Sally’s smile actually widened. ‘Excellent. Thank you.’
As she walked away Faith let out a long breath.
‘You got the booking after all?’ There was surprise and a hint of something that sounded like awe in Adam’s voice.
‘Of course.’
‘But how?’
Faith grinned. ‘I wish I could say it was my powerful negotiating skills. Turns out everywhere else was fully booked. In the end she came back, not quite cap in hand, but certainly a lot meeker than before.’
His face seemed to fall a little. ‘I guess this means you’re busy tonight?’
‘I have to be on call if needed, yes.’ She moved closer, putting her arms around him, just because she could. ‘But Mario and Antonio have the food covered and Becky, our restaurant waitress, has agreed to work tonight. I believe that leaves me free to entertain my new guest.’
His eyes darkened and he trailed his finger down her face. ‘Do I need to check-in?’
She pouted, letting out a mock sigh. ‘There goes my two-night booking.’
Bending his head, he dropped an exquisitely tender kiss on her lips. ‘I’ll make it up to you.’
Draping her arms around his neck, she beamed up at him. ‘Promises, promises.’
Several hours later and Adam still hadn’t managed to deliver on his promises. Oh, he was definitely ready to, but it was hard to deliver anything when the person you were delivering it to, wasn’t there. First Faith had been busy settling in the new guests, then last minute nerves had her deciding she needed to be downstairs to make sure everything went smoothly for the party, after all. Adam was left to sit and wait for her in her sitting room. Watching The Big Fat Quiz of the Year on TV. Two fluffy mutts for company.
‘Not quite how I imagined it,’ he muttered. Tuck, or was it Nip?, cocked his head, as if he understood. ‘Not that I’m complaining,’ he added, scratching him behind the ears. ‘I know she has to work. I know running this hotel takes up most of her time. Of the spare time she has left she has her family to see, then her own personal needs. I recognise there isn’t much left over for me.’ He also knew he’d take whatever crumbs she was prepared to offer.
The other dog nuzzled in closer, putting a paw on his thigh. Adam grunted. ‘That could be the most action I get tonight.’
The longer he waited for Faith, the more anxious he became about what he was about to say. He hadn’t missed the way she’d remained behind the reception desk when he’d walked in. There had been no rush to greet him, no flinging her arms around him, no beaming smile on her face. Instead she’d looked shocked. What he didn’t know was whether it had been shocked in a wow, this is amazing sort of way, or shocked in a wary, I hope this guy isn’t about to turn heavy on me, because while I like him, I don’t want him hanging round too often sort of way.
Two pairs of ears twitched, and then suddenly the dogs were scrambling off the sofa and darting towards the door. ‘Charming.’ He stared after them as they bounced up and down in the hallway, waiting for the door to open. ‘I’m the one who’s been giving you tummy rubs all evening.’
But as Faith walked in, laughing down at them, kicking off the gorgeous heels she’d teamed with her sexy little black dress, Adam felt like bounding up to her, too. He had to consciously make sure his tongue wasn’t hanging out.
When she’d made sufficient fuss of the dogs, she smiled over at him. ‘Sorry it took so long. I didn’t want to give either of the Bannisters a chance to complain.’
‘It’s not a problem. I’ve had great company.’
For a split second she looked confused. Then her eyes followed his and she giggled. ‘The pair of them are good listeners, though they do tend to hog the best seat on the sofa, next to the fire.’
‘They’re also up for a good tummy rub, though they’re a bit stingy on reciprocating.’
Her gaze remained on his. ‘I’m always up for a tummy rub, too. And I reciprocate.’
Lust shot through him and all the words he’d been rehearsing flew out of his mind. ‘Are you free for a while?’ His voice sounded so hoarse it was barely recognisable.
The corner of her mouth curved. ‘Define a while.’
He jumped to his feet. ‘The way I’m feeling right now, it won’t take very long.’ She was laughing as he bundled her up in his arms and strode towards the bedroom. Still laughing when he kicked the door shut, much to the disgust of the dogs.
