Christmas at Butterfly Cove

by Sarah Bennett

  She’d barely opened the train door before Daniel was there, all smiles in a bright-green elf cap. ‘Hey, give me that,’ he said, taking the heavy bag from her hands. ‘Merry Christmas, Nee!’

  ‘Merry Christmas. What do you look like?’ She leaned forward to tug the white bobble on the end of the cap before stepping aside to give her dad room to haul his bag to the door. Skirting around him, she grabbed their holdalls, then a final, smaller suitcase, dropping them by the door for the men to lift down.

  She let Daniel hand her down the steep steps onto the platform and found herself swept into a bear hug. ‘You look good.’ He smacked a kiss on her cheek then tugged the knitted cap off her head. ‘Wow! I’m loving the new look!’

  Raising a hand to her shiny chestnut cap of hair, Nee smiled shyly. ‘It looks better, doesn’t it?’

  Luke’s comment after the funeral about punishing herself had sat with her for a long time. Not being able to stand her reflection in the mirror, she’d decided to totally change her look almost as soon as she’d returned from New York. The bleach-blonde hadn’t suited her, but it made her look harder, less like the stupid, naïve girl who’d let herself be taken advantage of, so she’d kept it. A recent trip to a sympathetic stylist had resulted in a colour much closer to her original, and a retro-style bob which brushed her cheekbones.

  Her dad smiled over at them. ‘I told her she looks like a flapper girl, just needs a string of pearls and a feather in her hair.’ And with that, he gave her the perfect idea for New Year’s Eve and the fancy dress party Mia had planned. She shook her head. Her big sister seemed determined to throw everything but the kitchen sink into the celebrations – as well as the fancy dress party, there was to be Secret Santa, and what was gearing up to be an incredibly competitive games night. The boasts and bets thrown around in their email group had grown progressively more outrageous and the losing pair were taking a midnight skinny-dip in the ocean. Bloody Luke had been behind that ridiculous suggestion. He’d just better be as good at Trivial Pursuit as he’d promised her!

  Snatching her hat back from Daniel, she tugged it back over her ears. The sky was the palest of blues, and a bitter wind funnelled along the platform, making her shiver even in her warm, padded coat. She tipped her head back to study the fluffy white clouds overhead. ‘I hope it stays like this for the next few days.’ It could be as cold as it liked, as long as it stayed bright.

  ‘We should be so lucky. Forecast for tomorrow and Boxing Day is horrendous. At least we’ll get everyone home and settled before then.’ Daniel grabbed the handle of the largest case and began towing it along the platform. ‘Luke and his folks arrived about an hour ago, and Mags is due in about half-two.’

  Letting her dad fall into step with Daniel, Nee trailed behind them, tummy full of nervous butterflies. Agreeing to spend the holiday with Luke had been this nebulous concept she’d been aware of but had avoided thinking about too deeply. A terrible mistake, she realised, now the prospect of being face to face with him once again loomed. And his parents, too. Goodness only knew what they must think of her.

  Luke had broken the news of their marriage to them not long after Mia’s wedding, but he hadn’t been very forthcoming about how much they knew. He’d travelled down to their house the previous day, and driven down with them to Butterfly Cove that morning. With so many people around, an extra car would come in handy. Luke had called her just before she’d gone to bed and promised her everything would be fine. She could only wish for a tenth of his confidence. It was too late to back out now, even if she wanted to, and nerves or no, she didn’t want to. Those nightly chats had only served to underline how much he had to offer her. Eight days to sort herself out and see if she could find enough of her spirit to be equal to that offering.

  Despite the coldness of the day, the back door stood ajar and the air filled with the scents of spices and buttery pastry. Following Daniel’s instructions to leave everything in the car for now, they entered into a scene of organised chaos. Mia was pulling the source of the delicious aroma from the oven, chatting with Madeline, who stood at the sink, washing up in what looked to be a pair of leopard-print rubber gloves. A mini production line was set up at the kitchen table, with Richard and an older couple she didn’t recognise busy peeling, chopping and adding a variety of vegetables to bowls of cold water. Luke’s parents, she assumed, knowing she was right when the man glanced up and offered her a smile which displayed a very familiar set of dimples.

