Chapter Thirty
Christmas Day
Dan helped carry in the dirty plates from the table, his stomach full of turkey and more roast potatoes than it could reasonably be expected to handle.
Despite the strange circumstances of spending Christmas Day not just with his son, but with his ex-wife and her boyfriend, Dan had to admit he’d enjoyed it.
Last night, when she’d invited him to stay over, he’d automatically said no, but then she’d looked at him.
‘Forget the weirdness of it. Do you want to spend Christmas morning on your own, or seeing your son open his presents from Father Christmas?’
After that, the decision had been a no-brainer. Seeing Max tear into his presents this morning had been special. He’d tried not to dwell on last Christmas, when Max had seemed more interested in watching Polar Express on the television than opening the presents Dan had brought round for him.
Instead he’d focused on the joy of seeing his son open his presents this Christmas morning.
The delighted smile he’d been gifted when Max had torn the wrapping on the remote-control Ferrari he’d bought him.
Even better was the moment Max had opened the red double-decker bus Dan had bought from the Transport Museum.
He’d noticed the interest Max had taken in the buses when they’d visited, and Dan couldn’t explain how much it had meant to him, knowing he now understood his son enough to choose him a present outside the bounds of the obvious.
Another highlight of the morning had been the time Max and Dan had been alone, and Max had whispered to him, ‘Is Father Christmas real?’
Dan had frowned. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Some people in my class say he is, and some say he isn’t.’
‘Forget what other people say, you have to make your own mind up.’
Max had screwed up his face. ‘But how can he deliver presents to all the children in the world in just one night?’
‘Remember seeing that magician on Westminster Bridge? How did he make the ball disappear?’ Max had shrugged his shoulders. ‘You can choose to believe it’s magic, or you can try and work out how it’s done. It’s up to you.’
Max had grinned at him. ‘It’s magic!’
As he bent to slot the plates into the dishwasher, Dan realised magic is exactly how he’d describe the changes in his life over the last few months. He’d regained his relationship with his son and he was friends again with his ex-wife. Two milestones he’d not thought possible.
If only he didn’t feel as if a large slice of his heart was still missing.
He felt a nudge to his side, and looked up to find Natalie shaking her head at him. ‘What?’
‘Phone her. Go and see her. Do something that will put the light back into your eyes.’
A heavy sadness rolled through him. ‘The last time we spoke she said she wanted to cool things. If I phone her, she’ll brush me off again.’
‘Then go and see her. Is she at home?’
‘No. She said something about spending Christmas in a hotel in the Lake District.’ He wracked his brain. ‘The Mill Hotel. No, wait, the Old Mill Hotel.’
‘Even better. You’ve got somewhere to stay if she boots you out.’
‘Very funny.’ Stacking the last remaining plates, he wandered back to the sitting room to find Max, who was happily watching Ice Age while Robin tidied up the discarded wrapping paper.
Sitting down next to him, he glanced at his watch. Four o’clock. The day was almost over. Plus he’d only drunk coffee and water, knowing he had to drive home.
A shiver went through him. Was he really contemplating getting in his car and driving all the way up to the flaming Lake District? Even knowing there was a high possibility Anna didn’t want to see him?
Sitting down next to Max, Dan retrieved the phone from his pocket and googled the Old Mill Hotel.
‘I might head off in a bit.’ He turned to Max. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Sure, Dad.’ It looked like Max’s attention was back into the film, but a few beats later he surprised Dan. ‘Are Anna and Maisie going to visit us again soon?’
The innocent question touched Dan right where his heart already ached.
It wasn’t just the mention of the two females Dan very much wanted to see, but the word us.
As if Max already thought of Dan’s house as his second home.
‘I hope so,’ he managed to squeeze out of a viciously tight throat.
‘I hope so.’ With that he jumped up, walked into the hallway and pressed call on his phone.
His heart sank as the phone rang, and rang, finally connecting to an answering machine which started to tell him the hotel was closed for Christmas, but would be open again on 27 December.
Just as he was about to hang up, a breathless female voice came on the phone. ‘Hello?’
‘Hi.’ He could hear lots of laughter going on in the background. Was one of those voices Anna’s? Dan dragged a hand down his face and tried to get his thoughts together. ‘I was phoning to see if I could book a room for tonight, but I see you’re closed.’
‘Yes, sorry, it’s a private function.’ The voice hesitated. ‘Can I ask who’s calling?’
‘Dan. Dan Ramsey.’