She only stopped when he placed her on the bed and started peeling off her stockings. A sight more than worth the wait.
Passion spent, Adam drew Faith firmly against his side. Immediately he felt his pulse start to quicken. Nerves, this time. He had things to say, and he could only hope she wanted to hear them.
‘The last time I was here you told me you didn’t want me to make any promises,’ he began. Immediately he felt her stiffen in his arms.
‘I said what we’d had was like a whirlwind. We needed to take a breath. Not make promises we might not want to keep when we got back to real life.’
His heart began to thump. ‘Why do I get the feeling that while you’re saying we, you actually mean I.’
Her head lifted, possibly because she couldn’t hear him over the pounding of his damn heart. ‘You’re wrong. I actually mean you.’
‘Me? You think I’m the one who doesn’t know how I feel?’
He felt her withdrawing from him. Not just physically, though she sat bolt upright by his side, hardly touching him, but emotionally.
‘You’re the one with the ex-wife you clearly have unresolved feelings for.’
The heart that had been pounding away, now stuttered. ‘You think I’m still in love with Ruth?’
‘Aren’t you?’
Her head remained down so he couldn’t see her expression, but he read the uncertainty in her voice. The sadness, too. ‘Faith, Faith, Faith.’ Shaking his head, he cupped her face, bringing her eyes up to meet his. ‘I love you.’ His gaze swept over her, letting her see everything he was feeling. ‘Whatever I felt for Ruth changed irreversibly three years ago.’
Her eyelids lowered, leaving him once again unable to see what she was thinking. ‘How do you know?’
‘How do I know I love you?’ He smiled, kissing the end of her nose, making her look at him again. ‘I think about you all of the time, and I mean all of it. I can’t even buy a damn can of deodorant without wondering if you’ll like the smell, can’t watch a TV programme without reminding myself to ask if you’ve seen it. Can’t look at my phone without wanting to talk to you. These last few days without you have been hell. I’ve not been able to sleep. Mornings are grey and cold, even when the sun’s out. But mostly I ache everywhere when I’m not with you. And I can’t picture a future without you in it.’
She blinked, then blinked again, her hazel eyes glistening. ‘Seriously?’
He wished to God he knew if that was a wow, fantastic, seriously, or an oh shit, seriously? Turns out spilling his guts had been the easy part. Waiting for her reaction was a million times harder. ‘Yes, seriously.’ Now please put me out of my misery.
Faith’s heart felt as if it was about to explode. He loved her. She so wanted to believe it. So wanted to tell him everything he’d just described was exactly how she felt, too. There was just one major stumbling block.
‘Before, when I asked how do you know, I actually meant, how do you know you no longer have feelings for Ruth?’
Disappointment flooded his face and Faith felt terrible. He’d told her he loved her and here she was, withholding from him. Still banging on about his ex-wife. Yet she’d seen how he’d reacted just at seeing Ruth’s family. And she knew Ruth was the only woman he’d slept with, only woman he’d ever loved. She had to be sure she wasn’t setting herself up for heartbreak. To ease the sting of her question, she touched his cheek.
‘Please. Before I tell you how I feel, I need to know.’
He nodded, his expression grave. ‘I understand. I meant what I said earlier though. When a woman you thought loved you accuses you of murdering her son, it crushes something inside.’
Faith’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh my God, she didn’t say that.’ But she knew, from the anguished look in his eyes, that she had.
‘In case you’re worried how I might feel about her now,’ he added. ‘I saw Ruth a few days ago. I went because she’d asked to see me, but also because I finally realised I needed closure.’
Faith’s voice was having trouble making itself heard. ‘What did she want?’
