Single All the Way: An unputdownable and uplifting Christmas romance

by Karen King

  Another message pinged onto her phone. It was from Dan.

  Merry Christmas, Mum. I hope you and Dad sort this mess out for the new year xx

  Typical Dan. She sent him a short Merry Christmas message back, promising to give him a ring later and speak to Tom. The little lad would be wondering why they weren’t going to Nanny and Grandad’s. Had Dan and Katya told him yet that his grandparents had split up? The thought of her darling little grandson running into the house expecting to see Nanny there brought the now familiar lump to her throat. It was all such a mess. You’ll sort it, and you’ll get a home of your own and Tom can come and see you there, she reminded herself.

  As if sensing that she was behind him, Rory suddenly turned, his gaze resting on her briefly, his face breaking into that endearing smile. ‘Come on, Sally. Let’s see if you can guess this trick before Sam does.’

  Sally smiled back as she walked over to them. ‘Okay, but be warned, I have eagle eyes so it will take a lot to get past me.’

  ‘Now there’s a challenge!’ Rory said, promptly picking up a pack of five cards and placing them fan-shaped on the table. ‘Concentrate on one of the cards and memorise it.’

  Sally stared at the ten of clubs and really concentrated on it.

  ‘Now let me see if I can read your mind.’ Rory picked the cards up, shuffled them and placed them face down on the table. Then he placed his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes as if he was really concentrating. To Sally’s astonishment, he tapped one of the cards, turned it over… and it was the ten of clubs! Try as she could, Sally couldn’t – to Rory’s delight – see how he had done the trick.

  ‘That’s his party piece,’ Rose said with a smile.

  ‘Right, I’m off to get the parents now. Want to come, Sam?’ Rory asked.

  Sam’s face broke out into a grin. ‘Yes please! Are you going in your Santa outfit?’

  ‘Of course I am. Your great-gran and grandad will love it.’ Rory turned to Sally and Meg. ‘Won’t be long.’

  ‘It’ll be lovely to see your parents again, they were so kind to me and Ted,’ Sally told Rose when Rory and Sam had left. ‘I doubt if they will remember us though. So many people must have come to that café.’

  ‘Dad’s ninety-two and Mum almost ninety. They might remember you, though; they still have all their faculties, although they tire so easily now. They’ll probably only stay a couple of hours, but it’s lovely for us all to get together as a family.’

  * * *

  Rory and Sam returned about twenty minutes later with Bert and May. Despite the almost forty years since she had seen them Sally still recognised them, and when Rose had introduced her, May’s eyes sparkled. ‘I remember you and your husband, dear. Such a lovely young couple, so in love, just like me and my Bert.’

  The old man squeezed May’s hand and Sally felt tears prick her eyes. If only their love could have lasted, like Bert and May’s had.

  May looked around. ‘Is your husband here?’

  Sally hadn’t got the heart to tell her that she and Ted had now split up. ‘I’m afraid not, but I’ll let him know I met you both again. You were both so kind to us on our honeymoon.’

  As if sensing Sally’s awkwardness, Rose clapped her hands. ‘Right, everyone, dinner’s ready. Take your seats, please.’

  ‘At least let me help you dish up,’ Sally offered.

  Rory shook his head. ‘You’re a guest. Rose and I will do it together. You sit yourself down and relax.’

  Well, I have to admit that it’s nice to be waited on at Christmas, Sally thought as Rory pulled out a chair and indicated for her to sit down. Usually she was the one cooking the dinner and waiting on everyone. Ted rarely did anything in the kitchen. No wonder he was happy to accept Paula’s invitation to dinner – all he had to do was nip next door.

  I’m not going to think about Ted and Paula having dinner together, she reminded herself. She was going to enjoy the day.

  Sally found that she was sitting between Rose and Rory while Meg was seated opposite, next to Leo and Sam. Obviously, Rose was trying to ensure they all mingled rather than sitting her and Meg next to each other. It was something Sally would have done too.

  ‘Bubbly, madam?’ Rory picked up a bottle of cava.

  ‘Yes, please.’

  Rory poured everyone a glass of cava – fizzy apple juice for Sam, so he didn’t feel left out, and for Leo, who was driving, and half a glass each for Meg and Bert – then went to help Rose bring the food in.

