

  ‘I didn’t realise you’d be on the panel,’ Alyssa said to Sam.

  ‘Do you mind?’ he asked.

  ‘No. It’s fine.’ She shrugged and then, unaccompanied by an instrument, she started to sing . . .

  ‘That was incredible, Alyssa!’ Elaine stood up and clapped loudly. ‘You have the voice of an angel. You can be the star of the show.’

  ‘I agree!’ Kyle said as they all stood up, even Sam, who must have heard his sister sing many times before.

  ‘I don’t think we need to confer,’ Clare said when she could speak again. ‘We want you in the show.’

  Alyssa beamed at them all. ‘Thank you. I’m delighted.’

  ‘We’ll be in touch with the arrangements and rehearsal times.’ Clare smiled.

  ‘I’ll look forward to it.’ Alyssa pushed herself down the ramp and across the hallway.

  ‘Alyssa!’ Sam hurried after her. ‘Can I have a word?’

  They went out into the hallway and Clare turned to her mum and son. ‘So we’ve seen all of the acts now.’

  ‘Except for mine, but I’m polishing it at the moment and will reveal all soon. Thank you so much for organising this, you two.’ Elaine grinned at Clare, then cupped Kyle’s cheek before kissing it. ‘I’m so excited about the show. It will make Christmas all the more festive this year!’

  ‘It will.’

  ‘Now, I have a date – I mean – oh hell, it’s a date. Who am I trying to kid?’ Elaine giggled as she put her coat on. ‘Soooo, don’t wait up for me.’

  ‘Wait!’ Clare held up a hand. ‘A date with whom?’

  ‘The vicar again?’ Kyle asked, raising his eyebrows.

  ‘Who else?’ Clare’s mum replied.

  ‘But you had lunch with him.’ Clare shook her head.

  ‘And I’m having dinner with him too.’ Elaine pulled a hat over her hair, then zipped up her coat. ‘As I said, don’t wait up.’

  She marched out of the hall and Clare was left alone with Kyle.

  ‘What on earth . . . ?’ Clare let the question hang in the air and her son started to laugh.

  ‘Well, it’s good to see her in a better mood.’

  ‘I can’t disagree with that, but it’s a bit strange.’

  ‘Seeing your mother dating?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But you’re happy she’s happier?’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Then don’t worry about it.’

  ‘I’ll try not to. Don’t you think she’s turned around quite quickly from being so low to being so . . . excited?’

  He nodded slowly. ‘Perhaps, but Nanna was never one to do things by halves, was she? And, Mum, I’m convinced that your presence in the village, along with the show, has had a wonderfully positive impact upon her.’

  ‘I hope so, because I really wanted to help her. But I can’t take all the credit. You’ve helped enormously.’

  ‘We’re a great team, Mum.’

  They hugged and Clare’s heart brimmed with love for her family, her mind whirling with thoughts of how things could continue to improve. Then she heard raised voices from outside the door and her thoughts returned to Sam.

  What on earth was going on?

  Chapter 23

  ‘I’m moving out and that’s the end of it!’

  ‘But why?’

  ‘I’ve already explained twice, Sam.’

  Alyssa glared at him, her pretty face contorted with frustration.

  ‘But you’ve only known him five minutes, Alyssa, and it’s a hell of a responsibility to take on.’

  ‘How dare you!’ Her knuckles were white because she was gripping the wheels of her chair so tightly.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’m not a responsibility.’

  ‘I didn’t mean you were the responsibility.’ He slapped his hands against his head. ‘I meant you taking on him and his child.’

  ‘Oh . . . Well, that’s my decision to make. Not yours!’

  ‘I know it’s your decision, Alyssa, I really do, but I’m worried about you. Don’t you see that? I love you, I’m your brother and I feel that I should look out for you.’

  ‘Looking out for me and trying to wrap me up in cotton wool for the rest of my life are two different things, Sam. Can’t you see that?’

  Sighing, he experienced the sensation of sinking, as if someone had wrapped a heavy chain aroun
d him then padlocked it and thrown him into the sea. He was drowning in the complexities of the situation. It was so hard to get it right, to say and do the right things. To show Alyssa that he loved and cared for her, that he did not want to control her or ruin her life.

  ‘I can see that, Alyssa, but I just want what’s best for you. Since Mum and then Dad passed away, I’ve felt that I have to look out for you.’

  ‘Do not start down that route again, Sam. You can’t use being there for me as an excuse to avoid living your own life. You’ve done it for years, shied away from relationships, avoided feeling anything for anyone because you’re scared.’

  ‘What? That’s not true.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ Her eyes shone and her bottom lip was trembling. ‘Sam, I do appreciate what you’ve done for me, but you can’t spend the rest of your life trying to make up for something that wasn’t your fault.’

  He gasped as pain ricocheted through his chest. ‘But it was –’

  Alyssa was shaking her head furiously. ‘No. It wasn’t. I made the choices. You didn’t force me to rush out that night or to get on my bike when I could barely see for tears.’

  ‘I should have stopped you going.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have been able to, Sam.’

  ‘But I’m so sorry.’

  ‘I know. Me too. But now I have a chance to be happy, to have a family of my own.’ She placed a hand over her belly. ‘Also . . .’

  ‘No!’ His mouth fell open. ‘Really? Alyssa, how could you? I mean, you know the risks. And after last time . . .’

  A tear rolled down her cheek and plopped onto her chest.

  ‘I had hoped that you’d be more understanding. It’s very early days and it took me by surprise too. But this child, the possibilities it offers for me to live the life I’ve always wanted . . . Can’t you be happy for me, Sam?’

  He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe this was happening again. Alyssa had been so irresponsible. Not just once, but twice. And matters were even more complicated now.