The Christmas Holiday

by Maxine Morrey

  ‘That’s where you went?’

  He nodded, glancing back at the cloudburst over the sea. ‘Yeah. Job came up. Seemed like a good idea at the time.’

  ‘If it helped get your career to where it is now, then it probably was.’

  He shook his head. ‘I didn’t want to listen at the time. But no. Another job would have come up. I only had one chance to go back and try and work things out with you. We just exploded at each other and that was that. Done. There was more to say. I think we both know that now. And that’s the chance I should have taken.’

  ‘Hunter…’

  ‘It’s all right, Mia. I know we’re different people now from who we were then. We’ve lived and learned. At least I hope we have.’

  I looked up and met the dark blue of his eyes. He held my gaze a moment before breaking it with a smile as he glanced away and concentrated on the snow-covered ground in front of him.

  ‘But they must be immensely proud of you, and your career?’ I stumbled a little clumsily onto a safer subject.

  I saw Hunter cut his eyes to me briefly before fixing them back on the ground just in front of him, watching for any dips in the snow that might signal a lurking rabbit hole or the like. It wouldn’t have mattered how smooth my subject transition had been. Hunter would still have spotted it a mile off. I was getting used to it again now, and oddly it didn’t bother me as much as it had done at the onset of the trip.

  ‘They are. They’ve been incredibly supportive with… everything. Admittedly, they’re less supportive of… well, let’s call them my lifestyle choices these days.’

  ‘The fact that you’re a gigolo, you mean?’ I teased, referring back to our earlier argument when he’d looked at me askance for my word choice.

  He laughed easily as I poked a little fun at us both. ‘That’s exactly what I mean. I still can’t believe you came out with that term.’

  ‘I know,’ I sighed, then laughed along with him.

  ‘I thought words were supposed to be your thing.’

  ‘They are my thing. I just had a moment.’

  ‘Is that right?’

  ‘Yes. I’m sure you’ve taken plenty of shots of your shoes over the years.’

  ‘Not once.’

  ‘Oh, you are such a Pinocchio!’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ he chuckled as he caught my arm, ‘but you have given me an idea. Come over here a minute.’ He took my hand and started walking towards a large boulder near the cliff edge.

  ‘Hey. I’m fully supportive of your wish to be a travelling gigolo, I promise,’ I said, tugging back on his arm and dragging my feet.

  ‘I appreciate the support.’ He grinned at my tease. ‘Now stop arsing about and help me get this shot before the light goes.’

  Hunter pulled a thin plastic mat out from his rucksack and laid it on the damp rock, getting me to sit on it before he took his place next to me. Stretching my legs out, I put my feet next to his as he instructed, and he laid the camera on the edge of his thigh, using the back screen to see the image and twiddling a couple of settings. I watched as he did so, his face relaxed but concentrated. My gaze dropped to the screen. The simple colour contrast of the shot was pure Hunter. The slab-grey of the sea, the white of the snow, the fine strip of fading orange above the horizon and the bright red of the laces in the brand of boots we both wore. I’d not actually owned any hiking boots before and had a feeling Hunter had been instrumental in recommending the expensive, insanely comfortable pair I’d been happily tramping around in all day. He fired off a few frames and then made a couple of adjustments before doing the same thing again.

  ‘Done?’ I asked as he lifted the camera away.

  ‘Nearly.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Pressing a button, he switched it to camera and then onto the front-facing one before holding it up to us.

  I looked across at him. ‘Really? The great Hunter Scott does selfies?’

  ‘Tell anyone and I might rethink that promise not to chuck you off here.’

  ‘OK then!’ I looked at the camera. ‘Cheese!’

  His laugh caught on the wind and wrapped itself around me. I missed his laugh. I missed a lot of things about Hunter Scott if I was honest. But like he’d said, we’d lost that chance. But I was at least glad of this moment – a temporary lowering of the barriers both of us had put up. He took the shot and then a couple more before returning the phone to his pocket.