‘She wanted to apologise for what she’d said.’ He sighed, taking Faith’s hand and placing it over his heart. ‘I was glad I went. Relieved to hear her tell me she no longer blamed me. Even as she was telling me that though, I couldn’t stop thinking of you, of how fiercely you’d defended me. It made me realise I actually no longer cared what Ruth thought anymore. It mattered more what you thought. And if you didn’t hate me for what I’d done, if you didn’t think it was my fault, then maybe in time I could stop thinking that, too.’
That was it. Her heart opened, enveloping him, absorbing every big, delicious part of him until it felt heavy and swollen. And gloriously full. ‘Of course it wasn’t your fault.’ Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she held his face in her hands. ‘And of course I love you, too. I knew before you left, but I was too scared what you felt for me wasn’t the real deal. I was terrified that now you were reunited with Ruth’s family, it wouldn’t be long before you were reunited with her, too.’
She almost melted at the ferocity of the love blazing from his eyes. ‘What I felt for Ruth doesn’t come close to what I feel for you.’ He kissed her then, a deep kiss full of need and longing. ‘And you need to know that I’d never let you go, like I did her. I’ll fight for you until the end of my days.’
Love mixed with joy, mixed with hope, and bounced around her chest. ‘But how are we going to make us work? Between the hotel and you living in the south …?’ She trailed off when she saw him smile.
‘My business is expanding. After a bit of prodding on my part, Damon agreed we need an office in Manchester. That’s what I’ve been busy doing the last few days. Looking for office premises. Looking for a small flat so I can live there Monday to Thursday.’ He grinned down at her. ‘I’m rather hoping Friday to Sunday I can get myself some cheap digs in the Lakes.’
‘Oh God, I can’t believe it.’ She was overwhelmed. She’d gone from convincing herself she’d never see him again, to the promise of three days a week.
‘Is that a good I can’t believe it? Because trying to second guess what you’ve been thinking over the last ten minutes has been killing me.’
‘It’s not just good.’ She took his face between her hands and kissed him. ‘It’s amazingly, spectacularly, brilliant.’
He kissed her back, feather-light kisses that teased and aroused. ‘Does that mean I get the cheap digs?’
She smiled against his lips. ‘The digs you can pay for. The hotel manager, you get to keep for as long as you want.’
He gave her a loaded look. ‘I have a feeling that’s going to be forever.’
Faith melted against him, her sigh one of pure happiness. ‘Forever works for me.’
Epilogue
Christmas Eve, the following year
Faith stood back and admired the giant Normandy fir standing proudly, no make that magnificently, in the middle of the hall.
‘Don’t tell me. They didn’t have a smaller one.’
She laughed, twirling round to find her father standing behind her. ‘They did, but I had to put all these decorations somewhere. Besides, it’s a thing of beauty.’
‘Aye, it is that.’ Her father wasn’t looking at the tree though. He was looking at her.
With a rush of love, she went to hug him. ‘You’re looking pretty dapper yourself.’
He put a finger down the back of his collar, stretching it. ‘Damn thing’s shrunk since I last wore it.’
Faith giggled. ‘There is another explanation.’
He scoffed. ‘With the tiny portions your mother gives me? Don’t be daft.’
She could have told him it was more than likely Antonio and Mario’s calorie-laden puddings that he seemed to sample most weeks, but she kept quiet.
‘Someone has to take care of your waistline for you.’ Her mother glided down the stairs in that elegant way she had that Faith could only admire and had never been able to emulate.
More love filled her heart. ‘Mum, you look stunning.’ She’d chosen a deep emerald-green dress which brought out the colour of her eyes.
‘Thank you my dear. Not half as beautiful as my daughter, though.’
A babble of voices sounded from the foyer and Faith glanced round to find her sisters and their families walking in. Little Jack – now a lively toddler – immediately raced over to the reception desk and tugged at the garland draping from it.
‘Jack, no,’ Charity squealed, rushing over to him.
‘Perhaps a good thing you closed the hotel for the next two days,’ her father murmured. ‘Place might need re-building by the time he’s finished with it.’
