Single All the Way: An unputdownable and uplifting Christmas romance

by Karen King

  Really? He was happy to wait for her? Relief flooded through her. She smiled. ‘I’d like that.’

  His face broke into a grin. ‘No commitment now. You’ve got your life and I’ve got mine. I can see that you need to be free and that’s what I want too.’ His eyes, kind and tender, met hers. ‘If you meet someone while you’re travelling, then that’s fine, just let me know.’

  ‘I will,’ she whispered, although she doubted if she would meet anyone else like Rory.

  ‘Now enjoy your trip. You deserve it.’ He held out his arms. ‘How about a hug goodbye?’

  She stepped into his embrace, leaning her head against his shoulder, trying to ignore the desire to kiss him that was building in her. She lifted her head and looked up to see him smiling down at her, then his lips found hers and they were kissing and it felt right even though she hadn’t kissed anyone like this since Ted – and that had been a long time ago, when their marriage had still been young and fresh.

  ‘At last! I thought you two would never get it together.’

  They both turned to see Rose standing in the doorway, a big grin on her face. ‘Do you want me to go back out for an hour or so?’

  Sally flushed, knowing what Rose was implying. That wasn’t a step she was ready to take yet, but maybe soon. ‘I’m still going around Europe with you,’ she said.

  ‘Of course you are. Rory isn’t one to clip anyone’s wings. He likes his own freedom too much. Maybe you can fly over to join us for the odd weekend though, Rory?’ she suggested.

  Rory looked questioningly at Sally. ‘Please do. I’d like that,’ she told him.

  ‘So would I,’ he agreed.

  ‘That’s settled then. Now who’s for something to eat? I’ve got a cottage pie in the fridge that needs eating up.’ Rose headed off into the kitchen, leaving Sally and Rory to continue their embrace.

  48

  June

  Meg

  It was positive.

  Meg stared at the test strip in a mixture of disbelief, elation and anxiety. Positive. She was pregnant. She was having a baby, a little Oliver or Meg. It seemed incredible that a new life was already forming in her tummy. As the months had passed by she’d worried a little, wondering if they had left it too late. Oliver had tried to reassure her, told her that it would happen in time, and although she hadn’t asked him, she had wondered if he was glad it hadn’t happened yet, if he still had doubts about having a child.

  She sat down, still holding the stick, thrilled but nervous. What would Oliver’s reaction be when the reality that he was about to be a father hit him? Would he be thrilled too or would the old worries resurface? What if he’d only agreed to have a baby to make her happy and still didn’t feel ready for the responsibility?

  She bit her lip. When she’d realised her period was late, she had wondered if she was pregnant, hoped desperately that she was, but she hadn’t mentioned it to Oliver, thinking it might be a false alarm. But it wasn’t, and now she had to tell him.

  Clutching the pregnancy test in her hand, she made her way down the stairs and into the garden where Oliver was standing on a stepladder, hammering in the asphalt on the roof of the shed he’d just assembled. It was a perfect June day, sunny and warm. Laurel and Hardy were out in their pen enjoying the fresh air. She imagined their child sitting on a blanket spread out on the grass, playing with their toys. Maybe a little playhouse too.

  Oliver half-turned towards her. ‘Nearly finished now. What do you think?’ Then he frowned. ‘What’s up?’

  This was not a good time to tell him, not when he was standing on a stepladder.

  As if sensing her hesitation, Oliver got down from the ladder, wiped his hands on his jeans and walked over to her. He placed his hands around her waist. ‘Tell me.’

  She met his eyes, searching them for a reaction as she whispered, ‘I’m pregnant.’

  His eyes lit up as his face broke into a huge grin, and then his arms were around her and he was swinging her up into the air. ‘That’s fantastic!’

  She wanted to cry with relief. ‘Really? You really are pleased?’

  He set her back down again, tilted her chin gently with his finger and smiled into her eyes. ‘Of course I’m pleased. We planned this. It’s what we both want.’ He kissed her, slowly, deeply, and feeling his lips on hers, his arms around her, her doubts faded away.

  He gently released her. ‘Well, if we have a baby on the way, I’d better get this garden sorted, hadn’t I? We’ll be wanting an area for a swing and a slide soon.’

  Meg placed her hand over her still-flat tummy. A baby. It still seemed so incredible. When she thought about the new life growing inside her, the responsibility of being a parent, she got the collywobbles herself. Oliver had been right to worry – what if she wasn’t a good mother? Why had she never thought of that before?

  ‘Hey.’

  Oliver’s voice broke through her thoughts. She blinked and raised her eyes to his face, which was covered with a big smile.

  ‘I recognise that worried look. Remember what you told me. We don’t have to be perfect parents. We simply have to love our baby and do the best for him or her.’

  He was right, she had said that. Who would have thought that when she finally got pregnant, Oliver would take it so calmly and she would be the one to panic?

  Meg put her hand over her tummy again, still hardly believing that she was going to be a mother. ‘I know it’s early days so we don’t want to spread the word yet, but do you mind if I tell Mum?’