  ‘Come on. We’d better get a wiggle on if we’re not going to get caught out in that.’ He thumbed over his shoulder at the spreading cloud as he tucked the plastic sheet back into his bag and we set off at a quicker pace.

  ‘So, how’s your mum?’ he asked as we hurried along.

  ‘Good, actually. Thanks. She lives in Spain now.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. About four years now. I think she kind of had a moment and just upped and left. Got a job working in a restaurant, loved it and decided to stay.’

  ‘Do you see her much?’

  ‘When I can.’ I slid him a glance. ‘She’s quite different now. In a good way. She met a man out there and he completely adores her. He had to be quite persistent – I mean, you know what she was like. She’d shut herself off from anything like that. But I guess he thought she was worth the effort. It’s like she’s found herself again. She’s let go of all the bitterness and unhappiness my father caused. Honestly, she looks ten years younger! I’m so happy for her.’

  ‘That’s great.’

  ‘I told her about this job – and that you would be on it. She was about as surprised as I was.’

  He looked across at me and gave a quick smile before focusing back on the trail.

  ‘Mum said she feels a bit responsible for us breaking up. She said she realises now that she didn’t handle things in the best way she could have, and that she let her bitterness get the better of her, which probably wasn’t the best thing for me. I’ve told her not to be silly but she insisted I ask you to forgive her. I told her you wouldn’t think there was anything to forgive.’

  Hunter remained silent.

  I stopped walking and, after a couple more paces, he realised and turned around.

  ‘Everything all right?’

  ‘Yes. I mean… you do think she did something wrong, don’t you?’

  ‘We need to beat that weather.’ He took another couple of steps forward.

  ‘Hunter?’

  He turned and, seeing I remained where I was, came to a halt. ‘OK. Yes. I don’t think your mum’s attitude helped our relationship. I don’t blame her for it, and there’s nothing to forgive. She wasn’t doing anything intentionally and she’d been hurt and coloured by her own experiences. But we both know it didn’t help give you the healthiest of outlooks when it came to relationships.’ He let out a long breath. ‘I imagine you’re going to go off on one at me now, which is fine, but I’ve never lied to you and I’m not about to start now, just to keep the peace.’ He fiddled with his beanie, pulling it a little further over his ears. ‘I’m honestly glad to hear your mum has moved on and is happy at last, and that’s she’s found someone who appreciates and loves her the way she deserves. I’m just sorry, for both of you, that it didn’t happen sooner.’

  He stood there. I knew he was waiting for me to react – badly. And he was prepared to take it for the sake of the truth. Which was what he’d spoken. His words shadowed almost exactly what my mum had confessed to me when I first told her about the trip, and how Hunter would be there. I’d never known. He’d never spoken badly about her when we’d been together. I knew he hadn’t always found it easy to be around her, but it hadn’t occurred to me there was a deeper reason. For a long time, Mum wasn’t exactly the easiest person to be around, for anyone.

  ‘If you’re ever in Spain, you know, on one of your trips, she’d love to see you.’

  I registered the surprise of my reaction – or lack thereof – in his eyes, before the half-smile appeared on his mouth. ‘I’l
l bear it in mind. Always good to have the name of a decent restaurant wherever you are.’

  I smiled back at him. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘For what?’

  I lifted and dropped my hands. ‘I never realised you felt that way, but you never used her in any arguments.’

  He shrugged. ‘She’d had the shitty end of the stick. I understood why she was the way she was. Honestly, the comments sometimes weren’t great, but I tried to let them go as much as I could. It drove me nuts that either of you thought I’d ever treat anyone the way she’d been treated, but I could see why she was wary for you. And she was all you had.’

  ‘I am sorry, Hunter.’

  ‘I know. Me too. But that’s life.’

  I swiped with my gloves at my cheeks. ‘Stupid wind. Making my eyes water.’

  His laughter lines crinkled. ‘Yeah, I hate it when it does that.’

  I bumped against him and he laughed some more.

  ‘Come on, I’m really not in the mood to get flash frozen by snow, so get that arse of yours moving or you’re going to end up over my shoulder.’

