Holly's Christmas Gift

by Alex Brown

  ‘People just care, love. So you can’t blame them for wondering what’s going on and, more importantly, if they can help out.’

  ‘Hmm, well, it looks like Holly is going to be fine, especially once they get this pump for her. But Chrissie did say that she thinks Sam has had the blood test … well, he didn’t come right out and say so, but she thinks he isn’t a blood match for his own daughter. He would have said if he was, wouldn’t he?’ Jude said, remembering how upset her best friend had been.

  ‘Err, I guess so.’

  ‘But he didn’t give her a straight answer when she asked him … before it descended into a row, that is.’

  Tony looked thoughtful. ‘Now, that’s a real shame.’

  ‘Yes, yes it is,’ Jude said quietly.

  ‘Well, the pair of them need their heads banging together, if you ask me. It’s not right that they’re tearing themselves apart like this, when there’s one thing that might actually help them … and they aren’t doing it!’

  ‘What’s that then, Dad?’ she asked, keen to find out so she could pass it on to Chrissie.

  ‘Talking! That’s what they must do. They need to bleeding well talk to each other,’ Tony stated, dabbing his roller hard onto the wall to punctuate his point. ‘It’s vital, especially when there’s a little girl at the heart of all this. If they can’t talk properly to each other then there’s no hope for them,’ he finished, pragmatically.

  ‘But sometimes that’s the hardest thing of all to do.’

  ‘I know, love,’ Tony softened. ‘Perhaps I should pop over and see Dolly. I might be able to have a chat with Sam if he’s there … see if I can get through to him. Help him see a way forward. I’ve always tried to do that since Rob passed away. And if you talk to Chrissie … Well, you never know, between the pair of us we might actually make a difference, and get them actually speaking to each other some time this side of Christmas.’

  ‘Good idea, Dad. Give Sam a bit of fatherly advice, you’re good at that. And I thought I might go over to Dolly’s on Saturday to see how Holly is coping given that she’s not even talking to Sam and Chrissie …’

  ‘And that’s another thing Chrissie and Sam need to be thinking about – talking to Holly, properly. She’s growing up and they have to give her a bit of credit. All the while they’re taking it out on each other, they aren’t putting her first.’

  ‘All right, Dad. Calm down,’ Jude shook her head and smiled, suddenly feeling protective of her best friend, and Sam too. ‘I’m sure they realise that.’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ Tony puffed out a weary sigh. ‘They’re a lovely family … and they are part of our family … it’s not just blood that ties people together. You and Chrissie have a shared history, you’ve grown up together, and that binds people too. And Sam’s dad, Rob, I miss him every day – he was my oldest and closest friend. He had diabetes as well, you know? Not like Holly has it, bad, and it wasn’t what killed him. It was the cancer, and that has a lot to flaming answer for too. He was a top bloke, Rob, and he died far too young. Like your mum. Life can be so bleeding cruel sometimes.’

  ‘I know, Dad. And it will be OK. We’ll all get through this. And we will make sure Chrissie and Sam, and Holly are all right,’ Jude soothed, hating seeing her dad upset. He was such a kind man … he really cared about everyone. And it was so the right thing for her to come home. She couldn’t bear to think of him having to worry about all this on his own. Not after everything he had done for her over the years … it was the least she could do to be back here with him.

  ‘Let’s try to be positive. You have a chat to Sam on Saturday. And I’ll tell Holly about all this …’ she waved a hand around the basement. ‘It might help cheer her up a bit if she has something nice to look forward to. And I’ll talk to Chrissie as well. I might even be able to come up with a plan to get her and Sam in the same room at least … lock them in if I have to. Perhaps a little get-together at Dolly’s on Saturday evening, I’m sure she’d be up for having Chrissie over to hers to see Holly. I’ll ask her. And I’ll tell Chrissie that you’re taking Sam to the pub so she doesn’t have to worry about him being there and getting into another argument … and then they can “bump” into each other or something,’ Jude said, thinking out loud. ‘Will you help me shove them both into Dolly’s sitting room or whatever?’ she added, getting into her stride now.