  ‘Go ahead. She’ll be delighted. If anything will make her come back from her travels, it’ll be the news that we’re having a baby. I guess I’d better start getting the spare room ready as a nursery.’

  Meg walked into the lounge and sat down on the sofa, her legs curled up beneath her, to make the call. It had been tough for her mum to leave her dad, but she was now so happy travelling around Europe with Rose, and her dad seemed happy too. He’d spruced himself up a bit and was spending a lot of time with Paula.

  Their Christmas in Cornwall together had brought Meg and her mum even closer, and a week didn’t go by without them having a long chat, no matter where in the world her mother was. Right now, it was Italy.

  ‘Hello, darling, how lovely to hear from you. How are you? How are you getting on with Party MO? Has Oliver sorted out your garden yet?’

  At the sound of her mother’s cheery voice, Meg felt herself relax. ‘I’ve got lots of bookings for Party MO, Mum. And Oliver is putting up a shed in the garden as we speak.’

  ‘That’s wonderful. I’m so glad everything’s coming together.’

  ‘How’s Italy?’

  ‘Beautiful. We’re in Rome at the moment. We went to the Sistine Chapel yesterday – it was awe-inspiring. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this trip, Meg. And Rose is marvellous company – a young lad tried to pick her pocket yesterday and you should have seen how she chased after him; she gave him a whack across the ear too.’

  Meg chuckled at the thought of the no-nonsense Rose chasing after the lad and giving him a clip across the ear. It was good to hear her mother so happy. ‘I’ve got some news, Mum…’ She paused. ‘I’m pregnant!’

  ‘Oh, darling, that’s wonderful news. When is the baby due?’

  ‘I’ve only just found out so I think about March.’

  ‘Maybe on my birthday then. What a marvellous present that would be.’

  They chatted some more, with Sally promising that she would come over for a weekend visit soon. ‘I can’t wait to see you both and your new home.’

  * * *

  Later in the week Meg and Oliver went to visit her father and tell him. She was surprised to see a motorhome parked outside the house, the side door open and Dad and Paula inside, titivating some cushions.

  Dad waved when he saw them and popped his head outside the door. ‘Do you like it?’ he asked proudly. ‘Paula and I are going to take off for a few days every now and then, see a bit of the UK.’


  ‘That’s great, Dad,’ Meg said, pleased to see him looking so cheerful. Mum had been right: she and Dad had both been trapped in a loveless marriage, both holding each other back from what they wanted to do. Look at them both now: even Dad was spreading his wings a bit and looked a lot happier. To be honest, initially she hadn’t really liked Paula; she’d felt that she’d been too ready to step into her mum’s shoes, almost as if she’d been waiting in the wings for them to split up. But Dad liked her, and Paula seemed to care a lot about him, so Meg felt herself warming towards her.

  ‘I came to tell you that you’re going to be a grandfather again,’ she announced. She smiled at the incredulous look on her father’s face.

  ‘Oh, that’s wonderful news, pet, wonderful.’ He stepped out and hugged her proudly then patted Oliver on the back.

  Paula followed him, a big smile on her face. ‘That’s marvellous, Meg. Congratulations to you both.’

  ‘Come into the house, both of you. Let me put the kettle on and you can tell me all about it.’ Dad shut the door of the motorhome, locked it then set off down the garden path.

  The house had a different air about it now, almost as if her mother had never lived there. It had been tidied up for the sale – ‘minimalised’ as Paula called it. She wondered what Dad would do when it was sold, but as she watched Paula fussing around putting the kettle on, taking a home-made cake out of a tin and slicing it up, she had an idea he wouldn’t be moving very far away.

  Epilogue

  The next summer

  ‘She’s beautiful,’ Oliver said, gazing down at their four-month-old daughter, Katie, lying in Meg’s arms, dressed in the cream lace christening gown that both Dan and Meg had worn, and Sally too, and her mother before her.

  Meg watched him gently stroking the baby’s cheek with his finger, her heart bursting with love and pride. Oliver doted on Katie, and despite his previous fears, he was a wonderful, hands-on father, always ready to take his turn with the night feeds and nappy changing. She was so glad they had sorted out their differences.

  They heard a shout and turned around to see Sally walking towards them, waving cheerily. She looked tanned and happy, her face wreathed in smiles. Beside her, looking remarkably at ease in his smart jacket and trousers, was Rory. Meg blinked. She’d only ever seen Rory in jeans and jumper, and his beard had been trimmed too. She smiled to herself; she guessed this was for her mum’s benefit. She waved back and walked over to them, Oliver beside her, his arm around Meg’s shoulder, cradling their baby daughter carefully.

  ‘I’m so glad you could make it, Mum,’ Meg said as she kissed her mother on the cheek.

  ‘As if I would miss such an important occasion.’ Sally’s eyes were full of love as she gazed at her little granddaughter. ‘She’s grown so much the last couple of months.’ Sally had driven up from Cornwall for a weekend visit as soon as Katie had been born.

