All She Wants for Christmas

by Annie Claydon

  Beth nodded. She’d have to see how that panned out in practice. ‘I’ll have to think about it.’

  Matt settled back in his chair. ‘Okay. What are your reservations?’

  ‘Just one.’ A great big all-encompassing one. ‘I’m wondering why you chose my research.’ Matt hadn’t known her long and in that time he’d already seen her pathetically unable to cope and stupidly angry. Neither recommended her particularly as someone who would be able to run a serious, scientific study.

  ‘I think that we could work well together.’

  ‘That’s a bit flimsy to base something this important on. There are a lot of other people interested in this field who are working with mixed groups that are much closer to your patient demographic.’

  He grinned at her. ‘Okay, then, if you want me to spell it out. I’ve read your previous papers and think that your research is excellent—meticulous and innovative. But what I want most of all is your passion.’

  Beth wished he would stop talking about passion. Even the tips of her fingers were beginning to heat up. ‘You called it getting mad earlier on.’ Surely he couldn’t be serious about all of this.

  ‘Ah, yes, I did, didn’t I.’ His mouth twisted ruefully. ‘I meant it, though. Problems don’t just go away on their own, they need a bit of determined effort. I was rather counting on you getting mad at some point in the process.’ It looked as if he relished the idea.

  ‘Hmm. I might reserve my options on a little free and frank discussion.’

  His eyes darkened suddenly. ‘Be my guest. As much as you think you can handle.’

  Beth’s mobile chose that moment to vibrate in her pocket. She flipped it open, and there was a message from Jean. The last shreds of tension in the room dissolved, as more everyday concerns pushed their way to the fore. ‘I’ve got to go now. But I’m very interested in your offer. Maybe we can get together soon to discuss it a bit more.’

  He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head as if to ease a knot of tension out of his shoulders. ‘I’d like that. My diary’s pretty much full, but it would be good to talk again before Christmas.’ He hesitated. ‘Perhaps I could take you out to dinner if you have a spare evening?’

  No way! Dinner alone with Matt was a slippery slope that could lead to disaster. All the same, if she wanted to show him that she really was interested in his proposal, she had to come up with some alternative. ‘Are you free on Sunday? I’m going over to Marcie’s for lunch and you and Jack would be welcome to join us. She mentioned that she was going to invite you. We could talk then.’

  ‘I’m not sure that’s going to be possible. I haven’t heard from Marcie.’

  Beth bit her lip. He wouldn’t have heard from Marcie. She had been supposed to pass on the invitation, but she had accidentally-on-purpose forgotten to do it. ‘Well, she might have thought I was going to mention it to you.’ She shifted in her seat, her cheeks getting hot again. ‘I mean, I was, but I just hadn’t got around to it yet.’

  ‘In that case…’ He still looked a little uncertain.

  Beth turned his own tactics against him, and waved his objections away with a brief gesture of her hand. ‘Great. You’ll come, then. I’ll let Marcie know to expect you both when I call her tonight, and she’ll confirm with you tomorrow.’ She rose and pulled the straps of her bag over her shoulder. ‘There isn’t anything you don’t eat, is there?’

  ‘No. Jack and I eat whatever’s put in front of us. We don’t turn down home cooking when it’s offered.’

  He’d let her off the hook and she grinned thankfully at him. ‘I’ll see you on Sunday, then.’

  Before he could reply with anything other than a nod, she had turned to leave. Sunday would take care of itself. She had nearly two days to convince herself that this feeling of exhilaration was all about work and nothing to do with the infectious grin of the gorgeous Dr Sutherland.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE roads were icy still, as the early cold snap continued. Christmas was approaching fast and lights and trees were beginning to appear in windows and along high streets. Beth arrived at Marcie and James’s converted barn at one o’clock on Sunday, to find Matt’s sleek, dark blue Mercedes already parked in the driveway.

  Marcie ushered Beth through to an empty kitchen. ‘Where is everybody?’ The large open-plan space was uncharacteristically peaceful.

