A Wedding in December Page 35

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m never going to change my mind.”

  “Anything you want to say to me? I’m checking in, like we agreed. I’m listening.”

  She smiled. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I also happen to be starving, so shall we get the party started?”

  She’d already peeped into the room where the party was going to be held. The tables were decorated with silver pine cones and bunches of white anemones, and delicate strands of fairy lights were twisted through ivy. There was a dance floor, and plenty of champagne and the chef from Snowfall Lodge had prepared a winter-themed menu.

  It was going to be a night to remember, but she knew this was the part that would stay in her head forever.

  She saw her mother and Catherine, arms linked, bonded by the events of the past week. Her father, beaming and proud, and Katie, her hand in Jordan’s.

  Turning to face the smiling faces, she stepped forward, eager to start her new life with Dan.

  Maggie

  “Merry Christmas.”

  Maggie opened one eye carefully and saw that Nick was already sitting up. “Why are you awake so early?”

  “It’s Christmas Day. I couldn’t wait to see if Santa had been.”

  Even when she was half-asleep he could still make her smile. “You are such a child.”

  “Says the woman who was the last person on the dance floor last night. Catherine made me promise to take you dancing more often.”

  “Does she know how clumsy you are?”

  “Well, I danced with her, so I’m guessing yes. I trod on her feet at least three times.”

  “You never take me dancing.”

  “Probably why she told me to do it more often. Are you ready for your presents?” He looked ridiculously eager and she laughed.

  “Last time you were this excited was the year you bought me a lawn mower.”

  “That was a top-of-the-range lawn mower. But this is a million times better than a lawn mower. Catherine told me a present is supposed to be a luxury, not a necessity.”

  “You talked to Catherine about gifts?”

  “She’s family now. That means I can ask her all my stupid questions. Also, I suspect she is feeling at least partly responsible for our renewed relationship and doesn’t trust me not to mess it up if left to my own devices.”

  “She did an incredible job yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding. I will never forget it.”

  “I will never understand why women get so emotional about weddings.”

  “Excuse me? I saw a tear in your eye when Dan and Rosie kissed.”

  “Probably dust. So—are you ready for your presents now?”

  She lifted herself up on her elbow. “How can you be so sickeningly awake and lively?”

  “It’s Christmas. It’s snowing, and I’m in bed with my wife.”

  She felt warm and happy. “I might need coffee.”

  “I already made you coffee. If you sit up, I’ll pass it to you.” He patted the bed next to him and she sat up and adjusted the pillows.

  “Do we have time for this? Everyone is coming here for breakfast and present opening, so unless we want to have another embarrassing moment we’d better get dressed.”

  “We have time. And I locked the door, so this time no one will walk in unannounced. I’ll unlock the door when you’ve opened your presents.” He reached under the bed, retrieved a stack of untidily wrapped gifts and laid them on her lap.

  The wrapping made her smile. There was a reason she’d always been the one to take charge of wrapping at Christmas. Nick managed to somehow make everything look as if it was trying to fight its way out of the paper. If they’d had a dog, she would have assumed the dog had eaten it for breakfast.

  Feeling ridiculously happy, she opened the first gift and burst out laughing. “A planner?”

  “You obviously aspire to being a planner type of person. I want you to tuck it under your arm and stride around like the power woman you are about to become.” He leaned across and flipped it open. “Also, I may have already written a few things in there to get you started.”

  She glanced down and gasped. “Sex with Nick. Seriously? Now I have to hide this from the girls!”

  “We’re allowed a private life, Mags. And I don’t only mean a sex life.” He kissed her again. “You’re going to need that to schedule in all the adventures we’re going to take together.”

  “Oh Nick.” She put the planner down. “I was dreading this Christmas, but it’s turned out to be the best ever.”

  “It’s only just beginning. Open the next one.”

  She dutifully opened it and found a brochure for an upmarket bathroom company. “Er—I don’t get it.”

  “It’s time we added a touch of luxury to the cottage. We’re treating ourselves to a bathroom, complete with underfloor heating so that you can walk round naked without getting frostbite.”

  She clutched the brochure to her chest. “Do you know the best thing about all this?”

  “Getting to spend the rest of your life with a hot, sexy professor who is great at wrapping presents and never breaks things?”

  She rolled her eyes. “That, but also staying in our home. Honeysuckle Cottage feels like family. Does that sound stupid?”

  “It sounds like something only a woman would say. Ouch.” He ducked as she smacked him over the head with the brochure. “I was teasing you. Of course the house is family. The reason I know that is because it drains our bank account and causes us stress, just like our kids.”

  Deciding that she couldn’t argue with that, she flipped through the brochure. “This is a great idea. I love it.”

  “And there’s this.” He pulled a small slim box from under his pillow. It was beautifully wrapped, with an elaborately tied silver bow that gleamed in the light.

  “No way did you wrap this.”

  “What gave it away?”

  “Where do you want me to start? The edges are straight. There’s ribbon.”

  “You’re right, I didn’t wrap it.”