  It was a wonderful meal. Roast turkey with all the trimmings, mashed and roast potatoes, a variety of vegetables, and lots of light conversation and laughter. Sally was pleased to see that Meg was enjoying herself – she threw back her head and laughed as she pulled a cracker with Sam, nearly falling off her chair as it tore apart, leaving her with the larger half that contained a bright red party hat and a motto. She placed it on her head, slightly askew, and Leo leant over and straightened it up. Meg laughed again. She looks happy, Sally thought, feeling glad that she’d talked Meg into coming down to Cornwall and spending Christmas with her rather than going to stay with a friend, or Ted. She didn’t know what the new year would bring for either of them, but she would always be grateful that they’d had this special time together.

  35

  Meg

  ‘Are any of you joining in the Boxing Day beach swim tomorrow?’ Rory asked as they all tucked into home-made Christmas pudding and brandy sauce. He winked at Sally. ‘I bet you’re up for it.’

  ‘Are you serious?’ Meg asked. ‘It’s freezing.’

  ‘I know, but it’s a tradition on quite a lot of the beaches in Cornwall, usually for charity. Mum and Dad started it here years ago to support the RNLI – the lifeboats,’ Rose said, dipping her spoon into her pudding.

  Meg and Bert exchanged a smile. ‘We raised a lot of money over the years,’ Bert said.

  ‘You certainly did,’ Rose agreed. She turned back to Meg. ‘It’s only a pound to enter and it’s great fun. Everyone gathers at the beach in front of the café – we allow wetsuits but a lot of places don’t – and then we all take a dip into the sea. Some people come in fancy dress, others in really old-fashioned bathing costumes. We serve hot chocolate, toast and bacon butties afterwards, and all our profits go to the charity too.’

  ‘Can we enter? Please, Dad!’ Sam asked eagerly.

  ‘Sure, I’ve got a wetsuit and bought one for you too, in case you wanted to take a dip.’ He threw a challenging look at Meg. ‘Are you up for it?’

  ‘I haven’t got a wetsuit or even a bathing costume with me,’ she told him. Taking a dip in the sea hadn’t even crossed her mind when she had packed. And she didn’t really feel like paddling – never mind swimming – in the ice-cold Atlantic Ocean.

  ‘Go in fancy dress then. I’ve got some costumes upstairs. I keep them in case any visitors want to join in the charity swim and don’t have a costume with them.’

  ‘I’ll give it a go, if you don’t mind me borrowing something to wear,’ Sally said.

  ‘Atta girl,’ Rory said approvingly. ‘I knew you would.’

  ‘But only if Rory does too,’ Sally added mischievously.

  ‘I’m needed in the café to help Rose with the hot sandwiches and drinks,’ Rory protested.

  ‘Nonsense, I can get Maisie to cover for you while you have a swim,’ Rose said, winking at Sally. ‘No excuses!’

  ‘Okay. I’m up for it. If Sally does it, I will too,’ Rory announced.

  ‘And you, Meg?’ Sam said.

  Well, she didn’t really have much choice if Mum and Rory were doing it, did she? Besides, it sounded fun. She was always up for doing something different, and this Christmas was certainly different to any Christmas she had spent before. She nodded. ‘Sure, I will, but only if Leo wears a fancy-dress costume instead of a wetsuit. It’s only fair,’ she added, seeing the mock-outraged look on Leo’s face. ‘Mum and I don’t have wetsuits with us.’

  ‘I think other than Sam,
we should all wear fancy-dress costumes – you too, Rory,’ Sally said.

  ‘That’s not fair. I want to dress up too!’ Sam said.

  ‘It’s safer for you to wear a wetsuit, Sam. But how about you put a fancy-dress costume over it then take it off before you go into the sea?’

  ‘Okay,’ Sam agreed.

  ‘Do you have enough for us all, Rose?’ Sally asked. ‘If not, Meg and I can sort something out, I’m sure.’

  Rose’s eyes twinkled. ‘I definitely do. I’ll bring the box down when we’ve finished our dinner and you can all rummage through and choose a costume.’

  * * *

  Rose had a huge box of costumes, ranging from pirate outfits to princess dresses, animal costumes and Victorian swimwear.

  ‘I think you should wear this!’ Sally told Rory, holding up a striped man’s bathing suit from the 1920s.