  ‘Ha! Try that and see where you end up.’

  He stopped walking and took a step towards me so there was barely daylight between us. I risked a glance up.

  ‘You know better than to challenge me.’

  ‘It wasn’t a challenge. It was a promise.’

  ‘Is that so?’

  ‘Yes. Neanderthal.’ I couldn’t help the smile that was spreading onto my face, despite all my attempts to keep it in check. ‘And now you’re the one wasting time, so if we do get snowed on, I’m no longer taking responsibility.’

  ‘Is that right?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘I guess that’s me told then.’

  ‘I guess it is.’

  He smiled slowly, and even more slowly bent his head towards me. I knew I should move, step back. Getting into something with Hunter Scott definitely hadn’t been on my itinerary, and although every part of my body was telling me it was a bloody amazing idea, my mind knew it wasn’t. But even that wasn’t being as definitive as it usually was.

  Hunter was so close now. I could feel his breath on my ear as he whispered, ‘Then get moving.’ He stood back up, winked and began marching ahead. I watched his retreating back for a moment, unsure whether to be relieved or mad. My body told me the latter but my brain told me I should be pleased. I got moving and began catching him up. At least I didn’t need to worry about being cold any more.

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘Seriously?’ I mumbled as I shoved my phone back on the bedside table, having checked the time, and fumbled for the light switch.

  The knock at the door came again. A little more insistent this time.

  ‘I’m coming!’ I called, grumpily shoving my arms down the sleeves of the dressing gown as I pulled the door open.

  Hunter was standing there, fully dressed in cashmere jumper and cargo pants. ‘You need to come with me.’

  I blinked at him groggily and rubbed at my eye with the heel of my hand. ‘What? Is there a fire drill or something?’

  ‘No. The meteorites, remember?’

  ‘Oh! Yes. Of course. That’s tonight?’

  ‘I’ve sat up each night and tonight is definitely the best so far. It’s spectacular! It’s hitting around one hundred and twenty an hour at the moment. Are you coming?’

  I yawned and stepped outside the room. Then I stepped back in, swapped the dressing gown for a jumper, rammed my socked feet into Ugg boots and grabbed my keycard. ‘OK. I’m ready.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Yep,’ I confirmed through a yawn, which earned me a mildly disbelieving look from Hunter.

  ‘What about the others? Sandeep’s been looking forward to this.’

  ‘Already downstairs watching.’

  ‘You could have just rung me. Save traipsing up here.’

  ‘It’s fine. I’d been there for an hour anyway. Good to stretch. Plus, I wasn’t sure what sort of reception I’d get, ringing you at two in the morning.’

  ‘Good point. But you were prepared to risk it in person?’

  He screwed up his face. ‘Yeah. Not sure I thought that through really. Nice jammies by the way.’

  I looked down at my shorts, liberally sprinkled with a print of kissy lips, finished off with a big version on one bum cheek. Perfect.

  ‘They were a present.’

  ‘Really.’

  ‘Not like that.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘They were from a woman.’

  ‘Interesting.’

  ‘Oh, shut up.’

  Hunter laughed and made a point of checking out the big lips again.

  ‘Stop it!’

  ‘Sorry. They’re fun. Just… not what I expected of you.’

  ‘You’re saying I’m not fun?’

  He tilted his head and smiled. ‘No. That’s not what I’m saying.’

  ‘My flatmate thinks certain aspects of my wardrobe need… cheering up.’

  Hunter laughed. ‘Is that so? And do you agree?’

  ‘No. I’m perfectly happy with my choices.’

  ‘So how come you’re wearing them?’

  ‘Because it’s become apparent that not only should I not leave my luggage unattended in the airport, I shouldn’t leave it unattended at home either.’

  ‘Ah! I see.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  He pushed open the glass door to the conservatory, now shrouded in darkness, and stood aside for me to go past him. At the far end, snuggled up on one of the couches, looking out through the plate glass onto the star-speckled night sky were Liv and Sandeep.

  ‘Can I ask a question?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Is this same flatmate responsible for the bikini too?’