  It looked like jewelry, but Nick had never bought her jewelry apart from her engagement and wedding rings. Their gifts to each other were invariably practical. A new coat. Hiking boots.

  She removed the bow, slid her finger under the wrapping and stared at the narrow box. “This can’t be a washing machine.”

  “It’s something to do with gardening.”

  Intrigued, she flipped open the box. Nestled on a bed of midnight-blue velvet was a delicate pendant shaped like a pine cone. “Oh Nick. It’s beautiful. I love it! And I love that you thought of it, and chose it—wait—are those—diamonds?”

  “Yes. Most expensive pine cone ever to fall off a tree. I thought it would remind us both of this place.” He removed it from the box and fastened it around her neck. “I thought you could wear it for gardening.”

  “You think I should wear diamonds for gardening?” She took his face in her hands and kissed him. “Thank you.”

  “There’s one more gift.”

  She pushed the empty wrapping aside and picked up the envelope. “Don’t tell me—we’re going dogsledding again.”

  “No, but we probably should.” He watched as she opened the envelope and scanned the letter inside.

  “A resignation letter?”

  “A draft resignation letter. You might want to personalize it.”

  She sucked in a breath. Holding the letter in her hand made it seem scarily real. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot.”

  “If you’re going to tell me you can’t resign without a job to go to, then I’m not listening. You hate what you do, Mags. Consider it good parenting to resign, because our Katie also hates what she does and you will be leading by example.”

  Maggie felt something tug deep inside her. Sh
e hated the fact that Katie had kept secrets from them, protected them, but how could she judge when she’d done the same? It was funny what you were prepared to do for love. “That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

  “Then what?”

  “It was something Catherine said, about how no one would employ her so she decided to employ herself. If I did the training, maybe I could work for myself? I know I’m a hard worker. I know I’m good with plants, and have an eye for design. I don’t have to sell myself to myself, if that makes sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense.” He leaned back against the pillows, looking smug. “So now I’m married to a power woman. That is such a turn-on. Tell me honestly, was it the planner that did it? Much as I’d like to stay here all day, we probably should get dressed before company arrives.”

  “The girls’ gifts are already under the tree. My gift to you, too.” She’d thought about it, worried about it, and come to the conclusion that it was the perfect gift for their new life. She hoped she wasn’t wrong about that.

  “Can I open it in front of them? Is it a sex toy?”

  Her playful shove turned into a hug and then something more and by the time they’d showered and changed, everyone was at the door.

  Nick flung the door wide, letting in freezing air and the noise that was their family.

  Amidst the chorus of Christmas greetings, Catherine produced Maggie’s missing suitcase. “It was delivered yesterday, but in all the excitement of the wedding the message didn’t come through to me from reception.”

  Maggie took the suitcase. “This means you girls will have two sets of presents, because I already bought a replacement set.”

  “Life’s tough,” Rosie said, “but we’ll cope.”

  Maggie laughed. “Will I have to return my new wardrobe?”

  “No.” Nick took the suitcase from her. “But I’m pleased to see this, because it contains something very important. Something I need.”

  “What could you possibly need from my suitcase?” She watched, intrigued, as Nick flipped it open, delved deep and brought out a familiar box.

  “Oh Dad.” Rosie rushed forward and pulled off the lid. “You brought our decorations from home. There’s my angel. And the jeweled camel! Now it really does feel like Christmas. You’re the best.”

  Katie was laughing. “This is almost as embarrassing as whipping out baby photos. My contribution is a very impressive Christmas star.” She slid her arm around Jordan. “Please bear in mind that I was seven when I made that star. Don’t judge.”

  “Do I look as if I’m judging?”

  Maggie looked at Nick, her throat clogged with emotion. “You packed those decorations?”

  “No. They jumped into the case because they didn’t want to be left out of a White family Christmas.” He shrugged. “And I thought, maybe, you’d be feeling a little nostalgic, and that this box might help. It’s a little taste of home, that’s all.”

  “I think it’s the most wonderful, thoughtful—” She walked toward him and Rosie stepped between them.

  “No! Just—no.” She spread out her arms to keep them apart. “I think I speak for all of us when I say how thrilled we are that you and Dad will not be getting a divorce, but we don’t need to witness every second of the making up. We’re convinced, truly.”

  “I’m in charge of breakfast,” Catherine said, carrying several large bags to the kitchen.

  Katie followed her. “I’ll help.”

  Maggie watched as she and Catherine emptied the bags, laughing and talking as they worked smoothly together. Already she saw a change in Katie. She was softer, less sharp and jumpy and the glances she exchanged with Jordan told Maggie that whatever this relationship was, it was making her daughter happy.

  There was a pop and a whoop as the first champagne bottle was opened, and then the clink of glasses and the murmur of conversation.

  Catherine waved a fork. “Help yourselves to food, then we can open the presents.”

  There was smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, freshly baked pastries, and plenty of chilled champagne and orange juice.

  Maggie took a moment to appreciate her family. She’d dreaded spending Christmas away from home, and yet it was turning out to be better than ever, which proved that change could be good.

  Spending Christmas here had been forced upon her, but it had turned out well.

