The Magic of Christmas

She’d been busy, of course, but still…

‘Can I sit by you, Lara?’Aggie reached out her arms and Christian frowned and held on to her.

‘Lara can’t carry you. You’re too heavy.’

‘I’ll walk, then. I want to hold her hand.’Aggie wriggled and Christian removed her skates and put her down.

They found a table for four right next to the ice rink and Christian ordered while Lara and the girls watched the skaters.

‘She’s good,’ Lara said, as a girl with a ponytail spun past them.

‘Not as good as y

ou.’ Aggie crawled onto her lap. ‘Where did you learn to skate?’

‘At school.’

‘Wow. I wish they did cool things like that at our school. We only do boring netball.’

A waitress walked up to their table with a loaded tray. ‘Muffins, chocolate brownies, three hot chocolates and a mulled wine?’

‘I’m drinking the alcohol,’Christian drawled, and the waitress smiled and put the drinks on the table.

‘You look as though you’re all having fun.’

‘It’s amazing,’Aggie breathed, and the waitress studied her and then Chloe.

‘It’s nice to see a family out together. You girls look exactly like your mother.’ She smiled at Lara. ‘Taking a break from the Christmas shopping and the turkey?’

Christian froze and Aggie frowned.

‘She isn’t our mother.’

‘Oh.’ The waitress looked embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry. I just assumed—You look so alike—Call me if there’s anything else you need.’ Her face scarlet, she hurried back towards the bar area, obviously eager to escape from her gaffe.

Aggie was silent for a moment and then stared at her sister. ‘Why would she think that Lara is our mummy?’

Chloe didn’t answer. Instead, she sat in silence, a slight frown on her face.

Then she glanced at Christian, a question in her eyes.

He managed what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘Everything’s fine, sweetheart. You have nothing to worry about.’

But Chloe carried on staring and for an uncomfortable moment he had the feeling that she could see right into his soul.

She was obviously worried that her life was going to be disrupted again and Lara clearly picked up the same signals because she put down her mug of chocolate and laughed.

‘It’s because we’re all blonde and wrapped up in scarves! She can’t see us properly. Anyone with two eyes in their head can see we don’t look the same. I have freckles, for a start, and my nose turns up at the end. You two are much more beautiful. Anyway, forget that. Come on, guys.’ Lara lifted Aggie onto the floor and jumped to her feet, her eyes sparkling. ‘I’m going to teach you both to skate backwards. It’s dead easy once you get the hang of it and it looks so cool.’

With no apparent effort she’d defused the tension around the table and bent down to help the girls put on their skates.

Christian studied her face, searching for clues as to whether she was upset, but it was impossible to tell because she was concentrating on his children and didn’t once glance in his direction.

In no time at all they were back on the ice and she took it in turns to teach the children to skate backwards.

The children giggled and shrieked and were obviously having an amazing time and Christian watched, wondering whether their happiness was going to be at the expense of his own.

* * *