A beat of silence. Followed by another one. Dan began to think they’d been disconnected when the voice came back again, this time with a surprising warmth to it. ‘Hello, Dan, it’s Faith Hunter here. Can you give me a good reason why I should open my hotel for you on Christmas Day?’
Faith was the friend Anna had mentioned. Dan sucked in a breath, and decided to go for broke. ‘I can give you three.’
* * *
It had been a Christmas Day full of laughter, friends and fabulous food.
If occasionally Anna’s mind had turned to Dan, wondering if he and Max were enjoying themselves .
. . well, it was only natural she missed him a little after the time they’d spent together.
It didn’t mean she was sad. Didn’t mean she had any regrets.
Crap, who was she kidding. She had half a mind to phone him and tell him she’d made a mistake.
She didn’t want to cool things. She wanted to see him so much between now and when he left for the States, cram his brain with so many fabulous memories, he’d bloody well think of her when he was surrounded by those leggy, tanned California babes.
And maybe, just maybe, he’d come back to her afterwards.
But could she really take that risk with her heart, when it hurt so much already?
Annoyed that she was thinking of him again, Anna turned her attention back to her daughter, who was playing with Faith’s nephew, Jack.
He was a few years younger than Maisie but she was in her element, bossing him around as they put Jack’s train track together.
The laughter coming from Jack suggested he was more than happy to have the help.
Now and again Nip and Tuck would come up to them, pushing their noses against the track, or scampering right over it. It always caused a squeal of hilarity.
Sitting next to Anna on the comfy sofas in the bar area, Faith looked at her watch. Again.
‘What’s with all this timekeeping? I thought you’d recorded Strictly Come Dancing?’
‘I have.’ Faith gave her a bright smile. ‘Sorry, I was just wondering when the kids go to bed so we can get out the whisky.’
Anna laughed. ‘You’re not even drinking. And if you think Maisie will go to bed before she’s watched Strictly, you’re sadly mistaken. She’ll prop her eyelids open with matchsticks before giving in to sleep.’ Anna nodded at Jack. ‘Little Jack though, he should be ready to give in soon.’
‘Umm.’
Anna looked again at her friend. ‘You seem distracted.’
Faith shook her head, patting her bump. ‘Oh no. Just looking forward to the day this monster comes out so I can play with him or her.’ Again she glanced at her watch. ‘Do you make it half past eight?’
Anna checked her phone. ‘Yes I do, and now you’re officially acting weird.’
‘Sorry.’ Faith shuffled around on the sofa, seeming to try and get comfortable. ‘Blame my hormones.’ Anna turned to find Faith studying her. ‘Have you thought about Dan today?’
Anna blinked. ‘God, you really are in a funny mood.’
‘Well?’
She let out long, exasperated sigh. ‘Of course I have.’
‘Good.’
‘Good? Why on earth is it good that I can’t stop thinking about a man who isn’t right for me?’
Faith furrowed her brow. ‘I thought it wasn’t that he isn’t right, just that he isn’t handy.’
Anna started to laugh. ‘When you say it like that, it sounds awful. Like I want to click my fingers and have a man on my doorstep.’
Faith waggled her eyebrows. ‘Sounds good to me.’ Resting a hand on the back of the sofa she slowly levered herself up. ‘I’m just going to pop into the reception for a moment. Check there are no messages.’
‘It’s Christmas Day, Faith. Even if there are any, they can wait.’
‘Not in the hotel trade. We’re always open.’
Anna watched her friend walk off — well, to be honest, it was almost a waddle — and wondered what had got into her. Admittedly it had been eight years since she’d been pregnant, but she couldn’t remember it making her act oddly.
Back at the train track, Charity, one of Faith’s sisters, picked Jack up and told him it was time for bed. As Jack protested, rather loudly, Maisie dashed over to Anna. ‘Can we watch Strictly now? Faith promised we could.’
‘I’m sure she won’t mind. She’s gone to the reception. Let’s go and check with her.’ Taking Maisie’s hand, she led her out of the dining room/bar and into the hallway. When she turned towards the reception, her heart flew into her throat.
Maisie immediately let go of her hand and ran towards the incredibly handsome man standing in the foyer next to Faith.
‘Happy Christmas!’ She threw her arms around him, and the breath squeezed from Anna’s lungs as she watched Dan bend to pick her up.
‘Did you have a good time? I didn’t know you’d be here?
Did you just get here? Where’s Max? Did Father Christmas bring him some good presents?
