by Karen King
Chapter Five
By the time she’d made a cup of coffee she was absolutely shivering. There was no way she could go to bed when it was this cold. She’d get pneumonia.
Suddenly a text came through from Hannah. Are you at LH now, Saffy?
Oh no, she’d promised to tell Hannah when she arrived. Yes, arrived about half an hour ago. I’ve got Oscar but can’t seem to turn the heating up. What do I do?
A few minutes later Hannah texted back. If you go over to Logan’s and sit with Chloe in case she wakes, he’ll come over and do it for you. Leave Oscar in the house, he’ll be fine.
Damn, Logan rescuing her was the last thing she wanted. No need to disturb Logan, I’ll sort it out in the morning, she messaged back.
Hannah’s reply was instant. Saffy, I’ve got enough to worry about without the thought of you suffering from hyperthermia on my conscience. Logan is waiting for you. Please go now.
There was nothing else for it but to go over to Logan’s house. Saffy shut the door on Oscar, who was now sprawled out by sofa, snoozing, and stepped out again into the bitter night air, the cold biting at her face. The temperature really was plummeting. Logan was waiting on his doorstep, the door pulled to but not shut behind him, now wearing a thick dark brown sheepskin jacket and trainers on his feet. He didn’t look very pleased.
‘I’m really sorry to bother you but this wasn’t my idea,’ she said defensively.
‘No problem. Go in and get warm. Chloe shouldn’t wake but if she does tell her you’re Hannah’s sister and she’ll be fine,’ he said when she reached him, stepping out of the doorway as she stepped in. Hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets, he hurried across to Liwus Helyk. She wiped her feet firmly on the mat before going inside and closing the door behind her. Maybe she should wait here. It didn’t seem right to go into the lounge or kitchen; that would look like she was making herself at home.
‘Who are you and where’s my dad?’
Saffy looked up to see a young girl with tousled dark brown hair and sleepy blue eyes peering over the banister at her.
‘Hello, you must be Chloe. I’m Saffy, Hannah’s sister. I’m staying at LH,’ she said. ‘The heating isn’t working so your dad has gone to fix it for me.’
Chloe considered this for a moment. Then she started walking down the stairs, a cuddly white polar bear tucked under her arm.
‘Are the twins better?’ she asked, plonking herself down on the bottom step.
Saffy sat down on the step beside her. ‘Almost. They’ll be home a day or two after Christmas.’
Chloe sighed. ‘I wish they were home for Christmas. The party won’t be the same without them.’
‘Me too.’ Saffy swivelled around to face the little girl. ‘I’ll do my very best to make in a nice party,’ she promised.
‘Will Daddy be long? I had a bad dream.’ Chloe’s mouth trembled a little.
Please don’t cry! Saffy thought in horror. She was hopeless with kids and had no idea what to do if they cried. Desperately, she tried to think of something to say then her eyes fell on the polar bear in Chloe’s arms. ‘I’ve got a polar bear like that. I always cuddle him when I have a bad dream and it makes me feel better.’
The little girl’s eyes widened. ‘What’s your polar bear called?’
‘Snowy,’ Saffy told her. ‘I had him when I was little. My dad bought him for me.’ The first Christmas after he’d upped and gone to live with his new girlfriend. It was the last present she’d ever had from him.
Chloe’s eyes widened even more. ‘Snap! My polar bear is called Snowy too. Does your polar bear look like mine?’ She held out the bear so Saffy could get a better look at it. ‘Are they twins?’
Before she could answer, the door creaked open and a blast of cold air swept over them as Logan came in, rubbing his hands together. ‘All fixed,’ he said. He knelt in front of Chloe. ‘What are you doing out of bed, poppet?’
‘I had a bad dream, but I’m okay now ’cos Saffy told me she’s got a polar bear just like Snowy, and he’s called Snowy too, and she cuddles him when she has a bad dream.’
‘Did she?’ Logan shot at thankful look at Saffy. ‘Well, let me get my jacket and boots off and I’ll take you back to bed.’ He started to unzip his jacket.