  ‘That’s my girl. Of course I will. You’ve always been good at coming up with inventive plans. Glad to see all that mischief in your teenage years hasn’t gone to waste.’ They both laughed.

  ‘And while Chrissie and Sam are “sorting out their differences”, aka actually talking to each other, I can have a chat to Holly …’

  ‘Good idea,’ Tony nodded. ‘You’ve always been good with her too so at least she’ll have you to talk to while her mum and dad get their act together. I’ll drive us over if you like … that’s if I’ve got all this lot done by then.’ He groaned, eyeing all the wall space that was yet to be painted.

  ‘Brilliant! You’d better get on with it then!’ she said cheekily, before scarpering. Blowing her dad a kiss over her shoulder as she went.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jude had just finished explaining to the guy from the tropical cabana supply company where the swimming pool was going to be, when Myles came galloping across the lawn on the back of a beautiful brown and white stallion.

  ‘Eaaaaasy does it, Bullseye. That’s my boy,’ Myles said, patting the side of the horse’s neck to calm him as he came to a halt. After swinging himself off and down on to the newly mown grass, Myles tethered the horse to a nearby fence, fed it a carrot from his pocket and then stood squarely in front of Jude, looking ridiculous in leather chaps over jeans, a yellow checked shirt, jaunty neck tie and a cowboy hat. On his feet were black leather cowboy boots complete with shiny silver spurs at the ankle. ‘Howdy partner!’ he said in a comical Deputy Dawg accent, as he doffed the hat.

  Jude stared, goggled-eyed and speechless. Her jaw dropped. Myles laughed, and then actually had the temerity to put the tip of his index finger to her chin so as to reunite it with the rest of her face.

  ‘Get off me, you loon,’ she smiled, shimmying her face away from his touch, but only pretending to be put out, because it was really hard to be serious whenever he was around. His carefree, effervescent approach to life was highly seductive. Plus he’d just treated her to a delicious whiff of his intoxicating scent, making her stomach do a tiny flip.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ Myles asked, taking a step back and flinging his arms out wide as if he was about to burst into a rousing rendition of ‘Oklahoma’, clearly impressed with his new costume.

  ‘Um,’ Jude tried to stifle a giggle. ‘It’s different,’ she ventured, ‘but what have you come as … Sheriff Woody?’

  ‘Ha-ha! You’re so funny, Jude.’ He winked. ‘I think it’s cool. And so the right look for a horseman, don’t ya think?’ he grinned and nodded, assured as ever.

  ‘I guess so. But since when did you own a horse?’ she asked. He hadn’t said a word about it before now, and she had been here at the estate nearly every day this last week.

  ‘Since earlier this morning when he arrived.’

  ‘And you named him Bullseye … are you trying to star in your very own version of Toy Story? You really are just a giant man-child, aren’t you?’ she laughed.

  ‘Nooo, of course not,’ and for a moment, Jude could have sworn that Myles looked crestfallen, taken aback by her jokes. Hurt even. And it bothered her. After the way she had seen him be with Holly, and then Chrissie in the pub, and the time they had spent together recently, she knew that he wasn’t just the jovial and cocky Flash Harry that he made himself out to be. So she didn’t want to hurt him by seemingly having a joke at his expense.

  ‘Sorry,’ she quickly added. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it.’

  ‘I know,’ he shrugged, ‘it’s fine.’

  They both fell silent. And she wondered if it really was f
ine … or if he was just saying so to avoid friction between them.

  Jude moved towards the stallion’s face and gently stroked his nose, unsure of what else to do. And why was Myles looking at her in this way? Like a little lost boy all of a sudden. He even bit his bottom lip, before looking her up and down as if pondering his options, or weighing her up, perhaps, wondering if he should say something else. But he didn’t.

  And more silence followed.

