A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing (Pelican Crossing #4)
One
It was a glorious November morning in Pelican Crossing. Rachel Mason gazed out her kitchen window to where, in the distance, she could see tiny figures on the beach and surfers out on the ocean, her mind going to the message which had awakened her in the early hours. It hadn’t occurred to Alexander his text would disturb his mother’s sleep.
Alexander had left Australia soon after finishing university, reaching out to the opportunities he envisaged overseas. He’d been fortunate to have been picked up by a start-up company specialising in computer games and loved his life in London. The company had continued to grow and he with it, going public with a share option the previous year. While he made it home occasionally, his visits were short, and he was fond of telling Rachel and his sisters how narrow and suburban their lives were in Pelican Crossing.
Typical of Alexander, it was a brief message: Coming home for Christmas. Bringing a surprise. Will explain when I see you. Much love.
Rachel had pushed herself up against the pillows and sent a reply asking for more information, but the phone had remained frustratingly silent, and she’d forced herself back into a fitful sleep.
Now she was awake, Rachel couldn’t wait to talk with Jess to discover if he had been any more forthcoming with his sister, but she doubted it. While they had been close growing up, once he’d left, Alexander seemed to have put everything in Pelican Crossing behind him, his irregular communications focussing on his life in England and the seemingly endless string of women he became involved with. Rachel had given up hope of him ever settling down.
The large family home where Rachel lived was located on the top of the bluff on the outskirts of town. She and Kirk had bought it when she was pregnant with Jess, and it had been wonderful when Jess, Steph and Alexander were growing up. But after they left, Jess to get married, Steph to live independently and Alexander to seek employment in England, she and Kirk had rattled around in it. Then when Kirk died after a long illness, Rachel couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the house that had been her home for so many years. It held too many memories for her to contemplate selling.
Turning it into a bed and breakfast had been the result of a flash of inspiration based on the memory of staying in a series of bed and breakfasts on a visit to England with Kirk many years earlier. Now, five years later, the business had taken off. It suited her well, providing both company and income, and allowing her time to look after her three grandchildren – one-year-old Emily and four-year-old twins Gemma and Indie, who she called the two terrors.
Rachel’s West Highland Terrier, Molly, came padding over from her food bowl. Rachel leant down to ruffle her ears. ‘What do you think, Molly?’ she asked. ‘What is Alexander’s surprise? Do you think he’s found a woman at last, one he wants to spend the rest of his life with?’ It was her dearest hope her son would settle down and start a family, though she dreaded the thought that any children he might have would grow up on the other side of the world and speak with a different accent.
Breakfast over, Rachel made herself a cup of lemon and ginger tea and went out to sit in the courtyard on one of the Adirondack chairs she’d recently purchased, Molly joining her and dropping down at her feet. She had two couples staying with her at the moment, but one of the advantages of running a B&B was that her guests were out all day, leaving her time to herself to do as she pleased. Jess often took advantage of this to ask her mother to mind the twins, and Rachel loved spending time with the little girls. She’d be sorry when they started school next year. Emily was lovely too, but too small to be much company, and Jess rarely left her with Rachel.
She had barely taken one sip of tea, when her phone rang. Seeing Jess’s number, Rachel’s first thought was that she wanted her mother to mind the girls for the day. She was wrong.
‘Have you heard from Alexander, Mum?’ Jess asked, before Rachel had time to say hello.
‘I have. You did too?’
‘A strange email about coming home and bringing a surprise. Do you think he’s finally found someone and is going to get married?’
Rachel felt a flutter of excitement. ‘Do you think so? I did wonder, but you know your brother. He does like to tease.’‘Well, if he has, it must be pretty recent. He didn’t mention anyone last time he was here, did he?’
‘No.’ Alexander’s last visit had been so fleeting there had no time for chatting about anything personal. He’d been gone before Rachel had time to enjoy seeing him again. But that had been over six months ago, plenty of time for him to form a relationship.
‘Well, I guess we’ll have to wait to find out. It’s so typical of him to leave us wondering like this. I bet he’s only done it to annoy us. Remember how he used to be?’
Rachel laughed, remembering the countless occasions when Alexander had managed to get the better of his older sister, graduating from frogs in her bed to spreading rumours about her interest in the older boys at school. The latter backfired, when one of his targets actually liked Jess, and invited her on a date. Being younger, Steph had often escaped his teasing.
Rachel finished her tea and went back inside, Molly following her as usual. She rarely let Rachel out of her sight. ‘You’ll be glad to see Alexander again, Molly, won’t you?’ she said to the little dog. Alexander aways made a fuss of her when he was home, and Molly defected from her mistress to fawn on him.
Rachel sighed. It was over six weeks till Christmas. It seemed like it was for ever.