All She Wants for Christmas

by Annie Claydon

  ‘Really? You must have a clear conscience and a blameless life.’

  He was standing too close and talking in riddles. Beth nudged at his shoulder in a gesture of friendly exasperation, and found that his arms were on either side of her, hands on top of the roof of her car, penning her in. ‘Stop messing around, Matt.’

  His eyes were dark, pools of shadow highlighting his strong features, yellow streaks from the overhead lighting across his face and in his hair. ‘Is that what you think I’m doing?’

  She wasn’t sure what he was doing. She was even less sure what she was doing. Beth reached up and her fingers found his jaw, running softly along it, feeling it flex at her touch. His lips moved closer to hers, still out of reach but they wouldn’t be for very long.

  Light blinded her. Someone’s headlights, on full, sweeping around the car park. Matt moved to one side, using his body to shield her from the glare. After the car had roared past them, he leaned back on the bonnet of his own car.

  ‘I’d…I think I’d better…’ Go was the last thing she wanted to do. And exactly what she intended right now. Beth pulled her car keys out of her pocket and slid her fingers under the handle of the driver’s door.

  ‘So should I.’ He didn’t move, and Beth nodded. Climbing back into her car, she twisted the ignition key firmly and it started first time for a change. Must be a sign. She gave him a wave, and he returned the gesture as Beth backed out of her parking space and drove away. His figure leaned motionless against his own car as it receded in her rear-view mirror.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HE HAD nearly kissed her. Matt was not sure which he regretted most, that he had lost his resolve to keep his distance or that he had not finally tasted her lips against his. He held out as long as he could against the urge to talk to her and finally the rigours of the Saturday morning supermarket trip with Jack broke him. Pulling out his phone, he texted Beth.

  How is your car? Can I pick you up this afternoon? M.

  Matt thrust his phone back into his jeans pocket and turned his attention to Jack’s current deliberations. He had announced that he wanted to buy Beth a box of chocolates for Christmas and was fingering a prettily packaged box of fair-trade, speciality chocolates that Matt had got down from one of the top shelves for him.

  ‘These will be okay, Dad. I haven’t got enough money, though.’

  ‘Here.’ Matt proffered a note and Jack whipped it out of his hand. ‘We’ll get her something nice, eh? Do you want to get her a bunch of flowers with the change?’

  Jack wrinkled his nose. ‘Flowers are for girls, Dad.’ He rolled the note up and put it in his pocket. ‘I’ll just put these in the basket and see if there’s anything else she’d like better.’

  ‘Okay. Don’t take all day about it, though, we’ve got some wrapping paper to get, too.’ Matt lifted Jack up with one arm, so he could see the selection of boxes on the top shelf, reaching for his phone with the other hand as it vibrated against his hip.

  Thank you, a lift would be great, car still playing up. See you both about 3? B.

  It was guarded and she had made it obvious that this was all about accepting a lift rather than going to the party with him. Still, she had said yes. Matt found himself smirking with unconcealed triumph as he texted back his acknowledgement.

  When Jack planted his finger on the doorbell, Beth opened the door almost immediately, as if she had been waiting behind it, although the comb and pins in her hand told Matt that she’d been standing at the large hall mirror, fixing her hair. His grip on Jack’s shoulders tightened at the sight of her, as the earth tilted a couple of degrees on its axis.

  ‘You look nice!’ Her eyes were on Jack, and he felt the boy straighten in response to her appreciation. ‘All ready for the party?’

  Jack nodded. ‘You look…’ He was obviously lost for the right word, and Matt supplied it before he had time to think.

  ‘Gorgeous.’

  She coloured, dropping her gaze to the floor for a moment and stepped back from the door, allowing Jack to run into the hallway.

  She was wearing a simple, mid-blue dress made of a heavy silk that followed her curves without clinging. Her hair was pinned up, curls escaping from a loose arrangement on top of her head that managed to look natural and sophisticated at the same time. Matt took in the blue pumps and the cluster of silver strands around her neck without really noticing them. As usual, her eyes drew his gaze. Wide, misty grey and like cool, inviting waters that he longed to plunge into.