  Chairs scraped back and Nee found herself in a whirlwind of hugs, kisses and handshakes as she and George were welcomed into the room. A soft hand on her arm was followed by the fragrance of expensive perfume and she found herself under the critical examination of a slender blonde in her early sixties. ‘So, you’re her.’

  Her insides squirmed under the censure clear in Cathy’s eyes, but Nee forced a smile. Getting off on the wrong foot with Luke’s mum would be the worst thing imaginable. ‘I’m Nee, yes. You must be Cathy, Luke has your eyes.’ Was that a slight softening in the cold glare from her? God, she hoped so.

  The silence between them seemed to stretch on into infinity, although it couldn’t have been more than a second or two before Brian Spenser stepped up beside his wife to hold out a hand to her. ‘Nee? Delighted to meet you. Luke’s in the dining room helping Aaron and the little ones decorate the tree.’ He released her hand then hooked his arm around Cathy’s shoulder, ‘Come on, darling, there’s still about a hundred weight of potatoes to get through.’

  Grateful for the rescue, Nee took his cue and escaped the hubbub of the kitchen. Perhaps Luke had asked his dad to run interference between her and Cathy, or perhaps she was reading too much into everything. The sounds of laughter and Bing Crosby crooning ‘White Christmas’ came from the open door of the dining room, drawing her like a magnet. Aaron balanced on a footstool, one arm stretched out holding an angel with a wonky halo and a glittering silver-white dress. A green hat, twin to the one Daniel had been wearing, perched on the top of his head. Kiki and her two children knelt beside the tree, sorting through thick strands of tinsel and boxes of baubles. It was like a scene from a Hallmark movie, and she ached to take her place within it.

  Luke stood barely two feet in front of her, a pair of faded jeans clinging to his hips beneath a blue and red striped polo shirt. They must have bought a job lot of those silly hats, because he wore one too. ‘Left a bit, no, no, too far, right a bit, steady now.’ She could hear the teasing laughter in his voice as he issued what were supposed to be helpful instructions to his brother. He sounded so happy and relaxed it did nothing for her nerves. What if she let him down in front of everyone? Nee clenched her fists against the creeping self-doubt. If she couldn’t find enough of her own confidence, she’d have to borrow some of his for now. Fake it ‘til you make it. Putting her shoulders back, she took a step into the room.

  ‘When I get down from here, you’re going to be sorry, Spud,’ Aaron mock-grumbled as he tried to straighten the angel who’d taken on something of a drunken tilt.

  Her nephew, Matty, turned to say something to his mum and caught sight of her. Nee quickly raised her finger to her lips to shush him. He ducked his head to cover his smile, but kept his head turned towards her, watching as she crept up on her target. Luke had his hands propped on his hips, leaving her enough space to slide her arms around his waist and squeeze a startled exclamation from him. ‘Hello, Mr Spenser.’

  His hands curled behind her back, holding her close against him. ‘Hello, Mrs Spenser. Glad you could make it.’ He lifted his left arm, giving her room to slide around his side. Easy as that, her whole body relaxed. Luke believed in her and that was all that mattered right then.

  Unable to contain his excitement any more, Matty jumped up and ran across to throw his arms around her legs. ‘Aunty Nee, Aunty Nee, it’s Christmas tomorrow!’

  She cupped the back of his head and hugged him close. ‘Yes, it is. I’m very excited. Are you?’

  He nodded agai
nst her thigh. ‘Did you bring me a present?’ Trust a seven-year-old boy to cut right to the heart of the matter.

  ‘Yes, sweetheart. I’ve got presents for you and Charlie, and Mummy too.’ At the mention of her name, her little niece scrambled to her feet and squirmed in beside Matty for cuddles. Kiki’s eyes met her sister’s over their heads. ‘Hello, Kiki Dee.’

  Eyes sparkling, Kiki sat back on her heels and spread her hands to show the tangle of decorations around her. ‘Thank goodness you’re here. I need someone with a bit of artistic flare!’ Nee swallowed. Kiki hadn’t meant anything by her throwaway comment, but she couldn’t help the pang inside her.

