Christmas Under the Northern Lights

by Annie O'Neil

  Her heart lurched up into her throat. ‘Oh, Coop...’ Committing to the job here on Bourtree had been a huge act of faith on his part. Especially if he’d done so not knowing whether or not she’d stay.

  His serious expression lightened. He gave her a crooked grin. ‘And now I want to try and stop both of us from leaving.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I love you, Audrey. It’s taken me a while to strip everything down, but I’ve realised there’s one important thing in my life and that’s you. Loving you has made me whole, and I couldn’t bear to see you walk away without you knowing that.’

  The butterflies that had all but taken up residency in Audrey’s belly took flight again.

  He gave the backs of her hands a soft rub with his thumbs. ‘I should’ve told you earlier, but I was so busy being weighed down by what I presumed people were thinking about my past I forgot to focus on what was important.’

  ‘Which is...?’ she asked in a whisper.

  ‘The future. A future with you, if you’ll have me.’

  ‘Oh, Coop, I—’

  ‘Please. Sorry...’ He pressed on. ‘I just want to be very clear. If you want to stay on Bourtree without me we can sort something out. I’ll go. I’ll stay. Whatever you want. I know you had choices taken away from you in your last relationship, and there is no chance I would ever do that. Your happiness is paramount to me.’

  ‘Cooper, I—’

  She tried to interject as he began to fill their champagne glasses, his words getting tangled with hers. He was pouring his heart out to her. It was adorable, and heart-rending, and not at all what she’d expected after his silence last night and his polite but distant behaviour today.

  She was surprised she wasn’t floating out of her chair. Her heart was so busy swelling with disbelief and relief and the type of joy she’d never imagined possible.

  ‘Audrey Walsh...’ Cooper held up his glass.

  ‘Yes, Cooper MacAskill?’ She was feeling a bit giggly now—and that was before she’d had so much as a sip of champagne. She wondered what would happen when she finally did have a sip.

  Although...wait a minute...he wasn’t going to—? Her heart froze in place.

  ‘I want to propose a toast to the woman I love.’

  Her heart gave a flip and then went all gooey. The man she loved, loved her. He was everything she’d dreamt of and more. Kind, generous, and more than those things—more than his beautiful eyes, his wayward hair, the stubbly chin she always wanted to run her fingers along.

  He loved her as much as she loved him. Cooper MacAskill loved her. And it felt more real than anything she’d ever experienced.

  ‘So...here it is. I propose a toast to you, the woman who was strong enough, courageous enough and smart enough to make me take a long, hard look at myself. I know now that I need to change. I got too blinkered. Too afraid of what people thought of me to see the people who were actually there for me. Supporting me. Including you.’

  ‘You know I love you too, Cooper.’

  He closed his eyes and smiled. When he opened them again, they glowed. ‘Music to my ears, my love.’ He brought her palm to his lips and kissed it. ‘It took hearing you say you’d leave Bourtree to knock some proper sense into me. I know you love it here. And I do, too, all things considered. So...’

  He raised his glass again.

  ‘I’d be honoured if you would consider exploring what we have together, Audrey. The last thing I want to do is dictate how you live your life, or where, but...’ He pressed his hand to his heart. ‘I’ve finally realised mine would be unbelievably happy with you...here...if it’d make you happy.’

  Audrey laughed and clinked her glass to Cooper’s. ‘Of course it would.’

  Cooper whooped and punched the air. ‘Are you telling me you want to stay?’

  She nodded. ‘After I told you I was leaving it felt so wrong.’

  ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

  She shook her head and scrunched her nose. ‘I was doubting myself. When I announced I was leaving you didn’t fight for me. But I hadn’t fought for you. I chose to run away before I knew the whole story. Again. It felt like I was giving up on something that hadn’t yet had a chance to begin.’

  She pressed her hand to her heart, as he had.