  I snapped my head up. ‘What?’

  ‘The white bikini. You always veered well away from anything like that before. I just wondered if that had come about in the same way as those.’ His eyes dropped momentarily to my shorts before raising again and meeting mine.

  I scratched the back of my neck. ‘Yes.’

  He nodded to himself as I waved hi to the others and took a seat on the sofa next to them. Hunter flopped in next to me and stretched out his legs. It was kind of a squeeze, but still… Grabbing a blanket off a pile on the table next to us, he shook one out and drew it over me.

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘No problem.’

  He leant over, his eyes still facing forward. ‘Your flatmate has great taste.’

  ‘Ha ha.’

  Hunter looked directly at me now. ‘I’m serious.’

  ‘Oh. I, er, I don’t think… Oh my gosh! Did you see that?’ A stream of meteors suddenly caught my attention and, somewhere in the back of my mind, the thought registered that that was probably a good thing.

  Two hours later and the shooting-star show was beginning to wind down. I’d wiggled around a bit trying to get comfy and had eventually found a spot with my back against Hunter’s side. He’d nudged me after a few minutes to say thathis arm was going numb. I’d gone to shuffle again but he’d merely moved his arm and slung it along the back of the couch and eased me back into position. For a split second, I’d resisted. But then I told myself to stop being so ridiculous. It was just two people sitting on a couch. When you shared a small sofa with Hunter Scott, it was kind of hard not to be wedged up against him anyway. It was really just a matter of which particular position you were wedged in. Just because I’d had a wobble when he’d bent towards me out in the snow yesterday didn’t mean I had to have any more. Hunter was just being Hunter and I was clearly writing too much romance and passion without experiencing enough myself. Lorelei was right. When I got back I was going to take her up on her offer of introducing me to the dating scene again. Just because I’d had a few bad experiences didn’t mean they were all going to be bad. Hunter tipped me up a little and out of my daydream, stretching as he stood, exposing his toned lower back. I dragged my eye
s away. Yep. I definitely needed a date.

  ‘We’re going to go up,’ Sandeep said, helping a very sleepy-looking Liv to her feet. ‘Thanks for keeping an eye on that for us, mate. It definitely looks like you picked the right night. It was amazing.’

  ‘Yes. You’re really quite lovely when you want to be.’ Liv reached up to hug him, stifling a yawn into his shoulder as she did.

  Hunter grinned at her. ‘Thanks. I think.’

  Liv smiled and then wrapped me in a hug too. ‘Night night. See you in the morning.’

  ‘Night, Liv. Sleep well.’

  She nodded sleepily. Sandy gave her a look, shook his head and swept her up into his arms. Liv giggled, and wrapped her hands around his neck before snuggling into his chest as they headed off up to their room.

  ‘They’re so adorable.’

  Hunter looked up from folding and returning the blanket to the pile. ‘Yeah. They kind of are.’ I was still watching him when he finished.

  ‘Uh-oh. What did I do now?’

  ‘Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to agree with me. You tease them so about being as lovey-dovey as they are.’

  ‘Sandy knows I don’t mean it. And Liv is fun to tease. But she knows I don’t mean it either.’

  ‘Don’t you? Liv told me you don’t really look for commitment any more. I mean, for yourself. She was quite surprised to discover you’d ever been engaged and wondered if your reluctance was because things ended badly for us.’ I fiddled with a blanket fringe. ‘I told her it wasn’t. I hope I was right.’

  Hunter indicated it was time to leave and I headed to the door as he followed, finally answering as we got there. ‘You worry too much. Come on. You look like you’re ready to drop here on the spot.’

  I gave him a look that said he might not be far off the mark.

  ‘With anyone else I would, of course, be chivalrous and follow Sandeep’s example, but I’m afraid if I did that with you, I’d probably be rewarded with a swift kick in the nuts and get called a Neanderthal.’

  ‘You have such a high opinion of me.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘I’m not that bad!’

  ‘I know. OK. So what would have happened?’

  ‘I…’