He bought me loads of things, but my bestest is the skateboard. ’
Over Maisie’s shoulder, Dan’s bright blue eyes trapped Anna’s for a few precious, heart-stopping beats until he turned his attention back to Maisie, ruffling her curls in a gesture that made Anna’s heart ache painfully.
‘That’s a lot of questions. Now let me see.
’ He slid her to the ground, then hunkered down so he was at her height.
Extending his hand he counted off his answers.
‘Yes, I had a good Christmas, thank you. Yes, I’ve just driven up but Max is still back in London.
Hopefully you’ll see him soon.’ His eyes darted back to Anna, and in that brief look she saw his confusion and his pain.
‘Father Christmas bought him a new bike, which he’s made up with, but your skateboard sounds cool.
No wait, it sounds sick.’ He laughed softly.
‘Maybe I can have a go on it some time.’
Maisie started to bounce excitedly on her toes. ‘You can skateboard?’
Dan let out that glorious deep chuckle. ‘I’m an ace skateboarder.’
‘Can you teach me? I want to do flips. Can you do flips?’
‘I can kickflip and heelflip.’ Slowly he straightened. ‘But we need to check with your mum before we start planning any lessons.’
‘Can I show you it?’ She tugged at his hand. ‘It’s in my room.’
Again his eyes found Anna’s, as if seeking permission. She nodded slowly, her heart beating what seemed to be a million times a minute.
As Maisie dragged him down the corridor, Faith came up to Anna and squeezed her hand.
‘It wasn’t hormones.’ Anna stared accusingly at her friend. ‘You knew he was coming.’
‘Guilty.’ Faith’s expression told Anna she didn’t feel guilty though.
In fact she looked annoyingly pleased with herself.
‘The phone rang just before four and I was going to leave it, but, I don’t know, it’s like I had this sort of sixth sense.
I thought it might be him so I dashed to answer it.
He said he wanted a room for the night and I asked him his name. ’
Anna groaned and started to pace. ‘I don’t know whether to thank you, or scream at you. I told you why it wasn’t a good idea for me to see him, yet you let him stay anyway.’
Faith gave her a sheepish smile. ‘Can we go back to blaming the hormones again?’ Then she sighed and reached for Anna, putting a hand on either shoulder. ‘Just listen to him, please? I know he has at least three important things he wants to say.’
‘Of course I will. I mean, he’s come all the way up here. Spent nearly five hours of his Christmas Day in the car, just to see me.’ Emotion caught at her, and tears welled in her eyes. ‘Who does that?’
Faith smiled gently at her. ‘A man who might just be as besotted with you as you seem to be with him.’
Anna let out a strangled laugh as the tears started to fall. ‘Oh God, he’s going to be back any minute and I can’t see him looking like this.’ She wiped a hand across her face. ‘And there’s Maisie. She wants to watch Strictly and—’
‘Come with me.’
Faith dragged her quickly into her office behind the reception desk. There she pulled some tissues and a make-up bag out of her desk drawer. ‘My emergency supply.’
While Anna tried to desperately make her face look like it hadn’t been crying, Faith carried on talking. ‘I’ll take Maisie, Gabby, Nip and Tuck and anyone else who wants to watch Strictly upstairs to our apartment while you talk to Dan.’
Anna felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rise up inside her. ‘Nip and Tuck watch Strictly do they?’
Faith gave her a wide-eyed look. ‘Of course. I keep telling you, they’re a classy pair.’
‘Don’t tell me, their favourite is the foxtrot.’
Faith grinned. ‘Or the Chow Chow.’
Anna half laughed, half groaned. ‘Oh God, I can’t believe we’re doing dog puns while inside I’m this embarrassing, emotional mess. It’s crazy. I’m going crazy.’ Anna inhaled a long, deep breath. ‘I don’t even know why I’m freaking out so much.’
Faith’s face softened. ‘Because you’ve fallen in love, and love is scary.
’ She smiled, touching her cheek. ‘I don’t need to tell you how it’s also totally worth it though, do I.
You already know.’ They both turned when they heard Maisie’s voice coming back down the hall. ‘She seems very fond of him.’
‘She is. And that’s part of the trouble.’
‘Or it’s part of the solution.’ Faith winked. ‘And bloody hell, girl, that man is one fine specimen. Think of the beautiful brothers and sisters you could make her.’
‘God, no. It’s not like that. He’s not thinking—’
Faith put a finger on her lips, silencing her. Then led her back into the reception area to find Maisie and Dan.