  ‘Knowing and loving you has made me realise I’m so much stronger than I thought I was. Seeing myself through your eyes has been amazing. So when I thought you didn’t want me here...’ She faltered, not wanting to relive that dark moment when she’d thought he wanted her to leave.

  Cooper’s expression softened into a loving gaze as he cupped her cheek in her hand. ‘What do you see in my eyes?’

  ‘Love,’ she answered solidly.

  ‘And what do you see now?’ He rearranged his features, adding a decidedly higher level of heat.

  ‘Lust!’ She giggled.

  ‘What do you get when you combine the two?’ he asked.

  ‘The perfect combination?’

  ‘May I propose the toast I really want to make?’

  ‘Yes, please.’ She lifted her glass to meet his again.

  ‘To us,’ he said.

  ‘To us,’ she echoed, taking a sip. ‘May I propose one, too?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘To Bourtree Castle’s Christmas, for reminding us what really matters.’

  ‘Hear, hear!’ Cooper drank, then grinned. ‘This is now, officially, my favourite time of year.’

  ‘Me too,’ Audrey agreed. ‘And I think we’ll both agree that is most definitely a Christmas miracle.’

  Cooper leant in for a kiss, and she was more than happy to return it.

  A few moments later she realised how much the whole world had melted away when she began to hear applause and cheers, and then, pulling back, she blushed when she saw that they were for her and Cooper.

  Soon enough everyone was on their feet, raising and clinking glasses, sharing in the good news that Bourtree’s newest couple had sealed their love with a very public, very satisfying Christmas kiss.

  Two Christmases later

  ‘And you’re sure you’re happy wearing it?’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to wear anything else.’ Audrey grinned, giving her costume a proud pat.

  ‘You make an amazing Valkyrie.’

  ‘Valkyrie bride,’ Audrey reminded him primly, then gave him a little twirl. ‘Cayley did a brilliant job on it, don’t you think?’

  ‘My love, you could wear a potato sack and look fabulous.’ Cooper dropped a kiss onto his brand-new wife’s nose and then, unable to resist, pulled her in close for a proper kiss.

  ‘Mmm...tickly.’ Audrey ran a finger along Cooper’s large white beard. ‘Do you think one day our children will catch Mommy kissing Santa Claus?’

  ‘I would put money on it.’ Cooper grinned, pulling his beard down under his chin to give Audrey another quick smooch before her big moment.

  ‘Sounds as if it’s quite a crowd out there,’ she said.

  ‘There always is.’

  ‘I’m so glad your sister made it.’

  ‘Her children are loving Bourtree. I just heard them begging Shona to let them come back every year.’

  ‘That’d be wonderful.’ Audrey clapped her hands in a happy round of applause. ‘Did she seem to like the idea?’

  ‘She did. I think, like me, she’d built up such a fear about people treating her like they did back in the day, she’d forgotten about all the good things.’

  Cooper was grateful he’d followed his gut and eventually, with Audrey by his side every time he made a video call, won his sister’s heart back into his life.

  ‘You’re an amazing woman, Audrey MacAskill. I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier bride on a more meaningful night.’

  Her smile turned into a sunbeam. ‘If I didn
’t know better, Cooper MacAskill, I’d say you’re more sentimental than I am!’

  ‘I’m glad you didn’t say cheap!’ He laughed.

  ‘Why would I say that?’ Audrey gave him a weird look. ‘Just because we wanted to have our wedding on Christmas Eve, and the only time was just before the Nativity...that’s not a cost-saving measure. That’s clever!’

  He ran his knuckle along her jawline. ‘That’s my girl. Always looking on the bright side.’

  Her expression grew serious. ‘I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t think we could see both sides of the coin together.’

  ‘I know, darlin’. It was amazing, having just about the whole of Bourtree stuffed into the church to be with us as we exchanged vows. I can’t believe Doc Anstruther came back from Spain!’

