Christmas at Conwenna Cove

by Darcie Boleyn

  ‘We’d be delighted to join you.’ Oli looked at Amy and Tom. ‘Wouldn’t we, kids?’

  Amy nodded. ‘Can I do a makeover on you?’ she asked Louise.

  ‘I would love that, Amy.’

  ‘What about me?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Really?’ Amy’s face lit up.

  ‘Well, yes, of course.’

  ‘Can I do your hair too?’

  ‘I’d love you to do my hair.’

  Amy’s cheeks flushed with pleasure.

  ‘I’ll need to pop into the surgery to check on Hope and the other animals we have in, but we’ll head over to yours after that.’

  ‘Wonderful.’ Louise smiled.

  ‘I’d like to see Hope too.’ Grace glanced at her parents. ‘If that’s okay with everyone.’

  ‘Of course. Why don’t you come in our car?’

  ‘Yay!’ Tom jumped up and down. ‘Come in our car, Grace and you can tell me stories in the back.’

  ‘Tom! Grace might not feel like telling stories.’ Oli shook his head.

  ‘It’s fine, honestly. I know lots of stories, Tom.’

  Grace got into the back with the little boy and helped him to fasten his seatbelt over his booster seat. Amy was up front next to her father.

  Oli turned the radio on and Christmas music filled the vehicle.

  ‘Sorry about the dog hairs on the back seat, Grace,’ Oli said as he met her eyes in the rear-view mirror. ‘Hazard of the job.’

  ‘It’s fine. Don’t worry.’

  ‘Tell me a story then, Grace.’ Tom patted her hand.

  ‘Okay. Have you heard the one about the little boy who found a balloon with a note inside it?’

  He shook his head, his brown eyes wide.

  ‘Right then…’

  The journey back to Conwenna passed quickly as Grace told Tom three stories and he lapped each one up, asking plenty of questions, some of which she had to think quickly to answer. He was such a bright child and so funny with the way he reacted to the stories and to the world around him. His mind was open, innocent and eager to be filled and Grace realized how wonderful it would be to help with that. To be a part of shaping the man he would become by filling his mind with knowledge and understanding, and by feeding his enthusiasm for learning.

  It made her think about her writing and how she loved to research for her books. Lifelong learning was something that she’d always clung to, she believed that no one could ever take the thirst for knowledge away from a person and she enjoyed weaving what she learnt into her stories.

  When they pulled up in the surgery, Tom’s eyes were heavy and she knew if they’d been in the car for much longer that he’d probably have fallen asleep.

  ‘Hey Tom, we’re home.’

  She undid his seatbelt, then Oli came around and helped him out of the Land Rover, while Grace got out and stood next to Amy.

  ‘We’ll go into the surgery first, then pop into the house to freshen up.’

  In the reception they were greeted by the smiling Pamela.

  ‘Everything okay?’ Oli asked.

  ‘Yes, all good. That locum vet isn’t bad, you know.’

  ‘He comes highly commended.’ Oli nodded. ‘He’s helping out over Christmas here and with the sanctuary, and he works in a few of the local towns. He’s also worked here before – for a few weeks when I was… uh… unable to put in my normal hours – but I’m considering offering him something a bit more permanent, so that I can have more free time for the children and for…’ He stopped himself and his cheeks flushed. ‘For you know, whatever else might happen.’

  ‘I see.’ Grace laughed. ‘Well, it’s always important to have some free time.’

  ‘Let’s go and see how Hope’s getting on, shall we?’

  They went through the surgery; Grace was struck again by the familiar scents. They made the surgery smell clean yet slightly intimidating, because for some animals, this place would quite literally be where they hovered between life and death. Oli had so much responsibility on his shoulders and it must be hard for him not having a companion to lean on, someone to rub those broad shoulders in the evening and to reassure him that he was doing everything he could for the animals he treated. Didn’t everyone deserve someone like that to help them through each day? Grace had never dwelt on such thoughts before, but Oli brought them to the surface of her mind and tantalized her with images of how life could be if she fell in love and actually allowed herself to care for him. Life could be so good, if only they wanted the same things and if only Oli reciprocated her feelings.