  As though reading her mind, Luke flexed his hand on her shoulder, tugging her a fraction closer towards him in a purely protective move. She let her head drop against him for a moment, acknowledging then releasing the little flutter of panic. No pressure, no rush. Hanging a few baubles on a tree wasn’t beyond her.

  Shoving the angel none-too-gently onto the upright branch at the top of the tree, Aaron hopped off the footstool and gave her a wave. ‘Hey, Nee. You and your dad have a good journey down?’

  ‘Yes, thanks. He’s still in the kitchen, I think.’

  Matty tapped her leg and she looked down. ‘Grandad’s here?’

  She nodded. ‘Yup. Why don’t you go and say hello to him?’ Grabbing his sister’s hand, her nephew zoomed off, leaving the four of them alone.

  Kiki stood up. ‘Well, let’s get your coat off, if you’re staying.’

  It was one of those silly expressions families had rather than any kind of a question, but Nee glanced up at Luke, pursing her lips as though considering it. ‘I’ve not had a better offer yet, so I suppose I’m staying.’ Aaron snorted and she couldn’t fight her smile.

  Luke tapped her nose with one finger, then followed it with a quick kiss. ‘Cheeky girls don’t get presents.’ His eyes strayed upwards from hers. ‘Hey, what’s this?’ Tugging her hat free, there was no hiding the admiration and approval in his bright-blue gaze as he studied her new look. ‘There’s my girl.’

  Feeling suddenly shy at the warmth in his voice, she busied herself with unzipping and removing her coat. ‘I’m glad you like it.’

  He closed the short distance between them. ‘I love it.’ If he didn’t stop looking at her like that, Nee would be a puddle on the floor. She licked her lips as his head lowered a fraction closer.

  ‘Please tell me I’m not going to have to watch you two smooching all bloody Christmas.’ Face on fire, Nee took a step back, catching the filthy glare Luke tossed at his unrepentant brother. Aaron grinned, ducking to the side to avoid the elbow Kiki aimed at his ribs.

  ‘Behave!’

  Aaron shook his head at Kiki. ‘And miss out on the chance to wind him up? Not happening.’ He dodged the punch Luke aimed at his arm and ran laughing from the room, with Luke in hot pursuit. Brothers would be brothers, no matter how old they got.

  Kiki rolled her eyes. ‘At least we didn’t fight like that. Quick, come and help me with this mess while it’s quiet.’ She held her hand out to Nee, who took it and returned the affectionate squeeze.

  ‘We didn’t fight, but I seem to remember some world-class sulking.’ Laughing, they settled down next to the tree and began sorting the jumble of decorations into groups by colour.

  ‘I never sulked, that was Mia,’ Kiki said as she held up a pink bauble, looking for a space to hang it on the tree.

  ‘What was me?’

  Nee giggled at the guilty look on her middle sister’s face as Mia crossed the room towards them. Kiki had always been an open book. Shuffling to the side, she made room for Mia to join them. ‘Kiki Dee was pointing out how you were the sulker in our family.’

  ‘Oh, you traitor!’ Kiki’s outrage only made Nee laugh harder. And sisters would still be sisters. The thought warmed her right through.

  Apparently opting for the moral high ground, Mia ignored them and studied the tree with a critical eye. ‘So, what’s the theme here?’

  Nee sat back on her heels and surveyed the riot of mismatched balls, bells and tinsel. The tree was a million miles from the elegantly dressed ones she remembered as a child, when Vivian had still had interest in things outside the bottom of her glass. From the wonky angel, to the group of branches entirely covered in red decorations, it was a terrible mess. And the most glorious thing she’d ever seen. ‘It looks like the elves got drunk and vomited Christmas on it. I hope nobody’s got OCD.’

  Mia laughed. ‘It’s making my fingers twitch a bit, but that’s a good thing. I need to relax and enjoy myself, and looking at this will serve as a good reminder that no one cares about matching napkins for every meal, except me.’

  ‘Napkins, seriously?’ Nee scoffed.

  ‘I know, I know. Daniel gave me a serious talking to when he found me at six this morning counting how many packets of cocktail napkins we had.’ Mia gripped each of them by the hand. ‘It’s been so long since we were all happy, I just want everything to be perfect.’