  ‘I know! Another Christmas miracle,’ she agreed with a grin. ‘I loved having everyone being part of our day. It made it extra-special. Now!’ She clapped her hands and pointed towards the doorway leading to the church. ‘Go on out there. We’ve got to sing some joy into the world!’

  He pulled her to him for a fierce, tight hug. ‘You know I will always do everything in my power to make sure you’re happy and safe.’

  ‘I know, my love. That’s the other reason I married you.’ She popped on her Viking helmet and gave him a happy grin. ‘Now, get on out there—otherwise we’re both going to miss my grand entrance.’

  He gave her a jaunty salute. ‘Aye-aye, Cap’n. I’m looking forward to cheering the new Mrs MacAskill on her grand entrance.’

  ‘And I’m looking forward to a long, happy future as Mrs MacAskill.’

  Cooper pulled her in for another kiss, and Audrey was late for her cue. But no one cared because it was a happy day for more reasons than one.

  And when they all raised their voices in unison Cooper’s and Audrey’s eyes met and locked, joy permeating every note and smile as they belted out the lyrics of ‘Joy to the World’.

  It really did feel as if heaven and nature were singing just for them on this, their special day, and for evermore.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Annie O’Neil

  The Vet’s Secret Son

  Risking Her Heart on the Single Dad

  Making Christmas Special Again

  A Return, a Reunion, a Wedding

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Mistletoe Kiss with the Heart Doctor by Marion Lennox.

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  Mistletoe Kiss with the Heart Doctor

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  CHAPTER ONE

  HE’D MISS HIS plane if he didn’t hurry.

  Dr Marcus Pierce was on Gannet Island under pressure. Three weeks before she’d died, his mother had gripped his hand and pleaded, ‘Marc, please scatter my ashes from Lightning Peak. It’s the most beautiful place in the world, the place where I found comfort when I knew I had to leave your father. You were at boarding school, so I knew you were old enough to cope, but it was hard on me. That first Christmas I hiked up there to watch the sunset and I knew I’d done the right thing. Can I die knowing I’ll be resting back there this Christmas?’

  Despite the strains on their relationship—sometimes he’d even thought, What relationship? because surely he’d learned independence when he was a child—there was no way he could refuse such a plea. But his mother might have found an easier peak, Marc decided as he fought his way along the little used bush path. There were plenty of scenic spots near Sydney. Spots that didn’t involve a long flight in a small plane, a rugged hike up an overgrown path he wasn’t too sure of, and then another rush to catch the plane home again.

  But as he watched his mother’s ashes settle in the bushland around him, as he soaked in the salt-filled sea breeze and gazed down at the tiny town beneath him and the ocean beyond, he had to acknowledge this place was breathtakingly lovely.

  Lightning Peak was almost at the top of the mountain. Moisture was slipping from above, forming a waterfall dropping to a pool of crystal-clear water. The only sound was the splash of water as it hit the pool and then found its way into some unknown underground stream.

  He was sitting on a rock looking out at seemingly the whole world. Behind him was a haven for animals, a waterhole in this most unexpected of places.

  Gannet was the largest of a group of six gorgeous, semi-tropical islands—the Birding Isles—set far out in the Pacific Ocean. This island in particular had been a healing place for his mountain climbing mother. Louise had been a doctor, an academic researcher. She was highly intelligent but, apart from her disastrous attempt at marriage and motherhood, she was intensely solitary. He could see why Louise had loved it.

  There was, however, little time for reflection. His return flight to Sydney left in three hours. Today was Tuesday, and on Thursday he was due to fly to Switzerland. He needed to tie up loose ends at the hospital tomorrow, and pay a couple of cursory Christmas visits to elderly aunts. He needed to get down this mountain now.

  He turned—but then he hesitated.

  There were three paths leading from the rock platform where he stood.

  Actually, they weren’t proper paths—they looked more like desire lines for the animals that drank from this rock pool. He hadn’t come up the main mountain path, but a side track his mother knew.