  ‘Only if you wear this,’ Rory told her, pointing to a Victorian navy-blue two-piece swimsuit, complete with lace-trimmed bloomers.

  Meg chuckled. She could imagine her mum wearing that!

  After much laughter, all the costumes were chosen: a pirate outfit for Leo, Superman for Sam to wear over his wetsuit, and for Meg, a joker’s costume consisting of a red-and-yellow tabard with matching leggings, complete with a hat with bells on it. They all took it in turns to try the costumes on in Rose’s bedroom, agreeing not to show the others until they lined up for the swim.

  * * *

  It was only when she got home that night that Meg realised she’d hardly thought about Oliver all day. I can get over him, she thought. I just need to keep myself busy. And she wasn’t going to wonder if, like her dad, Oliver had sought solace in another woman’s company for Christmas. She couldn’t bear to think about Oliver with someone else.

  36

  Boxing Day

  Sally

  ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this!’ Meg said as she and Sally – clad in jeans and thick jumpers – went out to meet Leo and Sam, who they’d arranged to walk down to the beach with so none of them would feel so conspicuous. It was quite a mild day but there was a bite to the air.

  ‘Me neither, but it will be fun,’ Sally said, her cheeks red with the wind. ‘Rose said that the Boxing Day swim even takes place if it snows so I guess we should be grateful it isn’t any colder.’

  Meg shivered. ‘Well, I don’t think I’d take part if it was snowing – although I reckon young Sam would probably try and talk us into it. Ah… here they are!’ She waved as the front door opened and Leo and Sam came out.

  Sam was practically bouncing up and down with excitement but Leo looked a bit more subdued. ‘The things this one talks me into doing,’ he said, jerking his thumb at Sam. ‘Honestly, kids!’

  ‘You love it! You have loads of fun with me, and you know it!’ Sam retorted with a grin.

  Leo grinned back and ruffled his young son’s hair.

  * * *

  When they arrived at the beach there was already a crowd of people there, dressed in wetsuits and various fancy-dress costumes, and even one young woman in a bikini while her equally young partner wore a pair of Speedos.

  ‘They make me feel cold just looking at them,’ Meg said with a shiver.

  Rose had told them that the council had given permission for the participants to use the beach huts to get changed, so Meg and Sally found an empty one and quickly undressed, folding up their clothes and placing them in the carrier bags they’d brought their costumes in.

  ‘You look great,’ Meg said admiringly. The Victorian swimming costume really suited her mum.

  ‘So do you! Sam’s going to love that costume,’ Sally replied.

  She was right: Sam’s eyes widened as soon as he saw Meg. ‘Dad, look at Meg! She looks amazing!’ he shouted, pointing at her.

  Leo – a very dashing pirate complete with a dark, curly wig and a moustache – turned around, his gaze sweeping over Meg from the tight one-red-leg and one-yellow-leg leggings to the short tunic and the jester hat. ‘Fantastic!’

  ‘Look at Rory!’ Sally giggled as Rory strode towards them in the black-and-white bathing suit that came down to his elbows and knees, clinging to his rather fit and muscly body. No sign of a paunch, unlike Ted, Sally noticed.

  Rory rubbed his hands together when he reached them. ‘Okay, everyone. Five minutes until take-off so we all need to line up on the beach.’

  Rose and a man and lady who Meg recognised from the Christmas Fayre – but whose name she couldn’t remember – were collecting the one-pound entrance fee from everyone and writing their names down on a sheet of paper. Bert and May were sitting on deck chairs on the beach, a blanket over their knees, watching the action. Apart from the swimmers, there was a crowd of spectators and a reporter from the local paper. Lifeguards and first-aiders were also present. This was going to be quite an event.

  ‘If you’d all take your places, please, I’ll start the countdown.’ Rose raised her voice to be heard above the commotion on the beach.

  Everyone lined up on the beach, ready for the plunge into the icy ocean.

  ‘Remember, you can swim or paddle, whichever you prefer. And don’t get carried away and swim too far out. The sea is cold: you’ll get hypothermia in no time,’ Rose warned the waiting competitors. ‘Now, I’m going to count down from five. Are you ready?’

  ‘Yes!’ came the chorus.