‘Can Saffy take me?’ Chloe pleaded. ‘I want to show her my polar bear duvet.’ She stood up and held out her hand to Saffy. ‘Do you have a polar bear duvet?’
Saffy stood up too. ‘No, I don’t but I’d love to see yours.’ She turned to Logan. ‘If that’s okay?’
He nodded slowly. ‘Sure, if you don’t mind.’
‘No problem at all, it’s a fair exchange for you fixing our central heating.’
Well, I’d better take off my boots then. She unzipped them – wishing she was wearing something more elegant than black and red polka dot socks – placed them on the mat then took Chloe’s hand in hers and walked up the stairs with her.
Chloe was clearly a very big fan of polar bears. There were several posters of polar bears on the walls, a big polar bear on the end of the bed, and the pale blue curtains and duvet cover were decorated with them too. It reminded Saffy of her own obsession with unicorns when she was a child. Her mother had looked everywhere for unicorn curtains to no avail, so had bought some fabric pens for Saffy to draw her own unicorns on some pink curtains. Saffy had loved them.
‘Hey that’s cute,’ Saffy said. ‘I haven’t seen polar bear curtains and duvet covers before.’
‘Daddy asked Marta to make them for my birthday,’ Chloe replied as she pulled back the duvet cover and climbed into bed. ‘Do you want her to make some for you too?’
It seemed that Logan would do anything to make his little girl happy. Although she didn’t seem to be spoiled, because she had come back to bed without an argument and was already snuggling down, clutching Snowy. ‘Actually, I’ve just bought some new curtains so I don’t need any more,’ she said.
‘Okay. Night,’ murmured Chloe.
‘Night. Sleep tight,’ Saffy repeated the words her mother and Hannah had always said to her when they’d tucked her into bed.
When Saffy went back downstairs, Logan was standing in the kitchen doorway, sipping coffee from a big mug with ‘Best Daddy’ written across the front and looking a bit friendlier. ‘Want one?’ he asked.
As much as she would love a mug of coffee, she was shattered and wanted her bed more. ‘Thanks, but I’ll get back. It’s been a long day.’
‘Okay. Well if you get any more problems, anything at all, then phone or message me. Hannah and Lee are good friends of mine and I promised them I’d do everything I could to help you.’
‘Thanks.’ She looked up and then wished that she hadn’t because she was staring straight into his eyes, eyes that were bluer and deeper than any she’d ever seen before. They seemed to have that glint again and she couldn’t tear her gaze away. It was a struggle to keep breathing normally and she was sure he could hear her heart thud-thudding in her chest.
He didn’t blink. It was as if their eyes were locked together and he could see right into her soul. ‘I guess it’s us who should be thanking you, for giving up your Christmas to rescue ours.’
She stood up. They were face to face now, so close she could feel his warm breath on her face and still his eyes held hers. Somehow she tore her gaze away. ‘I’m happy to help,’ she said, determinedly keeping her voice steady. ‘See you tomorrow.’
* * *
Logan watched as Saffy strode down the path in her black leather stiletto-heeled boots and expensive long camel coat. His first reaction when he’d opened the door to find her almost falling into his arms was wow! Hannah was attractive, but Saffy was a knock-out, with her high cheekbones, big brown puppy eyes, perfect bow lips and cute tousled hair. She also seemed to have a gorgeously curvy figure from what he could make out from the skinny jeans, knee-length boots and baggy jumper she was wearing underneath that coat. And when she’d looked at him with those stunning de
ep brown eyes he’d felt mesmerised. Then he’d reminded himself that he’d been attracted to Jade at first, until he’d found out how self-centred she was, and from what Hannah had told him, Saffy was the same. Too busy with work and her social life to have any time for her family. He wondered how Hannah had even managed to persuade her fun-loving sister to give up her Christmas and come down to Cornwall to run the Christmas party. From what Hannah had said about her, he’d have thought she’d have refused point blank and just told her to cancel it.