‘Don’t. We have enough building going on as it is.’ The extensions Adam had so beautifully drawn out were now underway. She’d refused when he’d offered to help financially. It was only in the summer, when he’d told her he wasn’t loaning her money, he was investing in their future, that she relaxed enough to give in. Now she couldn’t wait to see how his ideas would translate from paper into real life.
Faith looked beyond her sisters and felt tears rush into her eyes. ‘Oh, Chloe. You look amazing.’
And she did. Her awkward, slightly overweight niece with the clumsy boots and madly coloured hair was now a stunning young woman. Amazing what a year, exercise and a besotted boyfriend could do. Her hair, back to its natural brunette, fell like a sleek curtain down her back. Her deep blue velvet dress clung to her toned body.
Chloe smiled, glancing over to Stuart who grinned back at her.
‘Well, Antonio and Mario have laid out some champagne in the restaurant area.’ Faith grasped her parents’ hands. ‘Shall we?’
Her father’s eyes lit up. ‘What the bloody hell are we doing here then? Lead the way.’
Adam fiddled with his tie. Red, Faith had insisted, so red he’d bought. It went with the rose in his lapel, he guessed. Probably went with his eyes, too.
‘Stop playing with that damn tie. It’s fine.’ Damon – the same man who’d insisted on taking him out and getting him drunk last night, hence the red eyes – scowled over at him.
Adam heaved out a sigh and stepped back from the mirror. ‘Feels funny being in this room again.’
‘You’re not supposed to see the bride the night before the wedding. Bad luck and all that.’
‘I don’t need luck.’ He smirked back at Damon. ‘Faith and I deal in love, not luck.’
Damon made a gagging sound. ‘Jeez, big man. Don’t go all soppy on me. My breakfast will come up.’ Then he sighed and went to clasp his shoulder. ‘But I guess, if we’re going to do this soppy shit, I might as well say this. It’s bloody good to see you looking so happy, mate. Especially considering the time of year.’
Adam swallowed, then swallowed again just in case. If he was going to have an emotional meltdown today, it was going to be in front of Faith. Not this man staring at him with something that looked suspiciously like the emotion Adam was trying to keep at bay. ‘Faith wanted to get married on Christmas Eve. Said the time of year should hold some happy memories, too. I’ll still remember …’ Shit. His voice sounded choked.
Damon came to his rescue. ‘I know. At least this way you won’t forget your wedding ann
iversary though, hey?’
Grateful for his friend’s humour for once, Adam laughed. ‘No chance of me forgetting today. No chance at all.’
‘So, as your best man, I guess it just remains for me to ask if you’re sure you want to do this?’
Adam took in a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. ‘Try and stop me.’
He almost ran towards the hallway, hearing the babble of people before he saw them. Faith’s family, who he considered to be his family now, were huddled round the giant Christmas tree, drinking champagne. The tree was still too big for the space, but try getting her to see that. Two mad dogs raced around, chasing each other, the gold bells hanging from their red collars jingling every time they moved.
Jingle bells, he thought with a grin.
Talking to Faith’s parents was the kind lady who’d agreed to marry them, despite it being Christmas Eve.
And there, amongst them all, was Faith. Radiant in a deep red dress, laughing at something her brother was saying to her. Suddenly, as if she sensed him, her eyes caught his. He was almost blinded by the love he saw there.
A year ago he’d come to The Old Mill hotel to forget Christmas.
Now he couldn’t wait to celebrate it. With Mrs Faith Hunter.
* The End *
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Thank You
Thank you so much for taking the time to read A Little Christmas Faith. I get so much pleasure out of writing a book – spending months in a fantasy world with my perfect hero, what’s not to love?! The greatest pleasure though, comes from hearing that others have enjoyed the fantasy I’ve created. I’m not alone in that. Authors love feedback – it can inspire, motivate, help us improve. It can also help spread the word. So if you feel inclined to leave a review, I would be really grateful. And if you’d like to contact me (details are under my author profile) I’d be delighted to hear from you.
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