The Christmas Marriage Rescue (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 4)

‘Why unfortunately?’

‘I don’t know.’ Christy heaved her pack onto her back. ‘I suppose because I still don’t really know where I stand with him.’

‘Have you tried blunt conversation?’

She looked at him. ‘I suppose I’m afraid to do that,’ she said honestly. ‘Afraid I might push him into saying something I don’t want to hear.’

Like ‘I don’t really love you any more but I’m willing to make an effort because of the children’.

Jake glanced up at the lethal gully. ‘You just went up there without batting an eyelid and now you’re expecting me to believe that you’re afraid of having a conversation with your husband?’

‘That’s me.’ Christy scuffed at the snow with the toe of her boot. ‘Miss Coward.’

‘Hardly.’ Jake waited as the team picked up the last of the equipment and then they all started their descent into the valley.

CHAPTER NINE

CHRISTY collected the children from her mother’s and they were sparkly eyed, thoroughly over-excited and weighed down with various bags and rolls of wrapping paper.

‘When Santa came down the chimney,’ Ben sang loudly, and Katy grimaced.

‘Don’t sing. I’ll give you all my pocket money if you stop singing. It’s gross. If Father Christmas hears you he’ll take a detour because the noise is so terrible.’

Christy glanced in her rear view mirror. ‘Did you guys buy anything with Grandma?’

‘Loads,’ Katy said happily, and Ben beamed.

‘We bought you a—’

‘Shut up!’ Katy glared at him furiously. ‘You don’t tell people what their presents are, stupid.’

Christy sighed as she took the turning that led to the barn. ‘Don’t say “shut up”, Katy, it isn’t nice, and don’t call your brother stupid.’

‘Well, having all your secrets blown by your baby brother isn’t nice, and he is stupid,’ Katy muttered. Christy parked the car and switched off the engine. She wondered what time Alessandro would be back. Hopefully not too late. She wanted to spend the evening with him. And the night.

Maybe it was time for her to take the initiative, she thought to herself as she undid her seat belt and turned off the headlights.

After all, she’d been the one to stalk away after their passionate encounter in the maze at the Snow Ball. She could hardly blame him for keeping his distance.

‘Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,’ Ben announced as he wriggled out of his seat belt and opened the car door. ‘We can hang up our stockings. Do you think he’s set off yet?’

‘Who?’ Christy dragged her mind back to the practicalities of life, rescued her wet gear from the boot and trudged towards the barn.

‘Father Christmas, of course.’ Ben frowned up at her, his sweet face innocent and puzzled. ‘I don’t see how he can get round the whole world in one night, do you? If he doesn’t set off until tomorrow, he’s never going to make it. You say there’s no such thing as magic, so what will he do?’

‘I… er…’ Christy struggled for a suitable reply as she found her keys and opened the front door. ‘Well, we can’t understand everything that happens in the world,’ she hedged, ‘and I think Father Christmas leaves the exact amount of time he needs to do his job,’ she said finally. Katy rolled her eyes.

‘He won’t need long for you, anyway,’ she told her brother loftily. ‘You haven’t been that good this year.’

Ben’s face crumpled. ‘That’s not true.’

‘You’ve both been good,’ said Christy, keen to hurry them inside and avoid a row. ‘Who fancies some mince pies? I made them earlier.’

‘Me!’ both children shrieked simultaneously and they piled into the kitchen, dropping bags, hats and gloves onto the table and dragging chairs across the floor.

‘Grandma was telling us about her nativity play,’ Katy said, biting into a mince pie. ‘Mary had nits and the two halves of the donkey started fighting halfway through.’

Christy smiled as she reached into the cupboard for a large casserole pot. ‘Your grandma always has good stories at Christmas.’