  Nee blinked at the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. Mia had always been the one who’d taken care of them; she might have known she’d try and take this responsibility upon herself. ‘It doesn’t have to be perfect, Mimi. It just has to be us, all of us, here together in this beautiful home you’ve made for us.’

  ‘No tears, no tears! Bloody hormones.’ Mia tugged her hand free to wave it in front of her face. What miserable timing for her to be getting her period right on top of Christmas. Unless… Nee watched as Mia gave her tummy a funny little pat.

  One look at her eldest sister’s beaming smile, at the bright-eyed nod from Kiki on the other side of her, and Nee clapped her hands to her cheeks. ‘Mia? Oh, that’s wonderful!’ And it was, because no one deserved a family more than the woman who’d nurtured them and held them all together whilst still a child herself. Nee’s brain flipped from delight into complete panic mode. ‘Don’t you need to rest? You shouldn’t be on your knees like this. Let me get you a chair.’

  ‘I’m fine. Stop fussing, or you might set Daniel off. He’s been remarkably calm about it so far.’ Mia started packing loose decorations back into the plastic boxes they’d come from. ‘We only had it confirmed yesterday, so we’re still a bit shell-shocked. I know we should wait until after the scan before telling everyone, but Kiki and Madeline were already in on the secret, and I wanted you to know too.’

  Nee squeezed Mia’s arm. ‘I’m sure everything will be fine. Let’s not invite any trouble to our door. You must put me to work though, anything you need. Promise me?’

  ‘I promise.’ Mia paused, cut her eyes to Kiki and then back to Nee. ‘Are you sure about this reunion with Luke? Not that we don’t wish you happy, and we love him like one of our own, but I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything.’ It was the same thing Kiki had told her back at their dad’s, and knowing they’d stand with her no matter what helped ease the last of the tension in her belly.

  ‘I want it to work, I hope we can make it work, but I’ve been in such a terrible mess since New York. If I can’t get my head straight then I won’t be a burden to him.’ She looked at her sisters. Both had made enormous changes in their lives – perhaps there was a chance for her too.

  Going up on her knees, Kiki shuffled over until she could hug them both. ‘You’re not on your own. We’ll help you in any way we can. I’m just sorry we weren’t there when you needed us.’

  Nee leaned into the hug. ‘It’s my own fault for staying away.’

  Mia kissed her cheek. ‘Well, we’re not letting you get away from us again. No matter what happens between you and Luke. We went through all that nonsense with Aaron trying not to rock the boat, and he nearly lost Kiki in the process.’

  Nee hid her face in her sister’s shoulder. If it came down to a choice between breaking Luke’s heart and ruining his life, she’d turn her back on Butterfly Cove for ever.

  Chapter Ten

  Leaving the dining room had proven
a mistake. Not only had Luke lost sight of Nee, but he’d been collared by Madeline as soon as he entered the kitchen and spent the next half an hour making a salad to a set of very detailed instructions. Why he couldn’t just slice a few bits of cucumber, a couple of tomatoes and lob them into a bowl on top of some shredded lettuce was beyond him. Bean sprouts? If there was a more pointless vegetable, he’d yet to discover it. He stared at the pink-stained tips of his fingers, and thought she might have warned him about the beetroot. His only consolation was an equally confused-looking Aaron next to him, trying (and failing!) to cut radishes into little flower shapes. With spades for hands, it was little short of torture.

  He leaned closer to his brother to whisper in his ear. ‘So, what do you think we did to upset her?’

  Aaron flicked a wonky radish flower into the salad bowl then met his eyes with a rueful shrug. ‘Dunno, Spud. Maybe someone let slip about her Secret Santa present.’

  Luke snorted. In the fine tradition of such things, just about everyone had missed the point of the ‘secret’ part of it and there’d been lots of whispering in corners and trading of names as people begged for clues as to what to buy. Aaron had taken him aside earlier and confessed what he’d bought for Madeline, and Luke thought it was a stroke of genius. He also knew Daniel had drawn his mum’s name thanks to a desperate phone call. He’d toyed with the idea of being cruel for about two seconds before suggesting his friend went for a safe option. Not that Cathy couldn’t be teased, but he wasn’t sure how well she’d react to a joke gift surrounded by people she didn’t know that well.