  Hope was lying down, but she lifted her head when they entered the room and gave a strange sort of drawn out squeak as she opened and closed her jaw, a bit like a greeting.

  ‘Oh my goodness! What’s wrong with her?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Oli smiled. ‘That’s what greyhounds sometimes do to welcome you. It’s a kind of hello.’

  ‘Oh. Hello, Hope.’ Grace knelt by the crate and pressed her hands to the bars. The greyhound licked her fingers, her long, warm tongue tickling her skin.

  ‘Show me the kittens!’ Tom said to his sister.

  Amy struggled to lift Tom up to see into the raised crate.

  ‘Awwww… can we have one, Daddy?’ Tom asked.

  Grace looked over at the children and thought about what Amy had said earlier about the cat. Her concerns for the mother’s welfare had been genuine and Grace hoped that Amy would speak to Oli about her fears. She decided to raise the subject now, hoping that a gentle prompt wouldn’t hurt.

  ‘What will happen to the cat and her kittens, Oli?’

  ‘Well, I’m hoping that your parents will definitely want one of the kittens when they see them, even better if they want two, and Edward and Mary want one. That just leaves the mother.’

  ‘And what will happen to her if you can’t find her a home?’ Grace asked, her gaze flickering from Oli to Amy and back again.

  ‘I’m sure we’ll find her a home.’

  ‘Daddy?’ Amy lowered Tom gently to his feet, then moved closer to Oli.

  ‘Yes, angel?’

  ‘Could we give her a home?’

  He smiled down at his daughter. ‘Amy, you know what I’ve always said about this.’

  ‘Yes, but… I’m worried about her.’

  ‘You don’t need to be, Amy.’

  ‘But I am. I feel… responsible for her.’

  Oli glanced at Grace then placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder. ‘What’s going on?’

  Amy chewed her bottom lip then turned to Grace.

  ‘It’s okay, Amy.’ Grace nodded, offering the reassurance the girl obviously craved.

  Amy released a long sigh.

  ‘Okay, Daddy, but you have to promise not to be mad.’

  ‘Uh oh…’ Tom came and stood next to Grace. ‘Amy’s done something naughty.’

  ‘I haven’t!’ Amy snapped then rolled her eyes. ‘Well, I have but I don’t think it’s terribly naughty. Daddy… I put the cat and the kittens in the park under the slide.’

  ‘What?’ Oli frowned at her.

  ‘It was me.’

  ‘But where did you find them?’

  Amy took a deep breath. ‘I rode my bike up to Rosehip Cottage. Before Grace moved in there with Simon and Louise. And I heard meowing from the shed.’

  ‘Ahhhh…’ Grace nodded. ‘Mum said it smelt as if cats had been living in there.’

  ‘You found the cat and the kittens in the shed?’ Oli asked.

  ‘No. At first it was just the kittens and I was worried that they were lost, so I decided to bring them to you. But then I was worried in case you’d be angry because you told me not to go to the cottage on my own.’

  ‘Then why did you?’

  ‘For a dare.’

  ‘Amy!’ Oli shook his head and two spots of colour appeared high in his cheeks. ‘Why did I tell you not to go there?’

  ‘You said that the house had been empty for a long time, and therefore I shouldn’t go near it in
case the building was dangerous or something else.’

  Oli met Grace’s eyes. ‘I was just worried. I didn’t really think there would be anything wrong with the building but you never know if some older kids might have been there drinking or some out-of-towners or something. Besides, it’s trespassing.’

  Grace nodded. Oli had been worried that there could be someone squatting or something similar. She supposed such things could happen, even in a village as small as Conwenna. She also knew that Oli worried about his children enough for two people; he was doing the job of two parents after all.

  ‘Well, do you see why I told you not to go there, Amy?’

  ‘Yes, Daddy. But there wasn’t anyone there and then I heard the kittens and I was worried about them.’

  ‘What did you do?’