  Surrounded by dark, heavy lashes that made them look even more ethereally beautiful.

  Those eyes were registering apprehension at the moment. He summoned a friendly grin and stepped inside the house. ‘Ready to go?’ He tried to keep the tone light, but he couldn’t help watching as she turned back to the mirror. The flexible sway of her waist. The pearly skin of her arms as she fussed with her hair, slipping the microprocessor on the side of her head under the dark strands so that it was barely visible.

  Now he was inside he could smell her fragrance. Light, but not too flowery. Subtle, not the wall of scent intended to make you drop from ten paces that Mariska used to wear. Suddenly Mariska seemed out of place in his thoughts. Someone who was locked for ever in the past and not relevant to today.

  ‘Nearly.’ She stuck a diamanté pin into her hair, securing the last errant curl, and patted it carefully. ‘That’ll do.’

  It would more than just do. Matt wondered what it would be like to carefully pull the pins from her hair, running his fingers through her curls as he kissed her lips. He’d bet his last pay cheque, along with all those in the foreseeable future, that her lips would be soft, and that her kiss would be tender.

  She was saying something, but Matt had been too busy with the imagined kiss to listen. ‘Sorry—what was that?’

  ‘I said come through for a minute. There’s a little something for Jack on the tree.’ She held a finger and thumb up to give the measure of a token present.

  ‘Oh. Thank you.’ Matt turned to Jack and realised that they had left his parcel in the car. ‘I think we have…’ He was about to go and fetch Jack’s present for him and then realised that he should let Jack do it. ‘Here.’ Matt handed his car keys to Jack without further explanation.

  Jack trotted importantly back down the path, swinging the keys in his hand in what Matt realised was a pretty good imitation of his own habit. Beth was standing in the shadow of the hallway, watching him unobtrusively, and Matt looked through the open door into the sitting room.

  ‘You’ve been busy! This looks a bit better than when I saw it last.’ It looked great. Freshly cleaned and arranged, the room was inviting and homely, muted patterns, fabrics and furniture that didn’t match but somehow managed to blend perfectly.

  Her face lit up. ‘Yes, almost back to normal now. When everything dried out the bubbles in the wallpaper in the sitting room and the bedroom went down, so I won’t have to replace it. There’s the hall to do over again and a new carpet for the sitting room, but I was going to get one anyway in the new year.’

  ‘The bare boards don’t look so bad. If you stripped and polished them, they’d look great.’

  She pursed her lips. ‘Do you think so? I’ve been thinking about that, but I’m a bit nervous about using a heavy-duty stripper.’

  ‘Well, you need all the right protective gear but it’s easy really. I can…’ Matt reconsidered the offer. ‘I was thinking of doing my study. Why don’t you come over and give me a hand?’

  She thought for a moment. Surely she wouldn’t turn down such a well-concealed offer of help. ‘Yes, okay. I can see how it’s done, perhaps.’ She giggled. ‘At least I won’t need any ear defenders.’

  He wanted to hug her, but he was afraid that he might muss her delicate perfection. Or that she might slap him. Matt contented himself with walking over to where she stood, watching Jack as he pressed the remote to unlock the car doors.

  ‘He insisted on choosing a present for you. A
nd the paper as well. Wouldn’t even let me in the room while he was wrapping it up.’ Matt knew that she would value Jack’s efforts far more than anything he could have done.

  ‘That’s lovely.’ The tenderness in her face turned to mischief. ‘I expect he didn’t want you interfering with the grand plan.’

  ‘Well, the grand plan apparently has to include reindeer, so I hope you like them.’

  ‘As it happens, I like them very much.’ Her eyes were dancing with mirth. ‘Does that mean he’s got to the end of the game I made?’

  ‘More than once. “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is now well and truly burned into my consciousness. I found myself humming it during my afternoon clinic the other day.’

  ‘Oops. Sorry.’ She grimaced apologetically, clapping one hand over her mouth and laying the other on his arm. Even through his jacket, he could feel the tingle that seemed to race between them whenever they touched and the almost dizzy feeling that being in contact with her produced.