  Then she took action, by saying, ‘Bullseye is so handsome,’ as a way to move the moment on. She never had been one for awkward silences. Far better to just come out with it. But she didn’t really know Myles well enough to work out how he might react if she asked him why he seemed upset with her all of a sudden. Plus, her dad had a point earlier … Myles was her boss at the end of the day. No matter how much the lines had been blurred on that score, he was still paying her wages, even if he was getting more and more involved, to the point where he was practically taking over the whole refurbishment. In addition to turning the Blackwood Farm Estate into some kind of theme park with a petting zoo. So she kept the conversation focused on the horse. ‘And a thoroughbred, by the looks of him,’ she added, knowing a bit about horses, having grown up with Matt, the local farrier. He’d been horse mad and had taken her riding in the summer time when they were teenagers.

  ‘That’s right. I found him through a specialist breeder on the internet in Ireland,’ Myles told her casually, his nonchalant demeanour back in place now. He handed her a carrot to feed to Bullseye. ‘Fancy a ride?’ And he turned to look her right in the eye.

  The silence returned, apart from the chomping noises coming from Bullseye’s mouth.

  ‘Err,’ Jude went to reply, willing her cheeks to stop burning.

  ‘Shit. Sorry,’ Myles laughed. ‘Didn’t mean it like that … you know, as in ride, ride. As in a shag. Bed. And all that …’ He rolled his eyes, and then swiftly added, ‘Not that I wouldn’t be up for it. Course I bloody would. You’re gorgeous, of course.’ Jude stared, speechless. ‘I should go, shouldn’t I? Before you belt me one. You’ve got that look in your eye.’ And he pulled a mock-petrified face.

  ‘Err,’ she opened her mouth again, ‘um … what do mean, look in your eye? What look?’

  ‘That look you do. Like you want to put me across your knee and spank the living daylights out of me for being so bloody annoying.’ He pushed the cowboy hat off his head so it hung by the string down his back and shoved a hand through his short blond hair.

  ‘Oh. Um, well, I don’t, um … you know, want to put you across my knee. And you aren’t annoying. Really you aren’t.’

  ‘You sure?’ he asked, keenly.

  ‘Yes, of course … quite sure.’

  ‘That’s a good thing then, isn’t it?’ Myles said, lowering his voice, and sounding uncharacteristically serious, and dare she think it, actually charming … even if he was staring at her lips and making her feel quite unnerved. She looked away. Now this is really awkward. Is he coming on to me? It sounded like he was, but now he thinks I’m scary. And not in a good way. But why is my stomach flipping like this? Yes, he’s grown on me over the time we’ve worked together, but still … He’s not my type! Is he? Not after Scott. Maybe he’s just playing with me. It’s hard to be sure. Jude mulled it all over, not used to feeling on the back foot like this. Unsure. She normally had a witty one-liner, or a snarky comment ready for times likes this … but all of that was eluding her right now.

  But Jude was saved from saying, or indeed thinking anything more, as Sylvia was powering her way towards them with a clipboard in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other.

  ‘There you are,’ she said, addressing them both. Then turned to Myles with an exasperated look on her face.

  ‘I’ve been looking all over for you. There are a team of people here at the back gate with two juggernauts chugging away, spluttering diesel fumes all over the place because they refuse to switch the engines off – something to do with needing to keep the generators topped up or whatever,’ she tutted. ‘Anyway, they are from …’ she paused to consult her clipboard, ‘ahh, yes, here it is. I had to write it down because they aren’t on my list so I wasn’t expecting them,’ she added pointedly. ‘Billy Randall’s Most Amazing Funfair and Theme Parks,’ she coughed to clear her throat, and then finished with, ‘Limited!’

  ‘Good-oh!’ Myles said.

  ‘And the one in charge says they are here to erect a carousel. One with painted horses that go up and down! Those were his exact words, when I dared to ask what he meant … I might add.’

  ‘Fantastic! So they managed to get one here … that’s a relief as they said they might not have one available with it being such short notice and all that …’ Myles added, seemingly oblivious to Sylvia’s disdain.

  ‘So you are expecting them then?’ Sylvia asked, incredulity spread all over her face.