  ‘The main lookout’s gorgeous but my favourite place is where the water is, on the other side of the mountain,’ his mother had told him. ‘The path’s overgrown—hardly anyone knows about it—but I’ll draw you a map. You can’t miss it.’

  He’d taken care, following her shaky instructions and hand-drawn map to the letter.

  When you reach the massive lightning-hit split rock, walk around it and you’ll find the path continues. Then there’s a Norfolk pine half a kilometre along where the path diverges. Keep left...

  He’d reached the rocky platform he was now standing on with a feeling of relief. Turning now though... Which trace of a path had he used when he’d arrived? He’d been so relieved to make it he hadn’t noticed.

  He glanced again at Louise’s map. Close though she’d been to death, her mind had still been sharp, and her instructions to climb to the peak were brilliant.

  Her instructions to descend...not so much. She’d have expected him to notice.

  He should have noticed. The omission annoyed him. Dr Marcus Pierce was a cardiac surgeon at the top of his field, and his normal setting was one of intelligence, incisiveness and surety.

  He wasn’t sure now—and he didn’t have time to miss his plane.

  So think. All the paths had to go down, he reasoned. If he chose the middle one then surely it’d join with the main track somewhere below.

  He checked his phone, and even though he was now officially on leave he saw he’d been contacted. He and his friends had booked to fly to Switzerland on Thursday night. The plan was to arrive on Christmas Eve—Saturday—for two weeks of skiing at St Moritz. He was therefore off-duty but, no matter where he was, the medical calls didn’t stop.

  In honour of his mother he’d switched his phone to silent, so now he had scores of queued messages. The sight was normal, grounding. It reminded him that he was a surgeon who didn’t have time for indecision.

  But still he stood with his phone in his hand, fighting unusual qualms. He had an urge to ring Kayla. Kayla was a radiologist, a colleague, part of his friendship group about to head to Switzerland. For the last few months they’d been intermittently dating.

  But their relationship was fun more than deep, and Kayla was practical. She’d have thought he was overly sentim
ental if he’d told her what he was doing. Maybe she was right. His isolated childhood had taught him emotion only got in the way of calm good sense, and there was no use phoning her now when calm good sense was all that was needed.

  He was wasting time. The middle path seemed more used than the other two.

  Go.

  * * *

  Lightning Peak was Dr Elsa McCrae’s happy place. Her place of peace. Her place where she could say to patients, ‘Sorry, I’m up on Lightning Peak, you’ll have to contact Grandpa.’

  She couldn’t say it too often these days. At seventy-eight, her grandpa was slowing down. Robert McCrae was unable to cope with the demands of being a doctor on his own, and she tried to spare him as much as she could, but every so often a woman just needed ‘me’ time.

  For once her afternoon clinic had finished early. It was Wednesday, only four days until Christmas. From now on her life would be packed, with patients thinking every last niggle had to be sorted before Christmas Day itself. Then there was Boxing Day, with the usual influx of patients with injuries from new toys, or islanders who’d eaten far too much the day before. She had a queue of things she should be doing right now—there were always things—but her need to get away had been overwhelming. This would be her only chance to regroup before the rush.

  She reached the peak after a solitary two-hour climb, checked her phone to make sure there were no catastrophes back in town, then sat on the massive rock platform, looking out to sea. And let her mind drift.

  The other five islands that formed the Birding Isles were dots in the distance. Five hundred kilometres away—well out of sight—lay Australia, Sydney, where the evac team came from, where her patients went when she couldn’t help them here. There were no doctors on the other islands. Fishing boats took patients back and forth at need—or took Elsa to them—but, apart from her grandfather, Sydney was her closest medical backup.

  Last week a visiting tourist had had a major heart attack. She’d somehow hauled him back from cardiac arrest, but he’d arrested again and died before the medevac team had arrived. If he’d been closer to a major cardiac unit... If she’d had colleagues to help...