  ‘Don’t be. He loves that game. It’s all the more special to him because you made it just for him.’

  She nodded, obviously pleased. Jack was marching up the front path again, after having only half closed the passenger door of the car, but Matt decided to take the risk. Nothing was going to happen to it outside in the lane and now was not the time to interfere with Jack’s efforts to be a grown-up.

  The boy was unusually solemn as he faced Beth, holding out his parcel to her. ‘Happy Christmas, Beth.’

  ‘Ooh! Thank you, Jack.’ She took the parcel and felt it carefully. ‘I wonder what it is. I’m not sure if I can bring myself to open it, it looks so lovely.’

  She caught his hand and led Jack into the sitting room. Matt followed, a few paces behind, stopping in the doorway. This was Jack’s time with her. Maybe later on he’d get his turn.

  Beth was perched on the comfortable-looking sofa, her present balanced on her knees. Waving her finger, she directed Jack to a little parcel that was hanging from one of the branches of the Christmas tree that stood in the window, almost completely obscuring it.

  It was placed just low enough for him to reach, but not without a stretch. Jack dislodged a shower of pine needles and Beth only grinned at the mess. A sparkly gold bauble fell to the floor and rolled across the bare floorboards, making Matt wince, but Beth ignored it completely. Finally he managed to unhook the little red and green package and trotted importantly over to the sofa, plumping himself down beside Beth.

  ‘Open yours first,’ Jack insisted.

  She professed further delight at how beautifully the present was wrapped, and opened it carefully, peeling the sticky tape off without tearing the wrapping paper. ‘Oh, how lovely! How did you know that these were my absolute favourites?’

  Jack’s chest swelled with pride. ‘Can I open mine now?’

  ‘Yes, if you like. It’s not as yummy as mine is.’

  Jack tore at the paper on the package, and something fell out into his hand. He was busy deciphering a little piece of paper that had accompanied the something and Matt felt his heart twitch with suspense. What had she come up with this time?

  Jack ran over to him. ‘Look, Dad, it’s a shark’s tooth. It’s a real fossil and it’s millions of years old.’

  ‘Wow!’ Matt was genuinely impressed. ‘Can I have a look at that?’

  Jack pressed the tooth into his hand and capered back to Beth, flinging his arms around her neck, dislodging a curl of hair from its clip. Beth appeared not to notice, and returned his hug. ‘Just think how big that old shark must have been to have had a tooth that size, eh?’

  Jack thought for a moment. ‘Probably about as big as a house.’

  ‘I think so. Was it as big as your house, or mine?’

  ‘Mine.’ Jack turned to Matt. ‘It was probably as big as our house, wasn’t it, Dad?’

  Matt nodded gravely. ‘I expect so. We’ll look it up on the internet tomorrow and see what it was like, shall we?’

  ‘Yeah, Dad.’ Jack took back his tooth and examined it carefully. ‘Do you think it’s a front tooth or a back tooth?’

  Matt’s gaze automatically flipped towards Beth, but she only shrugged slightly, her smile telling him that he was on his own with that one. ‘I don’t know, mate.’ He hazarded a guess, based on nothing in particular. ‘Perhaps it’s a back tooth. We’ll see if we can find some pictures on the internet.’

  Jack seemed content with the rather lame answer, and Beth rose, putting her chocolates in pride of place on the mantelpiece. ‘I’ll put these up here where they’re safe. Then I can enjoy them on Christmas Day.’

  ‘So when you go away for Christmas, you’ll take them with you?’ Jack seemed concerned about the logistics of the operation.

  ‘I’m staying right here for Christmas, so I won’t need to.’ Her eyes moved from Jack to Matt, and the brilliance of her smile hardly seemed to dim at all. ‘Are we ready to go?’

  ‘We’re staying here, too, aren’t we, Dad?’ Jack had no compunction about making the observation and Matt wondered whether he might follow up with the question that was in his own mind.

  ‘That’s nice. I bet you’ll have just as good a day as I will. And I’ll be thinking of you when I open my chocolates, so it’ll be just as if I was seeing you.’ The firmness of her tone invited no further comment, and appeared to satisfy Jack, at least. ‘Now, let’s go, or we’ll be late.’