  ‘I tucked them into my rucksack and was about to leave when I saw the mother watching me from the garden. So I called her and she came to me, so I tucked her into my coat. I was going to bring them to the surgery and risk you being mad with me, but on the way I kept thinking about how sad you’ve been and how disappointed you’d be and I couldn’t bear it.’

  Grace lowered her gaze to Hope. She felt as if she was intruding now on a very private father-daughter moment. Amy was confessing to her father and revealing her deepest feelings. Grace pushed herself up and was about to leave the recovery room when Amy rushed over to her and took her hand.

  ‘Daddy, I told Grace a little bit about this today and she said I should talk to you.’

  Oli met Grace’s eyes. ‘Did you?’

  She nodded. ‘Amy was worrying that the mother would be put to sleep when the kittens were homed.’

  ‘I would never let that happen, Amy.’

  ‘I know.’ Amy’s lip wobbled, and Grace squeezed her hand. ‘Grace told me she wouldn’t be, and then I thought I would try to tell you the truth. Please don’t be angry at me, Daddy. I just did what I thought was right and I never wanted to lie to you, but I didn’t want you to be angry or disappointed with me either.’

  ‘Come here, sweetheart.’ Oli opened his arms and Amy rushed into them. ‘I’m not angry or disappointed – I’m just glad you told me. Of course, we have no idea where she came from in the first place, but perhaps she found herself pregnant and wandered into town searching for somewhere to give birth.’

  Tom was still standing next to Hope’s crate and he gave a small laugh. ‘See, Amy! Daddy’s not cross because you told the truth. You should always tell the truth even if it’s difficult. My teacher says that.’

  ‘I guess we’d better give her a home then.’ Oli smiled at his daughter.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Well, yes. I can’t have you worrying about her, can I?’

  ‘Thank you, Daddy.’ Amy buried her face in his chest and he smiled at Grace and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Now that’s all sorted, I just need to have a word with the locum and with Maxine. Won’t be long.’

  Grace returned to Tom, crouched down and stroked Hope’s silky chin; the greyhound emitted a long grunt. Her tail flapped up and down and thumped against the blanket she was lying on.

  ‘Oh you like that, do you?’

  Hope’s tail wagged again in response.

  Amy and Tom knelt by Grace.

  ‘Are you going to adopt her?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Maybe. I’m hoping so.’

  ‘That’s why she’s called Hope.’

  ‘Yes, I guess it is.’

  ‘She’s hoping you’ll give her a home and you’re hoping you can give her a home.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Grace marvelled at how wise Amy could be.

  ‘And I’m hoping we can give you a home.’

  Tom’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d said.

  ‘Uh oh…’

  ‘Tom!’ Amy nudged him. ‘You can’t say things like that.’

  Grace met Tom’s eyes and he blinked at her. ‘I can if I want to. And I do want Grace to live with us. She makes Daddy happy and she gets you to tell the truth.’

  Amy nodded, as if he’d said the most natural thing in the world, and Grace struggled to find the right words to reply.

  When Oli walked back in a few minutes later, the three of them were snuggled up next to Hope’s crate and the dog had drifted off to sleep.

  ‘See, Grace, she just needs a warm home and a family. She’s obviously comforted by your presence and by your voice.’

  ‘I hope so,’ Grace said, causing Amy and Tom to giggle.

  Oli frowned ‘What is it?’

  ‘They’ve been trying to use the word hope in as many sentences as possible.’

  ‘I see.’ Oli knelt down next to them. ‘Well, let’s hope that this little girl makes a full recovery, which I’m pretty certain she will do, then hopefully, she can come live with you.’

  ‘And us,’ Tom whispered.

  ‘What’s that, Tom?’ Oli cocked his head.

  ‘Nothing, Daddy. Just hoping my Christmas wish comes true.’

  Grace got to her feet and helped the children up, then they made their way out of the surgery and into the cold afternoon; the sun was already low in the sky but Grace’s heart was finally soaring.

  * * *

  ‘If I keep eating here, I’ll need new scrubs,’ Oli said leaning back in his chair. ‘Another absolutely delicious meal. Thank you so much.’

  ‘You’re very welcome. It’s lovely to have company,’ Louise replied.