  ‘Out back. James has taken Matt down to see the pond, and the kids have gone with them.’ The old, silted-up pond was James’s pet project at the moment. He and Marcie had bought and practically rebuilt the barn, turning it into a comfortable family home, and now James was turning his attention to the half-acre of land at the back of the property, which was currently a sea of iced-up mud.

  Beth’s eyes lighted on a large bunch of flowers, tastefully arranged and bound in raffia in a presentation box. ‘Secret admirer?’

  ‘Matt bought them for me.’ Marcie brushed her fingers across the petals of a lily, which was the centrepiece of the yellow and white arrangement, and inhaled their scent, pulling at a piece of gypsophila that had become detached from its mooring. ‘Nice, aren’t they?’

  ‘Lovely.’

  Marcie was threading the stalk carefully back into the water and Beth left her to it, dumping her bags and the cardboard box she had brought with her onto the kitchen table. The box caught Marcie’s attention and she flipped up the top and peered inside. ‘Ah—one of your gizmos. For Jack?’

  ‘Yes. I thought he might like it.’ Beth pulled a large box-file from one of the canvas bags that lay on the table. ‘I brought my research notes as well.’

  Marcie puffed out her cheeks. ‘Think that’ll be enough? If you make him wade through that lot, he’ll still be here to see in the New Year with us.’

  ‘Well, I don’t want him to think that this is not already planned out. He’s not going to just walk in and change everything to suit himself.’

  ‘Hmm. Fair enough.’ Marcie went over to the window and stared thoughtfully out of it. ‘Do you think he’s going to try?’

  Beth shrugged, joining Marcie at the window. Matt and James were deep in conversation, James holding onto Anna’s hand while the two boys played on the steep bank of mud that was to form the side of the pond. ‘I don’t know. He likes to get his own way.’

  Marcie laughed quietly. ‘And you don’t, of course.’

  Matt looked up, grinning as he saw the two women at the window, and Marcie gave a little wave. He always seemed taller, broader when not in a suit and tie, his shock of blond hair bright in the low sun against the dark leather of his jacket collar. James laughed at something he said, and Matt gestured towards the house. ‘Looks like he’s lost interest in the pond.’ Marcie’s quiet comment was accompanied by a wry smile.

  ‘What do you think of him, Marcie?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter what I think.’ Marcie had been uncharacteristically keeping her own council on the subject ever since last weekend.

  ‘It does to me.’

  Marcie sighed. ‘I think he’s a nice guy. Pete was always a bit too fond of being your knight in shining armour—making such a song and dance about how you needed him because you’re deaf. I think he relied on it, to feel a bit better about himself. From what I’ve seen of him, Matt doesn’t make concessions. He’ll give you a bit of a nudge when needed, but he doesn’t make a big thing out of it and he doesn’t give you an inch the rest of the time.’

  Beth raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?’

  ‘Well, you did ask. Mind you, he does seem a bit distant at times.’

  ‘You think so? I was wondering whether it was just me who thought that. But, then, he would, really, wouldn’t he? With everything that’s happened to him.’

  ‘Yeah. Maybe.’ Marcie was staring speculatively out of the window. ‘We all have baggage, though.’

  Beth ignored the observation. She didn’t have baggage, she had hard-won experience. ‘Well, sometimes baggage is just evidence of
a journey.’

  Marcie rolled her eyes. ‘Sometimes.’ She gestured out of the window. Matt had lifted Anna up onto his shoulders and was good humouredly trying to remove her hands from over his eyes. ‘But look at him. Don’t you think he deserves a chance?’

  ‘Maybe he doesn’t want one. He had the perfect woman. Mariska Sutherland’s a pretty hard act to follow, you know. I don’t think I’m quite in her league.’

  ‘Oh, so there are leagues now, are there?’ Marcie was grinning wickedly.

  ‘Oh, stop it!’ Beth laughed. ‘Anyway, half the time we’re arguing like cats and dogs. As soon as he starts telling me what to do, it brings out the worst in me.’

  Marcie chuckled. ‘Yeah, I imagine he likes a good fight. Anyway, I’m not suggesting you move in with him, just get to know him a bit. You never know, he might have some hideous hidden flaw.’ Marcie stopped and regarded Matt for a moment. She obviously didn’t believe it any more than Beth did.