  ‘Sure am.’ Myles caught Jude’s eye and then added, ‘Thank you, Sylvia. And I’m sorry I didn’t mention it. I guess I just forgot in my silly excitement. The way big kids do!’ Jude flicked her eyes to the ground – so he had been hurt by her stupid insensitive comment. And then he leant across and put his arm around Sylvia’s shoulders, pulling her in for a big bear hug. ‘Will you forgive me? I really am sorry.’

  ‘Oh, be off with you. You know I can’t stay cross with you for long,’ she said, batting the chest part of his checked shirt with her clipboard. ‘But will you please try to let me know next time?’

  ‘I’ll try. Promise,’ he agreed. ‘Right, I had better get over to the back gate then. We don’t want to upset the neighbours by polluting the lovely clean air of Tindledale!’

  Moments later, having hopped up and into position on Bullseye’s saddle in one swift movement, Myles was off, galloping across the grass ahead of them. Jude was impressed … he was clearly a very adept horse rider.

  ‘Did you know he was buying that horse?’ Sylvia asked, turning sideways to talk to Jude as they walked back towards the house.

  ‘No. He bought it on the internet, apparently … and why not? He’s a fantastic rider.’

  ‘He certainly is. But then is it any wonder?’ Sylvia said, her face taking on a film of sweat in the warm spring air.

  ‘How come?’

  ‘He grew up on a farm! So it stands to reason that’s where he learnt to ride.’

  ‘Really? I thought he was from London,’ Jude said, surprised by this revelation which seemed in contrast to the impression Myles had presented of him being a bit clueless when it came to country ways. The image of him in the mustard-coloured breeches and knee-high socks sprang to mind.

  ‘Ah, yes, he is from London. But he had to move around a lot. When I say that he grew up on a farm … he spent some summers on one for a bit. On and off until he left care.’

  ‘Care?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right. Myles grew up in foster care with numerous different placements. I think he had been to twelve different schools by the time he was old enough to leave full-time education.’

  ‘Gosh, I didn’t know …’ Jude pondered for a moment; this made a lot of sense … It explained why Myles seemed to be so keen to fit in. To find his place. She imagined he must have felt extremely unsettled growing up with no permanent place to call home. And her heart softened for him. There really was so much more to Myles King than she had first thought.

  ‘Yes, of course that part of his background isn’t plastered all over the internet, but it’s not a secret … he won’t mind me telling you,’ Sylvia clarified, just in case Jude thought she was gossiping inappropriately. ‘The rest is there though … I assume you’ve seen it all. The sensationalist newspaper articles.’

  ‘No, I haven’t. Of course, I took a look at his Wiki page, I do that with all my clients, but I tend to ignore the rest as in my experience it’s never very accurate,’ Jude said. But to her shame, she had just assumed that Myles was cocky and over-entitled and had got lucky with a record deal or whatever it
was that had started him on the road to international fame in the first place. That was how he came across in that initial phone call, when he had been downright rude and extremely presumptuous. And not at all like her previous clients, some of whom were megastars and would never make the initial contact call themselves. That’s what PAs and managers were for. Well, she wouldn’t make that mistake again. Judging before she really knew.

  ‘Well, you must be the only person who hasn’t. Most people who meet Myles know all about him, they’ve read every single seedy thing about him … it always becomes evident right away. The questions they ask, the intrigue, the fascinated looks on their faces … but can you blame them? These days it is perfectly normal to know everything about famous people. You can even talk to them directly on Twitter and such like. It never used to be like that back in my day.’

  ‘Very true.’

  ‘But I don’t know what’s come over him these days …’ Sylvia shook her head in worry, ‘… you know, he never used to be this impulsive. Lurching from one new idea to another. Buying animals and expensive artwork like it’s going out of fashion.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Oh no, when he was singing and touring … at the height of his career, he was very different. Totally focused and committed to the music. He spent all of his time either on the road, or in his studio composing new song lyrics and rehearsing them over and over. Until …’ Sylvia stopped talking.