He went inside, closed the door and went upstairs to check on Chloe. She was fast asleep, clutching Snowy. He sat down on the side of her bed and watched her sleeping. She looked so peaceful. He loved her so much and hated to think of her being away from him over Christmas. Was he doing the right thing? Was a night away too much for her?
She needed a relationship with her mother and had been so excited about going to stay with her Nanny and Grandad, but Jade had only ever taken her out for a couple of hours at a time before and her sudden interest in their little daughter surprised him. He leaned over and kissed Chloe softly on the forehead then went back downstairs, poured himself another coffee and sat down at his laptop. Half an hour or so should finish it off, then he could devote the next few days to Chloe, make sure her Christmas was special. He just hoped Jade would make Boxing Day special for her too.
* * *
Saffy could already feel the warmth as she stepped into the house. Thank you, Logan, she whispered silently.
She let Oscar out through the kitchen into the back garden, then made herself a mug of hot chocolate and looked around the kitchen. Oscar evidently slept here as his dog basket was next to a huge cream and black Aga. Saffy looked at it anxiously. Is that what she had to cook Christmas dinner on? Please let it be a gas or electric one; she didn’t think she could cope with coal or wood. She walked over and looked at the hob, noticing with relief that it was gas. That shouldn’t be too difficult – it would basically be the same as a gas cooker but bigger. It had two ovens by the look of it. She opened the larger oven door – it was massive, plenty big enough for a giant turkey – which is what they were going to need to feed thirty-five! She’d cook something on the Aga over the weekend, make sure she knew how it worked.
The kitchen was huge. Wall to ceiling cupboards covered one side, with a large fridge-freezer and a larder on the other side. There was a double sink, a dishwasher – she was relieved to see – and a washing machine. In the middle was a wooden table and six chairs. It all looked really homely. She imagined Hannah, Lee and the twins sitting around the table having their meals, Hannah coaxing the twins to eat, Lee wiping up any mess they made. It would be noisy but happy. She opened the doors of the other room; a large dining room with several tables and chairs and a huge dresser with crockery on display. This must be where Hannah served breakfast for the guests.
Along the hall was a washroom and under the stairs a cloakroom with coats and shoes. Behind the mahogany staircase were the two doors to the family rooms.
Oscar started barking so she went back into the kitchen to let him in. He went straight to his basket and lay in it, wagging his tail. ‘Goodnight, Oscar,’ she whispered, stroking his head. He licked her hand then closed his eyes. He really was a lovely dog.
Saffy walked up the winding staircase to check out the guest rooms, hoping one of them was made up ready to sleep; she didn’t fancy struggling with sheets and duvet covers this late at night. Luckily the first room she tried was. It was a double room, prettily decorated in pastel floral wallpaper and with a gorgeous lacy bedspread and matching curtains, and an en suite in the corner. She walked over to the window and peered out into the street but it was too dark to see the Atlantic now. The light came on in the bedroom of the house opposite – Logan’s house – and she watched, transfixed, as Logan walked across the room to the window and looked out into the street. For a moment it seemed as if he was staring right at her and she held her breath. She could almost feel his gaze. Don’t be ridiculous. He can’t even see you, your room is in darkness, she told herself.
She turned away and closed the curtains before turning on the light and getting undressed. But as she climbed into her bed a few moments later the memory of Logan’s arms around her as she’d almost fallen into him earlier flashed across her mind. It had only been for a second but it had felt so good. Too good.
He doesn’t like you and you don’t like him, she reminded herself. And he’s got a child. An image of Chloe, sitting on the stairs clutching her cuddy polar bear, flashed across her mind. Chloe was so young and vulnerable. And Logan clearly adored her. She wondered where Chloe’s mother was. Hannah hadn’t said the Logan was a widower, and she was pretty sure that her sister would have volunteered that information. So it seemed that Chloe’s mother had walked out on them. What kind of woman did that? It took a special kind of guy to bring a child up alone, she thought. Many women, like her mother, did it, but in her experience it was the men who usually left. Like her father.
Chapter Six
Should we message Hannah’s sister and see if she wants us to bring anything?