  ‘Yeah, like…’ Beth looked towards the little group outside, which seemed to be about to come back into the house ‘…falling asleep halfway through a film and making you watch the second half again when he wakes up.’ Marcie’s hoot of amusement stilled Beth’s hands.

  ‘That’s me you’re talking about. James says he really hasn’t seen a film unless he’s seen the end twice.’ Marcie turned from the window. ‘Come on. Looks as if the hungry hordes are coming our way.’ Matt was striding towards the house now, Anna perched on his shoulders, with James and the boys in tow.

  There was laughter outside the back door and the thud of mud being kicked from Wellingtons, then James appeared. Three small blurs of activity followed him and finally Matt, standing motionless by the door. Beth managed a hello in his direction before she was surrounded by the younger members of the party. Anna and Josh received something each from her pocket and then Jack, who had been hanging back, got his parcel.

  Matt was at his side in an instant, craning over the top of the little group of heads to see what was inside. Jack carefully took the tissue paper from the box and lifted out his gift, a blank look on his face.

  ‘What is it?’ The boy twisted his head around to his father, obviously in need of some kind of prompt as to what he should do next.

  ‘Here, let me show you.’ Matt took off his jacket, pulled a chair up and sat down, pulling Jack into the circle of his body so that the boy could see what he was doing. Planting the gizmo in front of Jack on the table, he flashed Beth a wink across the top of the children’s heads, seemingly oblivious to the havoc he played with her body chemistry whenever he did that.

  He picked up the handle of the metal loop that was threaded onto a long, undulating length of thick wire. ‘Look, you’ve got to move this loop all the way along here, without touching it against the wire.’ Matt began to deftly move the loop along the twists and turns, his hand as steady as a rock.

  ‘I bet your dad can’t keep this up for long.’ Beth grinned at Matt. He was altogether too good at this and Jack was not getting the idea. Matt jerked his hand, as if by mistake, and a line of coloured LED lights along the base pulsed on and off as the metal loop touched the snaking wire.

  Jack jumped up and down, clapping his hands and babbling excitedly. He had turned to Matt and was tugging at his sweater.

  ‘You give it a try.’ Matt gave the loop to Jack, almost reluctantly, and watched intently as the boy took his turn. The lights flashed again and Jack wriggled with delight. ‘No, mate, the idea is to stop the lights from lighting up. You have to get all the way along here to the end.’

  Jack looked disappointed and Beth cut in. ‘Something else happens when you get to the end.’

  ‘What happens?’ Jack’s eyes were as round as saucers.

  ‘Wait and find out.’

  Matt was grinning as he ran the loop back to the start, ready for Jack to try again. ‘It had better be good. He’ll be playing with this day and night until he cracks it.’ He tapped Jack on the shoulder as if reminding him of something.

  ‘Thank you, Beth.’ Jack responded to his father’s prompt without even looking up.

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  She looked up and found Matt’s eyes on her, shining with approval. ‘Did you make this? It’s brilliant.’ He gave Jack a nudge. ‘Beth made this especially for you. No one else has anything exactly like this.’

  Jack ignored him, concentrating on his new toy, and Matt ruffled his hair, making the lights flash as Jack’s hand wobbled. Jack moved the base of the toy along the table towards Josh so the two could play without any interference from the adults and Matt gave her an apologetic look. ‘Seems he’s too happy with it at the moment to say thank you properly.’

  ‘Best thanks in the world.’ Beth waved away Matt’s apology with a grin and James wandered up, laughing quietly when he saw what Jack had.

  ‘Beth’s really clever with things like this.’ He gave Josh a tap on the shoulder. ‘Why don’t you show Matt the puzzle box that Beth made for you, Josh?’

  It was almost time for dinner and while Matt inspected Josh’s puzzle box, Beth laid the table, moving Jack and his toy over to the comfortable seating area alongside the large oak table. She could see that Matt was genuinely puzzled about how to get the box open, and she grinned to herself. At last, here was something that he wasn’t so clever with.