  Matt grabbed Jack before he raced past him and did his best to tuck his shirt back in, hampered by a fair bit of squirming on his son’s part. ‘Hold on, mate, you can’t go out with a lady like that.’ Jack sighed and muttered under his breath.

  Beth grabbed a dark woollen wrap from the hallstand and slung it over her shoulders, refixing her hair in front of the mirror. Then, collecting a small evening bag and a bottle-shaped wrap of tissue paper, she opened the front door. As he followed her down the front path to his car, Matt reflected that his son had beaten him to the punch and slipped his hand into Beth’s.

  Jack had insisted on carrying the box of cherry liqueurs they had purchased that morning, and presenting them to Marcie, while James received the bottles, peering inside the tissue paper and brightening when he saw the label on Matt’s offering. Finally Matt had the opportunity to play the escort and pride rose in his chest as he took Beth’s wrap, his senses quivering at her scent and the light brush of her hair against the back of his hand.

  ‘Mmm. Nice decorations.’ She looked around at the sparkly stars that hung from the ceiling in the hallway.

  James grimaced. ‘Yeah, I nearly broke my neck getting them up there. Marcie insisted that they should go all the way up the stairwell.’

  Beth patted his arm. ‘Well, they look lovely.’

  Matt had only wanted the one moment to play her date, and he’d had that, but he was greedy for more. He watched as Jack ran into the family room, where a little group of children were playing, and then resigned himself to letting Beth circulate, while he followed James to the kitchen to get a drink.

  She turned and her eyes were round, pale pools of quicksilver, which put her jewellery to shame for lustre and hue. Before he could move she had slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and wound her fingers around his arm. ‘Come along, let me introduce you to everyone.’

  Beth had no idea what she had been thinking. It was one thing to arrive with the newest member of the hospital staff, whose eligibility had already been assessed and discussed by the gossip machine. That could be construed as accepting a lift. It was quite another to take his arm and walk with him into the large open-plan sitting room. That would most definitely be construed as something more.

  He’d looked so lost, though, standing alone in the hallway after Jack had run off to play with the other children and what had started off as a friendly gesture seemed to have got out of hand. A dozen pairs of eyes were on them as soon as they walked in and she instinctively moved closer to him for protection.

  Matt guided her over to where the
food was laid out, and handed her a plate. His manners were impeccable, warm and attentive, but somehow indicating that this was the way any man would treat a woman and that there was nothing in it. She wasn’t sure whether the sudden veneer was for her benefit or the rest of the room, but it gave the gossipmongers precious little fuel for further speculation.

  She introduced him to the small cluster around the drinks table and he smiled and talked with everyone. Beth reckoned that it was about time she melted quietly into the background, but suddenly he snagged her arm.

  The movement was so quick that it was almost imperceptible. His finger ran down the inside of her wrist and into her palm, staying there just long enough to make his meaning clear. He was not looking at her, but he moved slightly closer and she felt the soft cashmere of his sweater brush her skin. When he turned towards her, the look in his eyes was unequivocal. Stay. You belong next to me.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE party was moving into its second phase. Easy chairs were pulled back to make way for dancing, and the bass notes of the music began to pump in Beth’s head as James turned the volume of the CD player up. A child-friendly fruit punch was replaced with a killer concoction, which was Marcie’s own invention, and she and James announced that the party was now for adults only by performing a practised tango across the sitting room.

  Matt had left to drive Jack over to his grandparents’ for the night and when he returned he was quickly lost in the crowd. It appeared that Beth no longer belonged at his side.

  She shrugged to herself, biting back her disappointment. He probably wanted to dance or get to know people or whatever. Suddenly there seemed to be an empty space around her, even though the room was full of friends and acquaintances.

  James caught her hand and pulled her into the group of dancers, while Marcie made for a young physiotherapist who was standing on his own in the corner. They were obviously both doing their usual job of getting everyone to join in, and Beth wondered whether she had looked as alone as she had felt.