  ‘Good. Here were go. Five, four, three, two… ONE!’

  And they were off!

  Rory raced across the sand like someone half his age; Sally guessed that working outdoors on his boat kept him fit. Leo was trying to keep up with him but failing. Meg sped past Leo, waving as she passed him, but he caught up again and they were neck and neck as they raced to the sea.

  Meg lunged and jumped into the water just before Leo did. ‘Aargh! It’s cold!’ she yelled.

  ‘What do you expect in December?’ Leo dived in and swam off a little way, Sam close behind him, then he turned back to keep an eye on his son.

  Meg dived into the waves and Rory was already swimming off.

  Sally hesitated; the water was cold but bracing too, tingling through her body, making her feel alive. What the hell, she was going to swim too. She dived into the water. This is living!

  Suddenly a wave crashed over her, foamy white water gushed into her mouth, her eyes and she gasped for breath. She felt a hand grab her and lift her up, and she reached out for the solid body beside her, wondering who had rescued her from swallowing even more seawater.

  It was Rory. ‘It’s okay. Take a breath,’ he said, his arms around her, his face close to hers.

  She took a deep breath. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘My pleasure.’ His eyes were gazing into hers and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  ‘Well saved, Uncle Rory!’ Sam’s shout broke the spell and Rory released her, turning to his nephew. ‘I used to be a lifeguard in my youth, you know.’

  ‘Really? Wow!’ Sam turned to his dad, who was swimming beside him. ‘This is brilliant! It’s the best Christmas I’ve ever had!’ His face lit up with happiness.

  ‘Mine too, son. Mine too,’ Leo said, and he wrapped Sam in a hug.

  Sally watched them both, her mind still in shock. What had happened then? She’d felt some kind of connection when Rory had gazed into her eyes like that. Had he felt it too?

  * * *

  After the swim, everyone got changed and headed back to the café for hot drinks and food. Rory settled Meg and Bert at a table in the corner, by the radiator, then went straight behind the counter to help Rose, despite her telling him to sit down as she had plenty of help, and Sally offered to help too. She wanted to keep busy; she didn’t want to think about being in Rory’s arms in the sea. She wondered if he felt awkward too, as he was suddenly busy talking to a group of people. Is he avoiding me?

  It was a lively, friendly atmosphere with lots of jesting, and loud cheering when Rose announced the very generous amount they’d raised for the lifeboats. ‘Thank you all
for taking part,’ she said. ‘We’re really grateful for your support.’

  After a couple more drinks Sally glanced at her watch.

  ‘Well, that was a fun way to work off the huge Christmas dinner we ate yesterday,’ she said. ‘What do you fancy doing now? Shall we go back home, have a shower then take a drive? We could go to Tintagel, see the castle and the village. Your dad and I had lunch in a lovely little inn with fantastic views of the cove. I wonder if it’s still open.’

  ‘That sounds fun,’ Meg told her. ‘I’ve always fancied going to Tintagel. I love all those stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.’

  ‘It’s well worth a visit,’ Rose told her. ‘Mind, I don’t know if you can go in the castle; they have been doing some repairs to it.’

  ‘I don’t mind. I’m happy to look around the village and see the castle from the outside. It’d be nice to do something today. I’m going back home tomorrow.’

  ‘Are you, love? Well it’s been lovely to meet you, and I hope everything works out for you,’ Rose told her. ‘Are you going too, Sally?’

  ‘No, I’m here until next Friday. Then I’m not sure what I’m doing,’ Sally told her. She was so glad that she’d decided to come down to Goolan Bay again, and had met these friendly people. She’d miss Meg, but she wouldn’t be on her own when she left.

  She was facing a future on her own though, wasn’t she? A future without Ted. And yes, there was more than a tinge of sadness in that knowledge, but also an enormous sense of freedom.

  37

  Oliver

  Oliver groaned. His neck ached and his head was thudding – he’d fallen asleep in the armchair, he realised. He glanced at the clock on the lounge wall. Just gone eleven in the morning. Well, it was over. The first Christmas he’d spent without Meg since she’d walked into the garden he was helping redesign at her parents’ house seven years ago. He’d fallen in love with her at first sight, and she’d told him afterwards that she’d felt the same. It wasn’t long before they were inseparable, then living together, then married.