  Lunch was the usual leisurely affair. Marcie had placed Matt opposite Beth, with Jack further down the table in between Josh and James. For once, Matt seemed to lose his nervous concern for his son, leaving him to enjoy himself at the other end of the table.

  Matt had brought a very respectable bottle of red wine and everyone began to relax, faces and gestures becoming more expansive. It was nice to be here with friends—people who knew that in a crowded, noisy situation she might not catch everything that was said, and who didn’t care if they had to repeat anything. There was no need to laugh at jokes that she couldn’t catch the punch line to, or wonder whether she had said the wrong thing in response to a question.

  Even before the meal had finished, Matt was talking about their project together, as if he couldn’t wait to get started. ‘It’s so important that people with heart conditions understand what’s going on and that I can reassure them. Stress and confusion can have a huge impact on how well they respond to treatment. I see the benefits of talking and listening to people every day and I’d like to do that better.’

  Beth toyed with the apple pie and cream in her bowl. ‘I just hope that I can help with that. It’s a very tough issue.’

  Matt flashed her a thoughtful look. ‘It’s tackling the tough issues that brings the most rewards. It’s just a matter of having the self-confidence to know that you’re the right person for the job.’ He returned to his apple pie, as if the comment was simply a general observation.

  Marcie caught her eye across the table and Beth ignored her. If Matt had meant to make a point, it was forgotten now, his attention diverted to James, who was joking about Marcie’s cooking.

  ‘Main reason for marrying her. I was thinking of putting it into the vows, but I wasn’t sure how that would go down with the in-laws.’

  Marcie laughed. ‘What, you wanted me to promise to love, honour, obey and cook the Sunday lunch?’

  ‘Might have been more to the point. Actually, love, honour and cook the Sunday lunch. The obey bit was always a nonstarter.’ James winced as Marcie’s foot obviously came into sharp contact with his knee under the table. ‘Ow! See what I mean?’

  ‘Well, I’m with James on this one. This pie is worth a marriage proposal all on its own.’ Matt joined in the joke, nudging Marcie. ‘Any chance of another piece?’

  Marcie seemed immune to his charm and didn’t so much as turn a hair under the warmth of his smile. Unfortunately she was also immune to Beth’s look of silent entreaty. ‘Of course, plenty there. Beth made half a dozen when she was staying with us last week and I put them in the freezer. I’ll get one out for you to take home with you.’ Bet
h supposed that Marcie could have said more but she didn’t really need to. James nudged her knee with his under the table and her ears reddened with embarrassment.

  Matt seemed completely unfazed. He made a laughing comment about cooks and broth that Beth didn’t quite catch, which seemed to have had the desired effect because the tension around the table ratcheted back down a couple of notches and Marcie chuckled and dug him in the ribs companionably. Beth wondered what it would be like to be able to do that to Matt without wanting to follow up with a more intimate style of horseplay. Her cheeks started to flush and she dropped her gaze, fiddling with the hearing aid in her left ear as an excuse to cover at least part of her face with her hand.

  Marcie took pity on her, and suggested that they take second helpings and coffee into the TV room, where they could talk more. Matt was bundled out of his seat and shooed through, despite his offers to stay and help with the washing-up, and Beth followed, her laptop tucked under one arm and her research notes cradled in the other.

  She took her time getting settled, laying her laptop and notes out carefully on the coffee table in front of her, while Matt worked his way through the over-large second helping of pie that Marcie had cut for him. By the time she had poured the coffee, she was feeling a little more in control. Cool. Businesslike.

  ‘Right.’ She waited for him to finish the last mouthful of pie and put the empty bowl down in front of him. ‘Let’s get on with it.’

  If Beth had thought that this was going to be a cosy, Sunday afternoon chat about some of the issues that she faced at work, she was mistaken. Before she knew it, the precious research notes had been handed over to him, and he was reading them through, closely questioning her on methods, control groups and almost every other aspect of her study. It was more thorough than the interrogation she had received from the grants committee, and he pinpointed all the holes in her reasoning, those she knew about and a couple that had not occurred to her.

  Finally he slapped the pages shut. ‘This is impressive.’