Do you think her sister will just want us to eat and go?
Have you met Saffy? She hasn’t got any kids, has she? Do you think it will all be too much for her?
Logan scrolled through the messages from the other single parents again. They were all panicking about the party. Hannah had written a group message, tagging in everyone on her party list, explaining what had happened and everyone had sent their best wishes for the twins, thanked her for making alternative arrangements, praised her sister for coming to the rescue – then promptly started another group without Hannah to discuss the implications of this news. The general consensus seemed to be panic that the party wouldn’t be as good as previous years. Logan hadn’t noticed the thread, he’d opted out of message notifications to his mobile because it was so time-consuming, so Marta, one of the mums, had alerted him to it.
It had taken Logan half an hour to get through all the messages, assure them that everything was under control and that Saffy seemed pleasant and he was sure she could cope. He finished by telling everyone he wouldn’t have time to respond to any further messages as he was busy – like them – with Christmas preparations, then left the group so he wouldn’t have another string of messages to read when he logged on again. He had a feeling there would be a load more through the day. And no doubt Marta would keep him in the loop.
No sooner had he logged off than his phone rang. It was Marta. Damn, she’d be on the phone ages and he had such a lot to do. Still, he might as well answer and get it over with, otherwise she might turn up on his doorstep. She only lived around the corner and he knew she’d seize on any chance to call. They’d shared a kiss under the mistletoe at last year’s Christmas party, which had evidently meant more to Marta than it had to him, and ever since she’d taken any opportunity to message him or call by. She was probably hoping they’d have a repeat performance this year, maybe even take things further, but it wasn’t what he wanted. He liked Marta, but not in that way and even if he did, he wouldn’t have a relationship with someone who lived in the same village. He kept his dates out of sight of Chloe, and far enough away for it not to be awkward when he ended things.
‘Hi, Logan, it’s such a shame about the twins isn’t it? Have you heard how they are?’ the familiar soft voice asked.
‘I don’t know any more than Hannah put in her message,’ he replied. ‘I’ll contact her later and get an update.’
‘We’re all a bit worried about the party. It’s nice of Hannah’s sister – Saffy – to take over but will she be able to cope? It’s a lot for her.’
‘I’m sure it will be fine, it’s only for a few hours and we can all muck in.’ Logan glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Nine-thirty. He needed to get cracking. He had a couple more presents to get for Chloe and he needed to pick up the bike he’d bought her as a main present. Annie had said he could keep it at her house
until Christmas Eve so that Chloe didn’t find it. Then he had to go to the carol service at Chloe’s school.
‘I’ve got to go now…’
Marta wasn’t about to be fobbed off that easily. ‘How about I call for you to go to the carol service and we can discuss it more then?’
He held back a sigh. Marta was so persistent. ‘I’m going shopping first so I’m not sure what time I’ll get there. See you at LH on Christmas Day, Marta.’
‘Okay. See you Christmas Day,’ she said, the disappointment clear in her voice.
He hoped he wasn’t going to get phone calls and messages all day. He had to admit that he was wondering himself how the party would turn out. Hannah was so warm and efficient, she made everyone feel at ease, and Lee always seemed in command of every situation. Whatever happened, the two of them worked together. Just like they were probably doing right now, in Tenerife, he imagined.
Well, all they had was Saffy, and he had to admit it was kind of her to give up her Christmas and take over so that the party wasn’t cancelled. However it went, it was better than no Christmas party at all.
* * *
‘Woof! Woof!’
Saffy’s eyes fluttered open. It sounded like a dog was in her flat. It couldn’t be, she must be dreaming. She rubbed her eyes and opened them, feeling a stab of shock as she took in the floral wallpaper and lacy curtains that definitely weren’t hers…
‘Woof! Woof! Woof!’ The barks were louder, more impatient and she suddenly remembered that she was at Hannah’s house, and it was her sister’s spaniel, Oscar, who was barking. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table – ten o’clock! He probably needed to go out. She jumped out of bed and raced down the stairs. ‘Coming, Oscar!’