  ‘Can I help with the dishes?’ Oli asked.

  ‘Not at all!’ Simon replied. ‘You’re our guests. You sit there and let your food go down.’

  Grace helped her father to clear the table and load the dishwasher.

  Oli liked eating with the Phillips family. They were warm, kind people and had been so welcoming to him and the children. Of course, he had his father and Maxine nearby, but Linda’s parents had moved away to Scotland years ago and they’d never really been close anyway. And he did get lonely, so being invited to share a meal with a family and to have the chance to spend more time with Grace was something he just couldn’t pass up. Besides, they’d had a wonderful day in Truro, and Amy and Tom seemed to adore Grace and her parents, so this was positive all round. Grace had also encouraged Amy to speak openly to him about the cat and kittens, and that was a wonderful breakthrough. He’d suspected that Amy was holding something back and worried about her being secretive, but it seemed that Grace had the ability to draw Amy out of herself.

  Good friends were hard to find and people were all so busy with their own lives, just getting through each day, so Oli was delighted to have the opportunity to have more people around his children. He knew they could never have too much love. He also knew that he would benefit from being around Grace and her parents, and if he was happier then surely that was good for his children too?

  Once everything was tidy, Louise placed two large bowls of popcorn on the table.

  ‘Popcorn?’ Tom’s eyes widened. ‘Now?’

  ‘Yes, sweetheart. I thought we could put a movie on.’

  ‘Yay!’ Tom held Louise’s hand. ‘What are we going to watch?’

  ‘How about a Christmas movie?’

  ‘Yay!’

  ‘Which one, Louise?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Well, I have a few in the lounge so why don’t we go on through and have a look? Come on, Simon.’

  ‘Of course, dear.’ Simon gave quick salute then followed his wife.

  ‘Anything else need doing now?’ Oli asked Grace.

  She’d pulled her hair into a ponytail at the base of her neck and a few red tendrils drifted around her face. Her chin and neck were exposed and her soft white skin was enticing. He had an urge to press his lips there to taste her.

  He took a step closer, then another.

  ‘Thank you for today, Grace. We had such a great time. It’s like… when we’re with you and your parents, we feel relaxed and accepted. You can’t knock that.’

  ‘You can’t.’

&
nbsp; ‘I mean… I’m so grateful for how you dealt with Amy today. You helped her to be open with me and…’ He sighed. ‘I’ve never been very good at this stuff.’

  ‘What stuff?’ She placed her hands behind her on the counter and leaned on them.

  ‘Talking about feelings and… hopes and dreams and all that malarkey.’

  Grace laughed. ‘Me neither. Well, when I was in counselling I had to open up a bit. But in the outside world, I’m not quite the same.’

  ‘What are your hopes and dreams, Grace?’

  She looked down at her feet. ‘Oh… uh… talk about putting a girl on the spot.’

  ‘You don’t have any?’

  ‘What’re yours?’

  ‘I asked first.’

  She took a deep breath. ‘Okay. Well… I don’t want what some women my age seem to want.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘A husband, children… a four-bed semi in a nice suburb.’

  ‘You don’t?’

  He’d asked her for the truth so why did her response make his heart sink?

  ‘Well… I didn’t… I mean… I’ll never have children of my own.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because of the risks.’

  ‘I guess there are risks, but it’s like everything in life – to live is a risk.’

  ‘Yes, but these risks are too big for me to take. I can’t take a chance that I’d have a child who would have to go through what Sam did.’

  ‘You don’t like the idea of being with someone and having children?’

  She met his eyes. ‘Not that, no. But I never want to have my own babies.’

  ‘Right. I get you.’

  ‘A ready-made family might be different.’ She offered a small smile.

  ‘It might?’

  She nodded. He stepped closer again; he was so drawn to her that it was hard to fight his feelings. He could imagine how soft her skin would be if he touched his lips to the small of her throat.

  ‘So what do you want?’

  ‘For the future? I honestly don’t know, Oli.’

  ‘For right now then?’

  He was so close that he could smell the scent of her shampoo from her hair, a light coconut fragrance, and he could see himself reflected in her dilating pupils.