  ‘She looks like you,’ Rory said, his gaze going from Katie to Sally.

  ‘I thought that too,’ Meg said.

  ‘Well, let’s hope she isn’t as stubborn as me or you’ll have your work cut out!’ Sally replied.

  Laughing, they all walked down the garden to the rows of chairs Meg and Oliver had laid out around the fountain. They’d only invited immediate family and best friends to Katie’s naming ceremony and had decided to have it in their garden because it was more personal. Helen, Miles, Josh, Natasha and Alex were already gathered there, as were her dad, Paula, Dan, Katya and Tom. Oliver’s father wasn’t there, but his mother, Faye, was, looking radiant with a smartly dressed man by her side. She’d introduced him as Adrian, and Oliver had told Meg in surprise, and delight, that this was the man she’d met in Portugal and they’d been together a few years now.

  Alison, the naming celebrant, led the service, welcoming everyone to such a special day, and lighting a candle each side of the fountain. Then Oliver and Meg took it in turns to read out the poems they had chosen, and their pledges to Katie.

  Oliver said the words of his pledge first: ‘I promise to love and protect you, Katie, to be the best father I can be, and to do everything in my power to provide you with all that you need.’

  Meg knew that he meant every word he said. She took her turn too, promising to love and guide Katie, to teach her to be strong and independent.

  Everyone clapped. Oliver and Meg sat down and it was their parents’ turn to say something Faye stood up and said how proud she was of Oliver and the man he had become, and how pleased she was to have such a lovely granddaughter who she intended to spoil as much as she could.

  Sally spoke next, promising to love and cherish Katie, to always be there with a listening ear and a kind word. Then Ted gave a short speech about how delighted he was to have such a gorgeous little granddaughter.

  Alison asked Meg to put Katie in her basket on the grass and for everyone to form a circle around it. She joined everyone’s hands with a yellow ribbon as they stood around Katie, announcing that she was uniting them all in their vows to love and protect the child. Then she cut the ribbon so that everyone was wearing a ribbon bracelet. Meg fingered her ribbon, thinking that it made a lovely memento of the day. It was a beautiful ceremony.

  To Meg’s astonishment when the ribbon ceremony was over, Oliver went to the shed and took out his guitar. ‘I’ve kept this a surprise, even from Meg, but I’ve written a song for Katie, which I want to sing to you all.’

  He walked to the front and started strumming the strings of the guitar. Meg held her breath as she cuddled Katie; she remembered this tune. Oliver gazed at Meg and Katie as he started to sing.

  Love makes you walk over mountains,

  Through roaring flames and raging seas.

  Love makes you strong enough to fight,

  Gives you strength to give and to please.

  Love is why you try to do what’s right.

  And I promise you, my little Katie,

  My love for you will always guide me.

  Meg had tears in her eyes as he came to the end, and so did the other guests. Oliver had changed the words of the song he had written just before they’d split up that Christmas, about love not being enough, and had turned it into a testament to the power of love instead.

  As Meg looked around at her family – her mum and Rory, her dad and Paula, Dan, Katya and Tom, Faye and Adrian – she knew that even though her family had been fractured, it hadn’t been broken. The spirt of love was still there, bringing them all together to celebrate this precious day. And that no matter what happened in the future, she and Oliver had enough love to see them through and do the best for their little girl. Love was definitely enough.

  If you loved Single All the Way, don't miss Karen's escapist and absolutely magical novel Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel.

  * * *

  Get it here!

  Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel

  Get it here!

  * * *

  Snowy rooftops, mulled wine, and a hot single dad. Not the Christmas Saffy wished for… but maybe the one she needs?

  * * *

  Twenty-nine year old Saffron Baxter knew her holiday plans didn’t stand a chance the moment her sister called to say she was stuck abroad with no hope of being home before Christmas. Saffy would just have to abandon thoughts of wild festive parties in the city and head down to remote Cornwall.

  * * *

  Because every year her sister hosts a huge Christmas meal for all the single parents in her village. And Saffy knows it’d break her heart to let them down.

  * * *

  Arriving as snow starts to fall over the thatched cottages of the little harbour town of Port Breok, she meets Logan – the tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed, devoted single dad who lives next door, with his adorable daughter Chloe. At first she thinks he might help her make Christmas Day extra-memorable, but he just seems convinced she’ll never manage – that she’s just a party girl who doesn’t care about Christmas, or anyone’s feelings.

  * *
*

  Maybe he’s right. After all – she doesn’t want to settle down, she’s only there for a few days… But she’s still determined to do her sister proud with gorgeous decorations, the most beautiful real tree – complete with extra twinkly lights, and delicious mince pies. To make it a Christmas everyone will remember, especially little Chloe. Even if, when the mistletoe comes down, she knows she’ll probably never see Logan again…

  * * *

  The perfect festive romance novel, ideal for fans of Nora Roberts, Jenny Hale and Debbie Macomber.

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  Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel is available here!

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  Books by Karen King

  Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel

  The Year of Starting Over

  Single All the Way