  If she resigned from her job, maybe that would turn out well, too.

  “I have a toast.” She raised her glass. “To being brave and taking risks.”

  Everyone joined her in the toast and Nick strolled across to top up her glass.

  “I love it when you’re brave.”

  “Do not pour Mum any more champagne,” Rosie yelled across the room.

  Nick ignored her and poured. “I have no idea why you’d say that. There isn’t another woman alive who can tolerate alcohol like your mother.”

  “Here—put the bottle down and open this, Dad. It has your name on it.” Rosie crossed the room and put a box in his hands. “I’ll take that.” She whisked the champagne bottle away, and passed it to Jordan.

  Nick opened the gift and Maggie held her breath. Had she done the right thing?

  He opened the box. “It’s a soft toy. A dog.” He pulled it out, puzzled.

  “Yes.” Maggie felt ridiculously nervous. “It’s a representation of course. The real thing is waiting for you at home. There’s a photo of him in the box.”

  Nick put his hand back in the box and pulled out a photo of a litter of puppies. “Black Labs?”

  “The Baxters’ dog had a litter last month. I’ve helped her with them occasionally.” When she’d been upset and missing Nick badly. “One in particular took a shine to me. I thought—I know you love dogs, and we’ve never been able to have one because of Rosie’s asthma, but now it’s the two of us I thought it was time. Walking it will keep us both fit. And I know we’ll need to be careful when Rosie and Dan come to stay—” she smiled at her daughter “—but the Baxters have promised to take care of him whenever we need them to, and we will never let him upstairs in the bedrooms, and our downstairs has wood floors so they should be easy to clean.” She waited, watching his face.

  “A puppy.” Nick studied the photo. “He has intelligent eyes.”

  “He’s so intelligent. I’m already in love with him.”

  “I could take him to work to soothe stressed students. When is he ready to leave his mother?”

  “In a few weeks, but the Baxters will hold on to him for as long as we like. What do you think?”

  “I think,” Nick said slowly, “that this might be the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

  “If you’re getting a puppy,” Katie said, “I might have to rethink moving back home.”

  “I can’t wait to come and stay,” Catherine said. “Is February a good month to visit Oxford?”

  “Wait until May. Spring in Oxford is gorgeous. It’s warmer and it’s a perfect month to see all the gardens. We’ll walk along the river and I’ll take you round the colleges. I’m already looking forward to it.” Maggie raised her glass. It seemed unbelievable to think that a month ago she’d been dreading this week, and anxious about meeting Catherine. “We drank to the happy couple yesterday, so today we’re drinking to Catherine. Thank you for welcoming us into your home and your life, for giving the White family our first genuine white Christmas, for doing such an incredible job arranging a wedding. To new friends, and new family.”

  Everyone raised their glasses and chorused her toast.

  “Thank you.” Catherine was blushing. “I was rather hoping Christmas here could become a new White-Reynolds family tradition. What do you think? Spring in Oxford, and Christmas in Colorado?”

  Nick put one arm round her, and the other arm around Maggie, the champagne in his glass dangerously close to spilling. “I’m
not sure.”

  Maggie raised her eyebrows. “What?”

  “If you’re given more opportunity for practice, you might beat me in a snowball fight.”

  “I already beat you.” Maggie thought about her anxieties that this might be her last family Christmas with her daughter. All she’d thought about was repeating the past. In fact, she’d hung on to the past so hard she’d almost made dents with her fingernails. What a waste of time and energy that had turned out to be. Life did change. Nothing stayed the same. But sometimes the life that lay ahead could be even better than the life they were leaving behind. And whatever happened, she was going to be living that life with Nick. With her family.

  She raised her glass again. “Christmas in Colorado.”

  * * *

  Acknowledgments

  I’ve been writing Christmas books since I was first published, and it’s become part of my own festive tradition—one that often stretches until March when the book is delivered! Each time I have a new book published I feel the same sense of excitement, and also gratitude. Much of that gratitude is directed toward my superhuman publishing teams—HQN in the US, and HQ in the UK. So many good (and fun!) people are working hard to bring my stories to readers, and I appreciate their efforts more than I can say.

  My editor Flo Nicoll is truly a book magician, so generous with her time and talent, and always able to bring the best out of every story. Working with her is a dream come true.

  A published book needs to find an audience and I’m thankful to the many wonderful bloggers and readers who tirelessly read and review my books, and to my publicity dream team, particularly Sophie Calder, Lucy Richardson, Lisa Wray and Anna Robinson.

  My agent Susan Ginsburg brings insight, energy, support and guidance to my writing career. I’m grateful both to her and to the whole team at Writers House, for the tireless advocacy.

  I’m lucky to have a family who have always been supportive and encouraged my love of writing. Thank you for understanding when I pull out a notebook and start scribbling at awkward moments.

  As always, my biggest thanks goes to my readers, so many of whom take the time to contact me with kind messages, book recommendations, and to express enthusiasm for my stories. Thank you for picking up another book of mine and I hope this book will add some warmth and festivity to your winter reading.